Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

After exchanging pleasantries, just as everyone was about to go their separate ways, an old woman rushed in.

At this time, neither Grandmother Jia nor the others were in the hall, and no one reprimanded her, so she went directly to Jia Lian and said, "Second Master, the servant Zhao'er outside brought a message saying that an official from the Imperial Clan Court has arrived, and he requests that you return quickly to receive him."

Everyone understood and no one blamed the old woman for her rudeness.

The Imperial Clan Court was the powerful institution that oversaw the imperial clan and their relatives, controlling the bestowal and inheritance of all titles. Therefore, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Imperial Clan Court was the direct superior of the Jia family, and they naturally attached great importance to it.

However, perhaps because of Yuan Chun's happy event before them, no one was surprised or flustered. Many people could guess that the official from the Imperial Clan Court was looking for Jia Lian most likely because of the Rongguo Mansion's hereditary title...

Sister Feng, her face beaming with joy, walked over and bumped into Jia Lian, saying, "Why don't you go out and take a look? Maybe it's..."

Jia Lian nodded, stood up, and instructed, "Then I'll leave the rest to you."

"Go on, go on, be careful when serving those officials, don't be arrogant and offend them."

Ignoring Sister Feng's unnecessary instructions, Jia Lian bowed to Aunt Xue and said, "Aunt, please sit down. I'll be leaving now."

Seeing that Grandmother Jia and the others were busy, Aunt Xue had no intention of staying there any longer.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia, Sister Feng, and the others were all busy and had not found a suitable opportunity to say goodbye, they stayed for a while.

Seeing that Jia Lian was still so polite to her despite the important matter outside, and even bid her farewell privately, she was overjoyed. She had already stood up and quickly said with a smile, "Go ahead, don't worry about us, your business is important."

Jia Lian then left.

Upon arriving at the second gate, Zhao'er and the others were indeed waiting there.

"Second Master, you've finally come out. Hurry back. A steward from the Imperial Clan Court has come, apparently about your title. He's been waiting for quite a while."

In Zhao'er's and the others' eyes, the matter of Jia Lian's title was of paramount importance and could not be taken lightly, so they were extremely anxious. As soon as they saw Jia Lian, they surrounded him and spoke rapidly.

Jia Lian then asked where the person was now.

"Fortunately, Master Zhen came over to help the old lady and the others go to the palace to express their gratitude. They happened to be there, so Master Zhen invited them to sit in the side hall and have some tea."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian had no more doubts.

The fact that he still had the mind to sit down and have tea meant it was a good thing, so he rode his horse back to the east courtyard.

Upon entering the side hall, they found Jia Zhen sitting inside talking to a rather thin middle-aged official.

"Brother Lian, congratulations!"

When Jia Zhen saw Jia Lian, he immediately stood up from his seat and walked over to greet him with a hearty laugh.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged official knew that the visitor was the person in question, and he quickly stood up to greet Jia Lian.

After returning the greeting, Jia Lian asked, "How should this gentleman be addressed?"

"I dare not address you as 'sir' before the two generals. My surname is Xu."

Jia Zhen interjected at this moment, saying with great joy, "Brother Lian, Lord Xu has brought you good news. Our family's title has been granted. His Majesty, in his divine grace, has granted you the title of Second-Class General. After you have finished arranging the eldest master's funeral, you can go to the Imperial Clan Court to complete the ceremony for inheriting the title."

In other words, from this day forward, you are a legitimate second-class general, a rank higher than your older brother.

Jia Zhen seemed even happier than Jia Lian, and when the emperor was mentioned, he even cupped his hands and bowed to the sky.

"I heard that our eldest daughter has also been granted the title of Empress. Today, our family can be considered to have double happiness!"

I was just here to escort the old lady and madam to the palace to express their gratitude when I happened to run into Lord Xu, who was driving to deliver good news to your residence. Since you weren't there, I was there to greet you. Please don't blame your brother for being presumptuous and impolite.

