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

Chapter 458 Granted the Nine Bestowments and Honored with the Imperial Ancestral Temple

In the fourth year of Wude,

On the first day of the ninth month, Li Yi returned to Chang'an with Li Shimin.

The emperor dispatched an envoy to Chang Le Post Station to deliver an imperial edict, bestowing upon Prince Qin, Shimin, a golden armor, a golden chariot, a royal robe, a feathered canopy, a retinue of drums and trumpets, nine musical ensembles, and forty guards with swords.

The emperor bestowed upon Prince Li Yi of Wu'an a golden armor, a golden carriage, and the imperial robes, along with a feathered canopy, drums and trumpets, and twenty guards with swords.

"His Majesty has decreed that the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Wu'an, riding in golden chariots and leading 10,000 iron cavalry and 30,000 armored soldiers, shall enter the city through the main south gate, parade along the Heavenly Street, and present Dou Jiande and the Sui imperial carriage and artifacts to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where they shall be offered a feast with the highest honors."

The Hebei military headquarters consisted of one marshal, three deputy marshals, one pacification commissioner, and two deputy commissioners.

Today, when the prisoners were presented to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and a feast was held, the Emperor only arranged two golden carriages for them: one for Prince Qin, Li Shimin, and one for Prince Wu'an, Li Yi. Prince Qi, Yuan Ji, and Deputy Commander Yin Kaishan were not provided with any of these carriages, and were not even allowed to ride in them.

Forty thousand elite infantry and cavalry were selected and sent to Beijing for inspection, while the rest were stationed in the suburbs of Beijing.

Li Daliang, Li Shiji, and forty-eight other chief stewards followed behind.

Autumn is high and fresh.

The angels brought the golden armor and golden chariot bestowed by the emperor, as well as feathered canopies, drums and trumpets, and swords.

The armor, crafted from gleaming gold, was incredibly magnificent.

The emperor also bestowed upon Li Yi twenty Tiger Guards, carrying tiger-patterned wooden swords as ceremonial weapons, and specially granted him a military band.

Wei Zheng stood next to Li Yi and said to him with some surprise, "The golden carriage, the imperial robe, the drums and trumpets, and the ceremonial sword are among the Nine Bestowments."

Li Yi had initially thought the golden armor was magnificent, the golden carriage was incredibly luxurious, the tiger-like guards wielding their swords, and the entire band made it seem like the emperor's grace was boundless and the occasion was very grand. He had no idea that this was one of the Nine Bestowments.

"Nine Bestowments?"

Li Yi felt a momentary panic.

The Nine Bestowments were often associated with powerful ministers and usurpers, weren't they?
"The Nine Bestowments are nine special gifts bestowed by the emperor upon his ministers. Usually, only a few of these items are given, such as feathered canopies, drums and trumpets, ceremonial swords, and tiger-like guards."

Li Yi understood; he was only to be granted a few of these items, which were considered top-level honors.

However, if all nine items were bestowed upon him, it would be tantamount to a symbol of usurpation.

"Should I then decline?"

"You should decline, but if the sage still wishes to bestow the favor after you have declined three times, then you shall accept it. However, you must be even more careful and cautious in the future."

The feathered banner is a type of flag made of pheasant feathers.

The Ban Jian, though just a beautifully decorated tiger-striped wooden sword, signifies that Li Yi was granted twenty Ban Jians as a special privilege. This meant that he was always accompanied by twenty Tiger Guards carrying Ban Jians as ceremonial attendants. Even when he went to court or entered the palace to meet the emperor, he could be escorted by twenty Tiger Guards carrying wooden swords.

During the Han Dynasty, Ban Jian was a real sword, but it was changed to a wooden sword during the Jin Dynasty. The Sima family's accession to the throne was illegitimate, and they were afraid that someone would draw a sword and stab them when their ministers met them.

However, it seems that there were indeed instances in history where, during palace coups, due to the lack of weapons, people simply used scabbards to strike.

There were many rules regarding the swords worn by officials in the Tang Dynasty. For example, a complete set of court attire included a sword, and different ranks wore different swords: first-rank officials wore jade-fitted swords, second-rank officials wore gold-fitted swords, and third-rank officials wore silver-fitted swords. However, when entering the ancestral temple or ascending the throne, the swords had to be removed.

Looking at the twenty Tiger Warriors carrying tiger-striped wooden swords, each one tall and robust, clad in gleaming armor and brocade robes, Li Yi felt that these men might not only be part of the ceremonial guard, but perhaps also the emperor's agents monitoring him.

Forty thousand infantrymen and cavalrymen, clad in armor, stood before Chang Le Palace.
Donning the newly bestowed battle robes,
Then, following Li Shimin and Li Yi in two golden carriages, they entered Chang'an.

