Li Yuanji took Li Xiaogong and his entourage to the awarding platform three miles away. Li Shentong, Li Gang and others had been waiting under the awarding platform for a long time.
After Li Yuanji arrived, Li Gang, as the representative, held the yellow scroll and went up to the awards platform and began to read out the awards for Li Xiaogong and others.
This time, Li Xiaogong has done meritorious service in defending the territory, opening up frontiers, and quelling chaos. He has been awarded the title of Situ, a thousand households, a drumming class, and a swordsmanship class. It can be said that he has reached the culmination of everything a prince has.
Li Shiji also performed meritorious deeds in defending the territory, opening up frontiers, and quelling chaos. In the Jinzhu Kingdom, he added five hundred households, a pair of screens, curtains, and golden melons, and a drum and music group, and he suddenly became a top figure among the princes.
Although Chai Shao's contribution is not as dazzling as that of Li Xiaogong and Li Shiji, his contribution is not small. Not only was he restored to the title, but he was further added to the pillar state, the number of households increased to 500, and certain honors were also given. The status in the country is also a bit higher than before.
However, the one with the most generous rewards was Li Jing. Not only was Li Jing promoted to the title of Duke of the Kingdom in one fell swoop, but he also had more than 1,000 registered households. His various honors were not inferior to those of Chai Shao. Although he did not reach the peak of the Duke of the Kingdom in one step, he was still not far from the top. Far.
At the same time, the awards for An Xinggui, Ma Sanbao and others were also read out.
Li Jing, An Xinggui, Ma Sanbao and others received such generous rewards despite apparently having no great achievements, and no civil or military officials had any objections.
Because they all know why Li Jing, An Xinggui, Ma Sanbao and others received such generous rewards.
A jade seal passed down to the country is enough to withstand a great victory, and it is also enough to grant the title of duke or lord.
This is what Li Jing and others risked their lives to achieve, and it is also due to their luck.
Everyone can be envious, jealous, or even resentful, but there is absolutely no way to say that someone’s moral character is not worthy of their place.
After the announcement of the rewards, Li Yuanji brought hundreds of civil and military officials and meritorious soldiers back to Taiji Palace for a banquet to celebrate the success of Li Xiaogong and others for defeating the Turks for the Tang Dynasty, regaining three and a half states, and pacifying Li Art rebels and celebrates.
During the banquet, everyone gathered together with people they knew well and drank freely.
There are those who recite poems and compose poems, those who drink wine, those who box, those who wrestle, those who wrestle, those who dance, those who fight, and those who drool while staring at the beautiful palace ladies.
They are all a group of noble people, but after drinking too much, they behave like ordinary people.
Li Gang always felt that making such a fuss was disrespectful to the solemnity and dignity of the court. He tried to talk to Li Yuanji several times, but was dealt with hastily by Li Yuanji.
The civil servants and generals of the Tang Dynasty had different backgrounds and different personal moral cultivations, so after they had completely let go, their performances were also different.
As long as the civil servants can concentrate on handling state affairs and the generals can work hard to expand the territory, there is no need to worry about the remaining side issues.
Historically, Li Shimin often held wild meetings with civil and military officials, especially at celebration banquets. Fights and curses abounded, and even people were injured or maimed. The court did not lose its solemnity, let alone the court. majesty.
Not only did Datang not suffer any harm from these people, but with the efforts of these people, it became the overlord on earth.
Looking around, almost all the enemies that could be seen were defeated by these people.
That is to say, the Tang Dynasty knew too little about the world. After conquering all the enemies they could see, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty liked to play tricks and focus on what they could see.
If the emperors of the Tang Dynasty could clearly understand the world and extend their tentacles to the world, then the Tang Dynasty might be more powerful than in history.
After all, the Tang Dynasty was one of the few dynasties that produced several hegemonic emperors in a row, and it was also a dynasty that had capable ministers and famous generals emerging from generation to generation.
As long as we have a clear understanding of the world, Datang will be able to manage the world.
If one emperor extends his tentacles to the world, he may not gain much, but if several emperors extend their tentacles to the world, there will definitely be significant gains.
Maybe it won't be like the Mongol Yuan who conquered most of Asia and Europe, but at least everyone on the Eurasian continent will recognize the noble status of the Tang people and the influence of the Tang Dynasty on them.
Therefore, whether it is civil servants or generals, if you like to fool around, you can fool around. As long as it does not delay the main business, there is no need to worry about these side issues.
We can't learn from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, which used various rules and various mutual restraint methods to tightly restrain the civil and military personnel, wear away their wildness, and make them lose their ambition to enterprising, and then be suppressed and beaten by outsiders in various ways.
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Things like paying annual tribute to others, being led like a sheep, serving as ministers to outsiders, going to foreign countries to be students, etc. would not have happened in the Tang Dynasty, and it was impossible for the people of the Tang Dynasty to accept such humiliation.
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Before Li Yuan started his career, he made concessions with the Turks. After he started his career, he dared to confront the Turks even though he only had half of the country.
