Yanjing, Chaoyangmen.
Today, because the emperor and the civil and military officials returned to the city, the emperor issued a special edict that the city gates should be closed for two hours late.
It was already dark when the Jia family's motorcade entered Chaoyang Gate, and a little eunuch was waiting eagerly.
"Our family pays homage to the Marquis! We have met the two Generals Jia and Xiao Lieutenant Jia. The Emperor has given an oral instruction. It is getting late today, so I will go to the palace to pay my respects tomorrow. I appreciate this."
"I'll wait for the edict!" Since it was an oral edict rather than a formal edict, the four men of the Jia family who were accompanied by their lords just bowed and saluted.
The other servants should kneel or kneel.
Jia Zhen had just taken out the banknotes and was about to give the little chamberlain some money. The little chamberlain quickly waved his hand to indicate that he should hurry into the city and not be blocked at the door, and then rushed to the next prince to read the emperor's oral decree.
"Since there is no need to go to pay respects to the emperor, then go home!" Jia She waved his hand and the motorcade drove towards Ningrong Street.
. . . . . .
Ningrong Street.
There is a fragrant banquet in Jinli, and the orchids are beautiful in the early years.
The colors are scattered far away from the ground, and the bright light is far away in the sky.
Although it is already February and the New Year has passed for more than a month, Ningrong Street is no less lively than during the Chinese New Year.
There were lanterns and colorful decorations, and there were crowds of people. From time to time, someone would drag out a large string of firecrackers. A few naughty boys leaned forward to light the match rope. When they saw sparks coming from the match rope, they turned around and ran away. They hid in the corner and covered their ears to watch and listen to the crackling sound and flashing light of the firecrackers.
The adults, who were startled by the sudden sound of firecrackers, laughed and cursed at the boys, then turned around to adjust the lanterns.
Uncle Xifuhun is back!
News came half a month ago that Uncle Hui, the head of the Xifu family, was promoted to a noble title due to his military exploits, and was awarded the title of Grand General Sima and Marquis of Wuwei County.
Uncle Zhen immediately opened an ancestral hall to express his condolences to his ancestors. The old lady of Xifu was also very happy. She sent a lot of rice, flour, grain, oil and cloth from door to door, and set off firecrackers all afternoon to celebrate. The whole Ningrong Street was so lively!
Especially when the news came out that Mr. She had announced that he would hold a flowing banquet for three days when Mr. Hui returned to Beijing, the people in the eighth room of the Jia family went crazy with joy.
The kitchens of both houses came together and even invited Master Guo and Master Yu from Deyun Building, one of the top ten famous buildings in Beijing, to come and take charge of the dishes. The atmosphere of the banquet became even more lively.
"We're back, we're all back, we'll be there just over the street!" A boy panted across the archway at the east entrance of the street and ran into the street. The street was quiet, but soon it became noisy again, but The sound was much quieter than before, and the Jia family members quickly lined up on both sides of the road.
The sound of horse hooves got closer and closer, and soon, a tall figure wearing a broken straight body armor and a hooded headband turned in on a horse.
Jia Hui has already changed her armor in the car and will go through the ceremony again later.
"Brother Hui, well done!"
"Brother Hui, brother Hui!"
Ningrong Street exploded, and the sudden shouts even startled Jia Hui, who was talking to Jia Lian.
"Hahaha, long time no see, Uncle Sixteen!"
"Yo, Brother Huang!"
Jia Hui also responded and greeted the crowd.
Fortunately, many members of the Jia family had experienced the scenes of Jia Daihua, Jia Daishan brothers, and even Jia Yan, Jia Yuan brothers returning from the expedition. They quickly maintained order and allowed the convoy to arrive at the main gate of Rongguo Mansion as soon as possible.
"Okay, it's getting late, so there's no need to send her off any more. We're going to see the old lady. Remember to come for a feast tomorrow!" Jia She said to everyone.
Everyone promised that they would have a reunion dinner with their families when they got home.
They also took their wives and children home, waiting to have a three-day feast starting tomorrow.
A pair of majestic stone lions that guard the house and ward off evil spirits stand on both sides, highlighting the majesty of the Jia family.
Lai Da and several stewards were already waiting respectfully at the door.
