Patrol Captain

"Emperor's Decree—"

Inside the main hall, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve. The corner of his robe was still covered in dust from his long journey. He unfurled the edict in his hand, and his voice rose involuntarily. He was majestic and composed, and a powerful aura swept through the hall.

He paused after reading the first part of the poem. His words were as if His Majesty himself were present, but things didn't go as he expected. No one knelt down, and his gaze involuntarily sharpened.

The envoy Chen Xun standing before him was a powerful martial saint with a strained relationship with the imperial court, which was no secret. He could understand why Chen Xun did not kneel before the imperial decree, since His Majesty had issued the decree to ease tensions between them.

However, the deputy generals and lieutenants standing on both sides of the hall did not make a move. Instead, they all turned their gazes to Chen Yuan. This caused Jiang Yi, the minister in charge of the mission, to change his expression. He was startled and wanted to say something but dared not speak out on the spot.

Has the imperial court's authority weakened to such an extent that it no longer heeds summons?

Although he noticed out of the corner of his eye that several lieutenant generals looked hesitant, it was enough to alarm him.

The atmosphere had become so tense that even he, as the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, a high-ranking official in one of the Six Ministries, felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know how to read the next sentence of the imperial edict and hesitated to speak.

Little did they know that everyone had simply lost faith in the imperial court.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was very subtle.

Gongsun Yang, Yun Tiansheng, Lu Ming, and Lian Nishang, who had followed Chen Yuan all the way, all reacted remarkably in the face of the imperial edict. They all turned their gazes toward Chen Yuan to see his attitude. After all, as the people closest to him, they knew exactly what kind of attitude Chen Yuan had toward the court.

The fourth and sixth mountain generals were veterans in the local government and still held a certain degree of respect for the imperial authority. At first, they instinctively wanted to kneel down to receive the imperial decree, but after realizing what was happening, they looked at each other and saw that no one else was moving. Although they hesitated, they did not move and looked at Chen Yuan, waiting for the signal.

Amidst this delicate atmosphere, Chen Yuan took in the expressions of everyone present, a slight smile playing on his lips, his heart filled with satisfaction.

However, the imperial decree must still be accepted, and rewards and honors are naturally due.

He glanced at Gongsun Yang, who was at the head of the left side, and nodded slightly to him.

Gongsun Yang understood, lifted his skirt armor, stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head to receive the decree. The others, seeing this, immediately knew that this was Chen Yuan's instruction, and they also knelt down to receive the decree.

For a moment, the sound of the armor plates colliding was quite orderly.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, felt a weight lifted from his chest. He was strangely grateful to Chen Yuan for not embarrassing him on the spot.

Where the hell can you reason with this?

With these conflicting and complex thoughts in mind, Jiang Yi composed himself, took a breath, and continued reading the contents of the imperial edict aloud.

"Blessed by Heaven, the Great Qian Dynasty has been established, relying on the valiant efforts of our soldiers, the pillars of our defense. The soldiers of Jiannan Circuit, stationed far to the western frontier, have been on high alert, awaiting battle. When demons harassed the borders and rebels caused chaos, with war raging everywhere, they donned their armor, slaying generals and capturing flags, fighting fiercely on the frontier. Their achievements are truly magnificent, and I am deeply gratified! Merit should be rewarded, and virtue should be generously rewarded; this is the fundamental principle of the state, a universal truth throughout history. Therefore, I hereby issue this edict to the world, to reward those who have rendered meritorious service."

"From the year Jiazi to the present, all soldiers of Jiannan Circuit who fought bravely and defeated the enemy will be promoted one rank and awarded one unit of armor and ten taels of silver; those wounded or disabled in battle will receive lifelong stipends and be supported by the prefecture and county; those who sacrificed their lives for their country will be posthumously awarded two ranks, and their villages will erect shrines to commemorate their loyalty and bravery." After reading this long passage, Jiang Yi paused here, then raised his voice and read it aloud.
"Furthermore, Chen Yuan, the chief of the army, possesses a dignified and imposing presence, profound strategic acumen, and has repeatedly defeated demons and monsters, his prestige resounding throughout the southwest. He is truly a pillar of the state and a model for the military. Therefore, he is hereby specially conferred the title of Marquis of Zhennan, with the fief of Qingshan, a fief of ten thousand households, and bestowed with one hundred yi of divine gold, a robe with a kui dragon pattern, and a jade belt. He is to oversee all affairs of the Jiannan Circuit, so that he may discipline the army and secure our southwest."

Jiang Yi, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, deliberately raised his voice at the end, as if afraid that no one would hear him. Especially when he was conferring the title of Marquis of Zhennan, his voice echoed loudly in the hall and broke through the night, reverberating over the sky above Yunding Mountain.

Many soldiers stationed and patrolling nearby heard it and exclaimed in surprise, unable to help but look in the direction of the Heavenly Patrol Hall.

Inside the main hall, Chen Yuan heard that he had been granted the title of Marquis of Zhennan by the current emperor. It sounded impressive, but he wasn't particularly moved because he knew the real story. This was nothing more than a conciliatory policy by the emperor that he didn't mean.

Praising him is also a way of putting a tight rein on him; everyone knows this perfectly well.

Jiang Yi had already finished reading the imperial edict, closed it, stepped forward, and handed it to Chen Yuan, completing the formality.

"Lord Chen, please accept this decree. This is His Majesty's grace. From now on, I shall address you as Marquis." His voice was deep and resonant, while he subtly observed the expression on Chen Yuan's face.

Chen Yuan had a half-smile on his face. He reached out a hand as the imperial edict was handed to him, and just as Jiang Yi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he withdrew his hand.

Jiang Yi's face froze for a moment, then he saw Chen Yuan flick his sleeve, walk past him, put his hands behind his back, and speak, his voice clearly reaching Jiang Yi's ears.

"I do wish to accept the imperial decree, but I cannot."

Jiang Yi felt that this general was difficult to deal with, so he had no choice but to turn to the side and ask, "Lord Chen, what do you mean by that?"

Chen Yuan stopped in his tracks. "Since His Majesty says he will reward my soldiers, I have received the decree and must give an explanation to them. So, what about the reward?"

Jiang Yi choked, “This is precisely what angers me. Most of the rewards bestowed by His Majesty were stolen by bandits on the road to Shu. Among them was a Martial Saint, a powerful figure. I was chased to Tianxiong Pass by them. General Qitian can testify for me.”

"This is not something we should be considering. Now that our Fusi is invaded by demons, we are short of food and armor. We can't fight a war like this!" Seeing that Lord Jiang was agitated, Chen Yuan didn't hold back.

He wants tangible benefits; anyone can say nice things.

Faced with Chen Yuan's attitude, Jiang Yi secretly groaned. No matter what, he had messed up this mission. If Chen Yuan refused to accept the imperial decree for this reason, things would be very serious. He didn't know if Chen Yuan was in trouble, but he was definitely in trouble.

This job is absolutely inhuman; it's far too dangerous.

"Lord Chen, do not be angry!"
"I still have some reward supplies on hand, I'll take them out now."

As he spoke, Jiang Yi turned around, flicked his sleeve towards the palace door, and a beam of yellow light shot out of the palace.

After the yellow light flew out of the main hall, it reached the sky above the plaza, expanding in the wind and emitting a bell-like sound. In an instant, a massive bronze cauldron with two handles and three legs appeared, its mouth facing downwards, spinning rapidly. It was easily a hundred feet in size. Then, the cauldron vibrated with a hum, and with a whoosh, streams of light descended from within, landing on the plaza, radiating a precious glow. (End of Chapter)