C66. Famous Ministers Protocol Initiated.

C66. Famous Ministers Protocol Initiated.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the thirteenth day of the third month, the day of Yuan Li's early coronation.

The coronation capping ceremony was to be conducted by the father, followed by the designated dignitaries invited to perform the three ceremonial acts of crowning Yuan Li three times, representing his authority to govern, serve, and participate in rituals.

During the coronation, the dignitaries would also bestow a beautiful character upon Yuan that reflected his virtues.

One of the selected dignitaries was the renowned scholar Cui Xuan.

Publicly, Chu Hechao claimed that Cui Xuan was invited by him as a scholar and was originally planned to give a lecture in Ji County. Coincidentally, the coronation ceremony was a perfect opportunity to grant a name to Yuan Li.

Cui Xuan remained silent on the matter, aware of Yuan Li's coronation plans, but he said nothing and quietly stayed in the room without coming out a few times or meeting anyone.

The news of Scholar Cui Xuan personally crowning Yuan Li quickly spread far and wide.

Many people rushed to Ji County, wanting to witness the grace of Scholar Cui Xuan and the distinguished figure of Yuan Li.

On that day, the weather was perfect, with clear skies and gentle breezes.

The venue was prepared, everything was checked multiple times by Guo Lin to ensure nothing went wrong.

Yuan Li's subordinates, in a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, finally awaited the moment of Yuan Li's coronation.

They sat on cushions, closely watching Yuan Li and Cui Xuan in the center of the ceremony.

Merchants who had collaborated with Yuan Li sent valuable gifts, and Zhang Ming and Zhong Ji also hurried back.

The county magistrate of Guangyang County, Cai Ji, dared not to miss such an occasion. He sat alongside his deputies and other officials, awe-struck by the grandeur of Yuan Li's coronation.

Liu Jixin, Wang Er, Jian Shaoning, and others were excited, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

Among Yuan Li's subordinates, everyone was looking forward to the day. Excluding Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan, everyone was more ecstatic than surprised at the news of the patriarch's last wish for Yuan Li's early coronation wish, including Guo Lin and his team.

They were Yuan Li's subordinates, concerned with Yuan Li's interests and benefits. As long as Yuan Li rose to greater heights, they too could advance with him.

The passing of the patriarch was not a cause for sadness but a tremendous opportunity in their eyes.

They had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to showcase their abilities after Yuan Li's early coronation.

For some time, they had been holding back their joy and anxiety, eagerly awaiting the day to arrive.

Especially Liu Jixin, who initially thought he would have to wait longer to see Yuan Li's rise in power. After learning about Yuan Li's early coronation, the usually composed strategist was elated.

He oversaw all the preparations for Yuan Li's coronation meticulously and repeatedly verified the process with Guo Lin.

At this moment, seeing Cui Xuan helping Yuan Li change into the ceremonial attire and crown, singing the praises of "the one wearing the deep robes," Liu Jixin was left speechless with an overwhelming surge of emotions.

Wu Kai, Wang Er, and others had similar expressions, their eyes burning with excitement, and their breath quickening.

The ceremonial process of aristocratic coronation was intricate. After the three crownings, Yuan Li stood up, bowed to the main guest, and performed the first person's bow, while the guests rose to return the gesture.

Yuan Li received the wine offered by Cui Xuan, drank it to the last drop, then bowed to Cui Xuan, who returned the bow, looking at him with contentment.

"In my lifetime, I have crowned few individuals like you are one of them," Cui Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "You are a disciple of Ouyang Ting, and you have some master-disciple with me too. A man's name is established at twenty, and the character 'Yuan' conveys concerns. Today, I will choose a character for you."

Yuan Li bowed reverently, "Please let me know."

Cui Xuan stroke his beard, smiled, and said, " 'As I wander, I am troubled like Confucius.' It conveys a sense of worry, but I hope that in the days ahead, you will stay away from sorrows and find joy."

Cui Xuan recalled the information his son had shared about what he had seen and heard in Ji County, as well as the love and praise the people of Ji County had for Yuan Li.

He looked deeply at Yuan and said, "I can see that you are a true gentleman. You are kind-hearted, benevolent towards the people, loyal and filial, with a noble character and upright conduct that is rare in this world. As Mencius says, 'A gentleman finds joy in three things that a sovereign does not retain. The first is to have both parents alive and brothers still living, the second is a clear conscience towards both heaven and man, and the third is to educate the talents of the world. Therefore, I bestow upon you the courtesy name 'Lejun' (樂君), meaning 'Joyous Gentleman,' with the hope that you will fulfill these three joys and fulfill the expectations placed upon you."

