The north wind is blowing, and the bustling and vast Kyoto seems to be shrouded in a cold smoke. Seen from the air, it looks extremely cold.
But as long as you look closer, you can see the lights everywhere and hear the laughter and laughter everywhere.
It’s the Spring Festival again.
The Spring Festival in Rongguofu has always been more lively and complicated than other places, especially this year.
On New Year's Eve, we worshiped our ancestors in Ningguo Mansion, and on the first day of the new year, after the master of the family and several royal ladies in the mansion received a palace banquet in the palace, Rongguo Mansion opened its doors, and the whole family celebrated the New Year happily.
There were also people visiting relatives and friends, and some relatives and friends coming to pay New Year greetings. It was really lively.
It was rare that today there were fewer things to do, and the women in charge of each house in the clan were not idle either. After cleaning up, they rushed to Rongqing Hall to gather under Jia Mu's seat.
When there are more people, Wang Xifeng will definitely be the busiest.
It happened that she was leading a group of maids and servants to serve snacks to the relatives. Mother Jia caught sight of it and turned away from the others and asked her: "Girl Feng, didn't you say that Lian'er will come back today? Could it be that you made a mistake again?"
As early as October last year, after learning that Jia Lian was safe and sound, the whole family was looking forward to Jia Lian's return to Beijing.
Some said they would come back before the end of the year, and some said there were other emperor's messengers who couldn't come back. Anyway, they didn't come back in the end.
Finally, I received a message from Jia Lian a few days ago, saying that he would return to Beijing in the next two days. Now that the time has come, there is still no news, so Jia's mother asked this question.
Wang Xifeng was originally greeting the elders of the family, laughing loudly. Hearing this, he couldn't help turning around to face Jia Mu, and his voice suddenly weakened: "I guess I won't miss it again. The message Zhaoer came back to deliver yesterday...
"
While talking, Wang Xifeng couldn't help but look out the door with a gloomy expression.
Seeing her like this, everyone laughed secretly, but Youshi, the mistress of Ningguo Mansion, smiled and said to Jia Mu.
"Old lady, if you want to ask this question, no one can ask it, so I asked her.
We are sitting together today and listening to the old lady talking. We are all happy, but for some people, our hearts have already flown out of this gate.
The old lady is not trying to win her over now, but is still using this to scare her. Isn’t the old lady afraid that when you, the filial granddaughter-in-law, sit at the door of our house, you will completely turn into a watchful stone?
If someone offers you tea, fruits and snacks, then you are not at a big loss."
Nowadays, Wang Xifeng's wife relies on her husband's status, and her status is no longer what it used to be.
Even though there were some scandals in the past that damaged his reputation, they are now gradually dissipated under the deliberate cover-up of the Jia family.
In short, there are not many people in the He clan who dare to joke with Wang Xifeng or make fun of Wang Xifeng.
As the mistress of Ningguo Mansion, Mrs. You is not far different in status and age, so she makes fun of her in public.
Because of what You said was so humorous, all the women in the hall couldn't help but smile.
Among them, the sisters Jia Baoyu and Jia Tanchun laughed the most, each covering their mouths and laughing non-stop.
Wang Xifeng blushed at first when Youshi said it, and then glared at Youshi. Finally, under Jia Mu's cheerful laughter, she couldn't help but pretend to be smiling, and scolded Youshi: "You can talk, but you eat so much."
Yes, I still can’t stop your mouth!”
While they were talking, Wang Xifeng and others walked quickly to Youshi, picked up a piece of pastry, and tried to stuff it into her mouth.
When everyone saw her laughing and joking, they felt more and more amused.
Finally, Jia Mu worriedly reminded her, "Be careful, Feng girl. She is pregnant and expecting to give birth. She can't stand your making such a fuss."
Youshi has been pregnant since early last summer, and now she is almost due to give birth. Originally, she should have taken good care of her baby at home, but firstly, she was strong and did not show much pregnancy. Secondly, the midwife also said that it was appropriate.
