Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

After the Princess of Beijing announced that Jia Jing had been granted the title of First-Class Duke, Feng Jie was filled with disappointment!

The sisters of the Jia family were overjoyed. The First-Class Marquis had been promoted to First-Class Duke, reaching the pinnacle of military merit. What an astonishing promotion!

A first-class duke at the age of twenty-one—I doubt anyone has ever achieved that since the founding of the Han Dynasty!

Tan Chun, Xiang Yun, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with joy.

Aunt Xue pondered to herself, "It seems that a first-class duke is only one step away from being made a king?"

This was truly the wealth right in front of her!

A bright light also appeared on Yuan Chun's plump face. Her mind wavered, and the corners of her eyes turned up slightly. Had her younger brother Jing really come to this?

Daiyu gently touched her chest, her bright eyes sparkling, her gaze somewhat lost in thought, as if concealing a longing in her heart.

Baochai gripped the fan tightly in her hand, her eyes misty with tears.

Nian Shilan's beautiful eyes flickered, and a blush rose to her cheeks.

Even Li, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh. Being granted the title of First-Class Duke, this truly placed him among the top military merits in the Han Dynasty!

What's even more remarkable is the profound favor bestowed upon it by the emperor.

Despite the disapproval of the civil officials and grand secretaries, the emperor was still able to make the decision unilaterally and insist on bestowing the title, which shows Jia Jing's status in the emperor's heart!

You should know that my second brother's application for the title of Third-Class Duke was blocked by civil officials!

The difference is truly chilling when you think about it...

Just as everyone was sighing in admiration, Princess Zhen of Bei Jing cleared her throat and said with a hint of envy in her voice:

"To be honest, the title of First-Class Duke of Champion Marquis is well-deserved. Although he has the strong support of my Prince, he was conferred the title because of his military achievements, which is indisputable."

"What is truly rare is the title of Duke of the Kingdom bestowed upon the Marquis of Champion; that is an honor unique to the Han Dynasty..."

Lady Zhen reiterated the strong support of Prince Jing of Beijing.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little envious of Jia Jing's title of Duke.

Even if her own grandmother was a concubine in the palace, and even if her husband was a prince, this title was still an honor that her family could never obtain.

How much the Emperor trusted and valued Jia Jing!

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Was the title of Duke really that special?

Tan Chun, with her beautiful features and lively spirit, was the first to smile and say:

"The title of Duke is usually a single-character honorific. It is based either on the place where merit was made or on the nature of the merit."

"My third brother made his achievements on the northwestern grasslands, his merits being military achievements in expanding territory and stabilizing the borders. According to the court's custom, he should be awarded titles such as Duke of Liang, Duke of Ying, or Duke of Shuo."

"However, since the princess said it is a unique honor, it must be beyond these ordinary titles."

"I guess it will either be a title from a powerful state like Wei, Qin, or Jin, or a title from a famous general or minister who has existed since ancient times, such as Duke of Wei, Duke of E, or Duke of Liang."

These days, the girls have been discussing this matter privately quite a bit, wondering what title their third brother would have if he were to be granted the title of Duke!

Their guesses varied: some said it was the Duke of Liang, some said it was the Duke of Shuo, some said it was the Duke of Wei, and some even said it was the Duke of Wei…

Everyone present focused their attention on Princess Zhen of Beijing, each lost in their own thoughts, waiting for her to reveal the answer.

Lady Zhen smiled, not rushing to give the answer, but first praising Tan Chun:

"Your family's third daughter is truly quick-witted and insightful. No wonder I heard that the Marquis of Champion appointed her to manage the household."

"Looking at her, I am reminded of Zhen Chun, the younger sister from Jiangnan. She was also the third child in her family, and she was just as knowledgeable, reasonable, and beautiful."

"She's reached the age where she should be getting married, and her family is currently helping her find someone!"

When Madam Zhen mentioned that her third sister was currently unmarried, she was clearly implying something.

