Chapter 106

Chapter 106

The imperial edict envoy stepped down from the carriage. Seeing the crowd packed in tight rings, he didn't beat around the bush and looked toward Huo Jilin and Chen Jue, saying, "Regional Commander Huo, kneel to receive the edict."

"Kneel, kneel quickly—this is an imperial edict! Kneel, keep your eyes down, hurry, hurry..." Village Head Zhou's voice rang out, and the commoners dropped to their knees in a cascade.

Even Uncle Liu and the others in the courtyard didn't dare look up; at Village Head Zhou's shout, they knelt immediately.

They completely forgot the kneeling cushions that had been laid out in the courtyard for this very purpose.

Huo Jilin and Chen Jue knelt as well, doing as the locals did.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In the fourth month of the Mingxuan reign, a sudden plague struck, and tens of thousands of commoners were afflicted.

Regional Commander Huo Jilin of Dongling County rose to the crisis without flinching, acting swiftly and decisively. He implemented a series of measures: sealing the city, setting up medical shelters, gathering the sick, and bringing together physicians from across the realm to coordinate treatment.

Risking his own safety, he traced the source of the plague, sealed off contaminated water sources, led troops in disinfecting the entire city, and protected the lives of the people...

Regional Commander Huo's actions not only brought the epidemic under control in his own county but also aided neighboring counties.

He helped neighboring counties set up medical shelters, shipped in medicine, and protected the towns around the capital, with Dongling County at the center, curbing the spread of the plague and protecting the imperial city, earning outstanding merit.

The Emperor hereby confers upon Huo Jilin the title of Brave General. The Huo family's ancestors earned illustrious military honors, and now their descendant has revived the family's legacy. Huo Jilin is granted the hereditary title of Marquis of Beiping, and he is ordered to proceed to the capital at once to take up his post and rebuild the General's Mansion of Beiping.

...

During this epidemic, General Huo's husband, Chen Jue, demonstrated exceptional medical skill, saving tens of thousands of lives and rendering immeasurable service. He is hereby conferred the title of Third-Class Noble Consort.

...

Chen's Pharmaceutical has made indelible contributions in this battle against the plague. The Emperor personally inscribes the name for Chen's Pharmaceutical and elevates it to the status of Imperial Pharmaceutical. So decreed. Give thanks and receive the edict."

"We thank Your Majesty for your boundless grace." Huo Jilin stepped forward to receive the edict.

The edict envoy, though low in rank, embodied the Emperor's authority, so he merely gave a slight nod.

Then the eunuch beside him, Lord Liu, addressed Huo Jilin: "Congratulations, Marquis Huo. Marquis Huo, His Majesty eagerly awaits your arrival in the capital. He has been waiting for so many years."

He repeated this last phrase, his tone laden with meaning, tears welling in his eyes, reflecting his devotion to the Emperor.

He showed Huo Jilin respect out of devotion to the Emperor.

The Huo family had been loyalists of the current Emperor's faction. Years ago, they were exiled for supporting the Emperor when he was still the Crown Prince. For over two decades as Crown Prince, he couldn't ascend the throne and couldn't clear the Huo family's name. Now that the Crown Prince had taken the throne, he faced this plague—a disaster at the start of his reign that nearly dealt a crushing blow to a prince who had trod carefully for forty years.

Lord Liu gazed at this young general before him, his heart full of mixed emotions.

Indeed, this was a descendant of the Huo family—valiant in battle and unwaveringly loyal.

His victory on the northwestern front had decisively toppled the Third Prince.

One could say that without Huo Jilin, the Emperor could not have ascended the throne so smoothly, nor could he have secured his position.

He was a die-hard loyalist to the Crown Prince's camp.

The Emperor had long wished to promote him, but was constrained by one thing after another. Not all the court ministers were loyal to the Emperor, and he couldn't restore the Huo family's honor without just cause.

Now that Huo Jilin had earned such merit, the Emperor grabbed this opportunity.

