I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 993 Conferring titles and privileges upon wives and children, yearning for imperial rule (4K8)

Su Yao took the blueprints that Wan Nian handed over and unfolded them to take a look.

Good heavens, this is actually the entire planning of Luoyang City—no, it should be said that it is the original Luoyang City, now the inner city of the imperial palace.

Although Su Yao already knew from Xun Yu's introduction that Wan Nian planned to include the entire old city wall area of ​​Luoyang into the imperial city during the expansion of the capital, this was the first time he had actually seen the plan.

In particular, on this plan, his Tang Prince's Palace will also be located in this inner city, and its area is no less than that of the two palaces in the north and south today. It occupies a large area in the southwest corner of Luoyang City, and it is complete with pavilions, towers, gardens and waterside pavilions. Its scale is comparable to a small imperial city.

Wan Nian proudly raised her little face: "How about it? I specially commissioned the best craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to design it, referencing the layout of Weiyang Palace, but without exceeding the prescribed limits. Once it's fully completed, it will definitely be the most magnificent mansion in Luoyang!"

Su Yao was both amused and exasperated: "Is Your Majesty planning to build the Tang Prince's Mansion into a second imperial palace?"

Wan Nian proudly raised her chin: "Of course, my husband has rendered unparalleled service to our Han Dynasty. What is this mere royal palace compared to that? Moreover, the key to this matter lies here."

As Wan Nian spoke, he pointed with his jade finger to the connection between the expanded Tang Prince's Mansion and the North Palace: "This place is designed to resemble the covered walkways of the North and South Palaces, with a covered walkway connecting them in mid-air."

"This way, it will be much more convenient for my husband to come and go from the palace; he won't have to make a big fuss every time he enters through the main gate," Wan Nian said with a playful smile. "And whenever I want to see my husband, I can just sneak over."

Looking at the sky corridor spanning the palace wall on the blueprint, Su Yao suddenly realized the profound meaning of Wan Nian—this was not an expansion of the royal palace at all, but clearly a private passage built for the two of them.

It should be noted that Wan Nian is now the emperor, the true master of the palace. Although Su Yao is the emperor's consort and has immense power, he is still a subject in name only. Their meeting will still have to go through a lot of complicated procedures in terms of etiquette.

In fact, due to Su Yao's special status, many censors kept a close eye on his every move, and those who stayed in the harem for a long time would launch all sorts of messy impeachments.

After all, whether it's the emperor having three palaces, six courtyards, seventy-two concubines, or three thousand beauties, those are all the emperor's privileges, and have nothing to do with the imperial consort.

Therefore, as the political situation gradually stabilized, it became increasingly difficult for Wan Nian to have a normal married life with Su Yao, as countless eyes were always watching.

If Su Yao came by himself, that would be fine. But if he was busy with various matters outside the palace like before the Western Expedition, then Wan Nian would have to issue a special decree to summon him if he wanted to see Su Yao even once.

If you summon too many people, you'll attract all sorts of advice and persuasion.

Wan Nian had been furious about this for a long time, but he had been helpless due to the constraints of etiquette.

Now, taking advantage of the opportunity to expand the capital, she connected the entire Tang Prince's Mansion with the Imperial Palace via a covered walkway, making it much easier for the two of them to travel in private without being bound by those complicated formalities.

In fact, Wan Nian could stay overnight at the Prince's mansion whenever she wanted.
Having figured this out, Su Yao immediately feigned anger and said:

"You little brat, this is no longer my Tang Prince's Mansion, it's practically your Imperial Palace in the West."

Upon hearing this, Wan Nian playfully stuck out her tongue: "My husband is right, I want the Tang Prince's Mansion to become my Western Palace! That way I can see my husband anytime."

As she spoke, a sly glint flashed in her eyes: "Besides, once Princess Ashley enters the palace, I can 'inspect' her at any time to see if she's serving her husband well."

Su Yao shook his head and chuckled, reaching out to pinch Wan Nian's nose: "You little jealous pot, you say you're magnanimous, but you still can't let it go."

Wan Nian nestled into Su Yao's arms and whispered, "I'm not jealous. It's just... I didn't feel anything when you were in the capital, but this time you've been away on your western expedition for more than half a year, and I've been all alone in the palace. I really miss you."

