Expedition to Europe

The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is a day that is given a special status in the tradition of the Chinese world.

The Lantern Festival of Lan Fang in 1920 was even more significant.

On this day, Lan Fang officially began to implement the title system, using titles to determine different social classes.

Yes, it is the social class. Don’t say that all people are born equal. This sentence is just an ideal even if it takes another ten thousand years and will never be realized.

Many people once wanted to break the class solidification, but the result of breaking it often means the establishment of a new class, and then the new and old classes will start another reincarnation. This is a vicious circle. As long as there is competition in human society, it will definitely appear.

Since it is certain to appear, Qin Zhiyuan simply did it more thoroughly and determined the class in the form of titles. As long as a certain upward channel is guaranteed and the civilian class can see hope, then to some extent, it is not a bad thing to retain social classes.

If commoners can be promoted to the aristocratic class through their own efforts, then commoners will have enough motivation, and people with ideals will set goals and work towards them. Those who want to eat grapes but are incapable or unmotivated, let them go.

Medicine cannot cure incurable diseases, and people who pretend to be asleep can never be awakened.

Since the Spring Festival, officials and gentry from all over the country who are eligible for the title have begun to return to Lan Fang. They have gathered from the Northern Frontier, Goryeo, Japan, Yingzhou, Ryukyu, Cam Ranh Bay, Corsica, and even Paris to Lan Fang, ready to accept this honor.

Qin Zhiyuan has also been busy again since the Spring Festival. His main job is to receive delegations from all over the country. Whether it is the largest enclave, the Northern Frontier, or the distant Corsica, Qin Zhiyuan will take time to have a simple tea party with the representatives, and sometimes have a meal together, recalling the friendship of the past and looking forward to the future prospects, deepening the feelings and reaching a consensus. The work is heavy.

It's not just Qin Zhiyuan. Lu Zhengxiang, Huang Bohan, Qin Zhisheng, and even Foch all have their own circle of relationships and people they are close to. They are also busy for various interpersonal relationships.

Living in Chinese society, interpersonal relationships must be maintained. This has nothing to do with being self-righteous and self-admiring. If you don't have a social circle, you can hardly move forward in Chinese society.

Qin Zhiyuan has advocated the introduction of various laws, trying to replace human feelings with laws, but the effect is not obvious enough at present. After all, although the current Lan Fang authorities have the law as a warning rope in their hearts, the concept of human feelings is still deeply rooted, and it is impossible to achieve a balance between law and human feelings for a while. It is estimated that it will take until the next generation of Lan Fang grows up and becomes the backbone of society before the term "rule of law society" will be truly accepted by the general public.

Starting from the fifth day of the first lunar month, the palace of Penglai Island began to be lively.

Although it is impossible for ordinary people to go to the palace to greet Qin Zhiyuan, Qin Zhiyuan will not neglect those members of the delegation who came from afar.

As if it was pre-arranged, starting with the Northern Frontier District delegation, receiving a delegation from a different region every day became Qin Zhiyuan's regular job.

Among these delegations, the Northern Frontier District delegation is the largest. There are nearly 150,000 military and political personnel in the entire Northern Frontier District, and about 350 of them are eligible for the title. Therefore, the scale of the Northern Frontier District delegation this time is particularly large. All the titled personnel plus their entourage, the total number of people exceeds a thousand.

With so many people, it is naturally impossible for all of them to have the opportunity to meet Qin Zhiyuan. Only those who have been awarded the title of baron or above have the opportunity to meet Qin Zhiyuan.

By the way, Lan Fang's official title level is divided into 5 levels, namely "Duke", "Marquis", "Earl", "Viscount", and "Baron".

In addition to these five levels, there will be two more levels of "Knight" and "Gentleman". These two levels are prepared for civilians and are also the only way for them to enter the aristocratic class.

Among the five official ranks of nobility, "Duke" is the highest, and only members of the royal family such as Qin Zhisheng or Prince Qin De, or important officials in the court such as former Prime Minister Huang Bohan, current Prime Minister Lu Zhengxiang, and Northern Xinjiang Governor Chen Kangjian are qualified.

"Marquis" is a little lower, and only important military officials such as Navy Minister Antonio, Air Force Commander Zhou Hongguang, Artillery Commander Zheng Dali, Northern Xinjiang Deputy Governor Ge Lifu, Goryeo Governor Liu Zizheng, Yingzhou Governor Zhang Tianshou are qualified.

What needs to be explained here is the position of "Northern Xinjiang Governor".

As the largest enclave of Lan Fang, the Northern Frontier Region is the largest land area of ​​Lan Fang and enjoys a high status within Lan Fang. Therefore, the position of "Governor-General of the Northern Frontier Region" is different from that of "Goryeo, Yingzhou, Ryukyu Islands" and other places. Both the administrative level and military status are higher. Therefore, the Governor-General of the Northern Frontier Region, Chen Kangjian, can be conferred the title of Duke, and the Deputy Governor-General Grief, like the Governor-General of Goryeo, Liu Zizheng, or the Governor-General of Yingzhou, Zhang Tianshou, can be conferred the title of Marquis.