Jia Zhen then offered another explanation.

Although the two families are as close as family, they are separated by many generations in terms of blood ties.

Jia Lian shook his head. "Brother Zhen, you're overthinking it. Brother Zhen has genuinely helped me, and I should be the one thanking you. How could I possibly blame you?"

If Jia Zhen were to act arrogantly and act as if he were the master, bossing everyone around, Jia Lian would naturally be displeased.

However, Jia Zhen was adept at social interactions, and he didn't even sit on the left side of the head of the household. Even if Jia Lian looked at it with a critical eye, there was nothing wrong with Jia Zhen doing so.

When the man surnamed Xu arrived at Ningrong Street, he saw the Jia family members all beaming with joy, and he was puzzled. Was this how the Jia family conducted a funeral?

Only after hearing Jia Zhen's words did they realize that the Jia family, which had two hereditary titles, was actually adorned with flowers and brocade, and had also been called imperial relatives!

So he became even more respectful and kept smiling as he congratulated Jia Zhen and the other man.

After exchanging a few polite words, the three took their seats according to their status as guests and hosts. Xu, the steward, then presented Jia Lian with an official document from the Imperial Clan Court.

Jia Lian opened it and saw that it read: "By imperial decree, Jia Lian, son of Jia She, the hereditary Duke of Rongguo and First-Class General of Divine Might, is hereby appointed as Second-Class General of Zhenyuan."

The text is further annotated in smaller print, specifying the date, time, and other details of the investiture ceremony at the Imperial Clan Court.

"Zhenyuan Yao..."

All those in the Great Wei who held titles were bestowed by the emperor himself.

To be honest, while the title of general in Zhenyuan is not top-tier, it is clearly more ambitious than neutral titles like "Divine Might" or "Mighty Valor".

It seems that the latter should enjoy wealth and honor in the capital, while the former does not seem like a noble title in the capital, but rather like a general who truly guards the border!

However, Jia Lian had done a lot of research on the inheritance of titles in this dynasty. He discovered that the titles of the fifth-rank generals among the hereditary titles were traceable.

For example, the names of first-class generals usually begin with the character "神" (shen, meaning god), such as 神威 (shenwei, divine might) or 神武 (shenwu, divine martial prowess).

Second-class generals are named with the character "镇" (zhen), such as 镇威 (zhenwei) and 镇远 (zhenyuan).

Third-rank generals are named with the character "威" (wei), such as 威烈 (weilie) and 威镇 (weizhen).

Fourth-rank generals are named with the character "奋" (fèn), while fifth-rank generals are named with the character "武" (wǔ).

Therefore, a simple general's title cannot confirm the emperor's true feelings towards him. It is also possible that the emperor did not have any particular intention and simply chose a title that conformed to the unspoken rules for him.

Jia Zhen didn't care about the specific title of the nobleman; in his eyes, only one thing mattered:

Jia She, that old devil, made so many mistakes when he was young, yet the emperor didn't demote their branch of the nobility by even a few ranks...

If only I could be demoted to the third rank, at least I wouldn't be a rank lower than this kid in terms of nobility.

They are all brothers of the same generation. When others hear that his title as the eldest brother and clan leader is lower than that of his cousin, they feel that he has lost face!

"Report to Father, the old lady and the others are about to leave. Mother, please go out quickly."

Jia Rong suddenly entered and spoke to Jia Zhen.

"Understood." Jia Zhen stood up, cupped his hands to Jia Lian and smiled, "The old lady and the others rarely go to the palace and need someone to escort them. You are wearing mourning clothes, so you don't need to go. Rong'er and I will take care of them."

"Just you wait, when we're all free again, I, as your older brother, will definitely host a proper feast, setting up a few tables to celebrate."

In front of outsiders, Jia Lian didn't say much to Jia Zhen. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zhen."

Jia Zhen smiled, clasped his hands in greeting to the steward Xu, and then left.

