Chapter 116: Hereditary Peers and Life Peers

"So, you have been arranged by Ancestor Wanshan to be a student of Prefect Lu?"

"And then, Prefect Lu and Director Lu plotted to have you granted a noble title?"

Lu Hongyuan stared at Lu Sheng in astonishment, looking at him as if he were the illegitimate son of a Grandmaster. If not for this, how could this young man receive so many favors after returning to the Great Jing Lu Clan? Many things that he had pursued his entire life and failed to attain seemed to come easily to Lu Sheng, and he, the person involved, did not even seem to care.

"That is the situation. If Lord Hongyuan is willing to help, then offer an idea!"

"If not..." Lu Sheng did not continue, instead gesturing toward the door.

"Help! Of course, I will help!" Seeing Lu Sheng’s attitude, Lu Hongyuan suppressed his curiosity and replied repeatedly. Regardless of why Lu Sheng received such preferential treatment, this was a great opportunity for him to strengthen the Bingzhou Lu Clan. At the very least, a Prince’s title would allow the Bingzhou Lu Clan to reclaim some of their ancestral lands.

After calculating, Lu Hongyuan said, "I have heard of the Jinyang Prince matter. It is said that Lu Yuanhun, who settled this issue back then, even caused quite a stir in Yujing City."

"Now, with the support of Ancestor Yuanlin’s grandson and the tacit approval of Ancestor Wanshan, your title is practically a certainty!"

"However, since you are the only one left of the Luhun lineage, they might reduce your fiefdom—or perhaps even demote it to a floating title."

As he spoke, Lu Hongyuan explained the peerage system of the Great Jing Dynasty. According to the rules established by Emperor Jing, titles were divided into hereditary peerages and floating titles. Hereditary peers held fiefdoms and passed them down indefinitely. Floating titles lacked fiefdoms, and each succession required a demotion of one or two ranks. Successors needed to reach the level of a Martial Master to only be demoted by one rank; otherwise, they were demoted by two. Therefore, hereditary titles were far more precious and extremely difficult to obtain.

Lu Sheng’s Jinyang Prince title was originally negotiated to include a portion of Jinyang Commandery as a fiefdom, which would naturally be a hereditary title. However, because Lu Sheng was the sole member of the Luhun branch, the imperial court might significantly slash his fiefdom upon granting the title. If someone interfered, it might even be downgraded to a floating title. After all, the justification for making Lu Sheng a Prince was not particularly strong.

"That won't do!"

Luo Liheng, who had been listening from the side, spoke up loudly. "If a hereditary title is turned into a floating one, it will become a commoner status within a few generations!"

"After the Great Chaos, the Great Jing court declined. Many founding hereditary nobles were expelled from their fiefs by local powers. According to court rules, those who lost their fiefdoms, even if not stripped of their titles, were demoted to floating titles. Now, hundreds of years later, how many of those demoted families still hold any titles?"

The Luo family he came from had once been founding heroes, but after being driven from their fief over four hundred years ago, the family had slowly withered. Thus, Luo Liheng felt this deeply.

"So, a transition from a hereditary title to a floating one not only greatly reduces one's status but also strips away the fiefdom?" Lu Sheng frowned and asked Lu Hongyuan. He didn't care much about the prestige of the title, nor did he need to consider his descendants for the moment. What he cared about was the fortune brought by the title of Prince. If he held a fiefdom, the people living there would surely provide him with fortune. Even implementing a few benevolent policies to earn their gratitude would make gaining merit effortless.

Having realized the stakes, Lu Sheng said firmly, "It must be a hereditary title, and it must include a fiefdom!" Only then could he continuously obtain merit and fortune.

"Of course, it must be a hereditary title!" Lu Hongyuan shared this intention. "If it were a floating title, it would be a mere Marquis or Earl within two generations, which would be of little help to the Bingzhou Lu Clan."

"If you can secure a hereditary title and reclaim Jinling County as your fiefdom, no one in the entire Bingzhou Lu Clan will object!"

He had conceived this idea the moment he learned Lu Sheng might become the Prince of Jinyang. As a county in Jinyang Commandery, Jinling was near Jinyang City, serving as the burial site for past Jinyang Princes and housing many members of the Bingzhou Lu Clan. If this county could be reclaimed from the court, the entire clan would benefit.

"Are there many Bingzhou Lu clansmen in Jinling County?" Lu Sheng hesitated slightly. "If this place becomes my fief, can I keep them in check?" He found it difficult to impose strict control over relatives with such complex, intertwined blood ties.

Sensing his concerns, Lu Hongyuan explained, "Most of the main lineage of the Bingzhou Lu Clan was taken to the grasslands back then, and some returned to Yujing. The rest followed the Prince of Gaoyang and the Prince of Fenyang to their respective commanderies when Ancestor Zhengyang restored the Great Jing. Those currently in Jinling County are mostly distant branches or those with ancestral ties to the clan. Once you become the Prince of Jinyang, you can naturally restrain them."

Lu Hongyuan looked at Lu Sheng and added, "Moreover, only this county has a reason to become your fief. As long as they petition for it, your Prince title will surely be hereditary!" As the location of the ancestral tombs, if the people of Jinling County petitioned the court to become the fief of the Jinyang Prince’s successor, it would be a foregone conclusion. Anyone who dared to stand in the way would be the mortal enemy of the entire Bingzhou Lu Clan.

"I understand!" Finally grasping why Lu Chunyuan wanted him to associate with the Bingzhou Lu clansmen, Lu Sheng said, "Let Lord Hongyuan handle this matter! Once the title is granted, I will invite the Bingzhou Lu clansmen to hold an ancestral sacrifice together—I will trouble you with this as well, Lord Hongyuan."

Radiant with joy, Lu Hongyuan replied, "No trouble at all! It is my honor!" He was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing a Prince emerge from the Bingzhou Lu Clan in his lifetime and potentially presiding over an ancestral sacrifice.

However, catching sight of the calling card in Luo Liheng’s hand, he suddenly remembered something and warned Lu Sheng, "If you wish to obtain the Jinyang Prince title smoothly, you had best postpone your duel with Lu Yunfeng. Otherwise, regardless of whether you win or lose, it may cause complications!"

"Why?" Lu Sheng frowned. Could defeating Lu Yunfeng and becoming the undisputed leader of the young generation of the Great Jing Lu Clan possibly hinder his conferment?

Lu Hongyuan gave a bitter smile. "For no other reason than that his grandfather is the Minister of the Imperial Clan, the man who manages the affairs of the imperial family, the relatives by marriage, and the nobility!"