Chapter 195: Rewarded by the Scenery

Lu Haozhi dismounted and personally leaned over to help Meng Changyuan to his feet. He smiled and said, "General, your expedition to the west this time has helped stabilize the border for the court. In addition to years of worry, you also stabilized the morale of the army during the epidemic and solved an urgent problem for me. You are a meritorious official of the court and a good general of mine. The court is fortunate to have such a talented person!"

Meng Changyuan quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I owe this achievement to your wisdom and benevolence, your wise management, and the blessing of Heaven. I also rely on the full support of my colleagues. My contribution is very limited, and I dare not take credit for it."

Of the hundreds of civil and military officials who had accompanied the emperor, the Liang clan was a natural choice. Seeing Meng Changyuan, a young man with such great achievements, even to the point of being personally welcomed by the emperor, they inevitably felt a sense of jealousy. However, seeing him speak politely and humbly today, with no trace of arrogance, and even bringing everyone along in front of the emperor, they all felt much more at ease, sighing inwardly. This young heir of the Meng family possessed such a broad mind and bearing, his future was boundless.

Lu Haozhi looked at Meng Changyuan in front of him. He looked much darker than before the expedition, but he seemed more energetic.

After more than half a year of fighting at the border and being tempered by the epidemic, he has made great progress and become more calm and reserved, and he can advance and retreat appropriately.

Despite such a great achievement, he was not at all arrogant. He was content even when he was blocked outside the capital city when he led his army back to the capital.

This kind of tolerance and steadiness is rare among young people.

Today, Meng Changyuan truly lives up to the title of "unparalleled talent in the country."

Having such a good general will be like adding wings to a tiger.

Lu Haozhi was overjoyed. He patted Meng Changyuan on the shoulder and went into the city with him.

Seeing the emperor in high spirits walking side by side with the eldest son of the Meng family, all the civil and military officials in the court were worried in their hearts.

There were those who admired him, and those who were envious, all of whom were discussing the matter privately in the team.

"This young master of the Meng family is truly a promising young man. At such a young age, he has made great contributions to the court and has even been favored by the emperor. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

"His family now holds the hereditary title of marquis. I wonder what the Emperor will give him this time?"

As he spoke, someone else sighed and said, "Look at how this family raised their son. My little bastard is a year older than Prince Meng. He spends all day drinking and gambling, otherwise he would bring trouble to his father. If I could raise a son like this, I would be content."

Someone else whispered, "I wonder if this Prince Meng is married? If not, I have a little girl at home who's of the same age and appearance..."

Liang Benwu walked at the front of the team, listening to the whispers behind him, his face frosty.

After returning to the palace, Lu Haozhi ordered a banquet to be held in the Qianqing Palace to welcome Meng Changyuan.

For a while, in the main hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, there were songs that could crack rocks, dances like celestial demons, plates of delicacies, bowls of amber, and the emperor and his ministers were all happy, talking and laughing happily.

Lu Haozhi was looking for someone new. Seeing Meng Changyuan's contributions, promising talent, and Concubine Meng's brother, he tried his best to promote him. He then ordered Rong An, "Bring the Persian wine from the cellar. I will personally toast to the general!"

Rong An took the order and brought over a white jade pot with a handle in a moment.

Lu Haozhi took a luminous cup, filled it himself, and brought it to Meng Changyuan, smiling, "As the ancients said, fine grape wine is best enjoyed in a luminous cup. This wine is as red as blood, and paired with the luminous cup, drinking it is like drinking blood. A great general should drink this wine on the battlefield. You have fought hard, so you deserve this cup!"

Meng Changyuan was flattered and quickly returned the greeting, "Your Majesty, I am humbled and unworthy of your kindness."

He declined three times before finally kneeling down to accept it.

Lu Haozhi watched him finish the drink in one gulp, feeling cheerful and cheerful. He laughed heartily and said, "Prince Meng comes from a distinguished and noble family. Your father made great contributions to the founding of the country, and you have fought for the country, so you can be said to be a family of loyal righteousness. I intend to confer the title of Duke of Dingguo on Prince Meng. What are your opinions?"

