Liu Mingzhi and others stood in the center of the Qinzheng Hall, taking out the memorials they had already prepared from their wristbands, and accompanying the army to record the battle report. Liu Mingzhi held up the Generalissimo's tiger talisman with his hands.
"Your Majesty, all the results of the Western Expedition have been stated one by one in the memorial. Your Majesty, please take a look!"
"Send it up!"
The chief steward came down and took the memorial from Young Master Liu, returned to the dragon steps and handed it to Li Zheng.
Li Zheng looked at the tiger talisman that Liu Mingzhi handed over voluntarily, smiled and placed it casually on the dragon case.
Li Zheng carefully reviewed the results of the battle in the memorial and followed the seal script of the military record. The civil and military officials below also stared at the memorial in the emperor's hand. Although they could not see the content on the memorial, they could not stop their curiosity.
Heart.
The letter that Young Master Liu sent back by messenger stated that the Western Expeditionary Army would return in triumph soon, but no one in the civil or military dynasties knew the specific details of the victory.
Li Zheng looked at the contents of the memorial and couldn't hide the smile on his face, as if he had eaten countless honeys!
None of the civil and military officials were human beings. You could guess from the emperor's face that the results of the battle would be extremely fruitful. Each of the six ministers secretly figured out how to get a piece of the pie.
The military generals were also secretly gearing up. The scouts kept reporting to the emperor, but they could hear it clearly. The more than 300,000-strong army had more than 500,000 horses alone. Excluding the 200,000 soldiers brought by the Western Expedition Army
With a little thought, the cavalrymen could guess that the number of captured horses was around 300,000 yuan.
As for the war horses of the Western Regions, the Horse Administration spent a lot of gold and silver a year but could not get 10,000 of them. The war horses of about 300,000 were dug out from the cracks, and they were all based on a thousand horses.
Li Zheng handed the memorial to the chief steward with a smile.
The chief steward naturally understood the appropriate intention, took the memorial respectfully, cleared his throat and opened the memorial.
"Long live my emperor, my minister Liu Mingzhi is here to start!"
"In the second year of Ruian'an, all the countries in the Western Regions raised unknown armies and invaded our borders without declaring war. They slaughtered my people and massacred our compatriots. This move is too numerous to describe and is outraged by both humans and gods!"
"Your Majesty is wise and the power of Heaven is furious. You have been given the title of Generalissimo for the Western Expedition to command the three armies to go westward for the crusade!"
"On November 26, the second year of Ruian, an army of 400,000 soldiers marched westward from Yumen Pass with enemies of the country and their families, and fought bravely against the prisoners!"
"Three Years of Ruian"
"The army of the Western Expedition went all the way west to attack cities and fortresses. The places they reached were either attacked by force or captured. It lasted from July 28 of one year to May 28 of the fourth year of Ruian, when the army broke through the capital city of Dawan.
Teacher City, the Western Expedition has come to a successful conclusion!"
"I took it upon myself to make the decision to erect an immortal monument and inscribe it with the characters "Ten" and "Nine Thousand Miles to the West", which is the territory of the Great Dragon, to commemorate the heroes of the 70,000 Great Dragons who marched to the west!"
"Erect two auxiliary monuments to warn future generations! Always remember the heroic feats of our ancestors in fighting off thieves and generously serving righteousness!"
"The Western Expedition began with the return of the troops to the DPRK on June 25, the fourth year of Ruian. As of today, during the Western Expedition, a total of more than 260,000 people were beheaded and more than 1.63 million people were captured!"
"The countries in the Western Regions are vigilant for violating our territory for no reason. This war will compensate me for the Great Dragon War. Six million taels of silver, 50,000 taels of gold, 300,000 war horses, 100,000 cattle and sheep, and 81 bloody horses.
To show your submission and surrender!"
"The former Silk Road Supervisor of Loulan and Gumo built a mansion for the Anxi Protectorate. Its size can station a hundred thousand troops. All the countries in the Western Regions put their national seals on the documents to show their submission!"
