Chapter 1065: The New Noble Title System

A list of rewards and ennoblements touched the hearts of people at every level. To make it flawless, absolutely fair, and satisfying to everyone was simply impossible. Even among the top twenty-four, there were still choices open to question that could not convince everyone—Wu Xingde, for instance, or Li Shaoyou. Their merits and prestige were comparatively weaker than the others'.

But since it was drafted by Emperor Liu himself, how could it be entirely free of partiality? That would be asking too much—and for Emperor Liu, this was hardly a decision made on a whim. Beyond those twenty-four ministers, there were still many who seemed qualified for inclusion.

Han Tong, for example—perhaps he himself did not quite understand why he had been left out. His war record and seniority were solid enough, yet nothing about him stood out particularly. His most notable achievement was leading a detached force to a great victory over Zhou Xingfeng during the pacification of Jinghu—worthy of special mention, but low in grade compared to the many magnificent wars the Great Han had fought over the past decade or more.

Perhaps by now, the thing Han Tong regretted most was not having shamelessly begged, kowtowed, and pleaded for a post in the northern expedition back then. He might feel some disappointment, but not enough to unbalance him. From a lowly cavalryman, he had been repeatedly promoted, and was now the chief commander of the Patrol Inspection Office, one of the three offices of the imperial army. His title was not ungenerous either—he had been enfeoffed as Duke of Henei, ranked first among those below the rank of Duke. His son Han Hui was also held in high regard by the Emperor and held an important position at court. Father and son both enjoyed imperial favor. Though there was regret, there was nothing to be dissatisfied about.

As for the others—Duke of Shangdang Guo Congyi, for instance—he was a founding minister of Hedong, accomplished in both letters and arms, of generous bearing and refined manner. From the founding of the dynasty he had served as a military governor of the provinces, from Huawei to Weibo, at one point serving as the most important commander north of Kaifeng, guarding the safety of the capital. After Yao Yuanfu's death, he entered court to serve as an official, becoming a tutor to the imperial princes.

And speaking of Yao Yuanfu, one must mention the early years of Qianyou. Past sixty years of age, he still donned his armor, took up his blade, spurred his horse into battle, fought the enemy, and rendered outstanding service in consolidating Guanzhong and the southwestern and northwestern regions. Later he entered court along with the various military governors, serving diligently from Patrol Inspector of the capital region to tutor of the imperial princes. His title was changed from Duke of Fen to Commandery Duke of Fenyang, and his eldest son Yao Zhongyu inherited the title.

Then there was Wang Yan. Back then, he was one of the three military governors who first rose up in Shanzhou. Hou Zhang, greedy and lawless, was ultimately dealt with by Wang Yan in Luoyang. Compared to Zhao Hui, Wang Yan's abilities were to a certain extent more outstanding. It was only because, while stationed in Jinzhou, he clashed with Wang Jingchong, then Commissioner of the Wude Office, leading to actions that defied the court. Though the matter was ultimately resolved peacefully through Zhao Hui's mediation, Wang Yan was demoted for it. Later he was reinstated as Defender of the Western Capital, governed Luoyang with merit, and further presented the Imperial Jade Seal, for which he was promoted to County Duke of Teng. This time he was re-enfeoffed as County Duke of Huaiyin. A man must always pay the price for his own actions.

Wang Quanbin—perhaps he was the most frustrated of all. In seniority, reputation, and ability, he was a top-tier choice. If he had obtained Emperor Liu's consent and launched an early campaign to destroy Dali, perhaps he too would have been on the list.

Moreover, if Wang Quanbin had been selected, then generals like Wang Renshan, Li Jixun, Cui Yanjin, Guo Chongwei, Wang Yanchao, and Zhang Xun would all have been qualified as well. Cui Yanjin, for instance, had fought in the destruction of the Meng Shu and the pacification of Lingnan.

As for the middle-generation generals—Shi Shouxin, Pan Mei, Yang Ye, Zhang Yongde, Zhao Yanjin, Cao Bin, Liu Guangyi—their merits were certainly commendable, but seniority was a hard weakness. Not everyone had Zhao Da's good fortune.

Compared to the comparisons and disputes over merit among military officials, the civil officials—who should have been more prone to squabbling—stirred barely a ripple. It was not that those selected were universally acclaimed; rather, the civil officials had neither the qualifications nor the strength to demand more. At the root of it, with the realm just settled, this was still the heyday of military officials. The spring of the literati had not yet arrived. Of the twenty-four meritorious ministers, fifteen were military officials—and even that proportion was achieved only through Liu Chengyou's deliberate balancing.

The most disgruntled was probably Tao Gu. After all, he was an old minister who had followed Emperor Liu for years, and he now held a position among the chancellors at the center of power. His expectations were understandable. Yet when he measured himself against the civil officials on the list, he discovered to his disappointment that he truly could not compare with any of them. What galled him even more was that he ended up with only the title of Marquis of Xin'an. Perhaps from now on, he would be too embarrassed to be addressed as "Duke Tao."

