Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongxi Hall.

Jia Cong and Ping'er hurried over. As soon as they stepped into the hall, Guo Lin said with a smile, "The noble lady Weiyuan is really slow. The imperial edict was announced in the palace today, but you are late."

Guo Lin's words were like huge hammers, hitting Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang's hearts one after another. For a moment, they were either in disarray or as heartbroken as if they had lost their parents.

Their hearts were filled with absurdity and unreality. Wasn't the decree from the palace today to allow the second branch to inherit the title? Why did the eunuchs who delivered the decree praise that boy in every word?
Jia Cong said quickly, "We didn't receive any message from the government just now. I didn't know that Eunuch Guo would come to the government to announce the decree today. Jia Cong is late. Please forgive me, Eunuch."

Guo Lin glanced at Mrs. Wang, whose face was ashen, and smiled at Jia Cong, "I think we already know the reason. The official in charge of the Ministry of Rites who delivered the message was a low-ranking official and did not know the content of the imperial edict.

There were some errors in the message I sent to your house, which may have caused misunderstandings among your people, but fortunately it did not delay the auspicious time."

Zhang Zhenghe, a doctor of the Ministry of Rites, said hurriedly: "Before the imperial edict is announced, according to the law, it is not appropriate to spread the contents of the imperial edict in advance, so as not to be suspected of disrespecting the emperor.

The head of the Ministry of Rites has not done his job well, I will definitely reprimand him when I return."

Guo Lin waved his hand and said, "This is a good sign. The person in charge did not overstep the boundaries. There is no need to blame him too much. It's just that there are too few people who understand this nowadays."

He took out his pocket watch and looked at it, then said, "The auspicious time has come. The son of the Jia family of Rongguo has received the imperial decree!"

Jia Zheng and Jia Cong knelt down hastily to listen to the order. Grandmother Jia's body was trembling a little, but fortunately Yuanyang supported her and she was able to kneel down. Mrs. Wang's legs were weak and she seemed to be in a daze.

Guo Lin unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and read aloud:
Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict:

The inheritor of the title of Jia family of Rong State passed away, and it was said that the title of nobility had been left vacant. This was because the title of nobility in the country was solemn and precious, and only those with great talent and virtue could hold it.

Today, Jia Shichao has presented an imperial edict, saying that the bloodline of the eldest branch of the Rong State has been tragically cut off, and requests that the title be inherited according to the laws of the Zhou clan, with the younger brother succeeding the elder brother, and the next in line being the legitimate son, Jia Cunzhou, inheriting the title.

The ancestors of Rong State had great merits in establishing the country and expanding its borders. The blessings they brought to their descendants should not be neglected. Therefore, I take this matter very seriously and summoned the Ministry of Clan Affairs, Ministry of Rites, and noble families to gather for a special discussion.

Jia Cunzhou, the second eldest son of Rong State, was an upright man, but he failed to educate his son. His son Baoyu was rude and immoral, stupid and lazy, and had no talent. He spoke flattering words and insulted the late emperor. His bad reputation spread throughout the court and the country, making it unworthy of the honor.

The honorary titles of the Zhou clan were inherited from the father to the son. The second branch of the Rong family has lost the direct blood line, so it is not appropriate to talk about passing on the honorary titles.

The imperial edict of Jia Shichao said that the bloodline of the eldest son's family was cut off. This statement was absurd and biased. Now the second son of the eldest son, Jia Cong, is still alive. He has noble character, great talents and virtues, has made many meritorious services, and has been granted a prestigious title, and is well-known in the court and the country.

Jia Cong's biological mother, Mrs. Du, was granted the fifth rank by imperial decree. She held an important position and gave birth to an outstanding son who was the eldest son of the family and could pass on a good bloodline.

Although Jia Cong resigned from his post due to mourning, he maintained his family's integrity but was concerned about national affairs. He devoted all his energy to the safety of the country and worked day and night to build important military and national equipment. His prestige could spread to the border areas and he could serve as an example for court officials. His talent should be praised and his virtue should be highlighted.

