AWB Chapter 693 Dad...I Became a Marquis
Chapter 693 Dad...I Became a Marquis
At Zhang Shikang's command, the main force of the Guards saluted in the direction of Deshengmen, and then marched towards the Xishan camp.
Zhang Shikang took the remaining 3,000 men and many generals, and continued to advance, forcing the captured Jiannu prisoners to retreat.
Before they had gone far, they saw the people of the capital cheering for them on both sides of the official road. Zhang Shikang waved and greeted them, and Sun Dasheng and others followed suit.
They never thought that there would be a day when they would be respected by all people despite their humble background.
The closer we got to Deshengmen, the more people there were, and the people from the Wucheng Bingmasi were trying hard to maintain order.
Fortunately, after Zhang Shikang's repeated orders, the people in the Bingmasi had changed their ways and did not bully the people.
When Zhang Shikang saw the high dais, Emperor Chongzhen was already smiling at him.
Zhang Shikang dismounted, and Sun Weifan and others behind him also dismounted. Zhang Shikang walked to the bottom of the ceremonial platform and saluted solemnly, saying:
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard has fulfilled its mission. This time, during our campaign against the Jianlu, we have killed over 100,000 enemies, recaptured 36 cities, large and small, and captured over 20 banners and flags of various types. Those killed ranged from soldiers of the Eight Banners to members of the Imperial Family. We now have hundreds of prisoners, all of whom hold the rank of Jianlu Niulu or higher. Your Majesty, please review them."
After he finished speaking, a group of soldiers came from behind, escorting the Jianlu who were tied together with ropes.
The armor of these Jianlu had long been taken off, and their faces no longer had the arrogance of the Eight Banners descendants. They were all disheveled and listless.
In fact, there were at least tens of thousands of prisoners captured in this battle, but the court's food and grass were always in short supply, and Zhang Shikang disliked wasting food and grass.
Those captives, such as Mongolian soldiers, were either directly recruited or killed by the surrendered Mongolian soldiers. It was only after Sun Weifan's repeated persuasion that they were spared.
After all, an army of tens of thousands went out to fight and won such a great victory. It would be awkward to return without taking any prisoners.
Even so, 30% of them still died along the way.
Emperor Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction, and without any nonsense, he asked Wang Chengen to announce the decree.
Wang Chengen, wearing a dragon robe, walked to the side of Emperor Chongzhen. Behind him were four or five eunuchs. Each of them was holding a plate in his hand, and on each plate were four or five imperial edicts.
The people fell silent, and even the civil and military officials on the stage took a deep breath.
They still remembered that the last time they defeated the Jianlu, more than a dozen titles were conferred in the world at once.
Now the Royal Guards have killed 100,000 enemies in one battle and recaptured so many cities. Their achievements are naturally greater than ever before, so they are very concerned about the emperor's reward.
The balance between civil and military officials in the imperial court has been broken.
The civil officials spent a hundred years trampling the military generals under their feet.
In less than four years, Zhang Shikang not only restored the military generals to power, but also showed signs of suppressing the civil officials.
This made many civil servants present feel uneasy.
Wang Chengen didn't think too much about it. He just took out the first imperial edict and began to read it out in a calm manner:
"Gongsun Weifan of Huai State received the order."
"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees:
I have heard that 'the safety of the country depends on good generals, and the country relies on them as a fortress'. Last year, the enemy invaded our border cities and the capital was in turmoil. You, as the deputy assistant manager of the Beijing camp, rushed to the crisis at night and saved the people from danger.
In March of this year, the Jianlu led 100,000 cavalry to invade the border, destroyed the border walls, looted villages and forts, and the border people cried. You personally led the brave soldiers to fight the enemy and did not tarnish the reputation of our Ming Dynasty. In the battle of Guanshan, the enemy was frightened and surrendered at the sight of the flag. I am very pleased.
The imperial decree appointed Jin Qing as a pillar of the state, granted him a red-lettered iron certificate, and allowed him to inherit the title without interruption.
He was awarded three thousand taels of gold, a dragon robe, a jade belt, and one hundred pieces of brocade.
Imperially bestowed."
Hereditary Duke of Huaiguo!
The civil and military officials on the stage took a deep breath of cold noodles.
In view of the ancestral system, for two hundred years after Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, no other meritorious official was granted the title of hereditary duke except Zhang Shikang, who was promoted to a higher title.
And now Sun Weifan has become the second one.
