Chapter 3: Going to Officials (Part 4) Early the next morning, Tang Gong Li Yuan publicly praised the two heroes who donated horses to the country in the name of Marching Treasurer, and recommended them to the Treasury Protection Brigade within the scope of his authority.
Liu Hongji and Li Xu, the commanders of the Shuaihe Food Team, thanked the Treasurer for the promotion and after receiving their clothes, armor and equipment, they officially became members of the Sui Dynasty Marching Army.
After arranging a day of casual affairs, Li Yuan immediately sent his confidants to follow Liu and Li to the farmhouse in the suburbs, and drove all the horses into the military camp except for the injured Heifeng and their mounts. Among the more than ninety horses, fifty were
It was a Turkic army horse, and the other 40 or so horses were also rare horses in the Central Plains. When the officials in Huaiyuan Town saw it, their eyes shone with envy, and they all said that Duke Tang had an unexpected blessing, and he was able to win the battle before the army went out.
Got so many good horses
Li Yuan had been in the officialdom for so many years, so he naturally knew what everyone was thinking. He immediately ordered people to select thirty war horses with the purest bloodlines and the most exquisite skeletons, and ordered people to feed them with fine feed alone to prepare for the arrival of the army.
The remaining war horses waved their hands and let the officials and soldiers under their command pick them.
Everyone cheered and immediately rushed into the herd of horses. In an instant, nearly seventy good horses were divided up. As for Li Yuan, the chief official, not even a single horse shoe nail was found to complete the building. Hong Ji and Li Xu were very angry and privately
Li Yuan muttered that the officials had no conscience, but he just laughed it off.
Later, someone took Li Xu and Liu Hongji to the military camp to place them there. The two officers were personally recommended by Li Yuan, and they were also the former owners of the mounts worn by all officials. Therefore, they were looked down upon wherever they went. They were in charge of the flags, drums, and tents.
Wang, who joined the army, personally led people to vacate two large rooms for the two warriors to "rest" temporarily.
"Thank you for your kindness, General Wang. We are new here, so we'd better live in a tent so as not to break the rules here and bring unnecessary trouble to General Wang!" Liu Hongji was experienced in doing things. When he saw the size and structure of the house, he quickly declined.
"It doesn't matter, we are all good brothers. Winter is coming soon. The land outside the Great Wall is cold and dry. The tents are for us people. Just move in. If you need anything, go to Lao Qi and ask for it. He is in charge of everyone.
The cost of food and clothing!" Wang Canjun patted Liu Hongji on the shoulder and acted enthusiastically like an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.
"Well, thank you, General Wang!" Liu Hongji heard what the military officer said and had no choice but to accept the friendship. He turned around and took out a stolen Turkic scimitar from his luggage. He held it in both hands and presented it to the military officer named Wang.
"Brother Liu, what do you mean?" When General Wang saw the gold and jade-inlaid knife handle, his expression immediately changed and he asked while hiding back.
"General Wang has been in the army for many years, and he must like to collect some weapons. This little brother got it from the Turks. It's not easy to use, so why not give it to General Wang, so that he can help the general kill generals and capture the flag!" Liu Hongji smiled and explained that this sword is
He had retrieved it from the Turkic general who was shot to death by Li Xu. He had been reluctant to use it when he had just arrived and urgently needed to accumulate contacts, so he had to use it for emergency purposes.
"Good brother, I accept your wishes, but I have never touched a knife since I was a child!" Wang Junjun smiled bitterly, shook his head, and pushed the knife back into Liu Hongji's hand.
At this time, not only Li Xulu was stunned, but Liu Hongji was also as confused as a monk named Zhang Er. When Wang Junjun saw them stunned, he smiled and quickly added in a low voice: "It's not just me, there are at least ten of us here."
If you want to make friends with a few people who don't know how to use a knife, after closing the camp gate at night, you can all sneak out and drink together. Although this is a border place, the Tianxiang Tower in the city..."
Wang Canjun raised his thumb with a look of intoxication on his face
Hearing this, Liu Hongji immediately put away his knife and said with a lewd smile: "Does General Wang have a sweetheart? Is he from Mohe or Khitan?"
"Go, you are not talking about anything!" When mentioning women, Wang Junjun immediately became familiar with Liu Hongji, punched him, and laughed and cursed: "That Mohe girl is dark and thin, you can touch her in half
Not to mention the big Khitan girl from Yue Nightmare, she is fat, but her waist is thicker than a bucket. How can we brothers be so tasteless? We want to enjoy flowers..."
He looked up at the soldiers who were busy packing bags for the two officers outside, and lowered his voice and said: "There are a few prisoners' daughters over there who are well-educated and sensible. It's better for us to take care of the business than to let her be left behind by those who support her."
Plowing black hands and pinching..."
Li Xu heard what he said was obscene, shook his head, and quietly walked outside the house. However, Liu Hongji quickly became familiar with this person, and after some romantic chats, he gradually figured out the details here.
