I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 850: The great victory news spread to the capital, and all officials discussed the reward (Chapter 5K3)

Early morning, Luoyang, the imperial palace.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty held court once every five days. Today was not a day for court attendance, so the Empress Wannian was currently in her room with sleepy eyes open, washing and changing clothes with the help of palace maids. She was ready to move around a bit and do some exercises for pregnant women taught by the general.

Suddenly, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the door. Even from a distance, Wannian could hear the eunuch's shrill voice shouting:
"Your Majesty!"

"Great victory, great victory, General!"

The eunuch knelt down in front of the door with a thud, holding high the battle report symbolizing victory in his hand, and his voice was trembling and sharp:
"The general has won a brilliant victory in the battle of Jizhou, and the 200,000 Jizhou troops have been annihilated. Yecheng and Julu have both surrendered. The rebel Han Fu is at the end of his rope, and the entire Jizhou can be conquered in no time!"

The eyes of the Ten Thousand Year Empress, which were originally filled with laziness and fatigue, suddenly widened, filled with surprise and excitement. She didn't care that her hair had not been combed neatly and her skirt was a little messy, and she walked quickly towards the door.

"No, Your Majesty, you can't do that!"

Hong'er grabbed Wannian and said anxiously:
"Your Majesty is pregnant, so you can't be anxious."

Wannian finally came back to her senses. She pursed her lips and coughed lightly:
"Quick, present the battle report to me."

The eunuch stood up swiftly, trotted into the hall, held the battle report high above his head with both hands, and handed it to Wannian.

Before the palace maids could reach out their hands, Wannian snatched it away. Her slender fingers quickly unfolded the battle report and her sharp eyes swept over the words on it.

As his gaze moved, the corners of Wannian's mouth gradually rose, revealing a gratified smile, and the admiration and joy in his eyes became increasingly intense.

"Good, good! The general is truly amazing!"

Wannian muttered to himself and handed the battle report to Hong'er, then raised his head and looked outside the door. The heroic figure of Su Yao riding a horse and bravely killing the enemy on the battlefield emerged in his mind, and his heart was full of admiration and emotion.

She was extremely grateful to have such a capable husband who could protect the country, quell the rebellion and restore the prestige of the Han Dynasty in these chaotic times.

"Your Majesty, the general is capable of governing the country and maintaining peace. This time he has made such an extraordinary contribution. He must be rewarded."

After reading the battle report, Hong'er clenched her fists excitedly and was also extremely happy.

Seeing Hong'er asking for a reward on behalf of Su Yao, Wannian couldn't help but smile: "Of course."

"The general has made great contributions to our Han Dynasty, so this reward should not be small."

After that, Wannian gave the order to Xiao Huangmen:
"Send an order to summon all officials to the palace and tell them the good news. Let everyone be happy."

"Here!"

The eunuch took the order and left in a hurry. Soon, the entire imperial city became busy.

The eunuchs and maids from all the palaces hurried along, hanging up lanterns and colorful decorations in the palace, and running around to tell each other the exciting news.

Outside the palace, imperial edicts flew out like snowflakes, spreading to the official residences of various departments and the mansions of hundreds of officials in the capital, summoning all civil and military officials to the palace as soon as possible to discuss state affairs.

As the urgent battle report from eight hundred miles away spread throughout the capital, the capital Luoyang was awakened by this sudden good news.

Common people poured into the streets, cheering and celebrating yet another glorious victory of General Su Yao. In the streets, vendors hung up red lanterns, and the taverns were filled with people, talking about the general everywhere.

Inside the palace, Empress Wannian had already changed into formal court robes and sat upright on the "throne". She stretched her head to look outside the palace, and from time to time she asked Hong'er beside her whether all the officials had arrived.

"All the officials are waiting outside the door. Your Majesty, please be patient. The etiquette should not be disrupted."

Seeing that His Majesty was so anxious, Hong'er smiled and reached out to help her straighten her slightly messy hair crown.

She could understand the empress's anxiety very well.

How can one not be filled with joy and eager to share the glory with everyone when the man one loves has accomplished such a big thing?
Soon, all the civil and military officials of the court arrived at the palace one after another. Led by the palace eunuch, they entered one after another, stood in the hall in turn, and saluted to the emperor together.

"Everyone loves you!"

Wannian raised his hand, motioning everyone to take a seat, then he smiled and asked Hong'er to step out and read the battle report to all the ministers and officials.

The battle report described in detail the cruelty and glory of the Battle of Handangou.

