Chapter 16: Champion Marquis, you have suffered for three years at the border
The emperor frowned and asked, "Why didn't Lao Jiu come?"
The Tenth Prince, who was sitting next to the empty seat, stood up and said with a bow, "Father, my ninth brother is ill again."
"Are you really ill, or do you just not want to come?" The person who spoke was the first among the princes, and his tone was sarcastic.
Luo Wan sat up straighter and saw that the man was wearing a golden python robe. The only person who could wear such clothes was Bei Yeji, the prince of the Northern Kingdom.
The tenth prince was about to explain, but the emperor waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Let the ninth prince take good care of his health."
At the beginning of the palace banquet, the chief steward read out the imperial edict, three rounds of imperial wine were given, the ministers expressed their gratitude, the musicians played music, and the dancers performed.
The imperial kitchen presented a variety of delicacies, accompanied by Western wine and Jiangnan spring wine.
Staff members are equivalent to servants and do not have desks.
In between the piano music, Shen Zhiyan handed over a plate of cakes: "Try it."
Luo Wan hadn't eaten anything from noon until now, and she was indeed a little hungry. She didn't know how long the palace banquet would last, so she picked up a piece of food and quickly stuffed it into her mouth.
Shen Zhiyan asked, "Is it delicious? You don't get to eat cakes from the imperial kitchen very often."
Luo Wan chewed the food and nodded, but he didn't care in his heart.
It was beautiful, but it was unoriginal and tasted no different from the many pastries she had eaten in her previous life.
Suddenly, a voice came from the door: "Princess Kunyi is here!"
The dancers hurriedly retreated to the sides. Except for the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince, everyone in the hall stood up and saluted: "Welcome, Princess!"
Even though the people in front were standing in a staggered manner, Luo Wan could still see the man's appearance through the gap.
Her pair of almond-shaped eyes were slightly raised, and her long black hair was combed into a gorgeous and complicated bun, embellished with pearls and jade, making her look extremely luxurious and bright.
There were light footsteps in the hall, and the sound of jade pendants on the waists of nobles jingling.
Princess Kunyi ignored everyone, walked past General Jiang, and came to Jiang Cichen.
The woman's voice rang out from the silent hall, but it didn't make anyone stand up. "You've suffered during these three years at the border."
Jiang Cichen lowered his eyes and said, "Thank you, Princess, for your concern. It is my humble duty to guard the border and protect my country."
Ever since the medical book mission in his previous life, Luo Wan had never been involved in any mission related to the court. It was as if there was an invisible barrier blocking everything.
But during the past few days at Hongwenguan, Luo Wan learned a lot from what he saw and heard.
The court situation in the Northern Kingdom is clearly divided into the Prince's Party represented by the Gu family, the Princess's Party represented by the Jiang family, and the Shen family and the Liu family have always respected the emperor.
It is a secret known to everyone in the capital that Princess Kunyi is closely related to the Jiang family. Jiang Cichen has been favored by Princess Kunyi since he was a child.
Princess Kunyi and the emperor were both born to the current empress dowager. The empress dowager had only one son and one daughter, and she loved them very much. She was reluctant to let Kunyi marry far away, so Princess Kunyi has not married yet.
There are rumors that the reason why Kunyi is still unmarried is that she has a crush on Jiang Shu, the son of General Jiang who passed away more than ten years ago. She loves Jiang Shu and his son Jiang Cichen, and it is said that this is also the reason why she particularly favors Jiang Cichen.
However, rumors are just rumors after all, and what is said is just said after all, and no one knows whether they are true or not.
With the support of the Jiang family and the Queen Mother, Kunyi's influence in the court cannot be underestimated.
Everyone seemed to be already aware of Kunyi's style of doing things, and no one whispered.
More like, don't dare.
Kunyi was about to reminisce about the past, but the emperor reminded him, "Kunyi."
Kunyi paused, sat down in the seat previously arranged for her, and said coldly, "No need to be so polite, my lords. Please stand up."
Now that the princess had spoken, everyone returned to their original seats.
The palace banquet continued, and the scholars composed poems on the spot, praising the emperor's wisdom and the prosperous times. The best works were personally inscribed by the emperor and awarded with gold and jade writing desks.
Luo Wan just felt bored.