Last year, there was unrest in the south of the Yangtze River. In anger, the emperor stripped the titles of Nanjing nobles such as Duke Dingguo, and the Ming Dynasty suddenly lost dozens of important titles.
At that time, the civil officials thought that the power of the nobles had weakened again, but now they found that they were wrong.
Compared to those nobles and relatives in Nanjing who were living a life of drunkenness and debauchery and had become useless, Sun Weifan was the real deputy marshal of the Imperial Guards and a duke who held real power over the army.
The proclamation of the decree continued, and no official was so ignorant as to interrupt.
When Sun Weifan heard the words "granting a red-lettered iron certificate", his body trembled noticeably and his eyes turned red.
A marquis who had been in office for two hundred years was finally promoted to a higher rank by him. For a military commander, this was a great event that brought honor to his family.
Even if you go down there and meet your ancestors, you will feel very proud.
"Your Highness, Sun Weifan, bows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"
Sun Weifan's voice was deep and tears were streaming down his face. Emperor Chongzhen praised him warmly and then signaled Wang Chengen to continue.
……
"Huang Degong, the Marquis of Wugong, was promoted to Guardian General and Prince Taibao, and was granted a red-lettered iron certificate, a reward of two thousand taels of gold, a python robe, a jade belt, and one hundred pieces of brocade."
Another hereditary succession!
All the civil and military officials in the court slurped up the cold noodles again.
When Huang Degong last attacked the border with the Lu invaders, he had just been promoted from earl to marquis, but the reward at that time was a demotion and inheritance. But this time, he was even given a hereditary certificate.
Huang Degong is also a typical late bloomer. Of course, it's not that he is not brave, it's really that the current emperor...
According to the original historical process, Huang Degong was not granted a title until the Southern Ming Dynasty.
"Lu Xiangsheng, the Earl of Dingzhou and Commander-in-Chief of the Tiger Guards, was promoted to the rank of Pillar of the State and Marquis of Dingzhou, and was granted a red-lettered iron certificate and a bounty of two thousand taels...
Sun Chuanting, the Earl of Lincheng, Vice Governor of the Huben Army, and Governor-General of the Three Borders of Shaanxi, was promoted to the rank of Pillar of the State and Marquis of Lincheng, demoted to the rank of Earl, and granted a red-lettered iron certificate and a reward of 1,000 taels...
Wu Sangui, the Earl of Weiwu, Vice Governor of the Tiger Guards, and Commander-in-Chief of the Guanningjin Army, was promoted to Guard General and granted a red-lettered iron certificate...
"
……
"Jizhou General Hu Dawei, the Earl of Jizhou..."
Hou Shiwei, the general of Xuanfu, and the Earl of Wencheng in Jin...
Yang Guozhu, the Earl of Weiyuan and General of Taiyuan, was granted a red-lettered iron certificate and promoted to the rank of Protector General...
......"
After Wang Chengen finished reading one imperial edict, the eunuch behind him handed him another one, and more eunuchs kept bringing new imperial edicts.
The civil and military officials behind him didn't need to suck the cold noodles because they were numb.
After reading out the rewards for the two deputy commanders of the Huben Army and the Imperial Guards, Wang Chengen took the new imperial edict and glanced at Xu Wenyuan.
Sun Dasheng immediately became excited.
The younger members of the Second Sons group became collectively agitated.
"Xu Wenyuan, the Earl of Bazhou and Lieutenant General of the Imperial Guard, was promoted to the rank of Guard General of Bazhou, and awarded a bounty of five hundred taels, a flying fish robe, and fifty pieces of brocade...
Sun Dasheng, the Marquis of Jinglu and Lieutenant General of the Imperial Guards Cavalry, and the Marquis of Jin, the Guard General...
Nanpibo Wang Jingduo, the Nanpi monkey of Jin, the guard general...
Wuyi Bo Zheng Chong, Jin Wuyi Marquis..."
In the last war against the Jianlu, all members of the Second Sons Group led the charge, and by the time they put down the rebellion in the south of the Yangtze River, all of them had become hereditary earls.
This time, the Guards were the absolute main force in the Battle of Guanshan, and Sun Dasheng and others fought with their lives.
But even so, the fact that all of them were given titles of nobility, even if they inherited the title at a lower rank, was enough to shock everyone on the scene.
You know, they are all only around twenty years old.
At this age, most people are still taking the exam to become a scholar.
And they have already reached the highest position in the country and hold military power.
Sun Dasheng grinned and looked at his father.
"Dad, I...I became a monkey"
……
PS: There will be another update tonight