The Song Dynasty has been deliberate for 16 years, only to know that it is the Water Margin

On the first day of the first lunar month in the first year of the Tianjian reign of the Great Qin Dynasty, Zhao Yu ascended the throne. The whole country rejoiced, the four seas celebrated, and the whole world submitted.

The name of Qin Tiandi far surpasses the titles of Tian Khan, Dasheng Tiandi and other powerful emperors in ancient times, and resounds throughout the world.

The honorific title is the title of the emperor when he was alive. There is no need to avoid it. It can be used to address everyone from kings and nobles to ordinary people.

A grand coronation ceremony lasted from dawn to mid-afternoon.

All officials were in high spirits and the people were excited, and everyone in Tokyo ran around to tell each other the news.

No matter whether they were old men or children, all of them were smiling happily. Now that the Second King had ascended the throne, they had finally fulfilled their wish and felt relieved. The good days would continue.

However, Zhao Yu felt that he was being fooled. He was still smiling during the first two hours of the ceremony, but his expression gradually became serious, then he became impatient, and finally he looked bitter.

Liu Suiyun called Zhang Di and asked him to secretly remind Zhao Yu to maintain his dignity and remain happy.

Zhao Yu sent back a message, "If you don't finish it, I won't play with you anymore."

After the ceremony, the whole city celebrated. For seven consecutive days, the firecrackers and fireworks in Tokyo never stopped, one after another, all night long, turning the city into a city that never sleeps.

Zhao Yu issued an order for a general amnesty for all criminals except for murder, rape, and kidnapping. All criminals were pardoned, and those serving in the army also received this grace.

Then various new laws were promulgated, which made some modifications to the original laws to favor the common people.

Of course, this was just a law, not a law of reform, and no one dared to complain. After all, such things could not shake the power of officials and the gentry.

Although the restrictions are severe, officials and aristocratic families do not care too much. How can the people fight against the rich, and how can the rich fight against the officials?

Even if there is a law to follow, what can it do? The punishment cannot be imposed on the scholars and officials, and the gentleman will benefit five generations...

The Jingkang era ended and the Tianjian era began.

The first year of Tianjian in the Great Qin Dynasty.

This year, Zhao Zheng was nine years old.

Zhao Xi was eight years old.

Zhao Yi was six years old.

Zhao Yue is five years old.

Zhao An is also five years old and his birthday is young, so he is the youngest.

Go out in the first month of the year and become busy again because another big event is about to happen.

That is rewarding according to merit.

Zhao Yu was not a founding emperor, but he was better than a founding emperor, so there must have been rewards according to the Qin Dynasty's merits.

This time, the reward system will be the same as that in the founding of previous dynasties, and many hereditary titles will be conferred, such as duke, marquis, earl, etc.

There may be non-hereditary thrones, where one generation will be glorious for the rest of the world. This mainly depends on the size of the merits or the closeness of the emperor to the emperor.

Generally speaking, anyone who followed the emperor in starting a rebellion would be granted a title. Titles below the rank of lieutenant general might be their own, while titles above the rank of lieutenant general would almost all be hereditary.

Most of those who followed the emperor were military generals, and there were only a few civil officials who actually followed the founding emperor to build an empire. Therefore, the position of "liejiang" was often used as a dividing line, and many people could guess their own titles.

Yunnan Road, Dali.

Inside the Yunnan Economic and Pacification Office, Song Jiang was drinking tea with Wu Yong.

Wu Yong was also retained by Zhao Yu and appointed to an official position that day, not as one of the three marshals, but as the Director of Educational Affairs of Yunnan Road.

This official position was responsible for educational administration, and all provincial schools, prefectural schools, military schools, supervisory schools, and county schools were under the management of the Education Affairs Office.

It cannot be said that his power is great, but his position is relatively high. He is in the second tier of officials in the region, and he is a clean official with a noble status, which is worthy of a high rank. Moreover, this position is in line with Wu Yong's courtesy name of Xuejiu, which requires him to work diligently and not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

At this moment, the two of them dismissed their companions and discussed things while drinking tea.

There were two letters on the flower table. Song Jiang put down his teacup and nodded slightly: "Scholar, what do you think?"

Wu Yong's eyes fell on the two letters. He raised his hand to stroke his thin beard and smiled slightly: "Sir, you are well aware of this matter. I am afraid that I will say something wrong."

Song Jiang was very pleased to hear the word "sir". He leaned back in his chair more comfortably and said, "You can talk as much as you want. I want to hear whether what you say is consistent with what I think in my heart. If not, we can discuss it. If it is consistent, we can act accordingly."

Wu Yong nodded and said, "Sir, these two letters, one is from the Emperor, and the other is from Concubine Zhu in the palace. They are both secret letters and must be kept away from others."

Song Jiang said: "Of course."

Wu Yong said, "It's easy to understand what the emperor is thinking. He still has Dabao in his mind and is thinking about restoration. He wants to rule the world again and rule the court. He promised you a high position and generous salary, hoping that one day you will help him when he rebels. But you have already become a governor and a high official. Even if you help the emperor succeed, what can the emperor do to you? Can he make you a prime minister?"

