"General Zhou Bao of Qing Province, highly skilled in martial arts, loyal and devoted, and meritorious for protecting the grain and killing the enemy. He will be conferred the title of Wuyang County Magistrate with 3,000 stones of land and 300 square miles of Blackstone Valley. Hereditary title!"
The eunuch's treacherous voice rang in Junior Leopard's ears. Junior Leopard shivered and buried his head deep under the ground.
After the series of shrill voice ended, Junior Leopard raised his head and said loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"
"County Magistrate Zhou, please rise!"
Junior Leopard felt goosebumps all over his body when he heard the way she addressed him and the tone of her voice.
He had been in the capital city for 13 days. The news that the imperial court was going to enfeoff the meritorious officials had spread all over the world.
This news made the whole world seethe.
Enfeoffment?!
Maybe some smart people had thought of this before, but when the imperial court really implemented it, they still felt it was a little unbelievable.
The imperial court was going to enfeoffment. The state and county system that had lasted for more than 10,000 years finally showed its limitations. Now, they needed to use the ancient system from 10,000 years ago to make up for this limitation.
Most people were excited to get a piece of land that belonged to them completely, but a small number of people saw further and deeper.
This time, many people were enfeoffed. After all, the area of Northern Yuan was too large. Under the current situation, it was completely inappropriate to implement the state and county system.
The Great Jin only took the territory of the Seven Troops of the Southern Yard of Northern Yuan and established three new states. The land outside the three new states was completely enfeoffed.
Perhaps even the emperor himself didn't know how much land was enfeoffed. What he controlled were the territories of some major well-known families and schools.
The Li Family of Pingzhou, the Meng Family of Ningzhou, the Liu Family of Yuzhou …
And so on and so forth.
The 12 biggest aristocratic families of the Great Jin had the most fiefs. They were also the places with the most fertile water and grass on the prairie. The most amazing thing was that their fiefs were very close to each other. Moreover, whether it was intentional or not, the boundaries of these aristocratic families' fiefs were not clear. The depth of their intentions was clear.
The Wu Family also got a fief. Like Junior Leopard, it was 600 miles of land. However, the Wu Family's fief and Junior Leopard's were very far apart. One was in the east and the other was in the west, thousands of miles apart.
In the Imperial Palace, on the huge map of Northern Yuan, there were numerous small blocks of tofu. Don't underestimate these small blocks of tofu. If you were to compare them to the actual territory, there would be hundreds of miles of land.
"2352 pieces of land. Your Majesty, good move!"
Seeing that the northern prairie was like a big cake that had been divided into so many small pieces, the green-clothed old man smiled like a flower. "Not to mention that there are not many people on the prairie now, even if there were people, it would take at least hundreds of years to unify the prairie!"
"This isn't my method, it's yours!" The Jin Emperor smiled and stroked his beard, showing the same complacency. The Great Jin had been founded for hundreds of years, and the Central Plains had experienced tens of thousands of years. He was the first monarch to conquer the northern prairie. With this alone, it was enough to completely suppress the previous wise monarchs and sages.
"I just put forward a small suggestion. If it weren't for Your Majesty's divine power, all of this would just be a joke!"
"Okay, okay, you and I don't need to flatter each other here. Have you seen Ma Tianchang's resignation?"
"I saw it!" Speaking of this matter, the two of them, who were originally happy, became gloomy.
"This guy, what do you think he wants to do?"
"He wants to withdraw!" The green-clothed man said lightly. "He doesn't want to get involved in this muddy water anymore!" “
"Muddy water? Is this muddy water? This is a major event in the world. This is the overall situation of the world. This is an immortal achievement. Do you think it's muddy water? "The Jin Emperor's voice suddenly rose, and his dissatisfaction was evident in his words.
"It's not my opinion, it's his opinion. He thinks that all the achievements are just muddled water. You and I both know that if it wasn't for revenge, he wouldn't have helped you seize the throne, nor would he have helped you guard the Northern Borderline for so many years. Now that Northern Yuan has been destroyed, his wish has been fulfilled. It's normal for him to withdraw!"
"Normal? Humph, his business is over, but what about mine? " The Jin Emperor shouted angrily. "For so many years, I let him guard the Northern Frontier and gave him great power to help me keep an eye on Northern Yuan. Now, Northern Yuan has been destroyed and he wants to leave. What does he think I am?"
The green-clothed man didn't speak. In fact, he didn't want to speak either.
Ma Tianchang and he had both followed the Jin Emperor when he was in the Emperor's mansion. The reason why the Jin Emperor could become the Jin Emperor was mostly due to the two of them. After the Jin Emperor ascended the throne, the two of them were put in an important position and were trusted by the Jin Emperor. One of them was the Border-commander of the Northern Frontier, and the other was the Cabinet Traveling Advisor. The Cabinet Traveling Advisor didn't have a high rank, but his power was amazing, almost equal to that of Elder Chen in Dragon-Tiger Alley. Considering the weight of his words in front of the Jin Emperor, in many cases, the green-clothed man's power was even greater than that of Elder Chen.