The emperor's grace all comes from the top. He will not hesitate to reward those who have made great contributions, and will not avoid honors and favors for those with great talents. Now, he specially grants Jia Cong, the Earl of Weiyuan, two titles in one body, and demotes him to the title of the second-class general of Rongguo. He will be dismissed from his post but will be given an honorary title, which will be inherited by his descendants through their branches.

This is it.

……

Mrs. Wang, who was kneeling to receive the imperial edict, felt as if she was struck by lightning when she heard the content of the edict. Every word in the edict was like a sharp knife cutting into her body.

When she heard the imperial edict describing her Baoyu in such a bad light, and even the second branch losing the qualification to inherit the title, she realized that it was her Baoyu that was despised by the palace and was worthless.

She was filled with extreme shame and indignation, her whole body was shaking violently, and she tried hard to suppress the urge to go crazy.

Her Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth, and he had an outstanding appearance. He had stayed at home since he was young and never went out to cause trouble. Except that he didn't like to study, there was no other fault to be found.

He had only said a few inappropriate words in the inner house, but he was slandered by the royal family and used this as an excuse to deprive the second wife of her title.

The title of Rong State that he had coveted for half his life was finally inherited by the son of that prostitute in the East Palace, and it was a great honor to have two titles in one.

Mrs. Wang felt that this was the most vicious, absurd, and unbelievable nightmare she had ever encountered in her life.

By the time Guo Lin finished reading the imperial edict, Mrs. Wang was already sweating profusely. The make-up on her face was washed out by sweat, the shiny pearl crown on her head was crooked, and the imperial robe on her body looked wrinkled, which was a bit funny.

Fortunately, she was born into a prominent family and had seen some of the world. She knew that at such a critical moment when an imperial decree was to be announced, one must not act rashly.

Only then did he suppress the surging anger in his heart and the strong desire to question or even curse.

If she really did that, there would definitely be no happy event, and a funeral would most likely follow...

……

After listening to Guo Lin reading the imperial edict, Jia's mother was completely stunned. Although Guo Lin had questioned Jia Cong twice why he was not present before the edict was read out, Jia's mother had already had a bad feeling.

But Grandmother Jia could never have imagined that the person who was decreed by the palace to inherit the title was not her son Jia Zheng, but Jia Cong, who had already been granted the title.

Grandmother Jia gave birth to two sons, but she favored the second son, Jia Zheng, since he was young. However, she was reluctant to let the eldest son inherit the title, as she could not change the ethics and human nature, so she had to let the eldest son, Jia She, inherit the title.

Fortunately, the old Duke Jia Daishan was also a great man, and even on his deathbed, he was still thoughtful and clear-minded. In order to ensure the long-term balance of the family business, he let his eldest son inherit the title and his second son inherit the mansion, thus fulfilling half of Lady Jia's wish.

When the eldest son Jia She passed away, Jia's grandmother was naturally very sad, but she was still very happy that the second son Jia Zheng could inherit the country's fortune in its entirety.

What's more important is that Baoyu is the grandson that Grandmother Jia loves the most in her life. Now that Jia Zheng has inherited the title, the future state wealth will naturally belong to Baoyu. This is really what Grandmother Jia wants.

After Jia She passed away, the eldest grandson of the eldest son, Jia Lian, got into trouble again. In Jia's grandmother's imagination, it was natural that the second son, Jia Zheng, would inherit the title. For Jia's grandmother, this was a matter of no doubt.

Even though she had thought of countless possibilities, she never dreamed that Jia Cong could inherit the title. Not only was Jia Cong the illegitimate son of the eldest son, but he had also been granted the title a long time ago. This was subconsciously filtered out by her.

The matter of one person holding two titles was an extremely rare situation, even since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even an old woman like Jia Mu, who lived in peace and comfort in the backyard, had never heard of it.

The moment Guo Lin finished reading the imperial edict, Grandmother Jia felt heartbroken.

The grandson of the East Mansion is evil to begin with, and his abilities are so strange, and now he has taken over all the property of the West Mansion.

