This is not a simple title of Duke of the Kingdom. Generally speaking, even if you are granted the title of Duke of the Kingdom, you will not consider the title of Duke of the Town.
Because the title of Duke of Zhen Guo is reserved for relatives of the emperor in most cases, or only when some military achievements are extremely great and it is difficult to be granted another title, the title of Duke of Zhen Guo will be granted.
You must know that even Qin Ye, the current military leader of Qing Kingdom, has not been able to obtain the title of Duke of Zhen.
But Emperor Qing did not take the unusual path. Zhou Chen should have inherited the title of Anyuan Bo, but he chose to give Zhou Chen such a significant title as Zhen Guogong.
This is because Emperor Qing's imperial power was too powerful, so he was able to defy public opinion and confer the title of Zhen Guogong. However, it would be impossible for him to succeed if he replaced an emperor with insufficient strength.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, Emperor Qing's reward was too high, but when they thought of Zhou Chen's status as a grand master, they were relieved. There are only five grand masters in the world, so it is possible that they are not as good as a duke.
Bit?
Zhou Chen doesn't care much about the title of Duke of Zhen Guo. I've even been an emperor, so why would I care about your title of Duke of Zhen Guo?
But no matter what, after obtaining the title of Duke, the status of Zhou Mansion in Kyoto immediately rose.
There was just one thing that made Zhou Chen quite unhappy. He felt that Emperor Qing was too petty. He only granted him the title of Duke of Zhen, and did not say that he would be rewarded with a bigger and better Duke's mansion. Even if it was not good enough, he would have to give it to a few people outside the city.
A palace or something like that.
The result was good, there was an honorary title, but there were no rewards such as real estate, gold or silver, and it was not economical at all.
He probably spent all the money on researching arrows and 'body armor'.
Zhou Chen doesn't care about gold and silver, mainly because the financial situation of the Zhou Mansion is not very good. He suddenly brought those veterans into the mansion. There were dozens of veterans and their families, which totaled more than 200 people.
Such a large population is indeed a great financial pressure for the previously depressed Zhou Mansion.
After all, the time for Zhou Chen's rise is still short, and it cannot be converted into ready-made income immediately. It will take some time to slowly transition.
Zhou Chen still has tens of thousands of taels of gold in his system, but he has not thought about taking it all out. Gold is hard currency, and he also has to consider how to travel through the world in the future.
After Emperor Qing's reward came, the Duke Zhou's Mansion suddenly became the focus of Kyoto. The number of invitations received was no less than before, but Zhou Chen naturally couldn't take care of it himself, so he left everything to Tong Quan to handle.
During this period of time, perhaps because she met many important people, Tong Quan grew up very quickly, and she had the potential to become the number one housekeeper in the Zhou Mansion.
The fact that Zhou Chen is a Grand Master has been a hot topic in Kyoto for a long time, but because Zhou Chen has always kept a low profile, the popularity has slowly dropped over time.
Now, except for the top executives of the big forces who are still eyeing Zhou Chen and trying to win over him, the rest of the people have paid little attention to Zhou Chen. After all, the Grand Master is too far away from them.
Moreover, this is the Qing Dynasty Kyoto. After all, warriors do not occupy the mainstream. The pursuit of power is above all else. The ups and downs of official circles are the eternal topic in Kyoto.
Zuixianju!
Zhou Chen comes here almost ten days a month. He has been a regular customer for a long time. Every time he comes here, he is always accompanied by the manager. In addition, it is Sang Wen.
Because of him, Sang Wen has recently become a popular geisha in Zuixianju, but no one dares to hit her because she is labeled as 'Zhou Chen'.
Zhou Chen enjoyed Si Lili's service, listened to Sang Wen's playing, and suddenly asked Si Lili.
"If you, Zuixianju, want to redeem yourself, what should you do?"
"Redemption?"
Si Lili was stunned. Of course she would not be so stupid as to think that Zhou Chen wanted to redeem her life. She was a secret agent of Beiqi, and she was burdened with the responsibility of an agent. Even if Zhou Chen wanted to redeem her life, she would not agree, let alone
Zhou Chen knew her identity, so it was even more impossible for him to make this decision.
In just a moment, she suddenly understood and glanced at Sang Wen who was sitting there playing.
"Sir, do you want to redeem Sang Wen's life?"
"Um."
Although he had guessed the answer, Si Lili still felt sour when he saw Zhou Chen nodding.
More than a month later, she had a strong impression of Zhou Chen, a unique man. He was excellent in all aspects and respected them, the brothel girls. Zhou Chen's temperament and behavior really fascinated her.
