My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and blessed with great fortune. You will surely be able to witness the arrival of a prosperous era."

Hua Tuo hesitated for a long time in the hall. After a fierce internal struggle, he finally mustered up his courage and gave a resolute answer.

His gaze was firm, and his eyes subtly revealed a resolute determination.

At this moment, Hua Tuo was already making a silent vow in his heart:
Even if Liu Bei's original fate was not to live to see the day his dream came true, he would still use all his knowledge and skills to help Liu Bei survive until that day.

Hearing Hua Tuo's affirmative answer, Liu Bei's tense nerves finally relaxed, and a long-lost smile of ease slowly appeared on his face.

It was a feeling of relief and relief.

"Your Majesty, Chang'an has been recovered! Chang'an has been recovered!"

Just then, an extremely ecstatic voice came from outside the hall, breaking the original tranquility inside.

Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, clutching a newly delivered battle report tightly in his hand, strode into the hall with barely suppressed joy on his face.

The phrase "Chang'an has been recovered" was like a powerful stimulant, instantly injecting into Liu Bei's heart.

Liu Bei, who had been sitting on the dragon throne looking somewhat tired, suddenly perked up and stood up abruptly.

"The good news is here, Your Majesty, please take a look!"

Zhuge Liang stepped forward and respectfully presented the battle report with both hands.

Liu Bei snatched the battle report, eagerly tore it open, and stared intently at every word, reading it carefully.

Every word and phrase was a delightful surprise in Liu Bei's eyes.

The battle report detailed:

Zhang He resolutely returned to Han and, at a crucial moment, set fire to the enemy's grain depot, causing Cao Cao's army to collapse in morale. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Cao Cao had no choice but to abandon the city and flee westward, but was intercepted by Ma Chao and Zhao Yun's army on the way. His 60,000 troops were almost completely wiped out, and Cao Cao was also hit by an arrow, his fate unknown...

The entire process of the recapture of Chang'an was clearly and plainly recorded in this victory report.

"Chang'an has been recovered! The Western Capital of the Han Dynasty has been recovered! It's recovered!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed, raised the battle report high with both hands, and shouted loudly.

In an instant, he was radiant, his previously pale face glowed with a rosy luster, and he looked several years younger.

"It must be said that Bowen's ability to see into people's hearts is still unparalleled throughout history."

"It was Bowen who predicted that Zhang He, under Cao Cao's command, would inevitably harbor rebellious intentions and defect to the Han, so that he could be used as an inside agent to quickly capture Chang'an with the help of both inside and outside forces."

"The greatest credit for this battle belongs to Mo Bowen. Without his strategy, the recapture of Chang'an would not have been so successful."

Zhuge Liang stood aside, watching the excited Liu Bei, and couldn't help but sigh and praise Xiao He's achievements.

Liu Bei nodded emphatically, his face full of agreement:

"For such a great achievement as recapturing Chang'an, I must reward Bowen handsomely. He has made such a great contribution to our Han Dynasty. If I do not give him a sufficient reward, I will feel really bad."

"Furthermore, Yun Chang, Yi De, and Zi Long have all made great contributions to the country and should all be rewarded."

However, when the topic of rewards came up, Zhuge Liang looked troubled and frowned slightly:

“But Bowen has already been granted the title of Marquis, which is the limit of the title. If we were to grant him a higher title, it seems that apart from increasing his fief, there is nothing more that can be granted.” Liu Bei frowned slightly, nodded gently, and fell into deep thought.

To recognize Xiao He's contributions, Liu Bei specially created the title of "Marquis" to reward him, as a sign of his recognition of Xiao He's achievements.

However, as the years passed, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others, with their ever-increasing merits, were all promoted to the rank of Marquis, equal to Xiao He.

The only difference is the amount of fiefdom.

Some had larger fiefs, while others had smaller ones, but overall, it was difficult to distinguish between them in terms of rank.

Besides their noble titles, Xiao He's position as Grand Marshal and Guan Yu's position as Grand General were already at the pinnacle of their positions, leaving them with no room for advancement in the imperial court.

As Zhuge Liang said, apart from increasing their fiefs, it seemed there was no other way to give Xiao He and the others more rewards to recognize their contributions.

But how can simply increasing their fiefdoms fully reflect their enormous contributions?
"Simply increasing their fiefs is not enough. If I were to be so stingy with the great achievement of recapturing Chang'an, wouldn't that discourage Bowen and the other generals?"

Liu Bei muttered to himself as he paced slowly through the hall, his brow furrowed, lost in deep thought.

After pondering for a long time, a resolute glint suddenly flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. He stopped and looked up at Zhuge Liang:

"Prime Minister, I intend to issue an edict to confer the title of Duke upon Bowen. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang was taken aback, his eyes filled with shock and astonishment.

Liu Bei actually wanted to grant Xiao He the title of Duke!
It should be noted that since Wang Mang usurped the Han throne as the Duke of Anhan, the title of Duke has no longer been granted to subjects of other surnames, and has become a kind of taboo.

In people's minds, being granted a title by someone outside the official family seems to imply a plot to usurp the throne.

Cao Cao broke this taboo, first calling himself Duke of Wei, then King of Wei, and gradually embarking on the path to becoming emperor.

For this reason, the granting of titles to non-royal individuals seemed to have become a signal that powerful ministers were about to usurp the throne, causing people all over the world to turn pale at the mere mention of it.

In his early years, Liu Bei was wary of this, which is why he abandoned the idea of ​​granting Xiao He the title of Duke and instead created the title of Marquis of a Commandery to avoid unnecessary criticism.

Zhuge Liang never expected that, after many years, Liu Bei would revive this idea and intend to confer a duke title upon Xiao He.

"Given Bowen's contributions, he certainly deserves the title of Duke, but..."

Zhuge Liang changed the subject, but his expression showed unease. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"I fear that Your Majesty's conferment of the title of Duke on Bowen will invite criticism from the people and make Bowen feel uneasy."

Liu Bei naturally understood the implication of Zhuge Liang's words.

Once a duke is enfeoffed, he must establish a state, becoming a state within a state of the Han Dynasty. He can appoint his own officials, recruit soldiers, and possess immense autonomy.

If Xiao He were a member of the imperial clan, that would be one thing, but he was an outsider.

What will people say if someone from another family is granted a fiefdom and establishes a state?
This will undoubtedly put Xiao He in the eye of the storm, making him the target of everyone's attacks.

Isn't this putting Xiao He on the hot seat?

Even if you were to bestow such a reward, with Xiao He's wisdom, I'm afraid he would firmly decline it and dare not accept your reward.

Xiao He was well aware of the implications of this situation and would not easily accept a reward that could bring him trouble.

Liu Bei smiled and said unhurriedly:
"Prime Minister, rest assured, I have a way to achieve the best of both worlds." (End of Chapter)