Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 190: Honoring the Honored

Youshi was the wife of the head of the Jia family and a third-rank imperial official. She was exposed to more officialdom on a daily basis, but she heard the words "imperial decree" carefully and asked the maid who delivered the message.

Said: "Old lady, this imperial edict is different from the imperial decree. The Ministry of Rites' imperial edict is either to promote an official or to confer a title. I have heard that Xifu Congge is amazing, and today I finally see the truth.

The old lady is so happy. Since it is the Ministry of Rites that has issued the imperial edict, it would be a bit disrespectful to let Congge alone to welcome her. It would be better for the master and the imperial edict to come together to welcome her."

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she almost vomited to death. She felt a lump in her chest and her whole body went limp.

She did go to receive the gift from the Queen in the palace a few days ago, but after seeing what happened, she really didn't dare to provoke her again.

She said to Mrs. Wang, "The boy is being raised in the second house. You and Feng go to welcome him. Also, go to the east courtyard and ask the first wife to come along. He's her son, so he can't just hide away all the time."

……

In Qingzhizhai, Jia Cong was with his sisters, reading, playing chess and chatting, having a great time.

After receiving Fengjie's instructions, Ping'er hurried to the courtyard to tell Jia Cong to go to Rong Xi Tang to receive the imperial edict, saying that the officials from the Ministry of Rites had already passed the ceremonial gate.

Daiyu and her sisters including Sanchun were all greatly surprised, but then they were happy for him. They all knew that he had made great contributions in Jinling, and they were afraid that he had received an imperial decree to be rewarded. They didn't know what official position he would be given this time.

Zhishao, Wu'er, Qingwen and other maids were in a panic and hurried to help Jia Cong change his robes and tidy up his appearance. After everything was ready, Jia Cong hurriedly followed Ping'er to Rong Xi Tang.

When they arrived at Rong Xi Tang, quite a few people were already waiting there, including Lady Wang and Aunt Feng. Jia Zheng also rushed over after hearing the news.

Jia Cong was also slightly stunned when he saw Mrs. Xing was present. Two years ago, in the witchcraft incident in the East Courtyard, Mrs. Xing was suspected because of Wang Shanbao's affair, and was confined to the East Courtyard for a year by Lady Jia.

If she hadn't been afraid that it would get out and prove that the first wife had used witchcraft to murder the second wife, Grandmother Jia would have asked Jia She to divorce her long ago.

After the matter cooled down for a year, Lady Jia finally lifted the house arrest rule, and Mrs. Xing went to the West Mansion to pay her respects and observe the rules as usual every day.

However, after this incident, the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has been strained, but everyone is just trying to keep a face in public. Except for the daily etiquette of paying respects, Mrs. Xing does not appear in the West Mansion and has been an invisible person for more than two years.

Just now, Feng Ji went to ask her to come, saying that the Ministry of Rites was going to issue an imperial edict to Jia Cong. Mrs. Xing felt disgusted when she heard this, and had no intention of going over to give face to that beast, but when she heard that it was the old lady who sent the message, she had to bite the bullet and come.

After a while, an official from the Ministry of Rites wearing the uniform of a fifth-rank official walked into Rongxi Hall. Jia Cong also recognized this man. He was Liu Jizu, the doctor in charge of shrines and sacrifices of the Ministry of Rites.

Behind him were eight ceremonial officials wearing red fifth-rank ceremonial uniforms, who entered in two rows one after another. They had solemn expressions and followed strict etiquette. They stood in a row, looking dignified and majestic, completely different from the ordinary eunuchs who delivered imperial edicts.

The eight ceremonial officers each held a black lacquered tray, on which were placed the imperial edict, brocade box, pearl crown, brocade clothing, xiapei, jade belt, ruyi and embroidered boots.

Jia Cong and Jia Zheng hurriedly went up to greet Liu Jizu. Liu Jizu smiled and said to Jia Cong, "Chengshilang, yesterday the Ministry of Rites received the imperial edict from the emperor, and today he is summoned to the palace. Chengshilang, please go and greet him."

In Rong Xi Hall, Jia Cong, Jia Zheng and others all knelt down to receive the order.

Even Ping'er and Yuanyang, who were waiting outside the hall, and Wu'er and Qingwen, who had rushed from Qingzhizhai to listen to the order, knelt down to listen.

Liu Jizu unfolded the central message and read:

You, Jia Cong, a seventh-rank official, are a man of brilliant literary talent, elegant calligraphy, and a scholarly age, with a great reputation.

He burned firewood until dawn, read the scriptures carefully, and continued my grace by copying the twelve volumes of the Buddha's true text. His courtesy, morality, filial piety and righteousness are commendable.

The Japanese pirates disturbed our Nanjing and their vicious bandits disrupted our maritime administration. You assisted Ning Wang as an advisor, came up with brilliant plans, solved important cases, and executed the vicious bandits, making great contributions. Although our dynasty has rules for ranks, talented people should be rewarded with more merits.

Rely on your inner virtue to cultivate friendship, uphold the love of your parents regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, feel filial piety towards their loved ones in life and death, respect your mother as if she were your own son, and extend the honor of kindness to you. Fortunately, your biological mother, Ms. Du, is virtuous and beautiful, and has given birth to and raised a good son.

It is appropriate to posthumously confer the title of Fifth Rank Concubine to honor your filial piety and righteousness. I hereby issue this golden letter and purple edict from afar.