"The Thirty-Eight Kingdoms are dominated by the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Once the commander-in-chief gives an order, no one in the Thirty-Eight Kingdoms dares to disobey. Those who disobey the order will destroy the city and perish!"
"To this day, I appeal to Your Majesty and to the people of Limin to punish the thieves!"
"Long live the great dragon, long live your majesty!"
"November 22, the fourth year of Dalong Ruian!"
"Your Majesty Liu Mingzhi, please bow your head!"
As soon as the chief manager finished speaking, Chao Wenwu was amazed and started talking among themselves.
In particular, Lao Jiang was so excited that he trembled all over. Seeing that Young Master Liu was like the God of Wealth, he almost kowtowed three sticks of incense to Young Master Liu.
Come to think of it, even Mrs. Jiang has never been so excited about her pregnancy! Her mind was completely occupied by three hundred thousand war horses.
Dalong is not particularly short of money now, but it is lacking of strategic items such as war horses.
The Horse Administration spends a lot of money from the Ministry of Household Affairs every year, but the results of purchasing war horses are always unsatisfactory.
Having money to spend became the biggest difficulty for Ma Zhengsi. He wanted to buy high-quality war horses but no one sold them to Dalong.
The compensation of 300,000 war horses almost made Lao Jiang not withdraw from it!
Just now outside the palace gate, I deliberately exaggerated the amount of money spent by the treasury to put pressure on Young Master Liu, just to make excuses in advance to see the outcome of the battle.
As for how much it is exaggerated, well, the secret must not be revealed.
However, Mr. Liu kept his tone very strict and did not reveal a single word.
Now my whole heart is relieved.
Three hundred thousand, that's three hundred thousand.
Li Zheng looked happily at the Jinluan Palace below, which was as messy and noisy as a vegetable market. It was rare that he did not scold the civil and military officials. He waited until their excitement had passed before Li Zheng stood up from the throne.
"Ministry of Etiquette!"
"I'm here!"
"I will copy the contents of the memorial word for word and post it in ten thousand copies in all the capitals of Dalong. I want to celebrate the recovery of the Western Regions with all the people!"
"I obey the decree!"
"Bingbu, Hubu!"
"I'm here!"
"You don't need me to tell you exactly how to do it, right?"
"I understand!"
"Official staff!"
"I'm here!"
"Prepare the decree!"
"Your Majesty, please issue an order!"
"Song Qing, the deputy general of the Western Expedition, worked hard and made great achievements. He was promoted to Anyuanhou for many times, and was promoted to General Yunhui. He was the commander of the imperial guards and the commander of the imperial guards. He was rewarded with one hundred taels of gold, ten thousand taels of silver, and a unicorn robe.
Ten pearls!”
"Long Wuwei generals Cheng Kai and Zhou Baoyu were promoted to one level of nobility and one level of official rank. They were honored when they marched before the emperor. They were rewarded with thousands of taels of silver and a pair of jade bis!"
"The four generals Duan Buren, Ye Baotong, Feng Buer, and Ning Chao were given the title of Baron Ding'an, Guyuan, Pinglou, and Cheng'an. They were promoted to one rank and given a mansion! Each will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver and ten pieces of silk!"
"Han Peng, the commander of the cavalry, and Jiang Lei, have been promoted to one rank and one rank, and will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver and a pair of jade bis!"
""
"Du Yu was promoted to the rank of Baron Tian Wei, and was given a mansion and a thousand taels of silver!"
"The merits of the officers and men of the Western Expedition will be planned by the Ministry of War, verified by the Ministry of Household Affairs, and rewarded by the Ministry of Personnel!"
"Your Majesty Du Chenghao obeys the order!"
Du Chenghao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, looked at his son excitedly. He was knighted. The most incompetent son turned out to be the first among several sons to be knighted. Du Chenghao couldn't be happy even if he was not happy!
The other ministers looked at their sons and sighed helplessly. Although they had all been promoted, they were far behind those who had been promoted.
