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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 276: Procession
Originally, Liaodong was a place no one would dare to go, but suddenly it became a desirable location, with tens of thousands of Tang people flocking there in droves.
The court even facilitated this by allowing them to rent boats, and the emperor issued a decree to the Andong Protectorate to ensure the safety of these individuals.
They even tacitly permitted the noble families to hire some troops from the Andong Protectorate to escort them safely to their fiefs and deal with the local stubborn remnants.
The emperor was quite pleased with the current situation. With five to six million people in Liaodong and only about two hundred thousand troops in the Andong Protectorate, it was impossible to govern effectively.
If special policies were not implemented, they would eventually have to retreat and abandon the land, just like in the history of the Tang Dynasty, which faced continuous contraction.
Since the cost of governance outweighed the benefits, why not be a bit more generous?
As for whether they could manage their own territories without being taken over by the remnants of the Three Kingdoms, that depended on each family's capabilities.
The core prefectures were all under the control of the court, and the military strength of the Andong Protectorate could be concentrated rather than dispersed.
The results of the Imperial Examination were also announced, with over two hundred people making it onto the list. The emperor presided over the examination, and none were dismissed; all the newly appointed officials bowed in respect.
Officials who entered service through family connections envied them greatly. Although it seemed there was no difference at first glance, being an Imperial Student became increasingly valuable as time went on.
A wealthy elder sighed, "If my descendants can achieve this today, I would die content!"
Sovereign Eda no Hime suppressed her anger and said, "You are my uncle. Therefore, giving away the country's land to private individuals will lead future generations to judge me as a foolish woman, and you will also be ridiculed for your disloyalty. Is this what you want to see, uncle?"
Soga Makiko snorted coldly, "But you should have discussed this with me in advance, and you shouldn't have sent an outsider to manage the Soga Family's land!"
"Uncle, that is also my territory. In this country, is there any county that I cannot manage?"
In Wa Country, an elderly woman dressed in traditional attire sat high above, while many men knelt below.
"Such grandeur!"
The Third Emperor's decree was that the Top Scholar and the second place in the examination rode through Luoyang City on tall horses, wearing golden hats and bright red robes, holding the imperial edict, astride golden saddled red-maned horses, surrounded by attendants and banners, exuding extraordinary majesty!
The next day, a banquet for students was held in the Western Garden, where even the Empress attended with her son. Such closeness moved the newly minted Scholars to tears of gratitude.
"Your Majesty, Katsuragi County has always been the Soga Family's territory. Why do you still need to send officials there?"
A short, stout man with a shaved head and skin as dark as coal stood up. His stark black complexion contrasted sharply with his plain white clothing, creating a rather startling appearance.
Poems and writings praising the Emperor and Empress were recited and sung during the banquet.
However, they were also self-aware; they had seen the content of the Imperial Examination, which was not something just anyone could pass.
The Imperial Guard held up a large red lantern for the top scholar and carried a red-yellow banner inscribed with the scholar's name, quietly avoiding two large signs, making the citizens of Luoyang envious.
Before the Sovereign could respond, he immediately insisted, "Since we have come this far, then please Your Majesty, directly cede Katsuragi County to our family. After all, you carry the bloodline of our family."
“My son is hopeless. If my daughter can marry this worthy man, my heart will be content.”
“There is no need for my son to be so sad; he can take the exam again next year.”
Soga Makiko looked at her with a cold gaze and said without any concealment, “Have you forgotten who helped you become this emperor?”
The previous generation's Emperor Chōjun was assassinated by people sent by her, and then she personally supported Niece as Sovereign, which is why she is so audacious.
A frail middle-aged man who had been kneeling and reading Buddhist Scriptures coughed a few times: “You should not speak to His Majesty like that.”
Soga Makiko bluntly accused, “How dare you still speak? The foolish envoy angered the Tang Dynasty Emperor, causing our country to suffer humiliation. The people in Liaodong were killed; was this not all your idea?”
The Crown Prince shook his head: “I only wanted to engage in equal exchanges with the Tang Dynasty. Who would have thought their emperor would be so furious and rude?”
The Sovereign spoke again: “Uncle, there is no need to argue with him. As for the division of the country, I will not agree.”
Soga Makiko stood up angrily: “Foolish woman, and a foolish man as well; you will bring shame upon the country.”
As he left, more than half of the court followed him out.
The Crown Prince put down the Buddhist Scriptures and respectfully bowed to His Majesty, saying, "I have let you down."
The Sovereign shook his head, tiredly rubbing his forehead. The Crown Prince was already his closest and most trusted person; without him to confront his uncle, he would have lost all power long ago.
The Crown Prince's father was her full brother, and the Crown Prince's mother was her half-sister, so their relationship was naturally undeniable.
"My uncle wishes to send troops to go to war with the Tang Dynasty to uphold the dignity of the nation. This is clearly a misguided idea; you must persuade them."
The Crown Prince shook his head. "My actions have provoked a negative reaction from the Tang Dynasty. My words have lost their authority; I can only temporarily stop him, and my health..."
"Sigh."
...
In Liaodong, Duke of Lu Luo Yi repeatedly tried to probe Duke Zhang Hutan of Ying but could not get any indication of when he would return to the capital.
As long as Zhang Hutan remained, he felt constrained in his position as the Andong Protectorate and always sensed a chill at his back.
Until one day, Zhang Hutan invited him for drinks to bid farewell. Luo Yi gladly accepted and even generously loaded an entire ship with gifts.
Having worked together for so long, they had developed a friendship, but positions of power simply did not allow for shared authority.
Moreover, Zhang Hutan was likely returning to the capital to take command of the Luoyang Army, staying close to His Majesty. The weight of those words was not light; it was certain that there would come a day when he would have demands from him.
He was therefore not stingy with some gold and silver treasures, all of which were seized from the nobles of the Three Kingdoms.
Of course, he also prepared treasures from ten ships to present to His Majesty.
The two of them, after drinking heartily, reminisced about the difficulties they faced over the past two years. Luo Yi also sighed, acknowledging that without Zhang Hutan, it would have been difficult for him to achieve such smooth success and be granted the title of Duke in the Three Kingdoms.
"Hutan, you need not worry about the fief when you return. Just send a few of your nephews over; I will take care of things here, and there will be no problems."
"Then I will not be polite."
As the primary contributors, their fiefs were second only to the Duke of Wei among the dukes, even surpassing the Earl of England.
After another drink, Zhang Hutan suddenly said, "As we part ways, there are some words I must share with you."
Luo Yi set down his cup and replied, "If you intend to remind me to be loyal and never harbor thoughts of splitting territories or establishing a kingdom, then there is no need for further words.
Am I such a fool? His Majesty is wise as a deity, and both Qin Wang and Duke of Wei are rare military talents throughout history. Not to mention these three, even if the Earl of England and you, Zhang Hutan, came with an army, I would only have my head to offer; how could I dare entertain any disloyal thoughts?"
……………
(End of Chapter)
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