He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 227 Rewards

After Shan Qiyu and Meng Linlang arrived in the capital, Meng Fuqing was busy commemorating the fallen soldiers and rewarding the meritorious officials, and was unable to see them immediately.

These tasks were supposed to be completed before the coronation ceremony, but were delayed due to various reasons.

The one who received the greatest reward was naturally Xie Jin.

Xie Jin not only conquered Zhannan, but also pacified half of the country, making him the greatest contributor. Moreover, due to his invincible campaigns, he became a household name as a war god after his father.

Even though everyone was prepared, they were still taken aback by the generosity of the reward.

Xie Jin was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu'an, with Jing'an Prefecture as his fief, and received a first-class salary. Not only that, but Generals Xie and Pei were also posthumously enfeoffed.

For his meritorious service in supporting the emperor, he was further promoted to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, holding the rank of first-grade official, and granted residence in the Eastern Palace.

Such a reward left the old ministers, who had finally accepted Meng Fuqing's ascension to the throne, feeling utterly disheartened. Knowing that the Empress would not heed their objections, they could only silently pray that Xie Jin would be sensible.

However, Xie Jin showed no intention of refusing.

Xie Jin raised his head and looked at the Empress on the dragon throne. There were many people who believed in the goddess, but he was probably the first person to regard Meng Fuqing as his faith.

He knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said, "Your subject accepts the decree and expresses gratitude."

Many ministers speculated that there might be undercurrents between the emperor and his ministers, with the empress seemingly plotting to kill him with flattery, while the ministers, oblivious to the consequences, displayed their ambition and arrogance.

Yet who could know that between this ruler and his subject, there was an unspoken understanding between them?

Apart from Xie Jin, everyone else, including Yan He, Niu Er, and others who had followed Meng Fuqing all the way, as well as the military generals from outside the region, were only given generous salaries but not fiefdoms.

Xu Weizhi was then appointed as the Chancellor Zhaoming, reaching the rank of first-grade official.

The Great Yan's policy of enfeoffment led to the fragmentation of the country during a time of great chaos. Apart from Xie Jin, all the other meritorious officials were rewarded with a meritorious salary in addition to their official rank and salary.

To the ministers, Meng Fuqing's series of bestowals was puzzling.

It seems like he's praising Xie Jin to the point of ruin, yet he's actually given him a title; it seems like he trusts him, yet he's allowed to live in the East Palace for easy surveillance.

If we were to say who was most likely to threaten the Empress's position at the beginning of the new dynasty, it would be Xie Jin, who had cleansed his only stain.

The ministers could not fathom the Empress's intentions and were unsure which side to take.

After bestowing the honors, Meng Fuqing issued an imperial decree to host a banquet.

The meritorious officials drank to their hearts' content, while Meng Fuqing watched with utter boredom as the banquet guests either became drunk and acted out or fell asleep soundly behind their desks.

Jiang Wen was also at the banquet, but he still retained a sliver of clarity.

Holding a cup of wine, he walked up to Meng Fuqing, knelt down and kowtowed three times before drinking the wine in one gulp.

Meng Fuqing drank the water in his cup, asked Dou Xier to prepare pen and ink, and inquired about his wife and children.

Jiang Wen's face was no longer clouded; he simply smiled and wrote four words: "All is well."

After finishing writing, he bowed deeply to Meng Fuqing.

After everyone had drunk themselves into a stupor, Meng Fuqing instructed the servants to take good care of the drunken ministers, and then walked alone toward the Golden Palace.

Xie Jin, who was being forced to drink by the soldiers, saw Meng Fuqing's departing figure and immediately made an excuse to escape.

The two entered the deserted Golden Palace one after the other. The deep purple fluorescent stone floor tiles, which were dark in daylight, seemed to become a deep pool under the moonlight.

Meng Fuqing sat down on the golden steps, put the heavy ornaments on her head into her spatial storage, rubbed her brow with her slender, white fingers, and showed a hint of weariness on her face.

She viewed being an empress as a job she had never done before. The job itself wasn't difficult for her; what was difficult was her out-of-touch ideas that were at odds with the times.

Fortunately, due to her intimidating power of throwing people out of the main hall at the drop of a hat, not many people dared to go against her.

Before long, a warm body appeared beside him.

Meng Fuqing's heart stirred, and he opened his eyes to look at the person who had come.

"Xie Jin." She sniffed lightly. "You've had quite a bit to drink, haven't you?"

As soon as the banquet started, Xie Jin didn't get to eat anything. He was constantly being toasted, and no one noticed when he poured out the wine in the end, so he remained sober.

“Kids who grow up in the North drink alcohol from a young age, so this is nothing special.”

He sniffed Meng Fuqing's neck like a wolf cub, then suddenly stopped. "I almost forgot, you get drunk easily. If you don't like the taste of alcohol, I won't drink it anymore."

It wasn't that Meng Fuqing disliked the taste of alcohol; it was simply that her body was too weak, getting drunk after just one cup.

She shook her head. "There's nothing I don't like..."

The next words were sealed in her throat with a kiss.

Xie Jin felt that Meng Fuqing's lips were incredibly soft. As the intoxication surged, he couldn't help but want more, but he just couldn't find the right way.

When Meng Fuqing saw him lightly biting her lips and cheeks like a puppy, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Why is Your Majesty laughing?" Xie Jin felt a surge of unease, his long eyelashes concealing the deep darkness in his eyes. "Could it be that Your Majesty is also involved in this matter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his arms were uncontrollably bound behind his back.

Meng Fuqing slowly leaned closer to him, "Marquis Wu'an, you probably underestimate me. I know a lot of things."

The hall was dimly lit, and a sudden flash of light made Xie Jin squint. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the unfathomable look in his eyes lingered for a long time.

Recalling what had just happened, he pursed his lips. If his hands hadn't been bound, he might have rebelled.

After entering the Falling Star Realm, Meng Fuqing carefully observed Xie Jin's expression, only to find that the other party seemed oblivious to the sudden change in the scene, and was... spacing out?

Still young, easily swayed.

What are you thinking about?

"I miss you." Xie Jin said frankly, while looking around casually, "Qingqing, I've waited for you for three years, but you can't tease me like this again next time."

Meng Fuqing used a vine to straighten his disheveled clothes. "You were the one who spoke first."

Xie Jin: "..."

I almost forgot.

"It's my fault."

Meng Fuqing nodded in satisfaction and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you curious about where this place is?"

"Space?" Xie Jin answered without much thought.

Having been shocked by Meng Fuqing so many times, he can now remain calm and composed no matter what bizarre things happen to him.

His gaze shifted from the buildings atop the mountain to the large rock at the foot of the mountain, drawn to the red light emanating from it.

Meng Fuqing nodded. "Yes, this place will disappear in two days. Before it disappears, I need to find a place to put it."

She took Xie Jin's hand, and the two walked together to the large rock inscribed with "Falling Star Realm".

Xie Jin was very curious about the map on the stone. After looking at it, he recognized the location of the red dot.

"This place is a rare and dangerous cliff in the capital, with towering and steep peaks, and a rift valley between the mountains..."

At this point, he looked at Meng Fuqing seriously and said, "Let me go with you."

Meng Fuqing brought Xie Jin into the space with this intention.

She smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll bring Meng Linlang along too. She might come in handy."