At that time, there was a will from the old Duke that allowed the two branches to divide the family business, but that was only limited to the first generation of the Jia family, and it was not a rule that could be passed down from generation to generation.

Now he is going there to make such a will. This time, this guy has taken away both the title and the property.

I am already old and I am also this kid's grandmother, so there is nothing to worry about. Unless this kid causes the wrath of heaven and man, he will have to take good care of himself.

But what should he do with his Baoyu? He has nothing this time. Does he have to depend on that boy’s mood for the rest of his life...?

When Grandmother Jia thought of this, her heart was filled with regret, pain, resentment, and even a sense of powerless fear.

She thought back to a few days ago when she wanted Jia Cong to write a letter to the emperor, begging for permission to allow Jia Zheng to inherit the title of Rong as soon as possible. However, this boy refused on the grounds that it was not in accordance with etiquette, and she scolded him severely.

Now that the situation has changed, he has inherited the title. Isn't this a slap in her own face? Thinking of this, Grandmother Jia felt ashamed and regretful, and she could no longer kneel and sat down on the ground.

Yuanyang, who was standing by, held on tightly to prevent Lady Jia from falling.

……

Here, Grandmother Jia was disheartened and at a loss, but Yuanyang, her personal servant, was in a completely different mood. She was indescribably happy and felt that such a good thing could happen in the world.

If it weren't for the old lady's face, I'm afraid Yuanyang would have been very happy.

Baoyu, who was kneeling behind, was also stunned after hearing the imperial edict, although he kept saying that he was disgusted with official career and high status, and every word he said claimed that he was an upright person who was above the vulgarity.

But he was not really stupid after all, and he naturally knew that if his father inherited the title, it would actually be of great benefit to him...

When he heard that the imperial edict not only deprived the second branch of the title of its right to inherit, allowing Jia Cong to inherit the title, but also praised Jia Cong to the highest level, while he himself was demoted to a level not worth a cent.

Baoyu held his mouth tightly and almost cried out. How could Jia Cong, a corrupt official, be so good? He was humiliated into such a state just because he said a few words of truth.

Baoyu felt so aggrieved that he wanted to roar loudly, "Oh heaven and earth, what kind of world is this?"

I said before that I didn't want to receive any imperial edict. It turns out that I had some foresight. It's a pity that no one in the world understands me.

Baoyu suddenly thought of Jia Cong's having two titles in one body, which seemed like a great honor. He was afraid that his sisters at home would love him even more when they saw him in the future. Thinking of this, his heart ached again...

……

After hearing the imperial edict, Jia Zheng felt so depressed and resentful that he seemed to explode. Although he did not inherit the title as he had expected, he still felt regretful and disappointed.

But the loss of his title was far less than the humiliation brought to him by his evil son Baoyu. He felt like crying but had no tears, wondering how he could have raised such a beast.

On that day, he spoke wildly and insulted the emperor, which led to his being demoted by the Ministry of Clan Affairs. Today, the imperial edict further criticized him.

He is arrogant and immoral, stupid and lazy, and has no talent. He speaks flattering words and insults the emperor. His bad reputation has spread to the court and the public, making it unworthy of the heavy honor...

The harsh wording in the imperial edict was chilling, as if the emperor had reached the point where he would be unable to thank the world without killing the person.

The second branch of Rongguo Mansion became a laughing stock because of this beast, the Rongguo Jia family was disgraced because of this beast, and this beast also became a stain on himself that could not be washed off.

At this moment, Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang were equally heartbroken and distraught, but the pain in the hearts of the couple was different.

……

Guo Lin was an old man in the palace. He was very familiar with reading imperial edicts. His tone was ups and downs, and he sounded quite imposing, but his voice was a little sharp. It was clearly heard from Rong Xi Hall.

Wang Xifeng, who had been waiting outside the hall, was delighted when she heard this. Although her husband did not inherit the title, the title finally went to the first wife.

She thought that she was so wise that she could prepare for the future and send her trusted maid to Jia Cong's room early. This was really a good gamble. The card she got in Pai Gow was Zhizunbao, which was a perfect match.

