Chapter 160: Granting Titles, Rewards, and Promotions…

Chapter 160: Granting Titles, Rewards, and Promotions...

Post-war duties were just as demanding as wartime ones.

The battles in northern Great Yan concluded in early April, but it wasn’t until early May that Zhou Jiamu finally compiled the detailed list of fallen soldiers and the merits of the officers.

With green trees and bright flowers, the scenery was stunning.

When the army marched into the capital, the normally sealed Dongchang Gate was flung open to welcome the troops.

Huo Ling and Ji Xianshan, leading the court ministers, personally greeted the returning soldiers at Dongchang Gate.

That evening, the palace hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the triumphant return of Zhou Jiamu, Wu Feng, and other victorious officers.

After several rounds of drinks, Wu Feng finally found an opportunity to share his exploits in Great Mu with Huo Ling.

Though his exploits in Great Mu appeared glorious, they were full of danger. One wrong move could’ve gotten him—and the spies there—killed.

Despite his safe return, the spy network took major hits.

Wu Feng said, "Many died, and others got burned."

Huo Ling asked, "Did you pull out the compromised agents?"

Wu Feng replied, "All of them. Anyone who might’ve been compromised got pulled. However... only half made it home alive."

This was also a key reason why Great Yan did not push their luck further.

Whether on the front lines or in the shadows of intelligence warfare, Great Mu got hammered, but Great Yan didn’t walk away clean either.

Spies planted over ten years back—except for a few deeply hidden ones—had all been withdrawn by Wu Feng to avoid further exposure.

Staying in Great Mu was pointless—and a death sentence.

After a moment of silence, Huo Ling instructed Wu Feng, "Make a list of their names and take care of their families."

Not one to kill the mood during the celebration, Wu Feng shifted the topic as Huo Ling hinted: "I got you some souvenirs from Great Mu, Your Majesty."

Just as Wu Mo arrived with more wine, she overheard this.

Setting down the wine, she extended her hand toward Wu Feng. "Gifts? Only for Her Majesty? What about mine?"

Wu Feng waved her off, nudging her arm aside. "Who just straight-up asks for gifts?"

"Your Majesty, look at him!" Wu Mo pointed at Wu Feng, turning to Huo Ling in protest.

Huo Ling smiled faintly, lowering her gaze to pour more wine.

Wu Feng crossed his arms and sighed dramatically. "Alright, quit the drama. Did you really think I’d forget your gift?

"Man, after running for my life a thousand miles, yet still remembering to bring you something. And what thanks do I get? No ‘how are you?’—just tattling to Her Majesty."

Wu Mo happily patted his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, you’re still in one piece. Don’t overdo it. Who says I don’t care? Tomorrow, I’ll whip up a feast myself to celebrate your return."

The next noon, Huo Ling held a small banquet at Shouning Palace, inviting only Wu Feng and Zhou Jiamu.

Zhou Jiamu, eyeing the spread of authentic Yanxi home-style dishes, raised his cup to Wu Feng. "This time, I owe this to Commander Wu Feng." He then thanked Wu Mo. "It’s been ages since I’ve had proper Yanxi cuisine."

Wu Mo was a decent cook at best, and it had been years since she last cooked seriously.

But these small gatherings aren’t about the food—it’s all about the vibe.

As they ate, the group chatted about events on the battlefield and the situation in Great Mu, so everyone had a good time.

Wu Feng said, "When are you planning to meet the Seventh Prince, Your Highness?"

Huo Ling asked, "What do you know about him?"

As for handling the Seventh Prince, Cai Jing, Huo Ling had already discussed it several times with Lu Hang and others.

However, Wu Feng had shared an escape with the Seventh Prince, so he knew the prince better than anyone else. Huo Ling wanted to hear Wu Feng's opinion on him.

Wu Feng thought for a moment and said, "He’s probably figured out by now that we were the ones who assassinated the Crown Prince at the palace banquet and left clues to frame him."

He was, after all, a prince in the running for the throne. Even if he hadn’t noticed anything at first, meeting Wu Feng in the capital of Great Mu should have made him realize the truth.

"But the Seventh Prince’s played it smart—didn’t push back.

"He’s ranted to me more than once about the Crown Prince for harming his own kin—not just for killing their father, but his mother too. In my opinion, his hatred for the Crown Prince is genuine."

The Crown Prince had the Seventh Prince’s mother strangled on the day Emperor Yongqing died.

Huo Ling nodded slightly. "Bring him to the palace tomorrow. His Majesty and I will see him together."

The Seventh Prince never had a strong claim to begin with, and now that he had fled to Great Yan, the higher-ups in Great Mu would certainly not support his claim to the throne.

How far this move paid off depended less on the Seventh Prince and more on Great Yan.

