Chương 741: Naming Moment

Our people possess both the talent to govern the country and the military prowess to stabilize it; we are no less capable than the previous dynasty. Therefore, I wish to build this pavilion to leave everyone's names, so as not to let down all of you who have followed me through thick and thin over the years."

He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne, his tone decisive:

"Build it on the south side of the imperial city, in the best location, and make it grand. In the future, anyone who makes a great contribution, whether a civil official who devises a plan or a military general who fights on the battlefield, can have their portrait hung there."

So that future generations will know that our dynasty once had such a group of extraordinary people who conquered such a vast empire.

"What do you all think? Is this feasible? Also, what should we name this pavilion? Speak freely, there's no penalty for wrong suggestions. Let's brainstorm together."

After he finished speaking, His Highness fell into a deathly silence.

Then, with a sudden "buzz," it erupted into a commotion, even more lively than before.

This is an immense honor! Once the name of the pavilion is decided, one's name will be tied to this pavilion from then on, which is a truly lasting legacy. Who wouldn't want to be a part of it?

Tian Feng was the first to jump out.

He was straightforward and couldn't keep his thoughts to himself. He strode forward a few steps, cupped his hands in greeting, and bowed deeply, his voice booming:

"Your Majesty is wise! This is an unprecedented event! I humbly offer my name to Maoxun Pavilion!"

"Mao" means to praise something grand and magnificent; "Xun" means to perform extraordinary feats. This name follows ancient rites and conforms to established rules, dignified and upright, and is most worthy of the unparalleled achievements of our dynasty's meritorious officials!

The inscriptions on steles of famous officials from previous dynasties often use the characters "懋力" (maoxun), which is verifiable and in accordance with etiquette.

As soon as Tian Feng finished speaking and stepped back into the column, Ju Shou immediately stepped forward, his timing perfect, clearly having been prepared beforehand.

"Your Majesty, I believe Yiyun Pavilion is better!"

He assisted the nation's destiny, supported the state, and was in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people. He possessed both the ambition to establish a new dynasty and the aspiration for a peaceful and prosperous era, making his vision even more outstanding than that of Maoxun!

"The title 'Maoxun' only refers to merit, while 'Yiyun' encompasses the fate of the nation, which aligns even more with the spirit of our dynasty ushering in a new era!"

The two exchanged a glance across the distance, sparks flying.

Tian Feng took half a step forward, his neck stiff: "While 'Yi Yun' is elegant, it's not straightforward enough. How would the common people know what 'Yi Yun' means?

'Mao Xun'—it's clearly an award for meritorious officials, crystal clear!"

Ju Shou refused to budge, flicking his sleeve: "The Hall of Meritorious Officials is a national monument, and should naturally possess profound meaning and artistic conception. How can it be merely straightforward? When future generations read history and see the 'Hall of Auspicious Fortune,' they will know the magnificent grandeur of our dynasty!"

Seeing that the two civil officials were about to start arguing on the spot, with spittle practically flying everywhere, Liu Ce quickly smiled and smoothed things over:

"Hey, hey, they're all candidates, they're all candidates. I said everyone should speak freely, everyone can say whatever they want, there's no need to rush to rank them. One by one, everyone has a chance."

The two of them reluctantly stopped talking, returned to their train, and glared at each other.

Immediately afterwards, Guan Ning stepped forward with measured steps.

He was dressed in a neat and tidy court robe, his beard was meticulously combed, and his speech was full of "etiquette":

"Your Majesty, I believe we should follow the precedent set by the previous dynasty and name it after an auspicious beast."

The ancient Qilin was a benevolent beast, symbolizing a prosperous and peaceful era; hence, Emperor Xuan of Han established the Qilin Pavilion. Now, our dynasty's achievements surpass those of previous dynasties, and the rank of this auspicious beast should also be elevated. I request the establishment of the Bai Ze Pavilion.

The Bai Ze is an ancient auspicious beast, capable of understanding the feelings of all things and discerning the wise from the foolish. It perfectly reflects Your Majesty's ability to recognize and appoint capable people, and the harmonious relationship between ruler and ministers. Furthermore, it aligns with ritual and embodies the Mandate of Heaven, making it most appropriate.

