Jiang Wan's current status is only that of Cao Yu in the Prime Minister's Office and General of the Fu Army, ranking under Yang Yi, the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office. However, Jiang Wan will be promoted to Chief Secretary in the future, surpassing Yang Yi in official position, and becoming Zhuge Liang's preferred successor.
In addition, Jiang Wan has always had a close relationship with Ma Su's predecessor, so Ma Su has always regarded him as one of his own.
Since this year, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang has been in poor health, so he deliberately trains Jiang Wan and entrusts many important matters to Jiang Wan instead of Yang Yi, another important minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
Therefore, Jiang Wan and Yang Yi inevitably competed with each other secretly.
Yang Yi was very capable and was originally several positions ahead of Jiang Wan.
But in the three years since Ma Su's arrival, Yang Yi's shortcomings of being narrow-minded and jealous have been infinitely magnified, and she even made serious mistakes.
Zhuge Liang was greatly disappointed with Yang Yi and gradually had other plans.
At this moment, Jiang Wan came into Zhuge Liang's sight.
Jiang Wan once served as Yang Yi's subordinate. When he first came to central Sichuan as a county magistrate, he was punished by Liu Bei for being lazy and incompetent. Fortunately, Zhuge Liang saved him and was later re-employed.
This time, Zhuge Liang asked Jiang Wan to come to Liangzhou as Prime Minister Cao Yu, and the message he wanted to convey was very clear.
Checks and balances.
This was Ma Su's first instinct.
When the army arrived at Juyanhai, they saw Zhao Yun and others who had arrived here first, so Ma Di gathered all the newly recruited generals who participated in the battle together and introduced Jiang Wan to them.
Jiang Wan was nominally an official sent by the imperial court (Zhuge Liang) to issue transfer orders, but in fact he was the eye that came to review the military situation.
Jiang Wan met with Ke Wu, the leader of the Xihai Qiang, Liang Yuanbi, the leader of the Xiutu Hu, Qu Bu and Qu Shang of the Qu family in Xiping, and many other small groups of warlord generals, and conveyed Prime Minister Zhuge's encouragement.
Then the appointment was solemnly announced.
When Zhao Yun learned that he was about to be appointed governor of Liangzhou, he couldn't help but glance at Ma Di.
But he saw that the latter's face was calm and calm, and there was no trace of displeasure at all.
So he felt relieved and accepted the governor's seal calmly.
With Zhao Yun's qualifications, it was more than enough to be the governor of Liangzhou. He was mainly worried that Ma Di would think too much.
Because in the entire process of conquering Liangzhou, Ma Su was the commander and he was the general. If Ma Su thought too much, it would lead to discord among the generals, and discord between generals is a taboo for military strategists.
Fortunately, this worry did not come true.
When I was young, I was still generous and aware of current affairs.
After the generals dispersed, Zhao Yun stroked his beard and nodded to Ma Su, smiling and saying: "You Chang, I am your boss now!"
"From now on, you can no longer give me orders, but you should listen to my orders, hahaha..."
Facing Zhao Yun's joke and ridicule, Ma Di curled his lips.
He is just the governor of Liangzhou, so he is not in a hurry.
Although Zhao Yun has always been above him in terms of official position, the two of them had no superficial affiliation before. Moreover, the two have been partners for so long, who has the final say? Doesn't the old general have a good idea?
Even if you become the governor of Liangzhou, you still have to listen to me and I tell you to go east. Do you dare to go west?
Ma Su looked at Zhao Yun calmly and meant something.
Apparently Zhao Yun didn't understand the meaning in his eyes, so he turned around and took Jiang Wan's hand, pulling it here and there, grinning almost to the base of his ears.
Ma Su looked at Zhao Yun calmly for a while, and couldn't help but said: "Old General Zhao, it has been a long time since we sent out troops this time. To prevent losses in Liangzhou, you can lead your troops and follow me back to Wuwei tomorrow."
"Ah, okay, I'll go get ready..." Zhao Yun quickly let go of Jiang Wan's hand and left in a hurry.
Jiang Wan shook his head and laughed, suddenly feeling that the Prime Minister's decision to appoint Zhao Yun as the governor of Liangzhou might not achieve the expected check and balance effect.
