A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 305: Are Li Yi's achievements enough to be granted the title of Duke?
Changan.

It's hot, and the emperor has been staying in Changle Palace to escape the heat recently.

Emperor Li Yuan's mood has been fluctuating greatly lately, especially with the constant stream of urgent messages from Hedong. There's been both good and bad news; today, the Taiyuan General Administration reported the loss of another city, and two days later, the Lüzhou General Administration reported that they had persuaded several thousand enemy troops to surrender.

In this sweltering July
The Bingzhou General Administration lost nine cities in total, and almost all the cities around Taiyuan were lost.

Meanwhile, the Luzhou General Administration was reporting a series of victories: it persuaded Liu Liu'er's 7,000 troops to surrender, recaptured Jiahu Fort, captured Huang Ziying's 5,000 troops, rescued the 5,000 Tang soldiers who had been captured earlier, lifted the siege of Haozhou, persuaded Liu Jizhen of Shizhou to surrender, and recovered Wenshui City of Haozhou.

The two general administration offices in Hedong,
One was full of bad news, the other full of good news; both stewards were seventeen years old.
Li Yuan sometimes thought to himself, "How come my own son is not as good as a mere official registered under the imperial clan?"

On the first day of the eighth month, the emperor returned to the Taiji Palace in Chang'an.

Early morning on the first day of the lunar month,

Officials of the ninth rank and above in the capital all went to the Taiji Palace to attend the court assembly.

Li Yuan accepted the homage of his ministers.

After the whole process was completed, the emperor beckoned.

The eunuch presented a gilded sandalwood box containing a yellow silk edict.

The Imperial Secretary and his attendant stepped forward and took out the imperial edict, which was then read aloud in the Golden Hall.

Liu Jizhen was granted the imperial surname, enfeoffed as the Prince of Pengcheng, appointed as the Pillar of State, Right General of the Imperial Guard, and Governor-General of Shizhou.

Liu Liu'er was granted the imperial surname, enfeoffed as Duke of Loufan, appointed as Pillar of State, General of the Left Martial Guard, and appointed as Governor-General of Lanzhou.

The purple-robed ministers in the hall were not too surprised to hear that the emperor had conferred the title of king upon another person of a different surname.

After all, this was the fourth non-royal prince appointed by the emperor. The first was Li Gui, the Liang emperor of Hexi. The emperor appointed him as the Liang king and governor of Liangzhou. Then, he recklessly led troops to attack the border prefectures of the Tang Dynasty and was eventually captured and executed in Chang'an.

The second was the former Western Turkic Niju Chuluo Khan, who was granted the title of Prince of Guiyi by the emperor.

The third was Zhu Can, the emperor of Chu, who was enfeoffed as the King of Chu. However, he cooked and ate the envoy sent by the emperor. Now he had no choice but to seek refuge with Wang Shichong. Instead of being the King of Chu, he became the Left Dragon General.

Liu Ji was the fourth king of a different surname.

But with those three role models in place, no one in the court really took this so-called non-royal prince seriously.

Even if Liu Jizhen was granted the imperial surname, he was not the first; Xu Shiji and his son, the governor of Liyang, were also granted the imperial surname.

Li Xiaochang was also listed in the register and granted the title of Prince of Yi'an.

But some people don't understand.

A supervising censor surnamed Wei stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Liu Jizhen and Liu Liu'er of Lishi Hu are fickle and should not be trusted. They and their son previously raised an army in rebellion, which lasted for three years. They had only surrendered less than a year ago, but then they killed the governor, seized the city, and rebelled again. How can such behavior be tolerated?"

I also want to impeach Li Yi. Instead of fighting the rebels for the court, he helped them get titles. He must have been secretly colluding with the rebellious Hu people and accepting bribes. This matter must be thoroughly investigated!

Your Majesty, I request that Li Yi be immediately suspended from his official post and summoned back to the capital for investigation…

This guy surnamed Wei keeps talking.

"Shut up,"

The emperor, however, interrupted him impatiently.
Censor Wei was stunned. How could the emperor reprimand his ministers like that in the palace? He was doing it all for the sake of the court and the country.
"Your Majesty, minister,"

"Shut up!" Li Yuan pointed angrily at him. "Li Yi fought for the court on the front lines in Hedong, repeatedly achieving great merit and saving the situation from crisis."

What right do you have to attack and slander me without any evidence?

"Guards, drag this man out, strip him of his post, and exile him to Xizhou!"

