Chapter 5 Promise (three times) In order to prepare a reception banquet for the Sui Navy officers who returned victoriously, Li Xu really put a lot of thought into it. Although Qi County has a reputation of being wealthy, due to its geographical location far away from the capital, it has no chance of luxury.
In that year, due to the war, business travel between the north and the south was cut off. Many of the available ingredients in the market were priced out of stock. Xuzi had no choice but to search around for high prices. However, the prefecture sent to help the owner of the household, Bo Yang Yuanrang, who was a penny-pincher.
Guys, when they can use free money to buy things, they will never spend money on meat. Even if they only spend a hole, they would like to cut it in the middle and break it in half (Note 1). But when they encounter the problem of taking kickbacks,
Master Yang is Bo but very generous. The shark fins, bird's nests, bear paws and other rare items that the soldiers have worked hard to obtain by running around here and there will definitely be reduced by half when Master Yang passes them by.
Several soldiers were very dissatisfied with this and couldn't help but murmur privately. Xuzi had experienced many twists and turns and had seen similar things a lot, and his mentality had already calmed down. Instead of being unwilling to be serious with Master Yang, he advised Zhou Xing and others
Try to turn a blind eye to avoid Mr. Yang feeling embarrassed when he picks it up
"Mr. Yang is also working hard. He eats and takes some occasionally. You just pretend not to see it. Besides, he doesn't take it for himself alone!" Looking at the angry faces of several confidants, Li Xu comforted them with a smile.
The brothers were all personally selected by him from the county soldiers. They are all agile, clever and have a temper that suits Asahi. That is, all of these brothers are kind and simple, just like when they first joined the army.
of himself
Xuzi didn't want to criticize Yang Yuanrang and others' ethics issues harshly, so as not to cause disharmony between local civil and military affairs. Moreover, there was a precedent of His Majesty the Emperor asking hundreds of officials for bribes, so how could he ask all officials to be honest and honest? But there were some things he couldn't say too clearly.
Even when facing the person you trust the most, you still have to be on guard and learn to be good every time you suffer. In the process of collisions and wrestlings, Asahi has become more and more alert.
But this and Xini's attitude cannot satisfy everyone, especially Zhou Xing, the leader of the Guards Corps, who is born with a straightforward temper, otherwise he would not have been angered by a few conversations between Luo Shixin, Qin Shubao and others that day and joined the army. "But they
They are all imperial officials, and they get a lot of salary every month!" Zhou Xing frowned and talked back to the general. At that time, when Li Xu first arrived in Qi County, his subordinates were short of capable men, so he was transferred to his side precisely because he had more people than others.
With a first-level relationship, Zhou Xing never had too much fear in front of Li Xu, and he almost said whatever he had to say.
"The salary of the imperial court is actually not high. They usually socialize a lot! Unlike us, we don't go anywhere except the military camp all day long!" Xu Zi smiled and shook his head. He liked Zhou Xing's straightforward nature, because this way he was surrounded by people.
There won't be another Zhang Xiu, but Zhou Xing "may" need to slowly adapt to looking at officials from the perspective of officials instead of always standing from the perspective of common people.
From an ordinary person's point of view, the salary given to officials by the imperial court is not too low. Princess Boguan is in the fifth rank, and her annual salary is two hundred dan. This is more than 18,000 kilograms of rice, enough for a small family to eat for two
Ten years! But those with high official positions often have higher needs than those who are officials. They need to raise slaves, buy maids, buy land to make money, and manage everything, so two hundred kilo of rice does not require much effort.
Besides, if you don't take the money that you can get for free, wouldn't it be too outstanding? In Xuzi's official career, people like Yang Yuanrang who are greedy and can do some practical things for the court and the people are already among the best. If you replace those who have already
The greedy and incompetent master's behavior makes people's heads ache even more.
Don't do things, but don't delay them. Find faults out of thin air and frame people up. Anyway, everyone has plenty of time. If you don't think about it and argue a few words, you are not humble and don't know how to respect your colleagues. There will definitely be a lot of bricks and leaves in the future.
Flying over intermittently
"But they have read so many books! They always memorize the words of saints in the same way! How can they be more greedy and shameless than street vendors!" Zhou Xing originally wanted to say that the official salary of these people is scary enough.
Well, thinking that his general was also one of the high-ranking officials, he changed his direction again. He decided to attack only civilians, excluding all generals from the accused area.
But his words immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of the other two guardsmen. One of them was called Zhao Wei and the other was Fang Zhong. They were both local small businessmen. They couldn't continue doing business, so they went to the army to find a job.
eat
"Do scholars have a high status? Are they bragging about being honest and loyal to the public? They just talk about it. When they really have the opportunity to put money into their pockets, haven't they forgotten everything in the back of their heads?" Zhao Wei pulled and pulled.
Calculating the plan, he retorted, "It's not as good as those of us who do business. At least we know the three stars on the weighing pole, what is a lack of blessings, a loss of life, and a loss of wealth!" (Note 2) "That's right, it's all what the books say.