Currently, Huo Jilin held the rank of Brave General, third rank. The Emperor hoped he would one day achieve even greater honors, reviving the glory of the Huo family's former ducal estate.

For now, his official rank was only third rank, and the once-ducal Huo family had only been elevated to a marquisate, due to the obstruction of the stubborn old guard at court.

Lord Liu looked at Huo Jilin with a meaningful look, hoping this General Huo would revive the Huo family, once again becoming the Emperor's trusted weapon—expanding his domain and anchoring his position at court.

Of course, the prerequisite was not to eclipse the throne.

From what he could see, this Huo Jilin was shrewd enough to know his place.

He had already looked into this epidemic thoroughly. While Chen Jue had indeed made undeniable contributions, Huo Jilin's merits were equally substantial. One could say that Chen Jue provided the medicine, but without Huo Jilin's far-sighted measures—sealing the city, enforcing lockdowns, building shelters, and coordinating efforts—the epidemic would not have been resolved so swiftly and steadily.

Looking at the big picture, Huo Jilin's contributions even surpassed Chen Jue's.

His merit lay in the grand strategy, in his commanding ability—a skill that earned both respect and fear.

A Huo descendant wielding military power who won the people's hearts was dangerous—the classic sin of overshadowing the sovereign.

But now, it was his husband who had earned the people's devotion.

From what they'd heard along the way, and the scholars' praise of Chen Jue, Huo Jilin was clearly playing it smart.

By attributing all the credit to his husband, he set the Emperor's mind at rest.

Lord Liu and the edict envoy exchanged glances, both confirming their earlier suspicions about Huo Jilin. This man was playing a long game.

The envoy remained standing ramrod straight, silent.

Lord Liu then smiled at Huo Jilin and said, "His Majesty yearns for your arrival, yearns for the Huo family's resurgence. He knows the Huo family's loyalty has never wavered through the years—just as with this epidemic, you have served His Majesty admirably. We hope Regional Commander Huo will continue to relieve His Majesty's worries in the future."

What the Emperor needed now were people who were utterly loyal to him.

Huo Jilin's eyelids flickered; he understood the implication. The Emperor needed him to conquer new lands yet feared he might overshadow the throne.

The lengthy list of merits in the edict showed the Emperor's need to elevate the Huo family.

Proclaiming it so grandly wasn't just for his ears—it was for everyone to hear. Among those delivering the edict were likely members of other factions, since the court was split into several camps.

This showed that the current Emperor didn't have a firm grip on the court.

He needed Huo Jilin desperately.

It seemed the capital would bring a mountain of troubles.

He would still have to be a sword.

A sword for this nation, yet one sheathed, ready to be sheathed again at any moment.

Once the birds are gone, the bow is put away.

Every dynasty was the same, it seemed.

They hadn't even begun, and already they were sending warnings.

Huo Jilin listened with a blank face. The current Emperor was overthinking things.

He had never considered overshadowing the sovereign or usurping the throne.

His feelings for this country had only grown over these few months, and he rather disliked the feudal monarchy.

Saving those people in this epidemic wasn't to prove his worth to the Emperor, nor for these rewards—it was out of a sense of duty, and above all, for Chen Jue.

Chen Jue would throw himself into any fray, and Huo Jilin would clear the path ahead for him first—they were one and the same.

He didn't even care about the throne, so why would he care about rewards for great merit?

Yet no matter how dissatisfied Huo Jilin was with imperial rule, he never let it show on his face.

He raised both hands high and accepted the imperial edict.

"Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years."

Young Lord Liu noticed his calm demeanor and gave him a glance, unable to help thinking that he truly was a descendant of a military family.

He then looked at Chen Jue standing beside Huo Jilin.

He was also surprised that Marquis Huo's husband remained so composed—this was an imperial edict, after all. How many people would weep tears of gratitude at the sight of that bright yellow silk, let alone with such a grand decree today?