Moving around is good for miscarriage. I heard that Jia Lian is returning home today...
For this reason, after she heard that Jia Mu's place was so lively, she asked the maids to help her come over and join in the fun.
Wang Xifeng was a man of good intentions, so naturally he would not seriously hurt Mr. You. After Jia Mu's words, he let go of Mr. You, and then spat: "I just learned to talk nonsense with some people.
Aren't you afraid that when your son is born in the future, he will learn from you and cause trouble everywhere, which will make you cry?"
Youshi smiled and said nothing, but could not help but hold her belly gently with one hand, with a touch of love and expectation in her eyes.
When Wang Xifeng saw this, she felt very dissatisfied. She rolled her eyes at Youshi, got up and went to find Jia's mother to "trouble" her.
While they were laughing and making trouble, the housekeeper's wife came up to report that Jia Lian had arrived in Beijing.
"really."
At this moment, everyone in the hall was overjoyed.
Lai, a member of the family, laughed and said, "The master sent someone in to say that the team escorting the princess back to the capital had already entered the capital at chenshizheng and is now heading to the imperial city."
"Did you tell me when Lian'er will be back?"
"This master didn't say..."
Seeing that the housekeeper's daughter-in-law couldn't explain clearly, Jia's mother asked someone to ask Jia Zheng again, and received a reply that Jia Lian should return to the palace first and then return home.
Everyone returned to their seats safely, but what they talked about changed from the glory of the boss and the shortcomings of the west to the topic of Jia Lian.
A lady from another house flattered Jia's mother and said, "Congratulations, old lady. I heard from my family that brother Lian has made great contributions to the court this time. He may be promoted to a higher position again. In this way,
Come, our family is more prosperous than before."
Jia Mu happily became humble.
Another person laughed and said: "I have also heard from others that Uncle Lian is still young and already has a fourth-rank official position. It is unlikely that the court will give him another official position. And Uncle Lian has indeed made great achievements.
, I’m afraid that the imperial court will eventually promote Uncle Lian to a higher rank.”
"It is also possible that a large amount of wealth will be rewarded..."
Although Jia Mu smiled in response to the remarks of all the daughters-in-law, she felt somewhat disapproving of them.
Regarding Jia Lian's matter, Jia's mother had already asked Jia Zheng and others.
Based on the feedback received from the court, Jia Zheng already roughly knew the court's conclusion on the merits and demerits of Jia Lian's mission to Wala.
According to Jia Zheng, it is really possible to be promoted to a noble title!
Promotion...
What seductive and exciting words!
Since the establishment of the Ding Dynasty, every family that has received a title will be demoted by at least one level for each generation.
In this way, as long as nothing happens, the family title will basically be gone after a few generations. If you are lucky, the court may take pity on you and reward you with an insignificant low-level official position for hereditary inheritance.
From then on, he changed from a noble man to an official gentry.
Take son-in-law Lin Ruhai as an example. The ancestors of the Lin family were only awarded the title of "Marquis".
The marquises are special marquises that are different from the fifth-class nobility, general nobility, etc. They are divided into "county marquis", "xianghou" and "tinghou".
Although the ancestors of the Lin family are the highest-ranking county marquises, they can only be passed down to three generations. This is somewhat different from the fact that the fifth-level marquises can be hereditary for five or six generations.
Corresponding to Liehou, there is also "Lebo", which is also divided into three types: "county, township and pavilion".
For example, the ancestor Wang Xifeng was only granted the title of Liebo, so the ancestors of the Wang family were honored as "Du Taiwei Controlling County Bo Wanggong".
But Liebo was even worse, as he could only inherit the title for one generation. Therefore, the Wang family had long since lost the title, which was even worse than that of the Lin family.
Therefore, it can be seen that the princes are lower than the marquis among the fifth-class nobility. The county prince is far lower than the earl among the fifth-class nobility, and belongs to the lowest level of title.