"I appointed you as an imperial censor to oversee the court and official discipline, not to falsely accuse meritorious officials,"

Imperial Censor Wei never expected that he would so easily offend the emperor.

Was Li Yi the emperor's illegitimate son?

But isn't Li Yi Li Zhi's illegitimate son?

Why should the emperor show such favoritism towards Li Yi? As an imperial censor, what's wrong with him reporting matters based on hearsay? Even if he's wrong, it doesn't warrant being dismissed and exiled.

Censor Wei couldn't understand it.
When he saw Qianniu Bei coming over to drag him away, he finally realized what was happening, and his face turned pale instantly, completely drained of color.

My legs feel weak.

This journey to Xizhou was four thousand miles away, a desolate and wild place, and his promising future was completely ruined.

"Your Majesty, minister, minister,"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear your nagging!"

No matter how much Imperial Censor Wei shouted, it was no use; Li Yuan's eyes were filled with disgust.
No one dared to stand up and plead for this guy at this time.

The main hall was quiet.

Li Yuan looked at the assembled ministers in the hall: "I know that some people feel envious of Li Yi's youth and his rapid rise to prominence."
But Li Yi's promotions were always earned through genuine hard work and merit.

The nation was newly founded, and the world was not yet at peace.
Many people carved out their own territories and became subjects of the emperor; bandits and outlaws roamed the land.

As long as the Tang Dynasty fails to unify the country, the common people will never have peace of mind.

In order to end the turmoil and conflict as soon as possible,

I am not stingy in bestowing the title and surname of King upon Liu Jizhen, who rebelled and then surrendered, nor am I stingy in granting titles and official ranks to Li Yi and others who have made great contributions.

"I originally planned to wait until the battle of Hedong was over and Li Yi and other meritorious generals returned in triumph before bestowing titles upon them in the Golden Palace."

But now I intend to promote Li Yi first.

I want to tell you all, and the people of the world, that as long as you render meritorious service to the court, especially military merit, I will never treat you unfairly.

"Prime Minister Xiao, Prime Minister Chen,"

Li Yuan specifically asked his two prime ministers, Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda, "Do you think Li Yi's military achievements are enough to qualify him for the title of Duke?"

Xiao Yu raised his tablet and replied, "Your Majesty, Li Yi's contributions are considerable, but he was only recently promoted to Duke of Anding. In just one year, he went from a commoner to a duke, which is already a generous reward. He is still young, and he has a long road ahead of him..."

Li Yuan interrupted him, saying, "Age is age, and achievements are achievements. How can they be confused? Our Great Tang has just been established. How can we talk about seniority everywhere?"

I once bestowed titles upon a former slave, and some said that since they were slaves, they should not be granted official positions or ranks. But I replied to them, "When I led my righteous army south, fighting along the way, my slaves, as well as those slaves, merchants, artisans, and other lowly people who joined the righteous army along the way, were all entitled to such titles."

They charged into battle and made great contributions; how can they be denied rewards simply because of their original status?

Does this mean that on the battlefield, the enemy's arrows only hit others and not them?

Those who perform meritorious service shall be rewarded, regardless of their social status or age.

"I now ask you, are Li Yi's achievements sufficient to warrant the title of Duke?"

"Enough!" Xiao Yu agreed readily this time as well.

In fact, the granting of titles in the early days of the founding of the country was not so strict, and the bestowal of titles was even rather indiscriminate.

For example, the emperor's imperial relatives had been granted titles in several batches, including princes, dukes, and so on.

As for those former nobles who followed or later joined him, Li Yuan also bestowed upon them their old titles. Many prominent noble families today, with several dukedoms in one clan, mostly retain titles from the previous dynasty.

Those powerful officials who carved out their own territories, or those rough and tumble heroes leading their followers, as long as they brought their land and men to submit to them...
They usually also obtained high-ranking official positions and titles.
Even Zhu Can, who was defeated and like a stray dog, was granted the title of King of Chu. Now, Liu Jizhen, the Hu of Lishi, can be granted the title of Prince of Pengcheng. This shows that the requirements for granting titles by the court are not high.

Luo Shixin surrendered with only 1,500 men and was immediately granted the title of Duke of the County.

Ren Gui was originally just Li Jiancheng's teacher. At the beginning of the uprising, he took the initiative to persuade several counties to surrender, and was then granted the title of Duke of Guan.

Sheng Yanshi ambushed and killed the defector Li Mi, and was also granted the title of Duke of Ge.