By the end, her voice was barely audible, carrying a hint of grievance and coquettishness.

Su Yao's heart softened, and he gently stroked her long hair: "It's my fault. I will definitely spend more time with you in Beijing from now on."

"Then it's settled, my husband, you can't just try to fool me with sweet talk."

"A promise is a promise." Su Yao nodded solemnly.

Wan Nian smiled with satisfaction and then enthusiastically pulled Su Yao aside to discuss the detailed design of the Tang Prince's Mansion.

"A martial arts training ground will be built here, where my husband can practice; a library will be built here to house all the books he has collected; and so on."

She pointed to each area on the blueprint, introducing them one by one as if they were her own treasures, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Su Yao listened quietly, watching her radiant appearance, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. This little princess, who had once lived in fear and trembling in the deep palace, had now grown into a truly capable empress, yet she still maintained her dependence on and love for him.

Seeing this scene, Su Yao couldn't help but feel that it was really great that he was able to rescue her from Dong Zhuo's clutches back then.

Over the next few days, the court was in turmoil, but with Wan Nian and other court officials such as Jia Xu and Guo Jia in charge, there was nothing for Su Yao to worry about.

When Wan Nian proposed that the eldest son of the emperor temporarily reside in the Eastern Palace, Lu Zhi, Xun Yu, Zhu Jun, and other members of the royalist party were greatly appeased, and the various policies proposed by Su Yao were quickly implemented one by one.

The establishment of the General's Office for the Western Expedition, which directly governs the northwestern territory, goes without saying. The main event, however, is the distribution of rewards and punishments for the meritorious service in the Western Expedition.

Su Yao's western expedition not only rebuilt the rule of the Western Regions, but also destroyed the Wusun and the Xianbei tribes in the west. He made outstanding contributions, and many of his meritorious generals were granted titles.

As the greatest contributor, Su Yao had already been granted the title of king and possessed a vast territory, leaving him with almost nothing to reward personally. Therefore, the rewards for Su Yao fell to his children.

Of course, Wan Nian's two sons, one a future crown prince and the other a future prince, are not included in this discussion.

The other women have given birth to a total of four sons and seven daughters for Su Yao, and they have been successively added to the list of those awaiting conferment of titles and rewards.

Looking at this long list, Su Yao suddenly realized that he had unknowingly left behind so many blood ties in this world.

The mothers of these children, from Hong'er who followed him the earliest, to the Alisa sisters who were captured by him on the battlefield, and the various Hu princesses and queens from the grasslands, as well as the ladies and beauties from the Zhen, Cui and Yuan families, have all borne him children and most of them live a peaceful life in the Tang Prince's Mansion.

Most of these children are still very young, the oldest being only three or four years old, and the youngest still in swaddling clothes. But their existence has made Su Yao's foundation in this world even more solid.

"Your Highness, this is the list of titles to be conferred by the Ministry of Rites today."

Lu Su respectfully handed over a scroll of bamboo slips, which detailed the rewards and honors to Su Yao's sons:
"In addition to the rewards bestowed upon His Majesty's two legitimate sons for His Highness Prince Tang's great achievement, the Ministry of Rites has also allocated two marquis and two earl titles to the other princes."

"The eldest son, Yongping (born to Empress Wannian), will enter the Eastern Palace and will be formally conferred a title at the age of six."

"The second legitimate son, Yongyan (born to Empress Wannian), was enfeoffed as the King of the East Sea."

"The eldest son of a concubine, Yongye (born to Zhen Jiang) was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Changle, with a fief of one thousand households."

“Yongkang, the second son of a concubine (born to Xiaochun), was enfeoffed as the Earl of Leping, with a fief of seven hundred.”

“Yongnian, the third son of a concubine (born to Hong’er), was enfeoffed as the Earl of Boling, with a fief of seven hundred.”

“Yongzhi, the fourth son of a concubine (born to Yuan Xiaoyu) – was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Qinghe, with a fief of one thousand households.”

"As for the young ladies, the Ministry of Rites suggests that they be bestowed titles and honors after they come of age," Lu Su added.

Two marquises and two earls—that's quite a good result for this western expedition, and it shows their sincerity.

