Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 281 How could a general be granted the post of Du You!
October 22nd, the first year of the Hanxing era.

Inside the Anxi General's mansion, Zhu Jun slowly woke up from his bed, feeling dizzy and throbbing in his head.

Oh, he remembered.

Last night, a banquet was held to entertain the virtuous scholars and officials of Luoyang. During the banquet, he had a pleasant conversation with a group of famous scholars and also arranged a marriage between his second son, Zhu Fu, and the eldest daughter of Sima Fang, the Commandant of the City Gate.

Upon thinking of this, Zhu Jun couldn't help but want to burst into laughter.

Unexpectedly, he, a poor scholar from Jiangzuo, was able to form a marriage alliance with a prestigious family like the Sima clan of Henan.

It's a pity that Zhu Fu is now serving as the prefect of Cangwu County in Jiaozhou. Otherwise, this young man would surely be happy too. He would also be saddened that his wife passed away two years ago, and he was unable to personally experience this joy or witness Zhu Fu's marriage to the noblewoman of the Sima family in Henan.

Zhu Jun rubbed his temples, and with the help of his maids, he bathed and changed his clothes before going to the main hall to prepare for breakfast.

The grand main hall was deserted, a stark contrast to the bustling scene of clinking glasses and a full house of distinguished guests the previous night.

After his wife passed away two years ago, he has been too busy to remarry in the past two years. Only his two concubines are still in Liangzhou, slowly making their way to Luoyang. His eldest son, Zhu Hao, is also serving as the prefect of Wu County in Yangzhou. Now, he is all alone in the huge mansion, and a sense of desolation and loneliness quietly creeps into his heart.

But it doesn't matter, he has invited many famous people to a banquet tonight.

Zhu Jun muttered to himself, trying to dispel the unpleasant feeling.

Moreover, Zhu Hao's wife, the eldest son, passed away last year after giving birth, as her health gradually deteriorated. This is a good opportunity to find a good marriage for Hao'er, a daughter of a noble family.

Now he is a general of Anxi with a salary of two thousand shi, and his two sons are also prefects with a salary of two thousand shi. The father and sons are three people with a salary of two thousand shi!

Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will surely witness his grandchildren grow up. Even if they are of mediocre talent, they can still be granted a position with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) through the legacy of him and his two sons.

If three generations of the Zhu family held the official rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure), then the Zhu family of Kuaiji would be among the aristocratic families that held the rank of 2,000 shi for generations.

Of course, such newly established aristocratic families have shallow foundations and need to marry into families that have inherited classical studies in order to obtain the family tradition. Only in this way can they truly join the ranks of famous families that have inherited classical studies, and only in this way can the Zhu family of Kuaiji prosper for a long time!
Thinking of the bright future of the Zhu family of Kuaiji, Zhu Jun felt increasingly pleased. He drank a mouthful of warm meat soup, looking quite confident.

"Master," the old man quietly entered the hall and bowed to report, "the Palace Attendant Gao has arrived to deliver the Emperor's edict."

Zhu Jun frowned slightly, put down his chopsticks, and although he didn't know what the emperor's decree was, he still prepared to personally welcome Gao Wang.

Zhu Jun had just gotten up and taken a few steps when he suddenly realized that this was inappropriate. So he stopped and stood still with his hands behind his back, and ordered the old man to lead Gao Wang into the main hall.

The old man looked at Zhu Jun and asked if it was inappropriate to treat the emperor's confidant so disrespectfully, but Zhu Jun did not think so; he had his own reasons.

Although Gao Wang was a close minister of the emperor and a virtuous eunuch, he was still an eunuch after all. If he wanted the Zhu family of Kuaiji to become a noble family, how could he be close to eunuchs? This would be despised by his scholar friends, and the Zhu family of Kuaiji would inevitably be criticized for being close to eunuchs, which would only cause controversy.

The old man opened his mouth, as if to say something, but saw Zhu Jun's face darken, and he scolded, "Go immediately!"

The elder dared not say anything more and silently withdrew.

A moment later, he led Gao Wang to the main hall. Gao Wang did not see Zhu Jun come out to greet him, but his face remained calm and he still had a businesslike expression.

Upon entering the hall, Gao Wang unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and said in a calm and steady voice, "General Zhu Gongwei of Anxi, receive the imperial decree!"

Zhu Jun looked at Gao Wang standing in the hall, removed his crown and hat, and knelt down to show his respect for the emperor, saying, "Your subject Zhu Gongwei receives the imperial decree."

"I have heard that the Xiting region has suffered a famine, with crops failing to yield a harvest. You have been ordered to enter Shu to carry out divine punishment, and with battle imminent, how can you afford to hesitate? I am now relocating your fief to Duyuting, a place of fertile land and abundant granaries. This is to ensure the well-being of your family and alleviate any worries you may have, allowing you to focus solely on your campaigns and achieve unparalleled success. You must deeply understand my intentions and strive diligently!"

