Chengtian Hall.
At the banquet.
Xie Xun's voice continued to ring out.
"Luoshui Prince Jiang Ning may enter court without bowing, wear sword and shoes into the hall, be granted a seat during court, and need not avoid the sovereign's personal name."
"He may establish the Luoshui Prince's Residence within the royal capital. Its ceremonial guard and officials shall all be allocated according to the highest standards."
"Bestow one hundred thousand taels of gold, one hundred pairs of jade bi discs, one thousand bolts of celestial weave, and one residence."
"The former Lishui Palace shall, from this day forth, be renamed the Luoshui Prince's Residence and bestowed upon the Luoshui Prince."
"Furthermore, the Luoshui Prince may establish a private army of his own, with no restrictions on its scale. So long as it does not exceed ten thousand men, all provisions, pay, and equipment shall be supplied by the court."
Upon reaching this point, Xie Xun lowered the imperial decree, his voice trembling slightly.
It was not as if he had never witnessed bestowals before, but in all his decades of life, this was the first time he had seen one on such a scale.
This was practically raising Jiang Ning's status to one nearly equal to that of the current sovereign.
Even Ji Xuan, the One-Character Side-by-Side King, fell half a step short when compared to Jiang Ning.
Especially that clause—"establish a private army with no restrictions on its scale"—which was tantamount to granting Jiang Ning absolute authority within his territory!
After hearing every reward, Jiang Ning's expression remained calm.
He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed. "This subject thanks Your Majesty for your great grace."
His voice was steady, without the slightest hint of excitement or fluster.
He had long known that a new sovereign's ascension would