Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 292: Wealth and Honor Deceive People

Rongguo Mansion, Rongxi Hall.

After Jia Zheng and the other guests arrived at Rong Xi Tang, not long after they saw a palace eunuch enter the hall, followed by several eunuchs carrying gifts in their hands or on their shoulders.

Jia Zheng also knew this person. He had come to the mansion to convey the imperial edict last year. He was Guo Lin, the deputy chief eunuch of Qianyang Palace.

Jia Zheng knew that Guo Lin was the emperor's personal eunuch, and that he was the one who bestowed the reward based on his merits. This showed how serious the emperor was about this matter, and that Cong had really made a great contribution.

Jia Zheng was so excited that he stepped forward and said, "It is Eunuch Guo who has come to visit. Jia Zheng is honored to meet you."

Guo Lin smiled and said, "Master Jia, you are too polite. Liaodong Town won a great victory at Yafu Pass. Your Highness Jia Jian made many ingenious plans in this battle and used firearms to severely defeat the Jurchen tribe.

He personally led 500 elite cavalry to charge into the enemy camp and showed extraordinary bravery. He personally killed the enemy chief and was recognized as the first meritorious official in this battle. The emperor was greatly pleased and ordered my family to come to his palace to give him gifts and rewards.

"I grant Jia Jianzheng a piece of armor, one thousand taels of gold, fifty rolls of tribute satin, and ten bottles of imperial wine. After the court discusses his merits and determines the reward, the emperor will give him another title."

Normally, Guo Lin would directly announce the reward when he came to the house this time, instead of just bestowing gifts and rewards.

However, yesterday, Peng Runan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Chen Yi, the Left Military Governor-General, came to the palace to report the victory and mentioned that Jia Cong should be canonized with honors for his contribution.

He also mentioned the proposal to replace the crown prince of Rongguo Mansion. As this matter has not been finalized yet, the related rewards are naturally difficult to determine.

Today, Guo Lin came to present gifts and rewards, and officials from the clan affairs office also came to negotiate.

The two events were strangely arranged together. Whether it was intentional by Emperor Jiazhao or Prince Zhongshun, or just a coincidence, outsiders did not know.

After listening to Guo Lin's words, Jia Zheng was filled with excitement. In the past few years, he could not remember how much honor Jia Cong had brought to the mansion.

I originally thought that he was only outstanding in literary matters, but I didn't expect that he was also so outstanding in military affairs. At such a young age, he could actually go into the battlefield and kill the enemy.

He had witnessed such things happening to his parents when he was a child, and now this scene was happening again to the men of the Jia family.

Jia Zheng's face flushed with excitement. Cong'er is a man of both literary and military talents. He is a man of both ability and talent. This is what a man should be like!

"Eunuch Guo has come to give me gifts. Jia Zheng is extremely grateful. Please come into the main hall and have tea served!"

"Mr. Jia is too polite. The Jia family has a son like Jia Cong, which is really enviable. I will drink this cup of tea to get some good luck, haha."

Guo Lin is a trusted eunuch of Emperor Jia Zhao. Although he knows that the current emperor is deeply suspicious, he cannot help but feel that Jia Cong has done too many strange things and is too capable of making trouble, and has become increasingly important in the emperor's heart.

The emperor might be favored and promoted by him soon. For such a person, Guo Lin would naturally give him a sedan chair.

……

Rongqing Hall.

Since Jia Cong went to Liaodong, the Rongguo Mansion suddenly became quiet. In the past, he was always the one running in and out every day, bringing the only vitality to this family of hereditary heroes.

Now, with his move north, the entire Rongguo Mansion has become somewhat stagnant.

Without people to talk, write and play chess with, Daiyu and other sisters felt that life was a bit boring.

Even Xichun was tired of the Western sound box given by Jia Cong, but since her third brother was not at home, she had no way to ask him for a new toy.

However, Lady Jia and others would never have such a feeling, and their time for happiness would not be reduced at all.

