Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 277: Rewards and the Twenty-Four Meritorious Officials of the Zhaoxun Pavilion?!

An army of 100,000 men annihilated the kingdom of Jiaozhi!
The 26th day of the eighth month of the fifth year of the Xifeng era.

Chenqiao Post Station.

Red lacquered copper rings and animal head-shaped door handles.

Lanterns hang from the eaves, bells dangle from the flying horns.

The bells and chimes resounded, and the people bowed in unison.

The three-foot-high gate bears the inscription "Chenqiao," seemingly written by a great man. The brushstrokes are unrestrained and powerful, conveying a sense of vigorous and elegant calligraphy.

Extending from the post station to the official road, thousands of imperial guards stood solemnly on guard, with swords at their waists, armor covering their bodies, and spears and iron shields in hand. There was one guard every three steps and a sentry every five steps, creating an extremely imposing scene.

About ten steps to the left of the official road, there was a large locust tree, large enough for ten people to encircle, with lush branches and leaves that blocked out the sun.

Centered around this, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Imperial Brother-in-Law and Imperial Son-in-Law, the Ministers of the Six Ministries, the Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Ministers of the Nine Courts, the Hanlin Academicians, and the Censor-in-Chief were appointed.
There were about thirty or forty civil and military officials, all mounted on horses, holding the reins, and lined up in an orderly fashion.

All thirty or forty of these people were, without exception, figures who commanded respect in their respective regions.

The leader, who appeared to be in his thirties, wore a sable crown, a purple robe, and a gold belt with the words "a loyal and capable minister who assists in governance" written on it. Every move he made exuded the imposing presence of a superior, and he was none other than Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao!
The Grand Chancellor, a high-ranking official in purple robes!

The reason why such a lineup gathered at Chenqiao Station is self-evident.

Welcoming the Emperor's procession and congratulating his triumphant return!
Since the border army's great victory, news about the emperor's movements has been constantly being relayed to the capital.

However, basically nothing has changed.

In March, the border army won a great victory.

In April, the royal army returned in triumph.

May, June, July.
At the end of August, news finally arrived that the royal army was about to enter the capital!
From beginning to end, the triumphant return of the royal army alone took about 150 days.

In terms of the time it took to enter Beijing, it was quite slow, almost twice as long as other armies that returned in triumph.

However, this is not surprising.

The key difference is that a great victory for the monarch is different from a great victory for the military general.

The distance from Guangnan West Road to Bianjing is approximately two thousand li.

After a great victory, military generals are eager to return to the capital and relinquish their military power, fearing that their achievements will overshadow the emperor.

This means that traveling two thousand miles can be accomplished in just sixty or seventy days.

However, the monarch had no concern about the powerful and influential lords overshadowing him.

With a rare and great victory for the army, and no fear of the emperor's powerful achievements, the monarch would naturally prefer to prolong the time of the triumphant return and spread influence along the way to consolidate the country.

Therefore, the army's itinerary will most likely be as follows:

One day, they marched forty li (approximately 20 kilometers).

The next day, they arrived at a county and the army took a temporary rest.

For three days, the government reassured officials and the people, and spread news of the great victory.

Four days later, they continued marching forty li.

On the fifth day, we arrived at a county.
Thus, the army sometimes marched rapidly, and sometimes rested temporarily, repeating this cycle continuously.

This means that it takes three days to march only about forty li, which is much slower than a military general's sixty or seventy days to march more than two thousand li.

Fortunately, although it's slow, at least there's some progress on the itinerary.

Just yesterday, military news arrived that the royal army had temporarily rested at Chenqiao Post Station.

Therefore, a group of important officials, led by Jiang Zhao, came to pay their respects first.

Generally speaking, when a monarch returns in triumph, there are two main places to welcome him.

One is the South Gate.

One is Chenqiao Post Station.

Among them, Nanxun Gate was one of the twenty-one outer city gates and was the fixed place where officials would welcome the emperor.

Chenqiao Post Station, however, has a special political significance. It is about 20 or 30 miles from the capital and is usually the place where high-ranking officials and ministers in purple robes pay their respects to the emperor.

The air is filled with the fragrance of locust blossoms as the sun rises.

"Boom-"

"Boom-"

"Boom-"

The bells and chimes rang out in unison, and the drums thundered.

In the middle of the official road, three grand ceremonial guards—banners, drums, and axes—led the way. Six pure-colored steeds pulled the carriage, and twenty-four "charioteers" supported it. The jade chariot with dragon and phoenix patterns rose gently and began to move slowly.