Meng Changyuan was slightly surprised. When he returned from the battle, he knew that the emperor would definitely reward him, but he did not expect that the emperor would actually confer the title of Duke on him.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, those who have received this title have all been veteran ministers who made great contributions to the founding of the country, and whose families have many members who sacrificed their lives for the country. For example, the father of the late queen, and the patriarch of the Zheng family, the Duke of Anguo, both received this title after most of their brothers and nephews died on the battlefield. Even his father, Meng Xiang, was only the Marquis of Yiyang.

He is only in his twenties now and has only been on the expedition once, yet the emperor wants to confer the title of Duke on him. How can he not be shocked!

Meng Changyuan immediately knelt down and replied, "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness, but I am still young, inexperienced, and have limited achievements. How can I dare to become a Duke? I beg Your Majesty to revoke your decision."

Lu Haozhi smiled slightly, "Since I ascended the throne, I have experienced the regent's seizure of power, the rebellion of the southwestern border tribes, and the epidemic in Kyoto. These three major events were settled, and your Meng family contributed to it. If I say you deserve it, then you deserve it!" As he spoke, his eyes swept across everyone's faces one by one.

All the officials knew what the emperor meant. On the surface, this was to confer a higher title on Meng Changyuan, but secretly, it was to spy on the ministers' intentions.

Immediately, several people stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. He appoints people based on their merits and rewards and punishes people with reason. This is truly a blessing for our Great Zhou."

Someone took the lead, and the others were unwilling to lag behind, fearing that they would be regarded as traitors by the emperor, so they stood up and echoed in unison, and the whole hall was filled with flattery.

Only the group of veteran officials headed by the Liang family remained, sitting silently and looking at Liang Benwu.

After a moment, Liang Benwu suddenly stood up, bowed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, Prince Meng has made such an incredible contribution, and he deserves to be named a Duke. The Royal Concubine Meng has been working hard to cure the epidemic and has become seriously ill. She is now recuperating in Shanghe Garden. The children of the Meng family are all loyal and righteous people. Whenever I think of this, I feel ashamed and tears stream down my face. It's a pity that the Royal Concubine can't see this scene today." As he spoke, he raised his sleeve to wipe his eyes, as if he really shed tears.

Oh, here comes the provocateur.

Lu Haozhi raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Liang Benwu's artificial attitude.

Everyone in the capital knew that Meng Changyuan cherished his sister. Madam Meng had passed away early, and Marquis Meng was preoccupied with government affairs. The two siblings had grown up together, relying on each other for survival. Meng Changyuan treated his sister like a precious jewel, cherishing her more than his own life. In his previous life, after his legs were crippled, he remained indoors, possessing a capricious and violent personality, unable to distinguish right from wrong. He believed slanderous rumors and mistakenly believed Meng Yan was dying, leading his troops to storm the palace.

When Lu Haozhi thinks about the situation now, he still breaks out in cold sweat.

Liang Benwu's words were apparently a sigh for the loyalty and achievements of the Meng brothers and sisters, but in fact he was instigating Meng Changyuan, telling him that Concubine Meng had devoted her life to Lu Haozhi's kingdom, and was now seriously ill and dying, but was abandoned in Shanghe Garden to recuperate.

If Meng Changyuan lost his temper on the spot and turned against the emperor, becoming disobedient to the monarch, then even his previous great contributions would be discounted.

Even if he managed to endure it, the thorn had pierced his heart, and he would eventually get sick.

He truly deserves to be the leader among the civil officials. He can stir up trouble out of nothing with his eloquence. It's truly a business with no capital investment.

It’s a pity that I’m afraid I will disappoint him in this life.

Lu Haozhi just smiled and said nothing. He looked at Meng Changyuan for a moment before saying, "Noble Concubine Meng is a virtuous woman. I am very lucky to have such a virtuous concubine."

Meng Changyuan lowered his eyes slightly, his face gloomy. After a while, he suddenly clasped his hands together and said loudly, "The Meng family is deeply favored by the emperor. It is natural for us to serve the country and be loyal to the emperor." After that, he bowed his head and knelt on the ground.