Several elderly civil officials nearby nodded in agreement, whispering "That makes sense, that makes sense" and "Minister Guan's insightful opinion." Even the frequency of their stroking their beards was synchronized, as if they had made a pact.

The civil officials' circle values "ancient customs" and "auspicious omens," and the name Bai Ze sounds learned and has a prestigious background.

The civil officials had just nodded in agreement when a loud sneer immediately rang out from the group of military officers.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yuchi Gong stride out, his face dark, his large hands on his hips, the sound so powerful it made the beams of the palace tremble.

"I don't like hearing what Minister Guan said! What's with all this talk about Bai Ze and Hei Ze? It's all so roundabout. If the common people heard it, they'd all be asking if it was the name of some livestock shed!"

If you ask me, all that fancy stuff is useless. Let's just call it Dingding Pavilion!

Establishing the Central Plains and unifying the world—how glorious! Who wouldn't know that those who founded the country and established the nation are all heroes?

Warfare relies on real swords and spears, and names should be catchy and powerful! Why bother with those sour and pretentious names!

The military officers immediately cheered, with several generals slapping their thighs and shouting, "Yes! That's the best name!" They almost flung their imperial tablets away.

Zhang Fei shouted the loudest: "Old Hei is right! Dingding Pavilion! Just hearing that sounds exhilarating! A hundred times better than that Bai Ze!"

Cheng Yaojin chimed in, "That's right! I'm voting for Dingding Pavilion!"

Guan Ning was so angry that his mustache stood on end, his face turned bright red, and he turned around and retorted:

"What a foolish view! The Hall of Meritorious Officials is a national monument, how can it be given such a crude and blatant name? If this gets out, won't future generations laugh at our dynasty for having no talent?"

The mighty Han Dynasty, with its brilliant culture, uses such a crude name as "Establishing the Capital"—how is it any different from a band of outlaws!

"Hey, how can you talk like that!" Yuchi Gong glared, took a step forward, and clenched his fists.

"What do you mean by rude? You never charge into battle, but you're so picky about naming things!"

A catchy and memorable name is essential! Only when ordinary people can understand it will they know who the heroes are! What's the point of using names that are incomprehensible?

Seeing that the two, one a scholar and the other a warrior, were about to start fighting on the spot—one rolling up his sleeves and the other blowing his beard—Liu Ce quickly tapped the dragon table again, both amused and exasperated.

"Hey, hey, let's discuss this, stop with the personal attacks. Everyone's stating their own reasoning, what's all the arguing about?"

"If you keep arguing, you two can go down and talk privately in a side hall. Come back and tell me your conclusion when you've reached an agreement. Don't delay everyone's naming process."

The two of them snorted sullenly, retreated to their respective lines, and rolled their eyes at each other.

The hall fell silent for a moment, then Xun You stepped forward, his face serious and his tone steady:

"Your Majesty, I believe we should emulate the Yuntai Pavilion and name it after celestial phenomena. I recommend the Xinghan Pavilion."

The Milky Way, also known as the Star River, corresponds to the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Yuntai system, symbolizing the meritorious officials of our dynasty, who shine brightly throughout the ages like countless stars in the sky. It possesses both ancient charm and grandeur, subtly conveying the idea of being surrounded and protected by a multitude of stars.

No sooner had these words been spoken than a muffled voice from among the generals, before anyone could comment, echoed clearly throughout the hall:

"What kind of sweat? The sweat of sweating? Then let's call it 'Hanma Pavilion' instead. In war, how can we not sweat and bleed? That's more apt.

'Hanma Merit' is much more fitting."

"coax--" The entire court burst into laughter, as if their funny bone had been tickled, and they were doubled over with laughter.

Even Liu Ce couldn't help himself. He had just taken a sip of tea when he almost spat it all over the dragon table. He quickly covered it with his sleeve, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

It was Dian Wei who spoke.

He looked completely innocent, scratching the back of his head, looking left and right, wondering why everyone was laughing:

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?

'Hard work and merit' is an idiom, isn't it? I've heard the strategist mention it."

Guan Ning clutched his chest, panting heavily. He pointed at Dian Wei, unable to speak for a long time, his face turning purple. He finally managed to utter two words: "Absurd! Absurd!"

Tian Feng also shook his head and sighed, looking like "the world is going to the dogs."