In fact, at the beginning of the founding of the Wei Dynasty, in addition to immediately taking over the world, many large civil forces and large families also made great efforts and made great contributions to the establishment of the dynasty.
Although these people had no military merit, they were kind to the new dynasty. Therefore, these special titles were established for them.
The Lin family can be regarded as an outstanding one among many families that have been awarded special titles. Therefore, in addition to inheriting the title for three generations according to the national system, the Lin family was particularly gracious and allowed many generations of titles to be inherited. After arriving at Lin Ruhai, he entered the official position from the imperial examination.
In fact, if Lin Ruhai had no talent and could not study and become an official, given the situation of the Lin family, the emperor would probably take pity on him and give him a special reward for an official and a part-time job, and would not let the Lin family become ordinary people all of a sudden.
Unfortunately, the generation from the Lin family to Lin Ruhai is extinct... Therefore, even if the emperor wants to, there is no way to continue the legacy of the Lin family.
Thinking of this, Jia Mu couldn't help but sigh: What a miserable family...
After skipping this incident, Jia Mu couldn't help but feel secretly happy.
If Jia Zheng's prediction is correct, Jia Lian will probably be promoted from second-class general to first-class this time, the same level as his incompetent father.
Don't look at this small promotion, this will make Jia Lian's status gorgeously change from the second grade to the first grade!
Ranking at the first level, in layman's terms, is the pinnacle of human affairs.
That's all, the most important thing is that being promoted from a second-class general to a first-class general will instantly allow the family title to be passed down to one more generation. Passing on one more generation will also extend the family's wealth for twenty or thirty years.
Years of longevity!
This importance to a family is irreplaceable.
Take the historian of her natal family as an example. Now they have a double marriage. If they don't make mistakes, the family can enjoy prosperity and wealth for at least five or six generations.
I don't know how many Xunmen in Beijing who have begun to decline are secretly envious of this.
Of course, the origins of the two marquises in my natal family are somewhat controversial, but what does that mean? There are now less than ten marquises in the entire dynasty, old and new, and her family has only two of them. This is real.
Wealth.
The wealth of her natal family is one of the reasons why she firmly holds the position of old lady in the Jia family.
If nothing else, she knew that Jia She and Jia Zhen were very envious of the Shi brothers' ability to fawn over...
It's a pity that they themselves are incompetent, and there's no point in envying them.
However, Lian'er's words...
Mother Jia suddenly felt that Jia Lian's current situation was somewhat similar to that of her natal nephew.
From this point of view, perhaps in the future, Jia Lian will really elevate his family's title to a higher level, thus realizing the bold words he made here!
"Since Lian'er has returned to Beijing, I think it won't be long before she returns home."
Jia Mu, who was thinking about something in her mind, said something casually, then looked at Mrs. Wang next to her, and asked: "Lian'er's status is not as usual now. This trip can be regarded as a business trip under the emperor's order, and she also brought something to the family."
glory.
Therefore, you must not be careless. When he comes back, you must not forget the etiquette and rules that should be in place in the house.
What it's like for your master to return home from a business trip in the past, it needs to be the same today."
When Mrs. Wang heard this, she felt a little unhappy, but she didn't show it on her face. She replied: "Why bother with the old lady's instructions? Feng Yatou and I have already planned it. Our master just asked about this matter before.
All preparations are made.
If it weren't for Lian'er who is still in mourning, we would still be preparing to write a post and invite relatives and friends to our house to celebrate him together.
However, the master said that although it is not convenient to hold a big banquet, it is just our family, old and young, gathering together, so it is appropriate to come. If the masters and wives of the clan are interested in having a wedding drink, it is also their intention.
, we can’t refuse either.”
"You're right, it's very good."
…
Daming Palace, Emperor Ningkang stayed in the South Study after returning from Chonghua Palace to pay his respects to the Second Saint.