After all, the barbarians beyond the borders cannot be compared to the feudal lords of the Central Plains. Su Yao was quite satisfied with this, and thought to himself that he would continue to fight westward in the future, and try to make his children dukes and marquises, or even kings in the foreign lands.

So, Su Yao glanced at the list, nodded, and prepared to put it down. Suddenly, he sensed something was amiss, picked it up again, glanced at it once more, and immediately frowned, saying:
"Wait, why are the elder brothers Yongkang and Yongnian only county earls, while the youngest son Yongzhi is a county marquis?"

The Vice Minister of Rites, who was standing nearby, explained, "Your Highness, the Ministry of Rites determines titles based on the birth mother's status. Miss Yuan is the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, of noble birth, and also a concubine of the Prince's household; therefore, her son was granted a marquisate. However, Miss Hong'er and Miss Xiaochun come from lower social classes, so..."

Su Yao snorted coldly and slammed the bamboo slip heavily on the table: "Absurd! Although Hong'er is not of noble birth, she has always been loyal to me and has helped a lot in this western expedition. How can her child be wronged just because of her background?"

Seeing Su Yao's anger, the Vice Minister of Rites quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, please calm down. Our Ministry of Rites is simply following established practice. If Your Highness finds this inappropriate, we can return and discuss it again."

"However, the matter of granting two marquises and two earls has been discussed for a long time and has been settled. If the third prince is to be granted a marquisate, then the children of Consort Zhen or Consort Yuan will have to be wronged, which may be detrimental to the great cause of the Tang King."

What the Vice Minister of Rites said was true.

The marriages of important figures have little to do with love; they are more about the interests of their families behind the scenes.

Su Yao's two concubines represent two different forces, one old and one new, in the court.

Whether it was the Yuan family, whose lineage spanned four generations of high-ranking officials, or the Zhen family, the angel investor who played a significant role in Su Yao's rise to power, they both held pivotal positions in the imperial court, representing their respective interest groups.

The current plan is the result of their open and covert struggles. Rashly lowering the status of either side's offspring would send a different signal, break the balance, and bring unpredictable results.

"Fairness, fairness, and fucking fairness!"

"I've been saying this for so long, and the imperial examinations have been held twice, yet you still can't grasp it."

"Now not only are they making my child suffer unfair treatment, but they also dare to threaten me. What? Do they want me to learn to act according to others' wishes?"

"How absurd!"

The Vice Minister of Rites, terrified, knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the earth: "Your Highness, please calm your anger! I had no such intention! I will immediately return and have the Ministry of Rites revise the plan."

"No need."

Su Yao waved his hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "Since the Ministry of Rites is acting according to their rules, then I will act according to my own: Issue my decree that all princes, regardless of their mother's birth, shall be granted the title of County Marquis, with a fief of a thousand households. As for the title..."

Su Yao picked up a brush and wrote several new titles on the bamboo slips in a flowing, elegant style:
“Yongye was enfeoffed as Marquis of Dingyuan, Yongkang as Marquis of Anyuan, Yongnian as Marquis of Jingyuan, and Yongzhi as Marquis of Ningyuan. All four marquises were enfeoffed with ‘Yuan’ in their titles, signifying the expansion into distant lands.”

"At the same time, Hong'er has made great contributions to the logistics of saving lives and healing the wounded during this western expedition. She shall be granted the title of Lady. Take it and do so."

The Vice Minister of Rites took the bamboo slips, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, but dared not say another word, only respectfully replying, "This humble official will take care of it immediately."

After the Vice Minister of Rites withdrew, Lu Su stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness's actions may displease the Yuan and Zhen families."

Su Yao snorted coldly: "My children are my own to decide. If they don't even have this much magnanimity, they don't deserve to stand in the court. Rather, I'd rather have someone from their family do something for me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Su's face flashed with a look of sudden realization: "Your Highness, could it be that you intend to use this matter to put a warning on the aristocratic families?"

“That’s right.” Su Yao paused, then nodded and said, “In recent years, a series of new policies have been implemented, and the results have been quite good. However, these powerful families have obviously become familiar with these rules and are starting to make moves again.”

Su Yao stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and gazed at the majestic palace walls in the distance: "Although the imperial examination system has broken the monopoly of aristocratic families, they still secretly influence and infiltrate through marriage alliances and factions. This matter of an orphan being granted a title is hard to say if it's not yet another test by them in secret."

