"The Great King has mentioned so many of Zhao Feng's military achievements this time; he must be planning to reward him."
But now that Zhao Feng is already a Main General, he can only be promoted in noble rank, not in official position. After all, the rank above Main General is Protector-General, then Shangjiangjun. Zhao Feng is truly extraordinary. Bao Yuan, Lian Po, Pang Xuan... these renowned war generals whose fame shook the world all died by his hand. And Wei Wuji was also defeated by him. A born leader, a naturally gifted war general. With these achievements, Zhao Feng should at least be promoted two noble ranks. These accomplishments will all serve as his qualifications. Perhaps he can be promoted to Protector-General before he is thirty, becoming Qin's fourth Shangjiangjun.
「In the Court.」
Many ministers couldn't help but think that if not for the solemn and austere atmosphere of the Great Qin Dynasty Court, they would all be discussing this by now.
Yu Liao immediately stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Zhao Feng's contributions deserve a significant reward."
As a Disciple of Guiguzi and one of Ying Zheng's most trusted confidants, how could he fail to understand Ying Zheng's intentions? Most people in the Court understood that Ying Zheng intended to reward Zhao Feng handsomely, as his military achievements had already been announced. However, few could have guessed that Ying Zheng was paving the way to advance Zhao Feng even further. After all, Zhao Feng was far too young.
"I intend to promote Zhao Feng to Protector-General," Ying Zheng announced, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials. "What do my esteemed ministers think?"
His words fell like a bombshell, and the entire Court erupted in an instant.
Wang Wan, Huai Zhuang, and all the other ministers stared in shock. Clearly, none of them had anticipated this move.
"Great King," Chunyu Yue immediately jumped out to object, "this must not happen! Although General Zhao Feng has many military achievements for Qin, he is still too young and his qualifications are insufficient."
"This old servant agrees," Wang Wan quickly stood to oppose him. "General Zhao's ability to command troops is indeed outstanding, but he is not yet prepared to bear the responsibility of a Shangjiangjun. This position is far too weighty."
Although Fusu had gone to apologize to Zhao Feng, some friction surely remained between them. If Zhao Feng were to advance further, he would be courted even more aggressively by the other princes, a development Wang Wan did not wish to see. Moreover, Zhao Feng was the Wang Family's son-in-law. Winning over Zhao Feng was tantamount to winning over the entire Wang Family. With their combined control over military power, the two of them would be comparable to half the Court.
For the sake of balance in the Court, and for Fusu's sake, Zhao Feng could not be promoted. At least, not now. The longer it could be delayed, the better.
"I implore the Great King to retract his command," Huai Zhuang also spoke up at once. "The military achievements General Zhao has won for Qin are indeed significant, but he is still too young. He needs several more years of seasoning. It would be better to promote him in the future, when he is a little older and his qualifications are greater. For now, rewarding General Zhao with a higher noble rank for his considerable accomplishments is sufficient."
Ying Zheng remained silent, just quietly watching the ministers of his Court.
"Fusu, what do you think?" Ying Zheng asked, turning his gaze to him.
"This prince believes that what Chancellor Wang and Huai Xiang have said is reasonable," Fusu immediately replied. "Although Zhao Feng's military record is illustrious, he is ultimately too young and needs a few more years of experience. Once his temperament has matured, he will certainly be able to shoulder the great responsibility of the Protector-General."
Hearing this, Ying Zheng nodded.
He then waved his hand and picked up a Royal Edict from the table.
"Read it," Ying Zheng commanded in a grave voice.
Zhao Gao respectfully held up the Royal Edict and read aloud, "By decree of the King of Qin! Zhao Feng, Main General of Lantian, has rendered meritorious service in the destruction of the Zhao state and is a model for the war generals of Qin. He defended Wei City, preventing the loss of Qin's territory, attacked the Zhao state, slew Lian Po, killed Pang Xuan, and captured the King of Zhao, achieving glorious military distinction. Upon the extermination of Zhao, Zhao Feng shall be promoted to Protector-General and granted the title of Shangjiangjun. He is also to be granted a promotion of two noble ranks."
As the sound of Zhao Gao's voice faded, the entire Court fell silent.
Everyone understood. Ying Zheng had not brought this matter up for discussion; he had already made his decision. The Royal Edict was already drafted. Even if all the ministers objected, it would be useless, for this was the king's will.
Once the state of Zhao was extinguished, Zhao Feng would be promoted to Shangjiangjun, the youngest Shangjiangjun in the history of Qin. In time, he might even contend for the position of Grand Commandant, commanding the entire army of Qin just as Bai Qi had done in his day.
The many ministers who had just voiced their opposition now wore grim expressions.
"Great King," Wang Wan said, steeling himself, "Zhao Feng's qualifications are insufficient. Promoting him to Shangjiangjun now will likely cause discontent among all the army's officers and soldiers."
"Discontent among the soldiers?" Yu Liao stepped forward, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Chancellor Wang, your statement is quite peculiar. Could it be that you are unaware that every Sharp Warrior in the army looks to General Zhao as their goal, their standard?"
Han Fei also promptly stepped up to speak for Zhao Feng. "Furthermore, Chancellor Wang says that General Zhao's promotion to Shangjiangjun would cause discontent in the army? Does the Chancellor not know that our Qin prioritizes the system of military merit? For the Daqin Elite Soldiers, military merit is the very foundation of advancement. With General Zhao's achievements, which of the Sharp Warriors would dare to question his promotion? May I ask Chancellor Wang: looking across the land, who can match General Zhao's achievements? Who could slay Lian Po? Who could kill Pang Xuan? Who else could rout Wei Wuji with such a small force? Who else could breach Handan City, guarded by an army of three hundred thousand, in just six days?"