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

Chapter 297 Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai?

Wende Hall.

All the civil and military officials stood in orderly and solemn silence.

More than thirty meritorious officials who had contributed to the expansion of the territory stood in the center of the main hall.

People frequently cast their gazes at Marquis Yongning, Wang Shao, with expressions of excitement and anticipation.

Both the eldest son and the young prince were typical recipients of generous rewards.

It's not hard to see that this time, a generous reward will be given to recognize his meritorious service.

In terms of scale, it is estimated to be the most generous of several years.

However, the exact extent of the reward is still undetermined.

The main point is that neither the Grand Chancellor nor the young prince, one temporarily managing state affairs and the other overseeing the government, are military generals.

The specific rewards bestowed upon military generals who expanded the territory can only be gleaned from the rewards given to Marquis Yongning, Wang Shao.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor decrees—"

The eunuch picked up the imperial edict, his voice slightly shrill, and proclaimed:
"I, the Emperor, consider the pillars of the state and mindful of the fact that the northern frontier has not yet been returned; the soldiers are loyal and brave, and have achieved great feats in pacifying the country. All those who have made meritorious contributions to the pacification of the country should be richly rewarded."

I hereby appoint you, Wang Shao, Vice Privy Councilor, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Commissioner of the Northern Court of the Xuanhui Palace, Grand Pillar of State, Military Governor of Zhennan, and Marquis of Yongning, as a man of innate wisdom and courage, and profound strategic acumen. In the past, you assisted me in expanding the territory of Xihe, Xifeng, Yanyun, and Jiaozhi, accumulating merits spanning three thousand miles. Now, you assist me in restoring the lost lands of Yanyun, ensuring the unification of the nine regions of the land!

His merits are worthy of the imperial seals and his virtues are worthy of the mountains and rivers.

This imperial decree is hereby issued to honor meritorious officials:
He was specially promoted to Duke of Dai, with an additional 2,000 households in his fief, bringing the total to 3,300 households, with a total of 800 households in actual fief.

He was granted a special imperial estate of thirty hectares, one hundred mu of paddy fields, ten imperial horses, and a sedan chair with the inscription "Restore the Mountains and Rivers." He was also granted the special permission to set aside thirty hectares of land in his hometown for meritorious officials.

Yu Xi!

In recognition of their virtuous deeds and blessings, we extend our gratitude to their ancestors.

Your great-grandfather, Shi Cheng, accumulated good deeds and passed them down through generations. He kept his virtue hidden and did not flaunt it. He was posthumously awarded the title of Grand Master of the Palace and given the posthumous name "Zhongjing". He was also bestowed with Chengxintang paper.

Your great-grandmother, Madam Zheng, was a model of virtue and kindness, and her legacy is remembered. She was posthumously granted the title of Lady of Huayin County and bestowed with a white jade and gold hairpin.

Your grandfather, Lingji, passed down his teachings through generations, and his influence on education was far-reaching. He was posthumously awarded the titles of Minister of Works and Grand Master of the Palace, with the posthumous name "Xiangmin," and was bestowed with Jun kiln teacups.

Your grandmother, née Chen, was virtuous and capable, and her teachings were exemplary. She was posthumously granted the title of Lady of Beihai County and bestowed with silver coins.

The king's father, Shi Gui, instructed his son to achieve fame and uphold righteousness, and was awarded the title of Grand Master of the Palace and bestowed with a piece of agarwood.

The Queen Mother, née Sun, was a kind and virtuous mother who taught her children well. Her exemplary conduct and virtues were widely praised. She was granted the title of Lady of Nanhai County and was bestowed with ten bolts of brocade.

Lady Yang, the wife of the minister, was skilled in domestic affairs and devoted herself to her husband's well-being. She was granted the title of Lady of Dai and bestowed with a seven-pheasant crown.

He was granted the hereditary title of three sons and grandsons, who were to be appointed to official positions.

He was granted a special imperial edict, authorizing him to establish an ancestral temple in his hometown!