"I must lead by example and prove that meritocracy and rewarding merit are not just empty words. Even my children will only be given a level playing field. Their future development will depend on their own abilities."

Lu Su was filled with respect and bowed deeply: "Your Highness's foresight is truly admirable. However..."

He hesitated, as if to speak, but Su Yao waved his hand and said, "Zijing, please speak freely."

"While Your Highness's actions demonstrate fairness, they may alienate the loyal ministers who have followed you," Lu Su said cautiously. "For example, the Zhen family once gave them everything they had, yet now they are ranked alongside a maid's son; it's hard to imagine that..."

"Maybe."

Su Yao snorted coldly:
"But how many things in this world can you have both?"

"The Zhen family has indeed helped me a lot, but that doesn't mean I should give them the whole world."

"Now the Zhen family's businesses are spread all over the country, and they also hold a large number of shares in the Western Regions Development Company. They are many times stronger than the declining family that used to be huddled in Zhongshan, not knowing what the future held. They even have many supporters in the court. If they are still not satisfied and think that they can infinitely expand their power and status, then they are insatiable."

Upon hearing this, Lu Su nodded thoughtfully: "The Tang King's determination is truly admirable."

Subsequently, the dissatisfaction of the Yuan and Zhen families that many people had worried about did not occur, or at least it was not brought to the forefront.

Perhaps the Zhen and Yuan families were wise enough to understand Su Yao's intentions, or perhaps they were simply afraid of the General's overwhelming strength.

In short, everything remained calm for the rest of the time.

Besides occasionally visiting the engineering school and tinkering with new technologies, Su Yao also went to the stock exchange to keep track of the latest industry trends.

In the evening, he would linger in the palace and the harem, spending time with his wife and children, enjoying a peaceful life, and waiting for the court events to gradually subside.

In addition to the rewards for meritorious soldiers, arrangements for the various kingdoms of the Western Regions were soon made.

Because the King of Cheshi was personally supported by Su Yao and had the best relationship with the Han court, he received the best treatment as a vassal state.

Not only was the Cheshi family's restoration of their kingdom fully recognized by the imperial court, but Arozuo, who had once been a slave, was also elevated to a higher status, receiving the honor of being a first-class vassal state and being granted the title of King Shunyi, a hereditary title. The imperial court not only rewarded and supported him, but also a female general from the royal family of a vassal state returned to her country with their tribute mission and married Arozuo, bringing the first queen from the Han Dynasty to the Cheshi Kingdom.

Thus, Prince Arozzo, through his unwavering loyalty to Su Yao, not only won his freedom but also married the princess, amassed wealth, and reached the pinnacle of his life.

The other extreme, in contrast, is the Wusun.

The Wusun Kingdom suffered a crushing defeat after instigating the war, making it arguably the worst-hit country.

Not only was its kingdom overthrown, but most of the royal family members, including the king, were relocated to the capital, Luoyang. The entire Wusun Kingdom was also divided into three parts, which were overseen by the three princes who remained in the country. Almost all the power of state affairs was in the hands of Zhou Yu, who was acting as the Left Chancellor.

As for other states in the Western Regions, such as Kucha, Shule, and Khotan, they were treated as vassal states of varying statuses depending on when they submitted, the size of their contributions, and the size of their territories.

The kings and princes of these countries also received corresponding titles and rewards, and were required to send their sons to the capital as hostages.

However, to the surprise of the Han emperor and his ministers, an unexpected incident occurred. The kings of Jingjue and Shache personally went to the capital to pay tribute, but after receiving their rewards, they said that they admired the king's rule and were willing to stay in the capital as hostages, and then handed over the country to the crown prince to oversee the country.

This is the Han cavalry that Su Yao swept across the land, and together with the epoch-making prosperity of Luoyang, they formed the powerful centripetal force of the Han Dynasty today.

"I, the Prince, wish to remain in Luoyang, to be bathed in the Emperor's grace, and to listen to His sacred teachings at all times. I humbly request the Emperor's permission!"

The King of Jingjue prostrated himself on the ground, his words earnest. The King of Shache quickly echoed him, his head banging loudly as he kowtowed.

"This is also my intention! I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to remain in the capital to serve you and to learn Han etiquette and culture at all times!"

(End of this chapter)