…
Completely conquering bald Xianbei is a very tedious task, involving all aspects.
The ideal way to deal with it is to disperse the bald tribes, live together with the Qiang, Di, Hu, and Han people in Liangzhou, and forcibly integrate the various ethnic groups by stewing chowder in a big pot.
This job sounds simple but is very tedious to operate.
Ma Su was in urgent need of such management talents, and Jiang Wan happened to arrive. Based on the idea of "it's in vain if you don't use it, it's in vain if you use it", Ma Di simply wrote to Zhuge Liang for instructions, leaving Jiang Wan to handle important civil affairs in Liangzhou.
Keep these eyes to forgive the Prime Minister.
If Zhao Yun is the hand of the court, then Jiang Wan is Zhuge Liang's eyes.
Now, the army in Liangzhou is nominally under the control of Zhao Yun, and the government affairs are handled by Jiang Wan. Ma Su does not hold any specific official position, but only assists as a general in the west.
This will effectively avoid any calculations and slander coming from behind.
A flying eagle sent a message, and Zhuge Liang's reply arrived on the third day. There was only one word in the letter:
Can!
By the time Jiang Wan found out that he was included in this mission, it was already seven days later.
He could only hold his nose and follow Ma Su back to Wuwei to deal with complicated official affairs.
In early May, the group returned to Wuwei City successfully.
Jiang Wan quickly discovered the vending machines scattered throughout the streets and alleys, the three siege vehicles hidden in the armory, the large trebuchet, and the improved Zhuge Liannu.
After seeing these advanced equipment, Jiang Wan was greatly shocked and immediately sent people on flying horses to Xi County to report to Zhuge Liang.
With these equipment in hand, Jiang Wan has realized that it will no longer be difficult for the Shu Han to capture the Longyou area.
However, Ma Su, who had 50,000 elite cavalry and many sophisticated equipment, did not advance eastward, but instead attacked westward.
Jiang Wan didn't dare to think about it any more.
He felt that Ma Su had ulterior thoughts, and he became nervous for a moment. Even when they met on weekdays, he became cautious.
Ma Su looked at the uneasy Jiang Wan and secretly wanted to laugh.
Half a month later, on a cloudy afternoon, Zhuge Liang quietly arrived at Wuwei City.
Jiang Wan put on neat new clothes early and went to wait at the west gate.
Also accompanying him were Ma Su, Zhao Yun, Zhao Guang, Huang Xi, Li Sheng, Zhang Xiu, Fei Yao, Dai Ling, Ju Shang, Qu Bu, Liang Yuanbi and dozens of others.
Everyone who has never seen Zhuge Liang has a serious face and a tight body.
The name of a person, the shadow of a tree, and Zhuge Liang's name are all resounding throughout the world even outside the Shu Han, not to mention that Liangzhou is still an area actually controlled by the Shu Han.
Soon, everyone heard the sound of horse hooves coming from far away on the official road, and then a carriage appeared in the field of vision. The carriage was pulled by two strong crossbow horses and came on the road.
Followed by hundreds of soldiers armed with spears.
The moment he saw the carriage, Jiang Wan trotted towards it.
Ma Su looked at his "heartbroken" behavior and smiled secretly.
After a while, the carriage stopped at the gate of the city as the driver shouted loudly.
After a long time, Ma Di met Zhuge Liang again.
Before Zhuge Liang's shoulders landed, Ma Di rushed over, his expression "exploded" instantly, his lips trembled with excitement, and he said affectionately:
"I have been looking forward to the stars and the moon, and finally I have come to you, Prime Minister..."
As soon as these words came out, except for Zhuge Liang, everyone's expressions changed. They felt a chill all over their bodies, and then their scalp became numb. They looked at Ma Su in surprise.
What's happening here?
Yang Yi, who was accompanying him, just got out of the rear car and vomited while holding on to the railing of the car;
The accompanying Jiang Wei was not much better, his facial features were almost twisted together.
In this era, talented people are extremely arrogant and self-sufficient.
They have never seen a celebrity like Ma Su who has great ability but is so... so careless about manners...