The carriages of the two aunts drove straight in from the east corner gate when they were worshiping their ancestors.
Jia She and the other three took the side door, while Jia Hui wanted to enter through the main door.
As a lord who has returned from an expedition, he must go through the main entrance when he returns home.
Jia Hui raised his head and looked at the plaque that read "Rongguo Mansion was built by imperial decree" with nostalgia.
Seeing Jia Hui standing motionless at the door, Lai Da was afraid that the old lady would be impatient, so he stepped forward and gently reminded Jia Hui.
"Uncle Hui, it's time to step over the brazier. The old lady and the others are waiting!"
Jia Hui, whose thoughts were interrupted, glared at Lai Da. Lai Da seemed to be stared at by a beast, his hair stood on end and cold sweat broke out all of a sudden. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Jia Hui, and bent his waist even more.
"Then let's go." After saying that, Jia Hui stepped over the brazier and strode in. Lai Da quickly followed.
Jia Hui and the others mounted their horses again and trotted towards Yimen.
The old lady and the female relatives were already waiting in the hall in front of Yimen.
When the men in the family return from the war, they must be greeted regardless of their status or seniority.
The old lady sat on the short ridge and looked at the heroic figure on the horse. She seemed to have returned to her youth. Back then, her father-in-law and her husband were also like this, wearing battle armor, riding war horses, and returning home full of exhaustion. .
A thud brought Jia Mu back to reality from her memory. It was the sound of Jia Hui, who was covered in armor, dismounting from his horse and landing on the ground.
"My grandson wishes to greet my grandmother. Please forgive me for wearing my armor and not being able to show my respects." Jia Hui saluted the old lady.
"Hurry up and forgive me, come here, give it to your nephew, give it to your brother, and remove the armor of the general!"
At Jia Mu's order, Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang, Jia Zhen's recently renewed wife, Mrs. You, and Yuan Chun and other ladies rushed forward, taking off their helmets and taking off their armor.
Seeing the broken iron pieces on the armor, my sister Yingchun couldn't help but have red eyes.
Taking off the red cotton shirt, Yuan Chun took out a prepared purple narrow-sleeved round collar and put it on Jia Hui. Finally, Mrs. In front of you.
Sitting down in the Hall of Rongxi, several younger brothers, sisters and maids knelt down together again, shouting that brothers had worked hard for the country.
Knowing that this was the rule of the general, Jia Hui accepted their courtesy with peace of mind. The glory and wealth they enjoyed was due to his own contribution. He would just take more care of them in the future.
I went to the back to take a shower. His strong body, scars full of toughness and dishonest hands all over his body made the mandarin duck who came in to help scrub him feel shy and distressed, and his whole face turned red.
The two Jin brothers and sisters were sent to live with the old lady by their parents when they were seven or eight years old. Because of their intelligence, they were spotted by their grandfather Jia Daishan and assigned to Jia Hui. Their elder brother Jin Wenxiang became Jia Hui's personal attendant, and his sister Jin Yuanyang became Jia Hui's assistant. The personal maid in the room.
The old lady also liked them very much and wanted them to work for her. Jin Wenxiang felt that Jia Hui would never come back, so he agreed on the spot.
But Yuanyang didn't. He kept saying that he was from Uncle Hui's room and wouldn't go anywhere.
Jia Mu also appreciated her loyalty and promised to stay as she pleased when Jia Hui came back. Since there was nothing else to do, Yuanyang went to wait on the old lady and learned her skills.
After hearing the news that Jia Hui was back, Yuanyang immediately asked the old lady to release him. Although the old lady was reluctant to let him go, he still let her go.
This also moved Jia Hui very much, and she rubbed her round hands harder.
Yuanyang, who still retained the last trace of reason, finally pushed Jia Hui away.
"Uncle, the old lady and the others are still waiting!"
Jia Hui regretfully retracted his hand to hold Yuanyang.
If it weren't for the old lady and they were still waiting for the banquet to start, they would have taken the couple to have a couple bath.
After washing his body with water, Yuanyang gasped and struggled to wipe off the water stains on Jia Hui's body. Then he put on a new middle coat and the purple robe before, and used all his strength to push Jia Hui out of the door. outside,…
嘤——
. . . . . .
