This time, a serious expression finally flashed across Chen Huai'an's usually calm face, before returning to normal.
Since becoming emperor, Chen Huai'an has developed the appearance of an emperor and has also cultivated the mind of an emperor. Outsiders can hardly see any expression of joy, anger, sorrow or happiness on his face. He always looks calm, composed and wise.
Um!
Chen Huai'an nodded and said calmly, "I understand!"
After a pause, he added, "Lord Li, your Ministry of War should immediately draft a memorial requesting that General Fan's remains be transported directly to Jinling City!"
"In addition, send officials to the General's Mansion in Longcheng to bring General Fan's family and widow to the capital. I will personally hold a funeral for General Fan."
"My lord, I obey the order!"
After receiving the imperial decree, Minister of War Li Jingyu hesitated for a moment, but finally steeled himself and continued, "Your Majesty, I have another matter to report—"
"Yes, it was a memorial submitted by General Pang Xianchu, the commander-in-chief of the army that marched south to conquer Nanyue, requesting merit for General Fan, who died on the battlefield!"
After speaking, Li Jingyu hurriedly presented Pang Xianchu's memorial with both hands and respectfully handed it to the new emperor, Chen Huai'an.
oh?
Chen Huai'an frowned slightly. After taking Pang Xianchu's memorial from Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, he quickly understood Pang Xianchu's meaning after flipping through a few lines.
He then waved to Li Jingyu and instructed, "Lord Li, after I have reviewed General Pang's memorial, I will forward it to the Ministry of War for implementation."
"Go and do the two things I just assigned you!"
"Your subject obeys!"
With that, Minister of War Li Jingyu left the Imperial Study.
At this moment, Chen Huai'an, who was sitting alone in the imperial study, picked up Pang Xianchu's memorial again.
Seeing that the usually stern and sparing-of-words brave general had written this lengthy memorial of several thousand words to petition for the merit of Fan Wuji, who had died on the battlefield, the memorial was filled with lavish praise for Fan Wuji.
After reading Pang Xianchu's memorial word by word, Chen Huai'an turned around and took out a thick stack of letters from the drawer of the bookcase in the imperial study.
The above records various "dirt" on Fan Wuji since he followed Chen Huai'an in raising an army to revolt against the Jingnan Rebellion. It was compiled into a book by Longcheng Inner Guard, the intelligence agency under Chen Huai'an.
Chen Huai'an casually flipped through a few sheets of paper, which contained detailed notes:
On the fourteenth day of the first month of the first year of the Daxin An era, the night before His Highness the Crown Prince raised his army in Longcheng, Fan Wuji had strongly advocated at a military conference of the Polu Army generals that General Pang Xianchu act on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince, which was suspected of being presumptuous.
On the 17th day of the third month of the first year of Jian'an, the Longcheng Northern Expeditionary Army set out for Shuobei. After the army entered Shuobei City, Fan Wuji allowed his troops to wreak havoc on the border people.
In the seventh month of the second year of Lingwu in the old calendar of the previous dynasty, Fan Wuji took the initiative to conspire with the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and strongly advocated to recommend Princess Shujun Liu Shujun as the empress of the new dynasty, intending to use the empress and the power of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to be ennobled.
In the eighth month of the second year of the Lingwu reign (lunar calendar), during the army's southern expedition against Nanyue...
Chen Huai'an did not read through all the contents of the letters, but instead placed them together with the memorial submitted by Pang Xianchu, which requested that Fan Wuji be rewarded with a title and honors.
In fact, Chen Huai'an not only had "dirt" on Fan Wuji, but also "dirt" on all his generals and civil officials in his fiefdoms, which had already filled the bookshelves of the imperial study.
Over the years, Chen Huai'an's intelligence agency, Longcheng Inner Guard, has expanded from the initial 800 people to 8,000 people, and is scattered in the army and local government offices in various places.
While collecting and organizing intelligence for Chen Huai'an, he was also secretly responsible for supervising civil and military officials in various regions.