This also developed the moral character of Tang people who would rather die standing than live on their knees.
In the court of the Tang Dynasty, anyone who dared to say anything about paying annual tribute to others or calling others a minister would definitely be eaten alive by the civil and military officials of the court.
The lowest limit in the Tang Dynasty was to marry a daughter and get married.
If you exceed this bottom line, then fight.
Although this point is far less domineering than that of 'if you don't get married, don't surrender to ministers, don't pay tribute, the emperor will guard the country, and the king will die in the country', if the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was captured, he would never be driven back by outsiders to call for help.
"Yuanji..."
Li Xiaogong used the strength of wine to get closer to Li Yuanji.
Li Yuanji motioned to Li Xiaogong to sit closer and talk.
Li Xiaogong smelled of alcohol. After sitting close to him, he discussed, "Can I resign as Situ?"
Li Yuanji picked up the wine cup and took a sip, and said with a smile: "Why do you want to resign as Situ? This is a position that is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people."
Although the authority of the position of Situ has been completely reduced after the Tang Dynasty, its representative significance is still there.
This kind of position is generally only awarded to important ministers who are no longer able to do their jobs and have worked hard and made great achievements, or to important ministers who have died.
At present, the Tang Dynasty has only awarded Situ once, and it was awarded to the direct prince.
With Li Xiaogong's status and merits, he can be awarded this position.
But...
"If I take up the post of Situ, I will have to be a wealthy and idle person in the house. You know, your cousin, I can't be idle at all."
Li Xiaogong said with a grimace.
The position of Situ is indeed noble, but after being awarded this position, it will basically be used as a gift, and it will be impossible to do anything in the future.
Li Xiaogong is only thirty years old now, and he doesn't want to retire now.
Li Yuanji smiled and said: "There's nothing wrong with being a rich and idle person in the house, right? I don't think I can be one."
What Li Yuanji said was true, but Li Xiaogong took it as a joke and said with a wry smile: "Your cousin, I am only in my thirties now, and I am only a little older than your eldest brother.
If you let me sit on the bench in the house and keep me idle all the time, wouldn't this cost my life?"
At this point, he begged again: "Just be kind and let my cousin live. My cousin doesn't want you to give me any high-ranking official position. You just need to find something for me to do."
Li Yuanji smiled and said: "Are you serious?"
Li Xiaogong immediately patted his chest and said, "It really can't be true anymore!"
Li Yuanji picked up the wine cup and said with a faint smile: "But you have just made a great contribution, and the court has to reward you."
Li Xiaogong blinked and said, "You mean to let me cause trouble and then give my Situ to me?"
Li Yuanji put down his wine cup and sighed: "You, Situ, can't be spared from ordinary disasters."
Li Xiaogong said politely: "Then what kind of trouble should I get into?"
Li Yuanji laughed in a low voice and said: "I have just ordered the border to be sealed. No merchants are allowed to enter or leave, let alone any goods. In a short period of time, it may be calm, but as time goes by, someone will definitely make trouble."
Li Xiaogong said thoughtfully: "You are cutting off other people's financial resources. How can they tolerate losing a small amount of income in a short period of time? But after a long time, they can no longer bear it?"
Li Yuanji nodded and said: "These people are basically hiding in the dark. If I want to catch them all, it is simply impossible."
Li Xiaogong took the conversation and said, "You can at most kill a few of the scapegoats they pushed out after the trouble is over. You won't be able to hurt the foundation of the family at all."
Li Yuanji nodded again.
Li Xiaogong now understood what Li Yuanji was going to do, so before Li Yuanji could speak again, he continued: "You want me to come forward, lure these people out, and then catch them all?"
Li Yuanji shook his head and said: "No, no, no, no, now is not the time to catch them all. I still have to rely on him to help me set up a frontier market."
Li Xiaogong was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but said: "Then what do you want me to do?"
Li Yuanji stared at Li Xiaogong and said with a smile: "I want you to take the lead in breaking this prohibition. After the incident is completed, I will take advantage of the situation and remove you from the position of Situ."
Li Xiaogong stared in shock and said, "Are you going to kill me, a monkey, to scare the chickens?"
Li Yuanji nodded and said: "Only in this way will they believe in my determination to seal off the border."
Li Xiaogong thought about it and said, "Then after you scare them, how do you build a network through them?"
Li Yuanji said with a smile: "It depends on you..."
Li Xiaogong said in confusion: "What are you looking at me for?"
Li Yuanji continued to laugh and said: "Let's see if you can convince the other uncles and brothers to pretend to be pitiful with you, and then go and cry in front of my father."
Li Xiaogong now fully understood what Li Yuanji was going to do, and said somewhat speechlessly: "You want me to ask my uncle to come forward and break this ban. Then we will take the lead in building a border market on the border.
And those who live on the border will definitely try their best to get involved in order to prevent the border markets from being controlled by us.
Then we can borrow their money to build a border market?"
