Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 396: Promotion to a higher position
Late September, late autumn.

The first official delegation from the Great Qian Dynasty to exchange ideas with the Demon Realm returned to the capital, weary from their journey.

Ironically, it only took a month from departure to return, but the journey back took more than half a month.

The journey actually takes that long, but while most of the delegation members were still hesitating on their way, the chief envoy had already arrived ahead of time and taken care of most of the work.

This time, the envoy did not take advantage of his ability to fly to leave the main group behind, but obediently followed the group.

After all, Vice Envoy Sheng's face was so sour it looked like she had swallowed several rotten melons, and she felt that if Envoy Lu dared to run around again, she would probably chop off his head.

Sheng Yuanyao's expression improved slightly upon seeing the fallen leaves on the outskirts of the capital, and the entire delegation also showed relaxed expressions.

Sending an envoy to an enemy country has always been a very dangerous mission. Not only is there a constant risk of being beheaded by the enemy's tyrant, but the journey itself is also unsafe, with high mountains and long roads, and unexpected events frequently occurring.

Therefore, a successful mission is generally considered a great achievement, as long as the mission is completed properly and in accordance with regulations, and can lead to a promotion and a raise.

The so-called expected task should have been exceeded.

Originally, this mission was just a formality. Even if it were just a stroll through the demon capital and a return with a signed and stamped letter of credence, it would be considered a completed mission, and no one would care what you actually did. But instead, they brought back a large quantity of crop seeds unique to the demon realm, as well as some designated body-tempering techniques, elevating this mission to a level far beyond their capabilities.

Oh, and I brought back two more things: a pig and a Chen Yu.

Ah Nuo didn't ride the pig; she held it like a pet to avoid arousing suspicion. Chen Yu was escorted back as a traitor.

Bringing a traitor back from an enemy country is a remarkable achievement, something most missions can't do... Although Chen Yu, who was brought back, was somewhat dazed and seemed to have lost his mind... Even a traitor who has lost his mind is still a great achievement.

He witnessed many things, but the immense role Lu Xingzhou played in this battle, seen from outside the sacred mountain, was something he couldn't tell Gu Zhanting; it would only drive him to madness.

Chen Yu, once considered a prodigy, has come to an end, all because someone made up a name for him...

When they entered the city, the morning court session had not yet ended. Upon hearing that the delegation had returned, Gu Zhanting was "overjoyed" and immediately summoned the chief and deputy envoys to court for an audience.

Sheng Yuanyao pouted, feeling confused... Although she was the one who was tied up by the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon Emperor had been ridden by Lu Xingzhou all night. Suddenly, she felt that Gu Zhanting's arrogant summons of Lu Xingzhou to an audience was a bit clownish.

Are you worthy?
To be honest, Lu Xingzhou's situation back in Daqian was definitely more aggrieved than in the Demon Realm. In the Demon Realm, he could practically command the wind and rain, but in Daqian, he was treated as a junior by countless court officials and had a lot of trivial matters to deal with.

But Lu Xingzhou still wants to come back.

Because of Shen Tang? Because of the Imperial Advisor? Because of Pei Chuyun? Was Sheng Yuanyao also partly responsible?

Turning to look at Lu Xingzhou, who was still smiling slightly, he simply arranged for Anuo to go back and rest before going to court with Sheng Yuanyao.

Unlike in TV dramas, kneeling was not customary when attending court in ancient times. Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao entered the court and bowed deeply in front of a group of high-ranking officials: "Lu Xingzhou, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Sheng Yuanyao, General of Eagle Soaring, have returned from their mission to the Demon Realm and are reporting to His Majesty."

In fact, Sheng Yuanyao, a general with a miscellaneous title, was of a much higher rank than Lu Xingzhou, a lousy doctor, yet he was only the deputy envoy in the mission, which shows how casual this mission was.

Gu Zhanting gestured for the eunuch to take the official letter from Lu Xingzhou and said with a smile, "I heard that you two ministers brought back a lot of seeds of special crops this time, as well as the traitor Chen Yu."

"Yes, the Dragon Emperor was moved by Your Majesty's sincerity in seeking reconciliation, hence this decision," Lu Xingzhou replied earnestly.

Sheng Yuanyao glanced at her sideways.

Gu Zhanting laughed: "No need to be modest, I am well aware of your contributions. However, I have heard that there has been internal strife in the Demon Realm these days, and you happen to be in the Demon Capital. Do you know the details?"

Ye Tinglan's spies in the Demon Capital were unaware of Lu Xingzhou's role in the internal strife, and Gu Zhanting's spies were naturally unaware as well. However, he knew that Sheng Yuanyao had led a group to raid the rebels' homes, which was strange and inexplicable.

Sheng Yuanyao naturally knew what he wanted to ask, and said casually, "We certainly don't know the specific details... At that time, we found the whereabouts of the traitor Chen Yu, and took advantage of their internal strife to search for Chen Yu."

It sounded grand and dignified, but even if you asked the other members of the delegation, you would only get this answer, since they didn't know what was going on either.

Gu Zhanting didn't suspect anything; on the contrary, he was quite impressed: "She can seize the opportunity and is very decisive. A good daughter raised by Minister Sheng."

Sheng Qingfeng was laughing so hard his mouth was crooked.

Gu Zhanting then asked Lu Xingzhou, "I heard you treat the dragons?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "Exchanging alchemy techniques with their body-forging methods is the proper course of action, and that's why I was chosen as the envoy. The dragon clan requests treatment, so we should respond accordingly." Outsiders were equally unaware of the situation, and Gu Zhanting had only asked casually to indicate that he was aware of what had happened. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said, "Don't talk about responding. If you're going to treat them, then treat them. You should still show some magnanimity and let their witch doctors know that the alchemy of the Great Qian Dynasty is not comparable to that of their barbaric lands."

Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty's insight is profound."

Sheng Yuanyao once again felt that the emperor, whom she had once looked up to with such reverence, was somewhat like... well, you know.

Many monarchs throughout history have been deceived by their subordinates, and this is probably the case.

Gu Zhanting asked, "What does the Prime Minister think is the best way to reward the delegation for their contributions?"

Pei Qingyan stepped forward: "This is no ordinary mission, but the first mission in a thousand years to communicate with the Demon Realm. It is of great significance and has made pioneering contributions. Moreover, the Dragon Emperor's cruelty is known to all. It is even more commendable that Physician Lu and General Sheng were able to maintain the dignity of the nation in front of the Dragon Emperor. They also captured the traitor Chen Yu and brought him back to the country, comforting the spirits of the soldiers in the northern frontier... I believe that this achievement is outstanding and he is worthy of being promoted three ranks."

Gu Zhanting's cheek twitched. He hadn't expected that Pei Qingyan, who was usually so reliable, would slip up this time and actually give them such a big credit.

What does it mean to be promoted to the third rank? Don't underestimate Sheng Yuanyao's title of general. It's already quite impressive to have a general's title. Does being promoted to the third rank mean she has to be a general who conquers and pacifies four regions? Just imagine a girl who has just turned twenty-one becoming the General Who Pacifies the South, that's a lot to think about... And Lu Xingzhou's position as a physician is already quite high. He's already a mid-level official in the Six Ministries. Does this mean he has to become a vice minister? A vice minister at twenty-one? Why don't you just become a minister?

This is just a mission; anyone who doesn't know the situation would think it's about expanding territory by thousands of miles.

The situation is quite delicate this time. Pei Qingyan has a high status, and ordinary people would not easily refute him. Usually, the only one who would do that would be Huo Xingyuan... But now that "Huo Shang" is promoting him, would Huo Xingyuan just suppress him?
Moreover, this rebuttal not only offended Pei Qingyan, but also the Imperial Preceptor, who was, after all, a "disciple of the Imperial Preceptor." Even though the Imperial Preceptor didn't attend court, who dared to ignore her influence?

Then there's Sheng Qingfeng, glaring at the assembled officials... This is the merit his only daughter risked her life for, let's see which bastard dares to contradict him.

Fortunately, no one needed to refute this. If Gu Zhanting really judged merits in this way, he would be ridiculous. He pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Lu Xingzhou, the Dragon Emperor appointed you as the Viscount of Danxia County, is that right?"

Lu Xingzhou quickly replied, "It's just a provocation."

Gu Zhanting nodded: "That's because she offered the price. How could I be stingy with her? From this day forward, you are the true Lady of Danxia County."

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Okay, forget about the man. But that place is now your daughter's territory, what are you going to do about it?
Gu Zhanting added, "The original position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was merely a temporary measure and had no specific authority. Now, I am actually serving as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites' Department of Receptions."

A substantive position, in today's terms it would be equivalent to a director-general in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a full director-general, at the ministerial level. Sounds impressive... However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Great Qian Dynasty is basically meaningless, just like the Demon Realm. The absence of the Court of State Ceremonies for so many years hasn't affected anything, because there are practically no foreign relations with any country.

The Great Qian Dynasty does have connections with overseas countries, but these are extremely rare; there might not be an envoy exchange even once every seven or eight years. The country with relatively more frequent exchanges is the Western Tian Shuang Kingdom… In other words, you could consider this Bureau of Guests as being solely responsible for dealing with Si Han, but how often does Si Han actually interact with the Great Qian Dynasty? The entire Bureau probably only has three to five people.

Of course, it can't be said that Gu Zhanting gave him this position out of some ulterior motive. After all, dealing with the Demon Realm is a key focus now, and this position is becoming increasingly important. It is also particularly suitable for Lu Xingzhou to do, so it can be considered a legitimate consideration.

It seems Pei Qingyan wanted to tear the roof off right away, which is why Gu Zhanting opened the window so quickly.

Old fox Pei is still reliable.

"As for General Yingyang..." Gu Zhanting pondered for a moment, "I intended to entrust him with the defense of a region, but now that he has returned weary from his journey, I suppose Minister Sheng would not want his beloved daughter to leave again. She can stay at home with her parents for the time being. I will discuss the specific location with Minister Sheng separately."

Sheng Qingfeng quickly stepped forward: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

If the emperor announces it in court, then this general's official position is set in stone and there will be no changes. As for what good position to give his daughter, that still needs to be considered...

Gu Zhanting smiled again: "I bestow upon you a precious sword, a thousand spirit stones, and a royal collection of martial arts techniques, any one of the first rank or lower."

Sheng Qingfeng was overjoyed. He glanced at his daughter, but saw that her smile was a little stiff, and she was reluctant to perform the curtsy: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

You can choose any item below the first rank... To be honest, although that stinky mother dragon is repulsive, she is not stingy at all. You can freely flip through the sacred mountain's books. In comparison, this place is utterly boring.

Gu Zhanting had no idea that his generous gesture would be met with indignation. He continued, "The rest of the delegation will receive rewards, which can be decided by the Ministry of Personnel. There's no need to report to me. By the way, Minister Lu, I previously bestowed upon you a residence in the capital. Minister Huo handled the arrangements, and the residence should be ready by now... You two might as well have a chat."

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at Huo Xingyuan, who was giving him a kind smile.

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Then... I'll have to trouble you, Lord Marquis."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: This is the first chapter of the first volume. Still asking for monthly votes!
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