Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 315: Conferring the Title of Lord

Rongqing Hall.

Amber said excitedly, "Madam, there was a message outside the second gate saying that the officials from the Ministry of Rites came to inform that the Ministry of Rites will come to the mansion at 1:00 pm to deliver the decree, and asked Third Master Cong to wait to receive it!"

These maids in the Jia family are all young, and they do not have the strict concept of distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate children like Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang.

The maids were originally of low status, so naturally they would not think about these trivial things. Baoyu was the phoenix of the Jia family, he was good-looking, and he treated the maids with special care...

But compared with Master Cong Sanye, he is far inferior. This Master Sanye is not only very handsome, but also well-read. He can even wield a sword and mount a horse to kill generals and capture thieves.

Maids like Amber Yuanyang, who have seen the world, are naturally a little curious about this Third Master Cong...

As for the news that this gentleman was going to be promoted, it had already been spread throughout the mansion and was known to everyone. For someone like Amber Yuanyang who went in and out of Rongqing Hall every day, she naturally knew it very well.

Today he went to the second grandmother's place to get something for the old lady and happened to meet the old woman who brought the news. Excited, he intercepted her halfway and went to Rongqingtang to ask for the first prize.

Everyone in Rongqing Hall had just been talking enthusiastically about the gossip about Jia Cong's title, but now when they suddenly heard the news of the imperial edict, half of them stood up involuntarily.

Over the past ten years, the old relatives around him who were hereditary heroes had either been demoted to inherit the title, or were living out their retirement in the Five Military Commandery and waiting to die.

It has been a long time since we heard of a family being newly conferred a title, so the rumor that Jia Cong of Rongguo Mansion was honored to be canonized has attracted so much attention.

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but get excited, and said to Yuanyang beside her, "Go tell the second master quickly to send more servants to find Cong. It's already so late, and he's still not home!"

Daiyu and Tanchun looked at each other and smiled, each feeling happy.

They looked at Xiangyun again and saw that Xiangyun was winking at them. The three of them left Rongqing Hall and went to tell the good news to their second sister Yingchun.

Ever since Yingchun got engaged, Grandmother Jia no longer asks her to meet guests.

Jia Zheng was naturally overjoyed when he heard the news, and asked the servants and maids to clean the Rong Xi Hall immediately and prepare the incense and candles for the incense table to receive the imperial edict.

On the one hand, he sent all the useful servants around him to look for Jia Cong, and on the other hand, he asked the servants to open the main gate of Rongguo Mansion to prepare to welcome the imperial envoy who would announce the imperial decree.

The news that officials from the Ministry of Rites were going to come to announce the imperial decree to confer the title on Jia Cong spread quickly in the Rongguo Mansion.

……

A courtyard in the east of Shenjing City.

This is the residence Jia Cong arranged for Ai Li and her daughter to stay.

Although it was only a single-entrance courtyard, Jia Cong knew that Ai Li wanted to raise a Saker Falcon, so he specially chose this courtyard because of its spacious space.

In the yard, Jia Cong sat on a stone bench, drinking the new tea brewed by Ai Li's mother, Xu.

I was watching Ellie teaching two teenage girls various bird training techniques.

Ellie's attire was not as exquisite as her sisters at home. She still wore the long Hu clothing that was commonly worn in Liaodong, but the fabric was changed to soft, thin cotton.

This simple and neat robe, without any extra decoration, can be worn by Ellie to look extremely beautiful, setting off her slim and fit figure, making her charming and attractive.

Her dark brown hair had just been washed and was casually spread out to dry. The breeze blew the ends of her hair, adding a touch of daughter's tenderness to her pretty and charming face.

The Xiuniang Incense Shop in Shenjing adopted more than 20 orphans and raised them in a courtyard in the south of the city.

These two teenage girls were selected by Ellie from among the more than twenty orphans.

Ai Li told Jia Cong that girls do not have as strong yang energy as boys, and are easily approached by creatures such as birds.

Moreover, she had observed the two girls and found them to be meticulous and patient, courageous, and literate, making them suitable for learning the skill of bird raising.

