Chapter 29: Awarded the title of Earl based on merit

Yan Kesong returned to the team and whispered a few words to Peng Qing and Li An. Although the two were confused, they followed suit. The team was led by one person and became three people.

Yan Chengjin nodded.

Suddenly there was someone beside him. When he turned around, he saw that it was Zhu Houzhao. Unlike the others who were cheering and cheering, Zhu Houzhao burst into tears and was heartbroken.

"Your Highness, was your foot stepped on?" Yan Chengjin was confused.

Zhu Houzhao beat his chest and said: "If I go to war, I will be riding on the horse now! Zhu Houzhao's reputation can be cleared away. Lao Gao, I am so heartbroken for losing this great opportunity!"

Yan Chengjin patted him on the shoulder and really didn't know how to comfort him: "Your Highness, I express my condolences..."

After seeing his father off, Yan Chengjin returned to his house, and Zhu Houzhao returned to the palace.

The house steward said: "The master sent someone back to deliver the message. There will be a banquet in the palace to entertain the returning soldiers."

Yan Chengjin guessed that his father could be granted a title this time. His contribution to defeating the little prince was too great. He wondered if he would be granted a fiefdom. If so, wouldn't it mean that he would be granted a fiefdom in Ningxia?

It is very likely that a place was selected from the nine borders and was euphemistically called the imperial seal. In fact, it was a border guard, and people were imprisoned there for generations. Even when leaving the city, they had to ask the emperor for permission.

According to the law of the Ming Dynasty, the descendants of the duke were not allowed to take part in the imperial examination. They had to eat, drink, have fun, and wait to die.

This is one of the reasons why everyone wants to seize the throne.

This rule is very harmful. It turns out that the descendants of princes have other talents.

But this law of the Ming Dynasty made many hereditary descendants trapped in a city. Even if they were officials, it was just an errand without work. It was difficult for them to have a chance to display their talents. This is why the talents of the Ming Dynasty cannot be replaced. Reasons passed down from generation to generation.

Yan Chengjin was unwilling to go to the border town of Ming Dynasty to guard the north gate.

The Little Ice Age is coming. If you go there to live, won’t you freeze to death?

Not to mention what the climate is like there, if you are always worried about the Tatars coming to attack the city, your life will probably be short-lived.

………………

Forbidden City,

Emperor Hongzhi held a banquet to reward the victorious soldiers. Wang Yue was guarding the border and could not leave at will without the order. Therefore, among the soldiers who attended the banquet, Yan Kesong took the first place.

That was Dayan Khan who unified all the grassland tribes and made the Ming Dynasty frightened. He was the master of the grassland!

It is said that he is cold-blooded and good at fighting, and all tribes respect him as a grassland hero. He is an almost god-like existence in the hearts of the Tatars.

Since Genghis Khan, few Khans have received such high praise.

Emperor Hongzhi still can't believe that Dayan Khan was so beaten and fled. After the Yongle Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty's cavalry was much weaker than the Tatars. This is why the Ming Dynasty army did not dare to go deep into the grassland.

"The Yanqing family defeated the Tatars, and rewards will be given based on their merits. The Yanqing family was the first to do so, and they were granted the title of Anding Bo. Wang Yuejin Shaobao was also the crown prince's tutor. Each general will be rewarded in varying degrees." Xiao Jing read out what Emperor Hongzhi had already written. Handwriting.

Yan Kesong burst into tears of gratitude: "My lord, thank you for your kindness!"

Of course, Yan Kesong, the uncle of Anding, did not have a fief, but only a salary.

"Your Majesty, I have been holding back something for a long time. Can my son be hereditary?" Yan Kesong asked respectfully.

Emperor Hongzhi smiled and said: "The Yan Qing family has made great achievements, of course it can!"

"But... my son has already participated in the Shuntian Prefecture Township Examination. He is not talented, but he passed the exam. This is the law of the Ming Dynasty..." Yan Kesong was in a dilemma.

All laws have loopholes, and so does Ming law.