These words clearly conveyed Cui Xuan's admiration and expectations for Yuan Li.

In his heart, Yuan Li thought, Lejun.

Yuan Lejun.

He liked the name.

Yuan Li smiled and bowed, saying, "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me."

After the coronation ceremony, there was a banquet for the guests. Amidst the eating and drinking, Yuan Li led his subordinates to the study.

In the study, Chu Hechao, along with his subordinates Yang Zhongfa and others, as well as the officials from Youzhou who had arrived that day, were all present.

Today was not only Yuan Li's coronation day but also the day he officially took up the position of Youzhou Governor.

The Governor's seal had been handed over to Chu Hechao by Yuan Li privately the day before to be ceremonially transferred to Yuan Li today in front of everyone, conferring upon him the official position of Youzhou Governor.

By rights, Yuan Li should have first achieved a good reputation in the civil service exams.

However, Youzhou was a fiefdom of the Prince Chu, and the appointment of officials was decided by the Prince Chu's court. The final list of successful candidates in Youzhou would eventually be submitted to the Princr Chu for approval before being sent to the central government for endorsement.

For the former Yuan Li, passing the official would have been an almost impossible task. But for the current Yuan Li, who had some renown and had been personally crowned by the great scholar Cui Xuan after studying under the esteemed Ouyang Ting, his fame, reputation, and moral character easily qualified him to pass the officials, and no one would question his eligibility.

To avoid suspicion, Chu Hechao would ask Yang Zhongfa to nominate Yuan Li for the officials. However, regardless of who nominates someone for the exams, the final list of successful candidates in Youzhou will ultimately end up in Chu Hechao's hands, almost like a formality that needn't be taken too seriously.

No one present mentioned this matter.

Chu Hechao formally appointed Yuan Li as the Youzhou Governor before everyone, looking at the simple and fresh Yuan Li with a gentle expression and saying, "I will appoint you as the deputy commander of my army's military strategist and dare you to assist me in defeating the Xiongnu. I will inform the court of your accomplishments. Yuan Lejun, from now on, Youzhou will be in your hands."

Yuan Li modestly declined, expressing that he was still inexperienced and unable to bear such a heavy responsibility.

It was the standard procedure for scholars of his time to refuse several times out of modesty before finally accepting an official position.

After three polite refusals, Yuan Li "reluctantly" took the seal of inspector, sighing and saying, "I am still inexperienced. I hope that General values me. In that case, I will boldly accept this heavy responsibility. Please rest assured, General and all, I will not disappoint the trust placed in me and will protect the people of Youzhou."

After he finished speaking, Yang Zhongfa and the others rose swiftly and cheerfully saluted, saying, "We pay our respects to the Governor, my lord."

Then Cai Ji and the officials from Youzhou also quickly saluted and said, "We pay our respects to the Governor, my lord."

Seeing their bowed heads and respectful gestures, Yuan Li felt a sense of satisfaction and relief wash over him.

He had finally been officially appointed as the Governor, he had taken the first step into his official career.

To become a Governor immediately after receiving his official name of adulthood at nineteen was an unprecedented event in history.

With just this achievement, his name would surely be recorded in the annals of history.

To leave a mark in history was like finding gold in the sand, something that was both surprising and thrilling.

Yuan Li had always believed that he did not have a strong ambition for power or position. He only wanted to stand on his own feet and do his best to help more people. But as the moment truly arrived, he found his heart beating faster and faster with anticipation.

The feeling of alienation struck his heart.

Only with a high enough status and power can one do what they want to do, and protect more people.

Desires awakened in his heart, causing him to be somewhat confused and somewhat enlightened.

I have gained some preliminary power.

So I can...

In the midst of this, the system, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up.

[All-encompassing encyclopedia system activated. Mission completed, rewards distributed, please explore on your own, host.]

[System updating, progress 1, 10, 90... update complete.]

[All-encompassing encyclopedia system updated to the first-generation eminent official system.]

[First-generation eminent official system activated.]

[Reward: Initiate a one-week weather forecast query.]

A series of electronic sounds disrupted Yuan Li's thoughts, startling him at first, followed by a puzzled expression on his face.

Has the system been upgraded?

What does it mean that the all-encompassing encyclopedia system has been upgraded to the first-generation eminent official system, and will the system continue to upgrade?

And what is a one-week weather forecast query?

With a head full of question marks, a variety of issues crowded my mind, but now was not the time to delve into them. He temporarily set aside his doubts and began to deal with the officials in front of him.

After formally becoming the Governor of Youzhou, Yuan Li gained the power of appointment. That same day, he appointed his subordinates as his officials.

