Jiuxi

Chapter 327 Chapter 325 [The Duke of the Kingdom]

"The emperor is entrusted with the destiny of heaven, and the edict says: The great fortune of the saint is carried by heaven and earth, and no one fails to respect his relatives; the emperor orders Pujiang, and the sun rises from the corner of the sea, and he will not fail to lead him. The turtle, new and dragon seal, far away, bestows the territory of the four seas; Zhen Min Da Zhuan, Rongshi Zhenguo's mountain."

In the temporary festival hall in Heluo North City, a middle-aged civil servant with a weathered face stood solemnly in front of the incense table. He spread out a jade scroll and a bright yellow imperial edict in his hands, without squinting and speaking in a sonorous tone.

There were all the generals of the West Route Army, and Lu Chen stood at the top of the list of course, not only because he was Xiao Wangzhi's designated commander-in-chief of the West Route Army, but he was also the protagonist of today's announcement ceremony.

The middle-aged civil servant continued: "Now there is Lu Chen, the captain of the Ruishi Camp of the Huaizhou Dudu Mansion. He is handsome, diligent in learning, talented, versatile in both civil and military affairs, and has served the country with merit. Can he neglect his achievements by dedicating his efforts to repay the favor and favor his fate?" . Now I have made you the Marquis of Shanyang, allowed you to take charge of the military affairs of Dingzhou, and granted you a residence in the capital of China. I will give you the rank of Wu Bian for the time being, and I will also add the title of Pi, which is very impressive."

Everyone in the hall was excited.

Duan Zuozhang and others were both envious and pleased. Envy was human nature. After all, Lu Chen was awarded the title of Marquis at a young age, which was quite rare in the more than 160 years of Da Qi's history.

Being honored as a prince means that Lu Chen has entered the ranks of senior generals in the army and is qualified to command an army.

Although they are envious, these commanders are not jealous. One is because they have a very close relationship with Lu Chen, and the other is that they know very well how much contribution Lu Chen has made in the past two years.

Therefore, they were also very pleased. Lu Chen's title of Marquis showed that the wind in the capital was in the right direction, and the emperor did not waste the blood of the soldiers on the border.

The middle-aged civil servant put away the imperial edict and said to Lu Chen: "Marquis Lu, please accept the edict."

"I thank your Majesty for your kindness."

Lu Chen stepped forward to accept the order without being humble or arrogant, and said to the middle-aged civil servant: "Master Xu, you have worked hard all the way through mountains and rivers."

The middle-aged civil servant was Yushi Zhongcheng Xu Zuo. He looked at Lu Shen's too young face and said with a smile: "It's my duty, I don't dare to express my hardships."

Lu Chen nodded in response.

Xu Zuo then said to others: "Generals, before I left, I was personally informed by Your Majesty that the imperial court has temporarily drafted the title of Duke Xiao Dudu and Duke Lu Duwei, but your merits will not be forgotten. The imperial court is now based on the instructions We have recorded military exploits and agreed upon the details of rewards for all soldiers in the border army, so please be patient and patient."

There was a warm voice of thanksgiving in the hall.

After a while, the generals of the Western Route Army who had received the promise left the festival hall with satisfaction. Lu Chen said to Xu Zuo: "Master Xu, please sit down."

The two of them sat down separately as the guest of honour. Xu Zuo looked at Lu Chen calmly and thought to himself: This boy's ambition is indeed extraordinary. He is so young and suddenly powerful but he can still maintain such a peaceful mind.

Of course, the title of a prince is not a big deal. There are only twelve living marquises in the Qi Dynasty, two county princes and two country princes. After that, only the descendants of the clan are awarded the title of county king and prince.

This time, Lu Chen was directly promoted from Shanyang County Male to Marquis, crossing the two levels of Kaiguozi and Kaiguobo. In the history of the Qi Dynasty for more than a hundred years, only the founding batch of military heroes had such a record.

According to the unspoken rules in the officialdom of the Qi Dynasty, as long as the nobles of the princes and above do not commit the serious crime of rebellion, their lives will not be in danger. Even if they do something that is outrageous and resentful, at most they will be deprived of their titles and lose their family assets. They won't be copied.

