Chapter 184 Rewards
In short, the matter has finally been settled.
"Dai Rong's wife, Dai Bai, is hereby conferred her title..." King Yu Muji hesitated for a moment before turning his gaze to Bai Su, who was still in tears but stood upright. "I, the King, consider Jin Fang's request and abide by the agreement. Furthermore, I have taken into account your efforts in maintaining morale and supporting the army during the crisis in the Southern Border. From this day forward, you are hereby conferred the title of 'General Who Guards the South' in place of your husband, commanding the naval and infantry forces formerly under Dai Rong's command in the Southern Border, and holding the military seal and authority. You are to immediately prepare the army and return to the Southern Border. You are not to leave without an imperial edict."
This line of reasoning is just awful to hear.
Mu Xi loosened the collar of her tightly locked purple-gold python robe, trying to get her brain to "find fault".
What does "Dai Rong's wife, Dai Bai" mean? Did King Yu not even want to mention Bai Su's name? Or did women not deserve to have their own complete names?
What does "receiving the title in place of her husband" even mean? What does this have to do with that good-for-nothing Dai Rong? It was all earned by Bai Su himself.
Just as Mu Xi was about to retort, Mu Xun, who had been silent behind her, pulled her back and slowly shook his head.
Yes, in any case, the goal has been achieved.
The moment the word "purpose" came to mind, a sudden pang of pain shot through my heart.
As soon as the pain surfaced, Mu Xi took a deep breath and gave Bai Su a "calm" nod and smile.
At this point, Bai Su could only kowtow and express his gratitude.
Mu Xi was in a daze.
Perhaps this is fate.
Yu Wang's cold gaze swept over Zhu Mingjun, who was kneeling on the ground: "As for Zhu Mingjun Mu Cong... he is stripped of his title of prince and is never allowed to return to the southern border. However, since he is a member of the imperial clan, he will be temporarily imprisoned in the imperial prison until I personally review his case and make a final decision."
Detailed review?
So that means we won't get any results?
Mu Xi tried to numb herself, but at least Zhu Mingjun could no longer be a feudal lord and was far away from the southern border.
As for the future, that's not something she needs to consider.
After King Yu finished announcing the matter, Zhu Mingjun was taken away.
"Although the battle in the southern border was fraught with twists and turns, we ultimately relied on the bravery of our soldiers to wipe out the pirates and bring peace to the coastal areas." King Yu raised his hand slightly, and an attendant immediately presented the imperial edict that had been prepared in advance.
The eunuch unfurled the imperial edict and read it aloud: "The generals and soldiers who have rendered meritorious service in pacifying the southern border shall be rewarded according to their merits to recognize their loyalty and bravery. Shi Meng is promoted to the rank of 'General Who Breaks the Waves,' receiving a second-rank salary. He Yanzhao is promoted to the rank of 'General Who Guards the Sea,' receiving a third-rank salary..."
The imperial edicts were read out in turn, and the generals and guards who were well-known in the southern border were all promoted one rank and awarded one hundred taels of gold.
The soldiers who died in battle will receive double the compensation, and their families will be exempt from taxes for three years. The remaining soldiers who participated in the battle will each be awarded fifty taels of silver and five bolts of silk.
This edict was clearly prepared in advance, which means that Dai Rong and Bai Su were not mentioned at all, or perhaps Dai Rong and Bai Su should have been mentioned in another edict, but unfortunately it was not used.
Finally, the King of Yu's gaze fell upon Mu Xi and Mu Xun...
However, after careful consideration, he said, "The second son of Jin Fang, Mu Xun, is known for his benevolence and filial piety. He manages the affairs of the western border in a methodical manner on behalf of his father and elder brother. He has also made achievements in suppressing the bandits in the southern border. Unfortunately, the younger brother of the king, Jin Fangjun, is still ill and unable to return. It would be better for him to stay in the Military Affairs Department as the Left Supervisor, so that he can learn more about military affairs."
Mu Xun could only express his gratitude.
"Prince Jin Fang..." Prince Yu Mu Ji looked at Mu Xi one last time. He couldn't bring up the matter of the pardon again, but it would be awkward to leave without any reward, so he had to think it over. "Prince Jin Fang, your pacification of the southern border was skillful and well-organized; your merits are invaluable. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you ten thousand taels of gold and ten bushels of luminous pearls..."
