(According to the government system prior to 1912, all civil and military officials were under nine degrees of rank or class, or, more properly, under eighteen, inasmuch as each rank is divided into principal Cheng and secondary Ts'ung. To these must be added a nineteenth, or supplementary rank embracing some of the lowest officers, to which the name Wei-ju Liu (lit. 'the stream-not-yet-entered') is assigned, and translated as rankless. Jun- lin Lang was of secondary 6th rank. The ranks of officials' wives followed those of their husbands, but they were nine only and there was no division into principal and secondary. Thus, Mr. T'an Shan-p'u's Ju-lin Lang was secondary 6th, his wife was an An-jen of the 6th rank.)

Translation

WE RESPECTIVELY OFFER OUR CONGRATULATIONS ON HIS BIRTHDAY TO my father-in-law, Mr. T'an Shan-p'u, a Ju-lin Lang [rank], the title conferred by the emperor, and an expectant Law Secretary in the Office of Provincial Treasurer, Also to my mother-in-law, Mrs. T'an, née Miss Yang, also an An-jên of the 6th rank and also to my father-in-law's concubine, née Miss Liang, also an An-jên, LONGEVITY [huge character] from their sons-in-law: Ho Tè-ao, Chiang ch'i-ch'ien, Mai Kuo-chao, and Ch'ên Shêng-chuan from their daughters' sons: Chiang Shêng-sung, Chiang Shêng-min, Mai Hsien-tsui, Mai Hsien-shêng, Chi-and Shêng-wo, Ch'ên Yun-ao, K'ung Hsien-chun, Chiang Shêng-k'an, Chên Yun-chin, Mai Hsien-ju, Ho Ting-fu, Ho Ting-lu. ALL BOWING THE HEADS TO PAY RESPECT.