Zhuge Liang shook Ma Su's hand symbolically, then quickly withdrew his hand as if he was electrocuted. With a straight face, he said solemnly: "Youchang, take it back and let's pass."
Ma Su responded, quickly put away his actor-level acting skills, straightened up, and seriously raised his hand and said, "Prime Minister, please come into the city."
Everyone was at a loss as to what Ma Su was doing. However, this move greatly diluted the sense of depression that the Prime Minister came to inspect.
It makes your body and mind less stressed.
After Ma Su introduced everyone one by one, he led Zhuge Liang to inspect the weapons depot, city defense, and soldiers in Wuwei City, and then invited Zhuge Liang to the Liangzhou Governor's Office.
The rest of the crowd dispersed, the noise ended, and there were only six people left in the hall.
Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wei, Yang Yi, Ma Su, Zhao Yun, Jiang Wan.
In addition to Wei Yan who stayed in Xi County and Wu Yi who guarded Hanzhong, the eight giants of the Shu Han Dynasty had reached six.
These six people are enough to decide the fate of a country.
Zhuge Liang looked around at everyone, and finally his eyes fell on Ma Su, and he said softly: "You Chang did a good job!"
Just nice?
Ma Su felt a little sorry for himself and said calmly: "Over the past year or so, I have lived up to the prime minister's high expectations, unified the Western Qiang, captured Liangzhou, and annihilated more than 40,000 elite cavalry of the Wei army. Now there are more than 50,000 elite cavalry, and auxiliary forces.
We have 60,000 soldiers, and a total of more than 800,000 people have been captured. We have also developed three siege vehicles, etc..."
After half a stick of incense, Ma Su finished his report and stood up.
There was silence in the lobby.
Two big words came to everyone's mind: "cowhide!"
In just one year and two months, Ma Di went from leading 1,000 troops into Xiqiang to now having an army of 100,000, occupying a territory almost equivalent to two states, and with a population of nearly one million.
This achievement...
Bai Qi was silent for a while, and Han Xin shed tears when he saw it.
From ancient times to the present, has there ever been a general who was so good at fighting?
Zhuge Liang nodded and changed his words: "Thank you for your hard work, You Chang."
Zhuge Liang continued to speak, and he did not hesitate to praise him.
Ma Su raised his head and closed his eyes, trying to suppress his excitement. He felt like a primary school student who secretly scored 100 points and was recognized by his parents.
Pride, joy, excitement, elation, and all kinds of positive emotions are just a few.
The agitated thoughts suddenly drifted into the clouds, and I didn't know what Zhuge Liang was talking about in the hall.
After a long time, after being pulled by Zhao Yun, Ma Di gradually came back to his senses.
"Youchang, what reward do you want?" Zhuge Liang asked patiently for the seventeenth time.
"...Ah, is it okay to be a general... or forget it..., governor... I am already, uh, prime minister, look at the title, I am now a very human minister, there is really nothing I want to be, I
Those six sons are still young, the youngest is only four years old this year. I have been fighting abroad all year round. If something happens to me, they will be helpless..."
Ma Su's incoherent output seemed to be gibbering, but in fact he meant something.
Zhuge Liang cupped his hands toward the south and said solemnly: "The matter of canonization depends solely on Your Majesty. I think you have made great achievements, and I will not care about the sin of making a mistake today."
After correcting Ma Su's wording, Zhuge Liang continued: "I have gone to your Majesty's request to appoint your six sons as pavilions, each with a settlement of three hundred households, and a thousand pieces of Shu brocade, and ten thousand taels of gold and silver."
"Thank you, Prime Minister!" Ma Su quickly bowed deeply.
Everyone immediately looked at him with envy and jealousy.
But Zhuge Liang frowned, his face full of worry, and he didn't know how to use Ma Su for a while.
If you continue to use it, what will you do if Ma Su makes great achievements again? What reward will he get?
If Ma Su was left alone, Shuhan would have lost one of his legs, which was the other thigh second only to his thick leg.
That would be lame.
Logically speaking, it is quite common in history for Ma Su to have such meritorious service that he could no longer be granted a title and could only change his title to his son. However, these meritorious officials all had tragic endings without exception.
