Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 174 Zhao Mu was granted the title of Duke, and met King Duan for the first time at the palace gate

When he heard that the young emperor had issued an order to expel guests, Zhao Mu said, "I resign!"

Then Zhao Mu followed a eunuch out of the hall. Then he walked towards the outside of the palace.

Looking at Zhao Mu's leaving figure, the little emperor thought for a moment.

After a while, the little emperor said: "If you come, please immediately prepare a decree for me, and make Zhao Mu the Duke of Nanyang. The settlement will be increased to 3,000 households. I will give you a gold medal to reward the emperor for walking in front of me."

Hearing this, the eunuch standing next to Zhe Zong was at a loss for a moment.

Seeing that the eunuch was motionless, Emperor Zhezong couldn't help but frown and said, "What are you still doing? Don't you want me to write it myself?"

When the eunuch saw that the young emperor was angry, he quickly knelt down and said, "Please calm down, Your Majesty. It's just such a big matter of adding a minister. Shouldn't the Emperor discuss it with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager before proceeding?"

Hearing the eunuch's words, Zhezong was very angry, but he stopped his temper, and then said pleasantly: "I will discuss this matter with the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager will be strict. I am just conferring a title, not giving up my official position of real power. The Queen Mother and the Queen Mother will not object if they think about it. Besides, Daihou is about to marry the princess of Dali Kingdom."

"We, the Song Dynasty, and Dali are both the same country. Letting a princess from the same country marry a junior marquis from a clan of our Song Dynasty, where does this put the face of the Dali country? You also heard what I just said on behalf of the marquis. If it were me If the Song Dynasty and Dali can always be friends, they can avoid the disaster of war. And the dinner party with the Dali envoys is just around the corner. If we don't add a prince, Dali will feel that we have lost face. After we go back, we will order all the soldiers to have a banquet with me. Song declares war, can you bear this responsibility?"

Upon hearing Emperor Zhezong's kind "threat", the eunuch was immediately frightened and his face turned pale. Then he said: "This slave will die!"

Hearing that the eunuch was afraid, Zhezong said with a smile: "Since we can't bear the burden, why don't we draft the decree as soon as possible. Then send it to Daihou immediately. Let him attend the dinner reception for the Dali envoy as a county prince."

The eunuch said quickly: "I obey the order!"

Emperor Zhezong snorted coldly at this time, and then strolled to the back hall with his hands behind his back, bathed and changed clothes, and prepared to dress up for the evening.

However, as soon as the little emperor left the door, the smile on his face disappeared instantly, and a layer of gloom suddenly appeared on his face.

Emperor Zhezong was disgraced by an eunuch and felt very unhappy. But there is nothing that can be done about it.

Because Emperor Zhezong has not yet officially taken charge, the Empress Dowager Gao and the Empress Dowager have not handed over power to Zhezong. Even the emperor's seal is still in the hands of eunuchs. The eunuchs around Zhezong were all placed by the Empress Dowager Gao, the actual "Emperor" of the Song Dynasty. Even Zhezong cannot easily deal with them now.

Sometimes Emperor Zhezong felt that he was a puppet, the Emperor Xian of Han who was bullied and played by Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao. Even if I have ambitions, it is difficult to implement them. I can only chat with the courtiers I get along with.

If it weren't for Emperor Zhezong's limited power, Zhao Mu would not have been granted the title of Duke of the County, but the title of Duke of the State starting from the beginning and capped by the Prince of the County.

But this is also a big improvement for Zhao Mu.

The title of Marquis is the youngest in the clan, and Zhao Mu was directly promoted from County Marquis to County Duke at once, which can be regarded as "promoted three levels in a row".

After Zhao Mu returned to the inn, Azi had already disappeared.

When Zhao Mu asked about the post officer, the post officer said that Azi had been picked up by people from Dali Kingdom, and Zhao Mu was relieved. He wasn't worried about Zhao Mu's safety, but he was a little worried that this girl A'Zi would cause him trouble again.