"Zichuan, Zihua".

“Zhonghuai, Zichun”.

At a call, Jiang Zhao and Han Jiang exchanged a glance, took the reins, and rode their horses to the left of the imperial carriage.

Gu Tingye and Wang Shao followed suit, riding their horses to the right of the imperial carriage.

The remaining civil and military officials were ranked according to their merits and official positions, and lined up one by one.

"Enter the capital."

A shout.

More than 30,000 troops marched forth in a mighty procession!
Banners fluttered, bells and drums resounded!
Wende Hall.

A dragon coils around a pillar, and palace lanterns hang from the eaves.

Civil and military officials stood in orderly rows.

The civil and military officials, led by Gu Tingye and Wang Shao, stood in the center, hands clasped in solemn silence.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying, wearing a dragon robe, stood with his hands resting on his knees, gazing downwards.

"Since the beginning of February, I have led a southern expedition to Jiaozhi, crossing the malarial mountains, fording the crocodile streams, attacking the enemy's formations, destroying their capital, pacifying their territory, and finally bringing them back to our homeland. This is truly a blessing from the ancestral temples and the people."

Zhao Ceying sighed, “I remember when we led our troops south, the people of Lingnan were scorched by the heat, the jungles were filled with miasma, and the barbarians of Jiaozhi stubbornly resisted. We struggled to survive for a time, on the verge of defeat and on the verge of collapse.”

"Fortunately, the military had capable ministers who offered strategies to defeat the enemy, braving obstacles and crossing streams to clear paths; the civil officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue transported grain across the Five Ridges, ensuring that the army never ran out of food."

"As the saying goes, one must be able to govern the country with literary skills and pacify the borders with military prowess. The officials in the capital have also made great contributions, especially the chief ministers and senior ministers, who have pacified the nation and secured the country, so that I have no worries about the north."

"Furthermore, the Grand Chancellor has implemented reforms and reforms, eliminating corrupt practices, enriching the country and strengthening its military. His contributions are to me and to the nation!"

Zhao Ceying waved his hand and said loudly, "The credit for this achievement belongs to me, but also to the Grand Chancellor, the meritorious officials who expanded the borders, and all the civil and military officials. It is not the result of my efforts alone, but the result of the concerted efforts of the nation and the unity of the ruler and his subjects!"

"Merit must be rewarded! The merit of expanding territory must be generously rewarded and announced to the world."

All the civil and military officials bowed in unison:
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Then, an imperial eunuch carrying the imperial edict strode out and announced the amnesty:

"The Emperor decreed to the Minister of State:"

I believe that to accomplish this great undertaking, I must rely on pillars of state. The central government is the foundation of all affairs of state, and it cannot be stabilized without the strongest and most capable ministers.

I hereby appoint Jiang Zhao, the Grand Councilor, Chief Minister of the Inner Cabinet, Privy Councilor, Loyal and Assistant Minister, Pillar of State, Duke of Zhao, and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, as a man of great vision and insight, with meticulous and astute judgment. He has overseen the overall situation and coordinated internal and external affairs to consolidate the foundation and assist the royal army. His merits are outstanding and his achievements are great, which greatly pleases me.

This special honor is hereby conferred to recognize his outstanding achievements.

He was specially promoted to Duke of Han, with an additional 1,500 households in his fief, bringing the total to 9,000 households. He was also granted 30 hectares of imperial estate, 100 mu of paddy fields, and 1,000 bolts of Shu brocade.

Yu Xi!

He was specially granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince to signify his exceptional honor.

His wife, Lady Sheng, was gentle, virtuous, and a model of womanhood. She was specially granted the title of Lady of Korea, with an annual salary equivalent to that of a duke, and was bestowed with a gold branch and jade hairpin.

Awesome!

Therefore, this imperial edict is hereby issued so that all may know of it.

The imperial edict was not long; it was read for less than twenty breaths.

Quite brief!
Even the imperial edict of appeasement issued by the emperor to comfort Jiang Zhao after his assassination attempt probably took more than twenty breaths to read.

However, short does not mean unimportant.

In just a moment, all the civil and military officials began to discuss it.

In fact, this edict was quite "important".

In short, the whole story boils down to one sentence: Jiang Zhao is the number one contributor to the expansion of the border!

The Grand Chancellor, who never participated in the southern expeditions, was ranked first among the meritorious officials in expanding the borders.

