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

Inside the Qianqing Palace,

The Prince of Nan'an was reluctant to speak, but upon hearing Emperor Jingsheng's inquiry, he had no choice but to step forward.

The Prince of Nan'an thought for a moment, his expression became serious, and he carefully cupped his hands and said:

"I have been patrolling the border for a long time and am not very familiar with the affairs of the court and the people, so I dare not express my opinions indiscriminately."

"However, in my opinion, what Prince Bei Jing and the cabinet ministers said makes sense."

"The conferment of the title of First-Class Duke on the Marquis of Champion for his merits in the Northwest, and the conferment of the title of Third-Class Duke on the father and son, is also a fine example of His Majesty's care for his subjects."

"As for the specifics of the rewards, Your Majesty, please make the decision yourself. I have no objections."

The Prince of Nan'an spoke flawlessly, expressing only one viewpoint: he fully supported Emperor Jingsheng's opinion.

Logically speaking, he and Jia Jing were both military officers, and the Prince of Nan'an's mansion and the Jia family belonged to the same founding lineage, so they had always been very close.

He should have supported the re-granting of Jia Jing, just like Prince Bei Jing.

But that's precisely why he needs to avoid suspicion.

He was different from Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong. Shui Rong was just a prince with no real power and could say whatever he wanted without much restraint.

Besides being a prince, he was also the only second-rank Jianwei General in the imperial court.

Not only does he hold military power in the southeast, but he also wields considerable influence within the army. It is not appropriate for him to get too close to Jia Jing.

To be honest, he felt a little uncomfortable about the idea of ​​appointing Jia Jing as a second-rank general.

He was originally the only second-rank general in the entire court, but now another one is to be appointed, and the newcomer will even surpass him. How could he possibly feel about this?

However, regardless of these reasons, he was determined not to express any subjective opinions during this meeting.

Emperor Jingsheng frowned upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to Zhang Tingyu, who was hiding behind Li Guangdi, and asked:

"Hengchen, what are you doing standing there! Step forward!"

"I remember when you last bestowed rewards upon Zijie, you said that good governance arises from the law, while weakness and chaos arise from flattery. If a ruler understands this, then rewards and punishments will be just, not based on benevolence."

"What is your opinion on the rewards and honors bestowed upon Zijie this time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyu's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected that no matter how much he hid, he still couldn't escape!

Emperor Jingsheng brought up his previous words not without reason, but because he was not satisfied with the cabinet ministers' advice regarding the joint enfeoffment of fathers and sons.

Zhang Tingyu slowly stepped out of the classroom, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a deep voice:

"Reward those who have rendered meritorious service and punish those who have committed crimes. With clear distinctions between reward and punishment, the world can be well governed."

"My opinion remains that rewards must be given and punishments must be carried out fairly. As one of the most outstanding military officers in the court, a pillar of the nation, the Marquis of Champion deserves to be ennobled for his merits, and there is no objection to it!"

Zhang Tingyu also made a vague statement, not specifying how the reward should be given, but only saying that it should be based on military merit.

The reason why Zhang Tingyu did not give a clear opinion was mainly because he was not sure about Emperor Jingsheng's intentions.

Fang Congzhe's suggestion regarding the joint enfeoffment of father and son was, in fact, a very good one.

This approach, which allows for clear rewards and punishments while also leaving room for Jia Jing's maneuvering, is the most effective way for an emperor to maintain checks and balances.

While there was an element of civil officials secretly suppressing Wu Xun in this, it was indeed a good method.

However, Emperor Jingsheng did not agree directly, but instead asked the Prince of Nan'an for his opinion.

This move clearly indicates that the other party was not satisfied with Zhe's suggestion and wanted to find someone else to give him the answer he wanted to hear.

But to be granted the title of First-Class Duke and the Rank Second-Class General of the Cavalry is an immense power!

This is not a wise move for the court, for His Majesty, or for the officials. How could Zhang Tingyu possibly speak up?

Although he often catered to Emperor Jingsheng's wishes, there were some things he really couldn't say carelessly!

