Sister Xue of the Red Chamber

Self-regarding high, relying on the old, respectfully asking for grace, can't be self-defeating to a foolish woman

Jia Zheng was demoted to three ranks and retained.He had only dropped three ranks from the fifth rank. After counting on his fingers for a long time, Jia's mother could not believe that Jia Zheng was now just a junior official of the seventh rank.

Lin Heyu's first appointment as Tanhua in Xinke was the editor of the Seventh Rank Imperial Academy.Now people have already climbed to the top of the third grade.

Even the official position that Jia Zheng bestowed favor on at the beginning, the head of the Ministry of Industry is also a sixth-rank official!Yuanwailang, who was finally promoted to the fifth rank, has not moved from the fifth rank for more than 30 years, and now he is downgraded to the seventh rank!Not even the original grade!

There may be talkers like "nine-rank sesame officials" outside, but in Beijing, not to mention ninth-rank, seventh-rank, sixth-rank, and even Jia Zheng's original five-rank, they are just a small sesame official.

Jia Mu felt uncomfortable, thinking that Jia Zheng went with Jia Lian to the Hall of Mental Cultivation that day, Jia Lian only copied a few books, and lowered Jia Zheng's grade, so she couldn't help blaming Jia Lian.

Early in the morning, Jia's mother asked Yuanyang to call Jia Lian, saying that she had something to ask.

Jia Mu talked about it for a long time. She should have pointed at Sang, and Huai had finished scolding, and suddenly remembered something.

"Your second uncle is now like this, although it can't be said that it is all due to you, after all, you are also in it. You have to worry more about your second uncle."

Jia Lian sneered inwardly when he heard this, secretly thinking that this second uncle was probably the only one in the capital who would point at his nephew to worry about him.He said to Jiamu with a shy face: "Don't worry, old lady, Lian'er will save it. I also spoke for my second uncle in the Hall of Mental Cultivation that day. When I pleaded guilty, I took all the guilt on myself! It's a pity that the emperor didn't believe it. Lian'er can't do anything!"

When Jia Mu heard what he said, she implied that Jia Zheng deserved what he deserved. She was angry in her heart, but she asked patiently, "I don't quite understand what's going on in your officialdom outside. Just tell me, How many officials are the seventh-rank officials? What kind of official positions are the seventh-rank officials in Beijing?"

Jia Zhengdao: "There are many officials of the seventh grade in Beijing. Among the civil servants, there are cabinet classics, Jingxian County Registrar, Dali Temple Judges, General Administration Department General Political Envoy, Taichang Temple Registry Governor, Taichang Temple Doctor and others. ..." At this point, Jia Zheng seemed to hesitate.

Mother Jia stood up and patted the table, "What is it with? Don't hide it from me, just tell me!"

Jia Lian said in embarrassment: "The Imperial Doctor of the Imperial Hospital."

In a word, Jia's mother fell down on the chair in shock.

Imperial doctor of Tai Hospital!Although the imperial physician is a full-time doctor for the royal family, and the imperial physicians hired by Jia's family on weekdays are just officials and doctors, but I was anxious in the past, and there were times when "send someone to demolish the imperial hospital." Lobby".Now that I think about it, it's very ironic.

Jia Mu sat there for a while, then slowly said: "Then... who are the seven-rank civil servants in Beijing?"

Jia Lian rushed forward and knelt down: "Ancestor! It is important for the ancestor to take care of himself!"

Jia Mu became more and more sad, but she raised her hand to help him up and said, "I'm fine. Tell me!"

"There are two civil officials of the seventh grade in Beijing, the co-leader of the Taipusi Horse Factory and... and... and the city gate official." He said anxiously again: "Old ancestor, the second uncle is Civil officials! You can’t be compared with city gate officials! Patriarchs, don’t worry! My second uncle is good at studying and talented, I’m afraid he will be restored to the rank of official in a few days!”