In fact, this was already Emperor Liu's favor toward Tao Gu. Even setting aside some of his disgraceful past conduct, the court had numerous battle-hardened generals—Bai Chongyun, Luo Yangui, Wang Shenqi, Guo Jin, Dang Jin, Han Lingkun, Dong Zunhui, Han Chongyun, Kang Zaiyu, Kang Yanze, Liu Tinghan, Cao Han, Cui Han, Li Hanqiong, Ma Renyu... All of these men were enfeoffed only as marquises in the three grades of county, township, and village.

The rank of duke was a huge threshold, and it was easy to foresee that after the Kaibao era, advancement would become even more difficult.

There was also a batch of the disappointed—a large number of old title-holders, including imperial relatives such as Li Hongxin, Duke of Yu. Some had their ranks reduced, others were stripped of their titles entirely. Li Hongxin, for instance, was only able to keep a County Duke of Yuci out of consideration for Empress Dowager Li's face. Additionally, Imperial Uncle Murong Yanchao, who did not bear the Liu surname, was reduced from Commandery Prince of Changli and re-enfeoffed as Duke of Luan. The Emperor's brother-in-law Song Yanwo, on the other hand, was enfeoffed as Duke of Hui.

If even the Emperor's own maternal uncle was treated thus, then what of everyone else? Those who had no real and convincing merit in the establishment and unification of the Great Han were dealt with mercilessly.

After such a reorganization, the Great Han's system of noble titles was thoroughly renewed. First was the matter of quantity. Though the number had not decreased because of newly added merit titles, the unreasonable enfeoffments had been essentially weeded out, and the number of high-ranking titles had been basically cut in half. Apart from those twenty-four princes and dukes, only fifty-four outsiders were ultimately enfeoffed at the rank of County Duke or above.

Of course, the most drastic adjustment was to the honorary merit offices and rank grades—that was where the Great Han's title system had been most excessive. If the noble titles had been reformed with a heavy hand, the merit-rank system was completely demolished and rebuilt. Nearly all the honorary merit offices and sinecure ranks accumulated over three generations were abolished, and redistribution and rewards were made anew based on military merit, administrative achievement, and service record. This affected the entire realm.

It was easy to foresee that this would cause some upheaval. But the old was gone, and a brand-new class of honored nobility filled the gap. With these new beneficiaries to defend the system, the old offices and old titles naturally deserved to be swept into the dustbin of history.

In any reform or change, there are winners and losers—even among the Great Han's newly enfeoffed nobles, especially those whose ranks were reduced. Perhaps to soothe everyone's feelings, the treatment of the honored nobility was significantly improved compared to the past.

Moreover, under Emperor Liu's adjustments, the importance of noble titles in the Great Han was rising. Though there was no actual fief of households or land, the salaries were extremely generous. Just previously, Liu Chengyou had the State Finance Commission issue a nationwide statute on the salaries and emoluments of all nobles and officials, which set forth clear and detailed provisions on the treatment enjoyed by all the Great Han's titled nobles and officials.

Taking a Duke as an example—besides the honor of status and prestige, and a series of perquisites such as clothing, carriages, and exemption from corvée labor—each year he could receive from the court a salary of two thousand strings of cash, five hundred shi of grain, one hundred bolts of silk, fifty lengths of brocade, and an allowance for thirty servants. These were merely the standard emoluments. As for gold and silver vessels, assorted colored fabrics, and festival gifts, these were given according to actual circumstances—but never stingily. Compared to the "tightfistedness" of the Qianyou era, this time Emperor Liu and the court had been quite generous.

Of course, the most important thing was that noble titles were hereditary. Even if the rank was reduced after three generations, it could still be passed down to descendants. The same could not be said for other honorary offices, rank grades, or substantive posts. Moreover, those who held a title while serving in office could enjoy double treatment—both the title salary and the office salary—whereas other serving officials, no matter how many honorary ranks they accumulated, could only draw one salary at the highest grade they held. Additionally, a Duke could have one hundred qing of land exempt from taxation, and opportunities for his descendants to enter school and receive official appointments through patronage. Essentially, every aspect had been considered.

It could be said that Emperor Liu had invested considerable effort in the noble title system, and he had treated the Great Han's meritorious subjects generously. Thus, most of those who received titles were quite satisfied. There might have been reductions and cuts, but the most tangible benefits of salary and emolument had increased greatly.

The reason Liu Chengyou made these reforms and adjustments was truly not to reduce the court's fiscal pressure—because with the increase in the number of new nobles and the rise in their salaries, expenditures had actually grown considerably compared to previous years. This was also why he had mentioned the court's finances to his brother-in-law Song Yanwo earlier.

After this round of operations, the Great Han's noble title system was perfected. Even where unreasonable elements remained, they could be adjusted appropriately in the future. At the same time, a class of honored nobility and a ruling stratum that upheld the Great Han's rule was formally established. The problem of rampant noble titles that had plagued the realm since the Tang dynasty was resolved, and the proliferation of redundant offices and superfluous personnel was initially curbed.