Because of this, everyone knew the reason why the Jin Emperor was angry. He also understood that when the Jin Emperor was roaring like a resentful woman, it was better not to interrupt.
"What do you think? Should I approve this resignation or not?!"
Hearing the Jin Emperor's question, the green-clothed man raised his head and smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly. Whether you approve this resignation or not, the result will be the same. Even if you don't approve it, the bastard will definitely leave. It's better to approve it!"
"Approve it? Isn't it too easy for him?" The Jin Emperor roared.
"Not necessarily. This time, he has made great contributions to the destruction of Northern Yuan. It's not an exaggeration to say that he has made the greatest contribution. There are still several large territories in Northern Yuan that haven't been divided. You can give him a large piece of land and let him go to the North. Anyway, even if he leaves, he needs a place to settle down. If you give him a piece of land, it can be said to be the best place to settle down. He has no reason not to accept it!"
"But …!"
"Your Majesty, you don't need to worry about this bastard at all. After so many years, can't you see it? He is originally a person without any ambition. He has no son, only a daughter, and she is married. Give him a bigger fief with a better environment. As long as he goes there, it's equivalent to helping Your Majesty keep an eye on those local moneybags. Even if he doesn't have this intention, those local moneybags won't see it that way! "
"Will he go there?"
"Give him a good place with verdant hills and limpid water. He will naturally go there!" The green-clothed man said with a smile.
"Then let's do as you say!" The Jin Emperor nodded. Although he was very angry just now and scolded Ma Tianchang as a bastard, he certainly knew Ma Tianchang's character after getting along with him for so many years. If he really didn't approve this resignation, this bastard would definitely hang up his crown and leave. At that time, he would really lose his face. It was better to really follow Ma Tianchang's intention and give him a good fief, and let him do as he pleased. Ma Tianchang owed him a favor. In the Northern Prairie, maybe he would really help him keep an eye on those local moneybags!
Moneybags — this was what the emperor and his minister called the owners of the lands they had just enfeoffed. Once these people were enfeoffed, they would definitely become local tyrants. However, it was not appropriate to call them local tyrants in front of the Jin Emperor, so the cyan-robed man called them local moneybags. Over time, it became easier to call them local moneybags.
"As for the Clear Glass Jade Bottle, is there really no hope?" Suddenly, the Jin Emperor changed the topic.
"There is no way. The Immortal Palace has returned the remuneration and added ten times the original amount. They also said that they will not take over this matter again!"
"Then, is there any other …?"
"If the Immortal Palace can't do it, other organizations certainly can't do it!" The green-clothed man smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty, forget it. The Clear Glass Jade Bottle shouldn't have appeared in this world. This time, Ma Tianchang has revealed it. I reckon that his troubles won't be small!"
"Others may not know Ma Tianchang's background, but we do. He has the Fifth Manor to support him. Even if there is trouble, it won't be too big! "
"That's all right, Your Majesty. The Clear Glass Jade Bottle is much safer in his hands than in your hands!"
"Humph, he is a Yunzhou Governor, and he has such a magic weapon that can suppress fate. But what about our Jin? We only have a Pure Yang Celestial Device. Don't you think it's inappropriate? "
"The Clear Glass Jade Bottle can suppress fate. But it's different now. It's not the antiquity times. We don't need a magic weapon of that level to suppress fate. Your Majesty, going too far is as bad as falling short!"
"How can I not understand what you're saying? But when I think of that bastard, I can't help but get angry!"
"This shows that Your Majesty is a man of character!" The green-clothed man smiled.
The Jin Emperor looked up and glanced at him. "Is that so?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The two laughed at the same time.
"Well, then let's see where we can give this Governor Ma the title!"
… …
… …
"Congratulations, Elder Zhou!"
The eunuch in charge of announcing the imperial edict took the reward that Junior Leopard stuffed into his hand and left with a smile. Wu Yansheng and Lyu Yiyue, who had been in the room, came out together and congratulated him in unison.
600 miles of fief!
This area was equivalent to the fief of the Wu Family. The County Magistrate of Wuyang County was a Level Five title, which was equivalent to Wu Yansheng, the Family Head of the Wu Family. In terms of personal rewards, Junior Leopard was the most generous.
"No, no!" Junior Leopard hurriedly said, "I don't even know where this Blackstone Valley is!"
"Who knows?" Wu Yansheng also smiled bitterly. "This time the imperial court made this decision very suddenly. Northern Yuan is too big. Our Wu Family was also sealed 600 miles of land. Last night, Elder Lyu and I searched for a long time on the map before we found it. Oh my god, it's actually near the East Sea, nearly 10,000 miles away from Yunzhou. I guess there's not even a human habitation now!"
