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

The third day of the third month in the first year of Tianjian in the Great Qin Dynasty.

Grand court meeting in Tokyo City.

This rewarding of merits and conferring of titles and honors was a grand event that had not happened in hundreds of years.

Because the last time a large number of titles were conferred was when Taizu founded the country, but this time is bound to be more grand and magnificent than that time.

The city of Tokyo was once again under martial law, and people traveling north and south were checked. Anyone who was sneaking around or acting suspiciously was arrested and interrogated.

The court meeting began before dawn, and after various ceremonies were completed, the title was formally conferred.

The titles are conferred from low to high, the lower the title, the more titles one gets, but normally most low-level titles are not hereditary.

However, there were exceptions at this moment, namely some guards around Zhao Yu and everyone in Suiyu Tower.

These people did not make great contributions to the country, but their achievements to Zhao Yu were irreplaceable.

All of these people are to be given titles, and the titles must be hereditary.

The Qin Dynasty's system of nobility was much more complicated than that of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts and barons. It included twelve levels of nobility, namely: king, heir to the king, prince of a county, duke of a state, duke of a county, founding duke, founding duke of a county, founding duke of a county, founding marquis, founding earl, founding son and founding baron.

These titles all carry the title of the founder of the county, and when a duke is conferred, he is called the Duke of a certain country.

The corresponding ranks are: king is the first rank, heir to the king, prince of a county, and duke are the second rank.

Duke of a county, founding duke, and founding duke of a county, second rank.

The Duke of the founding county was of the second rank.

The founding marquis was of the third rank.

The founding earl was the fourth rank.

He was a fifth-rank official at the founding of the country.

The founding male was of the fifth rank.

Those who were granted titles must have fiefs. The fiefs ranged from 10,000 households to 200 households, and were divided into fourteen levels. However, fiefs were only virtual numbers, and only real fiefs could be obtained.

The actual seal was divided into seven levels, from one thousand households to one hundred households. The actual seal was about 40% of the virtual seal. Those who received the actual seal were given 100 coins per household per month, which they received along with their monthly salary from the imperial court.

Su Shi, Lei San, Zhou Chu, Qian Wenxi, Wu Xiaodao and others around Zhao Yu were all granted the title of baron and allowed to inherit it.

The vast majority of people in Suiyu Tower were given the title of baron, and a small number were given the title of viscount, which was allowed to be hereditary.

As for those who were closest to Zhao Yu, who had followed him to the battlefield, protected him, and fought in battles in the south and the north, they were granted the title of earl, and the title was inherited by their descendants.

These people included the second son of the Ding family, the eldest and third sons of the Bai family, the four sworn brothers Lu, Han, Xu, and Jiang Jieyi, and more than a dozen others.

As for the eldest son of the Ding family, Ding Daxie, and the second son of the Bai family, Bai Ao, they were conferred the title of marquis, because Ding Daxie had joined Huang Jue a few years ago and had always followed him in battles, participating in many wars and making great military achievements.

Bai Ao also went to Yao Pingzhong at the same time, and he also had many military achievements. The two of them had experience and had led troops, so no one would object when Zhao Yu conferred them the title of marquis.

But these people do not include Huang Gu and Ouyang Bei.

As for those who were given titles in the army, the number was several times higher. There were hundreds of viscounts and barons, as well as earls and marquises. But when it came to the position of marquis, they were all generals, not deputy generals or lieutenant generals.

However, those famous generals and commanders are not among them.

This not only makes people wonder whether these untitled people will be conferred the title of duke?
He is a duke, a founding duke of a dynasty. His title is hereditary and he holds a noble status. He brings honor to his descendants and will have a prominent mention in history books.

What's more important is that the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion must come from here. What does that mean? In the future, they will definitely be honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and worshipped in the imperial temple.

Being allowed to enshrine meritorious officials in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is the highest courtesy given to ministers by all dynasties since ancient times, and it is the highest honor for a minister.

By noon, the ceremony had concluded with all the conferment of titles except that of Duke.

