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Old Madam Zhu visited today with a bold face to hear the news because rumors were circulating that Jiang Zhanwei might be appointed to a high-ranking official position, with some even suggesting he could replace the aging Commander of the Imperial Guards, Wang Tong.
Having a grandson in the Imperial Guards, she hurried over to hear the news. However, she discovered that he had only received a third-grade official position, and the office was not even located within the capital. A hint of mockery appeared at the corner of her mouth as she thought, just as she had said, how could this family ever let an illegitimate son succeed?
Princess then asked, “And how about the Xie father and son?”
Jiang Zhanwei explained, “The Emperor still appointed Duke Xie as the Commander of the Central Military Supervisor, and additionally granted him the title of Grand Protector. Duke Xie stated that due to injuries sustained on the border that hadn’t fully healed, he lacked the energy to fulfill such a crucial role and thus declined. In the end, the Emperor had to retract the appointment, conferring only the title of Grand Protector upon him. Brother Xie was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Central Military Supervisor.”
Princess Changting nodded in understanding, “Duke Xie still rightfully hold a second-grade official position, a more significant role. Yet, because Duke Xie declined the actual position of a first-grade official, he was only given the honorary title of first-grade, and the favor was bestowed upon Xie Yu instead.”
Watching her grandson’s desolate expression, the Princess felt somewhat embarrassed. If she didn’t help push back, Xie Yu ‘s current position would have rightfully belonged to Jiang Zhanwei.
Jiang Zhanwei continued, “The Emperor also acknowledged Grandmother’s wisdom for preemptively rejecting high-ranking rewards for her grandson. He mentioned that although her grandson had achieved remarkable feats, he was too young and lacked administrative experience. Therefore, the Emperor agreed not to grant him a high-ranking position, opting instead to send him to the Vigorous Battalion for training. He also instructed other courtiers to learn from Grandmother…”
What he didn’t mention was that after the Emperor’s words, many courtiers, led by Grand Preceptor Wang Guozhang, petitioned the Emperor to reward based on merit, as not doing so would be unfair to General Jiang. Some even directly accused Princess Changting, saying that a woman dared to interfere in state affairs, suppressing the illegitimate grandson was not a first occurrence, and her actions were inappropriate, deserving punishment…
Marquis Jiang and others argued that Princess Changting’s actions were entirely in the best interest of the nation, prioritizing the Emperor and the country’s well-being, as well as considering the young Jiang Zhanwei’s future…
The Emperor scolded those who accused Princess Changting, praising her as a virtuous and far-sighted woman, which silenced their criticisms.
Hearing the Emperor’s praise, the Princess felt even more embarrassed. She then turned to Jiang Zhanwei, explaining, “Everything Grandmother did was not to hinder your future but for your long-term benefit.”
The people present finally understood the situation. Old Madam Zhu also believed she now grasped the situation, this family was still suppressing the illegitimate descendants. Laughable that Lu Man thought the tides had turned, daring to disrespect her.
Jiang Zhanwei mentioned that the Emperor also granted him 500 acres of land, 200 taels of gold, ten pieces of tribute satin, and five boxes of Eastern pearls.
People whispered among themselves that the rewards weren’t particularly generous, not even including a residence. Even Lu Man hadn’t anticipated such meager rewards, silently criticizing the Emperor for being too stingy. The Crown Prince even mentioned that the credit for the telescope’s success would be attributed to Jiang Zhanwei, and considering the significant role the telescope played in the war, the rewards seemed more than sufficient.
The Princess understood that the official position given to Jiang Zhanwei by the Emperor wasn’t high, and the compensatory items were lacking, which should have been directed towards her eldest and third sons. This situation suited her well as her sons’ futures were secured, allowing her to rest in peace.
Princess Changting squeezed Jiang Zhanwei’s hand a bit tighter and whispered in a voice only they could hear, “Good grandson, Grandma understands. The request you made yesterday, Grandma will grant it later when everyone is in a better mood.”
Jiang Zhanwei subtly curved his lips, his request was not going to come cheap. When the family needed someone to marry a bride for auspicious reasons, he, as the illegitimate son, was pushed aside. Risking his life to achieve feats, yet the benefits went to the legitimate heirs. Not only was he discontented, now even outsiders were meddling, making his previous request seem inadequate.
He softly replied, “Grandson will obey.”
Princess Changting then asked, “When will you report to the Vigorous Battalion?”
Jiang Zhanwei replied, “The Emperor, in his benevolence, has granted us an extended break, so I will report to the camp after the New Year…”
The Princess hosted a lunch for everyone at the Crane Hall. The atmosphere during the meal was somewhat subdued, lacking the festive cheer of a welcoming banquet.
After returning to the Donghui Courtyard, Lu Man and the others settled in the main house, placing the sleeping Jiang Yue on the heated brick bed and covering her with a small silk quilt.
On the other side of the bed lay the Imperial gifts bestowed upon Jiang Zhanwei, with ten pieces of colorful tribute satin occupying half of the space. An open wooden box contained twenty ingots of gold weighing ten taels each. Two open brocade boxes were filled with Eastern pearls the size of peas, each one round and lustrous.
Jiang Zhanwei looked at the pile of items apologetically and said, “These items are less than I expected. You all take your share, I will earn more for you in the future.”
“I have some to spare, let’s divide it among the younger ones,” Lu Man said.
Jiang Zhankui added, “As a man, I will earn my own in the future. Let’s divide it among my sister-in-law, younger sister, and niece.”
These items held great significance, and Jiang Zhanwei insisted on dividing them among the four of them. The 200 taels of gold and Eastern pearls were evenly split among the four. As for the ten pieces of tribute satin, Lu Man and Jiang Zhankui each received two, while Jiang Jiu and Jiang Yue each received three. Regarding the 500 acres of land, Jiang Jiu and Jiang Yue each received 250 acres, intended as part of their dowries.
He allocated more to the two of them because Jiang Zhankui was a man who could earn his own in the future. Lu Man was his wife, and he would provide for her for a lifetime. As for the two sisters, they would eventually leave him to get married.
After the children left, Lu Man carefully stored the five gold ingots and a small box of Eastern pearls in the cabinet. She then instructed Mama Wang to take a piece of bright red embroidered satin to the tailoring room. She said, “Have the seamstress make clothes for Grandma, my mother, and myself. This satin is lavish and beautiful, a gift from the Emperor. We will wear them for the New Year, and I will think of the designs. The same goes for Zhankui, Jiu, and Yue, they will have their New Year clothes made from the tribute satin.”
Jiang Zhanwei smiled approvingly at Lu Man’s actions. He then mentioned, “General Lu has been appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Vigorous Battalion by the Emperor.”
Being the Deputy Commander of the Vigorous Battalion was a third-grade position, serving as the Deputy to the Commander.
Lu Man was taken aback to hear that Lu Fangrong had been promoted three ranks, one rank higher than Jiang Zhanwei, and was still serving as his subordinate. Her previous joy was dampened, feeling quite frustrated.
She silently blamed Jiang Zhanwei, wondering why he didn’t expose Lu Fangrong’s misdeeds to Duke Xie and convince him to have Lu removed from the capital.