In short, even if Lu Chen quits the army now and keeps running the business honestly, he can ensure the prosperity of the Lu family for generations.

Lu Chen probably knew what this middle-aged civil servant was thinking and didn't want to talk in front of him, so he took the initiative to raise the topic and said, "Sir Xu, does your Majesty have any explanation regarding the negotiations with Jing Chao?"

Xu Zuodao: "Your Majesty has asked me to ask Marquis Lu for advice. After all, I am not familiar with the situation here. It is really inappropriate for me to make my own decisions."

The cold and stern attitude of this man when he impeached Qu Fenghua, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, appeared in Lu Chen's mind. For a moment, he couldn't figure out his original intention of being so humble, so he briefly stated the three conditions, and then said: "During this period, I We have had contact with General Qing Yu Zhongwang of Jing Dynasty, and judging from the latest feedback, Emperor Jing Chao agreed to accept peace talks."

Xu Zuo looked calm, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "It seems that Emperor Jingchao does not want to use troops against Nan for the time being."

Lu Chen nodded and said: "Our army has been fighting for the past two years. The main force of Jing's army is in a similar situation. They spent a lot of effort to pacify Zhao. Emperor Jing will not rush to use troops unless it is absolutely necessary. He definitely wants to be fully prepared before fighting again. Send the army southward."

Xu Zuo said clearly: "Please help Marquis Lu to clear up his doubts. I know what to do."

Lu Chen said: "The negotiation location is set to be Linying, a small town more than seventy miles north of Heluo. I will arrange a thousand cavalry to escort Mr. Xu and the envoy there."

"Thank you, Marquis Lu."

Xu Zuo smiled and changed the subject: "There are a few more things that your Majesty asked me to tell Marquis Lu."

Lu Chen sat upright and said, "Master Xu, please speak."

"The first matter concerns the Governor's Office of Dingzhou. After being recommended by Privy Council Guo and seconded by important ministers in the DPRK, His Majesty has agreed that Nanya General Li Jingda will serve as the Governor of Dingzhou and be in charge of the military affairs of Dingzhou."

As Xu Zuo spoke, he carefully observed the changes in Lu Chen's expression.

Promotion in the military places more emphasis on seniority than military merit. Perhaps many people think that with Lu Chen's contribution this time, even if he cannot be appointed as the governor of Dingzhou, it is natural for him to be promoted to deputy governor. The title of Marquis is naturally extremely noble, but if there is no corresponding military position to match, it may not be a good thing for Lu Chen's future.

Lu Chen said unhurriedly: "General Li? As a minister, I cannot arbitrarily comment on the king's decision. However, I always feel that General Li has been staying in the capital and has not personally experienced the border war. Dingzhou will definitely experience it in the future." This is the first battlefield for Jingjun’s plot, so it may not be appropriate for General Li to take over Dingzhou’s military affairs.”

Xu Zuo then asked: "Is there anyone more suitable for Marquis Lu to recommend?"

Lu Chen knew the hidden meaning of this sentence very well, and said calmly: "Actually, this matter does not need to be too complicated. You can let Commander Xiao temporarily take charge of the military affairs of the two states. General Li, as his deputy, will first familiarize himself with the border situation and wait for a while. Wouldn't it be safer to let him serve as the governor of Dingzhou?"

Xu Zuo was startled, but he couldn't say some words.

Xiao Wangzhi has a deep foundation in Huaizhou. How could the imperial court let him lead the Dingzhou army again?

Lu Chen's calm eyes seemed to be able to see through Xu Zuo's thoughts, and he shook his head and said: "That's all, this is just a superficial and despicable idea. Don't take it seriously."

Xu Zuo smiled in agreement and changed the subject: "Marquis Lu is too modest. His Majesty also said that he hopes you will split the Rui Shi Battalion, and then form two armies with the cavalry and infantry as teams, and belong to the Dingzhou Governor's Mansion. , I wonder if Marquis Lu has any objections?"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly and asked: "A cavalry army? An infantry army?"