If Great Yan had the muscle and the will to back the Seventh Prince, the future outcome would be hard to predict.

But that was a problem for another day.

For now, Great Yan and Great Mu had tacitly agreed to a ceasefire, with nothing worse than some trash-talking between the two.

One side would call out the other for meddling in internal affairs and aiding a traitor’s escape;

The other would slam them for butchering family, driving a father to death, forcing a stepmother to her end, and seizing the throne unjustly.

This war of words was just how things went between them.

Thus, when Huo Ling met Cai Jing, she kept it polite but distant—she still treated him as the "Seventh Prince of Great Mu."

That took some of the edge off Cai Jing’s nerves.

Huo Ling said, "Now that the Seventh Prince’s come all this way to Luocheng as our guest, he should stay comfortably. If the place you’re staying works for you, the Empress Dowager will make it yours."

Cai Jing knew that among the servants in that mansion, there were undoubtedly spies placed by Huo Ling.

But when you’re under someone else’s roof, you play by their rules.

She was calling him a guest to be polite; he wasn’t fooling himself that he’d get the royal treatment.

Cai Jing was tactful, so the conversation proceeded smoothly.

When Huo Ling suggested he write a letter calling out the Xiao family and Xiao Guoying, Cai Jing readily agreed but asked in confusion, "Only the Xiao family and Xiao Guoying?"

In truth, Empress Dowager Huo needn’t hold back—he would be more than happy to publicly denounce his tenth brother, who had now successfully ascended the throne.

It’s not like words could get him killed.

It’d also let him vent his fury properly.

Huo Ling said, "The Seventh Prince and the new emperor are blood brothers. That the two of you have come to this point is truly due to treacherous schemers in the court. The Xiao family has pulled too many shady stunts, and if this continues, they will inevitably dig their own graves."

The Xiao family, as the maternal relatives of the new emperor, were already the foremost nobles of Great Mu. Now, having played such a significant role in the new emperor's ascension, it was impossible they had no agenda of their own.

Today, the new emperor relies on his powerful maternal clan to become emperor; tomorrow, that same powerful maternal clan will inevitably become a leash on him.

For now, Huo Ling could do little to Great Mu, but she could still sow some doubt in the new emperor's heart.

***

At the major court session held every ten days, the promotions and honors for Zhou Jiamu, Wu Feng, and others were finally issued.

Zhou Jiamu was the top general of the Northern Yan Army. The great achievements in the north could not have been accomplished without his planning and command. His official rank was already near the top, so this time, as rewards were distributed based on merit, he was made Marquis of Zhenbei for his contributions.

Wu Feng went deep into Great Mu himself, faced near-death scrapes several times, and even brought back the Seventh Prince of Great Mu. For his merits, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xinyuan.

Qin Hu, a right-hand man under Zhou Jiamu, charged ahead in the battle against Feng Xin, cut Feng Xin down in battle, crushed the morale of Great Mu, and achieved a brilliant victory. Though he was not enfeoffed, his official rank shot up four levels.

Chen Liqun, deputy commander of the Swallow Feather Army, stepped in as acting commander when the original commander, Sun Yucheng, fell seriously ill and was unable to lead. He led the Swallow Feather Army to the northern front, coordinated with the Northern Yan Army to achieve numerous victories, and successfully linked up with Wu Feng and the Seventh Prince of Great Mu at the first opportunity.

The court removed the "acting" title from Chen Liqun and appointed him as the Swallow Feather Army Commander.

The former Swallow Feather Army Commander, Sun Yucheng, due to old injuries and illnesses, submitted a resignation request and would no longer hold key military positions.

...

Apart from these four, many other officials who performed well in the war were promoted by at least two ranks.

Those Northern Yan officials who did not achieve great merit but also did not hinder the frontline battles were credited for "fulfilling their duty to defend the land."

Even if they were not promoted this time, they would be next time.

When this list of meritorious officials was publicly announced, it made many people seeing red with envy.

The rewards were too juicy, absolutely too tempting.

The reason they had joined Huo Shiming in submitting joint petitions and urged the court to push for the northern campaign was precisely this.

If there were no war, could the court have granted two marquis titles at once?

Although Zhou Jiamu and Wu Feng won their titles fair and square, and although very few among the court officials could achieve what they did, that didn’t stop the rest from dreaming big!

What if!

What if they pulled it off!

Before the tide recedes, many refuse to admit they are getting caught with their pants down.

Only a very few looked at this list of meritorious officials and frowned slightly.

The top four names on the list were all Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's people.

There were also many mid- and lower-ranking officers on the list, all promising talents who had stood out in the Martial Exam, with close connections to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.

This group of people, seizing the opportunity of war, began to gradually grow and grab more clout in the military.