Chapter 471 Rewarding according to merit
Ning Yunxi and the other two were summoned to Prince Dijin's mansion.
All the high-ranking officials under Yan Yu arrived one after another, and after the ceremony, they took their seats.
Before the rewards were given out, Lin Mu was serious and spoke first.
"I have something to report."
In formal occasions, Yan Yu sat solemnly with a serious expression and never smiled.
"Lord Lin, please speak."
There were no outsiders present, so Lin Mu reported the matter truthfully.
"I accidentally discovered that Lord He, the official attendant of the Imperial Court, is the nephew of Concubine Rong. He was born to a concubine and is a half-sister of Concubine Rong."
The surname He doesn't seem to be from a noble family. Yan Yu thought about it carefully and suddenly an idea came to him.
"What Lord Lin is referring to is the person who signed the petition at the flower viewing banquet in the palace, He Wo?"
Lin Mu answered respectfully.
"Your Majesty has an extraordinary memory, yes."
Gu Nianting was not present. He was going to the Supervision Office with Zhong Hua to select guards for Prince Chen's Palace. Therefore, Yan Yu turned his gaze to Qi Tao and asked questions.
"I heard that Mr. He, you have a talent for farming?"
Tao Kangping was humble and respectful, and replied with a bow.
"Reporting to the prince, Lord He is now the official in charge of the military farms. He has been in office for a short time and has put it into practice, and the villagers have adopted it."
Yan Yu nodded slightly, with a solemn expression, and expressed his position solemnly.
"Since you have real talent and knowledge, you should be given more important positions. I don't know much about the affairs of Fengzhengtai yet, so I'd like to trouble you, my dear ministers Qi and Tao, to pay more attention to it."
Qi Lei and Tao Kangping responded at the same time.
"The minister obeys the order."
Yan Yu looked around the room and asked cautiously.
"Everyone, there is nothing else to report, right?"
Everyone looked at each other, then spoke in unison.
"Nothing's wrong with you, sir."
After confirmation, Yan Yu smiled happily and moved on to the next step.
"Then next, I will reward you according to your merits."
"I am not talented. If there is anything I am not considerate enough about, please advise me and correct me."
Everyone chorused again.
"Your Majesty's words are serious, and I am terrified."
Many high-ranking officials gathered together. Yan Yu and Gu Nianting were no different. It was their first time seeing such a grand scene. They were especially nervous sitting alone on the throne.
In order to prepare for today's reward system, he read ancient books in advance, studying hard how a monarch should reward his meritorious officials. He also practiced secretly for many days and finally managed to do it well.
"My dear Imperial Physician Lin, the governors of the prefectures, and the Yinsi, the four ministers in power, listen to my order."
The five people heard this and responded humbly.
"Wei Chen is here."
Yan Yu recalled the words she had written in advance, speaking in a calm and leisurely tone.
"The five of you have fought bravely in the battle, and you should be credited with great merit. This king has prepared a small gift and some gold and silver as a reward. In addition, I have issued an edict that the salaries of the governors and ministers of the prefectures and the Yinsitai who have made contributions will be increased by 30%."
"As for Lord Lin's salary, it has always been granted by the Emperor. I have no choice but to ignore it and give it to other rewards to avoid making the Emperor jealous again."
After the announcement, he smiled and added modestly.
"This is a small gift from the king, not worthy of being shown on the stage, please accept it with a smile."
The five of them bowed their heads and kowtowed.
"Your Highness, thank you for your grace."
Yan Yu pursed her lips and smiled, giving him a light helping.
"A simple thank you is enough. There is no need for you to be polite."
Every time he met his subordinates, he would give them this instruction. He was used to it and never changed his expression.
"Aiqing Qi, the Prime Minister, and Aiqing Tao, the Prime Minister, listen to your orders."
Qi Lei and Tao Kangping said in unison.
"Wei Chen is here."
Yan Yu declared his intention calmly.
"You two beloved ministers have returned in time and have shown your loyalty and sincerity. This king treasures them very much. Therefore, I hereby issue an imperial decree to increase the salaries of all the beloved ministers in the Zhengtai by 10%; those who have made contributions in high positions will have their salaries increased by 20%."
After the announcement, he treated everyone equally and declined politely.