On Ningrong Street, Grandmother Jia and the others were all carried in eight-bearer sedan chairs. There were also several smaller sedan chairs carrying Li Wan and Grandmother Jia's accompanying maids and servants.

The entourage consisted of no fewer than seventy or eighty servants in blue robes, creating a grand and imposing procession.

Jia Zhen did not dare to mount his horse first, but instead went to Grandmother Jia and the others to ask for instructions. To his surprise, they were already waiting for him. Upon meeting him, they asked, "We heard that an official from the Imperial Clan Court is looking for Lian'er. What is the matter?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen quickly recounted the situation with a smile.

This was something that was expected, so Grandmother Jia didn't react much; she just smiled even more broadly.

In the rear sedan chair, Caiyun, who was sitting properly on a corner of a soft stool, noticed that after Madam Wang lowered the curtain, the smile on her face faded considerably. Knowing Madam Wang's temperament well, she immediately lowered her head, not daring to show any more joy.

……

Although Master Xu was an official of the Imperial Clan Court, his rank was too low and he was only responsible for delivering messages, so Jia Lian did not keep him any longer. After serving him tea, he saw him out.

As soon as he turned around, the servants all around rushed forward, knelt down like bowing eavesdroppers, and congratulated him in unison.

Some of the younger members of the clan also came up to curry favor.

Upon hearing Jia Lian say that everyone would receive a reward after the major event was over, they kowtowed even more earnestly...

After returning to the mansion, Jia Lian suddenly remembered something and went to Jia She's courtyard, to his study.

After Jia She's death, Jia Lian ordered his men to lock up Jia She's study.

Jia She spent decades building it, and most of his inheritance is in this house.

If his second-class general title was the main weapon that Jia She revealed after his death, then this study contained all the remaining low-level items.

Although it's not very useful, it can be sold for money.

Therefore, Jia Lian naturally wouldn't let anyone else get involved.

Originally, there was no rush to deal with the things inside, but now that Yuan Chun has been made a concubine.

Given the current state of the Rongguo Mansion's treasury, there is simply no way to build such a magnificent and exquisite Grand View Garden.

It's easy to imagine that they'll have to raise money from all over the place.

Therefore, it's best to deal with these things as soon as possible...

Suddenly, Qingwen and Xiangling came over with a bunch of keys of various sizes.

After the side doors on both sides were opened, Fengjie could no longer use the excuse of looking after the house to isolate Qingwen there. Every day, they could still come to find Jia Lian and act as errand runners.

Open the door and let the light from outside into the dark little room.

Looking at the dazzling array of furnishings and the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, Jia Lian shook his head.

The place his predecessor had longed for was now laid bare before him, at his disposal. Could this be considered the fulfillment of a deep-seated wish?

"Second Master, should we open all these boxes?"

Qingwen was even more excited than him. As soon as she entered the room, her beautiful peach blossom eyes shone as she looked around at the things.

These all belong to Second Master. I'd like to ask for two things; surely Second Master won't refuse me?

Everyone has a love for goods and money, especially people like Sister Feng and Qingwen.

From this perspective, Qingwen and Fengjie'er actually have somewhat similar personalities. If they were to switch identities, they might be able to live like each other.

"Open it."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's instructions, Qingwen happily went to open each of the chests one by one.

Xiangling, however, was not particularly interested in these things. Seeing Jia Lian sit down, she took out a list from the drawer to look at it, and even went behind Jia Lian to massage his shoulders.

"Wow, so much gold!"

Wow, so many treasures...

"Wow, this porcelain teapot looks so beautiful, how much is it worth?"

Jia Lian frowned at Qingwen's constant exclamations. He glanced back and saw the radiant joy on Qingwen's face. He could tell that doing such things truly made her happy.

He glanced at Xiangling again. Xiangling had been in a daze, but when she realized his gaze, she seemed a little embarrassed and lowered her head shyly. Then she massaged him even more vigorously.

Seeing her shy demeanor, Jia Lian held her in his arms, savoring her sweet fragrance.

