We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Qin Qiong?

When Li Che heard the name, he smiled and nodded: "Qiong, beautiful jade, a good name."

Then I couldn't help but smile.

Qin Qiong? This name... is really impressive, and it reminds me of that famous door god from later generations!

Li Che's eyes became softer. He gently touched Qin Qiong's head again and asked in a gentle voice, "Qin Qiong, are you willing to follow me into the palace and study martial arts with the prince?"

Qin Qiong blinked his big eyes and first looked at his grandmother Lin and mother Zhao.

Seeing that both of them had tears in their eyes, she nodded at him encouragingly.

Qin Qiong then turned around and imitated the adults, bowing to Li Che in a serious manner and saying, "My boy Qin Qiong is willing to follow His Majesty into the palace!"

"Good! Good!" Li Che laughed even more heartily. "This boy is well-organized, well-educated, and knows how to respect his elders. With a little polishing, he will surely become a fine piece of jade!"

"Pass on my order." Li Che turned to look at Qiu Bai behind him.

The latter immediately stepped forward and listened attentively.

"Give Qin Qiong the golden mace, and make him a tutor to the Crown Prince. Let him enter the palace with me and live in the East Palace."

Hearing Li Che's words, Lin and all the widows of the Qin family were shocked.

The golden mace and the like are not important; it was just Li Che's sudden and evil idea.

The prince's study companionship was something we had agreed upon before, so it's not worth being shocked about.

But living in the East Palace is completely different. Can anyone live in the palace?

Apart from the emperor's children and women, only eunuchs could live there.

Your Majesty intends to personally raise Qin Qiong and teach him to become the next generation of imperial ministers.

The last person to receive such an honor was Yang Zhongsi of the previous dynasty. Now he has become a key minister of two dynasties and has an incredibly high level of experience.

Lin hurriedly thanked Li Che, but the latter just waved his hand and said calmly: "No need to be polite, the Qin family is worthy, Qiong'er is worthy."

Hearing this, Lin's eyes became a little hot.

Although his son died for his country, his death was worth it. He died loyal to a wise ruler.

Li Che then looked at Lin and said solemnly, "Old Madam, there are many inconveniences today. I will take Qiong'er into the palace first."

"Don't worry about anything at the mansion. I will have someone take care of it. I will also send people to help at the academy."

Lin quickly bowed and said, "I respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a long life and may your country remain strong forever!"

Li Che smiled and nodded: "I also wish the old lady good health and a long life."

Li Che stretched out his hand, naturally took Qin Qiong's little hand, turned around and walked towards the imperial carriage.

After taking two steps, he seemed to suddenly remember something and stopped, looking back at Lin.

His tone became particularly solemn: "Old Madam, I have built a tomb for Qin Aiqing in Chaoyang City in Liaodi and erected a monument to commemorate him. It is now constantly visited by incense."

"Do you...want him to return home? If you wish, I can send someone to move his tomb back to the imperial capital so that his soul can return to his homeland."

Upon hearing this, Lin's body trembled slightly, and a complex struggle flashed in her eyes.

But in the end, she slowly shook her head, her voice soft but firm:

"Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but... I died loyally for my country, on the land he once fought so hard for."

"I think he might prefer to stay there, watching the land return to the king and watching your majesty's flag fly there."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to bother moving his grave. Just let him...stay there."

After hearing this, Li Che was stunned for a moment, as if his heart was hit hard by something.

He looked at the old man who put his country above his personal feelings and sighed from the bottom of his heart:

"Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains, so why return home wrapped in horsehide... Today, I have truly witnessed the integrity of the Qin family."

He said no more, just nodded to Lin and her family, then took Qin Qiong's hand and boarded the waiting carriage.

The team started again and slowly drove away from the gate of Qin Mansion.

Although the people were unable to hear the conversation clearly, they roughly understood why Li Che stopped by looking at the situation.

The new emperor stopped here to visit the family of a minister who sacrificed his life for the country, and even took his young son into the palace to raise him.

There was a sudden burst of praise from the crowd, and they had even more heartfelt respect for the new king's benevolence.

Li Che sat on the imperial carriage, looking out the window at the people talking about the situation.

He knew in his heart that after this incident, the Qin family's reputation as a loyal and brave family would spread throughout the imperial capital. The Qin family's future life would at least not be too bad, and no one would dare to bully these widows.

But when he thought of the wise and righteous Old Lady Qin, he still felt it was not enough.

He turned to Qiu Bai, who was standing beside him, and instructed, "Remember to remind me. I will issue an imperial decree to confer the title of First Rank Consort on Old Lady Qin, Lin, and to enjoy the imperial salary."

"Yes!" Qiu Bai bowed and accepted the order.

Li Che pondered for a moment and added, "Also, order someone to make a plaque. Use the finest golden nanmu wood, gild it with large gilded characters, and write the words 'Home of a Heroic Official' on it."

"After it's completed, you will personally lead a group to solemnly deliver it to the gate of the Qin Mansion and hang it up."

