Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 424: Marquisship
A strong east wind was blowing on the city wall, making the banner bearing the character "Chen" flutter loudly.

Chen Qingzhi looked at his generals, all of whom were from the Shuihan tribe, and said solemnly:

"We have no roots in the army, so we can only rely on the emperor's favor and everyone's concerted efforts."

"But to get things done, this is far from enough." He gave a wry smile and counted on his fingers, "We also need logistical support, cooperation from friendly forces, and even a relaxed public opinion. If we lack any one of these, we will be in a very passive position, and if we lack two of these, we will definitely fail."

Then he asked his generals, "Do we have these three things?"

"No." The generals shook their heads. The first two items were in the hands of military families, and the last one was in the hands of aristocratic families.

The Han people have none of these.

"You all know my real goal. At that time, we will need these three supports even more, none of which can be missing."

"If we monopolize everything now and prevent the military family from gaining prominence, and instead make them a laughingstock, do you think they won't sabotage us behind our backs? Spread rumors about us? Try to embarrass us?"

"That's almost certain, there are too many cases of conjunctivitis." Gongsun Lu sneered, "I heard Wei Fang's men talking about how Commander Chen just got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."

"Damn it, let them try to take on one of them if they dare!" The generals were instantly enraged upon hearing this.

"I'm telling you this not to stir up trouble, but to let you know—" Gongsun Lu said calmly:
"A tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind; a person who excels above others will be criticized by the masses. The lessons of the past are not far off, and we should not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Ren Yuan suddenly spoke up: "As long as the tree trunk is thick enough, it won't be afraid of the wind no matter how tall it is. As long as it is strong enough, no one will dare to criticize what it does!"

"Well said!" The generals perked up upon hearing this, and finally felt less aggrieved.

"That's right, what I like about A-Yuan is his youthful vigor, unlike us old men who have been worn down and bent over." Chen Qingzhi nodded approvingly, then said earnestly to everyone:

"The sacrifices we make now, the grievances we endure, are precisely so that we can grow stronger and more powerful, so that one day, as A-Yuan said, we can stop being subservient and hold our heads high!"

"Yes, Commander Chen!" The generals nodded solemnly, their faces no longer showing any dissatisfaction. It wasn't that they couldn't bear being wronged, but rather that they didn't want to continue to suffer injustice as if it were their due.

On the contrary, if it is so that they will not suffer injustice in the future, they can accept even if they have to endure ten or a hundred times more injustice.

"So, right now we can't compete with them for credit. We need to let them all get enough credit so they'll think that Xiao Chen is sensible and useful, and that they can use him again next time." Chen Qingzhi smiled at the generals, "Until one day, they will suddenly realize that Xiao Chen has become a towering tree. By then, it will be too late for them to trip us up."

"Yes, we understand Commander Chen's good intentions." The generals responded in unison, no longer uttering a single dissenting word.

"Actually, you're all being pretentious. The credit for capturing Shouyang is right there; who can steal it?" Gongsun Lu finally mocked these guys who got cocky after winning a battle.

"Hehe, what Mr. Gongsun said is true..." the generals chuckled awkwardly. Once they understood, it was naturally fine no matter what they said.

~~
At this time, news of the recapture of Shouyang reached Jiankang, and Xiao Yan was overjoyed.

"Haha, that's great!" The usually composed emperor snatched the military report and read it over and over again, his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head in a grin.

"Good, good, good! Shouyang has finally returned to Daliang!" "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Heaven blesses Daliang! Heaven blesses our Emperor!" The assembled officials who came to offer their congratulations hurriedly praised loudly.

"May Heaven protect us, may our ancestors protect us!" Xiao Yan raised the victory report high and declared boldly, "The Mandate of Heaven still rests on the Great Liang!"

"Yes, the Mandate of Heaven still rests with Daliang!" Prime Minister Xu Mian led his officials in a loud response.

He understood perfectly why the emperor was so overjoyed; this victory meant far too much—

First, Shouyang's strategic importance is undeniable. Taking Shouyang would not only eliminate the Northern Wei's threat to Jiankang, but would also allow them to directly threaten Luoyang.

Furthermore, precisely because Shouyang was so important, failing to capture it meant remaining in a defensive posture indefinitely. Therefore, after establishing his dynasty, Xiao Yan (Emperor Xiao Yan) meticulously planned to recapture Shouyang.

However, the Northern Dynasties spared no effort to protect Shouyang, which forced Emperor Xiao Yan to resort to the terrible idea of ​​building the Fushan Dam and flooding Shouyang.

Ultimately, the effort failed, and the collapse of the Fushan Dam nearly shook the very foundations of the nation.

From that point on, Xiao Yan no longer dared to hope that he could take Shouyang...

However, Chen Qingzhi managed to take it from him at a very low cost.

No matter how weak the opponent is, the value of Shouyang is undeniable. Taking it would be a tremendous victory, and it would finally put an end to the long-standing wound of Fushan Dam.

There is an even more subtle point: after the crushing defeat on New Year's Day, the emperor's and the court's prestige were completely overshadowed by Buddhism and the Buddhist religion.

We desperately need a victory of this significance to rebuild our prestige!
~~
There was actually one more thing Xu Mian hadn't considered. That was that Chen Qingzhi had proven himself worthy of being trusted, which was crucial to Xiao Yan's plan for a desperate counterattack!
In any case, the bad luck was swept away from the court, and everyone from the emperor to the officials finally came back to life.

Emperor Wu of Liang even announced in court that he would change the era name to Datong!
Although emperors in this era changed reign titles quite casually, they usually announced it in advance and changed the reign title the following year to avoid inconvenience. But Xiao Yan couldn't wait and decided to change the reign title immediately, regardless of anything else.

It's clear how much they want to shake off the bad luck of ordinary years...

He was naturally generous in rewarding Chen Qingzhi, who had made great contributions, and immediately issued an imperial edict to commend him, promoting him to the position of Director of the Eastern Palace and granting him the title of Marquis within the Pass!
The position of Donggong Zhige, a core post in the Crown Prince's guard system, is only ranked twelfth, but its actual influence far exceeds its rank because it is directly related to the safety of the heir apparent. Historically, it has been held by members of the imperial family and direct descendants of aristocratic clans, making it a truly prestigious and noble post. This is the first time it has been granted to a commoner.

The Marquis of Guannei was the eighth rank in the nine-rank nobility system of the Great Liang Dynasty, with a salary equivalent to 1,000 shi (a unit of grain). His rank was lower than that of the Marquis of Xiang, but higher than that of the Marquis of Ting.

Marquis of Guannei enjoyed a series of privileges, such as judicial immunity, exemption from corporal punishment for crimes other than treason, but a fine to atone for the crime; the eldest son of the legitimate wife could be granted the honorary title of "Commander of the Imperial Carriage" and receive half a salary; as well as special ceremonial honors, such as a carriage decorated with a blue canopy and a silver seal with a tortoise-shaped knob, and a rank above his peers in court assemblies.

These were privileges enjoyed only by members of the aristocratic class.

Furthermore, there was a distinction between a real and a nominal title of Marquis within the Pass. A real title granted the holder a fief, while a nominal title only provided a stipend without any land. The difference between the two was significant, as having a fief was one of the hallmarks of becoming a member of the gentry…

Chen Qingzhi's title was a real one, clearly indicating that the emperor was promoting him and placing him among the gentry.

So even though the promotions in official rank and title weren't huge, they helped Chen Qingzhi cross the insurmountable gap between the gentry and commoners, which was worthy of his contribution.

(End of this chapter)