Chapter 548

"Duke of E?"

"Grand Pillar of State?"

Yuwen Ze stood where he was, unconsciously murmuring these two titles of immense weight over and over, his brows slightly furrowed in thought.

He raised his eyes to look at Lu Huichun, who was kneeling on the ground, his gaze deep and profound. He sighed inwardly, "Father truly does not place ordinary importance on the surrender of the Fanyang Lu clan!"

One must know how many meritorious deeds his own elder brother had performed for Great Zhou before he was honorably conferred the title of Grand Pillar of State.

And he, the only son, had only just reached the rank of Pillar of State...

Lu Huichun, kneeling on the ground, trembled violently upon hearing the contents of the imperial edict, the shock on his face impossible to conceal.

Conferred as a Duke?!

Granted the title of Grand Pillar of State?!

Such extraordinary honors far exceeded his expectations; even when he had served as the Censor-in-Chief in the Qi State, he had never received such a heavy reward.

The Grand Master of Palace Leisure of the Left was a first-rank civil official position, an extreme honor.

The Duke of E was an even more noble title, symbolizing supreme glory and favor.

And the Grand Pillar of State was the highest honorary rank in the Zhou State, the ultimate recognition of one's meritorious service.

He had never imagined that such a heavy reward would be granted.

Lu Huichun's heart was surging; his previous anxiety and unease dissipated entirely, replaced by endless gratitude and excitement. The corners of his mouth could not stop rising, and he praised inwardly, "Grand Tutor Yuwen is truly not a stingy man!"

Such a generous conferment was not only recognition of the Lu clan's achievements but also an expectation for their future loyalty to Great Zhou.

This risky move had been the right one!

Chen Yan paused slightly, letting the silence in the warm pavilion linger for a moment, then unfolded the edict again and continued to read in a solemn and resonant voice: "Lu Zhaoqun, whose courage surpasses the three armies and who is invincible, is additionally conferred the title of General Taizhong, Marquis of Pingyuan, and granted the rank of Pillar of State to reward his merits!"

"Lu Mianzhi, capable and decisive with remarkable governing achievements, is additionally conferred the title of Junior Minister of Works, Marquis of Xincheng, and granted the rank of Pillar of State to commend his abilities!"

Lu Zhaoqun's previously tense body gave a slight jolt.

General Taizhong was a third-rank military position, and while Marquis of Pingyuan was a marquisate, it was a solid, tangible title.

Added to the honorary rank of Pillar of State, this reward was already heavy beyond imagination.

Receiving such honor at this moment, the excitement in his heart was beyond words, and his posture as he knelt on the ground became even more respectful.

Lu Mianzhi was even more pleasantly surprised; besides being conferred the rank of Pillar of State and Marquis of Xincheng, he also received the position of Junior Minister of Works, a post with real power.

The Junior Minister of Works was in charge of engineering and construction—a position of great power and responsibility!

Yu Jie, standing to the side, could not help but blink, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. He sighed inwardly, "Lu Huichun is conferred a Duke, the other two are conferred Marquises, and all three are granted the honorary rank of Pillar of State; the Grand Tutor's rewards are truly generous!"

Yu Jie knew very well that the Grand Tutor was doing this to buy a horse's bones with a thousand gold pieces!

By giving generous treatment and setting a benchmark, he was clearly declaring to the noble clans of the world the bright future that awaited them if they defected to Great Zhou!

Feng Muye could not help but raise his brows, thinking to himself, "Good fellow! This Lu family has truly ascended to the heavens in one step!"

The three Lu brothers knelt on the ground, unable to calm down for a long time.

The excitement and gratitude in their hearts turned into endless loyalty, vowing to serve Great Zhou with their utmost until their dying breath.

Chen Yan's gaze swept over the three Lu brothers kneeling on the ground, his voice still solemn and resonant as he continued to read the end of the edict: "You shall further encourage loyalty and integrity, perform your duties faithfully, assist the state, and protect the people, so as not to fail my high expectations. Respect this!"

As the last two words fell, it was as if the finality of this glory had been declared, echoing in the warm pavilion for a long time.

Lu Huichun, Lu Zhaoqun, and Lu Mianzhi were filled with extreme joy, their eyes bursting with irrepressible excitement, the surging emotions in their chests almost overflowing.