Dou Jiande, the Duke of Changcheng County, also entered the city.

Li Yi stood on the golden carriage, one of the emperor's five carriages. The body was painted vermilion, a dazzling red, and the ends of the carriage were decorated with a lot of gold. The canopy was also vermilion.

Various mythical beasts are depicted throughout the carriage, with a green dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right.
The carriage handles are decorated with golden phoenixes, the roof is covered with a three-tiered vermilion canopy, the interior of which is bright yellow, and the front of the carriage shaft is decorated with twelve golden pennants.

A flag with twelve tassels, each painted with a rising dragon, was inserted on the left side of the carriage, its length trailing on the ground, supported by a blue embroidered silk pole.

On the right side of the carriage was a halberd, which was four feet long and three feet wide, decorated with the character "亚" (ya) and auspicious patterns, with a golden dragon on the flag head, a brocade ribbon on the head, and a golden bell hanging from it.

Six chestnut horses pulled the carriage.

Standing on it, Li Yi felt a prickling sensation all over his body.

These are all extraordinary favors bestowed by the Emperor.
But looking at these large golden dragon heads and the finely textured silk cushions, he felt a little uneasy.

Li Yuan praised him too much.

He did indeed make great contributions in his campaigns in Henan and Hebei, in addition to his previous achievements in Hedong and Shannan.

But to bestow upon him the title of king again, and even to elevate him above the King of Qi this time, was truly remarkable.

The nine gifts were four of them.

Too high.
At this moment, countless envious and admiring eyes turned to him, who rose from humble beginnings, repeatedly achieved meritorious service, and rose to the ranks of general and prime minister.

This has made him a role model for many.

As a subject, Li Yi felt that he should stay with Li Shiji, Li Daliang and others so that he would not stand out.

Even a prince should only ride in a four-horse carriage at most.

They traveled all the way to the south gate of Chang'an City.

Numerous officials were already there to greet and wait for them, and the Imperial Guard generals led 40,000 infantry and cavalry into the city.

On both sides of the wide ten-mile-long Sky Street,
Today, the stands are filled with people, all of whom were arranged by the government officials to come and welcome the victorious soldiers.

The Zhuque Heavenly Street, which is over 150 meters wide, is equivalent to a standard highway with 40 lanes.

Normally only the emperor can travel on the Vermilion Bird Heavenly Street.

It is said that from the neighborhoods on both sides of the Heavenly Street, no crossbow can be shot at the center of the Heavenly Street.

today,

The triumphant 40,000 infantry and cavalry, along with Li Shimin, Li Yi, and other generals and commanders, all walked along the central street.

The road was paved with loess in advance, and the streets were sprinkled with clean water.

Neat formations marched along the wide Tianjie Street, many of the soldiers were visiting Chang'an for the first time and entering the heart of the empire for the first time.

They've finally arrived at the capital city, a place they'd often heard about before.

With a victor's smile and energetic strides, they accepted the praise and cheers of the people of the capital.

Li Yi is undoubtedly the most watched person today.

It took two hours to walk the ten-mile-long Heavenly Street and arrive at the Vermilion Bird Gate Square in front of the Imperial City, where the Emperor greeted them.

Suzaku Square is very spacious.
Forty thousand infantry and cavalry arrived one after another, forming a square formation in front of the square. They passed by the Five Phoenix Tower at the Vermilion Bird Gate, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Li Yi followed closely behind Li Shimin's golden carriage and passed by first before being invited up to the Five Phoenix Tower.

"Wu Yi, come quickly."

Li Yuan treated Wu Yi even better than his own son Li Shimin, and went straight over to take his hand.

Standing atop the Five Phoenix Tower, one can see the massive Vermilion Bird Gate Square, where triumphant armies march past the tower to receive the emperor's inspection.

"So majestic!"

Looking at the neat formations, especially their high morale, Li Yuan couldn't stop smiling. "With such a mighty army, I have nothing to worry about."

On their way back to Chang'an from Hebei,

The Turkic Khan Jieli launched a large-scale surprise attack on Lingzhou. Li Shuliang, the Prince of Changping who was stationed at Xiaoguan, led troops to reinforce the city. He and the five generals engaged in a major battle with the Turkic army in Lingzhou. As a result, Jieli sent elite cavalry to raid his central army. Li Shuliang was defeated and was hit by several arrows.

Although he was rescued by his personal guards, he died on the way back to Xiaoguan.

Several groups of envoys, including Changsun Shunde, Zheng Yuanzhu, and Li Chen, were still being held in the Turkic Khanate. Now, the Turks have launched a major invasion and killed the Prince of Changping. Li Yuan was both furious and shocked.

Fortunately, with Hebei pacified, the imperial court was finally able to free up its resources.

