"Eunuch Gao, this student pays his respects."
Wang Chong quickly turned his head and respectfully bowed.
The scions of the capital often silently criticized these eunuchs who had lost their power, but Wang Chong was different. He knew that this eunuch before him was actually a virtuous eunuch. Whether or not he was a eunuch, he was loyal to the country, to the sovereign, and to the world. This sort of person was worthy of respect.
Moreover, when he was imprisoned, Eunuch Gao had shown him kindness.
"Haha, the last time we met in the prison, I already knew that Young Master was not an ordinary person. Today, I finally saw that this was the case. In the war of the southwest, Young Master made a great contribution and did not disappoint His Majesty. "
Young Master Gao faintly smiled as he raised the imperial decree.
Unlike other eunuchs, Eunuch Gao had never referred to himself as' this one 'or' this one ', but always used' I '. In the depths of the palace, he was the only person who could receive this honor. From this, one could see how much the Son of Heaven favored him.
"Eunuch Gao is too kind. The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every man. Wang Chong is only doing his duty. "
Wang Chong gave a slight bow.
"Oh?"
Eunuch Gao's eyes brightened as he looked in surprise at Wang Chong.
"The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every man? Interesting. Young Master's way of thinking is truly different from the average person's. Young Master has truly lived up to His Majesty's favor. "
In the world that Wang Chong had come from, 'The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every man' was a phrase that everyone was familiar with, but it was clear that no one in this world had ever heard of it.
This was clearly the case for Eunuch Gao as well.
"Wang Chong, receive the decree!"
Eunuch Gao nodded. Without the slightest hesitation, he spread open his hands and unfurled the second imperial decree.
"Wang Chong receives the decree!"
Eunuch Gao's resounding voice resounded over the Imperial Stairway, reaching both inside and outside the Imperial Palace. In an instant, both inside and outside the Imperial City, regardless of whether it was the guards, maids, or even the distant Yuzhen Palace, countless people pricked up their ears, revealing expressions of attentiveness.
The war of the southwest was no small matter. It concerned the fate of the entire Tang dynasty. Many people were curious as to how Wang Chong would be rewarded, but before the imperial decree was issued, no one knew.
King Qi, Abusi, Duan Qian, and many of the other officials, including Wang Gen, were completely focused. Even Wang Chong, standing before the white jade steps, was the same.
Although he had experienced many mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and his spirit was very strong, this reward was very important to Wang Chong. However, even he did not know what kind of reward the Holy Emperor would give him.
Because all of this was beyond the development of history, at least in the previous life, this kind of thing had never happened.
"By the will of the heavens, the Emperor decrees:
The son of the Wang Clan, Wang Chong, has pacified Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan in the war of the southwest and rendered meritorious service to the country. He shall be rewarded with three million taels of gold, thirty thousand bushels of pearls, one hundred thousand bolts of silk, a marquis title, and the title of Young Marquis! … "
Rumble!
The words' Young Marquis' were like a boulder falling into a lake. The Imperial Palace was in an uproar, and the viewing platform was in an even greater uproar.
"Marquis?! The Holy Emperor has actually made him a marquis!! "
"He's only seventeen, but he's already a marquis. Such a thing has never happened before. In the three hundred years since the establishment of the Tang dynasty, including the previous dynasty, no one has ever become a marquis at such a young age! "
"I've been in charge of the Bureau of Rites for so many years, and I know so much about the ancient records of the Imperial Court that there has never been a Young Marquis title. For His Majesty to give him this title, doesn't that mean that he is the only marquis among the millions of youths in the world? Just what sort of high regard is this?! "
"The Young Marquis, the Young Marquis! Putting aside the millions in gold and jewels, His Majesty has even made him a marquis. Such a thing has never happened before! Doesn't that mean that his status is above that of many first-rank ministers in the court!!! "
… …
The viewing platform was in an uproar, and everyone's faces were instantly filled with shock. Many people had speculated that the Holy Emperor would reward Wang Chong handsomely upon his return from the southwest.
But Wang Chong had no scholarly rank, and his name was not even on the roster of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Tang Dynasty. This was a serious flaw. Thus, many people had concluded that no matter how generous His Majesty's reward was, it would not surpass that of a count.
But no one had expected the Holy Emperor to reconsider the matter. In a situation where Wang Chong had no scholarly rank, no official position, and was not even registered on the roster, the Holy Emperor had jumped ten ranks and promoted him to marquis.
His status was so high that it even surpassed that of many important ministers of the Imperial Court.
Even Wang Chong's big uncle, Wang Gen, was overshadowed by Wang Chong's brilliance.
"Hahaha, marquis, marquis, our Wang Clan actually produced a youth! Good!"
Wang Gen stroked his sparse beard, his eyes bright, and his red robe trembled in excitement. He felt like he was being comforted. The Wang clan had actually produced a seventeen-year-old Young Marquis in his generation. This was completely unprecedented.
Of all the great clans in the capital, not a single seventeen-year-old had ever been made a marquis. The Wang Clan was the only one.
"Chong-er, good job. Big Uncle did not misjudge you. With you here, our Wang Clan is certain to be even more glorious than it is now! "
Wang Gen was extremely excited.