According to the military regulations of the Sui Dynasty, grain, grass and baggage are important objects of protection. Incompetent officers are not allowed to assume the position of supervising grain for the army. The subordinates of grain supervisors need to be equipped with "good soldiers and strong generals". As long as the grain and grass are protected, the "good soldiers and strong generals"
Even if you serve the country well, there is no risk of going to the battlefield, and you can gain the capital to be promoted to a higher position in the future.
Therefore, since the Sui Emperor issued the conscription order, those officials and officials with some small connections in their families have been trying to squeeze Tang Gong into Huaiyuan Town. Although Li Yuan's current official position is small, he has "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" under him.
If a fire leader comes out, he might be the son of the county magistrate (Note 1) "Well, tonight Zhong Jian and I will have a drink at Tianxiang Tower to meet all brothers!" Liu Hongji and Wang Shenjun were already close to each other.
Finally, generously promised
"There is no need for you two to contribute money. We can't take your horse for nothing. Even if you two come out empty-handed tonight, we brothers who came first will wash the dust for these two good brothers!" Wang Junjun smiled and said,
Replied by patting his chest
After all, Liu Hongji was also a child of an aristocratic family and knew the importance of socializing with others. He smiled and thanked Wang Canjun for his hospitality. At night, Li Xu couldn't help but refuse and dragged him onto the back of a horse.
The military camp seemed to be heavily guarded during the day, but at night the control of the camp gate was extremely loose. When the small school guarding the camp gate saw Liu and Li, they moved away from the barricade without asking. The soldiers patrolling outside the camp were even more lazy and heard the hoofbeats of horses.
The sound made me reluctant to even raise the lantern.
"This is not an official army!" Li Xu followed Liu Hongji and said angrily. In his dream, the Sui army could not be the legendary mighty and benevolent army. At least it was a place where laws and regulations were prohibited. Unexpectedly, it was closed at night.
Behind the camp gate, he and Liu Hongji could still sneak out in a big way.
"What do you think of the officers and soldiers?" Liu Hongji turned back from his horse and asked in a low voice.
"At least, at least like the Tiger Cavalry under General Luo Yi!" Li Xu thought for a while and replied in a low voice. The impression on the first day of joining the army had a great impact on him. At this moment, he was not only disappointed, but also disappointed. In contrast, Bu Xiaowei
The impression left in his mind became more and more profound, so profound that he wished he could immediately become a member of the Tiger Riders.
"Brother, listen to me!" Liu Hongji led the war horse and warned Li Xu very solemnly: "Things in reality will never be the same as you think. If you don't have the power to change, you have to find a way to adapt.
Only when you adapt can you move up step by step, otherwise, you will always be stepped on!!"
After saying that, he grabbed the horse's belly and quickly rushed into the endless night.
Is this what I want? Li Xu looked around in confusion. It was pitch black. Except for the military camp behind him, there was no trace of human fireworks. The night wind of late autumn came from the north over the mountains and ridges, blowing through people's clothes.
Feeling cold
"This weather is going to snow!" Tang Gong Li Yuan listened to the wind outside and said in a low voice.
"It's snowing, and dad happened to take me hunting. I shot a duck yesterday, and I might be able to shoot a deer tomorrow to feed dad!" Li Yuanji came up, hugging Li Yuan's neck and shouted.
"Yuanji, don't be ridiculous. Dad came back after a long day of exhaustion!" Li Wan'er, who was pouring tea for her father with her own hands, scolded her in a low voice with a straight face. Li Yuanji turned around and made a face at her sister. Instead of letting go of her hands, she hugged her tightly.
tighter
Mrs. Dou stepped forward with a smile and hugged her son who would never grow up. Everyone had been sent out by her. At this moment, there were only Mr. and Mrs. Tang and Jiancheng brother and sister in the room, so the atmosphere in the room seemed particularly warm.
Mrs. Dou cherishes this warm feeling. It is outside the Great Wall that the family can gather together and talk quietly for a while. If it is in the Central Plains, her husband has endless social activities and there are six or seven concubines waiting for him at home.
She has more than a dozen other people's children and as a standard good wife, she can't even show the slightest complaint.
"Dad, it's true, you can just take care of Liu's brother alone, so why go to such trouble for a stupid farm boy!" Li Waner saw that her brother hadn't received the lesson he deserved, so she immediately passed on her suppressed anger to others.
"Do you really think that Li Zhongjian who came with Hongji is a stupid boy?" Li Yuan smiled and shook his head and asked his children. Helping Liu Hongji and Li Xu clear their identities is simple to say, but there are many things in private.
Things need to work, especially for these war horses of unknown origin, and all traces related to the Turks must be erased as soon as possible. Li Yuan is a meticulous person and is unwilling to make any mistakes in the process, so he has been busy all day long and sorted out all the details.
Feel free to arrange for your subordinates to execute it
"That man is clearly a fledgling fool. He doesn't understand anything, speaks timidly, and has no heroic spirit at all! At most, he can shoot arrows better, with good accuracy and power!" Li Waner put down the copper pot and commented with a smile.