Jia Hui thought about it and marveled, "My little girl's skin is pretty good!"
He has a slim waist and shoulders, an oval face, dark hair, a high nose, and a few freckles on both sides of his cheeks.
For the first time, I thought a little freckles looked pretty good.
"Uncle Hui is here!" The little maid waiting at the door had sharp eyes. When she saw Jia Hui walking here, she shouted into the hall and quickly raised the door curtain. Seeing this, Jia Hui walked a few steps quickly and entered the door unconsciously.
Jia She has also finished washing. He is talking to the old lady about the situation in Luoyang Mansion, and Jia Zhen is also listening carefully.
"Old lady makes atonement. My grandson is late. I will punish myself with three drinks first!"
Before he finished speaking, he picked up the wine bottle and drank a ton of it in one gulp.
The old lady sneered.
"Look, look, this is not an attitude of acknowledging punishment, it's clearly just a glutton for wine!"
The hall suddenly burst into laughter and laughter.
"Hehe, I can't help it, I've been craving for this Fenjiu!"
As Jia Hui spoke, he sat down and looked at the dishes on the table.
The famous dish of Rongguofu Town - eggplant.
Jia Hui commented that the taste was average and it was better to just eat the chicken.
The rest include fried quail, braised elbow with ham, steamed lamb with milk, ham and fresh bamboo shoot soup, etc. It's all big fish and meat, very greasy.
The US military wanted to drill a well when they saw these dishes.
Even for a big-bellied man like Jia Hui, who had nothing to eat, he would still feel oil pouring out of his throat after eating a meal, and he kept pouring tea into his stomach.
Yue Liduo, who had grown up eating beef and mutton, was also tired of it. She only took a few bites and then put it down.
Tomorrow morning I had to go to pay my respects to the emperor, so we dispersed after eating for most of an hour.
After saying goodbye to Jia Zhen and his wife, he followed his father Jia She for a while, then walked to Lixiangyuan with Yue Liduo and Yuanyang holding lanterns.
As early as when he was still in Chang'an, Jia Hui asked Wei Qi, the housekeeper of Rongguo Mansion in Chang'an, to send a letter home, emphasizing that he wanted to live in Lixiangyuan.
This courtyard, which held all my childhood, would be my residence in Rongguo Mansion from now on.
Yue Liduo was in her fertile period and resolutely refused Jia Hui's approach and pushed Yuanyang into Jia Hui's arms.
As a girl who was raised by her father as a concubine in the Han family since she was a child, she is very aware of the importance of the eldest son to a family.
He cannot get pregnant before his mistress gives birth to a legitimate son, even if it is a girl who poses no threat to the legitimate son.
As for Jia Hui, will he have other women? She was already prepared when she handed over her virginity to Jia Hui.
Isn't this a matter of course? How could such a man not have other women admiring him? As long as I do my job well, take care of the daily life of Jia Hui and the future mistress, assist the mistress in running the house, and after the mistress gives birth to her eldest son, she and Jia Hui will have a son and a half.
It's night, and there is one less girl and one more young woman in the world.
. . . . . .
"Uncle, I'm going to court, get up quickly, get up!"
Before dawn, Yue Liduo had already gotten up, told the maids to prepare breakfast, and then came in to wake Jia Hui up.
Jia Hui yawned, slapped his waist, turned around and got out of bed.
"Pah!" He slapped his hand roundly before getting out of bed.
The tired Yuanyang didn't respond and turned over.
"Get up!" Yue Liduo also slapped her hand, which was still trembling and round, full of elasticity!
"Hey!" Yuanyang woke up in surprise.
"Forget it, let her sleep a little longer. I remember you were lying in bed until the sun was up!"
Jia Hui walked to the basin where the maid had filled the water and washed herself.
Yue Liduo was also teasing Yuanyang, but when Jia Hui spoke, she stopped moving.
After changing into a round-collared, large-sleeved official uniform without patches, a jade belt around his waist, and a long-winged turban, he met Jia She in front of Yimen, got on the carriage and went to court.
In front of the Meridian Gate, Jia Hui was also formally introduced by Jia She to his uncles who were also the founding heroes for the first time, and several of his brothers were also led by them.
