Yang Ming chuckled but didn't say much.
Atro, however, collected his expression and said seriously, "I hurried to contact you because I have news to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The Empire is in a bit of a dilemma now, not knowing how to reward and honor you."
Atro sighed slowly:
"Logically, the contributions you've made would warrant even the title of a peerless king, but there is no precedent for this in the Empire.
"There was a proposal in the Elder Court to grant you a hereditary dukedom directly, but it was rejected based on the argument that there are too many nobles in the Empire already and due to the current policy of reducing the number of nobles.
"So, the situation now is very awkward.
"The Emperor has not spoken, and it is unclear which direction things will go.