On the contrary, she found magic tricks, wrestling, puppet shows, etc. interesting.
After three rounds of drinking, the emperor raised his glass and drank with everyone.
Start rewarding meritorious officials.
The emperor coughed lightly twice, his drunkenness taking over, and he became more talkative. He laughed heartily and said, "Jiang Qing is young and promising. He has conquered seven cities in a row, and he deserves a great reward!"
Yuan Jinbao, the chief eunuch beside the emperor, read out the imperial edict:
"I have heard that military affairs are of great importance to a nation, and that soldiers are the pillars of its society. Today, a great victory has been achieved at the border, with all seven cities recovered. This is the result of the bloody battles fought by the soldiers of the three armies, and I am deeply relieved.
Jiang Cichen, the brave cavalry general, was a brave and brave young man. He commanded the three armies, broke through the enemy lines and was invincible. He was awarded a gold seal and purple ribbon and a fief of a thousand households to commend his achievements.
All the officers and soldiers of the three armies share the emperor's grace...
I hereby order you."
Yuan Jinbao handed the imperial edict to Jiang Cichen and said, "Young General, please kowtow and thank the emperor for his grace."
Jiang Cichen was about to kneel down when he suddenly saw a hand blocking his way.
"Wait a minute." Princess Kunyi lightly pressed her fingertips on his wrist.
Kunyi's gaze swept across the courtiers in the hall, finally resting on the Emperor's face. He spoke, "Royal brother, three generations of the Jiang family have dedicated their lives to the country. General Jiang retired, Jiang Shu died for his country, and now it's Jiang Cichen's turn. He has conquered seven cities in three years, a victory unprecedented in the history of the Northern Kingdom. Just granting him a seal and a household registration is not enough to honor Jiang Cichen's achievements in this battle."
The emperor was rarely so happy, so he casually asked, "What reward do you think should be given, sister?"
Kunyi pondered for a moment and said, "Kings, princes, generals, and ministers, your sister believes that Ci Chen deserves to be made a marquis for this battle."
The whole room was in uproar.
The emperor sobered up a little.
Someone left the table and said, "Your Majesty, the young general is not even of age yet, and suddenly being made a marquis will probably cause controversy."
As the man finished speaking, Kun Yi shouted, "Mr. Zhang, you are wrong! In ancient times, a man named Fenglangjuxu was awarded the title of Champion Marquis at the age of eighteen. Ci Chen also achieved outstanding military merit in this battle, so why shouldn't he be awarded the title?"
The hall was silent and no one dared to object.
In the dark, Luo Wan watched with great interest. It turned out that this was the scene when Jiang Cichen was conferred the title of Marquis.
Princess Kunyi's preference for Jiang Cichen has reached an astonishing level.
The emperor asked, "What title should we give him?"
Bei Yeji suddenly interrupted, "Since he has made great contributions to the country, why not let the ministers discuss the title?"
The head of the Gu family immediately agreed: "I heard that Prime Minister Shen's son is teaching at the Hongwen Academy and has a very good reputation. How about asking Master Shen to come up with a title for the Major General?"
The princess party and the prince party have been at odds for a long time. If the draft is good, the princess party is happy, and if the draft is not good, the prince party is happy.
At this moment, it seems that Shen Zhiyan is being asked to propose a title, but in fact, he is being forced to take sides.
Someone from the usually silent Liu family suddenly stood up. Liu Shiyu said sternly, "I heard that Master Shen has a female staff member who is very talented. Why not ask her to come up with a title for Master Jiang?"
The spearhead suddenly changed.
Luo Wan paused with his fingertips, and the audience suddenly became the actors in the play.
Everyone looked over here.
When they first entered the Gilded Palace, the children of various noble families chatted with Shen Zhiyan and asked about her. Shen Zhiyan said that Luo Wan was his aide.
If I had known this, Luo Wan would have been a maid.
Her purpose was only to get close to Shen Zhiyan and gain his trust so that she could attend the palace banquet with Shen Zhiyan. She had no interest in the court at all.
When Jiang Cichen looked over here, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then the corners of his mouth curled up inadvertently.
For unknown reasons, Luo Wan's eyelids twitched slightly.
The emperor said casually: "Then please ask the staff around Shen Qing to propose a title."
Luo Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly.
She finally understood that the Northern Emperor was a casual person, no wonder all forces were ready to make a move.