In order to prevent relatives who have titles themselves and seize power by becoming high-ranking officials through the imperial examination, Ming law has long stipulated that after a duke who has a title is not allowed to take the imperial examination.

Now, Yan Chengjin has taken part in the imperial examination!

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Xiao Jing who was standing aside, and Xiao Jing said: "It is true that Yan Chengjin passed the provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture and passed the Xie Yuan exam."

Zhu Houzhao was the first to say: "What's so difficult about this? The imperial examination comes first, and the title of marquis comes after. Then it would be better to allow Lao Gao to be an official, and also allow him to be granted the title of marquis. Who should be granted a title and who should not be granted a title?"

Yan Kesong burst into tears of gratitude to the prince.

Emperor Hongzhi glared at him angrily, "Do you think you are the only one who is smart enough to allow imperial examinations and hereditary inheritance? Doesn't that mean I have broken the laws of the Ming Dynasty?"

Yan Kesong looked at him eagerly. He really agreed with the prince's statement.

But everything is subject to His Majesty's will.

Li Dongyang, a bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, said: "Although what the prince said is biased, I agree with one thing. The imperial examination comes first, and the title of marquis comes later. Since Yan Chengjin can win Jieyuan in one fell swoop, he must be a talented person, why bother If he just sticks to his title, wouldn't it be better if he becomes an official based on his talents and brings benefits to the people? "

Emperor Hongzhi nodded and said, "What do you think, gentlemen?"

"If Yan Chengjin is an official in the court, he cannot take the title. It can be passed down to the descendants of Uncle Anding. It does not break the Ming Dynasty law. What do you think, Your Majesty?" Liu Jian asked.

If Yan Chengjin becomes an official, his title will be gone, but his sons and grandsons will still have it.

This is equivalent to hereditary inheritance.

Yan Kesong's title of Count Anding can be passed on, and Yan Chengjin can take part in the imperial examination without delay.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "Then it's settled. Does Uncle Anding have any objections?"

"My lord, thank you for your kindness!"

Zhu Houzhao glanced at Emperor Hongzhi longingly, but Emperor Hongzhi didn't think of him at all. He couldn't help but said: "Father, for this great victory in Helan Mountain, my son and I also contributed a lot. Father, when he rewards his merits, he should also remember him." It’s merit, why do you only reward Master Yan and not your ministers?”

"The Yan family is well versed in military tactics. The military tactics you know were all taught by Master Yan, right? I haven't settled accounts with you for intercepting military reports and secretly writing books! This time, I recommend you, my beloved Yan, so you deserve a credit, but the credits and demerits should be offset." Emperor Hongzhi said.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the cabinet for help. Li Dongyang picked up the wine glass, Liu Jian took a bite of the dish, and Xie Qian was peeling broad beans. There was not even a master to help him speak...

"Oh, I know." A good man will not suffer a loss in front of him, and will settle accounts with the dog emperor in the future.

After the banquet, he left the warm room.

The cabinet was headed by Liu Jian, and the others walked behind in twos and threes. Yan Kesong caught up with Li Dongyang and said, "I thank Mr. Li and Mr. Liu."

Li Dongyang said, "Don't misunderstand, Lord Yan. We should speak publicly and privately. The battle between you and me in the literary world is still important to me."

For the literary world, Li Dongyang insisted on his own views, looking back at the Song Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, and learning poetry from the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Back home, Yan Kesong called Yan Chengjin to the study, and the father and son closed the door and talked at night.

"Chengjin, after this reward, Dad will go to the border of Ningxia again. You don't have to go with Dad. The title will not fall on you, and Dad doesn't know whether it is good or not." Yan Kesong sighed.

Victory over the troops led by the little prince showed military talent, and Emperor Hongzhi would not leave such a general unused.

Being sent to the border again was within Yan Chengjin's expectations. Unless there was no foreign invasion in the north of the Ming Dynasty, his father would never come back in this life.

When he heard the news, Yan Chengjin was quite happy. After all, he was not sent to the border to eat and wait for death. There were still plenty of opportunities.

Although his father's job as the Earl of Anding was broken, as long as the Zhu family was there, he would have a job. It was better than being a refugee.