They had no choice. Based on their understanding of Young Master Liu, they would definitely not deliberately suppress their son. Du Yu must be better than Sun Mingfeng and others in order to be promoted to the noble class.
Li Zheng looked curiously at Du Yu, who was grinning happily below: "Du Yu loves you!"
"Your Majesty, Du Yu, is here to see you!"
"No need to be polite! Let me see your ability to forge seals someday!"
"I know that I am guilty. I am young and ignorant. Please forgive me for my sin! From now on, I will never dare to forge seals privately again!"
"Your Majesty, all veterans are incompetent in teaching their children. I must discipline them well after I return home!"
Du Chenghao didn't know how the emperor knew that his son liked to forge seals, so he hurriedly stood up and asked for mercy!
"Hey, don't be afraid. There are people who carve seals among the people. It doesn't mean anything if you like things, but be sure not to use these little tricks in inappropriate ways!"
"Yes, Chen Du Yu must keep it in mind!"
Du Yu glanced at Liu Mingzhi's grateful expression. He knew that Young Master Liu must have begged for mercy in the battle report, otherwise he would definitely be reprimanded!
Du Yu also knew that the battle report was recorded and recorded by the military personnel. This kind of thing could not be hidden at all. It was good that Liu Mingzhi could intercede for him!
"No gifts!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone who should be rewarded has been rewarded, except Liu Mingzhi, the Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition, whose reward has not yet been announced.
All civil and military officials in the dynasty looked at the emperor curiously and wanted to know how the emperor rewarded Liu Mingzhi, the Generalissimo of the Western Expedition for his hard work and merit.
Now he is a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. If he were to be granted another title, he would be the Duke of the Founding County or the Duke of the Founding County. However, Liu Mingzhi did not take credit for the founding of the country.
Then it can only be the Duke of the country, the prince of a county with a different surname, the king with a different surname and other nobles who can hold the top position!
Conquering nearly 1.8 million square kilometers of the thirty-eight countries in the Western Regions is a great achievement in expanding the territory. To be granted the title of Duke is too small.
Liu Mingzhi is too young to be granted the title of One-Word King. You must know that Young Master Liu is only twenty-five years old this year. If he is granted the title of One-Word King, he will not be able to be granted the title!
After much deliberation, only the two-character prince can match this great achievement.
Liu Mingzhi nodded and lowered his eyebrows, standing motionless in the palace like a wooden figure, not looking at the emperor's face, nor at the faces of the civil and military officials.
It’s as if the person being rewarded is someone else and not you!
Li Zheng squinted and stared at Liu Mingzhi for a while, then sat on the dragon chair, picked up the ink pen, hesitated for a moment, and slowly started writing in the expectant eyes of the civil and military officials.
'The king of Pingxi is hereditary, but the Duke of Dingguo is hereditary and will not be replaced!'
"Qinglian!"
Li Zheng fiddled with the ring on his thumb hesitantly, his eyes falling on Liu Mingzhi for a moment from time to time!
The ink pen in his hand lingered on the two names of Pingxi Wang Dingguo Gong.
All civil and military officials in the court looked at Li Zheng sitting on the throne in surprise. They wondered what the emperor was doing. Is it so difficult to decide on a reward?
Li Zheng closed his eyes and thought deeply for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes. The red pen in his hand lightly drew the words "Pingxi King's hereditary" and "Qinglian"!
"I conferred the title of Grand Marshal Liu Mingzhi of the Western Expedition as the Duke of Dingguo. He is hereditary and will not be replaced. I will open the government with the three divisions. I will be especially close to the general of Yingzhou and the auxiliary country. I will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!"
The civil and military officials in the court looked at the emperor in astonishment. How could he be the Duke? This was completely different from what he and others had guessed.
Although it is a hereditary throne, the title difference between the Duke and the Prince is not even a little bit different. Liu Mingzhi is only over 20 years old, so he can completely turn the hereditary throne into a hereditary throne in the future!
Liu Mingzhi's contribution can definitely be ranked among the princes with different surnames. He is the only prince with different surnames in Dalong in the past hundred years. It is really unreasonable to only reward one prince with a different surname.