Meanwhile, Prince Li Da'en of Dingxiang defeated Yuan Junzhang's attack in Daizhou, temporarily stabilizing the defense line in Hedong.

Li Yuan patted Li Yi's hand, "With great generals like Prince Qin and Wu Yi in the court, I no longer need to worry about the Turks."

Upon hearing of your triumphant return, Jieli hastily withdrew his troops.

After the military parade at Zhuquemen Square,

The emperor issued an edict of reward and honor to the generals who had fought in Hebei. Among them, the most eye-catching were naturally Prince Qin, Li Shimin, and Li Yi.

The King of Qin appointed the General of Heavenly Strategy, established the Heavenly Strategy Mansion in Luoyang, whose position was above that of princes and prime ministers. He was also in charge of all military campaigns and could appoint his own subordinate officials.

He was also granted an additional 20,000 households as a fief, bringing the total to 30,000 households, with a total of 3,000 households in actual fiefdom. He was also bestowed with a pair of jade discs, 1,000 hectares of fertile land, and 10,000 taels of gold.

Li Yi was granted the title of Prince of Wu'an, with the additional title of Grand Master of the Palace, and an additional 5,000 households of fief, bringing the total to 10,000 households. He was granted a pair of jade discs, 100 hectares of land, and 3,000 taels of gold.

Although Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, had not made any significant contributions, the emperor still doted on this son, granting him a fief of ten thousand households, a pair of jade discs, a hundred acres of fertile land, and three thousand taels of gold—the same rewards as Li Yi.

As for the forty-eight chief stewards including Li Shiji, Li Daliang, and Liu Hongji, they were also richly rewarded. Several of them even received official titles. Some county dukes were promoted to state dukes, and some county marquises and county dukes were also promoted to county dukes and county dukes.

Almost all of them received the title of Grand Pillar of State.

The rewards of land, silk, and slaves were very generous.

The other soldiers were also rewarded according to their merits. The 40,000 infantry and cavalry who participated in the parade today each received an extra ten bolts of silk as a reward.

The victorious soldiers stationed on the outskirts of the city also received rewards of silk, money, wine, and meat.

Immediately afterwards, the emperor announced a general amnesty, exempting the people from one year of corvée labor.

The six prefectures of Shan, Ding, Han, Guo, Yu, and Rui were exempted from two years of corvée labor due to the long-term obstruction by enemy forces within Youzhou.

Li Yuan summoned Dou Jiande to the Five Phoenix Tower for a meeting and enumerated his crimes.

Today, Dou Jiande, dressed in a white robe, stood on the Five Phoenix Tower of Zhuque Gate in Chang'an, still quite calm. "When the Sui Dynasty lost its throne, the whole world chased after it. Now that Your Majesty has obtained it, how can you still resent those who chased after it with you, or question the crime of fighting for the flesh?"

Li Yuan smiled and said, "The Prince of Qin and the Prince of Wu'an submitted a petition of ten thousand words to plead for you, saying that you have governed Hebei well. Now that you have submitted to the court, I will let bygones be bygones."

From now on, you will remain in Chang'an and serve before me.

Dou Jiande had been thinking a lot during this period, and now he was at peace with it, gladly accepting the title of Duke of Changcheng County bestowed upon him by the emperor.

"I hereby bestow upon you a grand mansion in Chang'an. From now on, you, your wives, concubines, and children can live peacefully in Chang'an and enjoy wealth and honor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

He was once just a village head, and even went on the run for his life after committing a crime. Later, he was pardoned and returned to his hometown. He was then appointed as a commander of two hundred men to fight against the Liao. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he was forced to become an outlaw. After all his efforts, it all came to nothing.

Fortunately, he was easygoing; he accepted defeat and didn't want to cause any more trouble. If the Tang Dynasty could implement benevolent policies in Hebei, it would be his final contribution to his hometown.

The emperor, accompanied by Dou Jiande and other surrendered officials and generals from Hebei who had sincerely submitted, as well as many imperial treasures such as the Eight Imperial Seals of the Sui Dynasty, went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple with a group of meritorious officials to hold a ceremony to count the spoils of war and to offer sacrifices to the illustrious ancestors of the Tang Dynasty.

Originally, Li Yuan intended to kill Dou Jiande and his followers after pacifying Hebei, eliminating them completely. However, Li Yi and others submitted a memorial strongly advising against it, saying that Dou Jiande was very popular in Hebei and that killing him would cause many problems in the future. They suggested that it would be better to keep Dou Jiande in Chang'an and treat the surrendered generals and gentry of Hebei well, so that Hebei could be at peace.

"In the fourth year of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the area north of the Yellow River was completely pacified. This was all thanks to the protection of our ancestors and the service of our meritorious officials."

Today, I hereby bestow titles and honors upon nine meritorious officials.

