I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 875 Pride
"The Ceremony of Nine Gifts?!"

Zhao Yun was shocked when he heard this, and lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Wenhe, this Nine Gifts Ceremony is a sign of a powerful official usurping power!"

The Ceremony of Nine Gifts refers to the nine kinds of ceremonial objects bestowed by the ancient emperor on princes, ministers and people with special merits.

They are eight chariots and horses, the imperial robes and crowns, the vermilion lacquered gate, the unique music hall, bows and arrows, axes and halberds, three hundred tiger guards, as well as the Jiuchang that symbolizes the privilege of sacrifice and a kind of Nabi that makes it easier to climb the stairs when going to court.

It symbolizes that the holder can wear the same clothes and ride the same horse as the emperor, and has the privilege of taking charge of wars and sacrifices. It is the highest honor.

This ceremony has existed since the pre-Qin period. Before this dynasty, it was mostly used to commend ministers who had made outstanding contributions. However, there is only one person in the world who has truly implemented the Nine Gifts Ceremony in a systematic way, and that person is Wang Mang.

Therefore, the Ceremony of Nine Gifts is of profound significance, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a political signal.

"That's why we should take the initiative to propose it."

Jia Xu smiled meaningfully:

"Although the general is the emperor's husband, this status is the first of its kind in the world. There is no precedent to follow, and the definition of his status and power is not clear."

"Now that he has made an unprecedented contribution to pacifying the north, and has shown such a broad mind in the court, we propose to give him the Nine Gifts Ceremony. First, it will be a recognition of his achievements, so that people all over the world will know his outstanding contributions; second, it will also clarify his transcendent status in the court to a certain extent, and his future actions will be more justified."

"Furthermore"

Jia Xu looked around, his voice barely audible:
"The more the general refuses, the more noble he appears. And if Your Majesty insists on granting the gift, it will appear that the emperor is gracious. In this exchange, it is self-evident whether people's hearts are in favor or not."

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this.

Zhao Yun nodded thoughtfully: "Mr. Wenhe is indeed a man of foresight. This will not only protect the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, but will also help the general to consolidate his authority and enhance his prestige. This is indeed a good strategy."

Wei Ming clapped his hands and smiled, "Excellent! I will contact my colleagues and submit a joint petition."

Just as everyone was discussing secretly, a thin figure quietly retreated at the corner of the palace wall.

Xun Yu straightened his clothes and walked quickly towards the Secretariat with a frown on his face. He had to inform Wang Yun, Zhu Jun and others of this matter as soon as possible.

Three days later, in the front hall of Weiyang Palace.

The Ten Thousand Years Empress sat on the dragon throne, looking at the two memorials in her hands with a slightly frown on her face.

On the left hand was a joint memorial by thirty-six people including Wei Ming and Jia Xu, requesting that Su Yao be conferred the title of Duke of Jin and the nine gifts; on the right hand was the admonition of veteran ministers such as Xun Yu and Wang Yun, saying that the nine gifts were the highest position for a minister and that only Yi Yin and Duke Zhou were worthy of receiving it.

"What do you think about this, my dear ministers?" The empress threw the question to the ministers in the palace.

Liu Yu was the first to step out and said, "I think that since the great general has made great contributions, it is not unreasonable to confer the title of Duke upon him. However, the Nine Gifts Ceremony concerns the state system, so I hope Your Majesty will be careful."

Lu Zhi followed closely behind: "I second the proposal. You can confer the title of Duke first, and the matter of the Nine Gifts can be discussed later."

Wei Ming sneered, "You two are wrong! The general recovered four states and pacified the country. His achievements are comparable to those of Duke Zhou. If such achievements are not worthy of the Nine Gifts, then who else in the world is worthy?"

Jia Xu also stepped out slowly: "Your Majesty, please understand. Now that the world is still unsettled, we need to use special ceremonies to show the court's attention to meritorious officials. Granting the general the Nine Gifts can not only reassure the soldiers, but also deter the princes from all directions. It is really a win-win situation."

The court was once again tense.