Zhao Mu was patiently waiting for the car to enter the palace, and soon Emperor Zhezong's imperial edict arrived. Although Zhao Mu didn't know what it was, he felt it must be a good thing.

Then the eunuch read out the imperial decree that the emperor made Zhao Mu the Duke of Nanyang County, and also gave Zhao Mu a token that could allow him to enter the palace.

Although Zhao Mu was prepared in his heart, he still felt a little unexpected when he heard that he was directly named a county prince.

Zhao Mu guessed that the emperor would not allow a marquis to marry a princess of Dali. The emperor would definitely promote himself in order to save the face of Dali.

And this is why Zhao Mu must follow Mu Wanqing, no! It was the reason for marrying the princess of Dali Kingdom.

As soon as the Dali Kingdom's mission arrives, even for the sake of the Song Dynasty's face, he will have the opportunity to go further.

A marriage alone can lead to a title, which is considered to be the most cost-effective deal in the world.

However, according to Zhao Mu's previous hunch, he would be promoted from marquis to duke at most. But he didn't expect to be promoted directly to the county government.

Although he was a county prince, Zhao Mu also noticed an interesting thing, and that was Zhao Mu's food town. According to the basic standards for food towns established by the clan of the Song Dynasty, the county princes are five hundred, the county princes are one thousand, the county princes are two thousand, the princes are three thousand, the princes are five thousand, the heirs are eight thousand, and the princes are ten thousand. Additional titles granted by the emperor will be counted separately.

Although Zhao Mu was granted the title of Duke, his fiefdom was that of the Duke of the State. He had a vague feeling that it might be the little emperor in the palace who had no personal power, and at most he was granted the title of Duke. Since the status can no longer be increased, one can only give oneself more food to show his status. Zhao Mu couldn't help but smile when he thought of this. He knew how to get along with the little emperor in the future.

Around Shen time, the palace carriage came to greet Zhao Mu. Zhao Mu also changed his clothes and went with the car. Although Zhao Mu is now a duke, the dress he wears is still from when he was a marquis. After all, time was too tight, and it was too late to redo the clothes, so I had to make do with them.

Soon the carriage arrived in front of the palace, and the princes, nobles, and civil and military officials attending the palace banquet also arrived early.

Compared with before, this group of people were much more attentive to Zhao Mu. Even the civil and military ministers who were regarded as ministers were respectful when meeting Zhao Mu.

However, they were not respecting Zhao Mu, nor his title. But the little emperor behind Zhao Mu.

Zhao Mu was granted the title of Duke, and was about to marry the princess of Dali. These civil and military officials and relatives of the emperor all found out through their own information channels.

Now that Zhao Mu has received this honor, he has suddenly become a popular person in front of the emperor. Naturally, these people must have a good relationship with Zhao Mu before he really becomes successful, or at least not offend him.

Zhao Mu also met some interesting people at this time, including Prime Minister Sima Guang, Hanlin scholar Su Shi, and King Zhongxiao who might become his father-in-law.

But what caught Zhao Mu's attention the most were the other princes. These were all brothers of Zhe Zong. Among them were King Jian Zhao Si, King Shen Zhao Ji, and the one who caught Zhao Mu's attention the most was King Duan Zhao Ji.

While waiting to enter the banquet, Zhao Mu could not help but stare at the notorious Song Huizong.

King Duan is still a teenager now, but even though he is still a teenager, he has an aura of levity about him. Looking at Zhe Zong's other brothers, although they are not as heroic as Emperor Zhe Zong, they are at least better than this guy. Zhao Mu really couldn't understand why the officials of the Song Dynasty were so angry that they chose a second-rate man to be the emperor while leaving others to choose.

If it weren't for the occasion, Zhao Mu really wanted to kill this fool who had brought shame to the Han people for eternity.

(End of this chapter)