Ch79 - Bestowing the Title of Marquis

“By the Mandate of Heaven the emperor calls upon Cheng Wang Fei Mu Hanzhang, of great erudition and scholarship and exceeding intelligence. He made many miraculous achievements on the battlefield and has been of great use to the empire. As a royal heir, he is now granted the title of ‘Wen Yuan’ and appointed as a military general and a minister of the civilian court. The ceremony to grant him the title of ‘Marquis’ will be held in seven days. This is the emperor’s decree!” The eunuch’s voice was shrill but sonorous and forceful, and very powerful as he enunciated each word. 

“This subject Mu Hanzhang accepts the decree. Long live the emperor!” Mu Hanzhang kowtowed and received the scroll with both hands.

The expression of the palace eunuch proclaiming the decree then relaxed. “Congratulations to the marquis.”

Jing Shao took the lead in jumping up and pulling his Wang Fei up. Holding the gleaming golden scroll of the imperial edict in his hand, only then did Mu Hanzhang realize that he truly was going to be conferred as a marquis. Turning to look at Jing Shao, the other gave him a reassuring smile in return.

Duofu had already brought the gold and silver to reward the eunuch, and Jing Shao tilted his chin to tell him to give it directly to the eunuch. 

The old eunuch and the group of young eunuchs behind him immediately beamed with joy. Mu Hanzhang came back to his senses and said with a smile, “Sir eunuchs have worked hard.”

“Thank you, Lord Marquis, for your reward. We have also been blessed with fortune!” The eunuchs shared the reward, and each one was very happy. The new year had just started and not many people would be conferred titles. To declare such an edict on a normal day like this, even if it were a prime minister being conferred, they might not get such a big reward.

“Eunuch Yuan, I just saw Elder Brother Second Prince go to the imperial study after court. How can the imperial edict be issued so soon?” Jing Shao invited the eunuchs in for a cup of tea, but they wished to hurry back to the palace. Jing Shao asked them the question in passing when they were about to leave.

“Hey, isn’t it because of those two madams making such a ruckus?” Eunuch Yuan served the imperial study. Naturally, he knew more about it. He looked around before he whispered, “The empress dowager was so disturbed that she urged the emperor to hurry up and take care of the matter so that no one would make trouble again. Just then, His Royal Highness Rui Wang settled the title with the emperor, so he directly gave the decree.”

Jing Shao heard this and smiled, then slipped him another small golden Buddha figurine.

Looking at the words on the imperial edict, Mu Hanzhang couldn’t help feeling deeply moved. He had never thought in a million years that the title he would be granted would be “Wen Yuan (Wen = literature, writing, scholarly Yuan = deep, profound, wise).” This was actually a name he received from a poetry meeting in the capital in the past. He had lost it, but now regained it, as if his youthful spirit had never been lost.

Jing Shao saw that Mu Hanzhang was concentrating on reading the edict, so he didn’t disturb him. He just gently hugged the man in his arms, who looked at him and said, “Don’t you need to go to the Ministry of War today?”

“Let’s go in the afternoon.” Jing Shao reached out to help him hold the imperial edict, and looked at the blister on his left hand. “My Wang Fei is going to be conferred as a marquis. I must accompany the marquis for lunch at home.” 

Mu Hanzhang glared at Jing Shao who was using him as an excuse to be lazy. “After coming back from the campaign, you have become more and more lazy. Be careful of becoming complacent with your achievements and turning into a useless person.”

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Although Jing Chen advocated for simplicity in the ceremony, the necessary etiquette was still cumbersome. 

Over the next seven days, people kept coming to their door to give their congratulations, and officials from the Ministry of Rites often came to inquire about certain matters. Even Jing Chen himself came twice.

“I’m preparing to transfer Song An to the southwest,” Jing Chen said lightly as he drank a cup of tea.

Jing Shao nodded. During this time, they had dug up information that could be used against Song An and which was enough to demote him three levels and banish him to a remote place to be a small official. After all, Song An had done a lot for them a few years ago, so they couldn’t go overboard.