When a minister achieves great success and impresses his master, his death is not far away.
This is human nature. No emperor wants to have a minister with a higher prestige than himself. So Bai Qi, Han Xin, Gao Changgong and others died tragically.
"Historical Records" once said: "Those who bravely shake the master are in danger, but those who make great achievements will not be rewarded." - This sentence is a warning to both ministers and emperors.
But if the person with great achievements is the descendant of the emperor, then there may be less suspicion.
But it's only a few points less, the suspicion still exists.
The expressions of everyone present were caught by Ma Su's eyes. Different from what they knew about "the master with great achievements never died well", Ma Su knew of a case of "the master with great achievements" died well.
That is Li Shimin.
Li Yuan, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, succeeded in destroying the Sui Dynasty and establishing the Tang Dynasty. His son Li Shimin can be said to be the first contributor. Of course, Li Yuan had no suspicion about his son, but instead granted him more titles. When the Tang Dynasty was established, Li Shimin was granted the title of Shangshu Ling and Youyiwei.
General, he was granted the title of King of Qin. At this time, Li Shimin was already the third most powerful person in the empire.
But the world was not yet unified at that time, and Li Shimin continued to work hard. In the following years, Li Shimin personally participated in four major battles. He defeated Xue Ju and eradicated the threat from the west to the Tang Dynasty; defeated Song Jingang and Liu Wuzhou to consolidate the Tang Dynasty.
to the north; annihilating Wang Shichong of Henan and Dou Jiande's group of Hebei, allowing the Tang Dynasty to gain control of North China, and then severely damaged Dou Jiande's remnants Liu Heitai and Xu Yuanlang of Shandong.
When Li Shimin returned to the court again, the emperor didn't know how to reward his son for his hard work and meritorious service. King Qin already had the most noble title among the kings of Qin. In the court, he was also the Taiwei and Shangshu Ling, so he basically had no title.
.But Li Shimin had made such an unparalleled contribution, so he had to be sealed.
It was Li Yuan who specially created an official position for Li Shimin, "General Tiance", and led Situ.
Li Yuan's decision directly affected the future destiny of the Tang Dynasty.
General Tiance's status is higher than that of the prince, second only to the emperor and the prince in the court. But the level of status is not the key. General Tiance has a privilege, which later became an important bargaining chip in the struggle between Li Shimin and Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. That
That is, he can open a palace and appoint his own officials, which is equivalent to establishing a relatively independent small "court". This makes it much more convenient for Li Shimin to recruit talents. It also laid the foundation for the victory of the Xuanwumen Revolution in the future.
After Li Shimin took the throne, he also realized that the title of General Tiance was not beneficial to the stability of the court, so he ordered its abolition, and there was no longer one in the Tang Dynasty.
It can be said that the Xuanwu Gate Incident occurred in the early Tang Dynasty, and Li Yuan had an unshirkable responsibility. It was he who wavered between power and human ethics, which ultimately led to the tragedy.
But this cannot actually be blamed on Li Yuan. In the era of military merit system, which was based on "reward for meritorious deeds", Li Shimin indeed established the Tang Dynasty with his own hands.
Because of this, Li Shimin was addicted to brother-killing and imprisoned the emperor's father. He suffered the lightest criticism among all previous usurpers - he conquered the world, and he only took back what he deserved, although
The method was a bit cruel. Considering that it was already a life-and-death situation, and he was likely to be killed if he didn't strike first, he had no choice.
But Ma Di was not Li Shimin, and the emperor was not named Ma. If this credit continued, something would inevitably happen.
Neither predecessors nor future generations mentioned it, but just said that at present, Lu Xun, who had made great contributions to Soochow, was not far away from his death.
Therefore, even though he was happy, Ma Di was also secretly worried when he saw Zhuge Liang frowning.
If even Zhuge Liang can't solve this problem, then there is only...
Proclaimed himself a king... Ahem, he was disarmed and returned to his fields.
But, are you willing?
Ma Su and Zhuge Liang looked at each other and saw the unwillingness in the other's eyes.
So what to do now?
Zhuge Liang raised his hand to screen everyone away, leaving Ma Su alone in the hall, pacing and pondering.