A total of one thousand people were granted titles, including Zhao Yu's direct subordinates and the generals who had followed him in battles over the years, as well as some people from the original court.

After all, after returning from Hexi, he took power and took charge of the government. He then fought wars in the north and the south. There was no problem with logistics and supplies. The court was as stable as a rock. Some ministers did make contributions.

Although Liu Suiyun has great ambitions, is a leader of civil servants, and is good at internal affairs, it would be difficult for him to do so without any mistakes if his subordinates do not cooperate.

You know, even if a small official interferes, it is very likely to cause the logistics to be disrupted.

If a small supervisor fails to cooperate, major accidents may easily occur.

Liu Suiyun was the prime minister, so even if he could supervise the ministers, he could only be at the level of assistant minister and doctor. Below that, he had to manage and coordinate at every level. Therefore, some ministers had made contributions, so Zhao Yu also conferred many titles on them.

After noon, the chief of the ceremony arrived and announced the title of Duke, as well as the names of the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion.

Only twenty-four people were given the title of Duke, and there were no extra ones. So the twenty-four meritorious officials of Chongde Pavilion were these twenty-four dukes, who were entitled to be enshrined in the Taimiao, worshipped with incense, and their reputation would last forever.

At this time, Song Jiang was wearing a purple robe and a golden fish bag. His heart was pounding so hard that it almost jumped out of his chest.

After the last marquis was conferred the title, there was no more marquisate, so he knew that he would definitely be conferred the title of duke.

The first rank of duke is the duke, and only the duke is qualified to be listed among the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion.

Then, when he heard the announcement from above that the Duke would only be given the title of Duke of the State, and not the other dukes, the hot blood in his body suddenly rushed to his head.

He became one! Among the dukes, only twenty-four dukes were conferred, so he must be one of them. From now on, he will be ranked among the most virtuous, enjoy the imperial temple, be worshipped with incense, and his reputation will last forever!
The Song family didn’t know which generation of ancestors in heaven blessed their descendants to be able to succeed in this life, become high-ranking officials, and receive this great honor.

No, that's not right!

How could it be the blessing of his ancestors? He clearly earned it himself. He paid with his life for it. It was the result of his foresight and foresight!

It was Your Majesty who had a keen eye for talent, knew how to use people, and appreciated him, so you bestowed it upon him!

What does it have to do with my ancestors? It does have to do with me, because I have brought honor to my family!
At this moment, Song Jiang recalled the hardships and sufferings of the past ten years. He started out as a minor official in Yuncheng, worked diligently, made friends with the outlaws, and made a name for himself.

However, because of his lust, he took a concubine, Yan Poxi, as his mistress, and killed someone in a rage and was sentenced to Jiangzhou.

He wrote a rebellious poem in Jiangzhou and was sentenced to beheaded, but was rescued by Liangshan. Since then, he has become a bandit, and all he feels is sadness.

Then he fought everywhere, but although he was in Cao's camp, his heart was with Han, and he only wanted to be recruited one day.

The Juyi Hall has been changed to Zhongyi Hall, but don’t we still have to be loyal and serve the country?
With God's mercy, he finally got the chance and was recruited. He entered Tokyo and met the Supreme Emperor, and his heart was excited.

But I always feel uneasy. Tokyo is too big. There are kings, princes, generals and ministers everywhere. What am I? Just a tiny ant.

Or even worse than ants and mayflies.

Even though the government rewarded him, no one looked up to him. Not only because he was born a bandit, but also because he used to be a minor official with no achievements. How could those big shots look at him in the eye?

But he did not give up. He wanted to find a backer, to make progress, and to work hard to become a high-ranking official. The higher the position he held, the more secure he would feel in his heart, and the bigger the backer he had, the more opportunities he would have.

That year, he flew around Tokyo like a fly, and would not turn back even if he hit a wall. He visited at least half of the princes, ministers, dukes, generals, and sent out hundreds of invitations, but no one paid any attention to him.

A man was born between heaven and earth, how can he live in a state of depression for a long time?

