When receiving a title, it is customary to go to the palace in person to express gratitude.
However, Yang Hong and Guo Deng will not talk about the titles awarded at this court meeting. They are guarding Datong and Xuanfu and cannot leave without permission. They will definitely have to thank them remotely.
The remaining two people, Fan Guang and Tao Jin, are still in the process of clearing out the bandits involved in the border cleanup. If you want to thank them, you have to wait until they have dealt with the problem and the teacher.
On the contrary, the army led by Ren Li came from the capital camp and returned to the capital after the war.
In about a day or two, he and Wang Wen should return to the capital.
Therefore, after the court meeting, the only person left who could enter the palace immediately to express gratitude was the newly minted Feng Guogong Li Xian.
The etiquette of expressing gratitude is quite complicated. Not only do you have to wear the most formal court clothes, but you also have to perform three obeisances and nine kowtows.
Everything else is easy to say, except that the court uniform is a bit troublesome.
According to the system, the court uniforms of civil and military officials are made of precious materials and complicated in ceremony, so those of the third rank or above need to be specially customized by the Ministry of Rites.
However, the Ministry of Rites did not expect that this prince would suddenly appear in the court. There was no preparation in advance, and it was too late to make a temporary custom.
The Ministry of Ceremonies still has the court uniforms prepared for Duke Xianying and Duke Chengguo, but they have not had time to send them away. However, these two people have just sacrificed their lives for the country. It would be disrespectful and unlucky to borrow them.
So in the end, the Ministry of Rites could only temporarily borrow the court uniforms that were intended to be sent to the Duke of Guizhou of the Mu family in Yunnan and give them to Mr. Li to express his gratitude.
However, Mr. Li is almost 70 years old this year, and his body is inevitably a bit stooped and thin, while the current Duke of Guizhou, Mu Bin, is only 50 years old, in his prime and tall.
Therefore, this court dress looks particularly spacious when worn by Mr. Li.
The etiquette of three bows and nine kowtows was so cumbersome that Mr. Li almost tripped and fell when he was thanking him and saluting.
After finally finishing the ceremony, Li Xian was already sweating profusely on his head.
"Come here, give me a seat!"
When the emperor's voice came, Li Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the pillar brought by the chamberlain. He didn't care about etiquette, picked up the tea that had just been served, raised his head and drank it all.
Then, when he looked up and saw the emperor's teasing eyes, Li Xian put down the tea cup and said a little embarrassedly.
"Old minister, I am old and these etiquettes are really unbearable. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Zhu Qiyu secretly cursed "Old Slippery", but a smile appeared on his face and he said.
"It doesn't have to be like this. The imperial court needs an experienced minister like Li Qing to help me stabilize the imperial situation and appease the country."
"What's more, for the sake of Li Qing's position as Duke, I gave up the titles of Guo Deng and Yang Xin. It is precisely because today, among the nobles in the capital, Li Qing needs to be supported in terms of qualifications and titles. Therefore, Li Qing
Never take yourself lightly.”
There was no one around here, and Zhu Qiyu spoke more casually.
Li Xian lamented in his heart. If he was just guessing before, then the emperor's words now are almost a clear statement.
There is no free benefit in this world, and naturally he, the Duke of the country, cannot get it for free.
In the past two days, Li Xian received many congratulatory posts in his mansion, but at the same time, he also heard a lot of rumors.
There is a rumor in the capital that when the Supreme Emperor Beishou, it was he, the Marquis of Fengcheng, who insisted on recommending the then King Tan to the throne, and that was how the emperor became emperor today.
It is said that he has a nose and eyes, and even Yu Qian and Hu Hu, who were rewarded together, became his background.
Others say that when the Manchu ministers objected, the Empress Dowager Shangsheng was furious and wanted to push them out and behead them together with the then King Ni.
It was he, the Marquis of Fengcheng, now the Duke of Fengguo, who cried bitterly in front of the palace, holding his family's hereditary certificate, and influenced the civil and military ministers and the empress dowager to change their minds.