Generally speaking, if you want to have the title of Duke in the Tang Dynasty, you either need to be a Duke from the previous dynasty who supports the current dynasty, or you need to submit to the previous dynasty. In that case, you can usually retain the title of Duke.

You might have originally been a duke or county duke, but due to your family background, reputation, or relationship with the emperor, you were directly granted the title of duke. For example, Yang Gongren was originally just a duke, but after being captured and brought to Chang'an, he was granted the title of Duke of Guan.

Or you could be a member of the imperial family, the emperor's nephew or grand-nephew. Close relatives could be directly granted the title of Prince of the Commandery, while those who were less close could be granted the title of Duke of the State or Duke of the Commandery.

Or perhaps you have territory or troops. For example, Xu Yuanlang, who recently surrendered his territory, was granted the title of Governor-General of Yanzhou and Duke of Lu.

Some early heroes who joined the rebellion were directly granted the title of Duke upon entering Chang'an. For example, the former Duke Shi Wanbao was originally just a wandering knight who was on good terms with Jiancheng and his group. In any case, the titles conferred in the Tang Dynasty were now just like honorary official positions, very nominal.

They had neither fiefdoms nor actual towns, although the titles granted included corresponding ranks and privileges.

However, they could neither establish their own fiefdoms nor set up their own governments, nor have soldiers or followers, nor manage the people, and they didn't even have any income from their fiefdoms.

The titles of Duke and Pillar of State are merely icing on the cake.

Of course, it is still a title, and although it is not worth much now, titles have always been relatively rare, especially since they can be passed down to descendants. Even if the rank is downgraded, it can still be passed down for several generations.

"Prime Minister Chen?"

“Li Yi’s military achievements are indeed enough to warrant the title of Duke,” Chen Shuda also agreed.

"Very well," Li Yuan laughed and immediately bestowed the title in the Golden Hall, "I hereby bestow upon Li Yi the title of Duke of Rong, with a fief of three thousand households and a real fief of one hundred households."

When the emperor decided to bestow the title of Prince upon Liu Jizhen and the title of Duke upon Li Yi, none of the ministers found it unusual.

Many people were quite surprised to hear that he had been granted the title of centurion.

It should be noted that the emperor had seventeen meritorious officials who were the founders of the Taiyuan government. These were the people who made the greatest contributions to the founding of the country, but only a few of them were actually granted official titles. Pei Ji's initial fief was only three hundred households.

It has only increased to 600 households so far.
Secondly, there are the brothers An Xinggui and An Xiuren. Not long ago, they were promoted to Dukes for their merit in defeating Li Gui and bringing Hexi under control for the court, and each received a fief of 600 households.

Former Prime Minister Liu Wenjing, who is still in prison, had previously only received a fief of three hundred households.

Then there were three hundred households in Qututong.

Then there were the three princes: Crown Prince Jiancheng, Prince Shimin of Qin, and Prince Yuanji of Qi, each with 600 households.

Before Li Yi bestowed the title of one hundred households upon him today, the Tang Dynasty had been established for a year and a half, and only eight people had received genuine titles.
Six households with 600 each, and two households with 300 each.

Three of them were the emperor's sons.

Although Liu Yijie, Liu Zhenghui, Chai Shao, Dou Cong, Changsun Shunde, and other founding heroes held the title of Duke, none of them actually received a fiefdom.

Today, Li Yi is the ninth person to be granted a real fiefdom. Although he is a member of the third tier of one hundred households, how many dukes are there in the imperial court? There are only nine real fiefdoms.

Liu Wenjing was also stripped of,

In reality, there are only eight meritorious officials who have been granted official titles.

Things are rare.

"Li Yi is hereby appointed as Right General of the Martial Guard, Governor-General of Lüzhou, and concurrently serves as Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince."

The words "inspector" before "general manager" were removed, and the title "Right Martial Marquis General of the Twelve Guards" was added.

It certainly rose rapidly.

A Duke and a Grand General are not uncommon in the court, but at the age of seventeen, only Li Yuanji can surpass him, yet Li Yuanji is the legitimate prince.

"Li Zhongwen, Wang Xingmin, and six other generals have had their official ranks and titles restored."

"Li Zhongwen was appointed as the Inspector of Jiezhou."

"Huang Ziying was appointed Prefect of Xinzhou and General of the Right Guard; Yu Run was appointed Grand Master of the Palace..."

The meeting is over,

Li Yuan returned to Ganlu Palace.