After saying all this, Mu Ji seemed to feel that it was still not enough, so he added: "Furthermore, I have heard that my younger brother, Jin Fangjun, is bedridden with a chronic illness that has not yet been cured. I have specially granted permission for precious medicinal materials to be supplied by the royal palace. Your Highness has had a hard journey, and you should rest at home and pay your respects to him at his bedside."
Mu Xi remained dazed and confused: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."
I thought this "award ceremony" had come to an abrupt end.
Yu Wang Mu Ji suddenly changed the subject: "Your Highness is being filial, but don't forget to prepare well for the Yanshan Spring Hunt at the end of next month. At that time, all the men of the Mu family will be able to draw their bows and shoot arrows to hunt in all directions."
"Spring Hunt at Yanshan?" From the original owner's memories, Mu Xi only knew that Yanshan was the highest mountain in Yansheng, standing in the heart of Yansheng, and only three days away from Moyang City.
But I have never heard of the Yu Kingdom having a tradition of spring hunting.
Grand Minister Tao Jin laughed and added, "Oh dear, Prince Jin Fang has only been back in the city for a short time and hasn't heard of it yet. This spring hunt is mainly for worshipping Heaven and Earth, which was at the request of the prince's maternal uncle, Marquis Shen of Yong. Marquis Shen observed the celestial phenomena last night and calculated that at the end of next month, there will be a once-in-a-millennium 'Six Harmonies Star Phenomenon' appearing in the world. If the king leads the feudal lords of the four directions and the officials and people perform the Nuo sacrifice to Heaven at that time, it will be able to turn the tide."
Mu Xi was distracted and didn't pay much attention, only remembering one thing: this matter was initiated by Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State.
Fortunately, after this matter was discussed, King Yu withdrew from his seat.
The group walked out of the Tianjun Hall in silence.
Mu Xi followed them out in a daze. As soon as she stepped out of Tianjun Hall, she heard Yan Shu, the Shao Fu Consort she hadn't seen in a long time, calling out from afar, "Young Master... Chengfeng..."
It was obvious at a glance that Yan Shu had been waiting outside the palace for a long time, just to ambush the two of them.
Before Mu Xi and Mu Xun could speak, Yan Shu had already approached, smiling brightly: "Oh my, I've missed you so much these past few months! Did the young master miss me? Did Chengfeng miss me?"
To be honest, Mu Xi had never thought of it at all.
Mu Xun nodded sullenly.
Yan Shu's gossip spirit, which had been suppressed for months, ignited: "You all heard about it in the hall just now, right? At the end of next month, there will be a 'Grand Sacrifice of the Six Harmonies and a Hunting Trip to Yan Mountain.' Even someone like me, a junior official in the Imperial Household Department, will be involved this time."
Mu Xi was already distracted and didn't hear those eight words at all: "What did you say? Shouldn't it be called 'Yanshan Spring Hunt'?"
Yan Shu didn't mind repeating himself: "It's true that it's in Yanshan, and it's true that there's a spring hunt, but to be precise, this ceremony is called the 'Grand Sacrifice of the Six Harmonies, Hunting in Yanshan.' Just now, His Majesty must have invited the Crown Prince to the palace, otherwise wouldn't one of the four great lords be missing?"
Mu Xi's current state of mind was a mix of wanting to fill her mind with thoughts, yet also trying not to think about "that matter." So she posed a question: "What exactly is going on? Why are there both sacrifices and hunting? They don't seem to have anything to do with each other."
Yan Shu's fox-like eyes gleamed: "Hehehe...Young Master, to talk about this, we have to start with the meteorite that fell from the sky at our Qifeng Terrace."
"Huh? How is it related to that?" Mu Xi had almost forgotten about the fake meteorite.
It's a pity that all that elaborate groundwork went down the drain in the end.
Yan Shu feigned mystery, lowering her voice: "Your Highness should remember what the 'divine revelation' on that meteorite was, right? 'The Rise of the Female Ruler,' tsk tsk... His Majesty pretends not to care, but he's probably having a hard time sleeping and eating... That's why someone has created another 'divine revelation' to echo it..."
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