In short, the more outrageous it is, the more outrageous it is.
The key is that not only the common people are talking about such an outrageous thing, but also many middle- and low-level officials are convinced of it.
The reason is also very good. If it is not true, why did God reward the three of them alone and still be so kind?
He even heard that the theater in the capital had begun to choreograph a new play called "Saving the Duke of Shiguo".
Li Xian is not a fool. Rumors spread among the capital so quickly. It is impossible to say that there is no one behind it.
After thinking about this, Mr. Li could only lament and accept the reality that he was completely tied to the emperor's ship.
When things got to this point, whether he wanted to or not, he had to follow the emperor into darkness.
Fortunately, this big boat seems to be very stable.
So Li Xian immediately changed his attitude, stood up, bowed respectfully, and said.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I have received your Majesty's deep kindness and kindness, and I should do my best to repay you. If your Majesty wants to drive you, I will go through fire and water even if I am old."
Zhu Qiyu nodded with satisfaction.
A veteran has the advantage of being a veteran. Not only does he have unique political abilities, but he also understands his own situation.
To be honest, Li Xian's performance at the court meeting really impressed Zhu Qiyu.
This person may not be able to go to the battlefield or fight, but his judgment of the court's situation and his ability to deal with various situations are definitely not inferior to those of civil servants.
Compared with Chen Mao, a Qi who knows military skills but is not good at court battles, Li Xian is obviously more suitable to be the leader of this Qi.
The intricate network of relationships between ancestors and relatives is certainly difficult for Zhu Qiyu, but it is not all harmful. If used well, it can actually be beneficial.
Just like now, as long as he has Li Xian firmly in his hands, then the network of connections of this veteran Xunqi will naturally become a breakthrough for him to cannibalize Xunqi.
Li Xian walked up the stairs knowingly, and Zhu Qiyu naturally stepped down unceremoniously.
"Li Qing doesn't have to be like this. There's no need to go through fire and water. It's just that I do have some things that I want Li Qing to handle."
"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions."
Li Xian had already prepared in his heart, so there was no surprise. He responded with a respectful tone and pricked up his ears.
To be honest, he was also a little curious.
Now that the War of Oara has ended, and with the achievement of repelling Oara, the Emperor can be considered to be secure in his position.
Why go to all the trouble to push a dying old man like him to the front of the stage?
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Qiyu said.
"I have suddenly ascended to the throne, and I actually rely heavily on my relatives. However, since the time of Taizu and Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, my relatives have been passed down from generation to generation, and the relationship between in-laws is very complicated. When I was hiding in my residence, I lived in seclusion and had no understanding. I don't know.
Li Qing, can you explain it to me?"
In the final analysis, Zhu Qiyu's biggest shortcoming is his lack of understanding of his relatives.
He only knew that the relationship between ancestors and relatives was intricate, but he didn't know exactly what the situation was.
After all, Xunqi has been rooted in the capital for several generations and has strong power. Even the Jin Yiwei can't find out clearly for a while.
Now that there is such an "internal response" as Li Xian, it is natural to ask clearly.
However, Li Xian scratched his head when he heard these words.
Your Majesty, you know that the relationship between ancestors and relatives is complicated, but you still want me to "explain it"?
If we were to talk about the in-laws, promotions and other relationships between relatives, I would probably not be able to finish them in three days and three nights.
Looking up slightly in embarrassment, Mr. Li happened to see the emperor looking at him calmly, so he suddenly reacted.
As the emperor, what does he want to know about the connections between his relatives?
You won’t always have enough to eat and have nothing to do.
Reminiscent of what the Emperor said just now...
"I rely heavily on my relatives, but I don't understand them well."
So Li Xian understood immediately.
The emperor simply didn't want to know what kind of complicated and messy relationships there were between relatives.
There was only one thing the old man wanted to know.
Among so many family members, which ones can be coaxed and reused, and which ones need to be ignored and suppressed...