Chapter 2445 - 2419: Fief (Bonus - for Book Friend "Liang Yi"’s Reward)

Ms. Qian was much calmer than him. Although she was excited, she didn’t lose her composure. Her eyes sparkled as she asked Manbao, "I think I heard my name too."

Manbao nodded vigorously, "Mom, the Emperor has granted you the title of County Lady, with a fifth-rank honorary decree!"

The whole Zhou Family then understood what had happened and immediately gathered around to congratulate Old Zhou and Ms. Qian.

Manbao was squeezed out to the outside.

Manbao jumped up and down, realizing her parents were surrounded tightly by siblings and nephews, so she had to drag a chair over, stand on it, and look inside, "Dad, Mom, I haven’t finished talking yet..."

Nobody heard her speaking, and Zhou Wulang said excitedly, "Dad, this is a great joy, let’s have a feast tonight."

Old Zhou nodded repeatedly, "Good, good, good, have a feast, let your elder sister-in-law cook."

Zhou Lixue said, "Grandpa, Grandma, such a big happy event deserves cash gifts."

Old Zhou still nodded, "Good, good, good, give the money, give the money..."

Ms. Qian also said, "I’ll go and get the money."

Old Zhou wasn’t quite clear-headed, still nodding repeatedly, and his eyes were a bit red.

But Zhou Lijun, who was outside, excitedly responded, "Nanny, don’t use your personal money, use the communal funds. I’ll go get the money."

So Zhou Lijun casually pulled along Zhou Liwei and Zhou Ligu to the storeroom to fetch money.

Manbao took the chance to jump off the chair and try to squeeze in, but immediately Wulang, along with several others, squeezed in and filled the opening completely, "Grandpa, Grandma, we’re here too, we’re here too."

Manbao...

When Zhou Lijun came back with his two younger brothers, holding an armful of money and directly stuffed it into the hands of Old Zhou and Ms. Qian for them to distribute, Old Zhou then came to his senses.

He suddenly held the money, reluctant to give it out.

Ms. Qian also didn’t expect Zhou Lijun to bring back so much money. She thought it would be a few hundred coins, and each of the many children and grandchildren could get a few, but this...

Ms. Qian held the money, pressing on a string of coins, without any movement for a moment.

Old Zhou then remembered his daughter and looked around, shouting, "Where’s Manbao?"

Manbao, crouching on the chair, said sulkily, "I’m here..."

Everyone made a path, and only then did they find her because she was wearing official clothes and a hat, making it hard to squeeze in.

Everyone smiled embarrassingly and quickly pulled her in.

When she saw the copper coins in the arms of Old Zhou and Ms. Qian, she laughed, "Dad, Mom, just hand it out, I want some too."

Old Zhou touched the copper coins, not moving for a moment, but Ms. Qian took a string of coins and directly stuffed it into her hand, smiling, "Sure, take it."

Old Zhou then reluctantly gave her a string and asked, "Manbao, is there any money for that honorary decree?"

Manbao shook her head, "It’s an honorary decree, not a real official position, but the court will send gifts during holidays."

"What kind of gifts?"

"It varies, sometimes they’ll send rice and flour, or meat, or cloth and clothes. It’s different in each place, sometimes there are also cash gifts."

Zhou Lixue said, "Grandpa, this honorary decree is all about prestige. As long as you mention you’re an official of the fifth rank, outsiders will know you have a child who is at least a fifth-rank official."

Zhou Ligu added, "And they have to have been an official for a long time, or be a favored official because not everyone can get an honorary decree."

Even Manbao nodded at this point. She never imagined that the Emperor would grant her parents an honorary decree this time, which is why she was so surprised.

Some officials apply to the Ministry of Rites for an honorary decree, and it might take seven or eight years without success. Just because one became an official doesn’t mean the court will give an honorary decree to one’s parents and wife.

This is a privilege, what is a privilege?

First merit, then privilege.

No matter if it’s hard-earned merit or effort-based merit, one must first have it before being qualified to apply with the Ministry of Rites, and even then, the Ministry of Rites might not approve it.

Moreover, the merit privilege of an official is limited. If you request awards for your parents and wife, when it comes time for your son’s privilege, the Ministry of Rites will not grant it.

So many people keep this right for future use, either for their children’s education or for privilege entry into officialdom.

In any case, the Ministry of Rites keeps a record of this.

So Manbao understood deeply. Her highest official position was as a fourth-rank compiler, but her parents’ honorary decree was fifth-rank.

When Old Zhou and Ms. Qian finally understood that obtaining an honorary decree was not easy, Old Madam Liu was already supporting Ms. Zheng to come over and congratulate them.

Old Zhou and Ms. Qian immediately got up to greet them, and Old Zhou embarrassedly showed off, "It’s all thanks to Manbao. If you ask me, it’s better to leave this privilege for the children. Why use it on us now?"

Old Madam Liu chuckled and said, "This is the child’s filial piety and, besides, you two raised her, this honor is what you, in-laws, deserve."

Old Madam Liu’s words were pleasant, and Old Zhou, being praised, felt elated, his eyes narrowed with a smile.

Ms. Qian held Old Madam Liu’s hand and laughed, "In-law’s grandmother, stop praising him, or he’ll get even more smug."

Old Madam Liu came to congratulate and also to discuss the celebratory feast with them.

She laughed, "Now our three families have three joyful events, so this celebratory feast must be well organized."

Old Zhou tilted his head, puzzled, "Three joys? Isn’t it four joys?"

He counted on his fingers, "Bai Shan’s title, the Second Young Master’s title, my wife and I got honorary decrees, that’s four joys."

Old Madam Liu: "..."

She smiled and corrected, "In-law and in-law mother getting honorary decrees is one joy, Manbao’s promotion is the second joy, Manbao and Shanbao with Erlang getting titles is the third joy, isn’t that three joyful events?"

Ms. Qian was taken aback and quickly asked, "What does it mean that Manbao got a title?"

Manbao, who was already overwhelmed by the excitement, immediately reacted and stuffed the two strings of money she held into Zhou Lijun’s arms, asking him to help hold them, "Dad, Mom, I also got a title."

Old Zhou immediately said, "Yes, I heard your name mentioned too, three times."

Manbao: "...Only the first was for my title."

Ms. Qian then asked, "What title did you get? Also a county title or something?"

"No, it’s a village chief. Chief of Liyang Village."

Neither Old Zhou nor they understood, "What’s a village chief?"

Manbao stumbled a bit before saying, "It’s a title, similar to Bai Shan’s county title, also just fifth-rank, and I have a fief of five hundred households."

Old Zhou and others didn’t understand what a fief was, so Manbao said, "Under Liyang County, the magistrate will allocate five hundred households to me. The rent and taxes they pay are mine."

Old Zhou immediately understood, "The rent from allocated fields?"

"Right, plus individual tax and levies, their paid taxes won’t go to the court but to me."

Of course, she could only take items and money, and she had no jurisdiction over the people under the fief; they still belonged to Liyang County for management.

Old Zhou and Ms. Qian opened their mouths wide. This kind of title, almost akin to a nation within a person, was something they couldn’t comprehend.