Don't be dissatisfied if you ask others for what they ask of themselves, and they won't do it. I have seen a few people who are studying, and know the words of saints by heart, but they don't understand the principles of life, and they speak righteously in person, and do it behind their backs.
But it's all an animal thing, and they treat others as blind, as if no one can see their true identity!" Fang Zhong was not slow to speak, and he and Zhao Wei pushed Zhou Xing into the corner.
"You can't say that. There are many conscientious scholars among the scholars!" Zhou Xing saw that the attack range of everyone was expanding infinitely. He was so anxious that he blinked at his two colleagues and complained in front of the general.
Now, everyone knows that he is a good and tolerant boss. But General Li was also said to be a scholar back then. The two brothers scolded him like this, but they brought the general in with them.
"What's wrong? I'm speechless! If you ask me, the quality of your character has nothing to do with reading or what kind of books you read." Seeing Zhou Xingguang blinking his eyes and not speaking, Zhao Wei couldn't help feeling a little proud.
Suddenly, he realized that Zhou Xing's behavior seemed to have some hint. He turned his head and saw Li Langjiang walking beside him, with a smile on his face.
"Master Lang, we don't mean you!" Zhao Wei and Fang Zhong said in unison.
"Are you studying? Haha, didn't you also study? Work, work. In the evening, Captain Zhou is taking everyone to drink. All the expenses are included in the cost of the celebration banquet!" Xuzi smiled, turned and walked away.
Although the words of the soldiers were extreme, they were not necessarily wrong. Sometimes when he looked at them laughing, Li Xu seemed to be looking at his own past. He was always simple and kind, could not tolerate filth, and did not understand conspiracies. He always thought that the world was like a word.
is as clean as the empty space in the world. In fact, after entering the officialdom, the first thing you need to adapt to is the filth in it.
If you don't adapt, you won't be able to make a difference, or you may even be kicked out. Just like the upcoming feast, the guests and hosts may not be thinking about eating, but you must prepare it grandly and thoughtfully, and try to entertain the guests.
Feel at home, because only in that way can you dig out what you want from the other party. Although the final reasons are high-sounding, in essence they are just two words, transaction
There is a price to pay for the transaction. Therefore, Xuzi decided to take the initiative to repair the relationship with Lai Huer. His relationship with the Yuwen family was irreconcilable and he could not offend the other party. The result was the same. The general and General Yuwen were at odds with each other.
The invisible gap between them may not be an opportunity for newcomers to make their mark.
Perhaps because of the exhaustion of the journey, most of the generals who came to the banquet with him looked extremely tired. All of them had unlucky faces. Only Navy Commander Shi Cui Junsu was dressed neatly. As he looked around, there was a hint of something amiss.
Full of ambition
Everyone sat down in order, and the old eunuch Pei Caozhi was the first to raise his wine. "It's been a shame for several years, but once the snow came to such an end, I think the souls of the 300,000 heroes back then were also able to rest in peace. I can't think of anything here."
Respect, but please invite the general to drink this cup!" He has always been good at praying and singing. Although the toast is short, it makes people feel proud when they hear it.
"But general, please come and drink this cup!" All the civil and military officials from Qi County raised their wine cups to their eyebrows and saluted each other to protect the children. They could not resist, so they had to raise their wine cups to drink with everyone. Before entering the mouth, he sighed faintly,
It seemed that there was countless resentment suppressed in his chest, and there was no chance to vent it out. Everyone thought he was going to say a few words, but he didn't say anything anymore. He picked up the wine and drank it all in one gulp.
This is not the appearance of the old general in Xu Zi’s impression. I remember that in front of Hulao Pass, the old general smiled at everyone. He smiled and tricked others into plotting, and by the way, Yu Wen was “slapped” hard.
Let’s talk about a big slap in the face. Looking at the entire Sui Dynasty, who would let Lai Hu’er suffer? I’m afraid that except for the emperor, it’s the six aristocratic families. But now he’s leading the army? Who has such great ability? It makes him feel so miserable that he can’t express it.
Just as he was trying to figure out what the other party was thinking, Tongshou Zhang Xutuo raised a second glass of wine. General Zhang congratulated all the soldiers on the Eastern Expedition for their safe and triumphant return, and the guests could not find any reason to refuse to come and protect their children and did it again.
He raised his head to the sky, but did not raise his cup in return. He kept chewing on some dishes with a dark face.
In this way, the atmosphere of the banquet was inevitably awkward. Zhang Xutuo tilted his head towards Li Xu and motioned him with his eyes to come forward and chat with the other party, to bring the relationship between the guests and the host closer. Before Li Xu stood up with the wine cup in his hands, he came across from the other side.
At the second table, Shi Cui Junsu, the Minister of War and the Navy Commander, jumped out first.
"This time, the fortunes of the Sui Dynasty are booming. Your Majesty has planned the strategy and followed the orders of the soldiers. The civil and military unity finally made Gao Yuan'er restrain his hands, and the prestige of the Sui Dynasty has been restored..."
His voice was soft and soft, with a bit of a drake voice. Although his words were as catchy as poetry, it really made everyone feel uncomfortable. The princes of Qijun could barely put on a smile and came to protect the children.