Su Yao led the Han army to first defeat Qu Yi's 5,000 cavalry outside the city of Handangou, and then cleverly used internal support and joined forces with Zhang He, Qu Yi and other defected generals to defeat the larger army with a smaller one in the decisive battle, completely defeating Geng Wu's 200,000-strong army.

Geng Wu, Cheng Huan, Zhao Fu and others were all beheaded, and the main force of the Jizhou army was wiped out.

When the defenders of Yecheng and Julu heard that his army had suffered a disastrous defeat, their troops became greatly disorganized and they opened their cities and surrendered.

To this day, Han Fu is trapped in Gaoyi, almost alone, and his downfall is just around the corner.

After Hong'er finished reading, Wannian suppressed his inner excitement and said in a deep voice:
"My dear ministers, in this battle of Jizhou, our army won a great victory. The 200,000 Jizhou troops were completely wiped out. The traitor Han Fu is at the end of his rope."

"After this battle, Jizhou will finally be pacified after Youzhou."

"This is truly a blessing for the Han people and the world!"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers knelt down and shouted in unison:

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"The general is mighty!"

"The Han Dynasty will prosper forever!"

"You are right."

Wannian said with great interest:
"General Su Yao has made such an extraordinary contribution to our Han Dynasty. I am very pleased and he deserves a generous reward."

"I summoned you all here today to discuss how to reward the general to honor his achievements."

As soon as the words fell, the court, which had been bustling just a moment ago, suddenly became silent.

All the officials looked at each other, waiting for others to express their opinions.

The reason is actually very simple, it’s a headache!

How should the general be rewarded?
In fact, this issue had already been discussed by the officials in the court when he went out to fight.

The enemies we face this time are different from the previous ones. Although they are not as traitorous as Dong, who abuses the court and bullies the emperor, the areas of You and Ji have always been important places for the court.

It had a large population and a developed economy, making it the best among the nine provinces. The rebellion of its princes shook the world.

Not to mention, this time Su Yao not only quelled the Youji Rebellion, but he also had no time to be rewarded for his previous military exploits in recovering the Sanhe area and defeating Ma Teng in Xiliang.

Su Yao's military achievement this time can almost be said to have pacified four states in one fell swoop. According to precedents, the only comparable one is Zhou Yafu's suppression of the Rebellion of the Seven States in the early Han Dynasty.

What's more, Zhou Yafu was still in command as the Grand Marshal, but Su Yao personally went into battle, beheaded the generals and captured the flag in one go. His outstanding military exploits far exceeded what could be covered by conventional rewards.

After all, in the Han Dynasty, being granted a title of nobility or being appointed as a general was the highest honor.

But Su Yao was already a general, standing at the top of the military, and he was the one who abolished the position of prime minister, so there was no official position to be rewarded.

As for the title, the general was not only conferred the title of Marquis of Guanjun by the previous emperor early on, but after he defeated Dong Zhuo, he was given more than ten thousand fiefs and became a top-level marquis of ten thousand households.

Now that he has made such great achievements, what else can further honor him?
Therefore, when Su Yao led his troops to Jizhou, the heads of the three provinces and six departments met frequently to discuss the matter. Everyone had different opinions and their own ideas, but it was difficult to come up with a plan that would convince everyone.

In the silence of the court, someone suddenly shouted:
"General Su Yao's achievements are unparalleled, far beyond what an ordinary title can match."

"I think we should follow the ancient system and make the general a king of a different surname, dividing the land and granting him a fiefdom to reward his unprecedented contribution!"

"puff--"

"what?!"

"This"

As soon as these words were spoken, they caused an uproar in the court. Everyone, including Wannian, looked at the person who spoke in surprise, wanting to see who was saying such shocking things.

As a result, the officials looked around but did not see the person coming. Finally, the Grand Tutor called out to the speaker to step out of the line. The man then slowly walked out from the end of the team, knelt on the ground, and bowed deeply.

When everyone looked closely, they found that this person was actually a seventh-rank official - Cheng Zhong, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue!

This time, many people are at a loss.

An old official with white hair immediately rebuked him: "You are a small official of the seventh rank. You have been in charge of government for many years. It is a great favor from the emperor. How dare you speak nonsense here and put forward such shocking ideas!"

"Choosing a king of a different surname is the source of disaster. Are you trying to bring our Han Dynasty to an irreparable end?"

However, facing the visitor's rebuttal, Cheng Zhong was not afraid at all.