That morning, as usual, the sisters in the garden came to pay their respects and chat, and Lady Wang and Aunt Xue also chatted with them, making the place look very happy.

Until the maid came to report that the officials from the clan office had come to visit the old lady.

When Lady Jia heard this, she was shocked, because all the noble families did not like to deal with the clan house, because when people from the clan house came to their house, it was usually not good.

A few years ago, there was a witchcraft incident in the mansion, and the clan house came to visit. Jia She was taken to the clan house and detained for three or four days. Jia's mother is still frightened to this day.

But since the person had already come, there was no reason to hide, so she asked Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue to sit beside her.

Li Gongcai then took Daiyu and other unmarried sisters and left Rongqing Hall to avoid other men.

It's just that ever since Jia Cong went to the north, Daiyu, Tanchun and other sisters have become more careful about everything. They probably know that when the clan members come to the house, it is usually not a good thing.

After leaving Rongqing Hall, the two men took Yingchun around in a circle and returned behind the screen in the hall.

At present, only the third brother has more contacts with officials in the mansion. It is possible that what the outside official said is related to the third brother.

……

The person who came to the Jia Mansion as a lobbyist today was Zheng Yushu, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Clan Affairs. Those who could serve as officials in the Ministry of Clan Affairs were basically descendants of the royal family.

Zheng Yushu's father was the imperial concubine's commander, and his mother was the seventh princess of the retired emperor, so he was considered to be a descendant of a royal family.

Prince Zhongshun received the letter from Guo Lin and did not take the matter seriously. He had always been resentful towards the Ning and Rong Jia families, and later Jia Rong stole his beloved Qi Guan.

This made him even more disgusted with the Ning and Rong families. Although the Ningguo Mansion had been stripped of its title, the Rongguo Mansion was still there. In the mind of Prince Zhongshun, the Rongguo Mansion was also stripped of its title, which was exactly what he wanted. So he just casually sent Zheng Yushu to do this, because Zheng Yushu was shrewd and smooth, and only he could handle this kind of thing that was like digging up the house and digging the wall to change the title.

As for putting pressure on the Jia family, Prince Zhongshun would never do it, because in his heart there was no difference whether Jia Cong or Jia Lian inherited the title.

Zheng Yushu was in such a bad situation that he was neither a good person nor a bad person. He was helpless. He decided to just convey the message and ignore the rest of the things. He just wanted to see what the Jia family decided.

After entering Rongqing Hall, it was natural to praise Jia Cong's contribution to Liaodong in an exaggerated manner as per convention, otherwise it would be difficult to ask for a change of title later.

When Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others heard that Jia Cong had gone to Liaodong and actually achieved military merit, and was the first to do so, they were immediately stunned.

How come this kid can always cause trouble wherever he goes? Isn’t he a scholar? How can he go into the battlefield and kill the enemy...

Aunt Xue, who was standing by, also had her eyes light up when she heard this. This Cong brother was truly extremely capable, he was even good at fighting wars.

It's a pity that such a person cannot inherit the title. If he had not been born in the wrong family, it would have been really terrible!
When the sisters behind the screen heard these words, they pinched each other and pulled each other, and their eyes became crescent shapes with laughter.

They actually guessed it right. What the official said was indeed related to Jia Cong, and it was a good thing that he had done a great deed in Liaodong.

But how could a man like him go into the battlefield and fight the enemy? What if something bad happened? Everyone was a little scared.

However, the official said that he had made the first contribution, and he congratulated and praised him, which meant that he was not seriously injured, otherwise he would not have said that. He felt relieved at last.

……

But what the official from the clan affairs office said later made Daiyu, Tanchun, Yingchun and others change their expressions.

Then, she heard the somewhat cold and stiff voice of Jia's mother: "What did you say? Let Rongguo give up Lian'er's position as the crown prince to Jia Cong! Whose idea was this?"

