He was so drunk that he didn't realize he was a guest. That night, Li Xu, who was always known for his ability to drink, actually drank too much. He barely managed to swing back to the military camp while riding on horseback. He collapsed and fell unconscious. The next day, he came from the south. When Ke Guo returned from traveling around, it was already three strokes a day, which delayed all the morning practice.
When Zhang Xiu first entered the military camp, he was very cautious. When he saw Li Xu wake up, he quickly ran into the tent to get water for him to wash his face. Li Xu did not dare to show off his official airs in front of his cousin, and he would not obey him for life or death. But Zhang Xiu insisted on fulfilling his responsibility as a soldier. , refused to let go. The two struggled for a while, and Zhang Xiucai put down the washbasin. Before Li Xu could wash his face, he held a bowl of hot rice porridge and a plate of soy sauce meat on a tray. A plate of side dishes and a few exquisite snacks were brought back. While placing the tableware on the table for Li Xu, he said with a smile: "The kitchen has been warmed up for the captain. They said that you are now the captain, and you can be here at any time." You can pass the meal around!”
"Yeah!" Li Xu agreed casually, a little uncomfortable with his new status, let alone having Zhang Xiu serve him. No matter how Zhang Xiu looked down on him in the county school, the two families were cousins after all. In Li Xu's heart, Although this family relationship is thinner, it is always there. As he sat down to eat, he was thinking about how to arrange a suitable position for his cousin in the military camp to avoid the embarrassment every morning and evening. He heard Zhang Xiu kicking and shuffling again. He took the wash water and went out. As he walked out, he said: "The young lady from Mr. Tang's family came to see you this morning. Seeing that you were still asleep, she waited outside the tent for a while and then left. I asked her if she wanted to You woke her up and she said no!"
"Miss Tang Gong's family?" Li Xu put half of the snack in his hand on his lips. After thinking for a moment, he finally understood that Zhang Xiu was talking about Li Waner. Thinking about how he usually practiced martial arts and slapstick with her, he never got too excited. Concerned about the identity of Miss Tang Gong's family, my mouth felt a little dry.
Wan'er always likes to run to the military camp. Was she like this before I came to Huaiyuan Town? Li Xu secretly asked himself. He couldn't find the answer to this question. Each of the Li brothers was smarter than the other. In front of them If you don't pay attention when speaking, it will easily make people think of something deeper.
The problem is, Li Xu's plan may not be as far-reaching as others imagine. Li Waner has a certain affinity with him, and anyone with a discerning eye can see this at a glance. But whether this affinity is like him or not, Li Xu is a bit unsure. Yes. After a failed experience, he did not dare to guess the girl's thoughts easily. Now, for him, feelings are like a fire placed in front of a lone wolf. On the one hand, he longs for the warmth in it, but on the other hand, he does not know whether the flame is It will burn you to pieces.
"Brother Zhongjian, I knew you wouldn't abandon me!" The girl with a smoky face walked in front of him and bowed.
"Brother Zhongjian, you will protect me, right?" The sweaty girl asked with wide eager eyes.
"You are bragging, how can a wolf be raised by humans!" The girl raised her nose and smiled.
Li Waner with several different faces emerged from the steam of breakfast and danced around Li Xu. Each face was a different memory. But this face was always separated by a layer of veil, which made people unable to See clearly whether the look in your eyes contains love or pure curiosity and appreciation.
"Dew couple, this word is so beautiful. You Han people are just good at talking!" Tao Kuo's undressed figure floated in like smoke, and Li Waner, who had different faces in his memory, was thrown into disarray.
Li Xu shook his head and sighed softly. Maybe she just likes to practice martial arts with me. After all, I am the only one of the same age as her in the entire military camp. In his heart, he told himself this.
"Xu Zi, does Tang Gong want to recruit you as his son-in-law? Otherwise, why is he so nice to you!" Zhang Xiu came back after pouring out the wash water, put his head on the table, and looked up into Li Xu's eyes,
asked nervously.