……

After reading the imperial edict, Liu Jizu ordered the eighth-rank ritual official to present the imperial edict of enthronement and the fifth-rank concubine's pearl crown, brocade clothes, xiapei, jade belt, ruyi, embroidered boots and other ceremonial attire according to the etiquette of the fifth-rank imperial edict established by the Ministry of Rites.

Although Jia Cong's biological mother Du Jinniang had passed away for more than ten years, the imperial court posthumously conferred her with the title of a fifth-rank concubine.

According to the ritual system and clan rules, they will be enshrined in the ancestral temple, dressed in human clothes, and worshipped by their descendants with blood, food, incense and candles.

Jia Zheng, kneeling beside Jia Cong, was very excited. As a member of the officialdom, he naturally knew that Jia Cong was only a scholar, but he had been promoted to the seventh rank. According to the official system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, even if he had made great contributions in Jinling, he could not be promoted any further.

The emperor then extended his favor to his deceased mother, saying that his descendants had made great contributions and there was no more title to be bestowed upon them, so he wanted to confer the title of filial piety on them.

Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety, and extending favors to those who are filial and meritorious is a greater honor than promoting oneself to a higher position or rank.

This is something that will be recorded in the history books, passed down in the family tree, taught to future generations, and passed down through the ages.

With this anecdote, the Jia family's reputation and prestige will rise. This is something that family background and title cannot give. How can Jia Zheng not be extremely happy?

Ping'er, who was kneeling outside Rong Xi Tang, was stunned when she heard the imperial edict. Could it be that her grandmother's mouth was blessed? What she said in the morning was so effective. This Cong brother really earned an imperial edict.

Wang Xifeng, who was kneeling behind Jia Cong, felt her heart churning. Although she had known that Jia Cong was always evil, she didn't expect that this guy could not stand the nagging.

I just said that in the morning, and the Ministry of Rites came to announce the imperial edict in the afternoon. Why did I say something else? It didn't work...

I also said that his aunt died too early and was unlucky, but I never dreamed that even if she died early, she was much more blessed than myself.

A fifth-rank consort is the same rank as a mistress. The master has been an official for more than ten years, but his wife has only earned the rank of a fifth-rank consort.

But that kid hasn't even started working as an official, and he's already become like this. If this continues, it will be disastrous.

As for this woman, no matter how competitive she is, it is useless. The old saying is right. What matters is that she can give birth to a capable son.

Just like this kid's aunt, who gave birth to a son like this, his beauty covers up all the flaws, and no matter how much people said about him in the past, they were all covered up.

Thinking of this, Fengjie felt both jealous and envious.

After hearing the imperial edict, Mrs. Wang couldn't believe her ears. She knew that this boy was evil, but she didn't expect it to be to this extent.

How could such an outrageous thing happen? She was a lowly courtesan prostitute, but she was given the same imperial title as herself. It was absolutely ridiculous.

A mother is honored by her son, and likewise a son is honored by his mother. This has always been the rule of our clan. The mother who gave birth to this child is of the fifth rank. Wouldn't this kid be on equal footing with my Baoyu in the future?

Liu Jizu read out the imperial edict, finished the ceremony of bestowing clothing, and said with a smile: "Chengshilang is a seventh-rank official, and the emperor has extended his favor to confer the title of fifth-rank concubine on my biological mother. This is a special honor from the emperor, and it is cause for celebration."

Jia Zheng and Jia Cong wanted to invite him for tea as a token of thanks, but Liu Jizu declined on the grounds that he was busy with government affairs.

Liu Jizu was an official in the Ministry of Rites, not one of the eunuchs in the palace who delivered imperial edicts. Jia Zheng and others knew their limits and naturally would not do something as cowardly as Xie Cheng did.

The two sides exchanged a few more polite words, and Jia Zheng and Jia Cong escorted the man to the ceremonial gate to say goodbye.

The news that Jia Cong was favored by the emperor and his deceased mother was conferred the title of fifth-rank official also spread quickly throughout the Jia family's east and west mansions.

……

When Lady Jia in Rongqing Hall heard the news, it was like a bolt from the blue and she almost fainted from shock and anger.

Thinking about how drastic changes had taken place in Rongguo Mansion more than ten years ago because of this woman, it became a laughing stock among all the nobles in the capital, and even the former Duke of Rongguo died because of it.

Over the past ten years, I have been unable to get rid of the knot in my heart, and I have also been estranged from and indifferent to this evildoer born from a prostitute for more than ten years.

Now, the prostitute he hated the most was actually granted the fifth rank by the emperor.

I'm afraid that this kind of news will spread throughout the capital in less than a day, and those noble old relatives won't know how to laugh at their own jokes.

The thought that after a hundred years, her tablet would be placed in the same ancestral hall as that woman's, and both would be worshipped by descendants, almost made her want to vomit to death!

In Rong Xi Hall, Jia Cong held the imperial edict from his biological mother, his heart full of mixed emotions. This was the foundation of life given to him by the emperor. He felt somewhat grateful in his heart, and the haze of his life experience was completely cleared away.

But the emperor's grand display would certainly cause a lot of turmoil, and Jia Cong realized that the aftermath of this matter would be difficult to resolve.

For a woman who has been granted a title, even if her original status was not prominent, once the imperial edict is issued, she will be included in the family tree, listed in the ancestral hall, and show the emperor's favor. These are the inevitable steps. Jia Mu would have thought of this, and naturally Jia Cong would have thought of it as well.

(End of this chapter)