"Bastard!! The Young Marquis, the Young Marquis … His Majesty actually bestowed the title of marquis on this brat who's still wet behind the ears. Since ancient times, when has the Tang Dynasty ever produced such a young marquis? This is absurd! "
Unlike Wang Gen, King Qi's face was ashen and nasty.
Not only had Wang Chong escaped his plot, he had even obtained the title of 'Young Marquis' that the Holy Emperor had specially created for him. King Qi had never imagined that this would happen. The Wang Clan following at the King of Song's side was already difficult enough to deal with. Now that Wang Chong had become the Young Marquis, wouldn't they be even more difficult to deal with?
At this moment, King Qi felt like a dagger was pressing down on his back.
"Damn it, damn it!!"
King Qi clenched his fists so tightly that they cracked. He wanted to leave in a huff, but after the victory in the southwest, the Holy Emperor had bestowed the title of marquis, and all the civil and military officials were present. Even if he were as bold as the heavens, he would not dare to mess around and ruin the ceremony in front of the Holy Emperor.
But just when everyone believed that the Holy Emperor's bestowal to Wang Chong had come to an end, it was far from over.
"In addition, Wang Chong is young and intelligent. In order to commend his achievements in the southwest and serve as a model for the world, an exception will be made and he will be granted a fief! The location of the conferment will be jointly decided by the Bureau of Rites and the Bureau of Revenue after the ceremony! … "
"Boom!"
It was like a stone thrown into a lake. If the matter of 'Wang Chong being conferred a marquis' could be said to have taken everyone by surprise and stunned them. But now, when Wang Chong announced that he could enjoy the privileges of a county, it gave everyone an unprecedented shock.
"A fief! His Majesty has actually given him a fief! The Tang Dynasty has been established for three-hundred-some years, and ever since Emperor Taizong, no one has been granted a fief. This is a real nobility. Just what virtue or ability does this brat have for him to receive such an honor? This is a violation of the ancestral laws! "
On the observation platform, an old imperial censor finally couldn't help but shout.
He could accept the Holy Emperor conferring the title of marquis on Wang Chong, but for His Majesty to give him a fief … even the smallest of fiefs was unacceptable.
"Absurd!!"
King Qi's face twitched, his expression contorting. Finally, he could no longer restrain himself.
"A seventeen-year-old brat, still wet behind the ears, with no scholarly honors and no official rank. Giving him the title of marquis is one thing, but to give him a fief as well! This is absurd!"
Swish!
Prince Qi could not bear to watch any longer. With a flick of his golden embroidered robe, he suddenly turned around and left, not giving the slightest bit of face in front of everyone's eyes. The ceremony was no small matter. Not even King Qi dared to lightly disrupt it. But now, King Qi could no longer endure it.
He had come today to be humiliated!
The conferment of Wang Chong as a marquis and a fief — each one was like a vicious slap to his face. He now felt that everyone around him was laughing at him.
Even that old fellow Wang Gen was laughing at him behind his back.
Needless to say, there was no need to mention Wang Chong at the top of the Imperial Stairway.
Given King Qi's temperament, how could he possibly endure this?
"Your Highness!"
Yao Guang Yi exclaimed in shock. He had remembered his father's words today. Do your best to keep a low profile. Given the Yao Clan's way of doing things, this wasn't really a big deal. There were very few things that the Yao Clan could not tolerate.
But he hadn't expected King Qi to leave in a huff.
Wang Chong wasn't the only one present in the viewing hall, and this wasn't a matter of giving face to Wang Chong. If King Qi were to willfully leave now, it would be disastrous.
"Hurry and stop His Highness!"
Yao Guang Yi wanted to stop King Qi, but it was already too late. King Qi's martial arts were far superior to his, and he had always been arrogant. If he wanted to do something, who could stop him?
"Your Highness King Qi, where do you think you're going?"
Suddenly, a chuckling voice like that of the Maitreya Buddha came from the top of the Imperial Stairway. It was Eunuch Gao's voice.
"Damned eunuch! Mind your own business … "
King Qi's face was ashen. He didn't even turn his head, cursing as he walked. He was a member of the royal family. If he wanted to leave, who could stop him? But in the next moment, without the slightest warning, the earth quaked and the mountains swayed. In the blink of an eye, a boundless and terrifying energy that caused the world to lose its splendor suddenly erupted from the earth beneath King Qi's feet like a flash flood.
King Qi himself was an extremely formidable expert, but this energy was even more powerful than him.
"Ah!"
With a loud cry, King Qi was struck by this terrifying energy and sent flying high into the air.
"Buzz!"
All was silent. Everyone on the viewing platform was as quiet as cicadas in winter. Even Wang Chong looked at Eunuch Gao in shock.
"What a high cultivation!"
Wang Chong blinked his eyes in shock. He knew a little about what level of expert King Qi was. Unlike the other imperial princes, King Qi had been infatuated with martial arts ever since he was a child.
Thus, his martial arts were actually much higher than The King of Song's. Even though Wang Chong had reached the Imperial Martial realm, he was still no match for King Qi.
However, Eunuch Gao was able to send King Qi flying with just a wave of his hand without the slightest trace of worldly aura.
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