He appointed Liu Jixing as Chief Administrative Officer, in charge of the selection and document affairs of the province, essentially the head of the civil servants handling government affairs.

Guo Lin was appointed as the Secretary, serving as a traveling secretary, while Wu Kai and Wang Er were appointed to military positions, responsible for maintaining public order in Ji County.

Others were also assigned official positions, and from then on, they would receive salaries from Yuan Li, rather than from the court or Prince Chu. Their relationship officially became like that between a "monarch" and his subjects.

Yuan Li also offered this choice to Jian Shaoning, asking if he would like to be his subordinate.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Jian Shaoning asked, "Your Excellency, after becoming your subordinate, can I still interact with you as a friend?"

"Of course," I replied with a smile, reassuringly.

Jian Shaoning breathed a sigh of relief and accepted his appointment.

Today was the day of Yuan Li's capping ceremony, a day of great joy for his subordinates. Even though Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan, felt a tinge of joy while accepting his official appointment, it was overshadowed by the melancholy of their grandfather's passing.

The celebration continued joyously well into the night, and it was only then that he had some free time.

With some free time on his hands, Lu Yuan's first task was to find cotton.

The reward for his appointment given by the system was cotton, a crop that could be planted in April, along with potatoes.

Having gained some experience, Lu Yuan had figured out the system's pattern of awarding rewards. These rewards always came with legitimate reasons and would eventually reach him, so he was no longer as anxious as he had been before.

He had someone register the gifts brought by the guests one by one, specifically instructing them to pay attention to a soft and colorful spherical item or plant. If they saw something similar, they were to bring it to him.

After giving instructions, Lu Yuan stayed alone in the room, beginning to study the changes in the system.

In the end, he discovered that the system's upgrade only added a feature for a one-week weather forecast and there were no other changes.

Yuan Li made various attempts, "System, are you a high-tech technology from the future? Are there no new features to talk about after the upgrade? Shouldn't there be a product introduction?"

The system remained silent.

The system was merely a tool for issuing tasks and rewards, like before and had never said a word of nonsense to Yuan Li from the beginning. Yuan Li was used to this, but he had never imagined the system would upgrade.

"The first-generation eminent official system..." Lu Yuan stroked his chin and repeated the phrase, "The first-generation eminent official."

For a person walking the path of officialdom, achieving the title of first-generation eminent official was the pinnacle of a lifetime.

Yuan Li wanted to climb step by step towards this goal, knowing that eventually he would truly become a first-generation eminent official.

But who was he serving?

And was his previous ambition driven by the desire to attain the title of "first-generation eminent official"?

Yuan Li felt like it might be the case, but then again, maybe not. He sighed, decided to let go of his worries, and continued towards his goal.

He planned to quietly stockpile food, recruit soldiers, accumulate strength, develop Youzhou, attract people to expand the land and population, and increase the workforce.

With his goal now clear in his mind, Yuan Li closed his eyes and began to doze off.

Due to the many gifts received on his enthronement, it took his subordinates two full days to complete the inventory.

The gifts were not just from the local aristocrats, merchants, and officials of Youzhou, but also from Wu Shanshi, the Governor of Yizhou, and Liu Quan, the Governor of Bingzhou. Some county officials and nobles from Yizhou and Bingzhou also sent valuable gifts.

Through his efforts over the past year, Yuan Li had gained enough attention in the three provinces.

After clearing the gifts, his subordinates finally found the soft and colorful objects Yuan Li had described.

Seeing a box of pure white cotton, Yuan Li couldn't help but smile satisfactorily. He carefully took out a ball and felt its soft, warm, and flexible texture, even finding cotton seeds inside.

Yuan Li was in a good mood as he asked, "Who sent this gift?"

His subordinate replied, "It was a gift from the Wuman chief Guli Chi."

"Guli Chi?"

Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, "Only this?"

"There are also other gold, silver, jewels, and a bag of salt."

Yuan Li's expression showed a slight complexity, "Salt?"

The subordinate nodded and handed a letter to Yuan Li, saying, "There is also a letter that his men delivered."

Yuan Li opened the letter and read that Guli Chi would lead various Wuman leaders to Jixian to pay respects to the new Governor in a few days. He had sent the gift in advance to arrive on Yuan Li's capping ceremony day.

In the letter, Guli Chi's tone was somewhat arrogant and scornful, boasting that he had brought finer salt than what Yuan Li had previously sold to Dadan. He had specially sent a bag for the Governor and the General to taste the higher-quality fine salt.

He also asked if Yuan Li had ever tasted such good salt before. If he liked it, he could generously send him another half bag.

Yuan Li read the letter and couldn't help but smile.