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

"Alright, let's follow Bowen's plan and wait patiently for a while longer."

Guan Yu's gaze was deep, and he had already seen through his son-in-law's profound plans. Naturally, he had no reason not to comply.

At that moment, Guan Yu picked up his pen and ink, wrote a letter, and immediately sent it to Jieting.

In the letter, he strictly ordered Ma Chao and Deng Ai to continue to hold Jieting and to wear down the remaining national strength of Wei through a protracted war.

The letter had just been sent away by the guards when another guard rushed in with a tense expression, saying that the imperial envoy Jiang Wan had arrived in Chang'an and had come to read the emperor's edict.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao He and the other ministers hurriedly got up, tidied their clothes, and went out of the mansion to welcome Jiang Wan's arrival.

In terms of status and position, they were all influential figures in the imperial court, far surpassing Jiang Wan.

However, Jiang Wan was carrying out her special role as an angel, representing Emperor Liu Bei. The group understood this and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Shortly afterward, all the officials in Chang'an gathered at the Grand Marshal's residence.

The crowd wore various expressions, each trying to decipher the contents of the imperial edict.

Dressed in official robes, Jiang Wan solemnly unfolded the imperial edict, holding it in his hand, and then read it aloud:

"The Grand Marshal has rendered meritorious service in pacifying Guanzhong, and his achievements are recorded in history. He is hereby granted the title of Duke of Liang, with a fief of ten thousand households, in recognition of his outstanding merit."

These words shocked everyone present.

"General Guan Yu, with unparalleled loyalty and bravery and outstanding military achievements, is hereby granted the title of Duke of Jin."

"General of Chariots and Cavalry Zhao Yun has repeatedly performed extraordinary feats and has been granted the title of Duke of Zhao."

"General Zhang Fei, the Cavalry General, is hereby granted the title of Duke of Yan..."

As Jiang Wan read out the titles and honors one by one, not only Xiao He, but also Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei and others were all greatly surprised, their faces filled with disbelief.

No one expected that the emperor would bestow such a generous title upon them.

He was directly promoted to Duke!
This was an unprecedented honor in all previous dynasties.

It should be noted that since the Han Dynasty, only those powerful ministers who harbored treacherous intentions and plotted to usurp the throne, such as Wang Mang and Cao Cao, dared to call themselves "Duke".

The title of Duke was a kind of taboo in the Han Dynasty.

Once someone claims to be a duke, it's like sending a signal of rebellion to the world, meaning that the next step is very likely to be to declare himself king and usurp the throne.

Therefore, Xiao He and the others were naturally shocked and puzzled by Liu Bei's act of bestowing titles upon them, and their hearts were in turmoil.

"Duke of Liang, Duke of Jin, why don't you all accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude?"

After reading the imperial edict aloud, Jiang Wan, with a gentle smile on his face, presented it to the group of people.

Xiao He and the others stood up, looking at each other with hesitation and concern in their eyes, but none of them dared to accept the order.

Jiang Wan saw the source of their concerns and explained the reason with a smile:

"In addition to bestowing titles upon the dukes, His Majesty also bestowed the title of Duke of Qi upon Prime Minister Zhuge. Furthermore, meritorious officials such as Gan Xingba, Huang Hansheng, and Wei Wenchang were all granted titles of either duke or county duke according to their merits."

"However, whether it is a Duke or a County Duke, it is only a title and a fief, but it does not mean that a country can be established. You can rest assured to accept the decree."

Upon hearing this, Xiao He suddenly understood and was deeply moved by the emperor's painstaking efforts.

It turned out that the emperor wanted to reward them for their achievements in pacifying Guanzhong, but he was facing the dilemma of having no one left to bestow titles upon.

In the traditional system of bestowing titles, it is difficult to find a higher rank to recognize their achievements.

Thus, the emperor devised this groundbreaking method of bestowing titles, granting only the title of duke but not the actual fiefdom.

The objective was very clear: to avoid putting them in a difficult position, to prevent them from becoming objects of suspicion for the world, and to avoid repeating the mistakes of Wang Mang and Cao Cao.

To put it bluntly, from this day forward, the title of Duke is merely an honorary title, unlike the previous Dukes who possessed the power to establish a state and appoint officials. Of course, besides the honorary title, the Emperor also bestowed tangible benefits, namely, a fief.

Xiao He's fiefdom has increased to an unprecedented level, reaching ten thousand households.

Such generous rewards are enough to demonstrate the emperor's high regard for them.

"Your subject, Xiao He, thanks Your Majesty for your great favor!"

Having understood Lao Liu's good intentions, Xiao He had no more worries and immediately knelt on one knee, accepting the imperial edict with both hands.

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and the others reacted a little slower, but when they saw Xiao He accept the title calmly, they immediately understood.

Filled with gratitude, they all knelt on one knee, accepted the imperial edict, and thanked the emperor in unison:
"I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness!"

"Gongyan, how is the Emperor's health lately?"

Upon receiving the imperial edict, Guan Yu, preoccupied with his elder brother's health, first inquired about Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan sighed, shook her head helplessly, and looked worried.

"The Emperor's health has been deteriorating lately, and he has been summoning Imperial Physician Hua to the palace more and more often. However, after learning of the victory in the recapture of Guanzhong, the Emperor was greatly encouraged and his health seemed to have improved slightly."

Upon hearing Liu Bei's condition, Guan Yu frowned, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.

He and Liu Bei were as close as brothers, and now seeing his elder brother so weak and helpless, he was filled with pain.

Zhang Fei, the third brother, was also heartbroken and wished he could share his lifespan with Liu Bei so that his elder brother could live a long life.

"My lords, before Wan came to Chang'an, the Prime Minister asked me to convey to you that, if possible, you should pacify Liangzhou and Shu as soon as possible, so that His Majesty can see the day when the world is unified."

Jiang Wan spoke solemnly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Xiao He and the others were startled, immediately understanding the unspoken meaning behind Zhuge Liang's words.

They knew in their hearts that the emperor's time was near and he wouldn't last much longer.

At this critical moment, they had to seize the time and quickly destroy the Wei and Shu kingdoms so that the emperor could see the unification of the world in his lifetime and fulfill his wish.

This is their responsibility and duty as subjects.

Xiao He understood Zhuge Liang's meaning, and then said solemnly:

"Gongyan, go back and tell Kongming that we know what to do. His Majesty will surely see the day when the world is unified. We will do our utmost to live up to His Majesty's expectations!"

Jiang Wan was relieved and, not daring to linger, immediately took her leave.

"The Emperor's kindness to us is truly something we can never repay, even if it means dying a thousand deaths!"

Guan Yu held the sacred object, his heart filled with countless emotions.

"That old celestial eye, why is it so blind? Such a wise ruler as the emperor, couldn't he live to be a hundred years old?"

Zhang Fei was also full of complaints and started cursing the heavens.

Only Zhao Yun calmly replied:
"It seems that the war to conquer Wei and destroy Shu can no longer be delayed; we must take action."

Guan Yu wholeheartedly agreed, stroking his beard as he said:

“Zilong is right. Liangzhou is doing well. We have captured Jieting and opened up the situation. We can launch a major offensive into Liangzhou at any time.”

"But regarding the Shu region, Bowen, should we remain neutral and observe?"

All eyes turned to Xiao He. (End of Chapter)