Chapter 1612 Suppression
Manbao went back to Chongwenguan silently.
Two days later, just as she was about to pack up and go home for the day, Bai Shan came running in breathlessly. He walked straight into her room, staring at her with bright eyes and said, "I heard from the people in the Zhanshi Mansion today that the Ministry of Rites has conferred titles on your father and mother."
Manbao immediately spat out the water in his mouth and started coughing violently, "Who? Imperial title, isn't it a gift?"
"Your father's legacy is even higher than yours. Is it really necessary to use your official title to confer it? Of course, it should be given to Zhou Bo and others."
Manbao was stunned and cried out, "I, I didn't give any gifts to the Ministry of Rites."
Bai Shan paused for a moment, then skipped over her words and said, "I heard from the people in the Imperial Household Department that the official from the Ministry of Rites who submitted the petition is from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The petition has been sent to the Secretariat. Strangely enough, the Secretariat actually agreed. The petition is now with the Ministry of Personnel."
As long as it passes the review of the Menxia Province and reaches the Ministry of Rites, the matter will be 80% done.
Bai Shan looked at Man Bao, and Man Bao also looked up at Bai Shan.
There are not many imperial edicts in this dynasty. Although it is just an empty title and there is no money to be paid, the most the court will give is some clothes and cloth every quarter, or there will be rewards when there are major events in the court during the New Year or other festivals, which are mostly rice, cloth, pots, pans, etc.
But this empty title sounds nice, and it greatly satisfies the self-esteem of officials and those who receive the title, and their status also rises rapidly.
Although officials can apply for their mothers and wives, few applications are approved.
Because only those with outstanding achievements, those who have not received the emperor's grace, and those who have worked hard and made great contributions will be rewarded.
The first type is mostly seen in military generals who have made great contributions on the battlefield, such as Yin Li and Li Shangshu; the second type is mostly royal relatives; the third type is those who have served as civil servants for many years and have not made any great contributions at once, but have accumulated small contributions continuously, such as Kong Jijiu.
Manbao is currently none of these. She was thinking of waiting until she had mastered medical skills, became famous, and saved countless lives before applying for it to her parents. Unexpectedly, the prince gave her a backdoor.
At this moment, Manbao felt the passion of a man dying for his confidant, and with tears in his eyes he said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is so kind to me."
Bai Shan took out a handkerchief to wipe the water from the corner of her mouth and nodded, "It's good. The prince is trying to bribe you."
Manbao tilted his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Forget it. I'm not doing anything bad with him. Let's not get into this complicated relationship."
Bai Shan thought she was just lazy, but the benefits given by the prince were just right. He must not know that this was exactly what Manbao and the Zhou family wanted.
There were not many people who were granted titles in the Great Jin Dynasty. They could enter the palace from time to time to attend banquets and talk to the queen. Although they had no real power, their status was extremely high.
Manbao is of the fifth grade, which is just at the point where he can be granted a title.
If she applied, the Ministry of Rites would most likely not grant it, but if the prince applied, the Ministry of Rites would have to consider the prince's face.
The Crown Prince's staff at the Ministry of Rites were also shrewd. They knew that an ordinary application would probably not be accepted. Therefore, when applying, they emphasized the righteousness and benevolence of Zhou Jin and his wife. After Zhou Yin's death, it was they who raised Zhou Man at great risk. Despite their difficult family circumstances, they still managed to provide Zhou Man with education and literacy, thus cultivating such an outstanding talent for the court...
Manbao felt so disgusted when he saw the memorial, but his colleague from the Ministry of Rites was able to write it without changing his expression. Manbao admired him very much.
The imperial court always liked to commend righteous men, filial sons, and virtuous women in order to convey a sense of value and educate the people. The actions of Zhou Jin and his wife were clearly worthy of praise.
Although Zhou Man is not their biological daughter, she was raised by them. Now that she is an official, she also wants to apply for an imperial decree for her parents. Why doesn't the court take the opportunity to commend them?
When the memorial arrived at the Secretariat, it naturally came before the emperor.
He heard that the memorial was written by the prince's men, and Zhou Man himself didn't even know about it. He thought about it carefully. Although he didn't know whether the prince did this to bribe Zhou Man, or to warn the princes about the fate of the King of Yizhou, or both, he still picked up his pen and drew a circle on it.
The emperor agreed, so the Secretariat naturally had no objection and handed the memorial to the Ministry of Personnel.
Wei Zhi had been to Qili Village and had seen Zhou Man, who was still ignorant and innocent at the time. Naturally, he had also met the Zhou family. He thought about it and put the memorial aside, not approving it and not allowing anyone to approve it.
The next day, when Wei Zhi went to the palace for a small court meeting, he pushed back on the matter. He told the emperor, "Although the righteousness of Zhou Jin and his wife deserves praise, Zhou Man's achievements are shallow and not worthy of being granted an imperial title."
The emperor was not very concerned about a title, and said, "This is the application of the crown prince."
Wei Zhi then said to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, why don't you wait until Zhou Man has accumulated sufficient merits before commending him?"
The prince said, "Zhou Man cured me and my father before. Isn't that enough praise?"
"It is the duty of the imperial physician to treat His Majesty. It is the credit of the entire Imperial Hospital, not hers alone. Zhou Man also acknowledges this."
When it comes to speaking, no one can beat Wei Zhi. Moreover, he did not say that he would not give the title, but he made it clear that it was not the right time yet and Zhou Man's achievements were not enough. If her parents were to be awarded the title, what would happen to the applications of other officials?
The prince frowned and did not argue with Wei Zhi about this issue during the court session. After the court session, the prince could not help but go to Wei Zhi and asked, "Master Wei, why are you holding up this matter?"
No one had any objection, because this did not involve anyone's interests. It was just an empty title, less than one-tenth of what Zhou Yin bequeathed last year.
Wei Zhi glanced at the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, praising a child is like killing him. If you really care about Zhou Man, you shouldn't just see her as an individual. She has the entire Zhou family behind her, and she has six brothers and a sister in the Zhou family."
The prince raised his eyebrows, somewhat puzzled.
Wei Zhidao said, "Your Highness, managing a family is like managing a country. Managing a country is like flying a kite. If you want it to fly farther and higher, you must tighten and loosen the string in moderation. If you let it go blindly, a gust of wind will come and the kite will fall. By then, the string in your hand will have already been loosened. If you can't tighten it in time, the kite will fall and shatter into pieces."
The prince was stunned.
Wei Zhi was also one of the prince's teachers. Seeing that he had listened carefully, he nodded slightly and walked away with his hands behind his back.
The prince thought all the way back to the East Palace and saw Manbao sitting with her legs crossed, eating some snacks while waiting for him. Seeing him come back, she immediately jumped up and ran over. After a hasty bow, she said, "Your Highness, was your memorial rejected?"
Prince: ...What if it's a bit embarrassing?
Manbao knew it as soon as he saw his expression, and he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. Let's put this matter on hold and don't apply for it yet."
The prince raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why, you don't want the imperial title?"
Manbao shook his head. "Yes, I do. I still do. But my husband says that too much is as bad as too little. Now, the imperial title may not be a good thing for my family."
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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