Having experienced hardships and setbacks since she was a child, she is very sensitive. After spending time together, she found that Zhou Chen was really different from all the men she had met before.
Serving beside Zhou Chen, instead of feeling aggrieved or uncomfortable, she felt very relaxed. Zhou Chen gave her the feeling that they were equal.
She also understood why people like Haitang Duoduo, who devoted themselves to pursuing martial arts, looked at Zhou Chen in a different light.
She really didn't understand why someone like Zhou Chen would like Sang Wen. If he was attracted by Sang Wen's beauty, it would be impossible for him to wait for so long. Besides, she didn't think she was any worse looking than Sang Wen.
, so Zhou Chen must not only be interested in Sang Wen’s beauty.
Just because of this, she couldn't understand it. It couldn't be because Sang Wen played a good pipa, right?
It's not that Zuixianju doesn't have pipa players similar to Sang Wen, but Zhou Chen isn't interested in them either.
"If it's someone else who wants to redeem themselves, it doesn't just take money. But if it's an adult, I believe the owner of Zuixianju will not disagree."
How many people in Kyoto today dare to offend Zhou Chen?
Zhou Chen nodded, and after Sang Wen finished playing, he called her over.
"Sang Wen, do you want to leave Zuixianju?"
"leave?"
Sang Wen was confused by Zhou Chen's sudden question, and then she thought of the reason.
"Sir, do you want to redeem me?"
"right."
Sang Wen's face suddenly flushed, feeling excited, anxious, and hopeful...
There is no girl in the brothel who doesn't want to get out of this vortex, but not everyone has the ability and opportunity.
Sang Wen naturally wanted to leave the brothel, but she also understood that it was almost impossible to do it on her own. Even though she had been saving money, it was still a drop in the bucket.
But if Zhou Chen is willing to redeem her life, it will be different.
Although most of the brothel women who were ransomed did not turn out well, she still had a glimmer of hope because she was a widower and because it was Zhou Chen who wanted to redeem her body.
"If your lord is willing, I will."
Si Lili looked at Sang Wen, who was full of expectation and longing, and her mood became even worse. Of course she wanted to leave, but thinking of her younger brother who was still in Beiqi, she had no choice.
Zhou Chen said: "Okay, you go to the person in charge and tell me that I want to redeem your life. You will come with me later. I will ask someone to send you as much money as you need."
Sang Wen said hurriedly: "Sir, I also have some money..."
??????????.??????
Zhou Chen smiled and said: "I redeemed my life for you, how can I still use your money? Don't worry, I'm not that poor yet."
When the owner of Zuixianju learned that Zhou Chen was going to redeem Sang Wen, he was surprised and relieved at the same time.
Sang Wen is just a servant, and although he is outstanding, he is not irreplaceable. If Zhou Chen wants to redeem Si Lili, he may still need to hesitate, but if it is just Sang Wen, there is no need to hesitate at all and he directly agrees.
If it were anyone else, the owner of Zuixianju would probably charge a huge sum of money, but when Zhou Chen made a move, they didn't dare to ask for a high price.
In less than an hour, the matter was settled, and Sang Wen's contract of betrayal was in Zhou Chen's hands.
Zhou Chen lit the deed of betrayal on fire in front of Sang Wen.
Sang Wen and Si Lili were shocked when they saw the contract of betrayal being burnt to ashes, especially Sang Wen, who was trembling with excitement.
"grown ups."
Zhou Chen just asked softly: "Even if there is no contract of betrayal, will you betray me?"
"Won't."
Sang Wen answered in the affirmative, but watched Zhou Chen burn the contract of betrayal in an understatement. At this moment, she was even more determined.
Si Lili congratulated Sang Wen with a complex expression. What woman wouldn't like such a man?
When Sang Wen and Zhou Chen left Zuixianju, they were looked at with envy by countless girls in Zuixianju. It was already a huge blessing to be redeemed, but to be redeemed by a big shot like Zhou Chen, for brothel girls like them
To put it bluntly, it's something you can't even dream of.
"That's all you bring?"
When Sang Wen left, besides his pipa, he only took a small package with him.
"Nothing else is important to me. Only these silver and jewelry are earned by myself and I have to take them with me."
Zhou Chen said: "That's right. From now on, we have to get rid of this place and everything will start again. Let's go."
Seeing Sang Wen and Zhou Chen get into the carriage together, He Qin, who was in charge of driving the carriage, was stunned for a moment. The young master had come to Zuixianju many times, but this was the first time he took a girl away.
In the carriage, Zhou Chen asked Sang Wen: "What do you want to do in the future?"