"My gift is very modest, I hope you will not mind."
Feng Zhengtai and his entourage saluted in an orderly manner.
"Your Highness, thank you for your grace."
The Governor's Office had a governor's attendant who was specifically responsible for drafting Yan Yu's edicts. While Yan Yu was making an announcement, he would draft the edict. When it was finished, he would present it and have Yan Yu seal it with the jade or gold seal of King Jin of the Emperor.
In the corner of his eye, he saw the governor's attendant writing furiously, busy all the time. Yan Yu took a sip of tea to calm his nervous mood, then talked about other arrangements and waited patiently for him to finish writing.
"Rong Fei cooperated with the plan and made great contributions. However, as my brother's concubine, I am afraid that I will be disrespectful if I am not careful when giving rewards. I have already prepared some small gifts and would like to ask Prince Gu Aiqing to present them on my behalf. To the outside world, just regard it as his gift."
"Lord Gu, Mr. Qi, you have not yet taken leave. This king regards you as having made equal contributions and has already given you rewards."
"Minister Wen and Minister Tang, Minister Chi, and their subordinates have performed meritorious services in protecting and escorting the enemy, and I will also reward them."
After he finished speaking, the governor's attendant just stopped writing, and Yan Yu remained calm and continued to praise him.
"Lord Fang, Lady Ning, Princess Yuexi, please listen to my orders."
Zhuang Shao and Ning Yunxi responded politely.
"Wei Chen is here."
Yan Yu was humble, kind and righteous, yet he maintained the dignity of an emperor and was meticulous in every detail.
"Lord Fang used his tactics in the martial arts world, and Lord Ning used his tactics in the palace. You made the overall situation clear and should be credited for your great achievements. Lord Fang is conferred the title of Duke of the first rank and given the two-character title Jingshan; Lord Ning is conferred the title of Princess of the first rank and retains the title Yuexi."
Zhuang Shao and Ning Yunxi both kowtowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Everything is ready, except for the final highlight. Yan Yu has been looking forward to this moment for a long time. He feels excited from the bottom of his heart.
"My dear Ning, the governor and the chief minister of the state, listen to my order."
Ning Fengzhe remained silent and bowed respectfully.
"Wei Chen is here."
Yan Yu couldn't help but show his joy on his face, speak in a relaxed tone and speak passionately.
"I'm sure all the ministers present here have already known that the plan to seal the throne was planned by Minister Ning. Minister Ning has devoted all his heart and soul to the cause, and has put in a lot of thought. You deserve the title of High Commendation for your meritorious service."
Having said this, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
"I am honored to have such a wise minister. I have specially written Yu's edict to announce it to the world, enthroning him as the emperor, giving him the title of Yue, and all the rules and regulations of an emperor, just like King Dijin."
Everyone was shocked when they heard the words, and they quickly stood up from their seats and kowtowed to him.
"Your Highness, I respectfully wish King Diyue the best of health."
They were so fast that Ning Fengzhe had no time to help them. He was so panicked that he knelt down immediately.
"My Lords, please stand up quickly."
After replying, he turned to Yan Yu, speaking uprightly and resolutely.
"I am ashamed to accept this. Please take back your order, Your Majesty!"
Ning Yunxi already knew about this, so he sat still and did not follow suit.
Yan Yu was confused and turned to look at the little sister for help, asking about the situation with her eyes.
While everyone was still bowing, Ning Yunxi quietly used her lips to simply convey what her elder brother meant: Be famous throughout the world.
Yan Yu nodded clearly and executed it immediately.
"Everyone, please stand up and sit still."
"Ning Aiqing has made extraordinary achievements, but he is unwilling to be rewarded. He decisively refuses the emperor's benefits. He has made great contributions but refuses to accept the rewards. He should be a role model for the world."
"Where is the governor, Xiang Chi, my dear minister?"
Chi You responded in a sonorous and powerful voice.
"Wei Chen is here."
Yan Yu took the matter seriously.
"Please select a few governors and ministers to work together to write a letter, detailing the achievements and virtues of Mr. Ning, and copy it out in full. Post it in Shengjing and distribute it to all counties and cities to show it to all the subjects."
Chi You bowed respectfully.
"The minister obeys the order."