SFS Chapter 559 Wang Fu, Unwittingly Caught in the Crossfire
Chapter 559 Wang Fu, Unwittingly Caught in the Crossfire
The first bestowal of titles by Liu Bei after his ascension to the throne was a major event that affected the future of the officials present and even several generations. Therefore, not only middle-aged and elderly officials were actively discussing it, but young officials also joined the discussion.
Zhang Bao, Mi Wei, and the others spontaneously gathered around Guan Xing, asking curiously, "An Guo, do you know what title you'll be given this time?"
Compared to their own titles, everyone present was more concerned about Guan Xing's rewards.
After all, Guan Xing's contribution was too great. At the critical moment when Guan Yu was about to step into Lü Meng's ambush, he pulled Guan Yu to rush to Jianye and successfully captured the city. This was a feat of turning the tide and saving the day. This one thing alone deserves to be recorded in history books.
Not to mention that Guan Xing also defeated Zhang Cheng and Lu Xun's attacks in Kuaiji. Facing the Wu army's repeated attacks, Guan Xing was still able to capture enemy generals in every battle despite being at a significant disadvantage in terms of both troop strength and territory. In the end, he captured all 50,000 Wu troops who were on their eastern expedition, including Grand Commander Lu Xun. This achievement was no less impressive than that of Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion.
How should Liu Bei reward such an immense achievement?
Everyone is quite curious about this.
When asked by his friends, Guan Xing calmly shrugged and said, "Don't look at me, I don't know either."
Mi Wei chimed in, "Given An Guo's age and merits, he should at least be granted the title of Marquis of Champion, right?"
Zhang Bao retorted, "Stop joking around. The title of Marquis of Champion is already a disgrace. Don't try to disgust our little General Guan."
The Han Dynasty placed the greatest importance on military merit, but military merit was also divided into different levels. Other military merits were considered minor achievements, while the highest honor was the "Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Mountain" (封狼居胥). The Marquis of Champion, who achieved this, naturally became the most prestigious and hardest-to-obtain title in the Han Dynasty.
In addition to military merit, there were also specific age requirements for being awarded the title of Marquis of Champion; the candidate could not be older than twenty.
At this age, most people haven't even been recommended for the civil service examination, so how could they possibly become the commander-in-chief of the three armies and make great achievements?
The age limit is too strict, thus eliminating the possibility for most people to be crowned champion.
Nevertheless, the Han Dynasty, a nation brimming with martial virtue, still produced five Marquis of Champion. The first of these was Huo Qubing, who naturally bestowed upon the title of Marquis of Champion a divine aura.
Secondly, there was Huo Qubing's son, Huo Shan. Huo Shan inherited the title from his father, which was perfectly reasonable. However, Huo Shan still felt that he was not worthy of the title and asked Emperor Wu of Han to change it.
Secondly, there was Jia Fu, one of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai under Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, but Jia Fu's title of Marquis of Champion was changed to Marquis of Jiaodong not long after.
Secondly, there is Dou Xian, whose name was inscribed on Yanran Mountain.
Finally, there was Wang Fu, a eunuch under Emperor Ling of Han.
Among these champion marquises, Huo Qubing, as the creator of the title, is undoubtedly deserving, and his son is also deserving. Although Jia Fu's military achievements are not as good, he is still passable, and he was eventually granted a different title. Dou Xian has the merit of inscribing the Yanran Mountain, so he is also deserving of the title. Only Wang Fu is a real rotten apple.
Wang Fu, a eunuch, had no military achievements whatsoever, yet Emperor Ling bestowed upon him the title of Marquis of Champion, a title of unparalleled glory in the Han Dynasty. Wasn't this a deliberate attempt to disgust the generals and even all the soldiers of the Han Dynasty?
When the news of Emperor Ling bestowing the title of Marquis of Champion upon Wang Fu was first released, it was met with unanimous opposition from everyone, including Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. However, Emperor Ling was rather willful and refused to change his mind.
Since then, the Marquis of Champion, who had enjoyed glory for over four hundred years, has become a piece of trash despised by everyone. Now, bestowing the title of Marquis of Champion upon anyone is not a reward but an insult.
Thinking of how the title, once regarded as the ultimate goal by the men of the Han Dynasty, had become like this, Mi Wei angrily cursed, "Damn Wang Fu, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel."
He dared not criticize Emperor Ling of Han, so he took his anger out on Wang Fu. Because of his anger, he raised his voice too loudly, which was heard by Wang Fu and others, including the governor of Yangzhou. Wang Fu asked with a dark face and displeasure, "Young Master Mi, do you have some kind of problem with me?"