This explanation seems a bit too "hasty".

But actually, this is not surprising.

Whether it was Gu Tingye and Wang Shao who went to the border to fight, or a group of frontier generals and civil and military officials, they all had this expectation in mind.

Or rather, from the moment Jiang Zhao "temporarily took charge of state affairs," the first meritorious official in expanding the borders had already been chosen.

The reasons for this are nothing more than three:
Firstly, Jiang Zhao was the one who temporarily managed state affairs and supported the overall situation.

Throughout history, the evaluation of merits and demerits has not been based solely on "how many enemies were killed or how much territory was seized".

At all times, the lifeline of a nation lies in its rear areas.

Killing the enemy and seizing territory is of paramount importance.

Its importance is no less, encompassing food and military supplies, domestic stability, financial support, local coordination, intelligence gathering, and decision-making assistance.

The ability to coordinate and manage everything is usually considered an achievement of a monarch.

In the past, Emperor Zhao Ceying was in the capital during the three territorial expansions of Xihe, Xifeng, and Yanyun. Naturally, these achievements were attributed to the late emperor and the current emperor.

But now, the Emperor is leading a southern expedition, and the Grand Chancellor is temporarily in charge of state affairs, taking overall control and coordinating everything.

This credit naturally fell to Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao.

Secondly, the military generals who led the southern expedition did not have any "illustrious achievements".

The king's southern expedition meant that the focus of attention would not be on the military generals.

Even if he had achievements in expanding territory and destroying the Jiaozhi Kingdom, the core of his achievements must have been Zhao Ceying, the official who led the southern expedition.

All military generals and high-ranking officials who led the southern expeditions were destined to "lose their luster" unless they had extraordinary achievements such as "saving the emperor and supporting the dragon".

The same achievements would definitely be "snatched away" by the officials.

In contrast, the Grand Chancellor, who was temporarily in charge of state affairs, took a holistic approach and coordinated everything, immediately becoming "eye-catching".

Thirdly, martial arts cannot surpass literary arts.

The king's southern expedition mainly revolved around three core objectives.

Officials, civil officials, and military generals!
For each of the three core elements, one person deserves the most credit.

The emperor is nominally the one who has made the greatest contribution, and he is in charge of everything, so his position is unquestionable.

The Grand Chancellor was the most meritorious official in the rear and among the civil officials, and temporarily took charge of state affairs.

Gu Tingye is the top contributor on the military side, representing the greatest contribution from the military and the front lines.

Among them, the merits of civil officials and military generals are of special significance and are usually rewarded with great importance.

As for who, besides the emperor, is the "comprehensive" number one contributor to territorial expansion, that would require a comparison between civil and military officials, and between those on the front lines and those in the rear. However, if even the temporarily appointed Grand Chancellor cannot be considered the number one contributor...
That would inevitably raise suspicions of suppressing civil officials!

Thus, Jiang Zhao became the undisputed number one contributor to the expansion of the border.

"Your subject Jiang Zhao kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!"

Jiang Zhao took a step forward and bowed deeply.

The conferment of titles and rewards was not complicated; the main thing was that he was promoted from Duke of Zhao to Duke of Han.

In addition, he was granted the honor of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.

Among them, the promotion to the title of Duke can barely be considered a "major improvement".

Since its founding, spanning a century of national reign, the titles of Duke have primarily been divided into four tiers:

The first-class title was "Zhou".

To be granted the title of Duke based on the name of the state is a unique honorific.

The second tier consisted of four major titles: Qin, Chu, Qi, and Wei.

Qin, Chu, and Qi were mainly associated with "expansion, unification, and strengthening the country," while Wei was associated with "the capital region."

Bianjing was the territory of the ancient state of Wei.

The third rank was the title bestowed upon other major states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, namely Jin, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wu, and Yue.

Among them, Jin, Yan, and Han are quite special, barely qualifying as being half a grade higher.

The status of Jin mainly stemmed from the tradition of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

At that time, being granted the title of Prince of Jin and appointed as the Prefect of Jingzhao was considered a standard system for establishing a crown prince.

The situations in Yan and Han are similar.

The Yan state was primarily associated with Emperor Taizong, Emperor Zhenzong, and the late Emperor, all of whom were granted the title of Prince of Yan.

The Han surname primarily refers to the fact that Emperor Taizong and the late Emperor were granted the title of King of Han.

Therefore, it acquired a special meaning and a higher status.

