"Insolence! How dare you, a mere Marquis of Guannei, arrange matters of the royal family!"
"Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable!"
"this.."
Apart from the strong opposition from officials led by the Yuan and Yang families, the other officials remained silent.
In reality, this is already a very good result. In officialdom, self-interest comes first.
At this point, by siding with Zhang Yi, they didn't think they could gain much political capital or benefit for themselves.
"General, we..."
"Shh, I'm in an awkward position. I can't speak up whether I agree or disagree. Old Wang, if your Bingzhou faction wants to rise, or if you agree with Zhang Yi's suggestion, there will be a chance."
Wang Yun was a scholar from Bingzhou, but in recent years, people from Bingzhou have not received particularly good treatment in the imperial court.
On the one hand, it was because the number of talented officials in Bingzhou was dwindling, and few were able to enter the central power structure. Wang Yun often felt that he could not move an inch because there were not many fellow townsmen in the court.
On the other hand, since the Southern Xiongnu submitted, the control of Bingzhou over the Han court has rapidly declined.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Xihe, Shang, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, and Shuofang counties of Bingzhou, as well as half of the Yanmen county, had fallen into the hands of the Hu barbarians.
The only profits that other powerful families could extract from Bingzhou were from the trade in warhorses and wild animal furs.
At this point, if they were to let a wild boy with no background or faction take the lead, their meager interests in Bingzhou would be unstable. How could they possibly let Zhao Hao and Zhang Yi get what they wanted?
Wang Yun, being a native of Bingzhou, naturally knew this.
If you want to gain benefits for yourself, you must make enemies of other factions.
His network of relationships, painstakingly cultivated over many years in Luoyang, was invaluable, making the decision truly difficult.
At this moment, someone who no one expected to speak up took the lead in siding with Zhang Yi.
"Hey, Your Majesty, isn't this a good thing? Let the whole world know that our Han imperial family has produced a brilliant son-in-law who can stabilize the country and bring peace to the people. In this way, the long-standing border troubles will also be resolved."
In this way, how could the barbarians from all directions dare to invade? Your Majesty's divine might will spread far and wide, and future historical records will surely record that Your Majesty had a son-in-law who protected the country and its people, and who vanquished all the rebellious barbarians from all directions!
Zhang Rang's words caused the other gentry to glare angrily.
Clearly, no one dared to speak on Zhang Yi's side, yet Zhang Rang, a mere eunuch, dared to do so!
Liu Hong, however, became interested, as he discerned several layers of unspoken meaning in Zhang Rang's words.
One reason is that the eldest princess has been unable to marry for many years. If it were an ordinary noble family, Liu Hong would definitely worry that monsters like the Yuan family and the Yang family would emerge.
Another point is the implication in Zhang Rang's words: Zhao Hao, having annihilated the Xiongnu and Xianbei, likely possesses considerable resources.
If the princess were to marry off the country, the rewards might be reduced significantly, and it would also be an opportunity to get Zhao Hao to send more fine horses and treasures to Luoyang to enrich the national treasury.
"Oh? What Father Zhang says makes sense. Zhang Yi, tell me in detail about Zhao Hao's family background, appearance, and character!"
When Liu Hong uttered these words, the court officials already understood.
Liu Hong has decided to marry off Princess Wannian.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Hao is twenty years old this year. He joined the army at a young age and has no courtesy name. He is from Zhen Ding in Changshan County, Ji Province. His ancestors' reputations are unknown. His parents were often stationed on the border in their early years and both died young due to the invasion of the barbarians."
Zhao Hao was raised in the family's traditional school and was recommended for the civil service due to his parents' merits. He was over eight feet tall, with a handsome and resolute face, and his unparalleled spear skills were extraordinary; no barbarian could escape his clutches!
What's even more remarkable is that this man loves his soldiers like his own children, and also cares for the common people. If he could be stationed in Bingzhou, the people of Bingzhou would surely live in peace and prosperity, and the surrounding barbarian tribes would also submit to him.
This is a very virtuous act with multiple benefits; I humbly request Your Majesty to grant my suggestion!
Liu Hong laughed heartily. Now he knew how to grant Zhao Hao an official position.
Such a feat of killing 200,000 barbarians deserves at least the title of a marquis of a township, and may be bestowed upon one of the four generals from the front, rear, left, right, or right, plus countless amounts of money and silk; that would be a reasonable reward.
Now, he can 'interfere' in the process.
"Excellent! The princess has been unable to marry for many years, and I often lost sleep over it. Now that she has a good husband, this wish can finally be fulfilled!"
With the help of Jian Shuo and Zhang Rang, Liu Hong slowly stood up.
"Now, Zhao Hao, the Commandant of Yanmen Commandery, led his exhausted army and defeated the Xiongnu and Xianbei chieftains, numbering over 200,000. For his meritorious service, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jinyang Commandery, with a fief of over 3,500 households!"
He was then appointed Governor of Bingzhou, concurrently General Who Guards the North, and given the authority to establish his own government and oversee all military affairs in Bingzhou!
Hmm... Order the Marquis of Jinyang to return to Luoyang within three months and marry the Princess!
"Alright, I'm tired. Court is adjourned."
"Dismiss the court!"
He Jin and Wang Yun were filled with regret.
If I had chosen to side with Zhang Yi just now, I probably would have been able to gain more credit from Liu Hong.
However, the emperor has already spoken, and whether they have already taken sides or not, they are now in a situation where it is too late to undo their mistakes.
"Old Yang, it seems we have no choice but to hand over the interests of Bingzhou."
"Hehe, old man Yuan, compared to the gentry I have connections with, it is you who have lost more benefits. I have repaid your favor this time. From now on, we can go our separate ways."
...
"Princess! Princess! Something terrible has happened! His Majesty is going to marry you off!"
Deep within the palace, a beautiful young woman watched as two children practiced swordsmanship under the tutelage of a man.
The palace maid's loud voice made everyone hear the news that Princess Wannian was getting married.
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