I hope you will always be loyal to the country and never betray my trust!
Awesome!

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

Twelve years have passed since the sixth year of the Jiayou era.

Wang Shao was finally granted the title of hereditary Duke!
"Your subject Wang Shao kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's great kindness!" Wang Shao blushed and strode forward, bowing deeply.

All the civil and military officials watched intently.

Many of the imperial guards' sons exchanged glances.

The Duke of Jin was granted a throne, his saddle and sedan chair were inscribed with words, tracing back three generations, and his favor extended to his descendants. He was granted a certificate of merit and permission to establish an ancestral temple!
As a true man, this is what you should do!

but……

Excuse me, where can I find a Jiang Da Xiang Gong who hasn't yet risen to prominence?

Paid!

……

As a military hero who expanded the territory, Wang Shaofeng was rewarded handsomely, and the general scale of his rewards and honors was roughly known.

All those who had made contributions to the expansion of territory, whether civil or military officials, secretly focused their attention and stood respectfully with their hands clasped.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor decreed:..."

The recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was of immense significance.

A lavish reward was practically the inevitable outcome.

Gu Tingye, Zhong E, Zhang Heng, Zhang Ding, Zhong Shidao, Shi Yuansun, Zheng Shun, Zheng Xiao, Guo Kui, Liang Zhao, Yao Si, Zhe Kexing
One imperial edict after another was read aloud.

Among them, Gu Tingye received secondary merit, and to recognize his achievements, he was awarded three major honors:

Firstly, it's for title conferment and promotion.

Since the fall of Jiaozhi, Gu Tingye was promoted from Marquis of Ningyuan to Duke of Ningguo.

This time, however, he was promoted from Duke of Ning to Duke of Yue.

In addition, their titles of meritorious officials were also promoted.

He was promoted from "Loyal and Assisting Meritorious Official" to "Loyal and Assisting Pure and Sincere Meritorious Official".

At a glance, it seems that only two words have been added.

However, for the vast majority of high-ranking officials, those two words represent a huge gap, one that they may never be able to bridge in their lifetime.

Secondly, it was for imperial favor and rewards.

His biological father, Gu Yankai, the Marquis of Ningyuan, was enfeoffed as the Duke of Rong.

His birth mother, Lady Bai, was posthumously honored as Lady Rong.

His wife, Xiao Sheng, was granted the title of Lady of Yue, and from then on, she held the rank of Lady of the State.

In addition, posthumous titles were bestowed upon three generations of ancestors, and several generations of descendants were posthumously honored, which can be described as extending grace to ancestors and bringing glory to the family.

However, given Gu Tingye's achievements, such a posthumous title is hardly surprising.

If there's anything particularly noteworthy, it's probably the issue of the titles bestowed upon Gu Yankai and the Bai family.

Duke Rongguo, Lady Rongguo!
If someone were unaware of the grudges and feuds of the Gu family's previous generation, they might mistakenly believe that Bai was the "first wife" rather than a second wife.

No one would believe that Gu Tingye did not give the order.

Thirdly, there were miscellaneous rewards.

Estates, paddy fields, brocade, gold, houses, specialties of Jiaozhi (Vietnam), and inscriptions on saddles and sedan chairs.
Among them, the fiefdom was increased by 1,500 households, bringing the total to 4,300 households, with 1,000 households actually granted.

The residence bestowed upon him was Chengyuan.

Actually, the Ningyuan Marquis's residence is not small.

However, using it as the actual residence of a duke would be rather stingy.

The saddle and sedan chair can be engraved with the words "Recover the territory" to commemorate the glorious achievements.

Besides Gu Tingye, three other people have also attracted attention.

Zhong E, Zhong Shidao, and Zhang Heng!
Zhong E was granted a hereditary title.

Earl of Xianning!
In terms of seniority and achievements, Zhong E was actually quite highly qualified.

In fact, he is almost a top contender among the younger generation of military officers, aiming for the top five or even the top three.

