Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Therefore,

Even though Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cili's advice against re-enfeoffing Jia Jing violated the court's reward and punishment system, it was not problematic from the perspective of civil officials and their statements.

Even if Emperor Jingsheng did not heed their advice, he should not have looked so gloomy and unhappy.

Just like when the first victory report from the Northwest reached the capital last time, didn't Emperor Jingsheng also say that he would confer the title of Marquis of Champion, a second-rank official?

However, after the advice of Grand Secretary Chen and others, he was only granted the title of General Who Conquers the West, a third-rank official, and was not granted the title of Grand General, a second-rank official.

This is the art of imperial power.

There are many things that the emperor cannot say directly, otherwise it would be seen as treating meritorious officials poorly. In such cases, he needs to use the words of his ministers to check and balance each other.

This was certainly one of the reasons why Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cili opposed the re-granting of titles! Civil officials and military meritorious officials should not be mixed up!

But why is Emperor Jingsheng behaving so abnormally this time?

They even said things like "the Marquis of Champion has done the emperor a favor," which clearly went beyond the proper relationship between ruler and subject.

Your Majesty seems to be in a strange state!

Zhang Tingyu's gray eyebrows twitched slightly, sensing something was wrong, and he unconsciously hid behind Li Guangdi.

Fang Congzhe clearly did not have the same sensitive nature as Zhang Tingyu. Having just taken up the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he was eager to demonstrate his abilities.

He stepped forward, holding a jade tablet, and addressed the assembly again:

"Your Majesty's rewards and punishments are fair and just, and your judgment is wise and insightful. I am deeply impressed!"

"I wonder if this is acceptable? For the merits of the Marquis of Champion, the imperial court will bestow rewards according to regulations, and will certainly not treat him poorly!"

"However, the Marquis of Champion is still young. Since ancient times, those who ascend to high positions at a young age have often received little fortune! First, he was granted the title of Third-Class Duke, which is also His Majesty's way of showing his care and concern."

"As for the extra military merits of the Marquis of Champion, his father Jia She can be granted favors by promoting his father from a first-class general to a first-class marquis, and changing his noble title to a military title."

"I have heard that the Marquis of Champion is a filial son. If his father could be further honored, I believe he would feel even more grateful for the Emperor's great favor!"

"Furthermore, this would reward the Marquis of Champion's military achievements and prevent the court from being suspected of mistreating meritorious officials. What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

This was a method that Fang Congzhe had devised in private after much thought, specifically to deal with the scenario where Emperor Jingsheng insisted on re-granting Jia Jing a new title.

It would be unreasonable not to reward someone for their merits, but the credit could be distributed among his father, Jia She.

This proposal is well-founded, and its core logic is the "benevolence" principle in the Han Dynasty system.

"Extending favor" refers to the emperor extending or transferring an official's rank, honors, and some privileges to his parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents.

Such bestowals are usually distinguished by adding the character "太" before the title, as they are "bestowed by the descendants through favor," with the intention of "encouraging loyalty and filial piety."

However, this is not without its problems. Generally, the emperor bestowed upon the parents of meritorious officials not actual official positions with real power.

Rather, it was an honorary title with rank, such as the title of Grand Master of the Palace or one of the Three Sovereigns.

If these nominal positions are granted, they cannot be considered as transfers of military merit.

Therefore, Fang Congzhe proposed changing Jia She's first-class general title to a first-class marquis title, which is only conferred upon those who have made military achievements.

This indicates that Jia Jing's military achievements were attributed to his father, Jia She, and it was a special "appointment" made on a special basis!

There was a precedent for this in the Han Dynasty.

For example, Nian Gengyao was granted the title of First-Class Marquis last year for his meritorious service, and his father, Nian Xialing, was also granted the title of First-Class Marquis. The father and son shared the same title, which meant that the father received part of the military merit on behalf of the son.

Otherwise, given Nian Gengyao's status as the main general in Liaodong, he should have been at least awarded the rank of third-class duke for his role in the battle against the puppet Qing dynasty last year!

During the reign of Emperor Taizu of Han, the fathers and grandfathers of the founding heroes were posthumously granted military titles on several occasions, which was the system of "jointly granting titles to three generations".

Therefore, Fang Congzhe's proposal was reasonable and extremely brilliant in terms of the Han Dynasty's system.

Not only did he use "filial piety" to exchange for "fairness" and transfer Jia Jing's military merits to his father, thus silencing public criticism that merits were not rewarded, but he also helped Jia Jing demonstrate both loyalty and filial piety.

of course,

The most crucial point is that Jia She is now lying on his sickbed and about to die. What good would it do to make him a first-class marquis or even a first-class duke?

In the end, he will only receive more posthumous honors.

After his death, his eldest son, who had no military achievements, inherited the title of Noble General.

This means that a large part of Jia Jing's military achievements were negated by using a false title!

Moreover, you can't say that the court treated meritorious officials poorly. After all, in the Han Dynasty, which governed the country with filial piety, granting a title to the father of a meritorious official was definitely a sign of respect.

As soon as Fang Congzhe finished speaking, the civil officials in the hall all lit up!

Right!

This not only solved the problem of unclear rewards and punishments, but also saved Jia Jing from having to be given a new title.

Who says military merit necessarily leads to a promotion?

Granting titles to his father was also a way to reward his merits!

Even if Jia Jing makes further contributions, there's no fear of running out of titles to bestow; his mother, wife, and son can be granted additional titles in the future.

Some quick-thinking cabinet ministers had already figured out that Jia Jing was still unmarried, and whether they should "force" him to get married during this trip back to the capital.

This would make it easier for the imperial court to later transfer the military merits to his wife and children.

Xiong Cilu's face lit up with joy, and he quickly stepped forward and said:

"Grand Secretary Fang's method is excellent! I agree."

"I think it would be better to grant both Jia Jing and Jia She the title of Third-Class Duke, father and son both being enfeoffed as dukes. That would be a fine example!"

Xiong Cilu also knew that Jia She's days were numbered, so he thought it best to grant both father and son the title of Duke.

This not only demonstrated the court's magnanimity towards meritorious officials, but also eliminated any potential future problems.

Even these cabinet ministers didn't have to speak out against the emperor and risk being accused of mistreating meritorious officials.

All the ministers in the hall looked pleased, and Chen Tingjing also stepped forward to express his agreement.

Just as the courtiers were in high spirits, Emperor Jingsheng's gaze remained calm as he glanced at the assembled officials, observing the changes in their expressions.

He was well aware that this was a strategy employed by civil officials to check and balance Jia Jing.

Jia She is currently bedridden, and it is uncertain whether he will live past the end of the year. Granting him a title of marquis or duke would be meaningless.

If he hadn't known that Jia Jing was the virtuous minister who appeared in the dream, he might have agreed to the proposal, taking precautions and holding back.

But now that Emperor Taizu has the prophecy that "those who trust will prosper, those who doubt will perish," why would he risk destabilizing the fate of the Han Dynasty by being suspicious again?

However, Emperor Jingsheng did not rush to speak. Instead, he waited until the court officials quieted down before asking the Prince of Nan'an, who had remained silent:

"Minister Huo, what's your opinion? You're also a military officer; what do you think is the best way to reward Minister Jia for his contributions?"

Prince Huo Zhaoming of Nan'an stood there like an old pine tree, his eyes half-closed, with no intention of speaking.

He was new to the court and unfamiliar with many people and affairs, so he thought he would observe for a while before making any decisions.

Planning before acting is the mark of a great general!