Confusion flashed in Sang Wen's eyes: "What to do? Of course it is to serve the Lord. I will do whatever the Lord asks me to do."
Zhou Chen smiled and comforted: "Don't be cautious, I rescued you from Zuixianju not to let you go from one cage to another."
Sang Wen raised his head and looked at Zhou Chen with doubtful eyes, very puzzled.
She knew that Zhou Chen was different from other men, but Zhou Chen redeemed her life. She also thought that Zhou Chen wanted to take her back to raise her, but she did not resist. Being Zhou Chen's woman was already enough for her.
It was infinitely better than being at the mercy of everyone in a brothel. She didn't even dare to think about her status as Zhou Chen's concubine.
Zhou Chen could naturally understand the thoughts of a brothel girl like Sang Wen. Facing Sang Wen's doubtful eyes, he said slowly.
"I don't deny that I redeemed myself for you because I like you and want you. I am attracted to you, so I will not allow you to be with other men. But as my woman, I will not restrict your freedom.
If you have something you want to do or something you like to do, I will support you."
Sang Wen looked at Zhou Chen blankly. The first half of what he said made her feel shy, but also made her happy, because Zhou Chen liked her, so he wanted her.
What does the second half of the sentence mean, not restricting her freedom?
"Sir, I don't understand what you mean?"
Zhou Chen also understood the reason. Women in feudal society were more like accessories to men. They had no choice at all and no such thoughts.
"Don't you like Pipa very much? I can help you open a girls' school to teach girls skills, or I can let you work as a teacher in the Jiaofang Department, so that you don't have to stay in the house all day, and you can also have your own things to do.
.”
Sang Wen was stunned by Zhou Chen's words. How could she, a brothel girl, still teach?
"Sir, I can't do it, I can't do it."
"If you haven't tried it, how do you know it won't work? Of course, this is just the choice I give you. If you really don't want to go, you don't have to go. Anyway, I can afford to support you. If you still want to do something, like
I can also leave things like accounting in the house to you."
Zhou Chen was well aware of the loneliness and sadness of the woman in the deep house, so he wanted to find something to do for Sang Wen. Having something to do would distract him and make him feel better.
"You don't have to worry, just think about it slowly."
Since Zhou Chen was crowned and made Duke of the town, most people in the mansion changed their titles to Master Zhou Chen.
This was a normal thing in feudal society. The head of the family would call him master. Although Zhou Chen was young and not yet married, he was indeed the head of the family, so there was no problem in calling him master.
But the people close to him still often call him "young master", which makes him seem more close to him.
After traveling to this world for many years, Zhou Chen has always fallen asleep alone, but today is different from before.
Zhou Chen really didn't give any hint, but Sang Wen still came to Zhou Chen's bedroom.
"My lord, I will wait for you to rest."
Zhou Chen looked at Sang Wen who was taking off his belt. Her face was red. She was in a brothel. Even Qing Guer knew about things between men and women, but she just didn't have the experience.
"are you ready?"
"It is an honor for me to serve the Duke. I hope the Duke will show mercy."
Zhou Chen's shy tone aroused Zhou Chen's emotions. He picked up Sang Wen and put him on the bed.
"Be my woman, and I can't guarantee anything else, but no one will dare to bully you."
"I believe in the Duke."
The curtain beside the bed was lowered, and Zhou Chen began his first heart-to-heart interaction in this world...
Sang Wen, who was new to human affairs, was naturally no match for Zhou Chen. When Zhou Chen got up, she was still asleep.
Zhou Chen didn't wake her up when he got up. He just asked a few maids to wait until Sang Wen woke up before going in to serve her.
The forces that were keeping an eye on Zhou Chen soon found out about Sang Wen's admission into the mansion.
Accepting a brothel girl would naturally have no impact, but many people were surprised that Zhou Chen went to see Si Lili every day, but instead of ransoming Si Lili, he ransomed a prostitute and brought him back to the Duke's Mansion.
With Sang Wen, Zhou Chen no longer has to live the life of an ascetic monk. He falls asleep with Sang Wen every day, and plays the pipa with Sang Wen during the day. This makes Sang Wen extremely satisfied and excited.
Such a life is better than she imagined. As for her identity, she has never had any extravagant expectations.
Sang Wen also made the decision given by Zhou Chen before. Perhaps because of her previous experience in a brothel, she didn't want to show her face anymore, so she finally chose to learn accounting.
Zhou Chen naturally agreed, so in the following days, in addition to serving Zhou Chen, Sang Wen also learned accounting from Mr. Accountant, with an extremely serious attitude.