"The family of a meritorious official?" Qiu Bai was slightly stunned, somewhat confused by the meaning.

Rewarding gold, silver, land, and houses, and posthumously conferring official titles, is common, but this special plaque...

Li Che saw his confusion and explained, "Well, from now on, any meritorious official who has fought for the country, died in the line of duty, or made significant contributions to the country in other ways, after verification and evaluation, can be awarded this plaque by the court."

"Let them hang it on their door lintels to show their honor and to inspire future generations."

"And the government will also pay more attention to the families who hang this plaque. They will stop by to check on the situation during patrols. If a family member receives a grievance and files a complaint with this plaque, no one will be allowed to stop them."

He paused, then continued, "Of course, this plaque can't be issued indiscriminately. Clear standards and review procedures must be established."

"This matter...will be handed over to the Ministry of Rites, which will work together with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel to draft detailed regulations and submit them to me."

"I understand."

Li Che had been thinking about how to motivate his subjects to be loyal.

For example, titles and official positions that can be passed down from generation to generation should no longer be allowed, as they can easily lead to class stratification.

The title of Daqing is only an honorary one. It will not bring real power and cannot benefit future generations.

However, we can establish more "homes for meritorious servicemen", and the treatment of military dependents will also increase.

He wanted everyone to see that only those who were loyal to their country were worthy of enjoying privileges.

Li Che thought for a moment and then said, "Tell the historian Shitou again that if possible, Qin Jing's mistakes should not be recorded in the history books."

Qiu Bai was slightly startled: "I'm afraid Taishi Ying won't agree."

Li Che glared: "He dares? I can't control him?!"

Qiu Bai was slightly startled, and didn't dare to speak, pretending not to hear.

As for whether Taishi Ying agreed, Qiu Bai didn't know.

But later historians found such a record in the history books:

History of Qing Dynasty: Records of Loyal Officials: Biography of Qin Jing

Qin Jing was a native of the imperial capital. He was acquainted with civil affairs and construction from a young age. When Emperor Taizong was in hiding outside the Great Wall, Jing accompanied him out of the Great Wall and was appointed the chief construction officer of Ninggu County, overseeing the city defense and the construction of civilians.

At that time, Ninggu County was weak and short of resources, so Jing Quan acted arbitrarily and secretly mobilized the laborers who were supposed to repair people's houses to strengthen the city walls first. Although he secretly compensated the people for their labor, he did not personally verify their use.

That winter, a heavy snowstorm hit Fengtian, destroying dozens of houses and killing many people. The court and the people were in an uproar. Taizong was furious when he heard about it and had the emperor imprisoned and sentenced to death according to the law.

Soon after, an envoy from Goryeo arrived, arrogantly addressing himself as "Zhuang." Upon hearing this, Jing wrote a petition in blood from his cell: "I bear the death penalty, but I am willing to go as an envoy to Goryeo to appease the arrogant enemy!"

Taizong encouraged his ambition and released him as an envoy.

When Jing arrived in Goryeo, he saw the Goryeo king sitting upright on the coiled dragon couch, calling himself "I" as usual. With bloodshot eyes, he rushed forward, grabbed the king's sleeve, punched him three times in the face, and shouted sternly: "I I I I! Dog-foot I!"

Goryeo guards swarmed in, Jing was covered in blood on the steps of the palace, and died cursing.

When Taizong heard the bad news, he threw down his cup and cried bitterly: "Jing has been guilty and remained loyal and brave. I have lost a loyal minister!" He then sent troops to Goryeo, captured its king, and destroyed its country.

When Emperor Taizong conquered the Central Plains and returned to the imperial capital, Jing's mother, Lady Lin, and her young grandson, Qiong, knelt on the side of the road to greet him. Emperor Taizong personally supported them, held Qiong's hand, and said, "Your father is a man of steel. I shall treat you as my own son."

He immediately ordered Qiong to enter the palace to accompany Lin in her studies, granted her an imperial edict, and provided her with abundant grain and silk every year.

However, Taizong still regretted that the history books recorded Jing's early mistakes, and ordered the Grand Historian Ling Ying to say: "Qin Qing has made great contributions to the country, so his minor flaws can be overlooked."

Ying knelt down in front of the palace and argued, "A flaw in a banner cannot overshadow its merits. If you force it, it will only diminish its true nature. How can Your Majesty undermine the virtue of a loyal minister?"

Taizong remained silent for a long time, covered his face with his sleeves and walked away in shame.

Praise:

Jing, despite being a criminal official, displayed the courage of Zhuan Zhu. When he attacked the false ruler, he disregarded life and death. Emperor Taizong, moved by his loyalty, concealed his faults. Although this record contradicts historical records, it truly reflects his true nature. However, was Jing's steadfastness altered by the additions and deletions of historians? His son, Qiong, later became a powerful official and pillar of the state. The family tradition remains intact, demonstrating that loyalty and righteousness will continue.