Below the "Marquis" is the "Count", which is the title of high-ranking officials in various provinces and ministries, such as the Minister of Commerce Huang Jinsheng, the Minister of Industry Zhang Tianyun, the Governor of Jinzhou Zhang Jinmao, etc., or the commanders of various armies such as the commander of the mobile fleet Xie Rundong, the commander of the Lanfang First Armored Division Xu Sheng, the commander of the Jinlan Bay Fleet Cheng Peide, the commander of the Vladivostok Fleet Tan Xueheng, etc., or the leaders of the major Lanfang research institutes, such as Sandy of the Biological Research Institute, Michel of the Chemical Research Institute, Long Chengxuan of the Materials Research Institute, and Long Chengyuan of the Aerodynamics Research Institute, all of which are at this level.

Of course, Sandy, who has developed "penicillin", is only a provisional earl. If Sandy's "penicillin" is recognized worldwide, it is not impossible for Sandy to become a "Duke".

At the level of "Count", the number of people who have been conferred has greatly increased. In this conferment of titles, only five people can be conferred as Dukes, while 17 people are conferred as Marquises, and 74 people have been conferred as Earls.

Below the "Earl" is the "Viscount", which is a title reserved for deputies of military and provincial and ministerial officials at all levels. The number of people at this level is even larger, with a total of 260 people. This class also includes senior researchers in research institutions, the youngest of whom is Geraldine.

At the level of "Baron", the total number of people who have been awarded has reached 850. These people are those who have made military achievements in the World War and civil servants who have performed well in the Lan Fang government.

If "Knight" and "Gentleman" are added, Lan Fang has awarded more than 2,000 titles this time, which is really a big deal.

Of course, facing such a large-scale title, it is obvious that many people will doubt the value of the title, so when Chen Kangjian met Qin Zhiyuan, Chen Kangjian bluntly raised this point.

"Value? What do you mean?" Qin Zhiyuan was a little confused.

"Value... is wealth. Before coming here, many of us were discussing what the meaning of this title is, whether it is tax-free, whether there is a salary, whether it can be passed on to my son in the future, etc." Chen Kangjian really thought a lot.

"Hahahaha... What are you thinking about? Do you think that being awarded a title can solve the problem once and for all? Why has our Lan Fang ever had such a precedent?" Qin Zhiyuan laughed.

"Then, what's the point of this damn title?" Chen Kangjian was dumbfounded.

The original text can be read in Liu # 9 @Shu/Bar!

"If you don't want it, give it to someone else. There are many people who are jealous of your dukedom." Qin Zhiyuan was not polite.

"Don't, this is also earned by me with my sword and gun, don't waste it." Chen Kangjian spoke without restraint.

In the Lan Fang Army, Chen Kangjian can be said to be Qin Zhiyuan's absolute confidant, and his importance is similar to that of Gao Hongshi, who was awarded the title of Earl. Chen Kangjian is also one of the few people who speaks freely in front of Qin Zhiyuan. Their relationship was formed when they slept in the same cabin, so naturally they have a deep relationship.

"Of course there is a salary. Your dukedom can be compared to the current highest level salary. Of course, the title can also be passed on to your son, but it will be reduced by one level each time it is passed on. As for tax exemption, don't even think about it. It's okay to pay less. The current ratio is still under study to see how much is more appropriate. Don't even think about more benefits, and don't even think about the legendary 'red book and iron certificate'. Compared with benefits, this is more of an honor, and honor is definitely not for you to show off, but a spur to you, reminding you not to forget the past." Qin Zhiyuan did not give too many benefits.

Of course, becoming a noble has more benefits than what Qin Zhiyuan said.

Once the aristocracy is determined, the whole society will recognize the priority of the aristocracy, whether it is doing business, farming, or even buying land, applying for admission, using the green channel when dealing with government agencies, etc. These are all benefits, some of which are visible and some are invisible. Even in some occasions, when introducing the appearance list, all aristocrats must be given a title, which is an honor in itself, representing that this person has served the country and has been recognized by the country and has made contributions to the country.

The aristocracy that Qin Zhiyuan wants to establish is not the kind of aristocracy that is domineering and unscrupulous in the country and can trample on the law, but the kind of aristocracy that focuses on retro connotations and endows the aristocracy with chivalry and a sense of honor.

Only by establishing a healthy aristocracy can we better maintain the rule and better ensure long-term stability.

Once the aristocracy is awarded, as a part of the vested interests, Qin Zhiyuan does not need to urge them. These new aristocrats will naturally do their best to maintain Lan Fang's rule, which is equivalent to maintaining their own interests.

"So, I can't get any more promotion in my life." Chen Kangjian looked bored.

"Almost. If you want, you can try hard for your son. You know, the title of Duke can only be passed on to the eldest son of your family. The second son has nothing. But if you perform well, it is not impossible to give your second son a certain background." Qin Zhiyuan began to make promises again.

Not to mention, Chen Kangjian just fell for it. Before Qin Zhiyuan finished speaking, Chen Kangjian immediately became full of fighting spirit: "Your Majesty, the Russian Bolsheviks have been very restless recently. Our Northern Frontier Military Region is filled with righteous indignation. Please grant Your Majesty's permission. Our Northern Frontier Military Region will definitely break through St. Petersburg and kill this jumping clown for Your Majesty."

Ha, Chen Kangjian is really fierce.