Finally, I gritted my teeth and thought, since everyone looks down on me, I might as well climb to the top, so...

It was a snowy and windy day. I stood in front of the Qin Palace until dark, all the way to midnight.

He stood in the snow, almost like a snowman, shivering and almost frozen.

When the King of Qin returned, he was not quite what he thought. The King of Qin asked him to come in and talked to him. The King of Qin did not show any contempt. The King of Qin was very majestic, and he did not dare to stand up straight in front of him.

The King of Qin asked him some questions, and the King of Qin tacitly approved of his sincerity. Only then did he feel more at ease.

After that he never visited anyone again, and left Beijing for the north, where he confronted Tian Hu for years. He suffered heavy casualties, and his brothers died. He saw that his life was coming to an end and he had no future. At this moment, he received the news that the King of Qin had revolted in Tokyo and trampled upon Western Xia.

He took all the remaining troops and horses and defected there, and from then on he followed the dragon. He fought in the south and the north, and blocked the east and the west.

He destroyed Western Xia, pacified the Uighurs, and launched an expedition to Karakhanid Khanate.

He destroyed the Jurchens, took back Dali, annihilated the southern barbarian countries, and sent troops to Java Island.

Before I know it, my temples are graying and my life is about to end...

It is true that the world's ups and downs are created by our generation, and time flies by once we enter the world!
My life is truly like walking on thin ice!

At this time, the sound of Hong Zhong and Da Lu rang out, and Song Jiang woke up from his recollections. He looked up at the imperial steps above, where the sandalwood was filled, and began to read out the imperial decree.

The decree was to announce the twenty-four dukes, that is, the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion. The voice first sang praises and talked about loyalty and righteousness, and then began to formally read out the names of the heroes:
Liu Suiyun, Duke of Zhao
Huang Jue, Duke of Yue

Lu Junyi, Duke of Lai
Duke of Zheng Du Fu

Tan Zhen, Duke of Liang

Duke of Shen, General Lü

Li Yanxian, Duke of Chen
Duke of Wei, Zongze

Yao Pingzhong, Duke of Song
Liu Qi, Duke of Baoguo

Li Gang, Duke of Kui

Jiang Guogong Zhe Yanzhi
He Li, Duke of Xun Guo

Duke of Qiao Wang Yan

Yue Fei, Duke of E

Han Shizhong, Duke of Yun
Zhang Shuye, Duke of Pi
Zhang Xian, Duke of Tan

Lu Da, Duke of Lu

Shi Jin, Duke of Yongguo

Yang Zhi, Duke of Xing

Wu Jie, Duke of Ju

British public
Song Jiang, Duke of Hu

Posthumously named Zhong Shidao Prince of Hanyang
Posthumously named: Zhong Shizhong Wudu County King
Posthumously named Prince of Yaogu Anding

Posthumously conferred the title of Prince of Changping
Portraits of the twenty-four heroes were created on the same day by Zhang Zeduan, an academician of the Hanlin Academy of Painting. After they were completed, they were hung in the Chongde Pavilion for future generations to remember and admire.

The twenty-four meritorious officials did not resign from their posts or give up their power. They retired normally, and their titles were inherited by their descendants.

The twenty-four meritorious officials will be rewarded with the Duke's Mansion and gold, silver and brocade. This will be announced to the world. In three days, a public banquet will be held for you to enjoy.

At this time, music began to be played inside and outside the hall. This time, the two types of music used were Ya and Yan, and then there was dancing, all of which were part of the court meeting.

After the music and dance, there were some more ceremonies, and then the grand meeting was declared over.

The next day, the story of the twenty-four heroes of Chongde Pavilion was announced to the world so that all people could know about it.

Three days later, a banquet was held in the Daqing Hall from noon to night, and the emperor and his ministers enjoyed themselves together.

From then on, the rewards were granted. Those who were serving outside the capital returned to their posts, those in Beijing continued to work, and those in border areas were transferred by Zhao Yu to more prosperous areas after one year.