The emperor didn't care about the situation at all, nor did he care about the undercurrents between the prince's party and the princess's party. He just went with the flow whatever others said.
How did such a person win the battle for the throne?
"Just say it." Shen Zhiyan's voice suddenly came from the side. He was still sitting at the desk, not even glancing at Luo Wan. Instead, he whispered in the hall amidst the chatter, "Say whatever you want to say. I'll cover for you."
She raised her eyes and looked around. The Crown Prince seemed to be smiling, Princess Kunyi was watching coldly, and Jiang Cichen was leaning on the table with his arms folded, looking like he was enjoying a good show.
Jiang Cichen wanted to find something to hold against her, and Kunyi simply thought that her status was too low and she was not worthy of proposing a title for Jiang Cichen. So why did the prince look like that?
The most incredible thing is that the princelings did not prevent Jiang Cichen from becoming a marquis.
Without time to think deeply, Luo Wan slowly left the table and planned her escape route if she said something wrong and was executed. With her current strength, it was more than enough for her to escape from the palace.
The young woman bowed deeply to the throne, her clear voice piercing the stagnant air in the hall: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Junior General should also be granted the title of Champion Marquis. He is truly worthy of the title of Marquis of Langjuxu, for his achievements surpass those of the three armies. The Records of the Grand Historian records that at the age of eighteen, Huo Qubing led eight hundred light cavalry deep into the desert, annihilating two thousand enemies. It just so happens that Junior General Jiang was also eighteen years old when he captured seven cities in a row."
"According to what you said..." Duke Gu stroked his beard, aggressively saying, "Although Huo Qubing was conferred the title of marquis at the age of eighteen, he died young at the age of twenty-four. The title that Master Shen's staff wanted to confer must have a deeper meaning."
The hall suddenly became quiet.
Luo Wan took a breath. What a great head of the Gu family was. Not only did he curse Jiang Cichen to die early, but he also put the blame on her.
Kunyi slammed the table and stood up, his jade bracelet scraping against the table with a harsh sound, and said sternly: "This title is not good!"
The emperor shouted, "Kun Yi!"
Kunyi knew he had lost his composure and was at a loss for words: "Royal brother..."
"Lord Gu is very knowledgeable," Shen Zhiyan suddenly said, looking at Duke Gu. "But Huo Qubing was given the title of Marquis Guanjun, which means 'the most meritorious among all the troops.' While the title of Marquis Guanjun became famous because of Huo Qubing, history records that there were more than one person who received this title. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Jia Fu, one of the Twenty-Eight Generals of the Yuntai, followed Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu in his campaigns and was also given the title of Marquis Guanjun in the first year of his Jianwu reign. Dou Xian also received this title after his victory in defeating the Xiongnu in the north and engraving it on a stone at Yanran."
He paused briefly, then spoke in a steady tone, "Lord Gu, you are well-versed in history and current affairs. You must know that the fortune of a title lies not in the name, but in the person. Although Huo Qubing died young, his achievements will be remembered for centuries. Jia Fu and Dou Xian also achieved great things. How can you judge the fortune of a title based on the fate of one person?"
Duke Gu was speechless and looked extremely unhappy.
Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly and said, "Mr. Chen is absolutely right. The fortune of a title lies not in its name but in the person. Marquis of Guanjun, I think it is a very good title!"
Luo Wan pursed her lips. It turned out that what Shen Zhiyan said about keeping it in his pocket was true.
If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have bothered to rack her brains to come up with these flattering words.
It’s okay to say a few random words, Shen Zhiyan will cover it for you anyway.
The emperor asked with some deep meaning, "What do you think, Jiang Qing?"
All eyes were focused on the protagonist of this debate.
Jiang Cichen calmly bowed to the emperor, then stood up, smiled calmly, and said in a clear and calm voice: "Your Majesty, I think this title is wonderful."
As he spoke, he suddenly turned to Luo Wan, his smile not reaching his eyes: "Besides, how can I let down the kindness of Master Shen's staff?"
The author has something to say:
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I've only been promoted for a few days now, so I'll update daily for a week, then finally push for promotion, and then resume updating every other day (I don't know why I pushed last? Actually, I can't push it [clown]), maybe I have a lot of free time after the exam? [glasses]
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