In fact, he had already retired from court at this time. The emperor, who had been in charge for a year, could finally take a good rest and enjoy some family happiness with his concubines and royal children.
But today was the day when the envoy returned to Beijing, and he had to sit in the center to listen to the news brought back to him by the two envoys.
Dai Quan bent down and walked to Emperor Ningkang. Seeing him writing, he stood quietly in front of him.
"What's the matter?"
"Your Majesty, General Zhenyuan Jia Lian and Doctor Xiang He of the Ministry of Rites have arrived and are waiting outside Linjing Gate."
Emperor Ning Kang paused for a moment, then nodded and said one word indifferently.
"Xuan."
As soon as his voice fell, other Xiaohuangmen rushed to deliver orders.
Not long after, Emperor Ningkang heard two clear footsteps in the quiet hall.
"Your Majesty, Jia Lian (Xiang He), goes to see your Majesty."
"Get flat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As the two stood up, Emperor Ning Kang glanced at Jia Lian, who was wearing light golden inner armor and had a tall figure on the left, taller than the little old man next to him.
After not seeing each other for more than half a year, Jia Lian's face had hardly changed. The only thing that made Emperor Ning Kang feel that he had changed was that he was a little more calm and composed than before.
Well, the color of my clothes seems not to be as fair as before, and it looks a bit more dusty and bleak.
It is more worthy of the general's spirit of returning from victory at this time.
After repeatedly checking Jia Lian's appearance several times, even Emperor Ning Kang couldn't help but curse in his heart. God was kind to Jia Lian and gave him such a good skin.
From this, he somewhat understood why his daughter fell in love with Jia Lian in the first place.
"You two have done meritorious service in escorting the princess back to the capital. Thank you for your hard work."
"I dare not tell you how hard it is. It is our duty to serve His Majesty."
Emperor Ningkang nodded slightly, and then said calmly: "Although everything you did this time has been reported to me, I probably know it. But since you have returned this time, why don't you tell me what happened after the incident at Zhanghetan?
Tell me in detail."
"I obey your orders."
Xiang He was just an ordinary official before. Even if he was qualified to participate in the imperial court, he only stood in an inconspicuous position at the back.
Nowadays, facing the emperor directly, it is inevitable to be a little nervous.
As a civil servant, he is accustomed to pay close attention to every word of the emperor.
Hearing that the emperor only mentioned their contribution in escorting Princess Zhaoyang back, but kept silent about their previous mission to Wala and the renewed covenant with Wala, he felt even more worried.
Could it be that the emperor was still dissatisfied with the original incident?
He is different from Jia Lian. His third-grade official position was compensated by the court for the hard work of sending relatives off.
If the imperial court wanted to hold him accountable for the failure of the marriage, let alone his merits, he might not even be able to keep his current official position.
With these worries in his heart, this old man who was already a little thin became more and more shaky, and his figure seemed to be swaying.
Fortunately, he was only a deputy envoy. If the emperor had not asked the question himself, he would only have to stand aside and listen to Jia Lian's speech.
Xiang He lowered his head in the hall and didn't know that his performance was clearly seen by Emperor Ning Kang who was sitting above him.
Emperor Ning Kang couldn't help but frown a little.
I originally heard in one of Jia Lian's memorials that Xiang He was very talented. Not only was he familiar with all the imperial decrees, but he was also serious and responsible in his work. The mission was carried out in every detail. Thanks to his help.
Emperor Ning Kang originally thought that perhaps he had not noticed this veteran minister from a poor family before, and wanted to use this person's achievements to put him in a better position.
A brief observation at this time made him somewhat dissatisfied.
This is still an old minister, but his manners and manners are beyond compare even to a junior like Jia Lian.
Although I had no intention of punishing him, I was still a little disappointed.
I deliberately asked a few questions and found that although his words had solid evidence, they were all hesitant and not as clear as Jia Lian. I simply ignored him and just focused on asking Jia Lian.