Lu Haozhi smiled and clapped his hands, saying, "Well, well, I was right." He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, "Pass on my decree. Meng Changyuan has made great contributions to protecting the country. He is to be conferred the title of First-Class Duke of Protectorate. He is to be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold, two thousand taels of silver, and ten fine horses as a reward!"

The emperor's words were powerful.

All the officials in the hall looked at this scene and understood that the court situation was about to change drastically and a new force was about to rise.

Regardless of whether Concubine Meng can recover from her illness, the rise of the Meng family is unstoppable.

Liang Benwu had a calm expression, stroked his beard and said nothing.

After the kid from the Meng family went to the border for some training, his temperament has become much calmer. He is no longer as aggressive as he was in the past.

Fortunately, Concubine Meng is about to die. As long as the position of queen falls into the hands of the Liang family, half of the country will still be in the hands of the Liang family.

As long as Concubine Meng died, he didn't believe that the emperor and his minister would not fall out.

If she doesn't die, just give her a push.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, great joy, great joy!"

Ruizhu hurried into the main room, panting, her face full of joy.

Meng Yan was sitting on the kang under the bed, drinking tea and casually flipping through a few pages of a popular storybook in Beijing.

This frivolous book, originally written by a group of frustrated scholars, contains many vulgar and erotic stories. Women in the palace were forbidden to read it, lest it corrupt their character. However, Meng Yan, bored in Tishun Hall, persuaded Lu Haozhi to get it.

Listening to Ruizhu's voice, she gently raised her eyelids and said, "What's so worth shouting about? I can hear your voice from far away."

Ruizhu wiped the sweat from her forehead and said happily, "The emperor has made the prince the Duke of Protectorate. This is a great joy!"

Meng Yan paused slightly, placed the tea bowl in her hand on the glass-topped table, and said with a smile, "This is truly a great joyous occasion. Go tell Xiao Tang to ask the kitchen to prepare a few dishes that the emperor likes. I will personally express my gratitude tonight."

Ruizhu looked at the faint joy on her master's face and was puzzled. She couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, the prince has become the Duke of Protectorate. Aren't you happy?"

Meng Yan smiled softly, "Of course I'm happy, but there's no need to be as happy as you are, jumping up and down for everyone to see. Don't forget, we are hiding in Ti Shun Hall now, don't let anyone know where we are and let them know."

Ruizhu knocked her forehead and smiled embarrassedly.

It was within Meng Yan's expectations that Meng Changyuan would be granted the title of Duke after returning from this expedition.

After all, when Lu Haozhi needs someone, he will definitely do his best to promote him.

At the moment, Meng Yan felt no surprise, only relief.

The Western Expedition alone wasn't enough to qualify him for the title of Duke. During the outbreak of the epidemic, Meng Changyuan stabilized the army's morale, preventing them from rioting in the capital and curbing the spread of the disease within the army. These two combined contributions made him legitimately worthy of the title of Duke.

In his previous life, his elder brother returned victorious with disabled legs. Lu Haozhi named him Duke of the State, but in fact, he had some pity for him.

In this life, my brother won this title through his own talents and abilities.

Her brother was safe and sound, returned victorious, and was conferred the title of Duke... Her Meng family had finally escaped the fate of a collapsed building and scattered glory.

Xiao Tang came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is hosting a banquet in the Palace of Heavenly Purity to welcome the Crown Prince. He has sent this servant to inform you that he will not be dining with you at noon today. Later, when the Crown Prince comes out of the Yangxin Palace, he will come to the Tishun Hall to see you. Your Majesty, if you have anything to say, please think of it and say it as soon as possible. The Crown Prince should not stay in the Tishun Hall for long."

Meng Yan agreed with a smile and told Ruizhu to take out a drawer of red envelopes to reward Xiao Tang.

This was what Lu Haozhi had originally promised her, arranging for Meng Changyuan to meet her.

