In this way, not only the crisis was solved, but also the bravest warriors were selected for the house.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Qu Tutong thought for a moment and sighed: "This is the only way. I will send people to various places in Luoyang to set up arenas."
The troops and soldiers under his command are almost all warriors. There is no need to select them, they can be dispatched directly.
Li Ji nodded and ordered the guards to send a message to Xie Shufang.
That night, Xie Shufang led his men to set up an arena outside the city and announced the new rules for recruiting troops for Prince Qi's palace.
People from outside the city who came to join the army not only did not complain about the new rules formulated by the Qi Palace, but were also very happy.
His Royal Highness the King of Qi is willing to let his soldiers eat three meals a day, so he must be a warrior.
Some wine bags and rice bags are not worthy of enjoying the three meals of rice given by His Highness the King of Qi.
To the loser, His Highness the King of Qi will give back two biscuits.
His Royal Highness, King Qi, is so benevolent and righteous. If it were someone else, in this chaotic year with constant wars and disasters, it would have been nice not to scold you for not being as good as others but to come out and embarrass yourself, and give you Hu Pancake?!
It's more like giving you a piece of cow shit!
…
This is how the vigorous Luoyang Competition kicked off.
The contest lasted for five days, and the number of soldiers in the Second Army Command on the left side of Prince Qi's Palace also exceeded the standard.
Li Ji stared at the number of 3,642 people reported by Xie Shufang, not knowing what to say at all.
"Snapped!"
Li Ji threw the roster of the Zuo Ertong Army Mansion on the table, stared at Xie Shufang and asked, "Are you playing with me? Do you think you can play with me now that you have been granted the title of Marquis?!"
Xie Shufang smiled bitterly and said, "I don't dare!"
Li Ji pointed to the roster on the table and asked: "The number of people in the Zuo Yitong Military Mansion is over-subscribed. I can assume that this is your first time doing this. It is not very pure and mistakes are inevitable."
But the number of people in the Zuo Ertong Military Mansion is also over-subscribed, so there is no way to use a less pure explanation this time, right?"
Xie Shufang hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, I did not intend to recruit so many people. They broke into the military camp by defeating or defeating the people sent by the government based on their true skills.
His Highness said that as long as he can defeat or defeat the people sent by the palace, he can bring them into the palace.
The rules are set by His Highness, I dare not violate them, let alone let His Highness break his promise."
"hehe……"
Li Ji laughed angrily at Xie Shufang. Xie Shufang's excuse was quite high-sounding, but the problem was that he didn't believe a word of it.
If Xie Shufang hadn't seen the man's bravery and was reluctant to let go, he would have taken off his head and played it as a ball for Xie Shufang.
Since ancient times, which general doesn’t like warriors?
Not to mention Xie Shufang, even Qu Tutong, when he saw the warrior, he wanted to pull him to his side.
The problem is, the military is a place where rules are most important.
If 1,500 people were decided, only 1,500 people could be recruited.
If you break the rules again and again, the final result will be no rules.
If there were no rules in the army, what would it be called an army? It would be better to just call it a bandit.
"You don't want me to break my promise? So you break the rules I set?"
Li Ji stared at Xie Shufang and asked.
Xie Shufang lowered his head guiltily and did not dare to speak.
Qu Tutong supported on one side and said: "The people have been selected and have been included in the unified army of the palace. Your Highness can't drive people out, right?"
Speaking of this, Qu Tutong said cheerfully: "If Your Highness doesn't like it, I can bring the extra soldiers into the house."
Li Ji glared at Qu Tutong and said without giving any face, "Are you qualified?"
Qu Tutong's old face turned red when he was scolded, and he was speechless.
There are more than 2,000 people in the Second Army Mansion on the left side of Prince Qi's Mansion, which is already more than the number of bodyguards an ordinary prince can have.
Qu Tutong was just a duke, and the number of troops and soldiers he could have in his palace was only a few hundred.
He is indeed not qualified to bring the extra soldiers into the palace.
The reason why Li Ji was so rude to Qu Tutong was because the number of people in the Zuo Ertong Army Mansion exceeded the limit, and part of it was Qu Tutong's fault.
The people sent by Li Ji and Xie Shufang only recruited more than 1,600 people in the arena they set up.
Qu Tutong recruited two thousand people in one go.
If it weren't for the fact that Qu Tutong was a veteran and dedicated himself to the Tang Dynasty, Li Ji would have definitely scolded him, not Xie Shufang.
"This matter is my fault. Please punish me, Your Highness."
Xie Shufang could tell that Li Ji was angry this time, so he quickly apologized.
Li Ji did not get used to Xie Shufang this time, "From today on, you will be relieved of your post as the Zuo Chaoqi of the Zhifu and will be replaced by the deputy commander of the Zuo Ertongjunfu."
At this point, Li Ji stared and shouted: "Next time, I will let you hold the halberd at the gate!"
Holding a halberd at the gate is not the same as holding a halberd in front of the tent. The former is a pawn, and the latter is an official.
Xie Shufang bowed willingly and said: "I accept your order!"
It was he who violated the rules set by Li Ji first, and Li Ji demoted him without any complaints.
The military is a place of rewards and punishments.
There is no reason why you should be rewarded for your merits and not punished for your mistakes.
Qu Tutong felt that Li Ji's punishment was a bit harsh. The prince's palace was in charge of the left chariot, and he was an official who could stand on the stage.