She turned around to glance at Ping'er and saw that her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes were full of water, and she looked indescribably proud and beautiful.

Wang Xifeng suddenly envied her maid and teased her, "You are so lucky, you accidentally got a piece of cake from the sky."

Li Wan and Tanchun, who were hiding in the side hall of Rong Xi Tang at this moment, also heard clearly the imperial edict read by Guo Lin.

Both of them were stunned. There was actually such a strange thing in the world. They had never heard of it before. It really opened their eyes today.

Although Tanchun, as a daughter, should have been sad that her master did not inherit the title, she was still filled with irrepressible joy when the title was inherited by her third brother.

Li Wan was extremely surprised. The Cong brothers from the eldest house were not only outstanding, but also had unparalleled luck. The fact that the Jia family had such people showed that the blessings of their ancestors had not yet ended.

It's a pity that the wife was deliberately excluding him just now. What can I say...

...After Guo Lin finished reading the imperial edict, he said with a smile: "Marquis Weiyuan, please accept the edict. I have served the royal family for more than 30 years, and this is the first time I have seen such an honor of being awarded two titles in one body. It is truly the emperor's great grace."

When Jia Cong received the imperial edict from Guo Lin, he was shocked. In fact, he was just like Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others, as he was confused by the news for a moment.

He thought quickly in his mind, but for a moment he could not be sure of the full reason why Emperor Jiazhao had bestowed such grace.

Although the eldest branch’s bloodline has not been broken because of him, this is one of the reasons, but it is definitely not the only reason.

The only thing he could think of was the breech-loading rifle he was developing, although in today's world, this type of rifle was an extremely advanced and sharp firearm.

But he vaguely felt that the reason he was able to receive the honor of having two titles was not just because of his outstanding achievements in the research and development of firearms.

He thought again of the imperial edict just now. The wording was very harsh and strange, as if it was deliberately designed to disparage Baoyu from the second house.

Emperor Jia Zhao's intention was very clear. He did not want the title of Rong to remain in the direct lineage of Rong.

He transferred the title of Rongguo to the Weiyuan Marquis' Mansion, and Rongguo Mansion was equivalent to removing the title in disguise...

But no matter how you look at it, this is not a bad thing for him personally.

Even if he will encounter more troubles, but with Chengjue's righteousness in hand, it will naturally not be a problem for him.

……

Liu Shuyou, a fifth-rank official at the Imperial Clan Court, took out a document and said, "Weiyuan Bo has been demoted from a first-class general to a second-class general because of his inherited title of the Rong State.

According to clan regulations, the title property of 2,500 dan is reduced to 2,000 dan. This document marks the list of reduced and retained title property. Please sign and confirm it, and manage it properly. The clan office will file it accordingly. "

When Lady Jia heard this, she felt a sharp pain in her heart and felt dizzy.

Yuanyang, who was beside her, was frantically supporting her to prevent her from falling, her pretty face turning red from the effort.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia wanted to cry but had no tears. This kid really inherited both the title and the property. The ancestral property of Rongguo Mansion now belonged to him.

Suddenly, a strange sound was heard from behind, and the maid Caiyun screamed. It turned out that Mrs. Wang saw what had just happened and finally couldn't stand the shock and fainted...

It was no wonder that Mrs. Wang had such a strong reaction. She always judged others by her own standards and thought that Jia Cong must be as secretive and cunning as she was.

Even though the second branch did not have a title originally, it was still in charge of the property. Now, not only is it impossible to obtain a title forever, but even the property in hand has been lost. How could she not collapse?

When Lady Jia saw this scene, she became even more troubled. According to the imperial edict, the second branch of the Rong family had permanently lost the qualification to inherit the title and had undoubtedly become a concubine.

The kid from the East Palace became the lord of Rong State. If he is a powerful person, I am afraid that my second son and his wife will not even have the right to live in Rong Xi Hall.

