He Jin's smile grew wider upon hearing this, clearly enjoying the flattery.
He even knew to attribute the credit for suppressing the Yellow Turban to himself.
Although General was already at the pinnacle of power as the Great General and couldn't be promoted further, he could still gain some honor and at least solidify his position in the court.
A hearty voice continued to speak!
"Wen Yi, there's no need to be modest."
"Your achievements have already been recognized by the civil and military officials in the court and by His Majesty."
"Even General, the Great General, fully acknowledges them."
After saying this, He Jin took his seat at the head of the table.
He waved his sleeve slightly, signaling for everyone else to be seated.
Only after receiving the command did Liu Jin kneel back down in his seat to the side.
His back was straight, and his face still showed respect.
The few people He Jin had brought with him looked at Liu Jin's respectful and courteous demeanor with satisfaction.
To have achieved such great merits at a young age, yet remain humble and not arrogant—this young man's future achievements would surely be extraordinary.
He Jin picked up a cup of tea, took a small sip, and then set it down.
He said with a smile!
"Wen Yi, what brings you to the General's Mansion today?"
Liu Jin cursed inwardly upon hearing this. What else could he be doing at the General's Mansion? He was clearly here to pledge allegiance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to pay his respects immediately. If the Eunuchs and aristocratic families found out, he would surely be targeted.
He Jin's words clearly meant he wanted Liu Jin to state his intentions first, rather than for him to beg Liu Jin to join the General's Mansion.
After all, as someone who held power over the world, he naturally had a certain prestige.
To climb higher, Liu Jin didn't hesitate. He immediately stood up, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said loudly!
"Having drifted for half my life, I only regretted not finding an enlightened lord. Fortunately, I caught the General's eye, and General promoted me."
"Such great kindness and virtue, I dare not forget. From now on, I only wish to follow the General's lead, even if it means being crushed to dust, I will not shrink away."
He Jin, seated at the head, trembled upon hearing these words. He felt the blood in his body surge, as if it was about to burst forth.
His eyes filled with admiration, and he immediately stood up and hurried down!
He reached out to help Liu Jin up, laughing heartily!
"Good, good, good."
"With Wen Yi's assistance, General will surely be able to eliminate the Eunuchs, stabilize the court, assist the Emperor, and bring peace to the common people of the world."
The few people nearby all stood up, congratulating him with smiles!
"Congratulations, Great General! With General Liu's assistance, you will surely be able to eliminate the Eunuchs and curb the aristocratic families."
He Jin stroked his beard and laughed heartily, truly satisfied that Liu Jin was so sensible and had come to pledge allegiance on his own initiative.
The help he had given Liu Jin in the court, speaking up for him when he needed it most, had all been worth it.
After reseating himself, He Jin, full of vigor and high spirits, looked at Liu Jin beside him and said with a smile!
"Wen Yi, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, His Majesty invited the civil and military officials in the court to discuss the achievements of you and the other Generals."
"The merits of the other Generals have mostly been decided, only yours is still under discussion."
"The civil and military officials in the court initially proposed to appoint you as Zhonglang General, Tinghou (Marquis of Pavilion) of Xiangxiang, with an income of three thousand households."
At this point, He Jin's words paused slightly, then his voice continued!
"But I felt your merits were more than that, so I contended with the civil and military officials in the court, and it was temporarily put on hold."
"Now that you have arrived, General has decided to personally submit a memorial to fight for you."
"It will be very difficult to promote your General's rank. After all, Dong Zhuo, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and others already hold higher positions than you, their merits are no less than yours, and they also have supporters behind them. There are only so many official positions, so promotion is extremely difficult."
"However, for the marquisate, I can help you secure a Xianghou (Marquis of Township), which is one rank higher than a Tinghou (Marquis of Pavilion), and will increase your income by several thousand."
"Furthermore, whether you wish to serve in the court or govern a region, as long as it's not too excessive, I will let you choose."
After saying this, He Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, with a smile.
Liu Jin's eyes were filled with excitement upon hearing this, his heart pounded, and his hands unconsciously clenched tightly.
He hadn't expected He Jin to be so supportive, even helping him contend for a Xianghou (Marquis of Township).
Although both were marquisates, their statuses were vastly different.
The Han Dynasty's marquisates were divided into County Marquis, Xianghou (Marquis of Township), Tinghou (Marquis of Pavilion), and Guannei Hou (Marquis Within the Passes).
A County Marquis's fief was a county, a Xianghou (Marquis of Township)'s fief was a township, and a Tinghou (Marquis of Pavilion)'s fief was a pavilion.
As for a Guannei Hou (Marquis Within the Passes), he had no fief, only an income, making it the most common marquisate.
Most of the marquisates conferred by the court were Tinghou (Marquis of Pavilion)s; those who could reach Xianghou (Marquis of Township) were few and far between, and those who could reach County Marquis could be counted on one hand in the entire court.
Therefore, Liu Jin's status as a Xianghou (Marquis of Township) held a very high position and value, unlike a few years later when the world would descend into chaos and various marquisates would emerge.
Moreover, He Jin even allowed him to choose his official position, whether to serve in the court or govern a region, he could decide for himself.
All of this was due to his being sensible and willing to follow He Jin's lead; otherwise, he wouldn't have received such good treatment.
Liu Jin quickly stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed respectfully!
"Thank you, Great General, for your promotion. I will surely follow you through life and death, never betraying you."
He Jin nodded with a smile, very satisfied. Once Liu Jin was ennobled as a marquis and appointed as a General, he would have entered the core power structure of the Han Dynasty, becoming a valuable asset.
With this person's assistance, his own position in the court would become even more stable.
After a moment of thought, Liu Jin slowly said!
"General, I am still young, and I come from a military background. I am not yet familiar with the rules of the court. If I remain in the capital, I will not only hinder General but also make no progress."
"It would be better to let me govern a region, gain experience, and earn merits, which would also allow me to better assist General."
He Jin nodded upon hearing this. Since Liu Jin came from a military background, having him govern a region and hold military power, becoming his external support, was the most appropriate method.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, various regions of the world were somewhat turbulent, and some remote Grand Administrators even privately recruited soldiers and horses, only obeying orders when it suited them.
If he didn't have military support in the court, he would easily be restricted.
Therefore, cultivating Liu Jin to govern a region and become his external support was imperative.
He Jin's voice slowly came forth!
"Wen Yi, where do you wish to govern?"
Liu Jin heard this and, without any hesitation, quickly replied!
"General, Bing Province has been continuously harassed by horse bandits and barbarian soldiers for years, leaving the common people displaced. I wish to guard this place, pacify the populace, and consolidate the northern regions."
"May I ask if I can serve as the Inspector of Bing Province?"
The Great General was somewhat surprised to hear this. He had thought Liu Jin would choose You Province, but unexpectedly, he chose Bing Province.
The official position of an Inspector was not very high, but his power was great. He could supervise the Grand Administrators of various commanderies and was considered the highest official of a province. Only those with prominent reputations could hold such a position.
