"If there is anything in this world as delicious as durian, it is lychee."
"Moreover, lychees are very juicy and can be used to quench thirst."
The emperor ate plate after plate until he could no longer eat, and then used a silk handkerchief to wipe the juice from the bursting lychees that clung to his beard.
He recalled what he had said earlier; although it was just a soliloquy, it was a promise that a ruler should never take lightly.
"Lian'er, is there anything you wish for?"
Qiao Lian'er seemed puzzled.
The Emperor said, “When I was a child, I read a historical record that Emperor Chu Yue killed countless horses and lost many lives so that his concubine could eat lychees. I have always wondered what lychees taste like that would make Emperor Chu Yue go to such lengths to transport them to the capital.”
"But this is the north, while lychees grow in the south. It's not easy to get a bite here."
"Later, I stopped thinking about it. Until today, I came across the story between Emperor Chu Yue and Consort Gui again. I thought that if someone brought me fresh lychees, I would grant them any request."
"I see," Qiao Lian'er pondered, "Your Majesty has given me more than enough. I don't want anything else. My greatest wish is that Your Majesty enjoys the lychees."
Hearing these heartfelt words, the emperor's eyes showed a hint of relief: "You may not want it, but I cannot refuse to give it to you. Since arriving in the capital, Lian'er has performed well time and time again. Last time, he even saved my life from the venomous fangs of a golden ringed snake. He presented me with durians first, and lychees later, both of which are rare and precious. If I do not give him anything in return, I will feel guilty."
"Eunuch Qi, go and draft an edict to announce to the world that the Princess of Dingxiang County has rendered meritorious service in saving me. I will bestow upon her the title of Princess Feiluan, with her fiefdom remaining unchanged, the number of soldiers to be recruited increased to 30,000, and all her monthly salary, treatment, and regulations shall be in accordance with those of a princess."
The Emperor looked at Qiao Lian'er: "Lian'er, the most significant change in your rise from county princess to prefectural princess is the power to recruit soldiers. I want you to build a valiant and skilled elite force of the Qiao family for the royal family, making it the third major army to protect the capital, in addition to the Imperial Guard and the Inner Army."
Qiao Lian'er was deeply moved. She had come into this world to become a citizen of the Great Swamp Kingdom, enjoying the emperor's boundless grace. It was also her responsibility to do her best for the Great Swamp Kingdom.
It turns out that the Qiao family army only had six thousand men, which was insignificant in number. Even if they practiced different formations, they wouldn't have much of an impact.
Now that it has increased to 30,000, it has finally reached a certain scale; at least, it is a number that can begin to make people feel threatened.
Pang Da thought that after becoming one of the top lieutenants, he could lead his troops to defeat Qiao Family Army and put them at the front. This was a possibility, but to suddenly increase the number of troops to 30,000 was just wishful thinking on Pang Da's part.
Qiao Lian'er knelt down to express her gratitude: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your expectations. I am determined to train the 30,000 soldiers into elite troops and take it as my lifelong duty to protect the capital, Your Majesty, and the people of the capital region."
"Very good." The emperor nodded: "Your fiefdom of a hundred li is actually far beyond the standard of a county princess. However, I know that you will not stop at being a county princess in this life, so I have given you a vast fiefdom ahead of time."
"If you can become a princess, you will also receive a vast fiefdom stretching for hundreds of miles, and your army will increase to 70,000. You will be able to control a large battlefield and decide the course of a major war. Princess Feiluan, keep up the good work!"
Originally, the emperor wanted Qiao Lian'er to make another great contribution before he would grant her the title of princess, so even though she subdued the poisonous snake, he refrained from promoting her.
But this time she brought him lychees, and he simply couldn't control himself.
Next time, he absolutely cannot grant titles and honors to his subjects just because of food; that's outrageous, utterly outrageous.
The news that Qiao Lian'er had become Princess Feiluan quickly spread among the high-ranking noble families in the capital.
Of course, it also reached Ponta's ears.
"What, Princess, what, recruiting 30,000 soldiers?" Pang Da had been crawling in the shadows, waiting for a good opportunity, but he never expected that Qiao Lian'er would be so quick.
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