Zhong E was one of the main generals in both Xihe and Xifeng's expansion of territory.

Apart from Gu Tingye and Wang Shao, who could easily outclass him, even Duke Zhang Ding of Yingguo and General Zheng Xiao were only roughly equal in ability.

In the past, the main reason for granting titles to Zhong E was that he was "not outstanding".

Zhong E made significant contributions during the two expansions of Xihe and Xifeng.

Unfortunately, the opening of the Xihe border involved three senior figures: Zhang Fu, Duke of Ying; Gu Yankai, Marquis of Ningyuan; and Zheng Shun, Marquis of Zhongjing.

At that time, even Gu Tingye had to rank third, after Zhang Fu, and Zhong E was much lower.

The same applies to Xi Feng's expansion of the borders. Yao Si suddenly appeared and killed Li Liangzuo, the ruler of the Western Xia Kingdom. Even Wang Shao had to temporarily avoid his sharp edge and take a backseat.

This means that although Zhong E had high qualifications and achievements, he was not very prominent and did not have a strong presence.

This time, by intercepting and killing Liang Yili, he has made a great contribution and can be considered to have achieved his wish.

Hereditary succession, forever intertwined with the nation!
Zhong Shidao was also granted a noble title.

However, it was not a hereditary title, but rather a temporary title.

Earl of Hailing County!
He broke through the crossbows, killed Liang Yibu in battle, intercepted and killed Liang Yili, and was half a disciple of Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao!

These are its four unique "bonus points".

The fact that he developed the crossbow that breaks through the hawk's shell demonstrates his quick thinking.

The fact that he killed Liang Yibu in battle demonstrates his composure.

The fact that he intercepted and killed Liang Yili demonstrates his keen insight into the current situation.

Jiang Zhao's half-disciple indicates that he was knowledgeable in military and political affairs.

The twenty-two-year-old Zhong Shidao was highly regarded by the official Zhao Ceying.

In addition to the title of noble rank, he was also separately granted the official position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Shaanxi Military Forces.

With just this one imperial edict, he was promoted to the fifth rank!
Zhang Heng was a civil official, but he was also granted a noble title.

He was granted the title of Earl of Xingping County, and was also appointed as a Pillar of State and Minister of Rites!

As for Wu Kui, the Minister of Rites, he was already sixty-three years old and had no hope of entering the cabinet. However, he took the initiative to do favors and stepped down to the second line, serving as the head of the Censorate.

In addition, Zhang Ding, Shi Yuansun, Zheng Shun, Zheng Xiao, Guo Kui, Liang Zhao, Yao Si, and Zhe Kexing
There were about twenty or thirty people, some of whom were granted titles, while others had slightly different ranks.

Near noon.

"call!"

The eunuch's lips were pale, devoid of any color, and he let out a long sigh.

too difficult!
The rewards were so generous this time that he almost collapsed from exhaustion after reading them aloud.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying rose to his feet and calmly said:

"The recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun is a great achievement that will be remembered for all time and should not be overlooked."

"I have decided to establish the Zhaoxun Pavilion, which will house twenty-four outstanding officials selected since the founding of the dynasty."

"For any candidate to be appointed to the cabinet, any suggestions from the officials may be drafted and submitted to the emperor."

Zhao Ceying waved his sleeve, not giving the officials much time to discuss:
"A meritorious official has arrived in the capital; a welcoming banquet should be held to wash away the dust of his journey." "All officials, please proceed to the Hall of Lifting Bows."

All the civil and military officials quickly bowed.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The sun is half-hidden, its golden rays painting the sky.

Royal study room.

On a wooden table about ten feet tall, dozens of documents were laid out one by one.

Zhao Ceying would glance at the document every now and then, then close it, seemingly just symbolically opening it for a quick look.

Below him, Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao sat upright, leaning on his arm, seemingly deep in thought.

The documents on the wooden table are all government decrees issued in the last six months.

However, these were almost all small-scale government orders.

The army marched north, facing two opponents with one force, leaving no room for carelessness.

