Mountain Patrol Military Officer-Chapter 1094 - 717: Chen Yuan Granted the Title of Marquis
"Daqian Emperor’s Decree—"
In the grand hall, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites took out the bright yellow imperial decree from his sleeve, its robe corner still stained with the dust of a thousand miles. Unfurling the decree in his hand, his voice naturally rose, mighty and composed, as a majestic aura unfurled throughout the hall.
As he read the opening lines, he paused, for the words he spoke should be as if His Majesty were personally present. Yet, it was not as he anticipated—there was no sound of kneeling, prompting him to narrow his gaze in concern.
Standing before him was Patrol Angel Chen Xuntian, a powerful Martial Saint, whose strained relationship with the court was no secret. He could understand why Chen Yuan didn’t kneel, as the Emperor issued this decree to ease their strained relations.
However, the lieutenants and deputy generals standing on either side of the hall also made no move, instead casting their gazes towards Chen Yuan. This caused Jiang Yi, the entrusted courtier, to show a mix of emotions on his face, alarmed and bewildered, yet unable to voice his thoughts outright.
Had the court’s authority weakened to such an extent at this place? Was the command already going unheeded?
Despite noticing that some Colonels displayed a look of hesitation, it was enough to unsettle him.
With the atmosphere tense as it was, even being the Minister of the Ministry of Rites among the six ministries, he felt a shiver at the nape of his neck, unsure how to continue with the next line of the decree, delaying his speech.
Unbeknownst to him, everyone felt nothing but disappointment towards the court.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was extremely subtle.
Gongsun Yang, Yun Tiansheng, Lu Ming, Lian Nichang, those who had followed Chen Yuan all this way, faced the decree with remarkable unity, casting their gazes uniformly towards Chen Yuan, gauging his attitude. After all, as his closest companions, they understood his stance towards the court.
Meanwhile, the Colonels of the Fourth and Sixth Mountains, elders within the Overseers, initially felt a slight restraint from the court’s authority, instinctively wanting to kneel and listen to the decree, but upon realizing no one else moved, they looked at each other, faces marked by hesitation yet remaining motionless, likewise directing their attention to Chen Yuan, awaiting a cue.
In this delicate atmosphere, Chen Yuan observed each person’s expression thoroughly, his lips curving slightly in satisfaction.
However, the decree still needed to be received, as did the bestowment of rewards.
His gaze shifted to Gongsun Yang, who stood at the forefront on the left, giving a slight nod.
Understanding the signal, Gongsun Yang lifted his skirt armor, stepping forward and kneeling with one knee, bowing to listen to the decree. Seeing this, the others immediately recognized Chen Yuan’s sign and knelt to listen to the decree.
For a moment, the clashing of armor leaves echoed in perfect synchronization.
Seeing this, Minister of the Ministry of Rites Jiang Yi felt the weight on his chest lift, oddly thankful Chen Yuan hadn’t embarrassed him on the spot.
Moreover, how could one find reason here?
Holding such conflicting and complex thoughts, Jiang Yi composed himself, taking a breath to continue reading the contents of the decree, his voice loud and clear,
"The Mandate of Heaven favors, Daqian assumes command, relying on the soldiers for fortitude, solid as a fortress. Jiannan Road’s soldiers, garrisoned at the Western Border, ever vigilant, at this time of Demon disturbances and Rebel army unrest, flames rising everywhere, donned armor, capturing banners, waging fierce battle at the border, with accomplishments immeasurable, bringing solitary solace! Great merits warrant great rewards, as virtue has its due, this is the standard, understood through the ages. Now we proclaim to the world, rewards shall be given according to merit..."
"From the Jiazi year to the present, soldiers of Jiannan Road, all who fought bravely to defeat the enemy shall be promoted one rank, granted an armor and ten silvers; those injured or disabled in front lines shall receive lifelong sustenance, with counties providing comfort; those who sacrificed their lives shall be posthumously promoted two ranks, their hometowns erecting shrines for eternal tribute..."
After reading this substantial passage, Jiang Yi paused before raising his voice to declare,
"Moreover, main contributor Chen Yuan, with commanding presence and profound strategy, defeated Demons successively, his might reverberating in the Southwest, indeed the pillar of the state and model for the military. Therefore, he is specially titled Marquis Zhen Nan, with fief at Qingshan, a grant of ten thousand households, receiving one hundred taels of Divine Gold, one Kui Dragon Pattern Robe, one Jade belt, overall commanding the Jiannan Road’s affairs, to properly manage the military, securing our Southwest..."
Jiang Yi, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, deliberately raised his voice for the final part, fearing it wouldn’t be heard, especially when bestowing the title of Marquis Zhen Nan, his voice reverberated through the hall and pierced the night, echoing over Yunding Mountain.
Many stationed patrolling soldiers nearby heard it, exclaiming in astonishment, unable to resist turning towards the direction of the Heavenly Patrol Hall.
Meanwhile, within the grand hall, Chen Yuan listened to the current emperor bestowing upon him the title of Marquis Zhen Nan, sounding prestigious yet internally unperturbed, for he understood the underlying matter—it was merely the Emperor’s insincere consolation tactic.
Giving him an honorary title was also a form of imposing a "Tightening Spell," of which Chen Yuan was fully aware.
At this time, Jiang Yi had finished reading the decree, folding it up and stepping forward to hand it to Chen Yuan, completing the process,
"Lord Chen, accept the decree, this is an imperial grace. From now on, you should be addressed as Marquis," his voice was heavy, quietly observing Chen Yuan’s expression.
Seeing Chen Yuan’s faint smile, as he extended a hand towards the decree, Jiang Yi was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the hand withdrew again.
Jiang Yi’s expression stiffened, watching Chen Yuan sweep his sleeve as he walked past, his hands behind his back, then spoke clearly, his voice falling into Lord Jiang’s ear,
"I truly wish to accept the decree, but I simply cannot."
Jiang Yi sensed this General would not yield easily, having to follow and ask, "Marquis Chen, what do you mean by this?"
Chen Yuan halted his steps, "Since His Majesty claims to reward my Overseer soldiers, once I accept the decree, I must explain it to the troops. Where’s the reward?"
Jiang Yi’s throat choked, "This is indeed the source of my frustration, as His Majesty’s rewards were mostly intercepted by bandits on the Shu Road, with a powerful Martial Saint leading the ambush, chasing me to Tianxiong Pass; Heavenly General Qi Tian can testify to this."
"That’s not for me to consider. Now with Demons invading my Overseer’s command, lacking food and armor, these can’t wage a war!" Seeing Lord Jiang emotionally stirred, Chen Yuan was direct and unreserved.
He wanted tangible benefits—anyone could offer pleasantries.
Confronted with Chen Yuan’s stance, Jiang Yi felt inwardly distressed, realizing the task had gone awry; should Chen Yuan refuse the decree for this reason, the situation would escalate significantly. Whether Chen Yuan faced repercussions was unknown, but misfortune would surely befall him.
This task was truly harrowing, perilous beyond measure.
"Marquis Chen, don’t be angry!
"I still have some of the rewards, which I’ll bring out immediately."
With this, Jiang Yi turned, sweeping his sleeve towards the hall’s door, and a yellow light swiftly shot out of the hall.
Once the yellow light flew out of the hall, it expanded in the breeze above the plaza, emitting a bell-like sound. Instantly, a massive copper cauldron with two ears and three legs appeared, its mouth facing downward, rapidly spinning, about a hundred zhang in size. Then, the cauldron vibrated with a hum, releasing streams of light from the cauldron, descending onto the plaza, where treasures manifested.
