Chapter 679: That Sword Immortal Who Came to the Divine Capital
These days, Chen Chao became the most frequently mentioned person in the Divine Capital. From high-ranking officials in the imperial court to common peddlers and laborers, the number of people mentioning his name was likely beyond counting.
The common folk were grateful to have a Lord Warden Commander like Chen Chao, allowing them to continue living as they had before. The high-ranking officials, however, had far more complicated thoughts when discussing this newly appointed Lord Warden Commander.
It was said that in a recent court session, an official had even submitted a memorial suggesting that, given Lord Warden Commander Chen's meritorious service, he ought to receive further rewards. That official even went so far as to propose conferring a princely title.
For over two hundred years of the Great Liang Dynasty, the highest honor granted to officials had only ever been the title of Duke. Even the founding ministers of the dynasty had, at most, been conferred as dukes in their lifetimes, and posthumous bestowals of princely titles were exceedingly rare too.
However, Chen Chao’s current achievements were still some distance from warranting such a title. Moreover, attaining the highest rank among military officials at his age was already more than sufficient. Whether the official who proposed this idea had some ulterior motives remained unclear.
Yet within the court, His Highness the Crown Prince displayed no unusual reaction. He merely stated that His Majesty the Emperor was on an expedition, not deceased, and that such a major decision should wait until His Majesty’s return.
This casual remark was enough to shut down many discussions.
Although this matter was but a minor episode, it clearly demonstrated that Chen Chao's current standing in the court had already begun to threaten many officials. Many were growing fearful that this young military official would eventually amass overwhelming power and seize control of the government.
The civil officials, in particular, were unwilling to see such a situation unfold.