By the time of Baoyu's generation, they would even have to move out of the Rongguo Mansion and live separately. If that kid wanted to do that, even Grandmother Jia would have no reason to object.

Thinking of this, Grandmother Jia felt a splitting headache and felt that life was really worse than death.

……

Guo Lin seemed not to notice that Madam Wang had fainted, and did not even bother to look at her. She was just a short-sighted foolish woman who could only see three inches in front of her.

He saw that Lady Jia's face was also pale, full of pain and reluctance.

Guo Lin was in charge of the Imperial Chariot Department and had spies all over the capital, so he was naturally well aware of Jia Cong's difficult past as a child.

Although he looked down on this foolish old lady, she was, after all, a lady of the highest rank in the country, a real status. Besides, she was Jia Cong's grandmother, so he had to maintain some respect and etiquette for her.

He had always been serving Emperor Jia Zhao, and no one knew the ins and outs of the Rongguo Mansion's inheritance of the title better than him. He also knew what a blow Jia Cong's inheritance of the title would be to the biased old lady in front of him.

If this old man is really pissed off to death, the emperor would be embarrassed, so he would have to say something to ease the atmosphere to avoid any accidents at such a critical moment of announcing the decree.

So he smiled and said, "Mrs. Shi is really lucky to have raised such an outstanding grandson.

The story of two nobles in one body will soon spread throughout the capital, and even the world, and the Jia family will gain great honor. "

Although Grandmother Jia was extremely depressed and disappointed, today's imperial edict was announced by the deputy chief eunuch of the palace, and officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Clan Affairs were sent to witness it.

His Majesty's display of such pomp has made this matter extremely majestic and unquestionable, and its power is as strong as a mountain!
As an old woman in the rear quarters, what else could Lady Jia do except to accept it with her head down?

Fortunately, there are always some differences between Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang. She is a person who enjoys life. Although she is also full of calculations, she hates to keep sorrow and grief in her heart, which makes her life unhappy.

No matter what, the title of Rong was finally passed down. Although the one who inherited the family business was not the most caring one, Jia Cong was still her grandson, so it could be said that the meat was rotten in the pot.

Since this was the fact, Grandmother Jia began to soften her heart and started to make amends for herself.

This is the difference between Lady Jia, who is based in Rongguo Mansion, and Lady Wang, who is based in the second branch of Rongguo.

Here, Grandmother Jia began to change her mind. Guo Lin's polite words gave her an excellent way out.

The news of two titles in one body spread throughout the capital and was known to the world. These brilliant words revitalized Lady Jia, who had just lost her parents and had always been very decent.

Grandmother Jia struggled to calm herself down, and it took her a while to recover.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of something and asked Guo Lin cautiously: "May I ask, Eunuch Guo, Cong-ge now has two titles in one body, and the title of Weiyuan and the title of Rongguo must be passed down from the same lineage.

Does His Majesty want him to inherit the throne, or is there some other plan?"

What Jia Mu mentioned as "the family lineage of two generations" generally refers to a family with few descendants. A son inherits the blood of both branches of his father's generation, marries two wives, and continues the lineage of both branches.

Although the two wives serve the same husband, they are daughters-in-law from two different rooms and have a sister-in-law relationship with each other.

Jia Cong's current situation is different from that of an ordinary heir. He is not the heir of two branches of his father's generation, because he has two titles, which are passed down to his descendants in different lines, which is equivalent to inheriting the title of Weiyuan and the title of Rongguo.

Although there are some differences between the two, their roots are very similar, which is why Lady Jia asked this question.

The reason why Lady Jia asked this question was that after she accepted the facts before her, she had a new calculation in her mind...

She knew that Jia Cong was the hereditary Earl of Wangdai, and was highly regarded by the nobles in the palace, which was why she had arranged the marriage for him, although it was later taken away due to his father's death.

However, since Jia Cong has two titles this time, I am afraid that the palace will value him more and more. Moreover, at his age, there will definitely be talk of an arranged marriage in the future.

Although Grandmother Jia is Jia Cong's biological grandmother, if the palace arranges another marriage for him, she has no control over which woman will be chosen for him.