As soon as Zheng Yushu saw Madam Jia's expression, he knew that he had come here in vain today. In fact, he was not surprised, as he knew some of Jia Cong's situation in the mansion.

Besides, the message from the palace was that there should be no coercion and everything should be handled by the family themselves. He just had to pass on the message and go back to report it.

However, Zheng Yushu still had to explain the relevant reasons clearly. After all, he was sent by the Da Zongzheng to do the job, and he had to do things thoroughly.

"Old Madam, don't get angry yet. Yesterday, Lord Peng from the Ministry of War and Duke Qi came to the palace to report the victory. The court discussed the reward. Because your mansion's Jia Jianzheng has made outstanding contributions, he has the style of the famous general Duke Rong.

It is an honor to be canonized as a meritorious service. If one can inherit the merits of the previous country, one will surely be able to carry on the achievements of the ancestors. That is why the clan office sent officials to the government to negotiate. Everything is up to the family to handle on their own, and there is no compulsion.

I have spread the news and will take my leave now. When the government has made a decision, please send someone to the clan affairs office to inform me."

After Zheng Yushu finished speaking, he naturally would not stay to see the Jia family's faces. Whether they changed the crown prince or not had nothing to do with him.

He left without caring about anything, but his words were like a thunderclap in the Jia family.

Grandmother Jia sat there with a grim look on her face. This kid went to Liaodong and even the family's title became related to him. He didn't even think about what his identity was!
Mrs. Wang's face was gloomy, and the rosary in her hand stopped turning. She just clenched it tightly in her hand, and her knuckles turned slightly white.

The title of nobility in the mansion hasn't even been divided up for my Baoyu, so how come it's Jia Cong's turn? Even the officials from the clan house have come to plead for me. What's my Baoyu then?
Among those present, only Aunt Xue had bright eyes. She thought it would be a good thing if Jia Cong inherited the title.

Originally, she thought that no matter how capable Jia Cong was, he was only a bastard after all, and he would have no chance of getting any part of the Jia family's title or property in the future.

No matter how outstanding a character is, he can never be compared with upright and legitimate sons like Jia Lian and Baoyu.

But if Jia Cong inherited the title, it would be a completely different picture. By then, no other son of the Jia family could compare to him, and Baoyu would be completely outshined.

By then, he and his daughter would be a perfect match made in heaven!
But Aunt Xue was just an outsider after all, and she couldn't say a word more about this matter, otherwise, not to mention the old lady, even her own sister would turn against her.

So I can only stand aside and worry.

……

At this time, Jia Zheng walked into Rongqing Hall in great joy. He had just seen Guo Lin off, and then came to report the good news to Lady Jia.

Maybe he was too excited that he didn't notice anything unusual in Rongqing Hall. He just excitedly told the story of Jia Cong's meritorious service and the emperor sending people to reward him with gifts.

Grandmother Jia sneered and said, "He has the ability to make achievements and even earn the emperor's reward. I can't control how he does it, but he should never think about the family title.

Don't you think about his identity? I'm not dead yet, so let him give up this idea sooner or later!"

Jia Zheng was completely confused by what he heard, and Mrs. Wang, who was standing beside him, quickly told him about the visit from the clan family.

Jia Zheng was also surprised. Cong Ge'er was so outstanding that even the court officials thought he was the one who could inherit the title of Rongguo Mansion?
In fact, if Jia Zheng thought about it carefully, it seemed to be the same truth...

"Madam, this is a matter raised by the clan officials. Cong is thousands of miles away, so he must be completely unaware of this matter. How could he be concerned about the family title?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Jia was speechless. It seemed to be the truth, but she was still angry. After all, it was all caused by that boy.

However, Jia Zheng's next sentence made Grandmother Jia angry...

"In fact, the suggestion of the clan affairs office is not completely unreasonable. Cong is a man of both literary and martial talents, and no one in the clan can compare to him. If he inherits the title, he will definitely be able to revive the Jia family."

(End of this chapter)