To avoid adding to the internal strife, Jiang Zhao did not touch any of the major policies that might cause unrest.

For example, the decree concerning land annexation, according to Jiang Zhao's plan, should have been issued in the sixth year of the Xifeng era.

However, due to the impact of the war, they were forced to stop.

Overall, the sixth year of the Xifeng reign was primarily a period of recuperation and rest.

Apart from the disputes over imperial edicts and the struggle for the right to interpret scriptures, nothing else of note happened.

Everything should be kept stable.

"Ah."

After closing the dozens of documents one by one, Zhao Ceying nodded and habitually praised, "Zichuan's policies are truly a wise strategy for all time."

"Your Majesty has given you too much praise."

Jiang Zhao sat upright, smiling modestly.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "Besides presenting the official documents to the emperor, there is another matter I have not been able to make up my mind about and would like to seek Your Majesty's opinion."

"What is it?" Zhao Ceying asked, startled and curious.

Generally speaking, all administrative matters can be submitted in written form.

Even if a document does not suit the emperor's wishes, it can either be sent out or kept in the archives without being issued. Seeking the emperor's opinion separately is actually quite rare.

Especially since Jiang Zhao took power, the two of them worked together and basically issued "proper" decrees, without any of the messy things that happened during the reign of the previous emperor.

As a result, seeking advice privately has become even rarer.

Jiang Zhao sat upright, looking at him with a serious expression, and asked:
"May I ask Your Majesty, would you like to offer sacrifices at Mount Tai?"

When a regime is unified, offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple are all necessary procedures, but whether or not to offer sacrifices to Mount Tai is not among the procedures stipulated by the ritual system.

Ok?
Zhao Ceying was taken aback, raising an eyebrow slightly in surprise.

Don't even say it.

This is indeed a major problem!
"Hi~!"

Zhao Ceying tried to answer several times, but then didn't.

After a dozen or so breaths, he simply stretched out his hands, closed his eyes slightly, and pretended to be thinking, without saying a word.

Jiang Zhaoping smiled, not surprised at all.

Originally, the Taishan sacrificial ceremony was a very prestigious event.

Aside from the twelve sage kings recorded in the "Fengshan" of Guanzi—Wu Huai, Fu Xi, Shen Nong, Yan Di, Huang Di, Zhuan Xu, Di Ku, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, and King Cheng of Zhou—only a handful of monarchs have actually recorded the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in detail.

From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Western Han Dynasty, only two people performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai: Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han.

At that time, the significance of the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was so high that even Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, felt inferior to it and believed that his virtue was insufficient to perform the ceremony.

You should know that Liu Xiu was the founding emperor of the unified Chinese dynasty!
Its high gold content is evident.

Subsequently, Emperor Zhang and Emperor An of Han performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, which greatly diminished the prestige of the Fengshan ceremony.

Emperor Gaozong of Tang (Li Zhi) and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Li Longji) barely raised the bar a bit, making them still figures that the vast majority of emperors could not reach.

until
The True Emperor's Fengshan Ceremony!

In an instant, Mount Tai was transformed from a "brand name" into a "generic brand".

After this incident, the prestige of the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai plummeted.

How low is it?
Even Zhao Ceying hesitated, feeling somewhat unwilling!
These are still descendants of the Zhao family!

Of course, this is still within reason.

The value of any honor is bestowed by people.

If the gold content is high, then the honor and the person will achieve mutual success.

However, if the prestige is too low, there is a possibility that the honor might lower a person's social standing.

This is what is commonly known as a "fake award"!
Zhao Ceying aspired to become a great emperor for all time, Emperor Shizong.

Having finally achieved a unified empire, they naturally cherished their reputation, fearing that the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai would lower their prestige.

"Ugh!"

Zhao Ceying shook his head, his eyes full of hesitation.

Let's call it the Fengshan ceremony; it lowers the social standing.

Let's not perform the Fengshan ceremony, since Emperor Zhenzong's surname was Zhao.

