"A noble title? A rank of nobility?" Hu Feng exclaimed in surprise.
"What? Let me see," Li Qing said curiously.
"Whether it is the path of literature, the path of martial arts, the path of immortality, or the path of body refinement, anyone whose cultivation level is at the second stage can come to participate in the interview. Anyone who passes will be granted a noble title after serving the Duke of Wu for thirty years. From then on, they will become a high-ranking noble."
Li Qing grew increasingly astonished as he looked, and then asked directly, "May I ask Your Highness, what is this 'Shijue'?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang smiled slightly: "The so-called 'shijue' (士爵) is actually the same as the titles of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. However, it is much smaller. The fief is only one li (里) in size. In the future Wu Kingdom, it will be considered the lowest noble rank, equivalent to the ninth rank."
Don't underestimate a mile; that's 500 by 500. In terms of area, that's 2,500 mu. That means the person granted a noble title would have 2,500 mu of hereditary land.
If this were in the Central Plains, such a neat and large piece of land would cost at least 100,000 taels of silver; you wouldn't even dream of owning it.
Moreover, and most importantly, once you are granted a title, you become a nobleman, and your status will be completely different.
In this era where lineage matters, a descendant of nobility is no less powerful than a scion of a prominent family. This is enough to earn you respect from many and bring you more opportunities.
"What if you accidentally die within the next thirty years?"
"Then appoint the successor designated by this person."
"How long can it be passed down?"
"Two generations."
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Chapter 51: Ruthless and insane, but well done!
Let us drink and sing, for life is short! Like morning dew, the days gone by are many.
With a heavy heart, I express my deep sorrow, for my worries are hard to forget. What can dispel my sorrow? Only wine.
Green are your robes, green is my heart; deep is my longing for you. For your sake, I have hesitated until now.
The deer cry out, "Yo-yo!" as they eat the wild apples. I have guests, so I play the zither and the sheng.
The moon shines brightly, but when can it be grasped? Sorrow arises from within, and cannot be stopped.
We crossed paths and fields, yet our friendship remained unbroken. We talked and feasted, remembering past kindnesses.
The moon is bright and the stars are few; crows fly south. They circle the tree thrice, but on which branch can they perch?
Mountains are never too high, seas are never too deep. The Duke of Zhou spat out his food to welcome guests, and the world turned to him.
"Hehe, it seems our Duke of Wu is quite ambitious. He even compares himself to the Duke of Zhou. He truly has lofty aspirations," Guo Jia said with a smile, looking at the newspaper in his hand.
"Yes, this time they're actually recruiting talent directly in the newspaper. Look at this line: 'Green are your robes, longingly I think of you. For your sake, I've pondered until now.' It's a line from a Yuefu poem, used to express their thirst for talent," Xi Zhicai said excitedly.
"What, Zhicai, are you tempted?"
“That’s right, as you know, I come from a poor family and have a bad background. In addition, I haven’t done very well in the imperial examinations, and I probably won’t pass the exams. Now that I have such an opportunity, why shouldn’t I seize it?” Xi Zhicai said calmly.
To be honest, although Xi Zhicai considered himself extraordinary and felt that he was very talented, the problem is that talent really has little to do with the imperial examination.
Otherwise, how could someone as capable as Hong Xiuquan have failed even the lowest level of the imperial examinations? Even a super-talented guy like Zuo Zongtang was only a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations) in his youth; he couldn't pass the Jinshi (the highest level of the imperial examinations) no matter how hard he tried.
Of course, none of these are the most important things. The most important thing is that Xi Zhicai is already over thirty years old. In terms of age, he can be considered an uncle among ordinary people.
However, his cultivation level was only at the third rank, similar to Guo Jia's. Keep in mind, Guo Jia is only sixteen years old this year. Could the difference in their aptitude really be that great? Of course not!
The main reason was resources. With an ordinary social status, repeated failures in the imperial examinations, and no money, what chance did he have of standing out despite his talent? Therefore, after much thought, Xi Zhicai decided that he should seize this opportunity.
"A second-tier expert, after passing the interview and serving for thirty years, can be granted the title of rank of knight, which can be passed down for two generations. A third-tier expert, after passing the interview and serving for a hundred years, can be granted the title of rank of baron, which can be passed down for three generations. What a grand gesture!" Xi Zhicai's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he looked at the description in the newspaper.
"Such a grand gesture, Fengxiao, are you not tempted? This is a noble title, not just a ninth-rank noble with a territory of one li, but also a seventh-rank baron with a territory of one pavilion (one pavilion is ten li)."
"With your abilities, Fengxiao, a baronship is the minimum. In the future, given the Duke of Wu's generosity, even a baronship, viscountship, or even an earlship is not impossible," Xi Zhicai said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia's eyes widened instantly. That was a noble title! You must know that even most heads of aristocratic families didn't hold one.
Moreover, given Lin Yangguo Gong's status, he could at most be granted the title of Earl. As long as he works hard and truly develops the South, the Earl title doesn't seem impossible.
"Yes, what a grand gesture. This time, I can finally believe in the idea of sharing wealth and honor. Moreover, this time the Duke of Wu plans to confer titles on five hundred nobles and fifty barons. It can be said that with these people, the Duke of Wu will truly have a solid foundation."
"Alright, let's go for the so-called interview in seven days. Let's see if this Duke of Wu is suitable. If he is, we can directly pledge our allegiance to him." Guo Jia suddenly made up his mind and then took a big gulp of wine.
Seeing this, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but laugh. His little friend was quite capable. Now that he was joining forces with him to serve the Duke of Wu, developing the south would certainly be much easier.
...
Meanwhile, in the garden of Cao Cao's residence, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were also reading the newspapers.
"Has he gone mad? Granting so many noble titles at once, five hundred sergeants and fifty barons, this is simply outrageous, this is going to turn the world upside down! No wonder he is the ancestor of the divine way, his audacity is beyond words." Cao Cao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said admiringly.
Nobility, nobility, even if it's only a nobility passed down for two generations, is still nobility. Just as a fallen aristocratic family can still call themselves a poor family and still have a higher status than a son of a respectable family, even after losing their noble status, they can still live with the title of a descendant of nobility and still be superior to a son of a respectable family.
Therefore, even if it means going south to die, as long as one's son can be granted a noble title after death, then it is all worthwhile.
"Phew, that's truly outrageous and lawless. Perhaps, in his eyes, titles are nothing more than things to be exchanged. All I can say is, he has a really good mentality."
"Moreover, once this step is taken, and all five hundred lords and fifty barons have arrived, his foundation will be partially completed. He's truly remarkable," Yuan Shao said admiringly.
Lin Yang's rise from humble beginnings to his current position is due to both opportune timing and his own decisiveness. Yuan Shao has always admired such capable individuals.
"Yes, although it's hard to accept at first glance, upon closer reflection, there's nothing wrong with what the Duke of Wu did. Everything is reasonable and legal, after all, he was bestowing titles upon nobles belonging to the state of Wu."
"Although this kind of nobility is somewhat less prestigious than the nobility of the Han Dynasty, they are still nobles. And theoretically, they can appoint as many nobles as they want. As long as they don't rebel, no one can interfere," Cao Cao said in surprise.