This was actually a bit risky, but he still agreed. He treated her well, didn't he?

After finally getting through lunch, Meng Yan sat in the main room, her heart beating fast. She managed to remain calm, but sent Ruizhu to the door several times.

Finally, Ruizhu hurried in and said happily, "Your Majesty, the prince has arrived."

Meng Yan hurriedly stood up and saw her brother's tall figure walking in with vigorous steps.

Meng Changyuan entered the room and bowed to her, "Your humble servant greets the Imperial Concubine!"

Looking at her brother who was walking with big strides and had all his limbs intact, Meng Yan's eyes were slightly warmed. She hurried forward to pull him, "Brother, please stand up. There are no outsiders here, so there is no need to observe these etiquettes." She also quickly offered her seat.

Meng Changyuan was a straightforward person. Since the girl said so, he didn't act pretentiously and stood up immediately.

The brother and sister sat down and talked.

Meng Yan looked at the brother in front of her. Although his skin was dark, he looked much more energetic than before. His eyes were bright and there was a scar on his nose. Although it had damaged his appearance, he looked even more powerful and strong, showing the demeanor of a military general.

The high-spirited brother in front of her and the depressed and gloomy brother in her previous life kept switching back and forth in her mind.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Meng Yan couldn't help sobbing, tears falling onto the table.

Meng Changyuan hurriedly asked the palace maid for a handkerchief and wiped the girl's tears. He then said, "Why are you crying for no reason? My brother is here, alive and well."

Meng Yan quickly spat and scolded, "How dare you say such unlucky words so casually? Brother really has no taboos at all!"

Meng Changyuan chuckled, "We're in the military, living on the edge of a knife all day long. If we get serious about it, there's no end to it."

After a few pleasantries, Meng Yan asked him in detail about his experience at the border.

Meng Changyuan thought for a moment, then picked out a few important things to tell me, "Sister, thanks to your reminder, I didn't suffer any serious losses in Xixialing. Those foreign bandit leaders had indeed ambushed me there, intending to lure me deeper. With your advice, I prepared in advance, surrounded them from both sides, and finally surrounded them. However, when we were chasing the bandit leader, I was accidentally hit by an arrow, but thanks to the bottle of medicine you gave me, I used it in time and didn't suffer any symptoms. When we returned to the camp, the military doctors examined me and said it was a dangerous incident. Those foreign barbarians were particularly vicious, and their arrows were all poisoned. Fortunately, we dealt with it in time, otherwise who knows what would have happened."

Meng Yan was terrified when she heard this, but secretly felt lucky.

Although she warned her brother in advance, there are many variables in this life. The so-called heavenly plot has set up many ambushes in order to eliminate her. Her brother must be in great danger at the border, but fortunately he is safe now.

But Meng Changyuan continued, "And the leather belt you gave me earlier was very useful. My brother wore it during the march and battle. Later, during another battle across the river, my brother encountered the enemy on the single-cable bridge and nearly fell into the river. Fortunately, the leather belt was hanging on the side of the bridge, and my brother was able to escape. Unfortunately, the leather belt has been severely damaged since then. Later, when the battle was fierce, it was cut and fell into the river and was never found again." At this point, he felt a little embarrassed and looked at his sister, "Sister, you won't blame my brother, right?"

Bai Yuxin had spent the entire night making that leather belt.

It accompanied Meng Changyuan on his expedition to the border, but was eventually left there.

Meng Yan's heart moved slightly, and she slowly shook her head and smiled, "How could I blame my brother? That item has been able to help my brother so much, I think that wish has been fulfilled, and it is enough."

Meng Changyuan was a military general and didn't have much delicate thoughts, so he couldn't hear the hidden meaning in her words.

At that moment, the two siblings chatted about some family matters. Meng Changyuan talked about the scenery at the border and said that he had brought back many local specialties and exotic jewels, and would ask someone to bring them to the palace one day.

After chatting for a few words, Meng Changyuan saw that the girl was happy, so he came forward, scratched his head, and grinned, "Sister, I have something to ask you...Um, did Fang Chu offend you in any way?"