The deputy commander-in-chief of the Zuo Ertong Army Mansion is not on the stage, and his grade is also several levels behind.
He was also at fault in this matter, so he could not let Xie Shufang bear the consequences alone.
Immediately, Qu Tutong bowed and said: "I am also at fault in this matter. Please, Your Highness, punish me severely and let Uncle Xie go."
Li Ji rolled his eyes at Qu Tutong and ignored him.
If he could punish Qu Tutong, why would he need to attack one of his own people?
Qu Tutong was older and had a higher status. To punish him, Li Yuan had to issue an order himself.
If Li Shimin wanted to punish him, he had to ask Li Yuan for instructions first, and Li Yuan nodded.
He was not qualified to punish Qu Tutong privately.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, what should we do with the extra soldiers?"
Xie Shufang asked with a worried look.
He was afraid that Li Ji would expel those people from the Tongjun Mansion.
All of those people are good talents, and it would be a pity to be kicked out of the Tongjun Mansion.
Li Ji glared at Xie Shufang fiercely and said: "Let the people from the first and second Tongjunfus on the left have a competition to determine the 6,000 soldiers from the two Tongjunfus on the left and the left. The rest.
, temporarily incorporated into the main camp of the Zuotong Army Mansion."
Xie Shufang looked at Li Ji in astonishment, "Zuo Tongjun Mansion Camp?"
Qu Tutong also looked at Li Ji in astonishment.
The Prince's Military Mansion does not seem to have such an organization.
Li Ji snorted and said: "Now that things have come to this, we can only build a temporary camp to accommodate them. We can't bring them into the Zuosan Tongjunfu, right? Their skills are inferior to others, and they still want to be officers and soldiers of the Tongjunfu.
?
The Tongjun Mansion under my command is not a place where filth and evil are hidden, and everyone wants it."
Li Ji not only wants warriors, but also chooses warriors among warriors.
Xie Shufang pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "I obey."
Qu Tutong looked thoughtful.
It was not enough for Li Ji to select warriors, he also had to select warriors among warriors. In this case, the strength of the soldiers from the one left and two unified military mansions in Prince Qi's Mansion would be so powerful that everyone's jaw would drop.
Qu Tutong had no doubts about the performance of these warriors after they went to the battlefield.
Because the young men of this era, as long as they were not from wealthy families, had more or less experience in joining the army.
The warrior who can stand out from tens of thousands of young men may have been the tiger in front of a certain rebel king's tent in the past.
Hundreds of such people gathered together can form a strange force.
Thousands of them put together can easily overturn the outcome of a small to medium-sized battle.
If Li Ji filled six unified army offices with people like this, Li Shimin would shudder when he saw it.
Eighteen thousand tigers and wolves, fully equipped with soldiers and armor, rushed onto the battlefield, and everyone who saw it trembled.
Qu Tutong was considering whether to report the matter to Li Shimin.
Li Ji didn't know what Qu Tutong was thinking. When Xie Shufang was about to leave, he told Xie Shufang: "This matter will be a permanent rule of the Tongjun Mansion. From now on, anyone who wants to join the Tongjun Mansion must report to Tongjun Mansion."
The soldiers of the mansion camp competed with each other.
Those who win will go to the Tongjun Mansion, and those who lose will stay in the main camp."
Now that things have come to this point, Li Ji doesn't mind making the matter a rule.
Firstly, it can enhance the competitiveness of Tongjunfu and ensure that Tongjunfu always maintains a considerable level of combat effectiveness.
Secondly, it can also set a threshold for those who join later.
If those who joined later were not as skilled as others and could not enter the Tongjun Mansion, it would not be his fault.
The fierce generals who brought them here couldn't blame him.
In the military, there are not only rules but also fists.
Whoever has the strongest fist is qualified to occupy the only spot.
Others have to accept it even if they don't accept it. They won you based on their ability, not nepotism or flattery, so you can't accept it.
Qu Tutong stared in shock and looked at Li Ji.
Are you really planning to do this?
By doing this, aren't you afraid that your father and your two brothers will not be able to sleep?
Li Ji felt Qu Tutong's gaze, saw Qu Tutong staring at him in shock, and guessed Qu Tutong's thoughts. He bared his teeth and smiled and said: "I have no intention of harming anyone, but if anyone dares to harm me, I will
Break his teeth..."
Qu Tutong opened his mouth, speechless.
Qu Tutong finally understood that Li Ji was a hedgehog. He just wanted to lie there, motionless and lazy. If you didn't move him, he would be as if he didn't exist.
If you touch him, he will make your hand bleed.
Qu Tutong had already made up his mind, and he wrote to Li Shimin soon, telling Li Shimin everything that happened in Luoyang. By the way, he reminded Li Shimin not to send people to steal food from the granaries in Luoyang City in the future, otherwise Li Ji would really dare to stab people.
After bidding farewell to Li Ji, Qu Tutong returned to his residence and immediately began to write a letter to Li Shimin. After he finished writing, he sent a quick horse to deliver it.
Two days later.
Li Shimin got a reply, but it was not to Qu Tutong, but to Li Ji.
Li Ji looked at Li Shimin's letter and his lips twitched.
Li Shimin's letter expresses one point of view throughout: "Fourth brother, do you want a warrior? As long as you speak of Chrysostom, I will catch you immediately. Please don't harm the food supply anymore."
