A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Chapter 201 is awarding merit, not your ambition.

As soon as the official in charge of ceremonies finished shouting "Rise," the former officials of the Ministry of War knelt down below the imperial steps, holding the list of titles and honors.

"Your Majesty, the list of titles and rewards for the commanders of the eighteen rebel armies has been drafted. Please review it."

Wei Zhao took the booklet and glanced at it.

The old foxes in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War were clever enough not to write "royal title".

They were all marquises.

Marquis of Pingyang, Marquis of Guangling, Marquis of Heishan, Marquis of Dongfeng, Marquis of Baishui, Marquis of Qingzhou...

Wei Zhao wanted to laugh.

These people, at least, can still be trusted.

We can trust them not because they are clean, but because they have been fighting their way through, and their blood debts and livelihoods are intertwined.

The real trouble is with the routes that follow.

Wei Zhao's gaze fell on the third person on the left.

Du Heng.

The leader of the Jiangbei rebels was originally the head of a river transport gang. Lu Song levied taxes on his fleet until it ran out of food, which is why he raised his men to rebel.

At its peak, he commanded 80,000 troops and had a large number of grain ships. He was the loudest speaker when the eighteen rebel armies met.

Go further to the right.

Xue Wanshan.

They came from powerful families in Guangling and were nominally a righteous army, but in reality, they were local fortified villages and private soldiers.

They had grain, horses, and men, and they contributed a lot when fighting Lu Song, but they always kept some for themselves.

These two men have the largest territories and the most soldiers.

However, the fiefdom granted to them in the booklet was not large.

Du Heng was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pingyang, but only granted the three counties north of the Yangtze River the advantages of both land and water transport; he was not allowed to establish his own navy.

Xue Wanshan was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guangling, but he was only granted the fiefdom of three counties outside Guangling. The granaries of the two prefectures he had previously occupied were all taken over by the Ministry of Revenue of the new dynasty.

Cruel?

ruthless.

But we have to be ruthless.

If the new dynasty were to allow these two men to turn all the lands they had occupied into fiefdoms, then Wei Zhao would not be sitting on the dragon throne today, but on a wooden table used to stamp the seals of feudal lords.

Wei Zhao closed the booklet.

"Read this aloud."

The former official of the Ministry of War pressed his forehead to the ground.

"I obey your decree."

The moment the list of rewards was read, the area outside the Taiji Hall fell silent, followed by waves of cheers.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

Old Zhou was the first to kowtow, but his kowtow was very improper, and he muttered something under his breath.

"A marquis? If I ever become a marquis in my lifetime, my ancestors' graves will be emitting smoke."

Han Dashan stared wide-eyed and said in a deep voice:

"Am I the Marquis of Black Mountain now?"

Someone nearby whispered a reminder:

"My lord, thank you for your grace."

Han Dashan then quickly slammed his head on the ground.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! From now on, if anyone dares to steal the people's grain, I... I'll break their legs!"

Wei Zhao almost laughed at him.

it is good.

Although this is a rough way of saying it, it sounds much better than those phrases like "I am willing to serve Your Majesty like a dog or a horse."

Zhao Qiniang's voice was crisp and clear.

"Bai Shui Camp receives the decree. Marquis Zhao Qiniang of Bai Shui thanks Your Majesty."

Li Huai was more honest.

"Lord Li Huai of Qingzhou thanks Your Majesty. I will send you the register of refugees, the register of land, and the register of military provisions of Qingzhou later."

Wei Zhao glanced at him, feeling a little relieved.

This is the kind of person who can get things done.

Before granting a title, one should not inquire about the mansion or the salary; one should first submit the account books.

Can use.

But when Du Heng's name was mentioned, the voice outside the hall clearly slowed down a beat.

"Du Heng, the leader of the Jiangbei rebels, is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Pingyang, with the fief of three counties in Pingyang. He is permitted to open river transport, but is not allowed to establish private water fortifications. The original Jiangbei navy is to be incorporated into the Xinwu Navy and placed under the command of the Ministry of War."

Du Heng raised his head.

He was a burly man with a fleshy face, but his eyes were not stupid.

He did not immediately express his gratitude.

The expressions of the Jiangbei generals standing nearby all changed.

Old Zhou narrowed his eyes, his hand already moving half an inch to the side of the hilt.

Han Dashan also looked up.

Wei Zhao sat on the dragon throne, without urging him to hurry.

He wanted to see.

Does this person want to be a marquis or a king?

Du Heng's lips twitched slightly, and he finally kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

The sound was loud enough.

But he pronounced the words "Long En" a little too hard.