Zhen Guogong attacked the first-class uncle, Zhen Bo Niu Jizong, followed by Niu Zhao, who was also an earl.
Li Guogong attacked Liu Fang, a first-class son, and beside him was Liu Gao, an earl who was one level higher than him.
Other people I knew also came to say hello.
The so-called first-class sons and first-class uncles belong to the system of Taizong nobles. The founding nobles also joined this system when they were re-conflated.
It's nothing, it's just a distinction based on the size of the merit. Of course, there is a difference between being a top earl and being barely named an earl.
A thousand households are called a first-class uncle, eight hundred are called a second-class uncle, and six hundred are called a third-class uncle.
Five hundred households are called first-class children, four hundred households are called second-class children, and three hundred households are called third-class children.
Two hundred households are called first-class men, one hundred households are called second-class men, and fifty households are called third-class men.
Further down, the first-class and second-class generals have no false titles.
Although barons are not included in the rank, they are actually around the third rank, far less high than the first rank of a first-class general. However, in the circle of nobles, a third-class man is worth more than a first-class general.
The emergence of this system has caused an increase in the number of feuds and feuds. No one obeys anyone but the count. Why should I miss you two hundred households!
Up to now, in order to avoid the old incident of the previous dynasty, this set of things is no longer used, and only the generals of the Taizong family still use it.
Smoothly arranged to go to court. As the Great Sima General, Jia Hui is still the most noble marquis, standing below the duke and above the princes.
As Lu Guan, who had the highest military exploits this time, left the team, and dozens of people collectively thanked him, the emperor gave everyone a three-month holiday to compensate for the hard work of three consecutive years of fighting. Everyone thanked him again.
After waiting for more than half an hour, the morning court was finally over. Jia Hui also said goodbye to his brothers. He came back late yesterday and did not open the ancestral hall to worship his ancestors. Everyone was in a hurry to go back to worship their ancestors. They agreed to go hunting in a few days and then separated. .
Soon we returned to Ningrong Street.
The Jia family members were already waiting in front of Ningguo Mansion.
Everyone was wearing solid-colored clothes, and the Rongguo Mansion had also sent the court uniforms of Jia She and his son, so they changed into them when they came back.
Jia She, his son, and Jia Zhen quickly changed into court clothes.
This piece of clothing is also called sacrificial clothing. It is the clothing worn on occasions such as sacrifices. It is a clothing that has been passed down since the Zhou Dynasty and is the most solemn and solemn. The men of the Jia family also arranged their clothes and stood there seriously.
Jia Zhen was at the front of the queue, and the others stood according to their seniority. Seeing that everyone had found their place, Jia Zhen nodded and led everyone into the Jia family's ancestral hall.
In the ancestral hall, there is a portrait of the Second Duke Rong Ning hanging high, and beside it there are the memorial tablets of the Jia family's ancestors, but they are not as huge as the second Duke Rong Ning's.
This is the glory of the Second Duke Ning Rong. Their achievements have bequeathed their descendants and brought wealth and wealth to the five generations of the Jia family for nearly a hundred years. Therefore, it is natural for future generations to hang the portrait of the Second Duke Rong Ning high.
The Second Duke of Rongning was dressed in imperial robes, a seven-beam crown with a cage scarf on his head, and a tooth wat in his hand.
In the portraits painted in their later years, the faces also appear to be quite kind and kind, as if they treat their descendants and cannot bear to reveal their cruel and murderous side.
Under the auspices of Jia Zhen, after the procedures of "playing music", "three presentations of honors", "worshiping", "burning silk", "offering wine" and other procedures, Jia Hui paid homage to his ancestors, and then the ceremony was completed. The whole process , the men of the Jia family looked extremely solemn. Of course, this was not a festival to worship ancestors, so there was no grand scene.
The men of the Jia family quickly walked out of the ancestral hall.
Everyone did not disperse, but stared blankly at Jia Hui and the others.
Jia Hui understood instantly. When he returned to Ningrong Street, he discovered that a large detachable round table had been set up in the corner. In addition, yesterday Jia Zhen said that he had invited two master chefs, Guo and Yu from Deyun House, to come over.
Shout to the crowd.
"Uncles and brothers, hurry home and shout, the banquet is about to begin!"
"The banquet is open!"
