Chapter 900: Misleading Noble Title

"Congratulations, Brother Zu," Pu Duandiao and Jiao Sigun both said, their faces filled with envy. Although they had also been promoted three ranks in office, these were merely official positions, not noble titles.

Zu An had been promoted from baron to viscount and was granted an additional estate of three hundred households, which meant he now had the right to collect taxes from them. He had transformed from an obscure, low-ranking noble into a truly recognized member of the aristocracy. For marriages between the prominent families in the capital, commoners were not even considered. Even high-ranking officials or barons were typically overlooked. However, a viscount was certainly sufficient, especially one with an actual estate.

"By the way, Brother Zu," Pu Duandiao asked, "what's your new title...?"

"I think it's called Green..." Jiao Sigun was about to answer when Zu An interrupted him.

"Alright, don't say that name." Zu An's eyebrow twitched. The last time he had given the emperor a "hat of forgiveness" (a green hat), the emperor, though unaware of the specific meaning, had found Zu An's expression strange. Combined with the rumor that Zu An had previously given a green hat as a gift to Sang Qian, the emperor believed Zu An had a particular fondness for such items. So, now that Zu An was a viscount, the emperor casually bestowed upon him the title "Green Hat."

When Zu An heard this title, he nearly burst.

Damn it, why does this always happen to me? This name is even worse than "Phoenix Man"!

"I still think 'Phoenix Man' sounded better," Pu Duandiao said sympathetically.

Jiao Sigun immediately retorted, "I actually think 'Green Hat' sounds more imposing. It's like how people fear the Embroidered Uniform Envoys when they see them in their red robes—it's the psychological impact of color. From now on, Brother Zu can just wear a green hat whenever he goes out, perfectly matching his title. Ideally, people will immediately think of Brother Zu whenever they hear the name 'Green Hat'."

Zu An was speechless.

If this actually gets recorded in future history books, I'll be socially dead forever.

Seeing them go on and on, he quickly changed the subject. "By the way, what exactly is the position of Feathered Forest Commander?" Besides being granted the title of viscount, he had also been appointed "Feathered Forest Commander." However, the system of imperial guard ranks in the palace was incredibly complex, and he couldn't quite sort it out at the moment.

Pu Duandiao explained, "The imperial guards in the palace are divided into many divisions, each known as a 'Lang' of a certain type. The Feathered Forest Commander is the officer who manages the Feathered Forest Lang, who are primarily responsible for guarding the various palace gates."

Zu An was taken aback, realizing the emperor had given him such a critical position. After a moment of thought, he understood the emperor's intention. His official position was that of an external minister, requiring him to leave the palace on time every day. However, his other identity as an Embroidered Uniform Envoy demanded that he stay in the palace for long periods. Previously, he had to exit the palace daily, then change back into his envoy attire to re-enter. If someone with ill intentions had secretly investigated, clues might have emerged, and they might then have deduced his connection to Golden Plaque Eleven. With the identity of Feathered Forest Commander, his entry and exit from the palace would be much more convenient; he no longer needed to pretend to leave on time every day.

"Doesn't this position make it very convenient for me to enter and exit all palace gates?" Zu An thought, a strange look on his face. "The dog emperor gave me the 'Green Hat' title to annoy me. Well, maybe I'll just distribute more 'green hats' for him in the future." He immediately felt his old face flush. "Pah! I'm such an upright and noble person; how could I think such things?"

"Brother Zu, why are you drooling?" Jiao Sigun's puzzled voice came.

"Am I? Haha, you must have seen wrong." Zu An quickly wiped the corner of his mouth and chuckled awkwardly.

"Brother Zu, I still feel a bit uneasy!" Pu Duandiao said, after much hesitation. "It's one thing not to announce the involvement of Prince Qi's household, but why does Meng Pan get posthumous honors? He's a shameless coward who fled the battle, yet he's also inscribed on the Monument of Heroes, receiving offerings from countless families?"

Seeing his indignant expression, Zu An patted his shoulder reassuringly. "What can you do? He's a member of the Meng family, and the Crown Prince still needs their support. The imperial court naturally has to prioritize the bigger picture."