Could it be Shu?
There were still many sensitive ministers who immediately thought of something and looked at Young Master Liu with a pity in their eyes.
Because a concubine actually lost the throne that he had obtained, many ministers warned themselves that they must keep their eyes open when taking concubines in the future. If a duck like Mr. Liu was taken away from his mouth, he would probably want to die.
The heart is there!
When Liu Mingzhi heard the emperor's reward, he felt relieved. He knew very well how much he had contributed. He was granted the title of Commander-in-Chief. He thought of Qinglian standing on the street and waving to him, safe and sound. Liu Mingzhi did not feel aggrieved at all.
He let out a long sigh and was about to thank Li Zheng when he spoke again.
"Liu's Qi Yun, a virtuous and virtuous lady, is granted the title of first-grade concubine, and her salary is the same as that of the concubines in the harem!"
"Liu Chengfeng, the eldest son of Liu, was granted the title of Lord of Tongyuan County! His eldest daughter, Liu Feifei, was granted the title of Lord of Ren'an County! Each of them was given a golden lock of longevity and a thousand taels of silver!"
"Your Majesty, Liu Mingzhi, thanks you for your kindness!"
"Your Majesty Song Qing!"
"Your Majesty Cheng Kai!"
""
"Your Majesty Sun Mingfeng!"
"Thank you, my emperor, Long Live Long En!"
"My dear friends, please excuse me. Thank you for your hard work in suppressing the bandits. In three days, I will host a banquet in the Royal Garden to welcome you dear ladies!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Retreat!"
"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"
"Hahaha, Master Liu, I really miss you. Oh, oh, Master Liu, don't hide!"
The emperor had just disappeared, and the old Jiang threw Young Master Liu to the ground with a flying swoop, and kissed Young Master Liu on the cheek with two sweet kisses!
"Damn it, Old Jiang, your uncle, get up from me quickly, I don't like this!"
The civil and military officials looked at Jiang Yuanming who was riding on Young Master Liu in a joking manner. They knew that you were the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and knew that you were excited, but this was too exciting!
In broad daylight, two high-ranking imperial officials hugged each other in front of everyone. It was really unbearable and made people want to peek a few times!
Young Master Liu controlled his strength and kicked Old Jiang away, wiping the saliva on his face in disgust.
"Old Jiang, please respect yourself, I will not be polite if you do this!"
Jiang Yuanming, who did not have the demeanor of a first-rank official of the Ministry of Household Affairs, licked his face and came over: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. If you are unhappy, it will be fine if you kick me. Just kick me casually. Don't get angry when you are young. You will get old easily!"
"
Young Master Liu looked at the narrow eyes of the civil and military officials around him and pushed Jiang Yuanming away.
"Get away from me. You are a high-ranking minister of the Ministry of Finance. Are you still shameless?"
"As long as you have money, I can call you daddy. It's hard for me. Money is needed for food, drink, and toilets. It doesn't matter if I don't tell you the bitter tears!"
"Yes, yes, I am too lazy to pay attention to you. I will go home to visit Gaotang first, and we will talk about it after drinking in the Imperial Garden in three days!"
"Okay, okay, walk slowly!"
"Dear colleagues, I am announcing my resignation!"
"Good riddance to Duke Dingguo!"
Liu Mingzhi walked towards the outside of Qinzheng Hall at a fast pace, walked in a big circle and returned to the empty Qinzheng Hall, where he stopped and waited.
Three poles in the sun!
The sun is fading!
The patrolling guards, eunuchs, and maids passing by all said hello, and Liu Mingzhi nodded in response!
Looking at the setting sun in the west, Liu Mingzhi stared in the direction of the harem, pursed his lips and smiled, took the Heavenly Sword from the disarming rack and tied it around his waist, and walked towards the outside of the palace.
The emperor actually didn't summon him a second time, he knew it tacitly!
"Duke Feng, you can run faster than a rabbit!"