Jia Mu tremblingly said: "In a few days... In a few days... Zheng'er will have to contemplate behind closed doors for half a year! Half a year! For half a year he will be at the same level as that city gate official! This How to make it!"

Jia's mother stood up suddenly, "No! Yuanyang! Go and get my order! I'm going to show my old face today and ask to see the queen mother, and ask the queen mother to be the master of politics!" She stared fiercely at Jia Lian again. Said: "Lian'er, you come into the palace with me and intercede for your second uncle. If the Queen Mother has something to ask you, do you know what to say?"

Jia Lian hurriedly said: "I'm afraid that the old ancestor was thinking about it. When the old ancestor went to the palace to ask to see the queen mother, how could the grandson follow him. Since he is interceding for the second uncle, it would be better to bring the second aunt with him. That would be justified."

"Your second aunt is a bit..." Mother Jia said halfway, thinking that she couldn't just say that Mrs. Wang was too stupid in front of Jia Lian, so she slightly tactfully said, "It's a little too real! It's really not a person who can help you." Speaker."

Jia Lian smiled and said: "The old ancestor is confused. The second aunt is the biological mother of the nobleman in the palace, and this is for the second uncle's business. Bring the second aunt along so that the nobleman can help say something nice!"

Mother Jia hesitated for a while, but said, "I can't take you with me, so go back first. Your second aunt...let me think about it."

Jia Lian resigned.

As soon as he left Jiamu's yard, he saw Ping'er coming from a distance carrying a food box.

Seeing that there was no one on the left or right, Jia Lian stopped Ping'er in two steps in three steps.

"What are you doing here!" Jia Lian asked softly.

"Second Mistress asked me to bring some snacks to the old lady."

Jia Lian hurriedly said: "It's a coincidence. The old lady is going to make trouble there, and she is going to ask your grandma to find a way to hide from her. Go and tell the old lady, just say that brother Quan is not healthy today, The eldest wife and the second grandmother are guarding her, and she can't get away, and can't make fun of the old lady, so I ask you to send some snacks to make amends. Do you remember?"

Ping'er wrote it down carefully, "It's all memorized. Don't worry, Second Master, go back and talk to Second Grandma."

Jia Lian called Sister Feng, and they simply took Jia Quan to Mrs. Xing's place.As soon as I said this, Yuanyang came to invite someone.

Sister Feng rubbed her eyes and went out to welcome her. Just as Yuanyang said that the old lady was going to bring Sister Feng into the palace together, she said anxiously: "How can this be so good! Brother Quan just made me anxious, and I just coaxed her down." .No, the eyes are all red! With this appearance...can I enter the palace! I'm afraid I'll offend the nobleman, which is not good."

Yuanyang couldn't do it either, so he had to go back and report to Jia Mu and make another plan.

When Sister Feng went back to the inner room, Jia Lian came up to meet her and said, "What's the matter, have you been fooled? You didn't listen to me when I told you to pinch Tsuen'er. Just tell him to cry a few times. You really treated him poorly."

"Your son, you don't feel bad, but I do!" Sister Feng rolled her eyes at him, and then said: "You said just now that the old lady doesn't want the second uncle to stay at the seventh-rank school for half a year? It's really ridiculous, our second uncle has such a temper , Even if I think about the past half a year, it may take decades to restore the official rank! The old lady makes a fuss again, ouch, that's really a good show!"

Mother Jia still brought Mrs. Wang into the palace.

Yuanyang only cared about Wang Xifeng, but forgot to ask Mrs. Xing if she could accompany Jia Mu to the palace if she was free.When Jiamu remembered this incident, a little maid had secretly gone back to Mrs. Wang, saying that Jiamu had asked Yuanyang to dress up as a big gift, and she was afraid she was going to enter the palace.

Enter the palace!How can Mrs. Wang let such a great dignity go!What's more, now that Jia Zheng has been warned and needs help to speak up, the old lady didn't bring herself into the palace to talk to the nobleman, so could it be possible to bring the eldest lady with her?

