Duke of Zhenguan

"Young Master, has His Majesty the Emperor truly bestowed upon you an official position?"

Li asked her son for the third time.

Lin Chuan nodded in agreement and said:

"A seventh-rank official position!"

Li was still dazed, not yet recovered from the great news that her son was about to become an official, and asked blankly:

"What rank is a seventh-rank official? Is it higher than a county magistrate in Chang'an?"

Lin Chuan shook his head awkwardly.

The ranks of county magistrates in the Tang Dynasty varied greatly. The magistrate of Chang'an was the highest-ranking, a genuine fifth-rank official, while the lowest-ranking magistrates in remote areas were only eighth or ninth-rank officials.

Aside from officials who had been demoted, no one wanted to go to Quanzhou, a place of exile.

"It's alright, Dalang, you're only sixteen. If you become an official at sixteen, you'll definitely rise higher in the future!"

Thinking she had asked the wrong question, Li instead comforted her son.

Seeing that Li Shi was ignoring the noble title, which was more important than official rank, Lin Chuan helplessly reminded her:

"Mother, a seventh-rank official position isn't important; a noble title is!"

"A title? What's a title for?" Li asked blankly.

Lin Chuan was momentarily at a loss for words to explain.

Having a title is what truly marks one's entry into the privileged class; even the lowest rank of baron is still a privileged class.

However, since Li Shi wouldn't immediately grasp the meaning of these words, Lin Chuan succinctly explained to her:

"Mother, the rank of county baron is a fifth-grade title, only one grade lower than that of the magistrate of Chang'an County!"

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

"A title is better!"

Madam Li nodded, then turned and saw the memorial tablet on the altar. She quickly pulled Lin Chuan up and said in a deep voice:

"Go and pay respects to our ancestors; we are so grateful for their blessings!"

Lin Chuan had no choice but to bow.

Li finally calmed down a bit and asked in confusion:

"Eldest son, weren't you studying at Master Yan's house? How come you were suddenly granted a noble title?"

"I presented two items to His Majesty the Emperor..."

Lin Chuan recounted the story of the waterwheel and the curved plow to Li in detail.

After listening, Li said to Lin Chuan in a deep voice:

"If that's the case, then you were able to meet His Majesty the Emperor thanks to Elder Yan. We should really thank Elder Yan!"

"Of course, Master Yan will definitely thank you!" Lin Chuan nodded.

Even though Li didn't say anything, he was also preparing to properly thank Prime Minister Yan, but he hadn't quite figured out how to express his gratitude.

The Yan family is a distinguished and influential family, holding a dominant position in the academic community. Ordinary gifts of gratitude would not be appropriate for them.

"It's good that you know. By the way, now that you're an official, does that mean our family's noodle shop can no longer operate? It would be a disgrace to you..." Madam Li asked anxiously.

"Mother, the noodle shop can certainly be opened, but you and Er Ya shouldn't bother with it. It's not that it's embarrassing for me, but once I become an official, some people will definitely try to find connections with you, which will put me in a difficult position!"

Er Ya also needs to hurry up and read some books and learn to read.

Let Uncle Nine and Uncle Twelve manage the noodle shop. We'll take 20% of the profits, and give each of them 40%!

"We owe a lot to Uncle Nine and Uncle Twelve for their help recently! Now that we're doing well, we can't let them suffer again!" Lin Chuan said.

"Listen to Dalang!" Madam Li nodded.

"As for the house, there's no rush. With my title, there are specific rules about how the house is built. His Majesty has bestowed upon me the position of Assistant Minister of Works. I'll see if I can ask someone from the Directorate of Works to help with the construction!" Lin Chuan added.

"The government is building it? That would be great!"

Hearing that even houses could be built by government officials, Li finally gained a concrete understanding of Lin Chuan's official position.

As for marriage, Lin Chuan didn't need to bring it up. When two families get married, they should be of similar social standing. Now that his son has not only become an official but also holds a noble title, they certainly can't find a wife from a poor or lowly family.

However, Li had no idea what kind of family she wanted to marry into.

"Let's listen to our son!"

Li sighed inwardly, then smiled and said to Lin Chuan:

"You stay home and rest. I'll take Er Ya to buy some meat. Tonight, we'll invite your Ninth Uncle and Twelfth Uncle's families over and discuss this matter with them!"

"good!"

As evening fell, Tian, ​​who had been busy at the noodle shop all day, brought Lin Shan to Tiechi Lane. Lin Jiu and Lin Twelve's families also arrived one after another.

The three families sat around the table, which was laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and rice. Li had also specially poured out some wine.

Tian, ​​being more straightforward, asked Li with a smile:

"Third Sister-in-law, what auspicious day it is today? Is there any progress on Eldest Brother's marriage?"

"No, it's not that. My eldest son got a government position and invited everyone to come and celebrate!" Madam Li said with a smile.

"..."

Apart from Lin Chuan and his family of three, everyone else stared blankly at Li Shi.

After a while, seeing that Li Shi didn't seem to be joking, Lin Jiu excitedly asked:

"Third Sister-in-law, what official position did Eldest Brother obtain?"

"It's the Ministry of Works..."

Li turned to Lin Chuan and asked:

"Brother, what's your official title again?"

"A junior official in the Ministry of Works!" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Yes, a junior official in the Ministry of Works, a seventh-rank official!" Madam Li continued.

A seventh-rank official!

Lin Jiu and Lin Shier were, after all, men who had lived in Chang'an for many years. Although they were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, they had some understanding of official positions and knew that the Ministry of Works was an extraordinary place.

"Brother, did that old Mr. Yan help you get this official position?" Lin Jiu asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded with a smile.

"What a blessing for Dalang! He's met such a benefactor!" Madam Tian exclaimed softly.

The news of Lin Chuan becoming an official was too sudden. Lin Jiu and his wife, Lin Shier and his wife, and Li Shi were all taken aback and didn't react for a while. It wasn't until after dinner when Li Shi mentioned that she was handing over the noodle shop to them that they realized their nephew Lin Chuan's status had changed.

The family affairs were not complicated, and the official appointment certificate had not yet been delivered. The next morning, Lin Chuan got up early, changed his clothes, and went to the Yan family to study.

Although Yan Xiangshi was not present yesterday, as the Imperial Diarist who was in charge of recording the emperor's words and deeds, he knew more about what had happened than most people in the court. When he got home that night, he told his family about Lin Chuan presenting the curved plow.

When Lin Chuan arrived at the Yan family home, the Yan brothers, Yan Quting, Yan Yangting, and Yan Wencheng, all congratulated him.

At noon, Yan Shigu and Yan Xiangshi returned home and were overjoyed to see Lin Chuan at home. They immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared to celebrate Lin Chuan's arrival.

The banquet naturally included wine, but apart from Yan Xiangshi, none of the Yan family members were used to the strong liquor brought by Lin Chuan, so they drank slightly sweet rice wine instead.

When the wine was half-finished, Yan Shigu smiled and said to Lin Chuan:

"The official document should be delivered to Young Master Lin in a couple of days. The process of granting a title is quite complicated and may take one or two months!"

However, your title was personally bestowed by His Majesty, so there will be no change. Just wait patiently!

"You get it, kid!" Lin Chuan nodded with a smile.

"Young man, His Majesty has promoted you to the position of Assistant Minister of Works. Some people dare not harbor resentment towards His Majesty, but they will definitely take their anger out on you. Once you are in the Ministry of Works, think twice before you act!" Yan Xiangshi said in a deep voice.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Yan! I will certainly be careful with my words and actions!"