"Hey, Lao Jia, your uncle almost misses your father and me. Come on, let daddy hug you!"
"Fuck you, uncle, go home and nurse your child!"
"Okay, let's have a drink together at Tianxianglou when we have time!"
"Okay, it's a deal!"
Young Master Liu sped towards his home. When he reached the corner of the street, he looked around and saw no pedestrians. Liu Mingzhi took out a tiger talisman that was exactly the same as the one given to the emperor, broke it with force, and threw it into the sewer.
In the sewage in the ditch.
As for where it came from, Du Yu said that it was a piece of evidence that the marshal wanted to plead for himself.
If it concerns your own life, you must keep it in your stomach forever and never mention it.
Young Master Liu straightened his expression, straightened his clothes and ran towards the door!
Two years is really too long!
Li Baiyu, the imperial study room, carefully compiled the battle reports.
"My father's record with the army records that the countries in the Western Regions compensated 7.2 million taels of silver and 100,000 taels of gold, but my brother-in-law's memorial only included 6 million taels of silver and 50,000 taels of gold. Is this a discrepancy?"
Li Zheng put down his tea cup and stroked his beard and looked out the window cheerfully: "Liu Mingzhi is still the money-grubbing Liu Mingzhi. Isn't this good? He is happy and I feel at ease too!"
"ah?"
"If you are not greedy for small gains, you will definitely have a big plan!"
"My son, I understand!"
"Yu'er!"
"Father!"
"Suspicion is the biggest taboo in the relationship between king and minister. Knowing people well, being able to employ them, and making good use of people is what a king should do!"
"Yes, I will definitely keep it in mind!"
"Throughout the past dynasties, it was the king who forced his ministers to rebel, and the ministers had no choice but to rebel. Once a minister has a rebellious intention, a monarch must first examine himself!"
"So my brother-in-law is standing outside the Qinzheng Hall, why did you deliberately not summon him?"
Li Zheng patted the tiger charm on the table and looked at Li Baiyu.
"He trusts me, so naturally I won't doubt him! It's tacit, what a tacit understanding!"
"artillery?"
"Why are you anxious? I can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Since the Western Expedition used artillery, he has no intention of hiding it from me. You, tolerance is still not enough. After the banquet in the Royal Garden, go to the Imperial Manor for a month of winter farming to realize it!"
"My son, I obey!"
"You, you have been even more crazy than Liu Mingzhi for two years, but none of your brothers can compare to him in terms of intelligence. Why is there such a big gap between you and me, even though we are all the same age? Why did I give birth to you so incompetent?
Something! No wonder people say that all sons are other people's good things, and wives are all humming, so study hard!"
"Father, Emperor and Son"
"You're so stupid, get out of here! Little bastard, you're getting more and more annoying to me, you're so ambitious!"
Li Baiyu nodded helplessly. Ever since his father came back from the sea, he vomited fragrant fragrance, and he still couldn't do anything about it!
"My son, please retire!"
"Come back to me, little bastard, you can leave as soon as you are told. Who will review the memorial after you leave? Don't you even know that I am old? You are an unfilial thing and annoying! Go back and review the memorial!"
"E'erchen obeys the order!"
"Call me daddy, my father is not used to it!"
"father!"
"Hey, dear son, get out of here! I have to review the memorial after dawn. Look at your arrogance, you have no manliness at all!"
"Kilometer traffic?"
"Father-in-law, eunuch, you understand! What the hell!"
Li Zheng waved his sleeves and left the imperial study room with a sigh and a look as if God didn't care.
Li Baiyu looked helplessly at his father's back. He used to praise himself occasionally.
Why is it that when my brother-in-law comes back, he gasps for air, it seems to be wrong!
"Fuhai!"
"His Royal Highness, your orders!"
"Go to the Prince's Mansion and ask my eldest son Li Ye to copy the Analects of Confucius ten times!"
"ah?"
"I am happy to torment my son, do you need a reason? Go right away!"
"I obey, little one!"
ps: It’s New Year’s Day, let me have a relaxing day, I will update two big chapters today.