Jia Cong saw that Ellie was wearing the familiar leather waistcoat.

Following Ellie's gestures, the eagle slave flew from her shoulder, circled at a low altitude, and performed various movements in the air following the changes in Ellie's gestures. There was a magical tacit understanding between the man and the eagle.

Finally, he heard Ellie's whistle and landed steadily on her shoulder.

Two girls standing by were clapping and cheering. Jia Cong saw that Ai Li was smiling beautifully and she must be enjoying the admiration of the two little girls.

Ellie also secretly told Jia Cong that the leather vest was the key to training eagle slaves.

The patterns on the leather waistcoat are not drawn randomly. They are taught to memorize these patterns when the Saker Falcons are still young birds.

Moreover, this leather vest will be stained with the blood of the mother eagle using secret methods.

Therefore, as long as it wears this leather vest, the Saker Falcon can find the person who is patrolling it no matter how far away it is.

Jia Cong found these two apprentices for Ai Li. When they learned Ai Li's falconry skills, Jia Cong would send them to Jinling, Yangzhou and other places.

He wanted to establish bird signal stations in these places in the south of the Yangtze River to achieve the fastest efficiency in information transmission between Jiangnan and Shenjing.

This had been on his mind since he first met Ellie in Liaodong and witnessed her falconry skills.

Jia Cong planned to establish these bird signal stations not only for the rapid development of Xinchunhao in Jiangnan.

In the future, these bird stations will have many other uses.

Just as he once said to Guo Zhigui, it would take ten days for a horse to travel from Shenjing to Liaodong, but a Saker Falcon could fly there in two days at most.

In this era, this huge time difference can produce immeasurable value at certain special moments.

In the yard, Ellie was directing the falcon to fly up and down, while explaining the training techniques to the two girls. Jia Cong was watching with great interest.

Suddenly, there was a hurried knock on the courtyard door, and Jia Cong's face changed. Only Liu Ping, who was in charge of the courtyard, knew where Ai Li lived.

When I opened the door, it was Liu Ping.

"Brother Cong, a letter came from your house saying that the official from the Ministry of Rites wanted to pass on an imperial decree to your house, and asked you to go and receive it immediately. Jiang Liu couldn't find you, so he found you in the shop."

……

When Jia Cong rushed back to Rongguo Mansion, a servant was already waiting for him at the west corner gate. He went to Rongxi Hall to meet Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng was filled with joy and had a lot to say, but he knew that this was not the time to speak, so he just told him to quickly dress up, change his clothes and wash his face, in order to wait for the angel.

At this time, Daiyu, Tanchun and other sisters had already brought the news to the inner courtyard, and Baochai in the Lixiang Courtyard next door had heard the good news.

When Jia Cong entered Qingzhizhai, he saw Daiyu and the three sisters Chun were all there, and even Baochai came with Ying'er to congratulate them.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Today, they are all here. It seems as if I invited them all by invitation."

Tanchun was the most heroic and generous among the sisters. She said with a smile, "Third brother fought bloody battles in Liaodong and experienced risks. Now his merits are complete and he will be canonized by imperial decree.

Today is Third Brother’s lucky day, so naturally we sisters have to come and congratulate him.”

Baochai smiled and said, "I heard that the Ministry of Rites will come to announce the decree at 15:00. It will be less than an hour, so Brother Cong should hurry up and get everything ready."

Today, the Ministry of Rites will send someone to notify in advance, explaining that the proclamation of the decree is of a high standard and that the officials receiving the decree need to follow etiquette to show solemnity.

One must bathe, comb hair, cleanse face, and change clothes, and only after finishing all tasks can one burn incense to welcome the emperor's orders.

Jia Cong went into the inner room to take a simple bath and changed into the new clothes that Zhishao and Wu'er had prepared earlier.

When they returned to the main room, Qingwen was about to pick up the comb to help him comb his hair.

Daiyu suddenly took the comb from Qingwen and said with a smile, "Today is a good day for Third Brother. Let me comb his hair."

Everyone present was stunned when they heard this, but they didn't care too much, as they were all sisters who grew up together in the garden. They all knew that Daiyu was smart and straightforward, had a sharp tongue, and had a bit of a temper, but she acted with sincerity, which was pleasing in itself.

