After all, it was right in front of the Emperor, so even in such a situation, Ye Wenyu dared not act rashly, and could only kneel alone in the center of the grand hall, allowing others to size him up.
Just as cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead, the old Emperor finally spoke again amidst his puzzled thoughts, "Ye Qianfeng, where are you from?"
In the grand hall, Ye Jiu had changed his appearance; among the people Ye Wenyu knew, only Sikong Mo was present, but they had only exchanged two sentences during the day.
So at this moment, even though he felt bewildered, he could only answer truthfully, "Replying to the Emperor, this subordinate hails from Wangshan Village, Shuangxi Town under Fengyang City. Now, thanks to the Emperor's favor, my fourth uncle has been ennobled as Jinzhong Marquis, and our whole family has moved to the capital city."
"Jinzhong Marquis?" The old Emperor muttered, clearly having forgotten exactly who this Jinzhong Marquis was.
Then, the elderly eunuch beside him bent down and whispered in his ear, "Emperor, this Jinzhong Marquis Residence is the family of Princess Changfu's adoptive father. The Jinzhong Marquis is indeed the princess's sworn brother. Several years ago, when they first came to the capital city, he was so frightened by your imperial presence when he attended court that he couldn't get up from the ground, which caused a big laugh, so you particularly granted him the privilege of being exempt from attending court."
"Oh?" With this reminder, the old Emperor finally remembered.
This Jinzhong Marquis is quite a character.
He's just a bit timid.
Back then, when he first attended court, he ended up collapsing on the ground, and in the end, he had to be helped up by others before he could stand. Fortunately, the Jinzhong Marquis was not an important figure, so he was simply excused from attending court meetings.
Immediately, the old Emperor stroked the beard on his chin, and suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
Though the Jinzhong Marquis hadn't achieved much, his nephew Ye Wenyu was indeed talented.
There were plenty of soldiers on the battlefield, but not everyone could be a vanguard.
After all, the vanguard is the one who charges ahead; if their skills aren't good, charging forward only leads to death. Thus, being selected as a vanguard soldier is evidence of exceptional skill.
The most commendable aspect is that he is the nephew of Princess Changfu, which naturally grants him ties to the Imperial Family.
At this time when talent is needed, perhaps Ye Wenyu could be cultivated.
In such a short time, the old Emperor pondered many thoughts.
In a low voice, the old Emperor asked the decree-announcing eunuch, "What position was Ye Wenyu originally intended to be appointed to?"
"Replying to the Emperor…"
The personnel and positions to be conferred had originally been reported by Sikong Mo as meritorious individuals, and then the old Emperor deliberated and selected, finally drafting the edict.
Since there were so many people, and they weren't crucial figures or positions, the Emperor himself hadn't remembered many of those being conferred today. Official source ıs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒·𝗇𝗲𝘁
After today's palace banquet ended, everyone would return to their positions, and who knows how many would ever see the Emperor's grand visage again in their lifetime.
After the decree-announcing eunuch finished speaking, the old Emperor carefully deliberated for a moment, then whispered a few more instructions to the eunuch.
This unusual occurrence left all the ministers in the hall murmuring in surprise.
Such an interruption in the middle of proclaiming an imperial decree was quite peculiar. They couldn't figure out exactly who Ye Wenyu was, or what the Emperor's actions signified!
However, the words that the decree-announcing eunuch said next left them even more bewildered, "Eastern Guard Army vanguard leader Ye Wenyu is now appointed as a Fourth Rank Tiger Wing General, serving as the Left Deputy Commander of the Eastern City Defense Army."