One-Character King Side-by-Side

Lin Su entered the hall, clad in the robes of a fourth-rank prefect, and knelt. "This subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Beloved Minister Lin, come closer!"

Lin Su walked forward step by step, until he stood level with Lu Tiancong, Zhang Juzheng, and the others.

His Majesty slowly rose. "Read the decree!"

The Chief Eunuch raised his hand and unfurled the imperial edict. "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Great Cang Emperor decrees: Lin Su, who cleansed the officialdom within the realm, spread the nation's might beyond its borders, expanded territory in the northern frontier, and opened the path of literature to its summit, whose merit towered over the age and whose fame traveled afar... is hereby enfeoffed as the One-Character King Side-by-Side, Literary King! By the Literary King's command, he may supervise all officials as though We were personally present. Officials below the fifth rank may be dismissed directly by royal command; officials below the second rank may be dismissed first and reported afterward! Bestow this!"

The entire hall was stunned!

Zhang Juzheng and Chen Geng both widened their eyes!

It was not as though they had never discussed what post Lin Su might receive. Their wildest guess had been that he would be made a king.

Today, he had indeed been enfeoffed as a king—a One-Character King—just as they had predicted.

But this was not merely a One-Character King!

This was a One-Character King Side-by-Side!

What was a King Side-by-Side? A king who stood shoulder to shoulder with the emperor!

That meant that from this day onward, he no longer needed to kneel before the emperor. He need only bow in salute. When attending court, the law permitted him to sit shoulder to shoulder with the emperor!

There was more. The edict specifically stated that Lin Su