Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Chapter 97 Rewards (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader Man·Liuyun Zhishang 2/5)

Fei Yi arrived shortly afterward.

The three of them were led into the inner courtyard by Huang Liu and arrived at the side hall outside Liu Chan's bedroom.

After exchanging greetings, the three of them sat down.

For Liu Shan, Fei Yi was a former retainer of the Crown Prince, someone he had known for many years. Furthermore, Fei Yi's words and manner were extremely considerate, leaving Liu Shan with a very good impression of him. Chen Zhi was a trusted minister, and Liu Shan had no reservations about speaking to him. Although Liu Shan didn't particularly like Dong Yun, he was still an acquaintance, and being free from his control made him much more at ease than he had been in the Chengdu palace.

Liu Shan coughed lightly, his gaze sweeping over the three men: "When I met with my ministers today, did I behave appropriately?"

Fei Yi took the lead in bowing and said sincerely, "Your Majesty treats your subjects with the respect due to the supreme ruler, and everyone is moved and in awe. In my humble opinion, Your Majesty's actions today are reminiscent of Emperor Zhaolie. In the past, the late emperor recruited heroes from all over the country, deeply won the hearts of his subjects, and made them serve the country. His demeanor and spirit were just like that."

When Fei Yi said these words, Chen Zhi smiled slightly, but a slight doubt had already begun to creep into his heart.

You weren't like this before!

Is praising someone to this extent a bit excessive?

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan shook his head and sighed, "I have often admired the late emperor's demeanor, but I am dull-witted and cannot possibly compare to even a fraction of his virtues."

Liu Shan's gaze then turned to Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi remained expressionless, smiling as he cupped his hands in greeting: "It is only natural for a son to inherit his father's business and carry on his father's aspirations."

Dong Yun swallowed hard and bowed, saying, "I second that proposal."

"Very well." Liu Shan nodded. "At tonight's banquet, I already spoke with all of you about the preparations for the sacrificial ceremony three days from now. Minister Wen of the Ministry of Rites has already made the arrangements. I have summoned the three of you here now to discuss with you the official positions of the generals, so that they can be announced after the ceremony, lest the delay cause morale to decline."

"Does Minister Dong Qing, who is in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, have anything to say?"

"Your Majesty," Dong Yun replied, bowing, "I have some ideas, and I humbly request Your Majesty's decision."

"Okay." Liu Shan nodded.

Dong Yun said, "Firstly, it was instructed when we were in Chengdu that the generals in Hanzhong be promoted to the rank of general and their titles and fiefs be adjusted."

"According to His Majesty and Lord Jiang's previous statement, Wu Ziyuan (Wu Yi) should be promoted from Left General to General of Chariots and Cavalry, and the Marquis of Gaoyang should be promoted to Marquis of Jiyang, with his fiefdom increased to 1,800 households. Wu Yuanxiong (Wu Ban) should be promoted from Rear General to Left General, and the Marquis of Ting should be promoted to Marquis of Xiang, with his fiefdom increased to 900 households. Right General Gao Yuanzhong (Gao Xiang) should be promoted to Front General, with his fiefdom increased by 200 households to 1,300 households."

"General Yangwu Deng Bomiao (Deng Zhi), General Tao Kou Wang Zijun (Wang Ping), and former General Fu Han Meng Xiuming (Meng Tan) are all without titles. Perhaps they could all be granted the title of Marquis to show the court's favor. Perhaps Deng Bomiao and Wang Zijun could be selected to be appointed as generals with titles."

Liu Shan frowned: "What positions would be best for them?"

Dong Yun said, "Previously, the two were generals with miscellaneous titles. They may be promoted to the Four Expeditionary Generals and the Four Garrison Generals, or directly to the Four Directional Generals—"

"Given their qualifications, this seems a bit too high."

"I understand." Liu Shan looked at Fei Yi: "What does the Minister have to say?"

Fei Yi replied, "Why not appoint one of them as the commander of the Eastern Expedition and the other as the commander of the Northern Expedition? This would not only demonstrate His Majesty's benevolence but also leave room for future promotions."

"I second that opinion," Chen Zhi said, bowing.

Liu Shan nodded: "Then let's do it this way. Deng Zhi, Wang Ping, and Meng Yan will all be enfeoffed as marquises, with a fief of five hundred households."

