Chapter 599 Unable to Leave the Capital
The group arrived at Old Madam Qiao's courtyard, sat down and talked for a while, and then Qiao Qinghe told Qiao Jinglian to go back and wash up and change his clothes.
Afterwards, the whole family sat together for lunch before going back to their respective homes for a nap.
Grandma Qiao had been waiting to continue talking to her grandson after her afternoon nap. When she saw that her grandson hadn't come, she went to the neighbor's yard herself.
However, Qiao Qinghe blocked his way at the entrance of the courtyard.
"Mother, your child has been working hard and living in fear for months. I'm afraid he hasn't had a full night's sleep."
"He's finally back, so let him get a good night's sleep. There's plenty of time. If he has something to say, there's no rush."
Grandma Qiao nodded and quietly went back.
In the evening, Qiao Qinghe asked Wei Jia to prepare a welcome feast and invited people from Sanchi Lane over. The whole family celebrated and welcomed Qiao Jing together.
After the meal, everyone sat together and listened to Qiao Jinglian talk about the expedition.
Qiao Jinglian then shared the parts that could be revealed and the interesting parts with everyone, and finally, of course, he also talked about the things that everyone was concerned about.
Only then did everyone realize that the Earl of Enping had rendered unparalleled service in suppressing the rebellion and was likely to be ennobled. And this was even after the Marquis of Yongchang and the Duke of Jin had shared the spoils of war.
As for how Emperor Xiaozhao would bestow rewards, we would have to wait until the army returned to the capital to find out.
Then there were the few who followed the Earl of Enping to fight and earn military merit. Qiao Jingyao, because of his extraordinary skills, had already shown his talent a few months earlier. He even saved the life of a general under the Earl of Enping on the battlefield and was awarded the rank of a seventh-grade flag officer.
Later, through several battles, he gradually climbed to the position of a sixth-rank captain.
After the great battle ended and his merits accumulated, Qiao Jingyao would definitely not be lower than the sixth rank upon his return.
Think of those scholars and students who studied diligently for more than ten or even several decades, and even after passing the imperial examinations, their highest rank was only seventh grade.
After just one battle, Qiao Jingyao reached the sixth rank, and it's not impossible for him to even jump a little higher and reach the fifth rank.
Therefore, fighting wars is undoubtedly the best way to accumulate military merits.
After talking about Qiao Jingyao, Qiao Jinglian then talked about his own situation. Because he was protected by two of Qiao Jingyao's confidants and Amo and others who came with the Qiao family, he did not suffer any serious injuries on the battlefield. Of course, his military achievements were only so-so.
Just when everyone thought he had gained nothing, he shyly revealed that he had also obtained an eighth-rank official position before returning.
Grandma Qiao kept chanting "Amitabha," saying that it was good that everyone was alright.
Qiao Jingyi and Qiao Wangshi showed a hint of disappointment in their eyes.
But Qiao Qinghe understood what an eighth-rank official meant.
Although the rank was low, it still meant a change in the Qiao family's status.
Having obtained an official position meant that one could completely shed the identity of a merchant.
Of course, the shadow of the past cannot be shaken off, but the change in status is real. The Qiao family will soon realize this.
After saying all that, Qiao Jinglian said, "I came back to Beijing early this time not only to give my grandmother and aunt a surprise, but also to help my second brother buy a house."
"Of course, I also want to buy a house."
Qiao Qinghe asked in surprise, "Jingyao asked you to come back and buy a house?"
Qiao Jinglian nodded: "My second brother said that after we come back this time, we will most likely stay in the capital. So, he asked me to come back in advance to buy a house."
"My second brother said that the house in the Three-Foot Lane is too small. It won't be suitable for him to live there after he becomes an official."
"And me, it would be inappropriate for me to stay at my aunt's house again after I receive an official position from the court."
"Furthermore, I also want to bring my grandfather and father to the capital."
"So, I'm also planning to buy a house and bring my grandmother and my third brother's family to live there first."
"To be honest, my grandmother and my third brother have been bothering my aunt for quite some time now. It's not proper for them to keep living here like this."
Grandma Qiao nodded. "You're right. We'll find someone to look at houses tomorrow. We'll buy a bigger house too."
As he spoke, he instructed the old woman beside him to fetch a wooden box from her room and hand it to Qiao Jinglian.
"Here is five thousand taels of silver. Take it to buy a house. If it's not enough, come back to me for more."
After saying that, the old lady seemed to have thought of something, looked at Zhou Shi, and hesitated before saying, "Does your family still have enough money to buy the house? If not, you can come to me."
Qiao Yuanyao glanced at her grandmother in surprise, almost dropping her jaw in astonishment.
Has her grandmother changed her ways?
She actually spoke to her mother so kindly. Tsk tsk...
The expression on her face was too obvious, which offended Old Mrs. Qiao.
Seeing that Old Mrs. Qiao was about to change her expression, Qiao Qinghe quickly smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Mother, don't worry about Second Sister-in-law. Second Sister-in-law's family is not short of money."
Zhou glared at Qiao Yuanyao before forcing a smile and saying, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. Just like my younger sister said, our family is not short of money."
"When we left Jiangnan to go north with my younger sister, my eldest brother divided the family property and gave our second branch a lot of money."
“Now Jingyao’s wife is very capable. She earns a lot of money by practicing medicine and saving lives, and Yuanyao’s paintings can also be sold.”
"We can still afford to move to a bigger house."
Although Old Mrs. Qiao didn't think a doctor could earn much money, and she didn't think that the paintings by Qiao Yuanyao, a young lady from a respectable family, could be worth much, she didn't say anything more after Zhou said that she didn't need money.
Seeing that the matter of buying the house was almost over, Qiao Qinghe quickly changed the subject and asked Qiao Jinglian, "You just said that you and Jingyao will most likely stay in Beijing this time. What's going on?"
“If a military officer stays in the capital, it will be difficult for him to get promoted.”
"Although guarding the border is tough, the chances of promotion are much greater than staying in the capital."
"Moreover, there are only so many positions in the capital, and the competition is fierce. If you stay in the capital, you may not be able to be assigned a position with real power."
Grandma Qiao nodded and admonished, "Your aunt is right. You and your brother Jingyao are still young, don't be afraid of hardship! It's the right thing to do to venture out and explore!"
Qiao Jinglian didn't know how to reply for a moment, and just looked at Qiao Qinghe with a meaningful gaze.
Qiao Qinghe naturally noticed Qiao Jinglian's strange gaze fixed on her. Just as she was about to ask, "Why are you staring at me like that?", Wei Jia, who had noticed something amiss, quickly leaned close to Qiao Qinghe's ear and whispered a few words.
Qiao Qinghe suddenly realized and looked at Qiao Jinglian in surprise, "Because of me?"
Qiao Jinglian smiled awkwardly and said embarrassedly, "Second Brother was just guessing."
"Because of our aunt's connections, we climbed up the tree of the Earl of Enping and easily accumulated military merits."
"Similarly, we might also be unable to leave the capital because we've been labeled as belonging to the Earl of Enping's family."
After a pause, Qiao Jinglian hesitated before speaking, "Second Brother said that this time, not only will we brothers be unable to leave the capital, but I'm afraid the Earl of Enping will also be unable to leave."
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