Jia Cong joked, "Sister, you combed my hair. This favor is so great that I don't know how to repay you."

Daiyu smiled and said, "You don't have to repay this favor. Fortunately, you don't receive imperial decrees and titles every day, so I only do it occasionally."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Then I have to work harder, get promoted and make more money, so that I can persuade Sister Lin to comb my hair more often."

Then he winked at Qingwen and said, "Qingwen, go and close the gate quickly. If the old lady knew about this, I would ask Sister Lin to comb my hair and she would force me to kneel in Rongqing Hall."

Tanchun and the others couldn't help laughing after hearing what Jia Cong said, except Baochai, who also laughed. However, when she saw the strange tacit understanding between Jia Cong and Daiyu, she felt a pang of pain and loss in her heart.

They grew up together and were childhood sweethearts, and I was the one who came later.

While waiting for Daiyu to finish combing her hair, Tanchun wrung out the warm towel from the copper basin brought by Wu'er and handed it to Jia Cong for washing his face.

He smiled and said, "I can't let Sister Lin take all the credit. I'll help Third Brother clean his face."

But her expression could not be as calm as Daiyu's. Her pretty face was slightly flushed, perhaps from excitement or shyness.

At this time, Yingchun smiled and took the coat from Zhishao and helped Jia Cong change his clothes. She was Jia Cong's elder sister, so it was natural for her to do these things.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I am very grateful for the kindness you three sisters have shown me. I think this is much more valuable than receiving an imperial decree and a reward."

Yingchun is usually introverted and taciturn, but whenever she faces her brother Jia Cong, her mind becomes quick and alert.

After hearing what he said, she said without thinking: "Nonsense again, luckily we are in our own courtyard, we are all sisters, otherwise it would be taboo if it got out."

The words were spoken fluently and with careful thought, not at all like the usually taciturn and dull Yingchun.

Daiyu and other sisters were a little stunned after hearing this.

Tanchun, who was standing by, blinked her big eyes in surprise. The third brother was truly magical. Every time the second sister faced her brother, she would suddenly become smart.

Jia Cong was surprised and said, "Second sister is right."

But he was not too surprised. Yingchun was an expert in chess, so how could she not be clever and intelligent?

It's only due to the acquired environment that his personality has been suppressed into such a weak and dull state.

After Jia Cong had dressed up, his sisters went to Rongqing Hall to wait for him, while Jia Cong went to Rongxi Hall alone.

When they arrived at Rong Xi Tang, they saw Jia Zheng, Jia She, Jia Lian and other male members were all there.

Jia She and Mrs. Xing were reluctant to come at first. The sight of this evil creature displaying his power was like a slap in their faces and they were unwilling to see it. However, the Ministry of Rites gave an advance indication that the promulgation of this decree would be of a high standard.

As heirs of the title and ladies of honor in the Jia family, if they did not show up to welcome the emperor, they would be guilty of deceiving the emperor, so they had no choice but to come.

In addition, Baoyu and Jia Huan were also called by Jia Zheng to receive the imperial edict, probably because he wanted to give the two evil sons a good education.

Jia Huan looked indifferent, but Baoyu looked uncomfortable. However, since Jia Zheng was present, he had no choice but to endure it.

Jia Cong also saw the little radish-headed Jia Lan. Why would such a young child receive an imperial decree? It was probably Li Gongcai's instruction to let Jia Lan come here to receive the influence of bringing honor to the family.

The only other female family members who had imperial edicts were Lady Jia and Lady Wang, so naturally they had to be present as well.

There was some anticipation on Grandmother Jia's face.

But Mrs. Wang's expression was unnatural. She was really not used to it. Whenever there was a glorious event in the mansion, it was always Cong'er's play and no one else had anything to do with it.

After waiting for only a quarter of an hour, I heard the sound of bells coming from the ceremonial gate, coming from far away and getting closer, like the sound of nature, which made me feel transcendental.

Then the sound of complex and heavy footsteps was heard, coming from far away, as if many people were marching in a line.

