Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Luoyang, the Imperial Palace, Deyang Hall.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, dappling the golden bricks with a shimmering glow, but it couldn't drown out the commotion that filled the hall.

Ever since the news came that Liu Ce was going to Luoyang to meet the emperor, the matter of bestowing titles and rewards has become the focus of the court.

The civil and military officials were divided into several factions, arguing like they were in a market, with spittle almost splashing onto the dragon throne.

Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, leaned back on the dragon throne, one hand supporting his chin, the other idly picking at the gold lacquer on the armrest of the throne.

He knew perfectly well that Liu Ce had performed an unparalleled service, and it would be unreasonable not to reward him. But how to reward him and how much to reward him was a delicate matter.

"Your Majesty!" Huangfu Song was the first to step forward, his voice booming like a bell, "The Marquis of Champion defeated 80,000 Xianbei cavalry, destroyed Goguryeo, expanded territory by a thousand miles, sealed the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain, and drank from the vast sea—this is the greatest feat since Wei Qing and Huo Qubing!"

He surveyed the entire hall and continued, "I believe that his fief should be increased to 20,000 households, and his descendants should inherit the title in perpetuity! He should be appointed General of the Cavalry and concurrently serve as a Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, participating in central decision-making! He should oversee the military affairs of the three provinces of You, Bing, and Ji, and command the defense of the northern frontier! His father and grandfather should be posthumously granted the title of County Marquis, bringing glory to his ancestors! The Liu family ancestral hall should be bestowed with an imperial plaque inscribed 'Pillar of the Han Dynasty' to commemorate his achievements!"

Upon hearing this, the military officers all echoed his sentiments.

"General Huangfu is absolutely right!"

"Rewarding those who achieve merit is the only way to motivate soldiers!"

"The champion's achievements are unparalleled and he deserves a great reward!"

But the civil officials from the aristocratic families were not having it.

Yuan Feng immediately jumped out, his face flushed and his neck thick with anger, and said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! Although Liu Ce is a member of the imperial clan, he is ultimately from a collateral branch! A fiefdom of 20,000 households is already the limit for the Han dynasty! To let him oversee the military affairs of three provinces and participate in the central government would concentrate too much military power and could cause trouble!"

Yang Ci stepped forward, stroking his beard, and said earnestly, "The Marquis of Champion already commands a large army in Youzhou. If he were to increase his fiefdom and gain control of three prefectures, he would become too powerful to control. Who could restrain him? This old minister believes that increasing his fiefdom to 15,000 households would suffice. As for participating in central government affairs... the Marquis of Champion has lived on the border for a long time and is unfamiliar with court etiquette. He might cause trouble, which is absolutely unacceptable!"

The ministers from the powerful families all nodded in agreement.

Their calculations were running high: the more powerful Liu Ce became, the less influence they had in the court. They had to suppress him!

He Jin, his neck stiff, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! I also object! I am the Grand General, in charge of all military power in the land! Liu Ce is already the General of Chariots and Cavalry; if I were to let him oversee the military affairs of three provinces, where would that leave me?"

He added sourly, "...posthumously bestowing upon his ancestors fertile land, mansions, and slaves is already the limit. Central government involvement is impractical; matters of the court are handled by the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, why should border generals interfere?"

He Jin felt incredibly bitter.

He was a general, nominally in charge of the nation's troops, but in reality, he could only mobilize a small number of them.

Liu Ce is doing well; Youzhou has a strong and well-equipped army, and now he wants to bestow even more titles upon him... If this continues, my position as a general will become nothing more than a decoration!

Zhang Rang—who had received a bribe from Liu Ce and was instructed to "mention" him—bowed and said in a high-pitched voice, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Champion is a member of the Han imperial family. This time, he pacified the barbarians in the north and protected the borders of our Great Han. His achievements surpass those of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing! The title of Marquis of Champion is no longer sufficient to reflect his merits..."

He paused, then said something startling: "Your Majesty, I request that you make an exception and confer the title of King upon this meritorious official!"

"boom!!!"

These words caused an uproar in the hall.