The wild boys who came back from outside the Great Wall left a very deep impression on her. They were not like the usual children from aristocratic families. They were all elegant and suave, but looked like green pineapples. They smelled a little tempting, but at first glance, she knew that the taste was not good.
would be great
"Since Brother Liu took the initiative to bring him to join us, he must not be a common person!" Li Jiancheng shook his head and disagreed with his sister's opinion.
"He's actually quite thoughtful. Maybe he hasn't seen enough of the world, so my arrow almost deceived everyone except dad!" Li Shimin also shook his head, siding with his brother to be able to compete in the competition.
In his eyes, those who are careful to make the other party happy without showing any signs of compromise will definitely not be the stupid boy that the second sister said.
"Your father and I were no better than him when I first entered the court as an official." Li Yuan looked at his wife affectionately, and smiled and expressed his opinion to his children, "At that time, everyone in the court was mine in terms of civil and military affairs.
Elders, you are more scheming than me. I was so scared that my legs were shaking, and I had to hold on to answer the late emperor’s question! When I got home, your mother took the court clothes I had changed out of, twisted them with her hands, and it actually came out.
Come with a puddle of water”
Mrs. Dou's hand quietly reached over and took her husband's big hand. Indeed, her husband was also a young boy at that time, but when people grow up, no matter how green the pear is, they will eventually mature and sink.
You are happy when you bend a branch, you can witness its youthfulness and taste its maturity. Although, when you are young, you feel the youthfulness alone, but when you are mature, you have several people sharing it with you.
"That man is a farmer, how can he compare with daddy!" Li Yuanji stared and protested loudly
Li Yuan turned around, patted the youngest son's head gently, and whispered: "Actually, it's almost the same. You were born in a wealthy family, but you have more experience than others. Experience can make up for it, but a person's talent and character are not.
It can't be repaired. Let me see. This man is a piece of raw material, he just needs grinding. The world is about to be in chaos. If we, the Li family, have one more person to help, there will be one more person to help in the future. If we can keep him, he will be an even better person.
A rare and good help!”
"The world is about to be in chaos!" Such words came from Li Yuan's mouth, and they had a completely different weight than those spoken by ordinary people. The Li brothers and sisters fell silent and thought for a while before the eldest son Jiancheng raised the topic again.
stand up
"In my opinion, our Li family can treat him kindly and treat him with kindness. He is a loyal person, otherwise he would not take the initiative to share the responsibility of setting the fire with Brother Hongji!"
"I'm afraid he doesn't know how to be grateful. Yesterday, my father promised to recommend him to be the captain of the team, but he didn't even say thank you!" A whole day has passed, and Li Waner is still worried about the stupid boy's rude behavior yesterday.
"Weren't he afraid of dragging us down? Brother Liu has already explained it!" Li Jiancheng smiled generously and said a good word for Li Xu. Since his father wants to win over this person, he will have to put some thought into it if the future is really troubled.
, that boy has excellent archery skills and is said to be good at martial arts. If he stays in the Li family, he can at least be used as a strong soldier.
"If you don't feel grateful, you will kill others if you don't want to use them for me!" Li Yuanji jumped off his mother's knees and said in a pretentious manner. Maybe it was because he was too young and didn't know what killing was. "Kill"
He spoke the words as if they were playing, very relaxed
"Who taught you this!" Li Yuan asked sternly with a straight face.
Seeing that his father was angry, Li Yuanji was so frightened that he immediately hid behind his mother. While hiding, he whispered: "It is said in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty that if the father feels something is wrong, the child will change!"
"Master, he is still a child!" Mrs. Dou smiled and tried to smooth things over for her son. She stretched out her hand to pull Yuan Ji out from behind and put it on her knees again. "What's wrong? You taught me little by little, so why bother staring at him every time!"
"
With his wife by his side, Li Yuan knew that he could not teach his children a lesson, so he sighed helplessly and said: "You have been used to it, and I am incapable of mentioning murder at all times. I will inevitably bring trouble to the family in the future!"
"You're only ten years old. Let's not talk about any trouble. Isn't he giving you advice?" Dou touched Yuan Ji's head lovingly and defended her son in a low voice.
She personally gave birth to four sons for Li Yuan. The eldest son Jiancheng was mature and generous, and he was a talented person in the industry. The second son was a noble man of the world and a hero who could gain a foothold in the world. The third son Xuanba was frail and sick, so he stayed in his hometown and did not bring him out. Therefore, the Dou family
All the love that should be given to the two sons was given to the youngest son. Although this younger son has a bad temper, he is smart and studious, and has made rapid progress in martial arts.
"Shimin, what do you think?" Li Yuan ignored Yuan Ji and turned his attention to Li Shimin, who didn't talk much but had a strong sense of propriety in his actions.
"This man has a simple temperament and little experience, but his mind is not simple!" Li Shimin, who had been silent for the whole time, slowly analyzed, "There is a saying that goes well, a gentleman is straight and can be bullied..."
He smiled and stopped talking and looked at his father, his bright eyes full of pride.
Note 1: In the military system of the Sui Dynasty, ten people were called fire, and the fire lasted as long as the fire lasted.