"Second Master, could you give this to me?"

Qingwen must have found something really good, because her voice suddenly became much louder. She then hopped over to Jia Lian and presented him with an exquisite sandalwood box.

Then she saw that Xiangling had already sat in Jia Lian's lap, and she quickly glanced out the window.

There were only the Second Master's two female guards outside, no wonder the Second Master was so unconcerned!

She muttered "shameless" under her breath, but fearing that Jia Lian would get angry and refuse her request, she didn't say anything more, and still shook Jia Lian's arm with a smile.

Jia Lian took the wooden box and turned it around. Inside was a set of dice, but these dice were different from ordinary jade dice. They were made of crystal and the dots were painted with seven colors, making them exceptionally exquisite.

This thing looks nice, but it's actually worth much more than that. Only Qingwen, who likes gambling, would take a liking to it at first glance.

Perhaps Qingwen also knew that she couldn't ask for things that were too valuable.

"Giving it to you isn't difficult, but what will you offer in exchange?" Jia Lian put the box back on the table, tilted his head, and asked with a smile.

When Qingwen saw Jia Lian's smile, she knew that Jia Lian was probably going to take the opportunity to make another unreasonable request.

He really liked this set of dice. Taking it out would surely dazzle all the maids and servants, and then saying, "The Second Master gave it to me," would make them green with envy!

"Then, Second Master, what do you want me to exchange for it...?"

Seeing Qingwen's downcast eyes and submissive demeanor, as if waiting to be slaughtered, Jia Lian deliberately smiled, making Qingwen even more embarrassed before saying, "Give me a kiss, and this thing is yours."

"real?"

Qingwen never expected it to be so simple this time. Afraid that Jia Lian would change his mind, she didn't hesitate and immediately stretched her neck to Jia Lian's cheek, preparing to kiss him.

Then I realized I had indeed been tricked.

She felt a sudden, forceful pull on her slender waist, and when she turned around, Jia Lian had already lifted her onto his lap, with Xiang Ling on one side and their chests facing each other.

Qingwen immediately scolded Jia Lian for being a scoundrel and struggled to get down.

Seeing that Jia Lian refused, she said angrily, "Hmph, didn't Second Master want Xiangling and not me? Why are you hugging me now?"

"Heh, then tell me, why would I want Xiangling and not you?"

"Don't think I don't know, you, you not only had her warm your bed, but you also slept with her in your arms, you even..."

Qingwen had kept this matter to herself for a long time. She, as the legitimate concubine, had never slept with Jia Lian before, but Xiangling had beaten her to it!

Jia Lian chuckled softly, making the two pretty maids blush. He then pecked each of their apple-like cheeks before saying to Qingwen, "If you're jealous, will you warm my bed for me tonight? You can sleep on the outside, and Xiangling can sleep on the inside?"

"Pah, that's not to your liking."

Qingwen couldn't stand staying in Jia Lian's arms, but seeing that Xiangling was gradually becoming comfortable, she didn't want to fall behind, so she reluctantly agreed.

The two pretty girls had such soft and delicate bodies that Jia Lian couldn't bear to part with them.

Since this was not the place for such commotion, the young women guarding the gate outside had already heard the noise and walked to the window, seemingly wanting to peek through the thick curtains. Jia Lian had only held Qingwen and Xiangling while looking through the list once, then put them down and inspected all the boxes that Qingwen had opened.

However, he was not a seasoned antique collector, and he could not accurately estimate the value of Jia She's items.

In short, it's definitely worth tens of thousands of taels of silver!

To maximize profits, it's necessary to hire experts from the antique trade for appraisal and sales.

Cheng Rixing, Jia Zheng's favorite student, runs a decent antique shop, but unfortunately, it's inconvenient for him to get involved in this matter.

The Xue family, whose businesses span the world, seems to have also ventured into the antique trade, so it's not appropriate for them to get involved.

It would be better to find someone else to secretly convert these things into silver and save them for future use.