Mrs. Wang immediately dressed up in gold and silver and hurriedly entered Jiamu's courtyard behind the mandarin ducks.

Jia Mu frowned and looked at Mrs. Wang, who was dressed in gold and silver, and full of jewels and emeralds. She frowned and said, "You are a little old, not to mention Lange, Baoyu is so old. You are so old in this dress." The ones you wear should be plain! With so many hairpins, you look like a businessman who became rich overnight, and she doesn't have the airs of an official wife at all!"

As he said that, he commanded Yuanyang to unload four or five gold-painted pearl hairpins inlaid with treasures and virtues, and took off two bracelets, which were still insufficient.

Mrs. Wang forced a smile and said: "Just now when I entered the door, I heard the mandarin ducks talking back in a daze. Did the old lady rush into the palace?"

Jia Mu looked at her face that could paste the wall, and said, "You wash your face and we will go."

"Hey." Mrs. Wang reluctantly complied, and then said to Yuanyang: "You take these hairpins first, and I will call Caiyun to fetch them later. You don't need to work hard and send them to them."

After Jia's mother and Mrs. Wang took care of it, left the Rongfu, and waited outside the palace gate for a long time, someone came to pass it on.

It was time for dinner, and neither Jia Mu nor Mrs. Wang had lunch.It was delivered by the servant, so I had to endure the hunger in my stomach and followed into the palace.

Who in the palace cares if the two of them have eaten together!He only brought it to the verandah on the west side of the Compassionate Ning Palace, and asked to wait, saying that it was time for the Empress Dowager to have lunch.

Mother Jia couldn't help but stuffed a bank note into the young eunuch's hand, and asked, "I would like to ask this father-in-law to give some advice. When...how long will we have to wait?"

The little eunuch glanced at the banknote and said lazily, "At least half an hour, at most an hour. It won't be longer."

Mrs. Wang stared straight at the hundred-liang silver note in his hand, gritted her teeth and said, "It's been so long? Could it be that you are lying to us! Please pass this on to this father-in-law!"

The little eunuch snorted coldly, looked at Mrs. Wang's attire as a rich lady, and said, "This lady is so rude!"

Jia's mother hurriedly said, "This is my daughter-in-law. I haven't seen the world, but I still hope that my father-in-law will be happy."

Jiamu wears a court crown on her head. The top of the crown is engraved with two layers of gold, decorated with four oriental beads, and four gold clouds are engraved on the gold table.When the little eunuch saw it, he knew it was the Fu Guogong's wife, so he gave him another 100 taels, his complexion naturally improved, and he talked more.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Duke. Usually it's only half an hour, but today you came here by chance, and you met the Eldest Princess entering the palace. Now the Eldest Princess is preparing meals for the Empress Dowager, and you won't be summoned until half an hour later." of."

Mother Jia stuffed another bank note into the young eunuch's hand, and said, "Please, please find someone to deliver a letter to, the lady Jia Gui of Xianfu Palace is Lao Shen's own granddaughter. It's not easy to go to the palace, and Lao Shen is not easy either." It's been a long time since I saw her, so I'm thinking too hard. I hope she will pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."

When Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang saw the Queen Mother, another hour had passed.

Jia Yuanchun didn't need to order a wife, so he found the palace lady's biography early on, and entered the main hall of the Compassionate Palace from the east corridor.At the moment, I am joking in front of the queen mother.

Seeing Mother Jia and Mrs. Wang walking in hand in hand, when the two of them finished walking for the queen mother, her eyes immediately turned red, and tears fell down like strings.

The queen mother asked: "What's the matter?"

Yuan Chun just stood up and bowed, and was about to reply when Bao Xuan smiled and said, "Mr. Jia is seeing her mother-in-law, so I'm so happy! In theory, Mrs. Wang is not allowed to enter the palace. It's been a long time since you said it." I haven't seen your mother, so it's time to drop the golden beans?"