Daiyu, Baochai, Nian Shilan and the others' expressions tightened, thinking to themselves: As expected, they've come to propose marriage as well; their true intentions have been revealed!

However, Madam Zhen did not linger on this topic, as she knew that there were too many powerful families eyeing Jia Jing these days.

Even though the Zhen family was vaguely known as the number one wealthy family in Jiangnan, it was still somewhat inferior to the top wealthy families in the capital.

Moreover, although her own grandmother was a concubine in the palace who had raised the retired emperor.

But with his octogenarian years and limited time remaining, the future of the Zhen family is still uncertain.

I've heard that the Emperor has issued an edict to investigate the deficits in Jiangnan...

A hint of worry flashed in Zhen's eyes. She lost interest in playing games and said directly:

"What the Third Miss said, though not entirely accurate, is not far off! There are cabinet ministers in the court who have proposed titles such as Duke of Shuo, Duke of Wei, Duke of Ding, and Duke of Jing."

"The Prince of Nan'an also suggested using the titles of the great states of Qin and Wei, and my lord also suggested the title of Duke of Wei, but His Majesty did not adopt them."

"In the end, His Majesty personally drafted the title of Marquis of Champion... First-Class Duke of Jing."

"The Duke of Jin?"

Upon hearing Zhen's words, everyone present was immediately struck by her words and pondered the Duke of Jin's deeper meaning.

A smile appeared on Yuan Chun's beautiful, fair face. She smiled first and said to Grandmother Jia:

"Grandma, the title of Duke of Jin is truly prestigious, even more so than our Duke of Rong!"

"The character 'Jin' is taken from the State of Jin, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. The name of the state itself carries the connotation of legitimacy and hegemony."

"This is no ordinary meritorious official; it shows His Majesty truly trusts and respects his third brother!"

Yuan Chun didn't even consider the character "景" (Jing), assuming that Princess Zhen had mispronounced it and understood it as the Duke of Jin.

When the others heard Yuan Chun's explanation, they all thought they had misheard!

It turns out to be the character "Jin" from the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. It sounds a bit like the character "Jing". This princess even has a soft southern accent!

Tan Chun, standing to the side, looked around with a bright and lively expression, and smiled:

"The prestige of the name 'Jin' is not only due to the state of Jin being one of the Five Hegemons! Historically, most of those who were enfeoffed as Dukes of Jin were also renowned ministers and prime ministers!"

Shi Xiangyun, standing to the side, also beamed with smiles and eagerly chimed in, "..."

"I know that too! Pei Du, a famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, was enfeoffed as the Duke of Jin after quelling the Huaixi Rebellion. He was known as 'Pei Jin Gong' and was a symbol of the revival of the Tang Dynasty."

"There was also Han Huang, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty, who was honest and capable. He was enfeoffed as the Duke of Jin and was known as 'Duke Han of Jin'."

"They were all renowned ministers of their time; perhaps the title of Duke of Jin also subtly implies the revival of the Han Dynasty!"

Shi Xiangyun wisely avoided mentioning the treacherous minister Li Linfu and the powerful minister Sima Zhao, who were also granted the title of Duke of Jin, earning her an approving glance from Lin Daiyu.

Aunt Xue, standing to the side, laughed and said:

"There are so many intricacies involved in this title! I really didn't know that if you hadn't told me!"

These witty remarks should have come from Sister Feng, who is a master at "warming up the atmosphere," but she is still immersed in the grief of losing her title of "Duchess of the State" and cannot extricate herself from it!

Aunt Xue had no choice but to reluctantly lend a hand!

The atmosphere quickly became lively, filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.

Only Zhen was stunned, lost in thought: "???"

Her fair skin twitched slightly, her face showing a look of unspoken words.

Grandmother Jia was a little puzzled by her reaction and asked:

"Your Highness, is there something else you haven't mentioned?"