Song Jiang said: "I'm afraid not."

"Can he be made Privy Councilor?"

Song Jiang said: "My official rank is now equal to that of the Deputy Privy Councilor. Is there any point in taking risks for the Privy Councilor? Besides, I may be promoted to a higher position in the future. It may not be impossible for me to be promoted to the chief official of the Western Palace."

"That's it." Wu Yong said with a smile, "Then can I be given the title of King?"

Song Jiang pondered for a moment, "If I am crowned a king, I will be stripped of my duties and power. How can a man live without power? Moreover, if I lose power, the emperor may want to get rid of me and falsify the history books to take credit for himself. I am afraid my life will be in danger."

"So, my lord, the emperor cannot agree to this, and he cannot just keep saying yes. He must be decisive and send the secret letter to Tokyo to let His Majesty know."

Song Jiang nodded when he heard this: "The scholar's thoughts coincide with mine. What about the other letter..."

"This letter from Concubine Zhu..." Wu Yong stood up from his chair and walked around on the ground with his hands behind his back. "This letter requires careful consideration."

Song Jiang asked, "How do you explain it?"

Wu Yong came to the flower table and read another letter, saying, "The plan of Concubine Zhu is actually very simple. It consists of two points. The first is to support her to become the empress, and the second is... to support the second prince to become the crown prince." Song Jiang took a sip of tea and said, "In my opinion, your majesty is kind and generous, and all the ladies in the harem are people you know from outside the palace, and you have feelings for each of them. It's not like a marriage arranged within the royal family. Your majesty probably doesn't want to distinguish between the high and the low. As for the vacant empress, it's not unheard of in history. Concubine Zhu's plan is probably going to fail."

"My Lord, you are absolutely right. I think it will be difficult for Your Majesty to appoint the Lord of Zhengyang Palace. It will probably remain in suspense forever. So this is not only difficult to do, but if I really make this suggestion, I am afraid Your Majesty will not be pleased."

Song Jiang looked embarrassed: "But the other thing, supporting the second prince as the crown prince, is equally difficult."

Wu Yong remained silent, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Song Jiang continued, "Your Majesty is now in the prime of life, full of vigor and vitality, and you and I are both already at the age of knowing our destiny. What's the point of getting involved in such matters? From what I've read in operas and novels, getting involved in the selection of a crown prince, no matter how high or low the official rank, is like riding a horse on a cliff or driving a carriage on the edge of a bridge, which is extremely dangerous."

After saying that, he added: "Besides, your majesty is extremely skilled in martial arts. I'm afraid that the two of us will turn into bones and dust in the future. Your majesty is still in his prime. What good will it do you and me to support the second prince to be crowned as the heir?"

Wu Yong then slowly shook his head: "Sir, this is wrong!"

"What's wrong?" Song Jiang was stunned and looked at Wu Yong.

"Sir, you are confused. Why do you only think about yourself? Why don't you think about future generations?" Wu Yong stepped forward and said, "Sir, you and I are both loyal subjects. If you and I are no longer around, Your Majesty can still take care of our descendants and we won't have to worry for the time being. But if the new emperor ascends the throne, we, the founding heroes and descendants of the loyal generals, will all be put aside and can only enjoy our titles and do nothing. This has been the case since ancient times. Do you expect this, Sir?"

"Ah, the scholar reminded me!" Song Jiang immediately slammed the table and stood up: "If you don't think about your own family, you should also consider everything for future generations. That's right, that's right!"

Wu Yong went on to say: "As long as the family prospers for three generations and they all gain a firm foothold in the court, then they will become powerful and secure, and will no longer have these troubles. It will be difficult for the government and the court to be abandoned. By then, the family will be glorious for generations, and after hundreds of years, they will have branches and leaves, and will become a prominent family and a powerful clan. They will not be afraid even if the dynasty changes."

Song Jiang clapped his hands and said, "That's the truth. That's exactly the truth. It was the scholar who taught me that."

Wu Yong glanced at the two letters and said, "So, my husband, hand the letter from the Emperor to His Majesty to express his loyalty. As for the letter from Concubine Zhu, hesitate a little and leave some room for error. It's not good to agree directly, otherwise it will be useless. At least wait a few more times before secretly agreeing to support the Second Prince."

"Excellent, excellent, let's do as the pedant says!"

Song Jiang laughed heartily, thinking of a plan, and said, "I think we should ask Tie Niu to come over for a drink. We haven't had a drink for a long time, so we might as well get drunk."

Wu Yong was also craving for wine and food, so he couldn't help but applaud. Then he opened the door and asked people to prepare a banquet, and went to call Li Kui to come and eat together.

At that time, Li Kui served as the chief of the Siliyuan, a position similar to that of the chief of the prison, in charge of some prison affairs in Yunnan Road.

The head of the Siliyuan was Sili Canjun. He knew that Li Kui was a bad guy. When Zhao Yu left Dali, he also told Li Kui that he did not know how to manage things. So he just gave him a title and told him to pay his salary on time. He could report for work if he wanted to and check the prisons if he wanted to. If he didn't want to, it was up to him.