Zhu Jun was overjoyed upon hearing this!

The opera pavilion is located in Jingzhaoyin, a plain where the Wei River and the Yellow River meet, an absolutely fertile place.

He was unaware of whether the opera pavilion had suffered a poor harvest, and he didn't care.

During the Han Dynasty, marquises did not have the right to govern their fiefdoms. The imperial court would distribute the annual income from their fiefdoms directly to the marquises as a salary at the end of each year.

However, it's unlikely the Emperor would deceive his general, who is about to lead the campaign into Shu, on this issue. Moreover, Duyu Pavilion belongs to the jurisdiction of Chang'an, the western capital, and was once the site of the imperial gardens during the Former Han Dynasty. The land is undoubtedly fertile, and the political significance and favor it symbolizes are exactly the same as when Gao Wang was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhangxiang!
It seems that the Emperor has seen and remembered his hard work in guarding the border in Liangzhou over the past two years. So his hard work in Liangzhou over the past two years has not been in vain!

Gao Wang remained expressionless. After Zhu Jun thanked him and stood up, he handed him the imperial edict according to protocol. His every word and action was extremely formulaic, without a single superfluous word of congratulations. He then turned and left.

Zhu Jun paid no attention to this, and simply carefully put the imperial edict away.

The old man standing nearby looked worried and whispered, "Master, it seems that Attendant Gao is... somewhat displeased."

This Attendant Gao, who had served the emperor since childhood, never embezzled money or accepted gifts or invitations from officials outside the capital. However, after conveying imperial decrees, he would always offer his congratulations.

However, he did not form deep friendships with people. His social circle seemed to consist only of the emperor, his adopted son, and a few godchildren.

However, his silent departure today clearly indicates that he was unhappy!
"What can he do if he's unhappy?" Zhu Jun waved his hand dismissively, his tone slightly disdainful. "Although the emperor favors him, he is a wise ruler. How can he be misled by this eunuch?"

Zhu Jun noticed the worry still on his elder's face, and his eyes couldn't help but show a hint of impatience.

Considering that the other party was a trusted confidant who had followed him for many years, he ultimately did not speak harshly, but felt that the person's thinking was too outdated and timid.

The Zhu family of Kuaiji is now a rising new aristocratic family, and should stride forward with its head held high. Why should it hesitate and look back like this?
Suddenly, Zhu Jun remembered something else, chuckled, and said, "Go, spread the word that I didn't personally greet that eunuch today, causing him dissatisfaction. Let those scholars see what kind of integrity and character I, Zhu Gongwei, possess!"

The old man sighed inwardly, knowing that the head of the family had already developed a grudge against him.

He wanted to remind Zhu Jun that it was alright if he didn't treat Gao Wang with proper courtesy when they met on ordinary days.

However, Gao Wang is now serving as the messenger of the imperial edict, representing the majesty of the emperor, not merely as a eunuch. To neglect the messenger of the imperial edict would be unwise.

But just as the old man mustered the courage to offer his advice, he heard Zhu Jun enthusiastically instruct: "Tonight's banquet must be well prepared. Jian Gonggong (Sima Fang) likes to sit on a cashmere cushion; Zilong Gonggong (Shentu Pan) is simple-minded, so a bamboo mat will suffice; Ziyan Gonggong (Huang Wan) likes to eat young venison..."

Zhu Jun rattled off the guests' preferences as if they were his own treasures, looking quite pleased with himself.

The old man was startled upon hearing this.

The head of the family was able to record the preferences of each famous person in such detail!

This made him think that the current emperor was also so familiar with the temperament of his subjects. Was the head of the household imitating the emperor?

He shook his head inwardly, feeling that it was just a poor imitation.

The emperor is the sovereign and father, and showing respect and humility to the virtuous is the mark of a true ruler.

Zhu Jun, serving as a minister alongside these renowned scholars, would appear obsequious in his deliberate attempts to please them.

Such flattery... Are you the Emperor's General of Anxi, or the scholar's General of Anxi?

Moreover, the head of the family has been back in the capital for fourteen days. The court's original intention should have been to have him go south as soon as possible to prepare for the conquest of the southern regions. It is really inappropriate for him to stay in the capital and not do his job properly but instead make friends with scholars!
However, seeing Zhu Jun dressed in magnificent robes, meticulously grooming his beard with a jade comb, his face full of anticipation for tonight's banquet, the old man could only silently lower his eyes, turning his worries into a silent sigh.

The smug and self-satisfied General Anxi before me is no longer the patriarch who was pleased by my advice back then.

He will no longer listen to my advice.

Well, he's sixty years old this year, it's time for him to rest.

Tomorrow he will bid farewell to the head of the family and return to his hometown to retire.

(2532 words)
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P.S.: I'm really sorry, dear readers. I drank too much while entertaining clients yesterday. As usual, I will make up for the missed updates. I will also add more updates last month when I got over 1000 monthly votes. Please trust the author's credibility!

(End of this chapter)