However, because Jia Cong holds two titles, he can also enjoy the honor of being a dual-generation heir, and he can marry two wives.

It is impossible for the palace to grant him two marriages, so there will always be a vacant wife, allowing his family to marry himself.

In this way, Grandmother Jia can take the opportunity to arrange a marriage between Jia Cong and his niece's great-granddaughter Shi Xiangyun. The eldest daughter of the Shi family must become the principal wife.

In this way, Grandmother Jia's plan to unite the Jia and Shi families through marriage came to fruition.

Although Jia Cong's dual titles went against Lady Jia's original wish, it did somewhat satisfy her wishes.

Moreover, there is something more important. Now that Jia Cong holds two titles, he dominates the family business of Rongguo Mansion, and his power and influence are even stronger.

Although Grandmother Jia is a grandmother, the two have never been close, and there is even a deep estrangement between them. Grandmother Jia really does not have the confidence or ability to keep her grandson in her hands.

But once she married her niece, whom she had raised, to Jia Cong, an unbreakable bond was created between the grandfather and grandson.

The pillow talk in this world is the most powerful. With Shi Xiangyun as her granddaughter-in-law, it will be easier for Grandmother Jia to stay in Rongguo Mansion and still maintain her status as the ancestor.

She could also take better care of her precious jade...

……

No matter how experienced Guo Lin was, he could not guess what was going on in Lady Jia's mind. He even thought that the old lady was a little too greedy.

The emperor has already rewarded Jia Cong with two titles, but the old lady is still thinking of granting him the honor of being the heir to the throne. Wouldn't the court then have to confer two imperial edicts on him? She is so greedy and only wants to have good things happen to her.

Guo Lin said: "Madam, this time the emperor did not grant Lord Jia the title of Grand Duke. The imperial edict has clearly stated that the title of Rongguo will be inherited by the descendants of Lord Jia's branch line.

In the future, Lord Jia's eldest son will inherit the title of Weiyuan, and the title of Rongguo will be inherited by the rest of his descendants, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate. "

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she was dumbfounded. According to this statement, Jia Cong's family had two titles, and the Earl of Weiyuan was obviously one level higher than the Earl of Rongguo.

The title of Rong has been passed down for several generations. In the future, it would be fine if it is not Jia Cong's eldest son who will inherit the throne. There is a great possibility that it will be inherited by a concubine's son.

When did the title of Rong become so worthless that any bastard could get his hands on it? Isn't His Majesty intentionally degrading the hereditary title of Rong?

Thinking of this, Grandmother Jia's mood, which had just calmed down a little, became restless and annoyed again.

At this time, Jia Cong sent Guo Lin, Liu Shuyou, and Zhang Zhenghe out of the mansion. Zhishao and Wu'er, who followed him and believed the good news, also happily went to the East Mansion to report the good news.

In Rong Xi Tang, Jia Zheng stared at Baoyu with bloodshot eyes, his heart burning with rage. He felt that today's imperial edict had disgraced all his life's reputation because of this beast.

If the old lady had not been present and his wife had been unconscious, Jia Zheng would have summoned up his power and would have beaten the beastly and rebellious son to death on the spot.

At this time, since the officials who announced the imperial edict had left, Li Wan, Tanchun and Wang Xifeng all entered Rong Xi Tang.

Li Wan and Tanchun naturally arranged for the maids and old women to help the embarrassed Mrs. Wang back to her room to rest.

Wang Xifeng asked Ping'er and Yuanyang to help the old lady back to Rongqing Hall.

Wang Xifeng watched Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang leave Rong Xi Tang one after another, and she felt indescribably happy in her heart.

She originally thought that the first branch was completely defeated and the second branch had the upper hand, but she never expected that things would take such an unexpected turn.

However, although the third brother Cong obtained the title and property of the Rongguo Mansion, the old lady and the wife are both difficult to deal with, so the third brother Cong will probably have a lot of trouble in the future.

But no matter what, I will stand on his side both in public and in private... (End of this chapter)