Yuan Chun's words were blocked back, and the Queen Mother also frowned and said, "Why did Mrs. Jia bring your second daughter-in-law? She is neither a clan relative nor a married woman, how can she enter the palace at will?"

Mother Jia hurriedly knelt down and pleaded guilty: "I hope the queen mother will forgive me. This old man... I am so confused, forget this! I hope the queen mother will forgive me!"

"Are you confused? What are you in a hurry for?" the Queen Mother wondered.

Baoxuan glanced at Yuanchun, and said with a smile: "No matter how urgent you are, you can't stop the blood and blood relationship! Mrs. Jia Gui hasn't seen her mother for many years, so she must have something to say! Why don't you give her a favor and send the two of them away?" The narration in the side hall, a little bit of flesh and blood, is also sympathetic to Mrs. Jia who has served in the palace for many years, no credit but hard work!"

The Empress Dowager took Bao Xuan's hand and said, "Good boy, it's hard for you to be so thoughtful." She then asked Yuan Chun, "What do you think Jia Gui?"

Yuan Chun hurriedly bowed again in the posture just now, and said: "Xiande, thank you for your kindness."

After Jia Yuanchun took Mrs. Wang away, the queen mother asked: "I haven't asked clearly just now, what's wrong with Mrs. Jia, why are you so anxious, you don't even remember the rules!"

Mother Jia was full of "grievances" and wanted to complain, but she couldn't hear the Queen Mother's anger, and immediately said in a row: "Look at the Queen Mother's lesson! I have two sons. The eldest son was born to the first wife." , the second son was born of an old man. It's not that the old man is partial, the eldest has always been a disappointment, and he just tosses some outlandish tricks all day long, but he can't become a great talent. The second son has been good at poetry and books since he was a child. It will inevitably be painful. It’s just that the title of our Rongguo Mansion is not what the old man can say, so we have to let the boss take over. In the end, the second brother was wronged, so he was given the official position of reward. If Zheng’er fails the imperial examination, I’m afraid It is possible to win the first prize! Who knows that the boss was jealous and bought an official for his own son, my ineffective second grandson, and wanted to put him on top of his second uncle! My nephew is the second uncle's Shangguan, how ridiculous is that? His father and son are still not satisfied, and even bribed the Metropolitan Procuratorate to falsely accuse his second uncle! Poor my Zheng'er, now that he has been demoted to a third grade and retained, he will have to spend half a year at home contemplating behind closed doors!"

"Madame Jia's words are ridiculous!" Seeing that the Queen Mother was arguing with Jia's mother, Baoxuan had no choice but to speak first, "Since I rewarded the official position with Xijue, why did you give the official position to your second son?" It makes sense! Mrs. Jia has never heard that thunder, rain, and dew are all the grace of the king? With the favor of the king, how can you choose and choose!"

The Empress Dowager calmed down and said, "If your second son is the number one scholar, why bother to take away his elder brother's official position? It's a waste of rules!"

Jia's mother was cold for a long time, and cried: "I'm getting old now, and I'm pointing at my second son! If Zheng'er is wronged, and his ambition is hard to pay, how can I have the face to see the old man!"

"Shut up!" the queen mother said angrily, "I don't know what good things your second son has done? The emperor called your second son's crap, so you can't eat properly for two days! You...you still want to eat?" Are you saying here that your second son was wronged? Who wronged him? Are you accusing the emperor of being ignorant of people and wronging your son? Who gave you the courage! Your second son has neither talent nor understanding of the world You should go back to your mansion and close the door to think about your own mistakes! Tell me, it’s best if he doesn’t go out again! You are a woman, Babaer came to Ai’s house to beg for mercy Who are you begging for? Who are you asking for mercy? Is the Ai family like a queen mother who can meddle in politics? You want to cry and cry on your knees at the gate of Jiajia’s ancestral hall! Ask the leader Rong Guogong, just because of your second son , to annoy the emperor, Rong Guogong agrees or disagrees! If you say otherwise, first Rong Guogong asks the holy grandfather, whether the holy grandfather agrees or not!"