The generals who came with them all lowered their heads, and everything from their ears to their necks turned blue and black.
It seems that the problem lies with Master Cui. I wonder if this person is from the Cui family in Hejian or the Cui family in Qinghe. Whose family has helped him sneak into the Ministry of War? Li Xu carefully observed the faces of the people opposite him, and
Knowing that the generals such as Lai Hu'er had a rift with Cui Junsu, who was a civil servant, he instinctively chose to protect the interests of the generals with his own status and the strong impression left by the first Liaodong battle, so he raised the wine cup in front of him and smiled.
Then interrupted Cui Junsu's wordy words.
"It's a pity that the last general is not lucky enough to be able to see the generals in person. I would like to use this wine to wash away the dust of the generals!"
"I don't dare, I don't dare to compare with General Li Lang's heroic appearance in front of Hulao Pass. All our efforts are in vain!" When Lai Huer saw Li Xu getting up to toast him, he managed to regain some of his interest and replied with a smile.
"It's a pity that General Li didn't catch up with this Eastern Expedition. His Majesty convinced people with his benevolence and promoted his saintly grace to outsiders..." Taking advantage of the crowd's words, Cui Junsu interjected again.
"Yes, when my father was alive, he often told us about General Li's courage in turning the tide. He said that you defeated the enemy's formation three times, shouted and spread the flag in front of tens of thousands of enemy troops, and captured nearly 400,000 of our soldiers on the spot. No one could stop it!
"A young general named Zhou sitting at the end of the guests also raised his wine cup and saluted Li Xu from afar.
As usual, before Cui Junsu and other superiors responded, the person sitting in his position was not qualified to thank the master before he came to take care of the child. But what happened today was strange. Before the chief naval officer said anything, Chang Shi showed his face first, so
If the younger generation does not pay attention to order, it cannot be completely considered disrespectful.
The civil and military officials in Qi County secretly had something bad in their minds. They entertained guests enthusiastically, but they did not expect to stand on the edge of a large whirlpool and watch the civil and military officers of the Navy scheming and scheming. It was not easy for the host to talk to him, and it would be more troublesome not to talk to him. It was as if he had walked into a world.
I forgot to leave the empty house with the door, no matter how I go, it won't work
Pei Caozhi secretly winked at Li Xu, indicating that he should try his best to protect both sides in the whirlpool.
General, Li was lucky enough to fight side by side with the old general back then, but he didn't expect that it would only last for a while." He paused and deliberately let out a long sigh in a low tone, "Oh, I hope he will know the news that the Sui Dynasty finally made Goguryeo surrender.
I take this cup of wine with great comfort in my heart, and pay tribute to Old General Zhou and all of you who are paying attention to my ancestors of the Sui Dynasty in heaven!"
"Respect the old general of Zhou and the ancestors of the Sui Dynasty who are paying attention to me in the sky." Everyone responded with serious expressions.
When the guests and hosts were exchanging greetings before the banquet, Lai Huer once introduced to everyone the family background of the military general named Zhou. His name was Zhou Shaofan, and he was the youngest son of General Zhou Fashang, the deputy commander of the Navy. After hearing this, everyone only regarded the surnamed Zhou as a person who borrowed the shadow of their father.
He was just a son of an aristocratic family who had joined the army to gain seniority, so he didn't pay much attention to it. At this time, he heard that General Zhou Fashang had died. He glanced at the young man a few more times and the topic naturally changed from the conquest of Goryeo to the old General Zhou.
Cui Junsu was so anxious when he was remembering that he felt like there were thousands of ants crawling in his heart, but he couldn't get a word in. He couldn't express his own merit and wanted to find an opportunity to make a difference. The owner's behavior here was in line with human nature. He was a big job.
People are jealous of dead people, and their dirty thoughts are indeed a bit unspeakable.
"Before I left the army this time, Zhou Xiandi was already sick, but he insisted on sending me to the seaside. I still remember his last words, every sentence is like a knife! Mr. Cui, you were here that day, can you relay the words of General Zhou to everyone?"
After chatting for a while about the past of General Zhou Fashang, Lai Huer shook his head and sighed.
Cui Junsu was so anxious that he couldn't scratch his heart. He finally waited for the opportunity to show off. How could he easily let it pass? He immediately stood up straight and said seriously: "How could Cui forget that General Zhou said: 'I will come to the sea again.
I have the ability to benefit, but the time is not with me. I will die in this world and my determination will not be fruitful, so what will happen to my destiny.'"
After saying that, he threw his hands around, hoping that everyone would praise his super memory, but found that the whole hall was completely silent. The host and guests all raised their wine glasses and paid respect to the heroic spirit in the sky.
Can those heroic souls far away in the world, whose ambitions have not yet been fulfilled, be able to rest in peace at today's embarrassing results?
Note 1: White money, the money made after Yang Guang came to the throne, has a much lower copper content, so its reputation among the people is far less than that of the good money made by his father.
Note 2: In Chinese weighing scales, there are three stars at the front of the weighing pole, which represent fortune, longevity, and wealth in order, reminding businessmen not to be short of weight.