The Jieshizhong was a low-ranking official with little power. He was promoted by Su Yao and was only responsible to the emperor and the general. He ignored this old minister and said,

"Those who eat the emperor's salary should be loyal to the emperor."

"Since I have been honored to serve in the imperial court, I have the responsibility to offer advice and suggestions."

"In the past, Zhou Yafu suppressed the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms and was granted the title of Marquis of Tiao and Prime Minister of Jin. However, the achievements of the general are actually greater than his."

"He has fought bravely for the Han Dynasty and made many extraordinary achievements. Now he has won a great victory in Jizhou, which is truly a move that can change the world. If you don't reward him generously, how can you show your majesty's wisdom and inspire the loyal and righteous people in the world?" "You can't make him a king of a different surname!"

The old minister was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, muttering a lot, and his words were not clear:
"You, you, you are going to kill us!"

Seeing this, Liu Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was standing behind the ministers, sighed, stepped forward, and said with a salutation:
"Your Majesty, I think this strategy is not feasible either."

"It's not that the general has not made enough achievements, but since Emperor Gaozu made the White Horse Alliance, 'If anyone other than the Liu family becomes king, the whole world will attack him'. This ancestral law has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people."

"If we make General Su a king of a different surname, I'm afraid that traitors will covet him, and the court will be in turmoil in the future, and the country will be in turmoil."

Liu Yu's words made all the civil and military officials in the court, especially the royalists, break out in a cold sweat.

The identities of the two people present were sensitive enough. Liu Yu had just surrendered to the court and was the representative of the Han royal family.

And Cheng Zhong was promoted by Su Yao. They didn't dare to speak before because they were afraid that it might be a test instructed by Su Yao.

However, after Liu Yu spoke, no one objected for a long time.

Even Su Yao's other confidants did not follow suit. At this time, everyone gradually saw the direction of the wind and thought that it was just the self-assertion of a small official.

Suddenly, everyone began to support Liu Yu.

At this point, the Ten Thousand Years Empress suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

You can't just say you are against it, you should also put forward some suggestions.

"Since it is inappropriate to confer the title of King of a different surname, do you have any other good ideas?"

"The great general has made outstanding military achievements. I can't let you not reward him, right?"

"Your Majesty is right. The great general's merits must be rewarded generously."

Finally, Taifu Lu Zhi stood up:
"However, I think that we should not be too hasty in rewarding the general. The general is still on the front line of Jizhou. Although the battle has been won, Jizhou has not been completely pacified, and the remnants of Han Fu are still resisting stubbornly."

"If we give out large rewards at this time, it may damage the general's prestige on the front line and be detrimental to the subsequent war."

Lu Zhi paused for a moment, and glanced at the people in the court. Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, he continued:

"In my opinion, Your Majesty may first issue an edict to commend the general, and express your Majesty's recognition and praise for his achievements in the words, so that the soldiers on the front line can know that Your Majesty values ​​them."

"As for the actual rewards, we can discuss it after the general returns to the court and Jizhou is completely pacified."

"At that time, we can consult with all the ministers and carefully consider it. We will definitely be able to come up with a reward plan that can both highlight the general's achievements and stabilize the court and the country."

The Wannian Empress pondered for a moment, thinking to herself that what Lu Zhi said made sense.

The area of ​​Jizhou has not yet been completely pacified, and a hasty decision to confer rewards at this time may really have some unknown impact on the situation on the front line.

Then, she opened her red lips and asked Hong'er to draft the decree and copy the oral instructions.

"I heard that General Su Yao led the army to attack Jizhou and defeated the enemy army in the Battle of Handangou, showing his bravery and martial prowess. The 200,000 Jizhou troops collapsed, Yecheng and Julu surrendered, and Han Fu was at the end of his rope. This is a blessing for our Han Dynasty and the world."

"The general has made great contributions to the country. I am very pleased. I have issued an imperial decree to commend him and order the officials to prepare supplies for the army. They will be sent to the front line of Jizhou soon to show my sympathy and favor to the soldiers."

"I hope that the general and the soldiers on the front line will continue to work hard to wipe out the remnants of Han Fu as soon as possible and return victoriously. I will definitely reward you according to your merits and treat you generously. I decree this."

Hong'er quickly took notes of the empress's instructions, transcribed them neatly onto bright yellow silk, affixed them with the imperial seal, and handed them to a fast messenger, who galloped off to Jizhou.

In the court, all the officials were discussing in low voices. Most people agreed with Lu Zhi's suggestion of rewarding first and then conferring titles.

After all, this would not only appease the soldiers on the front line, but also buy more time for the court to discuss appropriate reward plans.