While the debate was raging, a message suddenly came from outside the palace: "The general has arrived—"

Su Yao entered the hall in his casual clothes. Noticing that the atmosphere was not right, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Am I here at a bad time?"

The empress waved her hands quickly: "General, you have come at the right time. I am discussing with you my dear ministers about giving you a higher title." After Su Yao understood the whole story, he glanced at the expectant eyes of Wei Ming and others, and then glimpsed the nervous expressions of Xun Yu and others, and suddenly laughed:
"This general doesn't think it's a big deal. If Your Majesty really wants to reward us, it's better to give the soldiers more food and wages. As for the nine gifts, let's forget about it!"

Wei Ming said anxiously: "General! This is the imperial court's etiquette."

Su Yao interrupted with a wave of his hand: "What's the point of being so polite? This general has always only considered whether his actions are beneficial to the people. What's the point of these empty formalities other than wasting money and manpower?"

"If the imperial court feels that it has too much money these days and has nowhere to spend it, it might as well give more land and money to the soldiers, build more schools and paper mills in the local areas, and develop the economy and education."

As soon as Su Yao said this, the court fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. Wan Nian's eyes were even more complicated. She paused for a moment, then coughed lightly, breaking the brief silence:

"The general cares about the world and does not care about fame and fortune. This is a blessing for our Han Dynasty. However, this reward is related to the majesty of the court and the encouragement of meritorious officials, so it cannot be put aside lightly."

"Now that the great general is a marquis of ten thousand households and has made great contributions to the pacification of four states, the nine gifts are justly due to him. I hope the great general will not refuse."

After Wannian's speech, the young ministers also made suggestions, saying that the general had made outstanding contributions and deserved this reward.

"Please don't be so polite. This general speaks from the bottom of his heart."

Su Yao looked around, took a deep breath and said:
"In the past, Huo Qubing once said, 'How can I return home if the Xiongnu is not yet destroyed?'"

"Now that I have inherited the title of Champion Marquis, how can I accept such a huge reward when the world is not at peace?"

"Is the gift of nine gifts really so worthless?"

Su Yao's words were naturally sincere.

Although Su Yao, who had never liked attending court, was able to come on time this time, it was because he had received advance warning from Jia Xu and others.

But the gift of nine gifts was not what he wanted right now.

Boss Cao awarded himself the Nine Gifts before he pacified the world, which led to people like Sun Quan and Sima Zhao following suit in later generations, so that the Nine Gifts became a standard for traitors and rebels, was despised by the world, and gradually became a common practice.

Su Yao naturally had no interest in setting this precedent.

Su Yao refused to accept it, and the situation became deadlocked for a while.

At this time, Xun Yu stepped forward and said respectfully: "Your Majesty is wise and wise. The general is of high moral character and is unwilling to accept the Nine Gifts at this time, which shows his loyalty and humility. I think we can follow the advice of Liu Taichang and Lu Taifu and first confer the title of Duke on the general. When the world is at peace in the future, we can discuss the Nine Gifts. This way, we can show your majesty's favor to the meritorious officials and be safe."

Wei Ming and Jia Xu looked at each other and nodded, knowing that this matter could not be forced and that continuing to insist might backfire.

So, Wei Ming gritted his teeth and tried to say, "Since the general is determined to refuse, we dare not force him. But the general must not refuse the title of duke again. Otherwise, the soldiers will fight bloody battles, but the court will not recognize the general's achievements, which may chill the hearts of the people."

Su Yao frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, since all the ministers have said so, it would be hypocritical if I refuse. But I hope that the canonization of the Duke's title will be kept simple and not wasteful. The money saved can be used for military and people's livelihood without any waste."

Seeing that Su Yao finally agreed, Wannian was relieved and immediately issued an order:
"Approve your request! Promote the title of Grand General to Duke of Jin, make Jinyang the capital, appoint hundreds of officials of the duchy, and let him take charge of the military and political power of the fiefdom."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Congratulations, Duke Jin!"

Suddenly, there were bursts of cheers in the court.

However, amidst all the noise, Su Yao rarely lost his composure:
“Pfft—wait wait, it’s Duke Jin?!”

(End of this chapter)