“Song An gave me these.” Jing Chen put a stack of letters on the table. “His only request was that he be allowed to take his daughter away.” 

Mu Hanzhang took the letters and looked at them. He frowned slightly. There was evidence of many officials’ crimes in them. If these were brought out, they could overthrow many people. He sighed. “When it comes to his daughter, Song An really has nothing to say.”

Hearing him sigh, Jing Shao knew that he was thinking of the various actions of the North Marquis. He reached out and held his hand. “It’s because she was spoiled that things developed to this point.”

Mu Hanzhang knew that he was comforting him and nodded.

“Has the North Marquis come here these past couple of days?” Jing Chen looked down and spotted a tiger rug next to Mu Hanzhang’s feet that hadn’t been there before. 

“My father has never been here.” Mu Hanzhang replied. Seeing Jing Chen looking at his feet, he lowered his head to find that Xiao Huang was lying at his feet. It was sleeping sweetly on its back with its mouth slightly open.

“Is this the tiger you’re raising?” Jing Chen looked cautiously. “It’s rather robust.”

“It eats more than I do, how can it not be robust?” Jing Shao lifted his hand to pull up the little tiger. This rascal had already grown very long. It was almost as tall as a man sitting down; he couldn’t just casually grab and lift it up anymore.

“Wawu!” Xiao Huang was very dissatisfied with being disturbed. It bared its teeth at Jing Shao and waved its thick, furry paws. 

Mu Hanzhang saw that Jing Chen seemed to like the cub, but was still maintaining his manners as he sat still, so he handed him a piece of dried meat. Jing Chen didn’t understand the situation at first, but then the fat little furball quickly pounced over, two paws pressed to his leg as it stared anxiously at the jerky in Jing Chen’s hand.

Jing Chen was stunned for a moment. He offered the cub the meat in his hand, and the little tiger quickly bit it and swallowed it all in one bite. However, he clung to Jing Chen’s knee to see if he had any other meat.

“Brother, you try petting it.” Jing Shao looked at his brother’s stiff body and wanted to laugh. He urged him to try feeling the cub with his hand.

Jing Chen slowly raised his hand and touched the little tiger’s head. He seldom did this kind of action, just like the last time when he patted Jing Shao’s head, and his movements were very awkward. 

Mu Hanzhang also had a smile in his eyes and said in a timely fashion, “To be conferred as a marquis, it is thanks to Elder Brother’s initiative; this younger brother does not know how to express my gratitude.”

“If you can take good care of Jing Shao, that would be the best thanks.” Jing Chen pinched the tiger’s soft fluffy ears and said in a deep voice, “Although this marquis title is not hereditary, it is of the same rank as that of the North Marquis. After the marquis conferral ceremony, you can go to court. It happens that I will not be in the capital in the third lunar month, so you should keep an extra careful eye on Jing Shao during court.”

Jing Shao: “…” Why did it sound like Brother was relying on someone to look after a child?

“There is a lion about the size of our little tiger in Wading Water Courtyard. If Brother goes to Jiangnan, he can go to Pingjiang to see the lion.” Knowing that Jing Chen was going to see the Huainan King, Mu Hanzhang suggested he go see Wading Water Courtyard. 

Jing Chen nodded slightly. The civil service exam began on the ninth of the second lunar month, and the Ministry of Rites had more work than it could deal with. Moreover, he also wanted to find talents among the new candidates, so he only asked for an errand in Jiangnan in the third lunar month.

The ceremony was held as scheduled, and Jing Shao personally helped his Wang Fei put on a new robe befitting his new status. Those rank three or above wore purple robes, but a Wang Fei was first rank, which exceeded the status of a marquis. Therefore, the red cranes that were to be embroidered on his robe were changed into complex and gorgeous cloud patterns.

The North Marquis also went to watch the ceremony. He saw Mu Hanzhang kneeling on the platform and Emperor Hong Zheng personally putting the head ornament on the marquis’s head as the bells tolled and the drums thumped, and hundreds of officials congratulated him. He only thought that if the position of North Marquis were given to Mu Hanzhang, the Mu family might become the most prosperous family in Dachen. But now, it was too late. There were few talents left in the Mu family now. If it went on like this, the family would decline within three generations.