Conferring titles of kingship! The rule of granting kingships to those of different surnames was an ironclad law established by Liu Bang. Although some members of the Liu clan have been granted kingships in recent years, they have all been princes or grandsons of the emperor. Liu Ce, though a member of the imperial clan, is from a collateral branch! Since the time of [the founding of the dynasty], only princes could be made kings! This is an ancestral rule!

Yuan Wei stepped forward, flicked his sleeves, and said urgently, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! The ancestral rules are clear: since the 'middle and late' period of our dynasty, only princes can be granted the title of king! Although there are precedents for collateral relatives, those were in the early days of the dynasty! Supervising the military affairs of three provinces, posthumously honoring ancestors, and participating in central government affairs are already the highest honors. Granting them the title of king would disrupt the regulations for the imperial clan, and might lead to future generations following suit, causing endless trouble!"

Lu Zhi stepped forward, his voice booming: "That is a misconception! In the past, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty conferred titles upon his kings because of their unparalleled merits; now Liu Ce... has destroyed the Wuhuan, pacified Goguryeo, and defeated the Xianbei, and there is no more war on the northern frontier. If he is only rewarded with fiefs, military command, and posthumous honors for his ancestors, how can he win the hearts of the army and the people?"

He paused, looked at Liu Hong, and said seriously, "Besides, he is a member of the Han imperial family, unlike those of different surnames. Granting him a nominal title of king, without him taking up a fief or wielding real power in the territory, both recognizes his merits and does not violate the essence of ancestral rules. What's wrong with that?"

The generals' eyes lit up.

To be crowned a king! Even if it's a nominal title, it's still a kingship! The highest pinnacle of glory for a military general!

"Minister Lu is absolutely right!"

"The Marquis of Champion has rendered great service and deserves to be made a king!"

"Please, Your Majesty, make your judgment!"

The powerful families and relatives of the emperor were extremely anxious.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Ancestral rules must not be violated!"

"To bestow titles of kings will inevitably lead to chaos throughout the land!"

The eunuchs huddled to the side, while Zhao Zhong, in a shrill voice, tried to smooth things over: "Your Majesty! What the officials say makes sense! Rewards must be given, otherwise the meritorious officials will be discouraged; but they cannot be excessive, lest the court become unbalanced..."

To avoid offending either side, he only said something innocuous: "In my opinion, a fief, posthumous honors for ancestors, and special privileges are acceptable; supervising the military affairs of the three prefectures can also be considered; but the matters of participating in central government affairs and being granted a kingship should perhaps be postponed?"

This statement was essentially meaningless; in the end, it was Emperor Ling who made the final decision, and they could simply follow suit.

The noise inside the hall grew even louder.

The military generals shouted "meritorious service must be rewarded," the powerful ministers cried "this is not to be overstepped," He Jin stubbornly opposed it to the end, and the eunuchs tried to smooth things over...

It's as chaotic as a pot of boiling porridge.

Liu Hong, his head throbbing from the noise, slammed his hand on the dragon throne and roared, his voice louder than anyone else's: "Shut up, all of you! It's so noisy!"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at Emperor Ling on the dragon throne.

Liu Hong rubbed his temples and waved his hand weakly: "I'm tired. Court is adjourned! We'll discuss this again tomorrow."

The court officials looked at each other, but dared not say anything, and bowed and withdrew.

As they left Deyang Palace, the military officers gathered together, excitedly discussing the possibility of being granted the title of king; the ministers from powerful families looked grim and whispered among themselves, devising countermeasures.

Evening, the Royal Palace, the Greenhouse Hall.

Liu Hong didn't call any beauties tonight—a rare moment of peace and quiet.

He leaned back on the soft couch, toying with a glass bead in his hand.

"To be made a king..." he murmured to himself.

Should we shut it down?

According to ancestral rules, he should not be granted this title.

No one but a prince can be king; this is the rule, and it hasn't been broken for over a hundred years.

But Liu Ce's contribution... was too great.

...Destroying the Wuhuan, destroying Goguryeo, defeating 80,000 Xianbei cavalry, sealing the Wolf Mountain, drinking water from the vast sea... Each and every one of these achievements would be unparalleled in any dynasty or era.

Conferring upon him the title of king is not excessive.

More importantly, Liu Hong himself knew what the Great Han was like now.