Jia Cong had received imperial edicts several times, but the scenes were never as noisy as this time.

He and Jia Zheng walked to Rong Xi Hall and looked out.

There were crowds of people outside. Eight ceremonial officers in scarlet sixth-rank official uniforms walked in two lines with their heads held high, each holding a black tray in their hands.

Official seals, official uniforms, jade belts, ribbons and other items were placed on the tray, while the other trays were covered with red cloth, and it was unknown what was on them.

Behind the eight ceremonial officers came forty or fifty valiant ceremonial guards, holding flags, golden melons, silver melons, avoidance signs, etc. They looked majestic and the atmosphere was solemn.

Grandmother Jia was a person who had seen the world, and when she saw such a grand ceremony for announcing the imperial decree, her face changed slightly.

She originally thought that it was great that Jia Cong was conferred the title of first-class viscount, but this was not the kind of thing that could be considered a viscount!
Walking ahead of the eight ceremonial officials from the Ministry of Rites was an official with a dignified demeanor.

Jia Zheng recognized this man. He was Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a high-ranking official of the third rank.

Jia Zheng still knew some rules of officialdom. Historically, those who announced the imperial decree and conferred titles were always of a similar rank to the official being conferred, or slightly higher.

Thinking of this, Jia Zheng's heart was pounding. Could it be that Cong's enthronement this time was so generous that it required a third-rank official to announce the decree?

Huang Hongcang did not know Jia Cong, but he had heard many rumors about Jia Cong and knew that he was a man of outstanding character and appearance, and a noble and elegant young man.

And in this hall there is a person of extraordinary elegance, as bright as the moon, standing out like a crane among chickens. One can tell who he is at a glance.

He stepped forward and asked, "Is this Jia Jianzheng?"

Jia Cong bowed and replied, "I am Jia Cong."

Huang Hongcang saw that at the time of his honor of being canonized, he remained calm and composed, showing no signs of pride and remained polite. He was indeed extraordinary, and no wonder he could achieve such remarkable achievements at such a young age.

He smiled and said, "I am Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. I have come to your house to announce the decree and confer the title of Emperor Xuanzong. Kneel down and receive the decree!"

Huang Hongcang waited until everyone in the hall knelt down to greet him before he unfolded the imperial edict and recited aloud:

Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict:

Since I ascended the throne, I have governed the country with culture and suppressed rebellions with military force. Since the sixth year of Jiazhao, the Jurchens in northern Liao have caused chaos, killing people over thousands of miles and causing great suffering to the people.

A general who can defeat the enemy on the border can serve as a barrier for the country, and a general with extraordinary bravery and talent can build the military prestige of the country.

The Director of the Firearms Department, General Wuding Jia Cong, is not yet old enough to dance with an elephant, but he is outstanding in both civil and military affairs, and is a brave and powerful general in the frontier town.
He served in Liaozhen for half a year and made many outstanding achievements. In a battle at Yafu Pass, his brilliant strategy defeated thousands of troops and he personally killed the enemy chief in the battle line.

He pursued the enemy for thousands of miles, attacked and destroyed hundreds of cities and strongholds, and fought again at Qingyuanji. He anticipated the enemy and seized the initiative, and his courage and fortitude overwhelmed the three armies.

He skillfully used the strategy of confusing the enemy with an enemy, resisted the harassment of Goryeo in the east, put an end to the Jurchens' escape, eliminated all the bandit leaders and enemies, and punished all the powerful and brave men.

He suppressed the rebellion of the Jurchens, engraved his might on stone at the border, and achieved far-reaching and astonishing achievements. The country had military affairs, and the king had wise and capable generals.

I hereby grant you the title of Silver and Green Guanglu Dafu, add a silver seal and a blue ribbon, confer the title of second-class Weiyuan Earl, and grant you an iron certificate and imperial edict, which will be inherited by your generations.

The system was reformed and the title was reduced, and the Ningguo Mansion was built to give you a place to settle down.

Admire this!

　This chapter has been revised and polished in detail.

　　The word count reaches 4211, but the subscription points are still based on 3800 words.

　　I wrote this in a hurry, thanks to all the brothers who caught the bugs.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)