Time entered June, and in the northern suburbs of Kaifeng, the Han Dynasty court held an unprecedented public sacrifice ceremony. Emperor Liu Chengyou fulfilled his promise and led the royal family, ministers, ministers, officials, and the army to worship. At the same time, more than ten people Thousands of people in Tokyo and surrounding areas also participated.
Later, Liu Chengyou issued an edict to build a new Zhaolie Temple next to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and erect a tablet with inscriptions to commemorate the soldiers who died fighting for the Han Dynasty and to promote their dedication.
Moreover, Liu Chengyou ordered that all officers and soldiers who died in the Han Dynasty's establishment, unification and foreign wars, regardless of high or low, would be engraved with their names to commemorate them and pass them down to the world forever. This will be the case in the future.
This is a big project. In the more than ten years since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there have been hundreds of wars, big and small, and more than 200,000 soldiers have died fighting for the country. The most troublesome thing is the verification of personnel. Even if there are traces, It is not easy to make a complete list. And given the seriousness of this matter, there cannot be any negligence.
However, there are difficulties, but after the imperial edict was publicized, the military morale and people were very happy. Unconsciously, Liu Chengyou worked harder and harder to unite people's hearts and was willing to devote himself to it.
...
The sun was setting slowly, it was almost dusk, and the heat of midsummer had only dissipated a little. In front of the imperial city, a large number of cars and rides gathered, it could be said that there was a huge crowd. One after another, they passed through the palace gates, and after inspection, arrived at Chongyuan Hall.
After a full month of delay, all preparations were completed, the reward list was drawn up, and the imperial court officially held a celebration banquet. The Han generals who returned to Tokyo were already looking forward to seeing what happened.
Those who were able to participate in Chongyuan's imperial banquet were all generals above the Northern Expeditionary Army, plus some junior officers with particularly outstanding performances and important officials in the court. Of course, rewards of money, silk and millet for officers and soldiers at home and abroad have already begun, and those meritorious soldiers who are still stationed in the north are also specially given an extra portion as compensation.
As the only existing prince with a different surname, Zhao Kuangzan was naturally qualified to attend the banquet. During his stay in Tokyo, the emperor's favor towards him was the highest among all ministers, and his treatment was generous and enviable.
Holding the young son in his hand, he walked slowly towards the palace as a chariot. If there is anything that Zhao Kuangzan regrets, it is that he has only a few offspring. He can be said to have a son in middle age. Now he has a one-to-five-year-old son, an only child, who is very much loved by him. At this royal banquet, the general had to bring his son with him, so naturally he also brought his beloved son with him.
In front of the palace gate, Zhao Kuangzan saw the two figures in front of him, stepped forward and said hello: "General Yang!"
The person walking in front was none other than Yang Ye. He turned around and when he saw Zhao Kuangzan, he immediately saluted: "I have seen the king!"
"General, there is no need to be polite. You are a hero of the Han Dynasty. I can't bear it!" Zhao Kuangzan laughed.
Hearing this, Yang Ye shook his head and said solemnly: "In terms of achievements, is there anything greater than the king sitting in Youzhou and maintaining the peace of the northern border of the Han Dynasty?"
Yang Ye's words made Zhao Kuangzan feel happy. Seeing that he was humble and without any arrogance, he took another look at the emperor's favorite general and felt that this person just had the words "Boundless Future" written on his forehead. , the attitude became more cordial.
He noticed a general next to Yang Ye and asked, "Who is this?"
Yang Ye introduced: "This is the former Flying Fox Army envoy Wang Shenqi!"
"I have heard of General Wang's name a long time ago. He is indeed a good general of the country!" Zhao Kuangzan said immediately. His words were not entirely complimentary. Although he had never met some of the frontier generals that the Han had previously deployed to the north, he knew them somewhat, or at least heard their names.
Wang Shenqi also cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this is a ridiculous compliment. I don't dare to be a general!"
During this time of military reorganization, Wang Shenqi's Feihu Army was also adjusting its scope, relocating its locations, and reducing its number of troops. Wang Shenqi was transferred back to Tokyo. Although no specific appointments have been announced, it is basically certain that the Forbidden Army in Sanya Served among them.
Of course, Wang Shenqi is not an exception. Those generals who have been guarding the border for a long time basically have other errands, and some even transfer from the military to political affairs, such as the father-in-law of the country who acts as the father of the country.
And because of their relationship with Yang Ye in their early years of working together, this incestuous relationship continues to this day. After arriving in Beijing, the two friends could not avoid socializing and talking. Speaking of which, in this life, Wang Shenqi relied heavily on Yang Ye's recommendation and promotion in his early military career.