A husband being granted the title of Third-Rank Noble Lady—what immense glory that was!

He knew that gē'ér like him were considered the lowest class; even the palace's close attendants were chosen from among their kind. Though they could marry and have children, everyone assumed they belonged at the very bottom of society.

And now, one of them was so remarkable that the common folk sang his praises, word reaching the capital and earning the Emperor's high regard. Young Lord Liu actually felt a bit of pride himself.

Moreover, the Emperor had personally inscribed the name "Chen's Pharmaceutical" and appointed it as an Imperial Merchant—prosperity and advancement were within reach.

Young Lord Liu sighed, having never imagined that "Chen's Pharmaceutical" belonged to Chen Jue. It was only during these days of his incognito inspection in Dongling County that he had truly confirmed it.

So this personally inscribed calligraphy had to be received by Chen Jue himself.

"This calligraphy is the Emperor's own hand. Husband of the Marquis of Beiping, Chen Jue, step forward to receive the edict."

Chen Jue took a quiet breath at the title, then stepped forward to give thanks and accepted the bright yellow silk just as Huo Jilin had done.

Huo Jilin invited the officials inside for tea, but the herald, Vice Minister Li, waved his hand: "We are under imperial orders; we shall wait here."

The herald was meant to represent integrity—incorruptible and unbribable—though it was merely for show.

The eunuch, Young Lord Liu, pretended not to hear and said to Huo Jilin with a beaming smile: "The late Marquis Huo was once exiled here. I'd like to see, on behalf of the Emperor, the place where he lived for over twenty years."

"Please," Huo Jilin said, ignoring Vice Minister Li and the guards from the Commandant's Office standing in the courtyard. He glanced at Magistrate Liu, who nodded in understanding and took charge of entertaining them.

No one dared to slight these visitors from the capital, so tea was served immediately.

The one serving tea was Zhou Qingzhu. Uncle Liu and Zhang Xiuer dared not come out—when everyone had knelt in unison earlier, Uncle Liu had dropped to his knees, and Zhang Xiuer hadn't fared much better. She had used Huo Yu as a shield, hiding her head behind him. When Huo Yu let out a babble, she quickly shushed him, and thankfully he stayed quiet, watching the strangers without a sound.

They never imagined they'd one day see officials from the palace, the herald delivering the edict, and the Emperor's own attendant. And they'd even listened to the imperial decree together—what an honor! They could boast about this to their grandchildren and save face.

But they had knelt in such trembling fear that they hadn't dared to look up at the officials' faces, let alone at the guards from the Commandant's Office still standing in the courtyard, swords at their waists, looking utterly intimidating.

So even now that there was a chance to serve tea, Uncle Liu huddled in the kitchen, boiling water and waving his hands, not daring to come in.

He said his legs were still shaking.

Zhou Qingzhu, having gained experience under Chen Jue, was bold enough to deliver the tea.

Magistrate Liu entertained the guests in the courtyard, while Zhou Qingzhu brought tea inside.

The Emperor's close ministers, aside from being arrogant and looking down their noses at everyone, were no different from anyone else—two eyes, a nose, and a mouth for drinking tea.

Zhou Qingzhu kept his eyes lowered, served the tea, and withdrew.

Once he was safely outside the courtyard, he broke into a run, eager to get back to the medicine workshop and tell everyone who had knelt on the ground without daring to look up.

Inside, only Chen Jue and Huo Jilin remained to keep Young Lord Liu company over tea.

Magistrate Liu knew Young Lord Liu had private words for Huo Jilin, so he gave them space. After the guards from the Commandant's Office had each downed a bowl of tea, he turned to Village Head Zhou of Pingshan Village.

He knew little about the village, and as a seventh-rank magistrate, his duty of introducing them was done.

Village Head Zhou understood the signal and promptly invited the group to tour Pingshan Village.

Finally, the day had come.

Magistrate Liu had finally visited their village.

Oh, and the grand officials from the capital—the Emperor's own people!