The world then became peaceful, the people lived and worked in peace, the four seas were at peace, and all nations submitted to him.

Among the twenty-four heroes, most were young dukes, but there were also older ones, such as Zong Ze and Zhe Yanzhi.

After the third year of Tianjian, some older dukes resigned from their posts one after another and lived in Beijing to enjoy their remaining years. There was no talk of retiring to their hometowns.

Another year passed, and there were still more than ten dukes serving in foreign countries, shouldering important responsibilities and controlling political and military power.

The sixth year of Tianjian arrived in a heavy snowfall.

This year, Zhao Zheng was fourteen years old. He had been back in Gaochang City for more than three years and was named King of Ning.

When Zhao Xi was thirteen years old, he was given the title of Prince Gong.

When Zhao Yi was eleven years old, he was granted the title of King Ding.

When Zhao Yue was ten years old, she was given the title of Princess Mingzhu.

When Zhao An was ten years old, he was given the title of King Chong.

When Zhao Yan was five years old, he picked winter plums and was named King An.

When Zhao Qian was four years old, he was born in simple plain clothes and was given the title of King Xiang.

When Zhao Min was three years old, Xiao Min was born and was given the title Princess Zhenqing.

There are still more than a dozen children left, all of whom are still young and cannot be listed here.

Zhao Yu did not take in more concubines. Apart from the original few, all those who entered the palace were people around him with whom he had had some interactions before. He also did not hold a beauty contest, and when any ministers suggested this, he rejected them all.

In May of the sixth year of Tianjian, he changed the positions of some dukes serving outside the country. Song Jiang was transferred from Yunnan Road to Shaanxi Road as the pacification envoy, and the name of Yongxingjun Road was cancelled.

Except for Song Jiang, almost everyone else was transferred. Yang Zhi was transferred to the capital and served as the deputy privy envoy, Yao Pingzhong was transferred to Goryeo Road and served as the general manager and pacification commissioner, Zhang Xian was sent to Xihe Road and served as the general manager and pacification commissioner, and so on.

In June, the weather in Tokyo was already very hot. Zhao Yu was holding little Zhao Min in Xiao Min's palace, playing with the trumpet that he had trained hard.

Little Zhao Min looks more like him. Although she is young, you can tell that she is a beauty with a heroic look between her eyebrows. Like Zhao Yue when she was a child, she rarely cries. At this moment, she is shaking a rattle and laughing non-stop.

Zhao Yu said, "That's right. Three years old is a time to have fun. Unlike Yue Er, that disobedient child, when she was three years old, she actually escaped from Tokyo on a giant eagle and even caught a snake and said she wanted to present it to me. It's really, ah ah ..."

Xiao Min pursed her lips and said nothing. Zhao Yu stayed for a while and then left the palace to go to Zhang Zhenniang.

Zhang Zhenniang had a son and a daughter last year and the year before, but at the moment she was not taking care of the children. Instead, she was sorting out some manuscripts at her desk.

She didn't notice Zhao Yu coming in, and when she realized it, Zhao Yu was already standing in front of her.

"Zhenniang, have you finished revising it?"

Zhang Zhenniang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's all finished. There are eight plays in total, all written and edited according to the outlines Your Majesty gave."

Zhao Yu nodded, picked it up and looked through it.

Zhang Zhenniang continued, "Your Majesty, I have not asked before. These eight plays, including the long-completed Raid on Luzhou City and The Story of White Hair, have some..."

Zhao Yu asked, "What are some?"

"Some of them are... not very social."

"It's right that it's against the will of the world." Zhao Yu picked up the script and said, "Now that the eight pieces are finished, Zhenniang, you should take a break. You've worked hard these past few years."

Zhang Zhenniang shook her head: "Why bother? There's always something to do so you won't feel bored."

Zhao Yu smiled and said, "Why not write something more to relieve your boredom? I'll take all of these away, and they will soon be performed all over the country."

After saying this, he walked out of the door, and then asked Zhang Di to convey the order, calling Ouyang Bei into the palace.

(End of this chapter)