Lyu Yiyue nodded in agreement, but Junior Leopard could see the envy and bitterness in his eyes.
He was the First Elder of the Wu Family. Although the Wu Family had played a great role in the war to destroy Northern Yuan, as the Wu Family's strongest force at that time, he mainly defended the Wu Family and didn't make any contributions on the battlefield. Therefore, he didn't get any rewards. Although some of his nephews also went to the battlefield, their cultivation was too low, so they didn't make enough contributions to get fief. Therefore, when he saw Junior Leopard and Wu Yansheng discussing the matter of fief, he seemed a little unnatural.
Wu Yansheng and Junior Leopard were both very smart people. How could they not know what he was thinking in his heart? However, they couldn't do anything about this matter. Neither he nor Wu Yansheng would cede a piece of fief to him, even though it was allowed by the law that the Jin had just promulgated.
Therefore, both of them tacitly ended the discussion on this topic.
In the next few days, Junior Leopard wandered around the capital of the Jin. Although the war had just ended, in the hinterland of Qianzhou, the center of the Central Plains, and the capital of the Jin, there was no trace of war at all. On the contrary, after the destruction of Northern Yuan, the capital had fallen into a kind of extreme fanaticism.
Yes, fanaticism. After the destruction of Northern Yuan, not only the capital of the Jin, but every other place in the Jin had completely fallen into a kind of fanaticism. The following fief of the imperial court made this fanaticism reach a limit.
Who didn't want to get a piece of land? Who didn't want to become a feudal lord?
This was very difficult to achieve in the past unless you made great contributions and had great influence. Only then could you become a governor of a province like Ma Tianchang and be called a feudal lord.
But at the same time, everyone knew that such a feudal lord was actually a compliment. Because you weren't a real feudal lord, but just an imperial court official who was restrained.
The term "feudal lord" originated from the Middle Ages. It referred to princes and nobles who had been enfeoffed with land. Only these princes and nobles who had been enfeoffed with land could be called feudal lords.
Now, the system of enfeoffment had finally reappeared after disappearing for more than 10,000 years. And the feudal lords that had disappeared for more than 10,000 years had once again appeared in front of the world.
These families and individuals who had been enfeoffed with land, no matter the size of the land, no matter whether the land was fertile or not, were real feudal lords.
What was the first impression of a feudal lord?
A local tyrant!
What about the second impression?
Hegemony!
Feudal lords contending for hegemony!
This was an idiom in the Jin that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years.
More than 2,000 feudal lords in the desolate northern prairie. Just think about it and you would know how chaotic it would be!
Perhaps this was what the Jin Emperor wanted to see.
… …
… …
"Hehe, Commander, where do you think we should go today?"
Walking leisurely on the street, Little Du followed Junior Leopard's feet. Behind him was Zhu Ba.
Zhu Ba's strength had improved very fast in the past three years. He had already reached Level Four, Bone-Forging Realm, which was neither too big nor too small. He could be considered as an expert. Even if he was placed in a medium-sized well-known family like the Wu's, he could be considered as an Elder.
Since Junior Leopard came to River Heart Island again, he had been following Junior Leopard. He even wanted to resign from his current position. In fact, he was not the only one. Several others had the same idea, including Wang Cheng, Jiang Xiao and the other leaders of the Navy of Jiang City.
In the past three years, although a new commander of the Navy had come, he did not have much real power, because the navy had been united. Jiang Xiao was in charge of the civil affairs, and Zhu Ba was in charge of the military. Coupled with the strong financial support of Anyuan Store, he could not interfere with the power of the navy at all.
However, Jiang Xiao and the others were also smart people. They would not go against the Navy Commander's face. Therefore, in the past three years, everyone's face was still acceptable. If the new Navy Commander wanted the Navy to do something, as long as it did not violate the interests of the Navy, the Navy would do it. Therefore, everyone lived in harmony for three years.
In the past three years, with the medicinal herbs that Junior Leopard gave him that day and some later accumulation, Zhu Ba's strength finally broke through Level Four and became the number one expert in the Navy of Jiang City. However, he no longer cared about the affairs of the Navy of Jiang City.
This was something that people in the martial arts world could understand. When you had great power, you would not be too interested in some things in the secular world.
At the same time, he also found that after his cultivation reached Level Four, his progress became slower. Without the guidance of a real expert, with his foundation, it was impossible for him to go further. In this world, only Junior Leopard could really help him. Therefore, after Junior Leopard returned to River Heart Island, he followed Junior Leopard wholeheartedly and did not want to go back.
As for Wang Cheng and the others, they saw a bright future for Junior Leopard.
What was the use of being rich in a small Jiang City?