"But I just think it's unfair!" Pu Duandiao insisted. "So many of our companions bravely fought and sacrificed their lives, only to be listed alongside such a shameless scoundrel!" He drew his long saber and chopped it against a nearby stone slab; the blade snapped from the force, clearly demonstrating the depth of his anger.

Jiao Sigun, standing nearby, said calmly, "That's just how the world is. Those who understand, understand, and those who don't, won't understand even if told."

"I understand your ass!" Pu Duandiao, already fuming, was further provoked by the retort. He finally lost his temper, and the two immediately started brawling.

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle wryly. Knowing that the two had a good relationship and such playful fights were common, he smiled and exited the palace directly, as there were many others he needed to see outside.

Upon exiting the palace gate, he couldn't help but be stunned. There weren't as many people waiting to greet him as he had imagined, and certainly no scene of a beautiful sister-in-law sobbing and rushing into his embrace. He quickly regained his composure, realizing he had been released on short notice, so people outside naturally wouldn't know when he would emerge. He shook his head, not bothered, and decided to go home first. He had been away for so long, and wondered if his maids and servants had stayed.

Not long after, he arrived home. A young servant was sweeping by the entrance and, upon seeing him, couldn't help but exclaim, "The lord is back!" Soon, the entire courtyard bustled with activity as maids, cooks, and young servants rushed out, excitedly surrounding him. Although there weren't many people, they brought a vibrant energy to the entire courtyard. Zu An felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that Chuyan had managed all this for him. Every staff member had been chosen from the Chu family's most considerate and skilled employees over the years; she had deliberately not sent over any troublemakers like Cheng Shoubing.

As Zu An replied to everyone and walked towards the house, he suddenly stopped. He instinctively stepped back to the entrance and looked up at the plaque above the main gate. He saw that the plaque had a bright green background, adorned with several large, gilded characters: "Green Hat Viscount's Residence."

Zu An felt the world spin, nearly fainting.

The young servant beside him proudly announced, "When we heard that Master had been titled a viscount, we all agreed the old baron's plaque was no longer fitting. So, we commissioned this new one overnight. What do you think? Isn't it magnificent?"

Zu An's eyelids twitched. "Are you Cheng Shoubing's brother?"

"No?" The young servant looked bewildered.

Zu An took a deep breath. "Change this plaque. Just make it 'Viscount's Residence,' and don't make the background so green."

The young servant replied, "But that wouldn't follow etiquette! Having a bestowed title is more glorious than just an ordinary peerage; it should naturally be written on the plaque." The others nearby also chimed in, agreeing that it was a good idea and that the special title shouldn't be removed, as doing so would greatly diminish its prestige.

Their chattering made Zu An's scalp tingle. Finally, he couldn't help but roar, "Are you the masters, or am I the master? Change it for me, or all of you will be sent back to your hometowns to raise pigs!" With that, he turned and stormed off, running back into the house and slamming the door shut, opting for "out of sight, out of mind."

"Damn it, this is truly my own doing," Zu An muttered, still struggling to compose himself after a long while in the room.

With no other choice, he decided to do something else to distract himself. He had accumulated 432,022 points of Rage during this period, enough for 4,320 draws. He hoped that his misfortune in the real world would translate into good luck in the draws. After praying for a while, Zu An clicked the draw button. After so many draws, he was now too lazy to pray to gods and Buddhas every time like he used to. He simply decided to let nature take its course.

Even though he felt he had come to terms with it, his eyelids still twitched when he saw the draw results. Out of 4,320 draws, he only received 349 Vitality Fruits. Given the usual one-tenth probability, this result was exceptionally unlucky. It seemed more cost-effective to just buy them directly from the store in the future.

He continued scrolling down and also saw that he had drawn a Tiger Tally. He already had a few of those; he would find an opportunity to see if he could summon a new Valkyrie.

His attention, however, was quickly drawn to the last item. The cursor on the keyboard rested on the "G" key, and a small line of text appeared on the virtual screen: "Congratulations! You have drawn 'Pinru's Wardrobe.'"