"General Liu Ba, who was in charge of the Southern Expedition, died of illness last November and did not live to receive this posthumous honor, so it is inappropriate to bestow one upon him posthumously, is it?"

"Yes, it's not in line with the system." Fei Yi responded, "Besides these three, Jiang Boyue should also be commended. His title of 'Conquering the West' can be changed to 'Suppressing the West,' and his fief can be increased by two hundred."

"Very well, what you say is correct, let's agree on this." Liu Shan nodded.

Chen Zhi pondered for a few seconds, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Fengzong said so." Liu Shan looked over.

Chen Zhi said, "If the four generals Wang, Deng, Meng, and Jiang have already been granted titles, I think it would be better to extend the favor by also granting the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the two Vice Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat the title of Marquis of Ting, as a sign of respect and courtesy. Although there is a tradition of granting titles based on military merit, those who command logistics and hold high office are also contributing to the military."

"These are my humble words; I humbly request Your Majesty's consideration!"

"Hmm————" Liu Chan thought for a few seconds, and just as he looked up at Fei Yi, he found that Fei Yi had already looked away and was looking at the ground, obviously to avoid suspicion.

When Dong Yun looked at him, Dong Yun cupped his hands and replied, "I believe this can set a precedent."

At this moment, Fei Yi spoke up and declined, saying, "Your Majesty, I dare not take credit for this. I beg Your Majesty not to set such a precedent. It is the proper way to obtain a title based on military merit."

Liu Shan pursed his lips, then smiled and said, "I have entrusted the affairs of state to you, Lord Ling and the two Ministers, so how could I not bestow upon you the title of Marquis? My purpose is to use your strength to assist me in achieving great things! It is hereby decided that all those who serve as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat, if they do not already hold a title, shall be granted the title of Marquis. Those who are already Marquises shall have their fiefdom increased by five hundred. Let this be the established system."

"Dong Qing, please make the arrangements."

Dong Yun cupped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys the decree. I am just thinking of two other people. Ma Dexin (Ma Zhong) is serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard, and Ju Xiaoxing (Ju Fu) is serving as the General of Andong in Yong'an. If we bestow great honors upon the generals of Hanzhong, but leave these two generals without any reward, I fear they will feel uneasy."

Liu Shan nodded: "What does Dong Qing think should be bestowed upon him?"

"What do you think, Priest?" Dong Yun passed the task to Fei Yi.

Fei Yi was silent for a few moments before replying, "It would be better to appoint Ma Dexin as General Who Conquers the South and Ju Xiaoxing as General Who Conquers the West. Ju Xiaoxing is in Yong'an, and if we appoint him as General Who Conquers the East, the Wu Kingdom might become suspicious."

"Alright, let's do it this way." Liu Shan sighed softly, "Is there anyone who hasn't thought of this?"

"No more for now," Fei Yi said.

Liu Shan said, "Very well, then I will discuss with you the matters concerning the sacrificial ceremony the day after tomorrow."

After leaving Liu Shan's place, Fei Yi had just stepped out of the outer courtyard when he gestured for Dong Yun to leave first, and then called out to Chen Zhi.

The place remained empty. Seeing that no one was around, Fei Yi whispered to Chen Zhi, "Fengzong, you shouldn't have mentioned the matter of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat being granted titles of nobility!"

Chen Zhi shrugged: "My lord, please don't lecture me. Perhaps you don't want to be ennobled?"

"Who wouldn't want to be ennobled?" Fei Yi frowned and said, "At this time of discussion, you and I are father-in-law and son-in-law. Your words make it sound as if I'm asking you to ask His Majesty for a title!"

Chen Zhi smiled and shook his head: "My lord, please don't worry, His Majesty will certainly not be stingy with these titles. Deng Zhi and Meng Yan both..."

"If you can be granted a marquisate along the way, once this door is opened, it will be easier for court officials to be granted marquisates in the future. It won't make a difference if you, sir, receive one more."

"Sigh." Fei Yi shook his head. "This can only happen once! If there's a next time you do something like this without consulting me beforehand, I will definitely not forgive you!"

"Don't worry, sir!" Chen Zhi smiled and nodded.