Do you know: I am Qi Heng

"Thank you for your concern, Second Aunt, but Heng'er is determined to take the imperial examination, so I can only let him be."

Princess Pingning said, "Marrying too early will affect his studies. Let's wait a few years!"

If her parents were still alive, or if her brother, who was born of the same mother, were to inherit the title, she would probably consider marrying into the Guo family.

Although the Guo family was not of low social standing, a marriage alliance would not benefit the Qi family or Qi Heng in any way.

Not to mention the marriage proposal put forward by Old Madam Miao, the daughter of the second wife.

Grandma Miao's face stiffened, and she said, "Auntie, with your connections to the palace and the Qi family's social standing, why would you let Heng-ge'er suffer like that?"

"Second Aunt, you know how many restrictions the court places on officials who are granted official positions through hereditary privilege these days."

"Besides, Heng'er himself has this ambition. As his mother, am I supposed to advise him to be unambitious?" Princess Pingning smiled.

"This…"

Grandma Miao was speechless for a moment.

At the beginning of the Great Zhou Dynasty, civil officials were treated very well. Civil officials who reached a certain rank, like military officials, could have their sons granted official positions through hereditary privilege.

There's a Chinese idiom called "bestowing titles and privileges upon one's wife and children," which refers to this.

Previously, there were no restrictions on the bestowal of titles upon one's offspring.

The sons of powerful and wealthy families who entered officialdom through hereditary privilege enjoyed the same treatment as officials who entered through the imperial examinations.

Even the treatment of those who were granted official positions through hereditary privilege was better than those who entered officialdom through the imperial examination.

There was once a minister who was highly trusted and relied upon by the late emperor. His son was granted an official position through hereditary privilege and became a sixth-rank official.

It is important to know that the top scholar in the imperial examination was generally between the sixth and seventh rank, depending on how much the emperor liked his writing.

In other words, the son of that scholar had a higher starting point than the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Moreover, when officials were granted official positions through hereditary privilege, their elders, who held important positions, could pave the way for them.

Therefore, many nobles and high-ranking officials had no intention of letting their children and grandchildren take the imperial examinations.

If one's ranking in the imperial examinations is low, one's starting point is not as good as those granted a hereditary title. If one fails the examinations, it will also expose one's mediocre talent, making it difficult to pave the way for others later.

After all, this kind of thing might reach the ears of the officials, who know that your son is not very capable and has failed the imperial examinations.

The fact that your son advanced so quickly clearly indicates a problem.

However, after the current emperor ascended the throne, he initiated a reform, which included the hereditary system of granting official titles.

Although it ultimately failed, the changes to Yin Feng were not reversed.

Before being granted official positions through hereditary privilege, one had to pass an examination, which was much easier than the imperial examination, but still quite difficult.

This way, some good-for-nothing playboys are excluded.

Secondly, restrictions were also placed on the rank of officials granted hereditary titles and the number of years required for promotion based on performance evaluations.

Those who entered officialdom through hereditary privilege could not rise above the eighth rank, and were subject to evaluation every four years.

Normal officials undergo a minor exam every year and a major exam every three years.

The final exam will take into account performance and achievements during the three-year term to determine whether a promotion, a lateral transfer, or a demotion is warranted.

The change to a four-year term for officials granted hereditary titles indirectly increased the difficulty of promotion.

Even with the best connections, you can only be promoted once every four years. You might not even reach the heights the family envisions before the elders in important positions retire.

When people leave, the family will gradually decline.

It is because of this that in the last one or two decades, the powerful and wealthy have begun to pay attention to the education of their children and grandchildren. Only when they really cannot pass the imperial examinations do they turn to the path of hereditary succession.

Other families need strict discipline and encouragement from their elders to push them to study, but Qi Heng has this ambition on his own, so what can she say?

"Little Aunt".

Madam Miao said, "Heng is, after all, an only son, and the continuation of the family bloodline is more important than anything else. Besides, marriage will not interfere with his studies and taking the imperial examinations."