Mi Wei's expression changed slightly, and he quickly explained, "Lord Wang, you misunderstand. I was not cursing you, but that eunuch Wang Fu who was granted the title of Marquis of Champion. It was that old bastard who prevented Anguo from being granted the title of Marquis of Champion."
Upon hearing this, Wang Fu immediately felt relieved, then angrily cursed, "Damn Wang Fu..."
Hearing this, the others joined in, launching a tirade against Wang Fu, the eunuch who had ruined the title of Marquis of Champion. Although Wang Fu knew they weren't insulting him, he still felt very uncomfortable hearing them all name him.
Having the same name can be harmful!
During the discussion, Liu Bei, dressed in imperial robes and wearing a crown, walked in surrounded by his personal guards. The officials quickly fell silent and retreated to their positions to wait quietly. Only after Liu Bei walked up to the high platform and sat down did they bow in unison and say, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty."
Liu Bei raised his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "My beloved ministers, rise."
All the officials rose at the same time, but all looked at Liu Bei in silence. Everyone knew what the core purpose of today's grand court assembly was, and no one was in the mood to do anything else until the important matters were finished.
Knowing what these guys were thinking, Liu Bei stood up and walked to the front of the platform, saying loudly, "Since I started fighting against the Yellow Turbans, I have fought for decades. The achievements I have made today are all thanks to the hard work and dedication of all my generals and soldiers. Now that I have ascended the throne, I should reward my ministers and not let the soldiers who have risked their lives for me feel disheartened."
"However, before bestowing honors, I have decided to change the peerage system and add the title of Duke above Marquis to demonstrate the court's respect for meritorious officials. Advisor, inform all of the new peerage system and the edict regarding changing the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers to the Three Departments and Six Ministries. Let's discuss whether it can be implemented."
The highest rank in the Han Dynasty was Marquis. As for the rank of King, it was a rank that could only be granted to members of the Liu clan and had nothing to do with people of other surnames.
However, there were too many marquises in the Han Dynasty, to the point of being excessive, which was no longer enough to highlight the merits of a top general like Guan Yu who turned the tide. Since Guan Yu could not be made a king, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang referred to the nobility system of later generations and decided to add a duke above the marquis, which was on par with the king.
These words caused an uproar, and everyone looked at Liu Bei with astonishment.
Adding the title of Duke above Marquis? Your Majesty is far too bold! You must know that in the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, there have only been two dukes who were not of the imperial family: one was Wang Mang, the Duke of Anhan, and the other was Cao Cao, the Duke of Wei.
Therefore, the title of Duke was a standard title for powerful ministers who usurped the Han throne. Liu Bei actually used this title to bestow a reward. Were you really not afraid that powerful ministers would usurp your family's throne again?
But then I thought about it again, and it wasn't a bad idea. The reason the Duke was dangerous before was because he was unique, appearing only once every few hundred years. Wouldn't people want to cause you some trouble?
But if Liu Bei had bestowed ten or eight titles upon them, wouldn't that have eliminated this potential problem? If you think about it carefully, titles are no different from cabbages; if you have too many, they naturally become worthless.
While the officials were pondering, Zhuge Liang summoned someone to unfold several bolts of silk. The officials looked closely and saw that the silk was densely covered with reform plans for titles and official systems. The titles were nothing special; it was just about adding a duke and increasing some fiefdom privileges.
Reform of the official system is an issue that needs to be thoroughly understood, because official positions have functions and officials have to do work. While understanding the ranks of officials, we also need to understand the functions of the government offices. I have to figure out what I am supposed to do if I become an official.
The silk scroll clearly states that the central government structure was changed to three provinces, six ministries, one censorate, nine temples, and five directorates. The censorate was the agency responsible for investigating crimes committed by officials.
The Five Directorates were the Directorate of the Imperial Household, which was responsible for managing royal property and was essentially the emperor's private purse.
The Craftsmanship Bureau was responsible for training craftsmen and promoting technological innovation; it was equivalent to a science and technology institute.
The Ordnance Bureau was responsible for the production, manufacturing, and stockpiling of military equipment such as weapons and armor.
The Directorate of Waterways was responsible for water transport and the construction and maintenance of canals. It was the government office in charge of water conservancy, which was a major issue that every dynasty attached great importance to.
The Imperial College (Guozijian) was responsible for education and was equivalent to the Ministry of Education.