"Qin Ze, son of General Xuan Huwei, is granted special permission to enter the court without bowing and to wear a sword and shoes."
In the eighth year of the Zhengde reign of the Great Gan Dynasty, outside the Golden Palace, an imperial eunuch shouted.
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall figure strode over. He was a young man with a cold and stern face, eyes like stars, and a handsome appearance.
Dressed in a magnificent robe embroidered with gold and jade, he was incredibly noble, and the gold-decorated sword between his eyes made him appear even more imposing.
Before even entering the hall, Qin Ze could already feel a chilling atmosphere, and his expression grew increasingly cold.
Memories flooded back; this was already his eighteenth year in the past.
The place where he was born was called Daqian, a country that did not belong to any dynasty in history.
The territory of Da Gan spans tens of millions of square kilometers, making it a powerful nation. He is the son of Qin Haotian, the most renowned Tiger General of the Da Gan Dynasty.
Qin Haotian, the father, was a brave and skilled military commander. His Chiyan Army was renowned and famous throughout the land.
At that time, the Daqian Kingdom was weak and its territory was not as vast as it is now. It was also frequently invaded by foreign tribes, and the people suffered greatly.
But it was only through Qin Haotian's years of conquest that he was able to build the magnificent empire he enjoys today!
As the son of Qin Haotian, Qin Ze learned martial arts from a young age and also studied military strategy. At the age of fifteen, he began to follow his father in battles across the country and also gained a great reputation.
But all of that changed a year ago.
During a campaign to conquer Japan, the Qin family suffered a major setback.
This battle was particularly brutal. Qin Haotian was attacked by Fusang and killed on the water. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Chiyan Army also perished in that battle.
Qin Ze was not involved in that battle. Upon learning the tragic news, he was devastated and vowed to annihilate Fusang and make everyone pay with their lives.
but...
After that battle, the current Empress Jin Fengluan of the Great Gan Dynasty signed an agreement with Fusang, in which Fusang submitted to Great Gan, willingly becoming a vassal state and paying tribute annually.
Upon hearing the news, Qin Ze rushed back to the capital, only to find that the Empress had already issued an imperial edict, taken away the military tally, and scattered his father's soldiers into other armies.
At that moment, Qin Ze understood.
With Da Gan's position now secure, foreign powers subjugated, and the world at peace, there is no need for such a powerful and influential general.
As he had predicted, after the Empress relied on the Qin family to resolve external threats, she no longer granted the Qin family any military power.
The Qin family was under close surveillance throughout the year, and could be said to have been placed under house arrest in the capital.
In the early hours of the morning, Qin Ze received a secret letter, delivered by one of his father's former subordinates.
The Crimson Flame Army was scattered and mixed into other armies. Some of its generals were grateful to the Qin family, so they paid a huge price to get this secret letter into the Qin residence.
The secret letter stated that the Empress would grant the Qin family a fiefdom today, and regardless of where the fiefdom was located, they must not show the slightest dissatisfaction, otherwise the Qin family would surely face annihilation.
Qin Ze understood. The Qin family had made so many great contributions, which were seen by everyone. Now that their position was secure, if the Empress were to discard them after they had served their purpose and openly execute their meritorious officials, it would chill the hearts of the people.
Therefore, she chose to use the pretext of granting land to silence the people!
At this moment, Qin Ze had arrived at the entrance of the main hall. Looking up, he saw all the civil and military officials standing on both sides of the hall, while Empress Jin Fengluan sat in the main hall.
Qin Ze lowered his eyes, stepped into the Golden Palace, and bowed in greeting.
"This humble general, Qin Ze, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Inside the dragon throne, Jin Fengluan, wearing a phoenix crown and a nine-dragon robe, sat upright.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, like a finely carved piece of jade. Her skin was fair and delicate, radiant and glowing, with bright eyes and white teeth, and her brows and eyes revealed the majestic majesty of a phoenix soaring to the heavens.
No need for formalities.
Just two simple words, yet they carry an undeniable authority and a chilling undertone.
Jin Fengluan parted her cherry lips slightly and said:
"General Huwei has fought in the north and south all his life and made great contributions to the court. Now that the world is at peace, he should be rewarded according to the law. Qin Ze, the reason for summoning you to the palace this time is to reward you for your merits."
Jin Fengluan glanced sideways, her gaze sweeping over the assembled officials before settling on Qin Ze, and then she said:
"Your father worked hard and made great contributions throughout his life. If he were still alive, I would have intended to make him the only non-royal king in my Great Khanate, but unfortunately..."
"Well, as the saying goes, a tiger father begets no dog son. In you, Qin Ze, one can indeed see the shadow of your father."
Having said this, Jin Fengluan looked at the assembled officials and continued:
"My beloved ministers, the land of Northern Liang is vast, spanning tens of thousands of miles. What do you think of granting this land to Qin Ze?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze sneered inwardly.
Beiliang is the poorest place in the vast territory of Daqian, with a vast land and sparse population. In the past year, there have even been rumors that the Hu and Ma tribes have revolted again and will make Beiliang their fiefdom. Isn't this forcing my whole family to die there?
What a cruel heart!
The ministers exchanged glances, their expressions varied; some sighed, some sneered, and some wore sinister smiles.
“Speak freely!” Jin Fengluan said coldly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Li, the Minister of Personnel, bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but this action is inappropriate."
"General Qin fought against the northern barbarian cavalry, conquered the southern barbarians, resisted the Fusang in the east, and fought against the western Rong in the west. It took ten years of war to bring about the prosperity of our Great Gan today, with the whole world submitting to us."
It is lamentable that General Qin died in his final naval battle, and how could his only descendant be enfeoffed in such a harsh and desolate place? I suggest that he be enfeoffed as the Prince of Binhai, with Suzhou and Hangzhou as his fiefdom, thus comforting General Qin's spirit in heaven.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yong, the Minister of Revenue, stepped out from the procession with his corpulent body and bowed, saying:
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