Xiangjie is well-educated and reasonable, and she's a few years older than Hengge. After they get married, she will surely encourage and urge Hengge to study harder.

Qu listened to them with a smile, but when she reached for the tea, a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes as she looked down.

Miao was always angry that her husband had failed to inherit the title, and over the years, relying on her status as the eldest sister-in-law, she had said a lot of sarcastic and sarcastic things.

She wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Qi family because she thought that the Duke of Qi's mansion only had one son, and if she could control him, the Qi family's connections and resources could help her sons.

She wasn't worried about this at all. Princess Pingning was a very pragmatic person, and having grown up in the palace, she had high standards and would never look favorably upon the second wife.

"My husband isn't here right now either. Let's wait until she returns," Princess Pingning said, her tone tinged with impatience.

She didn't refuse directly to save face, but even though she had made her point so clear, he still wouldn't give up.

"alright!"

Grandma Miao sensed her impatience and, seeing that Ms. Miao wanted to say something more, immediately spoke up to stop her.

"Auntie is right, we should wait for her husband to return before discussing it!"

…………

Qi Heng followed Guo Yong to admire the winter plum blossoms in the garden for a while, and then wandered around for a bit before returning to the main hall.

His mother wasn't there, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise when the elders were talking. He sat quietly to the side, eating his snacks.

"Heng-ge'er, if you like, I'll have the kitchen prepare more so you can take some with you when you leave. It's almost lunchtime, so don't eat too many snacks," Guo Wu said with a smile.

Qi Heng clapped his hands and said, "It does taste quite different from home. Thank you, Uncle."

"Just some snacks!"

Guo Wu waved his hand and said in a friendly tone, "Did your father go to Guanzhong on official business?"

Everyone else in the hall looked at Qi Heng with inscrutable expressions.

Qi Heng noticed the gazes of the crowd and a sense of unease arose within him.

His father left Beijing near the end of the year, so it's normal for an elder to ask about it.

But Guo Wu asked Princess Pingning before, and now he's asking him again.

Judging from the expressions of the other people in the hall, it was clear that it wasn't as simple as just asking.

Qi Heng's heart stirred slightly, and an uncertain guess formed in his mind.

They didn't think the emperor had already chosen an adoptive father and sent his father to fetch him, did they?

The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed; otherwise, they wouldn't have cared so much, and Princess Pingning still didn't believe them despite her previous explanation.

Besides those in Bianjing, the largest number of members of the Great Zhou imperial family were in two other places.

One is Luoyang, and the other is Guanzhong.

The emperor had a fiefdom belonging to a relative of his uncle, located in Guanzhong.

He hadn't understood why Han Zhang and others were so eager to pressure the Emperor to establish an heir so soon after the Emperor lost his son.

Now I finally understand.

Because the heir apparent is uncertain, people's hearts are too restless.

If the Emperor were still young, he wouldn't have caused such a stir among the powerful and wealthy in Bianjing.

Unfortunately, the official's son died young, and he was already quite old.

At this time, if one could know the heir apparent in advance and make good relations with him, or write a letter to speak on his behalf before he is officially designated as the heir apparent, it would be advantageous.

When he actually succeeds to the throne in the future, he will naturally receive enormous benefits.

Everyone knows that the matter of establishing an heir is fraught with danger.

But the potential profits are so great that many people are tempted to get involved.

As long as the government doesn't decide on a replacement, some people will give up hope.

Those members of the imperial clan who believed they had a chance would try every means to win over court officials in order to increase their chances of success.

Court officials would also make investments and choose sides based on their own judgment.

This would not only cause turmoil in the court, but if it dragged on for too long, the struggle would become public.

Once the final decision is made, the winner will conduct another purge of the court after ascending to the throne.

In other words, if a crown prince is not chosen soon, there is a high possibility that two major upheavals will occur in the future.