Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

After the funeral procession, Jia Can first saw off the many guests, made some arrangements, and then returned from outside the city by carriage. Just as he reached the city gate, a servant rushed in to report:

"Second Master, someone from the palace has come again, this time to deliver an imperial edict."

Jia Can was not surprised when he heard this, after all, he had already discussed it with the Emperor Emeritus. He calmly instructed his servants to go back and prepare the incense table and other items.

He then switched to horseback, leaving his many attendants behind, and rushed back to Ningguo Mansion ahead of everyone else.

Thanks to his past life's experience with horseback riding, Jia Can was able to easily ride his steed. Dressed in fine clothes and riding with great spirit, he quickly returned to Ningguo Mansion.

In the front hall, Xia Shouzhong, who had come to deliver the imperial decree, was already waiting. Seeing Jia Can return, he stood up and said with a smile:

"Lord Jia, congratulations! His Majesty has issued another new decree to you."

Jia Can bowed apologetically, saying, "I've kept Eunuch Xia waiting."

Xia Shouzhong smiled and waved his hand: "It's alright. I knew today was the day of the funeral. Lord Jia had gone out of the city, so I didn't have to wait long."

"Now that Lord Jia has returned, please accept the imperial decree."

As he spoke, he unfolded the imperial edict.

Jia Can bowed and replied, "Your subject Jia Can receives the imperial decree."

Xia Shouzhong began to read: "By the mandate of Heaven..."

Finally, I offered my congratulations with a smile:

"Congratulations, Lord Jia, on your honorable appointment as Commander of the Dragon Guard. The Dragon Guard is one of the Twenty-Four Guards of the Emperor. At such a young age, Lord Jia has already achieved the rank of a third-grade official. You are truly a young man of great talent and an enviable figure."

Jia Can couldn't help but feel a little happy and smug, but he quickly regained his composure, realizing that Xia Shouzhong was just flattering him.

Since he inherited the title of Third-Class General of Ningguo Prefecture, it was only natural that he was granted the rank of a third-grade military officer.

Throughout history, the descendants of those who were granted titles or official positions through the merits and favors of their ancestors would have their official ranks follow those of their titles and would never be lower than the rank of the title.

Moreover, in this peaceful era, the rank of military officers is far less prestigious. In other words, during times of peace and prosperity, the voice of military officers is not strong, and is far lower than that of civil officials of the same rank.

However, there are some exceptions. For example, military officers appointed by the emperor as imperial envoys represent imperial power. Their power and rank are not linked; it depends entirely on the emperor's trust in them. Of course, the same applies to civil officials.

Jia Can, who quickly calmed down, responded humbly:

"You flatter me, Eunuch Xia. I am honored by His Majesty's favor, which is why I was able to be appointed as a commander. It is all due to the Emperor's boundless grace, and not my own ability."

Seeing that Jia Can remained humble despite his newfound power, Xia Shouzhong gave him a deep look, praised him a few more times, and then said:

"The Dragon Guard has not been used for many years and is now in dire need of reconstruction. His Majesty's intention is that you, Lord Jia, should restore the Dragon Guard as soon as possible, so as not to disappoint His Majesty's high regard for you."

Upon hearing this, Jia Can's heart skipped a beat. He immediately realized something, raised an eyebrow, and replied seriously:

"Please inform His Majesty, Eunuch Xia, that I understand and will dedicate myself to reforming the Longfu Guard and restoring it to its former glory as soon as possible, so as not to disappoint His Majesty's expectations!"

Xia Shouzhong nodded slightly and then kindly gave him a few more pointers, such as reporting to the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War to receive the corresponding official robes, court robes, swords, tokens, waist badges, official seals, and so on.

Although Jia Can didn't know why Xia Shouzhong was so eager to offer advice, he was convinced that Xia Shouzhong had no good intentions. He became more vigilant, but outwardly smiled and thanked him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Xia. This is my first time serving in the court, and I am truly unfamiliar with the regulations and rules of the court. Your guidance is a timely help, and I will remember it well and repay you handsomely in the future!"