"This is Yang Dalang!" Zhao Kuangzan turned his attention to Yang Yanzhao, who was holding Yang Ye's hand.
"It's Quanzi!" Yang Ye said, and ordered Yang Yanzhao: "Da Lang, you haven't bowed to King Yan yet!"
Yang Yanzhao was not timid at all and bowed. Looking at Yang Yanzhao, who was young but energetic, Zhao Kuangzan couldn't help but sigh: "Looking at his demeanor, he is really talented. He is worthy of His Majesty's praise. He is truly a Qilin!"
Previously, when he had some free time, Liu Chengyou specially asked Yang Ye to show him Yang Yanzhao. He liked it and praised it as "Qilin'er", and the reputation spread. He even expressed his intention to recruit him as his consort when he matures.
This can make many people envious, jealous, and resentful. It’s just that you, Yang Ye, gain His Majesty’s favor. Even your heirs must be happy. As long as there are no big problems, the Yang family’s prominence is almost guaranteed.
Tokyo is probably the place with the most disputes in the world. Therefore, more and more people have taken advantage of the situation and established good relationships with Yang Ye, and there are also a lot of criticisms about him. After returning to Beijing, Yang Ye also heard about the rumors and felt a little uncomfortable, so he became even more low-key in his behavior.
The three of them entered the palace together and went straight to Chongyuan Hall. The Han Dynasty is also very experienced in palace banquets. As for the celebration banquet, it has been held several times in more than ten years, and holding it in Chongyuan Hall has already highlighted its standards.
Among the Han Palaces, only Chongyuan Hall has been truly expanded, and it stands out among many palaces. In fact, the palaces of the Han Dynasty have become stingy nowadays, especially after the expansion and overhaul of Tokyo. The old buildings and cramped layout are not worthy of the entire capital. Many ministers have already written letters, saying that the current imperial city lacks the spirit of a great nation and is not worthy of the honorable position. They hope to rebuild it to show its authority. However, they were all rejected by Liu Chengyou. His thoughts were not on this.
As dusk fell, the Chongyuan Hall was brightly lit and noisy. It was a lively scene, and the palace people had already prepared the banquet. As the emperor and empress arrived, it was announced that the celebration banquet had officially begun.
As a celebration banquet, the staple food was of course the reward for meritorious service. Liu Chengyou also understood everyone's thoughts very well. Before the banquet, he directly ordered people to read out the awards for the civil and military personnel who had contributed to the Northern Expedition. A total of eight lists were prepared, and several attendants announced them in turn.
All the civil and military rewards and promotions were listed in the banquet. Just announcing them took nearly half an hour. But no one felt impatient.
The hero of the Northern Expedition, the first in military merit, fell on Murong Yanzhao, followed by An Shenqi, Fu Yanqing, Ma Quanyi, Gao Huaide, Zhao Kuangyin, Chai Rong, Li Chuyun, Guo Chongwei, Shi Shouxin, and Yang Ye ranked eleventh.
There is no need to mention the rewards of money and food. A large number of people have been promoted in terms of titles, mainly for middle and lower-level nobles. There are few promotions for dukes and above, and only some adjustments have been made.
Murong Yanzhao was granted the title of Duke of Wei, An Shenqi was granted the title of King of Jing, Fu Yanqing was granted the title of Prince of Ji, and Zhao Kuangzan was granted the title of Prince of Chen. Most of the other generals above the duke level remained unchanged, but were given generous amounts of money and food. Shi Shou enveloped Xinxiang County Duke, Yang Yejin, Wutai County Duke...
Other civil and military meritorious officials were given more rewards, including Fan Zhi, Xue Juzheng and other civil servants. Although they complained a lot during the palace discussion and said how difficult it was for the treasury, they were still smiling when facing the emperor's rewards.
The arrangement of positions mainly lies in the adjustment of military positions in the Forbidden Army. Gao Huaide will be the commander of the front department, the guard department will still be led by Xiang Xun, and Han Hantong will be in charge of the inspection department. Yang Ye and Shi Shouxin were the Marquis of Yu in front of the palace and the guards in charge respectively.
Other important changes were that Li Chuyun was directly promoted to the Privy Council because he was in charge of the army's logistics and provided adequate supplies. Zhao Kuangyin was admitted to the Privy Council as deputy envoy. Han Hui, who had outstanding performance in the Nankou Battle, served as the Privy Council's edict.
That's right, the first minister to change his position after returning to the court this time was Chai Rong. He had been in the Privy Council for too long, and Liu Chengyou was ready to reduce his burden.
The rest of the rewards, promotions and transfers will not be listed in detail one by one.