If he didn't have the surname Zhao, Zhao Ceying would absolutely never have gone to perform the Fengshan ceremony.

The problem is, his surname is Zhao!

Moreover, he also inherited the throne from the Zhenzong lineage.

It is common knowledge that Emperor Zhenzong lowered the social standing of the dynasty.

As descendants of the Zhao family, having inherited the throne and achieved great merit, they should naturally step in to salvage the situation.

The civil and military officials in the imperial court would certainly submit memorials to offer their advice.

Otherwise, even the descendants of the Zhao family would not perform the sacrifices, and the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai would be completely ruined.

For all eternity, future generations must curse the Zhao family to death.
“This—” Zhao Ceying looked conflicted.

Damn it, how can there be such shameless people in the world?
They've retreated to a corner of the country and even signed humiliating treaties; how dare they perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai?

"Zichuan, do you have any suggestions?" Zhao Ceying sighed helplessly and looked over with hope.

Based on his understanding of Jiang Zhao, he must have already had some insights in mind before raising the question.

And indeed, that was the case. Jiang Zhao had already prepared a plan. Following Zhao Ceying's words, he pondered for a moment and suggested, "In my humble opinion, either we should not hold the sacrifice, or we should go on a tour without holding the sacrifice."

"Touring without offering sacrifices?" Zhao Ceying narrowed his eyes.

It's understandable to simply not hold any sacrifices.

Is it permissible to tour the area without offering sacrifices?
“Visiting Mount Tai is to show respect; not offering sacrifices at Mount Tai is to say that Emperor Zhenzong has already done so, and descendants should not overstep their ancestors’ authority.”

"Furthermore, have the historians record it in more detail, and have it spread throughout the land through newspapers," Jiang Zhao explained, adding.

"Hi~!"

Zhao Ceying's eyes lit up as she understood the meaning, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Brilliant!"

Visiting without offering sacrifices is inappropriate; detailed records should be kept, as it is not proper to overstep the bounds of ancestral authority!

Thus, after thousands of years, it can be said that "great Confucian scholars naturally came to debate the classics."

If the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in later generations was of any merit, then for later generations, it was undoubtedly the Zhao Emperor who saved the reputation of the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

After all, Zhao Ceying had put on the appearance of intentionally performing a sacrificial ceremony.

If the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in later generations lacked prestige, then naturally the Zhao emperor would not have been too willing to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

After all, Zhao Ceying was merely traveling, but he did not perform any sacrifices, citing the reason that "one cannot overstep the bounds of one's ancestors."

Since the Zhao Emperor did not perform the sacrifice, does this mean that he did not approve of the ancestral Fengshan ceremony?

In this way, even if later generations slander him, they will be slandering Emperor Zhenzong!
As for Emperor Zhao, he was still the greatest emperor in history to achieve unification!
This can be described as being able to attack or defend at will!

Crucially, this move also provides an explanation to the civil and military officials and members of the Zhao family.

After all, his going to Mount Tai was tantamount to saving the day.

As for the question of whether it is inappropriate to tour the area without offering sacrifices?
That just goes to show how shameless they are!

"Wei Chen retire."

With the problem solved, Jiang Zhao glanced at the sky, his gaze calm, and stood up to bow.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded.

However, just as Jiang Zhao was about to walk out...

"Zichuan!"

At a call, Jiang Zhao turned back with a puzzled look on his face.

But then Zhao Ceying paced back and forth, his gaze fixed on a line of poetry on the "Qingyu'an Lantern Festival" hanging opposite him: "Suddenly I turn around, and there he is, in the dim light!"

This short sentence fully demonstrates the trust in the monarch and the deep expectation.

Looking back suddenly, the Emperor is none other than the legendary Sage King!
Zhao Ceying smiled, his face full of anticipation, and asked, "Zichuan, may I be called a great emperor for all time?"

"Have I lived up to your expectations?"

Jiang Zhao was startled.

The emperor and his ministers looked at each other.

"nature!"

……

(End of this chapter)