Jing Shao paid no heed to how sad and regretful the North Marquis was, his eyes never leaving the person on the platform. Today’s Mu Hanzhang had washed away the repression and anxiety he felt. He was like a treasure sword drawn out of its sheath, shining with glorious colors. Even through so many tribulations, his sharp edge wasn’t eroded. It was now clear to everyone, and no one would dare bully him again. 

After the ceremony, Mu Hanzhang could start attending court.

He had once studied hard for over ten years, but was unable to enter the court hall. Now, he could attend court both day and night, but when he was actually standing there, there was none of the expected excitement. The throne room, after all, wasn’t a place to play around. He didn’t think that he had enough knowledge about how the court was run, just from the information he read in books, so he rarely spoke. He stood quietly beside the North Marquis and occasionally exchanged glances with Jing Shao. Other than that, there was nothing else.

The big ministers in the court had originally been more on guard against this Marquis Wen Yuan who had appeared out of thin air and with no foundation. After all, although he had been conferred as a marquis, the emperor had given him the post of overseeing the civilian court officials, which was a higher status than those officials who were admitted through the imperial examination. They were afraid that he would casually tell them to do anything he wanted. However, seeing that Mu Hanzhang seldom spoke, was tolerant and polite, and never put on the airs of a lord marquis, they gradually became less resistant.

In the blink of an eye, it was the second lunar month. Consort Qiu’s pregnancy couldn’t be concealed anymore. Mu Hanzhang had Imperial Physician Jiang check her pulse every seven days, and also sent Ge Ruoyi to his mother for the time being. 

After Mu Hanzhang was conferred as a marquis, Consort Qiu’s position in the household had also risen. Even in the eyes of many servants, the secondary wife’s position was actually higher than that of the official wife. After all, Mu Lingbao was only the heir while Mu Hanzhang was already a marquis. Although the North Marchioness was angry, she couldn’t say anything. After all, the maid sent by the marquis couldn’t be sent back.

In addition, the North Marquis had repeatedly warned everyone in the residence not to try anything, so the North Marchioness was helpless. Every day, it was just “Consort Qiu this, help Consort Qiu that,” which the North Marchioness found unbearable.

On the seventh day of the second month, the capital was already full of scholars who had come to take the imperial civil exam. The teahouses, restaurants, and everywhere were filled with scholars and literati. Of course, among these literati were also hedonistic sons of wealthy parents who entertained themselves in places like these all year round, like Cheng Wang Jing Shao, who wasn’t being responsible and doing his work properly.

“An imperial relative conferred as a marquis; that really beats ten years of strenuous study.” At Hui Wei Restaurant, several young men sat close together at a table, chattering loudly. 

“Based on what you’re saying, it’s useless for us to take the imperial civil examination. It would be better for us to find a relative of the imperial family and get married,” a tablemate echoed.

“Hmph, if you want to be married off, you have to be considered talented or capable by others.” The one who first spoke seemed even more excited. “I arrived at the capital right after the new year, just in time for Marquis Wen Yuan’s ceremony.”

“What does Marquis Wen Yuan look like?” asked a young man with a slightly vulgar expression.

The other raised his tone, scanned the crowd, then just slowly said, “I didn’t see clearly.” His reply drew sighs of disappointment from everyone. 

“In my opinion, he must look…” The man suddenly lowered his voice and what he said couldn’t really be heard. A moment later, there was a burst of laughter from the table.

“Son of a bitch!” Jing Shao slapped the table and caused a wine cup on the edge to fall to the floor with a crash as it smashed into a million pieces. He had come too late to book a private room. Sitting in the big hall, he actually heard these bold people openly comment about his Wang Fei, and with this many disrespectful words, they deserved to die!

These men turned around and saw a tall man in luxurious clothes glaring at them. They then asked, “Brother, why are you randomly cursing at people?”