Tianliangyuan

Chapter 277 You still have a lot of room for improvement

Xu Zhaozhao didn't seem to realize her second sister-in-law's intentions, and simply said, "I don't know either, but my aunt and Madam Fang have been discussing this matter since before the New Year, and my fourth sister and Fang Dalang have met several times. Although they didn't say it outright, I think they are intentional."

Princess Anhe breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

She was actually not happy about Xu Wanwan marrying into her maternal grandmother's family. It wasn't that she looked down on Xu Wanwan, but she felt that with her simple and innocent nature, if she really married into the family, she would probably only be skinned alive!

It can only be said that the atmosphere in the Xu family is too good. There is not so much intrigue and backstabbing, and the young ladies mostly stay in their own boudoirs, so their eyes and hearts are naturally much purer and cleaner.

"I've met Fang Dalang a few times. He looks rather simple and honest, and he does resemble Lord Fang somewhat."

"Well, I heard from my mother last time that it seems that because of a series of happy events recently, such as banquets and the opening of the ancestral hall, the family has been unable to attend to it for the time being. Now that my third brother and sister-in-law are getting married, I guess my aunt and Madam Fang will be discussing this matter formally."

Princess Anhe nodded, acknowledging that she had indeed been too busy for some time.

Moreover, they will be busy with Xu Zhaozhao and Xie Zheng's wedding later on. This year, the Marquis's mansion is truly filled with joyous occasions.

"Zhaozhao, don't you care about your own marriage?"

Xu Zhaozhao paused upon hearing this, then shook her head helplessly: "Actually, whether I am married or not, I don't feel any difference. My mother is still my mother, and the Marquis's mansion is still my home. If I am not happy living in the Xie family, I will go back to my Ziyuan. If Xie Sanlang dares to bully me, I will divorce him and remarry."

During the Daxing Dynasty, it was not uncommon for women to marry twice or even three times.

Some remarried because they lost their husbands, while others divorced and remarried after being humiliated by their husbands' families and receiving support from their own families.

In short, there is no such thing as a virtuous woman in Daxing.

Furthermore, if a young widow refuses to remarry, the government will intervene to persuade her to quickly find a good husband to marry and have children, so as to ensure the continuation of the Daxing lineage and the prosperity of the Daxing population.

Princess Anhe chuckled upon hearing this: "If Xie Sanlang heard you say that, he'd probably be so angry he'd hit someone."

Xu Zhaozhao didn't care about any of that.

The most important thing for her is to live a free and happy life.

Although Xie Sanlang treated her well, and she did indeed have some genuine feelings for him, she wasn't the type to abandon her romantic ideals for love if she wasn't happy living in the Xie family.

Therefore, no one should try to control her life.

The two women chatted for a long time, and then mentioned that their father, Xu Han, had made great contributions in the war and had now been awarded the title of Senior Protector General!

This is extremely conspicuous.

In Daxing, "xun" is an honorary title, primarily used to recognize meritorious officials.

The ranks of "merit" are divided into twelve levels, each corresponding to a different official rank.

For example, the highest "twelfth rank" honor was called "Shangzhuguo", equivalent to a second-rank official; the lowest "seventh rank" honor was called "Wuqiwei", equivalent to a seventh-rank official.

Now Xu Hanxun is the Senior Protector General, and above him are the Pillar of State and the Senior Pillar of State.

Currently, in the entire Daxing Dynasty, only Lu Jin has been appointed as a Grand Pillar of State in this great war.

Prior to this, Daxing had indeed had a Grand Pillar of State, but that person had passed away, and for more than ten years afterward, no one had been able to receive such an honor.

Xu Han was awarded the title of Senior Protector General, equivalent to a third-rank official. This means that in addition to the salary he would receive for his previous military position, Xu Han would also receive a salary equivalent to that of a third-rank official because of his noble title.

It's all money!

Princess Anhe whispered, "Now that Prince An and Prince Zhong are at odds, their dispute is almost out in the open. After the great victory in the northern expedition, I heard that several generals have already switched sides to serve Prince An and Prince Zhong. I'm afraid that Father will also be targeted."

Princess Anhe, being of royal lineage, seems to know more about the matter.

Xu Zhaozhao wholeheartedly agreed, after all, the Marquis's mansion now wielded power comparable to that of the Duke's mansion.

Besides the father, a marquis, and the elder brother, a viscount, there are two other barons. Although the titles are not prestigious, they are still an honor, which shows that the Xu family is likely to prosper in the future.

Therefore, many people will inevitably have their eyes on the Marquis's residence.

"Second sister-in-law's concerns are reasonable. But you can rest assured, Father and brothers are only loyal to the Emperor. If they wanted to take sides, Father wouldn't have kept pushing away official positions."

Princess Anhe was aware of this, but still wanted to offer a reminder, fearing that someone might try to sabotage her.

If a wealthy and powerful family wants to target you, it's not necessarily in official circles; it's very likely they're targeting your private life.

Being aware of the situation and taking precautions early is the right way.

Thinking back on the various events of this northern expedition, Xu Zhaozhao already had a general idea in her mind.

That evening, Xu Zhaozhao and Xu Han played chess in the study while discussing military generals in the imperial court.

"With Lord Lu Jin being appointed as a Grand Pillar of State, it can be said that he has reached the pinnacle of both nobility and honors, and it will be impossible for him to lead troops into battle in the future. Father, who do you think will succeed him next?"

Xu Han understood what his daughter meant.

Lu Jin is already the Duke of Anguo and the Minister of War. Now, with the additional title of Grand Pillar of State, he has truly reached the limit of his potential.

Therefore, under these circumstances, as long as Daxing still has capable generals, it will certainly not send him on expeditions again.

Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, his position as Minister of War will likely be replaced in two or three years at most.

The title of "Xun" in Daxing was an honorary title bestowed upon officials in recognition of their merits.

The title of peerage was a hereditary privilege for members of the royal family, while it was used to reward meritorious officials when applied to ministers.

Generally speaking, those who have made great contributions are granted titles, especially those who are founding heroes; those who have made ordinary contributions are awarded honors, such as the "reward for diligence" mentioned when the honor system was first established in the previous dynasty. This is one of the differences between titles and honors.

The second difference is that those who obtained the titles of king, duke, or marquis could "receive a fief" and could inherit it; while the title of meritorious official was merely a symbol of honor and status, and at most it was reflected only in clothing and salary.

The difference in treatment between honorary titles and noble titles may be the reason for the creation of the honorary title system.

Because the people in the fiefdoms of those who received titles only paid grain to them and did not pay taxes to the state, if there were too many people who received titles and these titles could be inherited, it would inevitably lead to a large loss of state revenue.

However, those who have made contributions must be rewarded, so bestowing an honorary title that symbolizes status naturally became the choice of the supreme ruler.

As for Lu Jin, he has already reached the limit of honors, titles, and official positions. If he does not retire, his descendants will not be able to advance any further.

Therefore, within three years at most, Lu Jin will have to step down from the court for the sake of his children and grandchildren; otherwise, he will be blocking their path.

Before Xu Han could speak, Xu Zhaozhao added, "Father, you still have room for improvement. Don't always think about slacking off. Our Marquis's mansion still needs you to ward off evil spirits."