Just like that, this heated discussion about rewards temporarily came to an end in such a compromising way, but everyone knew in their hearts that this was just a brief calm before the storm. After Su Yao returned to the court, the real problem of rewards would be presented.

So, after the court was adjourned, officials walked out of the palace in groups of two or three, discussing today's events in low voices.

"Master Lu's idea is sound. But how to reward the general in the future is really a headache." The attendant Dong Cheng looked troubled as he walked on the road.

Beside him, Shangshu Ling Zhu Jun shook his head slightly and responded with a wry smile:

"Yes, the general's military exploits are too outstanding, and ordinary rewards are not enough to match his merits, but we can't break the ancestral rules, it's difficult!"

At this time, deep in the imperial palace, Empress Wannian returned to her bedroom, took off her court robes, leaned lazily on the couch, her eyes revealing a hint of thought.

Hong'er was serving carefully at the side. Seeing the empress like this, she asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you worried about the reward for the general?"

Wannian nodded gently, looked out the window, and said leisurely: "Su Lang fought bravely for our Han Dynasty and made great contributions. If I can't reward him well, I will be ungrateful to him. But everyone in the court has their own opinions, and it will be difficult to reach a conclusion for a while."

Then, Wannian took Hong'er's hand and asked softly:
"Hong'er, you are the first person to serve Su Lang and you know him better than anyone else. Tell me, how should I reward him?"

Hong Er thought of the messy scene in the court and sighed. After hesitating for a moment, she said carefully:

"Your Majesty, based on my understanding of the general, he doesn't really care about these material things. He is only concerned about the stability of the world and the peace of the people, for the sake of Your Majesty and the country."

"As long as your majesty can keep his mother and child safe and have him in his heart, I believe the general will be very satisfied."

"If the court were to continue to argue over the issue of rewards, it would go against his original intention."

The Wannian Empress smiled slightly, reached out and gently stroked her slightly bulging belly, and said softly:
"You speak so beautifully, young lady."

"Indeed, the general is not a person who covets fame and fortune, otherwise he would not have dismissed the prime minister and let me take power so early."

"However, as an emperor, I must give you the rewards you deserve. This is not only a recognition of Su Lang, but also an encouragement to my subjects."

Hong Er also smiled slightly: "In that case, Your Majesty, why don't you just ask the general what he wants?"

"Ask him directly?"

Wannian was stunned for a moment, and then he felt suddenly enlightened.

Yeah, instead of scratching your head here, why not just ask in person.

His throne was given to him by Su Lang. With his ability, even if he wanted to rule the world, no one could stop him now.

Instead of scratching your head here, why not find out what he really thinks.

"Come on, Beimo, I will write a letter to Su Lang myself!"

Coincidentally, when Wan Nian was writing to Su Yao, Lu Zhi, Xun Yu, Wang Ling and others also sent letters by mail, conveying the disputes and difficulties in the court to Su Yao, either explicitly or implicitly.

After all, although His Majesty is in charge of the government, the one who really holds power is still the general in Jizhou.

It is neither reasonable nor moral to skip Su Yao to handle this matter.

Especially Cheng Zhong's proposal to crown him king touched everyone's heart.

Although no one responded, they were really afraid that Su Yao was secretly instructing them.

Many people explained the pros and cons to Su Yao in their letters, hoping that he would consider it carefully and trying to find out his next plan.

However, Su Yao laughed after reading these letters that came in one after another.

"What? It's just that we pacified Youji. Is it so difficult for the court?"

"What if I come back and unify the world? That's it?"

"Besides, if there is nothing to reward, then it is far from being achieved."

"There is no need to make him a king for now, but above the Marquis there is the Duke. We can just take it step by step. There is no need to be so hasty."

"Duke?!" Xun You exclaimed.

Soon, Su Yao's opinions were sent to the capital for discussion and reference.

At the same time, his army was advancing step by step towards the last stronghold of Jizhou - Gaoyi, the capital.

Over there in Gaoyi City, Han Fu and others had become frightened birds.

Hearing that Su Yao's army was approaching step by step, the people in the city were in panic. After losing Julu, their food and supplies were becoming increasingly scarce.

He looked at the tattered military flag fluttering on the city wall, his heart filled with despair.

The counselors around him had lost their former spirits. They were all silent, gloomy-looking, and had no idea how to deal with the situation.

"How to do how to do?!"

"Two hundred thousand troops are gone, and now he's coming again!"

"Quick, is there anyone left? Come and give me a solution!"

(End of this chapter)