Several urgent military reports were then presented to the emperor.

"Dou Jiande led 100,000 troops to attack Mingzhou. The general Yuan Zigan surrendered and then led his troops to attack Xiangzhou. Prince Li Shentong of Huai'an retreated to Liyang without a fight. Both Mingzhou and Xiangzhou were lost."

Li Yuan frowned again. The situation in Hedong had improved slightly, but the situation in Hebei continued to deteriorate.

In the entire southern part of Hebei, only Liyang remains.

I picked up another one, and it was bad news again.

Liang Shidu led his army, allied with the Turks and the Buluoji Hu, and several thousand cavalrymen to invade Yanzhou. The general Duan Qiancao's troops were outnumbered and could only retreat into the city.

Pick up another one,
The report stated that Li Jing was ordered to go to Kuizhou to take up his post, but he has not yet arrived. He first passed through Jinzhou and encountered a rebellion of tens of thousands of barbarians led by Deng Shilu. Prince Li Yuan of Lujiang launched a campaign against the rebellion but suffered repeated defeats. Li Jing temporarily joined Li Yuan's army as a strategist, which delayed him for a long time.

Upon arriving in Xiazhou, they were again blocked by Xiao Xian's troops and could not advance for a long time.

Li Jing has not yet reached Kuizhou.

Li Yuan snorted coldly. Li Jing volunteered to go to Kuizhou. At that time, Li Yidu had just finished suppressing the bandits of Sizhuyuan. Now Li Yidu had won several great victories in Hedong and saved Hedong from its decline, but Li Jing was still on the way.

Li Yuan couldn't help but recall the time when Li Jing was the Prefect of Mayi County and had reported Yang Guang for plotting a rebellion.

He had reason to suspect that Li Jing was deliberately delaying and delaying military operations, so he picked up his pen and wrote a secret edict to his old classmate Xu Shao, the prefect of Xiazhou, ordering him to execute Li Jing.

Li Yuan put down his pen and sighed deeply.

The situation in Hedong had just begun to improve, but now Shuofang and Hebei are in such chaos again.

This only made Li Yi's achievements seem even more outstanding.

In times of national crisis, we think of capable generals; in times of hardship, we yearn for upright ministers. In poverty, we think of virtuous wives; in serious illness, we think of good doctors.

If only we had more loyal ministers and generals like Li Yi.

Judging by the time, Pei Ji should have arrived in Jiezhou by now.

With Pei Ji's tens of thousands of reinforcements, plus Li Yi's twenty to thirty thousand troops, the old and the young should be able to recapture Jiexiu and Pingyao in one fell swoop, and then advance on Taiyuan in the process.

Li Yuan was now eagerly awaiting Li Yi's memorials, which were always reports of victory, and reading them always eased some of his anxieties.

"His Majesty,"

Lu Kuan came in and said, "I just heard that the Duke of Xi has passed away."

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment and didn't react immediately.

Then his eyes widened suddenly: "You said Yang You is dead?"

Yes, this morning.

"How did you die?"

"He suffers from swelling caused by wind-heat. The Grand Master of Ceremonies, Zhen Liyan, is a highly skilled physician, and the Duke of Xi's mansion once sent someone to treat him."

Li Yuan was lost in thought.

Yang You, the grandson of Emperor Yining whom he once supported, is only fifteen years old this year.

He sighed deeply, "I promised him a lifetime of wealth and peace, but I never expected him to die so suddenly."

“My fortune is meager and my life is short; it is fate,” Lu Kuan said.

"He was posthumously honored as Emperor Gong of Sui. Since he had no sons, Yang Xingji, the son of his brother from the same clan, was adopted as his heir and inherited the title of Duke of Sui. Let the officials give him a proper burial," Li Yuan sighed.

Yang You's death was a relief for Li Yuan, as it relieved him of a long-standing worry.

Lu Kuan went to deliver the imperial edict.

A while later, Qian Jiulong entered the hall.

"Your Majesty, Consort Li Yi has just given birth to twins, a boy and a girl."

"Hahaha, that rascal Li Yi, I just bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Rong and a fief of a hundred households, and his concubine gave birth to twins. This is truly a double blessing!"

Suddenly they had both a son and a daughter.

They quickly sent someone to deliver the good news to him.

Oh, and also bestow upon Li Yi's household a reward of one hundred gold and one hundred silver Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, along with one thousand bolts of assorted silk.

(End of this chapter)