Chapter 2434: Food (a reward for the book friend "Liang Yi")
Qian was much calmer than him. Although she was also excited, she did not lose her composure. Instead, she asked Manbao with sparkling eyes, "I seem to have heard me too."
Manbao nodded vigorously, "Mother, His Majesty has appointed you as a county lady, a fifth-rank imperial decree!"
The whole Zhou family finally understood what had happened and immediately gathered around to congratulate Old Zhou and Qian.
Manbao was squeezed out.
Manbao jumped up and down, realizing that his parents were tightly surrounded by his brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews. He had no choice but to drag a chair over and stand on it to look inside. "Dad, Mom, I still have something to say..."
No one heard her speak, and Zhou Wulang said excitedly, "Dad, this is a big happy event. Let's have dinner and a drink at home tonight."
Old Zhou nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, let's have some wine, let's let your sister-in-law do it."
Zhou Lixue said, "Grandpa, Grandma, it's such a big happy event and we should give out money for the celebration."
Old Zhou nodded again, "Okay, okay, give me money, give me money..."
Qian also said, "I'll go back and get the money."
Old Zhou was not awake at all. He kept nodding his head, and his eyes were a little red.
But Zhou Lijun was already outside and said excitedly: "Grandma, I can't take your private money, I need the public money. I'll go get the money."
So Zhou Lijun pulled Zhou Liwei and Zhou Ligu to the warehouse to get the money.
Manbao took the opportunity to jump off the chair and squeeze in, but the five heads, six heads, seven heads and a few others immediately pushed their heads in, filling the gap completely. "Grandpa, grandma, and us, and us."
Full of treasures...
Only when Zhou Lijun and his two younger brothers brought an armful of money and stuffed it directly into the hands of Old Zhou and Qian, asking them to distribute it, did Old Zhou come to his senses.
He hugged the money and was reluctant to give it to her.
Qian hadn't expected Zhou Lijun to bring so much money. She thought it was a few hundred coins, and she could give a few to each of her children and grandchildren, but this...
Qian held the money, with a dozen coins in her hand, and did not move for a while.
Old Zhou then remembered his daughter and after looking around, he shouted, "Where's Manbao?"
Manbao squatted on the chair and said sullenly: "I'm here..."
Everyone made way for her, only to find that it was difficult for her to squeeze in because she was wearing official uniform and hat.
Everyone smiled embarrassedly and quickly pulled her in.
She saw the copper coins in Old Zhou and Qian's arms and was also happy, "Dad, Mom, just give them to me. I want some too."
Old Zhou touched the copper coins and did not move for a moment. Qian picked up a hundred coins and stuffed them directly into her hand, saying with a smile: "Okay, here you go, take it."
Old Zhou then reluctantly gave her a piece of money and asked, "Manbao, does the doctor have any money to pay?"
Manbao shook his head. "That's an imperial title, not a real official position. However, the court will send you gifts on holidays."
"What gift?"
"Not necessarily. They will send rice and flour, meat, cloth and clothes. It's different in different places. Sometimes there will also be money given as a gift."
Zhou Lixue: "Grandpa, the most important thing about this imperial title is respectability. As long as you tell others that you are a Fengzheng official, people outside will know that you have a child who is at least a fifth-rank official."
Zhou Ligu said, "He must have been an official for a long time, or he must be an official who is very favored by the emperor. After all, not everyone can get a title."
Now even Manbao nodded. She never expected that the emperor would confer an honor on her parents this time, so she was so surprised.
Some officials and the Ministry of Rites may apply for imperial titles for seven or eight years but may not be approved. It does not mean that the court will grant imperial titles to your parents and wife just because you become an official.
This is grace, what is grace?
First comes the merit, then comes the favor.
No matter whether it is real merit or hard work, one must first be established before being eligible to apply to the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Rites may not approve it.
Moreover, the merits and favors of officials are limited. You asked for rewards for your parents and wife, but when it comes to your son's turn, the Ministry of Rites will not give it.
Therefore, many people will retain this right to use for their children's education or for official promotion.
Anyway, there is a score to settle with the Ministry of Rites.
So Manbao especially understood that her highest official position was a fourth-rank compiler, but her parents were both granted the fifth-rank title.
By the time Old Zhou and Qian finally understood that it was not easy to obtain a title, Old Lady Liu had already come over with Zheng to congratulate them.
Old Zhou and Qian immediately stood up to greet them. Old Zhou boasted with an embarrassed look on his face, "It's all thanks to Manbao. If I were to ask you, it would be much better to leave this kind of thing like Enyin to the children later. Why give it to us now?"
Madam Liu smiled and said, "This is the child's filial piety, and you two raised her. This is the honor you deserve."
Old Madam Liu spoke so pleasantly that Old Zhou felt flattered and his eyes narrowed with a smile.
Qian pulled Madam Liu and laughed, "Grandmother-in-law, please stop praising him. He'll be even more proud soon."
Old Madam Liu came to congratulate them and to discuss the wedding banquet with them.
She smiled and said, "Now our three families are celebrating three great things, so we have to make this wedding banquet a great success."
Old Zhou tilted his head in confusion, "Three joys? Isn't that four joys?"
He counted on his fingers, "Bai Shan was knighted, the second young master was knighted, and the child's mother and I received imperial decrees. This is four joys."
Madam Liu: “…”
She smiled and corrected him, "The conferment of titles on my father-in-law and his mother-in-law is one piece of happiness, Manbao's promotion is two pieces of happiness, and Manbao and Shanbao Erlang are both conferred titles is three pieces of happiness. Isn't this a triple blessing?"
Qian was startled and asked quickly, "What does it mean for Manbao to be granted a title?"
Manbao, who had forgotten about this matter in the excitement, immediately reacted and stuffed the two hundred yuan in his arms into Zhou Lijun's arms, asking her to help hold it, "Dad, Mom, I also have a title."
Old Zhou immediately said, "Yes, I heard your name three times."
Manbao: "...Only the first time was it sealed for me."
Qian asked, "What title were you given? Was it something like a county lord?"
"No, it's the village chief. The village chief of Liyang."
Old Zhou and his companions were ignorant and didn't understand, "What is a village chief?"
Man Bao choked and said, "It's the name of a noble title, similar to Bai Shan and his fellow county magistrates, and only of the fifth rank. I have a fief of 500 households."
Old Zhou and the others didn't know what a fiefdom was, so Manbao explained, "It's in Liyang County. The county magistrate will assign me 500 households, and the rent and taxes these people pay will be given to me."
Old Zhou immediately understood, "The rent for the divided land?"
"Yes, there are also taxes such as Dingshui and Fu. The taxes they pay will not be handed over to the court, but to me."
Of course, she could only take things and money, and had no jurisdiction over the people under the fiefdom. They were still under the management of Liyang County.
Old Zhou and Qian opened their mouths wide. They could not understand the title that almost one person could represent an entire country.
The next chapter will be around 10:30 pm
(End of this chapter)
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