Even before he became emperor, Chen Huai'an knew that in order to govern such a vast country, an emperor must have an intelligence agency and powerful units that are absolutely loyal to the imperial power.
The Plum Blossom Inner Guard established by Empress Wu Zetian and the Embroidered Uniform Guard established by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty were both like this.
Chen Huai'an's decision to reward civil and military officials after the founding of the dynasty was largely based on intelligence provided by the Longcheng Inner Guard.
Take Fan Wuji, who died in battle in the capital of Nanyue, for example. In Chen Huai'an's original plan, Fan Wuji's military achievements, his ambition, and his crimes of forming cliques and deceiving the emperor were all part of the plan.
Fan Wuji could at most be granted the title of one of the thirty-six earls of the new dynasty, and even then, he would be ranked low, far below the standard for being granted the title of marquis.
However, it is an indisputable fact that Fan Wuji died on the battlefield before the founding of the new dynasty, becoming the only high-ranking military officer of the new dynasty to die in battle.
Fan Wuji's selfless act of leading the charge and dying on the battlefield rendered all the "dirt" on him that the Dragon City Guards had in their possession insignificant at that moment.
The new dynasty did indeed need to establish a model general to inspire future generals to fight bravely on the battlefield and serve the court.
Chen Huai'an returned to the curtain where the ranks of civil and military officials would be determined after the founding of the new dynasty. He removed the slip of paper with Fan Wuji's name from the Earl column and pasted it into the Marquis column, with his name right next to that of Marquis Zhongyong, Lu Jiang.
After thinking it over, Chen Huai'an felt it was inappropriate again and removed Fan Wuji's name from the Earl column once more.
After much deliberation, Chen Huai'an once again pasted the slip of paper with Fan Wuji's name on it into the Duke's column.
Then, he picked up his pen and wrote the three large characters "Duke of England".
Thus, Fan Wuji, who had dreamed of being ennobled during his lifetime, was directly granted the title of Duke of the New Dynasty by the new emperor Chen Huai'an after his death on the battlefield, ranking last among the six dukes.
This, perhaps, is the best ending for Fan Wuji!
Otherwise, given Fan Wuji's rough and impulsive nature, if he survived to the founding of the nation and did not receive the rewards he desired at the imperial conferment ceremony, he might have harbored treacherous schemes and gone astray, ultimately ending up with the destruction of his family and the death of his people.
Throughout history, there have been many such examples!
Soon, the imperial edict posthumously conferring the title of Duke of Yingguo upon Fan Wuji, the deputy general of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army who had died on the battlefield, was proclaimed to the world.
General Pang Xianchu, who was returning to the capital after a successful campaign, received the imperial edict in the territory of the two lakes region on his way back from Nanyue.
Upon seeing the imperial edict posthumously conferring upon Fan Wuji the title of Duke of Ying of the new dynasty, Pang Xianchu could no longer hold back his tears.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty has not forgotten us, the former generals of the Broken Army!
Pang Xianchu arrived at Fan Wuji's coffin with the imperial edict. After offering three sticks of incense, he choked back tears as he read the contents of the edict: "By the grace of Heaven; the Emperor decrees—"
"General Fan Wuji of the Dragon City Vanquishing Army was a man of unwavering loyalty and courage, serving on the battlefield with illustrious achievements..."
"By imperial decree, Fan Wuji is posthumously granted the title of Duke of Ying of the new dynasty!"
After reading the imperial edict with a choked voice, Pang Xianchu placed the edict, stamped with the Imperial Seal of the State, on Fan Wuji's coffin, muttering to himself, "General Fan, no, I should address you as Duke of Ying."
"You can rest in peace now. You were the first military general in the new dynasty to be granted the title of Duke. What an honor that is!"
"Your wish to have your wife and children granted official titles and privileges has finally been fulfilled!"
Pang Xianchu continued, "Not only that, the Emperor will personally hold your funeral in the capital. For a man to receive such an honor in life is to die with honor!"
"It was worth it!"
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