His Majesty is now somewhat overjoyed by the series of victories coming from the Northwest, but Zhang Tingyu is not!

He worried that if he agreed to the re-establishment of the title today, and Emperor Jingsheng came to his senses one day and wanted to go back on his word, wouldn't he become the scapegoat?

Just as Zhang Tingyu was pondering, Emperor Jingsheng did not let him off the hook as he had with the Prince of Nan'an, but continued to press him for answers:

"Hengchen is right! If rewards and punishments are not trusted, then prohibitions will not be enforced. So, in your opinion, how should rewards and punishments be bestowed?"

Zhang Tingyu's expression changed slightly, and his gray eyebrows trembled.

If rewards and punishments are not trusted, then prohibitions will not be enforced. This was a statement he had made during his previous remonstrance, and he never expected that Emperor Jingsheng would bring it up again to enlighten him.

Zhang Tingyu couldn't help but secretly grumble to himself:

I know what you want to hear, but I can't say it!

Furthermore, I have said so many things, why do you only remember these two?

Despite his inner turmoil, Zhang Tingyu had no choice but to answer Emperor Jingsheng's question, nor could he remain vague.

Zhang Tingyu straightened his expression and bowed, saying;

"Your Majesty! I believe both Prince Bei Jing and Grand Secretary Fang have valid points! Perhaps we should compromise between the two!"

"Give Jia Zijie the title of Second-Class Duke, and further favor his father. Perhaps... we could also give Jia Zijie a more special title."

Left with no other option, Zhang Tingyu proposed a compromise!

As we all know, when Chinese people are struggling to make a decision, the best approach is to compromise!

Since neither a first-class duke nor a third-class duke is suitable, why not grant the title of second-class duke!

Worried that Emperor Jingsheng was still not satisfied, he suggested that Jia Jing be given a special title of Duke.

The title of Duke of the Great Han is naturally different from that of Marquis.

Marquises were usually given two-character titles, such as Marquis Jingwu, Marquis Linchuan, and Marquis Zhongqin.

The title of Duke was always a single character, such as Duke of Cao, Duke of Cheng, Duke of Ning, and Duke of Rong.

This is similar to the difference between the titles of a Prince of the Second Rank and a Prince of the First Rank. Generally, a Prince of the Second Rank has two characters, while a Prince of the First Rank has one character.

Of course, this is the usual practice, but it's not always the case.

Emperor Jingsheng considered Zhang Tingyu's words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but instead said:

"Then let's discuss the title first. The Marquis of Champion was made meritorious in the Northwest. This merit is of great importance to the country and will benefit future generations."

"There should be a suitable title to spread throughout the world and awe the surrounding barbarians. You gentlemen are all learned men, so please consider this carefully."

The core factors considered in choosing the title of a duke are the territory conquered and the nature of the achievements.

Needless to say, the conquered territory was the northwestern grasslands.

Emperor Jingsheng also clearly pointed out that the nature of his achievements was to benefit the country and future generations.

This was an achievement of pacifying the grasslands and expanding the borders, not an achievement of supporting a new emperor or a victory in the Jingnan Campaign. This point must be taken into account.

As soon as Emperor Jingsheng uttered these words, the hall fell silent once again.

After a moment's thought, Fang Congzhe, holding his jade tablet, stepped forward and announced:

"Your Majesty! I think it would be better to bestow upon him the title of Duke of Shuo."

The Book of Documents, Yao Dian, states: "He settled in the north, which is called Youdu." During the Tang Dynasty, there was also a Shuofang Jiedushi (military governor), which was the core military town for resisting the Turks and Uyghurs in the northwest.

"The Marquis of Champion's achievements were made in the Northwest, and Mount Langjuxu is located in the far north of the Han Dynasty. He was enfeoffed as the Duke of Shuo, which perfectly reflects the extent of his merits."

"While the Duke of Shuo's writing is concise and powerful, it feels somewhat bland," said Prince Bei Jing, a learned man, who immediately pointed out its shortcomings.