They shouted in unison, their voices choked with emotion but becoming increasingly sonorous and powerful: "Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

"Many thanks, Grand Tutor!"

"Many thanks, Pillar of State!"

These three expressions of gratitude were both a heartfelt appreciation for the favor and a solemn response to their loyalty to the Grand Tutor.

Seeing this, Chen Yan stepped forward slowly, a calm and gentle smile on his face, and raised his hand to signal: "Duke Lu, two Marquises Lu, please rise!"

"Come and receive the edict!"

Having said that, he slowly extended the bright yellow edict in his hand, which carried supreme glory.

Lu Huichun received the edict with trembling hands, his fingertips touching the warm silk and the exquisite dragon patterns.

The excitement in his heart was beyond words, causing even his arms to tremble slightly.

He clutched the edict tightly, as if he were holding the hope for the Fanyang Lu clan to regain its glory. His eyes were full of excitement, and he thought to himself, "With these, plus the marriage ties with the Hedong Pei clan and the help of the current powerful officials, my Fanyang Lu clan can finally stand firmly after moving to Chang'an!"

Lu Zhaoqun and Lu Mianzhi also stood up slowly, their eyes falling on the edict in their elder brother's hands, filled with reverence and gratitude.

Chen Yan looked at the three men's excited appearance, the corners of his mouth rising slightly, his tone becoming more relaxed as he said slowly: "In addition to these conferments, the Grand Tutor has also specially prepared generous rewards for you all, bestowing three mansions outside Chang'an City..."

"All are carved with beams and painted rafters, with deep courtyards; the servants and maids in the mansions are already fully prepared, and there is plenty of gold, silver, and silk, enough for you all to settle down and establish your homes!"

These words were like another thunderclap, causing the three Lu brothers to be stunned, their excitement turning into deep emotion.

They had never imagined that the Grand Tutor would not only grant such high titles and ranks but also be so thoughtful, even preparing the mansions and property for them to settle down.

This favor was truly so heavy that they had no way to repay it!

"Many thanks, Grand Tutor!" The three of them kowtowed in unison again, their voices filled with gratitude and tears.

Immediately after, Lu Huichun stepped forward, cupped his hands, his expression extremely solemn, and stated eloquently: "My Fanyang Lu clan has received such generous treatment from the Grand Tutor and His Majesty, and we have no way to repay it. We will surely swear to serve Great Zhou to the death, exhaust our efforts for the peace of the state, and serve the welfare of the people until our dying breath!"

"If there is any disloyalty, may heaven and earth punish us together!"

Lu Zhaoqun and Lu Mianzhi followed closely behind, echoing in unison: "We will surely swear to serve Great Zhou to the death and will never fail the high expectations of His Majesty and the Grand Tutor!"

Yuwen Ze stood to the side, watching this scene, and understood his father and brother's intentions even more clearly.

Such comprehensive generous rewards and solicitation would not only make the Lu clan loyal to Great Zhou but also demonstrate the court's sincerity to the noble clans of the world; it could be called killing many birds with one stone!

The group returned to their original seats in order.

Although the delicacies on the purple sandalwood round table had cooled slightly, it did not dampen the group's spirits in the slightest, and the fine wine in the cups was still overflowing with mellow fragrance.

Chen Yan picked up his wine cup and took a light sip of the amber liquid, the wine's warmth spreading as it entered his throat.

He turned his gaze to Lu Huichun beside him, a hint of inquisitive curiosity on his face, and asked slowly: "By the way, Duke Lu, I have a question I am very curious about..."

Lu Huichun heard this, raised his hand to signal Chen Yan to speak, and smiled gently: "A Yan, please speak; this old man will tell you everything he knows."

Chen Yan put down his wine cup, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and said thoughtfully: "Shuozhou is located on the border of Northern Qi, not far from Jinyang, and news travels very conveniently..."

"I don't know how Duke Lu managed to secretly move the hundreds of people of the Fanyang Lu clan to this new city without alerting the eyes and ears in Jinyang, and without leaking a single bit of news?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the table pricked up their ears.

Yuwen Ze, Yu Jie, and others had long had this doubt in their hearts; the Lu clan had a large population, and such a large-scale migration was by no means an easy task to accomplish without anyone knowing.