In the first few days after Li Kui became an official, he wanted to act like a decent person and even wore official uniform. But it didn't take long for his true colors to show. He was unable to sit in the court and do his job. He got drunk every day and finally stopped going to the yamen. He did nothing but drink.

Now he has his own house, which is not small. When he drinks too much, he just does somersaults and acrobatics in the house. It is enough for him to have fun and he rarely goes out to cause trouble.

After a while, Li Kui came over with a dark red face. It was obvious that he was drinking at home. He bowed and called Song Jiang brother as soon as he entered the room. Song Jiang asked him to get up, and the three of them began to clink glasses.

During the banquet, Song Jiang and Wu Yong were talking, but Li Kui didn't understand and just ate and drank. Only when he heard that Your Majesty was going to reward, he interrupted and asked, "Is Your Majesty going to reward with gold, silver and fine wine?"

The two laughed and said that if His Majesty remembered you, Tie Niu, he might give you a title.

Li Kui was not interested and just said, "Your Majesty, please give me more good wine. Titles cannot be used as wine. What's the point of having them? They are not as good as gold and silver, which can be exchanged for wine."

Just when three rounds of wine had been drunk and five dishes had been prepared, a personal soldier suddenly came to report that someone from the capital had come with an imperial decree.

The three of them hurriedly stood up, stopped drinking, and set up the incense table to receive the order.

The person who came was not a eunuch from the palace, but an official from the Ministry of Personnel, who directly announced the imperial edict.

The general meaning of the edict is that after several years of war, foreign threats have been eliminated, the territory has expanded infinitely, the world is peaceful, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, so I want to reward meritorious officials and grant them titles. On March 3rd, a grand court assembly will be held to confer titles. All those who are to be awarded titles, no matter where they serve, must rush back to the capital to attend the ceremony and accept the title.

In addition to being conferred titles, the twenty-four people with the greatest contributions will be included in the Chongde Pavilion, with portraits and honors written on them, and they will be called the Twenty-Four Heroes of the Chongde Pavilion.

The twenty-four meritorious officials were all granted the title of Duke, and the title was hereditary. As long as the Great Qin Dynasty lasted, the Duke would exist, bringing glory to the country.

Song Jiang, Wu Yong and Li Kui are all in the process of being granted titles. They must rush to the capital soon without delay. This is my imperial decree.

After hearing the imperial edict, Song Jiang and Wu Yong were dumbfounded. They had expected the ennoblement, but they did not expect that the imperial court would hold a ceremony to ennoble.

What’s more important is that the twenty people who made the greatest contributions were all granted the title of Duke, entered the Chongde Pavilion, and were listed as the twenty-four heroes.

These are the twenty-four people in the Lingyan Pavilion who were modeled after the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

After receiving the imperial edict, Song Jiang hurriedly ordered a banquet to be set up again to entertain the angel. During the banquet, he asked whether his family was among the twenty-four heroes.
The official from the Ministry of Personnel smiled bitterly and said, "Sir Song, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I don't know who the specific adults are. This matter has not been discussed with the Ministry of Personnel. It was decided privately by His Majesty and the Secretariat. The Ministry of Personnel is going to various places to pass on the message to the adults outside."

Song Jiang nodded. This matter really should not be known by the minor officials of the Ministry of Personnel, but he was concerned about this matter. It was something that would be passed down through the ages. After entertaining the other party, he immediately discussed it with Wu Yong.

Wu Yong was self-aware and knew that his family would not be included, so he devoted himself to helping Song Jiang with reasoning and calculations.

After all the calculations, based on the people they knew about Zhao Yu's close confidants and their direct descendants, and the ranking based on their contributions, Song Jiang was always outside the top twenty.

That is, maybe he is there, or maybe he isn't.

Wu Yong said: "The leader of the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion must be Prime Minister Liu, and Lu Shumi, Du Dianshuai, Lu Jinglue, and Li Duhu must also be in the front."

Song Jiang sighed, "Of course, there is no comparison. I know myself well. I followed Your Majesty later than you. Even if I followed you at the same time, I am still not as good as these people in terms of intelligence and martial arts."

Wu Yong consoled him, "Don't worry, sir. Although you are ranked a little behind in terms of merit, you are still near the bottom. Maybe you will get it. This is not a fluke, but a real possibility."

Song Jiang was worried and anxious when he heard this, and finally said, "I hope so. It will not only bring honor to our family, but will also be passed down to future generations and recorded in history books."

Yesterday, it was already my thought that a real man should not be depressed and live under others for long. Now, I want to leave a good reputation and be admired by future generations.

Li Kui was standing there in a daze, saying, "Your Majesty also asked me to come to the capital, just to award me this title?"

Wu Yong smiled and said, "Tie Niu is lucky. Even if he gets the lowest title, it will bring honor to the family."

Li Kui shook his head and said, "I went to the capital to ask His Majesty if this title can be exchanged for money. I have thought that since wine needs money, it would be better to reward me with silver directly."

Song Jiang looked at him and shook his head: "What a foolish brother you are."

(End of this chapter)