Xu Zuo nodded and said: "Yes. According to the Privy Council's plan, the Dingzhou Governor's Mansion will set up six armies. General Li has already led the Nanya Zhenwei Army of the Beijing Army to the north. The other five armies will be transferred from the Huaizhou Governor's Mansion Feiyun The army and the Lai'an army were transferred to the Dingzhou Governor's Mansion, the Ruishi Battalion of the Marquis of Lu was reorganized into two armies, and the last army was formed by recruiting new troops in Dinghuai and Huaihe."

Lu Chen did not give an answer immediately.

The court's arrangement seemed very reasonable. Li Jingda needed a force of his own, so he transferred the Zhenwei Army from his original subordinates and merged it into the Dingzhou Army. However, the important officials in the court also knew the importance of Dingzhou and the risks of facing Jing's army in the future, so they transferred two elite troops from the Huaizhou Dudu Mansion to go north.

However, the expansion of Ruishi Battalion into two armies, does this strengthen Lu Chen's power, or does it quietly deprive him of his military power?

Lu Chen said slowly: "This matter is serious and I need to ask Governor Xiao for instructions."

At least so far, the Ruishi Battalion is subordinate to the Huaizhou Governor's Mansion, especially the Feiyun Army and the Lai'an Army. It is impossible for these arrangements to directly bypass Xiao Wangzhi.

Xu Zuowen said: "This is natural. Your Majesty has written a letter to inform Governor Xiao and sent it to Ruyin City together with the imperial edict to enfeoff the prince. Don't worry, Marquis Lu. Your Majesty allows you to take part in Dingzhou's military affairs. I hope you can assist Li Da." The general is preparing to build the Dingzhou Governor's Mansion. Except for the Zhenwei, Feiyun and Lai'an armies, His Majesty has decided that Governor Xiao and you will recommend the general candidates for the other three armies."

Lu Chen's heart moved. It seemed that the emperor had no intention of taking away his military power at this time, but he had an intuition that the matter was not that simple.

As expected, Xu Zuo said again: "Captain Xiao needs to stay on the border to stabilize the situation, and it is really not appropriate to leave. Therefore, when the negotiations are over and the army returns to Dingzhou, His Majesty hopes that Marquis Lu can return to the capital. Regarding the specific matters of preparing for the establishment of the Governor's Mansion in Dingzhou, Your Majesty would like to hear Marquis Lu’s views on the next step of the Northern Expedition and the future layout of the Jing Dynasty in person. Your Majesty also said that a title of Marquis is not enough to reward your achievements, and there are still several generous rewards waiting for you to return to Beijing to receive them."

"Your Majesty is so kind to me, I cannot bear it."

Lu Chen said it skillfully, with strange emotions in his heart.

Big reward?

Back to Beijing?

He noticed that almost everything in Xu Zuo's holy message contained the word "hope", and it seemed that the emperor's complicated mood could be seen from this word.

Xu Zuo had completed the task assigned by the emperor. He was just a messenger. Naturally, there was no need to inquire deeply about Lu Shen. Moreover, after this short conversation, he was convinced that he could not understand the young man's thoughts, so he stood up and said: "Lu Shen Hou, I will prepare the content of the negotiation now and take my leave."

"Master Xu, walk slowly."

Lu Chen sent him outside the door and stared at the man's thin back, his eyes deep and distant.

After a while, Li Chengen quickly walked through the atrium and came to Lu Chen. He cupped his hands and said, "Master, Miss Lin went to that small courtyard."

"Ok?"

Lu Chen frowned slightly.

Li Chengen said with a slight embarrassment: "The young master said that no one is allowed to approach Qingyu Huaijin, but we really dare not stop Miss Lin. But please rest assured, the young master, there is no movement inside."

"You have to change it in the future."

Lu Chen raised his hand and patted Li Chengen's shoulder, and then sighed in a complex tone that was difficult for Li Chengen to understand: "Family affairs, state affairs, and world affairs, everything is a headache."

After saying that, he shook his head and walked out.

(End of this chapter)