Wei Zhao understood.

Not satisfied.

normal.

Eighty thousand troops, the Jiangbei waterway, several granaries, and in the end only three counties were sealed off, plus the loss of the navy—anyone would feel the pinch.

But it's your business if you feel the pinch.

The sword of the new dynasty cannot be sheathed just because you feel pain.

Next was Xue Wanshan.

"Xue Wanshan, the leader of the Guangling rebels, is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Guangling, with the fief of the three counties outside Guangling. The granaries of the former Guangling and Linchuan prefectures shall be registered under the Ministry of Revenue, and the troops under his command shall be reorganized by the Ministry of War."

Xue Wanshan knelt very steadily.

It's too stable, almost too much.

He even smiled.

"Your Majesty, I thank you."

This person is more troublesome than Du Heng.

Du Heng's dissatisfaction was written all over his face, like a pot of boiling water, scalding but visible.

With the lid on, outsiders couldn't see how hot Xue Wanshan's pot was cooking underneath.

Wei Zhao tapped the armrest with his fingertip.

We need to keep an eye on it.

Hua Jieyu should have seen it too.

Sure enough, Hua Jieyu, who was standing to the side of the hall, gently raised her eyes and her gaze lingered on Xue Wanshan for a moment.

Wei Zhao understood.

The rewards continue.

All eighteen warlords were granted the title of marquis, but none were made kings.

Some people are genuinely happy.

Some people think that's enough.

Some people had their heads down, their necks tense.

The former officials knelt behind him, their eyes darting around.

They're probably already calculating right now: if the new emperor doesn't bestow titles of nobility, will he reduce the power of local officials? Will the eighteen rebel armies rebel? And which side should they stand on to ensure their safety?

Wei Zhao didn't care what they thought now.

Just be afraid.

If everyone is comfortable on the first day of a new dynasty, then it means that he has made a mistake in being emperor.

After the officials in charge of ceremonies finished reading out the bestowals and rewards, they stepped forward with another scroll of ritual notes.

"Your Majesty, the enthronement ceremony is complete. Shall we immediately proceed to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices...?"

Wei Zhao raised his hand to interrupt.

That's all for today.

The official in charge of ceremonies was stunned.

"Your Majesty, according to old customs, it is still necessary to..."

Wei Zhao looked at him.

The official immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Wei Zhao's voice was not loud.

"Old customs can be used temporarily, but we don't need to bring over all those troublesome things from the old dynasty."

The official in charge of ceremonies was sweating profusely.

"I...I obey your order."

Wei Zhao stood up.

Another group of people knelt down in front of the Taiji Hall.

"I hereby declare this to all my ministers."

His voice fell silent, and the area in front of the hall was so quiet that only the soft rustling of armor plates could be heard.

"With the new Wu dynasty just established and the capital city only recently pacified, the people are not yet at peace, and military provisions are not yet in place. For the time being, all government affairs in the various prefectures and counties will continue as usual."

Many of the former officials visibly relaxed their shoulders.

"Officials of all departments shall continue to perform their duties. Anyone who dares to take advantage of the chaos to embezzle government funds, destroy accounts or evidence, or collude with local authorities shall be executed."

The shoulders that had just relaxed tensed up again.

Wei Zhao continued:

"The surrendered Imperial Guards are to be stationed in separate camps and guarded by the various units of the rebel army. They are not to be moved without authorization. The fiefdoms of the princes shall be inspected by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War within three days."

Du Heng's eyelids twitched.

Xue Wanshan kept his head down.

Wei Zhao's gaze swept over them.

"I will not fail those who have made contributions, nor will I allow anyone to use their merits to carve up the empire for their own benefit."

That's a very straightforward statement.

This caused many rebel leaders outside the hall to look somewhat stiff.

Wei Zhao, however, did not intend to give them much face.

I can give face.

The rules must be broken down first.

"By imperial decree, three days from now, the morning court will be held. All officials will enter the Taiji Hall, and the princes in the capital will discuss the new military laws, land tax, salt tax, military system, and the resettlement of displaced people."

The Minister of Rites quickly kowtowed.

"I obey your decree."

The coronation ceremony finally came to an end.

The feudal lords expressed their gratitude and withdrew, while the former officials bowed and walked out.

When Du Heng reached the palace gate, he looked back.

That glance was quick.

But Wei Zhao saw it.

Not reconciled.

Xue Wanshan didn't turn around, but simply adjusted the jade belt around his waist and whispered something to the person beside him.

Hua Jieyu also saw it.

She tapped her cuff lightly with her fingers.

This means that the hidden storyline should follow up.