GBP Chapter 249: Conferring the title of King of Chu
Chapter 249: Conferring the title of King of Chu
On the third day after returning to the palace, in the imperial study.
At this moment, the sunlight was just right, shining through the window and onto the desk in front of Yunzhi, forming patches of scattered light and shadow.
Yun Zhi worked at her desk, rubbing her brows tiredly.
Now that the world has been unified and the war is over, rewards should be distributed one by one to each meritorious official.
This matter should not be delayed for too long.
For most of the meritorious officials, it was nothing more than promoting their official positions and issuing some rewards.
Arranging these people is relatively easy, and if we follow past practices, there will generally be no major mistakes.
However, Yun Zhi needs to think carefully about those ministers who have made extraordinary contributions and are founding heroes.
If he is given too much, he may become ambitious and attempt to usurp the throne in the future, fearing that he or his descendants may become ambitious and attempt to usurp the throne.
Just like in the previous dynasty, the ancestor of the Ji family bestowed countless titles and allocated vast fiefdoms to those who accompanied him in building the empire in order to express his gratitude.
Most importantly, those people had absolute autonomy over their fiefdoms.
The power to appoint all officials in the fiefdoms was given to them themselves. Over time, those fiefdoms became countries within the country.
The original founding fathers did not have any rebellious intentions, but they could not resist the expanding ambitions of their descendants.
This is why later, when the last emperor of Anqi Kingdom summoned them to come for support, they either did not respond at all or tried their best to delay, which eventually allowed Wang Yi to attack the capital.
But if the amount was too little, there was a fear that it would discourage the meritorious officials and even discourage those with aspirations from serving the court, causing the court to lose talent.
After thinking for a moment, Yun Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, there was a way to curb their ambitions.
The titles that should be given should be given, and the fiefs that should be given should also be given, but the right to govern the fiefs must belong to the imperial court, and the number of private soldiers must be limited.
As for the titles, they were not hereditary, but were reduced by one level every three generations. Only if there were descendants who could make great contributions could they keep their original titles or even be promoted.
Furthermore, we should improve the supervision system, establish a special supervision agency, and send officials to inspect various places every few years.
In this way, we can appease the heroes and minimize hidden dangers.
After deciding on a general strategy, Yun Zhi felt a little relieved.
So he picked up his pen and began to write the imperial edict to confer titles on all the meritorious officials.
In the afternoon, imperial edicts came out from the palace one after another.
The General's Mansion.
General Chen Yuanshu, who was highly praised by everyone, was staring at the beam above his head with lifeless eyes.
When she first came back, her parents took great care of her and allowed her to spend a day or two in comfort.
She never expected that starting from last night, her mother began to ask her in a roundabout way what type of husband she liked.
Husband?
She had never really thought about it, but she didn't mind it either. She just let everything take its course.
"Yuan Shu, are you listening to what mother is saying? Now that the world is at peace, it's time for you to think about your own lifelong affairs. Why don't I ask the matchmaker if she has anyone of the right age? Then we can go and see each other. If he's a good match, we can bring him in as a son-in-law. If we both like each other, then we can bring both of us in as son-in-laws. Our house is big and can accommodate everyone."
Hearing this, Chen Yuanshu was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his chair.
In the past few years, she has been fighting in many battles and has been separated from her family for a long time. She never expected that her mother would become like this.
How could Chen's mother not change? The couple were extremely proud of their daughter.
Under the subtle influence of the people around her, Chen's mother did not think there was anything wrong with her daughter marrying into a few more families.
Knowing her daughter's determination, she had never mentioned it before. But now that the world has been unified, Chen's mother naturally began to worry.
Chen Yuanshu said helplessly, "Mother, there's no need to rush this matter of marriage. Just let it happen naturally. Are you still worried that your daughter won't be able to find one?"
Indeed, with Chen Yuanshu's current status, there is no possibility of not being able to find a husband.
As long as she spread the word, many ministers would come to her house and recommend their own sons in order to curry favor with her.
There should be quite a few ministers who even recommend themselves.
On the side, Chen's father, who had been silent the whole time, glanced at Chen's mother and said, "Marriage is indeed not something that can be rushed. Let your daughter decide for herself, but..."
He looked at Chen Yuanshu and said, "Now that you're back, go out and walk around more. Maybe you'll fall in love with her."
After hearing this, Mother Chen sighed and said, "Forget it, just like your father said, you should go out more often. I just want someone to accompany you. We are old and can't stay by your side forever."
Chen's mother had no requirements for the family background, as long as the family had good character and treated her daughter well.
Faced with such a heavy topic, just when Chen Yuanshu didn't know how to respond, the housekeeper from the mansion hurried over and said, "General, Master, Madam, someone is coming from the palace."
Chen Yuanshu was stunned for a moment, calculated the time in his mind, and roughly guessed the purpose of the female official's visit.
"Father, Mother, let's go take a look."
When everyone arrived at the front hall, they saw a female official with a friendly face sitting upright.
The female official saw everyone, stood up, and bowed softly, saying, "General Chen, Master Chen, Madam Chen."
Chen Yuanshu returned the greeting and said, "I wonder what brings Lady Xu here this time?"
Female official Xu coughed lightly, opened the wooden box she was carrying, and took out the bright yellow imperial edict from it.
"General Chen, please accept the order!" Female official Xu said loudly.
Chen Yuanshu and everyone else knelt down hurriedly.
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: General Chen Yuanshu has distinguished himself in battle, demonstrated his loyalty and courage, and rendered unparalleled service to the security of the country."
"Now I enfeoff you as the King of Chu, and the title shall remain hereditary for all generations, as a token of my commendation."
"In addition, I grant you the fiefdom of Jinzhou, a golden medal of immunity from death, and a reward of ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand pieces of silk."
"I hope that you will remain loyal and righteous in the future, uphold your duties as a minister, and continue to work for the security of our country and benefit the people."
"Appreciate this!"
After the female official finished reading the last word, Chen Yuanshu gently knocked his head on his folded hands and said, "I thank your majesty for your great grace. Long live the emperor."
Lady Xu smiled as she helped Chen Yuanshu to her feet and handed the imperial edict to her. "King Chu, congratulations! This is a truly unique honor. His Majesty holds you in high regard."
Hearing the subtle hint from Ms. Xu, Chen Yuanshu instantly understood what she meant.
Your Majesty only conferred the title on her, a king of a different surname.
Chen Yuanshu quickly took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and handed it to the female official. "Thank you for taking the trouble to make this trip. This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept it."
Lady Xu didn't refuse and took it directly, "Then I would be honored to refuse it."
After taking the bag of silver, Ms. Xu returned to the palace to report.
After Lady Xu left, Chen Yuanshu's father and mother surrounded him with joy on their faces.
Mother Chen said excitedly: "From now on, our Yuan Shu will be the King of Chu. This will bring honor to our family."
Father Chen also smiled from ear to ear, "Yuan Shu, you must serve His Majesty well and never let down this great imperial grace. You must know that everything you have now was given by His Majesty. Don't be an ungrateful person."
Chen Yuanshu knew that her father was telling her not to learn from Li Shun.
"Well, my daughter naturally knows. Let's celebrate together as a family today."
Next, countless people in the army were enthroned, and the entire imperial city was immersed in a festive atmosphere.