The emperor personally conferred titles upon nine meritorious officials, with Prince Qin, Li Shimin, ranking first, and Duke of Wei, Pei Ji, ranking second.

When the third name was read out, it was quite surprising; it was Li Yi, the newly enfeoffed Prince of Wu'an.

Fourth was Duke Dou Kang of Chen, fifth was Duke Gong Xiuren of Shen, and sixth was Duke Li Shiji of Cao.

The seventh place was Dou Gui, Duke of Zan; the eighth place was Gong Xinggui, Duke of Liang; and the ninth place was Li Xiaochang, Prince of Yi'an.

Of the seventeen meritorious officials who led the campaign to Taiyuan, only Li Shimin and Pei Ji were included in the list of nine meritorious officials at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Of particular note is that among these nine people, Dou Kang and Dou Gui are cousins, while An Xinggui and An Xiuren are brothers.

Li Yi and Li Xiaogong were uncle and nephew.

Li Xiaochang, Li Yi, and Li Shiji were all registered officials of the Imperial Clan Court.

Although the criteria used by the emperor to select the nine meritorious officials for the Imperial Ancestral Temple are unknown, after the names of these nine people were announced, no one seemed to think that any of them were inappropriate.

The An brothers' greatest achievement was seizing Hexi for the imperial court without losing a single soldier.

The brothers Dou Kang and Dou Gui made many contributions to the founding of the Tang Dynasty. For example, Dou Kang ranked first in merit alongside Li Shimin in the battle to quell Xue Ju, and he was also a former prime minister. Dou Gui also participated in almost every major battle of the Tang Dynasty, including the defense of Sichuan and Chongqing, the conquest of Luoyang, and the battles in Hebei.

Li Yi, needless to say, is now incredibly famous. Li Xiaochang, on the other hand, contributed the Yongfeng granary when the rebel army marched south, a merit that would allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Li Shiji's merit lay in surrendering ten prefectures in Henan to the Tang Dynasty.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple bestows titles upon meritorious officials.
Not surprisingly,

These nine people were the list of those personally selected by the emperor to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple of Emperor Li Yuan.

The honor of having meritorious officials enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is almost the highest honor bestowed upon them.

Li Yi and nine others stepped forward to receive the imperial edict, becoming the nine meritorious officials of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and were also given a pardon for death.

Li Yi has already obtained three immunity certificates.

But he felt it was too hot to handle, and the more he accumulated, the more uneasy he became.

This includes being granted the title of Prince of Wu'an, bestowed with a ceremonial sword, feathered canopy, and musical instruments, as well as a large amount of land and gold. He's also a meritorious official in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and receives a pardon for being exempt from death.
The more he stacked these things, the more uneasy he became.

"Wu Yi, the war in Hebei has been settled. As is customary, the temporary posts set up for wartime convenience should be dismantled. Do you have any objections to this?"

Li Yuan asked him.

"I believe that the court's abolition of the Shandong Circuit Administration is timely and necessary, but I have a suggestion."

"You said."

"Eight general administrations have been established in Hebei. Among them, Ming and You are of important positions and it is necessary to establish them as major general administrations. However, there is currently no war in Hebei. I believe that the two major general administrations of You and Ming do not need to also manage the other middle and lower general administrations."
The eight general administrations are each responsible for managing the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction.

Li Yuan looked at Li Yi with some surprise. He originally thought that Li Yi was dissatisfied with the abolition of the Xingtai and the removal of him from Xingtai Pushe to become the Grand General of Mingzhou. He did not expect that Li Yi would take the initiative to further reduce his power.

He was originally in charge of half of Hebei, but now he only oversees the eight prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Mingzhou General Administration.

"I will have my ministers discuss this matter later."

"You've been away on campaign for so long, and now you're finally back in the capital. Take a longer vacation here; there's no rush to return to Hebei." The emperor held Li Yi's hand, treating him with more affection than he would his three own sons.

Li Shimin stood to the side, seemingly unconcerned, but Crown Prince Jiancheng kept scanning Li Yi's face back and forth, while Prince Qi, Yuanji, kept glaring at Li Yi, as if Li Yi had stolen his father's love.

"Wu Yi, I previously issued an edict to bestow the daughters of Zheng Shanguo and Cui Shishu upon you as concubines. How come I heard that you haven't done so yet? What's wrong? Do the Cui and Zheng families dare to disrespect me?"

Li Yi knew that the emperor was being sarcastic, blaming him for not following the imperial edict.

"Your Majesty, I have been away on campaigns and have been delayed in my studies."

"Oh, I thought the Cui and Zheng families would dare to disobey us. Now that we're back in the capital, it's a good time to bring these two women from the five surnames into the family as concubines and have them have a few more children." Li Yuan patted Li Yi's hand with a kind and concerned expression.

(End of this chapter)