Moreover, if high-ranking officials did not appear for a long time, Jinyang would be suspicious, right?

Yet, as it turned out, they had not noticed anything at all...

Lu Huichun laughed loudly upon hearing this, his laughter hearty and filled with a bit of self-satisfaction. He stroked the beard under his chin and said slowly: "A Yan, you do not know; this matter is difficult if you say it is difficult, and easy if you say it is easy..."

"It is like this: this old man spent a large sum of money to hire several masters of disguise from the pugilistic world and had them disguise themselves as this old man, my third and fourth brothers, and several nephews in the clan who were serving as officials!"

He paused and continued: "Besides that, this old man left most of the concubine-born children of the clan in the old Fanyang residence, letting them manage the clan's industries as usual to maintain a superficial calm!"

"As for the direct descendants and family members of the clan, they took advantage of the middle of the night to disguise themselves in batches as merchants and refugees..."

"Under the cover of night, they quietly withdrew from Fanyang via secret paths and traveled all the way to this new city of Shuozhou."

"This old man had already prepared a place for them here. After everyone arrived, we closed the doors and did not go out, strictly supervising them to avoid too much contact with the outside world. Only in this way was the matter kept hidden."

Chen Yan blinked upon hearing this, the doubt in his eyes instantly vanishing, and he realized with a start: "So that's how it is!"

"Duke Lu's move is truly brilliant!"

"I truly admire it!"

This plan was meticulous and detailed, interlocking ring by ring. If it weren't for someone who was meticulous, decisive, and did not harbor the kindness of a woman, it would have been impossible to succeed.

The gaze Chen Yan cast toward Lu Huichun held a bit more deep admiration.

Yuwen Ze also praised inwardly; Lu Huichun was not only brave and resourceful but also had such extraordinary courage and meticulous planning. It was no wonder his father valued him so much.

For such a person to submit to Great Zhou was truly the court's good fortune.

Lu Huichun smiled modestly upon hearing this, waved his hand, and said: "A Yan, you overpraise me!"

"This was just a stopgap measure; after all, one can hide it for a while, but not for a lifetime..."

"Once Jinyang detects something unusual, they will definitely send troops to investigate, and it will still be full of crises!"

"No!" Chen Yan suddenly reached out, gripped Lu Huichun's hand tightly, his eyes filled with profound light, and said in a firm tone: "Duke Lu, you are mistaken!"

"This 'while' is very critical!"

"It is even crucial!"

Yuwen Ze stood to the side, looking at Chen Yan's confident appearance, and thought to himself, muttering: "Why does my elder brother's expression look so much like a cat smelling fishy?"

"Oh?" A trace of doubt flashed in Lu Huichun's eyes, and he blinked and asked: "I wonder what A Yan intends to do?"

Chen Yan smiled slightly, turned his head to point to Ye Zhuxi, who was standing tall beside the table, and introduced her to Lu Huichun: "Duke Lu, this is Commander Ye! She is brave in battle and strict in governing the army; she is a rare military talent of our Great Zhou!"

He paused and continued: "The two-thousand-strong army under Commander Ye's command will escort you, Duke Lu, and the members of the Fanyang Lu clan, along with the people of the new city of Shuozhou, to withdraw from the Qi territory and arrive safely in Great Zhou!"

"If you have any requirements, you can bring them up to Commander Ye!"

"She will satisfy them as much as possible!"

Ye Zhuxi stood up immediately upon hearing this, her posture like a pine tree. She cupped her hands solemnly toward Lu Huichun, her voice sonorous and powerful: "Greetings, Duke Lu!"

Lu Huichun hurriedly stood up to return the salute, his face full of gratitude: "I will have to trouble Commander Ye for this trip!"

At that moment, the heavy stone that had been hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground.

With an army of twenty thousand to escort them, the path for the clan's migration would have a bit more security.

Immediately, as if thinking of something, he asked with a trace of confusion: "A Yan, since Commander Ye is escorting us to Great Zhou, what about you?"

Chen Yan blinked, smiling but not smiling, and said playfully: "Naturally, I am heading east to make some noise and divert Jinyang's attention!"

"So that they won't have time to worry about Shuozhou!"