Apart from these, the other titles of duke were not considered "mainstream".

Now, Jiang Zhao has been promoted from Duke of Zhao to Duke of Han, and from then on, he will only have six titles: Zhou, Qin, Chu, Qi, Jin, and Yan.

As for the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, this reward was unexpected and can be considered a substantial one.

However, only the bestowal of titles by the Three Dukes could be worthy of his status as the greatest contributor to the expansion of territory.

The eunuch, holding the imperial edict, continued to proclaim the amnesty:
"The Emperor decreed to the Minister of State:"

I believe that to quell the rebellion and pacify the borders, I must rely on valiant generals.

Gu Tingye, the Vice Privy Councilor, Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and Marquis of Ningyuan, was a Pillar of State, General of Guide, and a man of profound wisdom and strategic acumen. He strategized to achieve victory, quelled the remaining enemy forces, encircled and secured the capital, joined forces with the enemy to ascend Long, and recaptured the false capital.

Such achievements deserve recognition and praise.

In recognition of your outstanding achievements, we hereby bestow this special honor.

He was specially promoted to Duke of Ningguo and General of the Garrison Army, with his fief increased by 800 households, bringing the total to 2,800 households; he was awarded the title of "Meritorious Minister Who Assisted the Emperor's Decree in Pacifying the State," and was granted 3,000 taels of gold and 10 hectares of imperial estate, in recognition of his merit in pacifying the state.
Yu Xi!

The inscription on the bronze pillar is not only a testament to Fubo's achievements, but also a reminder to you to respectfully accept this auspicious mandate and safeguard our borders!
Therefore, this imperial edict is hereby issued so that all may know of it.

Duke of Ningguo!
General of the Army, a loyal and meritorious official who assisted in the founding of the dynasty!
The lineage of Marquis Ningyuan flourished from the time of the old Marquis Gu Yankai, and when it passed to Gu Tingye, it expanded the territory three times, destroyed the country once, and finally rose to the rank of Duke!
The other generals in charge of the army and the meritorious officials who assisted in the founding of the dynasty were all top-notch "good guys".

In particular, being recognized as a loyal and meritorious official was an honor his father, Gu Yankai, never achieved in his entire life.

As for the General of the Garrison, it is a nominal position of the second rank, which is more of an honorary title.

"Your subject, Gu Tingye, kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!"

Gu Tingye's face flushed red, and he strode forward and bowed.

He is no better than his father, Gu Yankai!
"No gift."

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying smiled and nodded slightly.

Both Gu Tingye and Wang Shao were military generals whom he valued highly.

In the future, if he can help achieve unification, not to mention the hereditary title of Duke, even the top-ranking "Ten Great Titles" would not be impossible to bestow.

Emperor Zhao is very generous!
"The Emperor decreed to the Minister of State:"

I believe that the great achievements of our military might depend on the assistance of bears and wolves.

Your Excellency Wang Shao, Vice Privy Councilor, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Xuanhui Palace, Grand Pillar of State, General of Loyalty and Martial Valor, and Earl of Zhennan, is a man of unparalleled loyalty and courage, whose strategic acumen is exceptionally refined. He accompanied the emperor on his southern expedition, quelled rebellions and pacified the borders, crushed the remnants of the Yongping and Guangyuan routes, and within a month wiped out the remaining bandits, allowing the people of Jiaozhi to benefit from the emperor's rule.

This special award is hereby conferred in recognition of his outstanding achievements.

He was granted the titles of Marquis of Yongning and Military Governor of Zhennan. His fief was increased by 500 households, bringing the total to 1,300 households, and he was granted 15 hectares of imperial estate, in recognition of his meritorious service in pacifying the region.

Yu Xi!

With spears across mountains and rivers, you shall humbly accept the new mandate and forever secure the borders!

Therefore, this imperial edict is hereby issued so that all may know of it.

Marquis of Yongning!
They expanded their territory three times and destroyed their country once.

The difficulty of obtaining a hereditary dukedom is significantly higher than that of obtaining a hereditary marquisdom.

Even at the founding of the nation, fewer than ten people were granted official titles.

Gu Tingye and Wang Shao had similar achievements. Since Gu Tingye could be promoted to the Duke of Jin, Wang Shao could naturally be promoted to the Marquis.

"Your subject, Wang Shao, thanks Your Majesty!"

Wang Shao's heart pounded, and he bowed deeply.

Hereditary Marquisate!

Even at the beginning of the founding of the nation, this was an absolutely remarkable existence.

