Chapter 547: Conferred the Title of Duke
It’s a pity that Emperor An obviously won’t let the prince have his way.
Emperor An leaned against the edge of the dragon bed, speaking weakly and with guilt, "Your father and I were old friends, and I should have trusted him. But it was my narrow-mindedness and the instigation of villains that led to your father being wronged for so many years. Now I owe your father justice, and I also owe you justice."
"I'm sorry."
In the past, if Emperor An had repented and surrendered, Xiao Yan would have taken the initiative to step forward and offer him a way out.
But Xiao Yan just looked at Emperor An quietly without saying a word, as if waiting for him to continue.
Emperor An felt embarrassed for a moment and couldn't help coughing in front of the court officials: "Since He Wenzhuo was wronged, he should be vindicated."
"According to my decree, He Wenzhuo's deeds of loyalty and righteousness twenty years ago are announced to the world, and he is posthumously granted the title of Duke Dingguo. His tablet is to be moved into the Imperial Ancestral Temple to share in the royal family's incense offerings."
"His son, He Yan, has the qualities of his father, filial and courageous. He inherited his father's title and presided over the Privy Council..."
Seeing that Xiao Yan was unmoved, as if the reward was not enough to move him, Emperor An paused:
"I am unwell and lack the energy to manage the affairs of the court. The Crown Prince is young and reckless and is not capable of managing the government. Duke Dingguo has inherited the traditions of the He family and is intelligent and wise. I have specially appointed him the title of Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince and will receive all the benefits of a prince. He will teach the Crown Prince well on my behalf."
"Besides, the He family case was investigated hastily, and the late emperor, enraged, didn't investigate it in detail. However, I believe that a family that could raise a loyal and brave man like Duke Dingguo would never rebel for a mere profit."
"I wish to grant the He family amnesty and order the repair of their ancestral tombs and allow them to worship and pass on their legacy. Furthermore, the title of Duke will not be reduced for three generations as compensation."
Before Xiao Yan could say anything while standing in front of the crowd, Liang Guangyi and others in the crowd looked extremely unhappy.
Everyone knew that Emperor An would surrender when he woke up. After all, Xiao Yan now held great power and the tiger talisman was in his hands. It was expected that Emperor An would give in, but no one expected that Emperor An would be so willing to do so.
Originally, after He Wenzhuo was cleared of all charges, Xiao Yan, as his son, could only inherit the title of Marquis of Xuanyi and receive some unimportant additional titles. However, now he was directly made a Duke of the State and was also given the title of Prince's Tutor, allowing him to enjoy the treatment of a prince.
Not only that, Emperor An took the initiative to pardon the He family and also promised that their title of Duke would not be demoted for three generations.
There is no other example of such treatment in the entire Wei Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, this goes against our ancestral rules!"
Prince Huan couldn't help but speak out, "It's all very well to confer the title of Duke posthumously. He Wenzhuo certainly deserved it when he died in Rongjiang. But what about Xiao Yan? If he hadn't made extraordinary contributions to the Great Wei, how could he, at such a young age, have inherited the title of Duke without fail, and even been honored with the respect of a Prince?"
He was not speaking up for Emperor An, but was simply dissatisfied.
A "eunuch slave" who once had to bow down before him suddenly became his equal, and even had the same status as him.
How could the always arrogant King Huan agree to this?!
Furthermore, once this title was bestowed, Xiao Yan would have even more reason to cling to military power and legitimately interfere in state affairs. Did Emperor An lose his mind after lying in bed for a month?!
The old minister from the aristocratic family who was traveling with Grand Tutor Liang also frowned and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Huan is right. There is no precedent for such an increase in title. If we really issue an order, I am afraid it will cause criticism from both the court and the people."
"I remember that you promised me at the palace banquet that after the investigation into He Wenzhuo's case, if he was found not guilty, you would confer the title of Marquis of Xuanyi upon him. I think this title is quite good, and one that Governor Xiao deserves given his age."
Grand Tutor Liang also said, "This old minister also feels that the title of Duke is too eye-catching. Governor Xiao is young and promising. It would be better to make him a Marquis first. It would not be too late to make him a Duke after he has made achievements in the future. What do you think, Lord Cao?"
Cao Dejiang would not be fooled by this old man Liang Guangyi.
If he agreed with Xiao Yan and said that he should be conferred the title, he would be offending Emperor An and telling everyone that he was in Xiao Yan's group. But if he agreed with them and said that he should not be conferred the title, he would be offending Emperor An and telling everyone that he was in Xiao Yan's group.
If Emperor An really goes along with the situation, wouldn't Xiao Yan suffer a great loss?
Cao Dejiang said solemnly, "Titles in the court are originally earned through rewards. Although the title of Duke is somewhat beyond the rules, Your Majesty sympathizes with loyal officials and, after careful consideration, feels it is appropriate to grant it. I, this old minister, have no objection."
Liang Guangyi: "..."
This old fox!!
Emperor An had originally bestowed the title sincerely, and upon hearing this, he said, "I have thought it through. This is what I owe to the He family."
"I should have sent people south to investigate the old case as soon as doubts arose. I knew that the case from twenty years ago implicated countless people who had died unjustly. As the emperor, I should have been the first to redress their injustice. However, for the sake of my own reputation, I was afraid of being criticized for my negligence in disaster relief. In my foolish attempt to cover it up, I nearly harmed a loyal minister."
"I feel guilty towards the He family."
"But……"
King Huan wanted to say something, but King Ji reached out and pulled his sleeve, signaling him to shut up.
Prince Ji said solemnly, "Since Your Majesty has made up his mind, then Governor Xiao is worthy of the title of Duke."
Upon hearing this, Emperor An looked at Xiao Yan and said, "Duke Dingguo, what do you think?"
Xiao Yan looked at Emperor An. If it weren't for the fact that his arms that were supporting his body were tense and his shoulder blades were tightly clenched, and it was obvious that he was holding the edge of the bed with his hands clenched extremely tightly, he would really think that Emperor An was feeling guilty about him and the He family and that was why he bestowed the title and rewarded them.
Emperor An probably knew the situation in the court and knew that the situation was hopeless and could not be reversed, so he wanted to take a step back and win over the people's hearts. A simple admission of guilt could redeem him from his shameless betrayal that night and put an end to the He family's case.
Otherwise, if the turmoil continues, not only the He family, but also the rebellion of Crown Prince Li will be implicated, and his throne will be shaken.
How can it not be worth it to sacrifice only the title of Duke to put an end to this matter?
When Xiao Yan and Emperor An looked at each other, the atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense. Anyone could see that Emperor An was giving in. It all depended on whether Xiao Yan was willing to accept it. Even Emperor An himself was extremely nervous.
After a moment, Xiao Yan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "On behalf of my father and the He family, I thank Your Majesty for your grace. I will also assist Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Majesty and continue to follow the He family's traditions."
Emperor An heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Liu Tongen silently let go of the hand that was touching the hilt of the sword.
When the prince saw that Xiao Yan actually gave in, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Although he had placed many people in the court during this period, he still relied on Xiao Yan. If Xiao Yan could resolve his grievances with Emperor An or even favor Emperor An in terms of rewards, then his position as the crown prince...
"Father, since you have already rewarded Duke Dingguo, I will ask for another favor on his behalf."
The Crown Prince stood beside Xiao Yan with a warm expression on his face. "Duke Dingguo once told me that he has long been in love with Princess Xiangning, but he didn't dare to overstep the bounds due to his status."
"Now that the He family has been cleared of all charges and he has been granted the title of Duke, why don't you, Your Majesty, arrange a marriage for them so that Duke Ding can be even more happy."
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