Now that the imperial court had destroyed Northern Yuan and wantonly enfeoffed the land, a new era was coming. At this time, following Junior Leopard and stepping on a bigger and broader stage was what they should do.
Although they were not young, they were in the prime of their lives and were far from reaching the age of retirement. They also had ambitions and great aspirations. It was just that they did not have the opportunity before. Now that the opportunity was in front of them, they would certainly not let it go.
For Junior Leopard, he really needed some subordinates like them.
He was not a person who was in charge of things. When he was a Commander, he handed all these things to Wang Cheng. Later, when he stepped down as a Commander, he returned to Li Yuan's side and became the Deputy Camp Supervisor of the Personal Guard Camp. In fact, there was nothing that needed to be in charge. He was only responsible for contributing.
Now it was different. He had a title of nobility and a fief. No matter how big the fief was, whether it was fertile or not, whether it was worth using or not, he could not show it to others. Even if he did not use it, it was good to leave it to his family. However, the land needed to be managed. Obviously, the Zhou Family, which was born in the mountains, had a very shallow foundation and did not have any talents in this area. Of course, it was more than he could ask for if a ready-made management team like Wang Cheng and Jiang Xiao was willing to follow him.
However, similarly, he did not want to let go of River Heart Island and Anyuan Store. Therefore, for the first time, he felt that his subordinates were extremely short of manpower.
However, Jiang Xiao helped him solve the problems of River Heart Island and Anyuan Store.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency. The Navy of River Heart Island belongs to us. Those captains have good strength and ability. After we leave, they will naturally take our place. The entire Navy of Jiang City belongs to us. Others can't touch them after we leave. Don't forget that we have a relationship with the water bandits on the Luo River. This relationship is very stable now and everyone has great benefits. Once the Navy of Jiang City has any problems, the water bandits will be the first to object. In my opinion, neither the current Garrison of Jiang City nor the current Commander has the courage to touch the Navy of Jiang City!" "That's right, Your Excellency.
This was what Jiang Xiao said to him. Although it was not very clear, there was one thing that could not be doubted. That was, even if they left, River Heart Island would still be his. He was very reassured and confident in Jiang Xiao.
Therefore, when they proposed to follow them to the capital city, Junior Leopard agreed without much consideration.
"Where are we going today? Where do you want to go? Let me tell you, don't try to take me to the red-light district. Don't think that I don't know where you have been these days! "Junior Leopard sneered.
"How dare I!"
Although Zhu Ba was thick-skinned, he still blushed at Junior Leopard's words. "Your Excellency, I know a restaurant with excellent dishes. How about we go there?"
"Go ahead. I have something to do!" Junior Leopard said.
"Ah, Your Excellency, you don't want to eat?"
"I'm going to the bookstore. I know you are not interested in that kind of place!" Junior Leopard waved his hand and said, "Go ahead!"
"Your Excellency, are you going to the bookstore again?" Zhu Ba had a strange look on his face. He had been accompanying Junior Leopard in the capital city for several days. Every day, Junior Leopard went to the bookstore. In these days, he had visited almost all the bookstores in the capital city, big or small. Every time he went there, he would buy a lot of books. In the first few days, he still followed Junior Leopard. Later, Junior Leopard saw that his face became more and more bitter, so he simply sent him away. Junior Leopard strolled in the bookstore, which was also quiet.
"Yes, Your Excellency, I'm going to the bookstore again. Not only that, I also want to buy a lot of books!" Junior Leopard said. "Get out of here!"
"Yes!" Zhu Ba said. He had no interest in going to the bookstore at all. Hearing Junior Leopard's words, he ran faster than a rabbit as if he had been granted amnesty.
Going to the bookstore was a habit of Junior Leopard's in his previous life. In this life, he gained great benefits from books. Therefore, he had a special love for the bookstore.
The capital city was the capital of Great Jin, the best district and one of the biggest cities in the world. It was also the economic and cultural center of the world. The books in the bookstore in the capital city were much more than those in remote states like Yunzhou and small places like Jiang City. It was from these books that Junior Leopard found a lot of things he wanted.
In the past few days, he had visited almost all the bookstores in the capital. Although he was young, he was extremely generous. No matter what the book was, as long as it was pleasing to his eyes, he would definitely buy it. Therefore, he had become the favorite customer of these bookstores.
Fish Market Street was an old street in the capital city. It was the place where bookstores and book markets gathered. Junior Leopard had visited this place the most these days.
The owners of these bookstores did not know his identity. They just thought that he was a rich young master who came to the capital city to play and regarded him as a big fish.
Therefore, as soon as Junior Leopard arrived at Fish Market Street, he was immediately warmly greeted by a group of owners around him.
Junior Leopard also greeted these owners with a smile. Just as he walked into a store, his footsteps stopped and his eyes also froze.
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