And he actually earned his place through hard work!
His voice was as loud as a bell, attracting many people to look over and stare.

He earned a hereditary marquisate by the age of thirty through his own efforts.

Among them, there are undoubtedly those with exceptional martial arts skills and strategic acumen, and they likely also enjoy the favor of the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor.

She's talented and lucky!

During the Qingli era, Di Qing, who also came from a self-taught background, was not so lucky.

In fact, if it weren't for the famous poem "Having accomplished the affairs of the emperor and the world, one wins fame before and after death" that Jiang Da Xiang Gong presented him with, Di Qing probably wouldn't have even been granted a minor title, at most he would have been posthumously granted one or two honors.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor decreed..."

The one ranked third in merit is Duke Wang Keyan of Liang.

However, he did not go to the capital, but instead temporarily led 50,000 troops to pacify Jiaozhi.

This is the result of comprehensive consideration.

Firstly, among military generals, there are very few who can command 50,000 troops.

Even if the purpose of leading 50,000 troops is merely to pacify the region rather than to actually command them in battle, it is still a very difficult task.

In truth, apart from a few deputy privy councilors, only a few important veteran generals from the frontiers possessed this ability. Among the generals who marched south together, only Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and the Duke of Liang were the three most suitable candidates.

Secondly, the miasma in Jiaozhi was too dangerous.

Gu Tingye and Wang Shao were both Zhao Ceying's trusted generals, so they were naturally focused on protecting their health and could not stay in Jiaozhi for long.

As a result, the Duke of Liang became the only candidate to pacify Jiaozhi.

Of course, this may also be the main reason why the Duke of Liang is qualified to rank third in terms of merit.

After all, compared to the younger generation of the Xihe faction, the Duke of Liang had no advantages other than his experienced military command, and his achievements were not particularly outstanding.

One after another, bestowed titles and edicts were proclaimed.

About half an hour later, the imperial edict was read aloud.

"I have prepared a royal banquet; all officials may proceed to the Chui Gong Hall."

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying stood up slowly with his hands behind his back and looked down: "In addition, in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong of Tang erected the Lingyan Pavilion to honor the merits of his officials."

"I intend to follow suit and establish the Zhaoxun Pavilion. Twenty-four people will be selected to enter the pavilion, including twenty-four important ministers since the founding of the country."

The words are astonishing.

This short sentence caused a stir among all the officials.

Even the Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao couldn't help but squint and stare at it.

"However, it's not finalized yet; it's just a plan."

Zhao Ceying smiled calmly, glanced at Jiang Zhao, and said indifferently:
"All officials, strive on!"

Kunning Palace.

At the head of the table, Xiang Shi, dressed in a phoenix robe and holding a wooden spoon, was brewing tea.

Below, a nanny was quietly reporting the news.

"Ah."

"The officials will be celebrating for about two or three hours."

Xiang raised her eyebrows slightly and said calmly, "Remember, after two hours, remember to notify all the concubines, princes, and princesses to come to Kunning Palace to welcome His Majesty."

The act of welcoming the emperor was not simply a matter of officials welcoming him.

In fact, the imperial harem also had to respectfully welcome the emperor.

However, due to the restriction of not being able to leave the palace, the imperial concubines usually gathered in the Kunning Palace to respectfully welcome the emperor.

"Yes," the nanny replied quickly.

"correct."

Where is Jing'er?

Xiang Shi's eyes flickered slightly, and she slowly said, "Now that His Majesty has returned, as the eldest prince, he should at least pay his respects."

"And what about the eldest son? Did he go to seek knowledge today?"

The old woman was taken aback, but then understood what she meant. She quickly agreed and went to make the arrangements.

To date, the Emperor has three princes and four princesses.

The love of the parents is far-reaching.

This invisible competition will only become more intense as the princes grow older.

The eldest son is undoubtedly a true "towering tree".

The new policy has been successful, and those who have benefited from it will not allow the Grand Secretary to retire in glory.

Even the emperor, for the sake of unification, would never allow the Grand Chancellor to retire easily.

Even considering the worst-case scenario, if the Grand Chancellor's career were to falter one day, the civil and military officials he left behind would be more than capable of supporting a new monarch.

Conversely, if the Grand Chancellor were to govern for a long time, he would be an even more solid rock for the state, a pillar of strength like an old man.

By getting close to the Grand Chancellor, the position of Crown Prince is half secured!
(End of this chapter)