Seeing the man's moved expression, Xia Shouzhong assumed he was genuinely touched by his advice and replied with a smile:

"It's nothing, just a small favor. Please don't take it to heart, Lord Jia. If you encounter any problems in the future, just come to me. I will help you if I can."

Jia Can said "definitely" aloud, but in his heart he was thinking:

You old geezer, I don't believe you for a second!

If Jia Can goes to Xia Shouzhong for everything, it's tantamount to revealing all his secrets to Emperor Jing'an. Since Jia Can is currently working for the retired emperor, Emperor Jing'an will likely see him as a thorn in his side and want to get rid of him as soon as possible.

He dared not have too much contact with Xia Shouzhong, at least not for now.

He chatted with Xia Shouzhong for a few more minutes, had some silver prepared as a gift, and personally saw Xia Shouzhong out.

When Jia Can turned back to his residence, the news that he had been appointed Commander of the Dragon Guard had already spread like wildfire.

This kind of news couldn't be hidden, after all, Xia Shouzhong had come in a high-profile manner with an imperial edict.

For a time, everyone, from the Ning and Rong mansions to the elite circles of the capital, was talking about this matter.

Since Jia Daihua's death and Jia Jing's resignation to become a Taoist priest, no one from the Ningguo Mansion had served as an official in the court for many years. It was truly unexpected and astonishing that Jia Can broke this pattern.

This inevitably makes one wonder: Is Emperor Jing'an trying to support the Ningguo Mansion by doing this? And what signals is he sending?

Upon hearing this news, Grandmother Jia and the others in the Rongguo Mansion were filled with mixed feelings. They had already thought that Jia Can had gotten lucky by not having to inherit the title at a lower rank.

Now, he has even been granted the official rank of a third-grade military officer, which forces them to admit that Jia Can's luck is extremely good, and they can't help but feel envious and jealous.

Grandmother Jia, who had originally intended to bring Jia Can down, was extremely surprised. She suddenly realized that she seemed to be unable to stop Jia Can's rise and was also thinking about whether to adjust her previous strategy.

At the same time, many noble families and long-time friends sent people to offer congratulatory gifts. If it weren't for the fact that the Ningguo Mansion had just finished a funeral, they would have come to offer their congratulations in an even more grand manner.

People from the Jia clan, like cats smelling fish, came to find Jia Can in groups of three or five, not only to offer their congratulations but also to try and gain some benefits.

After all, Jia Can was the commander. Arranging a minor officer or having someone from the Dragon Guard do errands outside was just a matter of Jia Can's word.

Jia Can was well aware of the purpose of these people's congratulations. On the surface, he received them warmly, but he was vague about their requests, neither explicitly refusing nor agreeing. He only said that he had just been appointed to an official position and was not yet familiar with it.

For Jia Can, this was absolutely unacceptable. The Dragon Guard was not only a stepping stone to the imperial court, but also the foundation for his future security.

Jia Can had long planned to keep the Dragon Guard firmly under his control. Even if he only had a few thousand soldiers under his command, that was his confidence. If things went wrong one day, it wouldn't be impossible for him to stage a counterattack at Xuanwu Gate.

Therefore, he absolutely could not allow these privileged sons to get involved in the Dragon Guard. He was already planning to get rid of those powerful and wealthy sons who were originally in the Dragon Guard but were just drawing salaries without working. How could he let other powerful and wealthy sons join in?

Moreover, if he really did that, he would inevitably face the neglect of the retired emperor and the endless suppression of Emperor Jing'an. Before long, he would be dismissed from his post and stripped of his title.

Seeing that Jia Can's attitude was ambiguous, the others didn't want to press the matter further and could only give up for now and wait for a better opportunity.

However, from this point on, Jia Can's reputation officially entered the top elite circles of Beijing, attracting considerable attention.