"Don't talk nonsense. If you want to eat, sit down and eat together!" Li Xu grabbed a piece of snack and blocked his cousin's mouth. "It's impossible for the Li family to marry a junior high school official!"
After he finished speaking, his own mind immediately cleared up. Xu Dayan once said that for the benefit of the family, aristocratic families in the Central Plains will only do things more ruthlessly than Xibu. A situation like his and Tao Kuo's separation, the aristocratic families in the Central Plains would not do anything.
He separated the two of them without hesitation, without any need to find any reason.
"But I heard people say that the more wealthy a lady is, the more she likes down-and-out talented people!" Zhang Xiu started to daydream about Li Xu while munching on the snacks specially made for military officers. "Besides, you are promoted so quickly now.
I have gained the emperor’s appreciation again!”
"Well, according to what you say, should I write a poem and send a silk knot to express my feelings? Except for the down-and-out talented man who treats the wealthy lady sincerely, the other princes and grandsons must be hypocritical! I think
You heard too many anecdotes in the teahouse and got hypothetical, or you think it's easy here and want to go back to the grain transport team to stretch your muscles!" Li Xu put down his rice bowl heavily and scolded in a low voice.
Seeing that his cousin was angry, Zhang Xiu quickly blocked his mouth with snacks. After eating for a while, he remembered something again. He stood up and reported to Li Xu, who was about to go out: "There is a man named Wu."
The team leader also came to see Mr. Colonel, left a small package, and then left. Mr. Colonel, do you want me to open it for you?"
"Where is it? I'll do it myself. I asked you not to talk nonsense. I'm not trying to show off to you. It's nothing. If it gets spread by idle people, it will be detrimental to both me and Mr. Tang!" Li Xu really took it.
My shameless cousin couldn't help it, so he smiled and explained to him in a low voice.
"Well, I understand. Isn't this a plan for you? If I don't plan for the general, why do you want me to be a personal soldier?" Zhang Xiu put down the bowl, stood up and walked out of the tent. After a while, he came in with a small package. "Follow you.
I promise not to spread the word!" After saying that, he put the package in front of Li Xu without even looking at it, packed up the tableware and walked out the door.
The package left by the samurai Yu was made of Gebu, which looked ordinary on the surface. The knot on the package was actually an exquisite plum blossom button, and there was a greeting note on it. If the package had been secretly opened on the way,
The person who finally received the package could clearly see signs of opening.
"Brother Wu is a careful man!" Li Xu shook his head with a smile and cut the knot with a black knife. After unfolding the wrapping, a delicate white jade Ruyi was revealed. On the jade handle, an old immortal with a white beard was pointing in the air with a smile.
The morning sun in the sky is about to rise. This is a congratulatory message that people who have just become officials like to hear. It is difficult for the samurai Yu to find such a suitable gift in such a short time.
Compared with Li Waner's thoughts, Warrior Xun's thoughts are clear at a glance. His background is similar to that of Li Xu, and his family is all traders. It's just that the Wu family's business is slightly larger. It is said that everyone who sells wood in Bingzhou is related to the Wu family. Although his family background is
The rich and powerful warrior Yun had no strong backers in the officialdom, so he could only be a team leader in the food protection army. Later, because he got close to Liu Hongji and others, he was promoted to team leader with the promotion of Li Xu.
Now that Li Xu has been promoted to a captain, the original brigade leader position is vacant again. As a "direct descendant" who has always been with Li Xu, this position should obviously belong to the warrior Yun.
"A school captain can have three brigades under his command!" Li Xu vaguely remembered that Liu Hongji once talked to him about related topics on the way back to the camp last night. Because of the outstanding performance of the food protection army, the current leader has become a charioteer.
Cavalry General, so the Ministry of War ordered the expansion. More than 900 new soldiers will be drawn from other troops and handed over to Liu Hongji to lead.
Therefore, the number of brigade commanders Li Xu, the captain, now has is not just the one he has vacated. According to Liu Hongji, the group of people led by Li Xu, except for the original first brigade cavalry, has no other quotas.
Both brigades were replenished with new soldiers and directly formed a full cavalry regiment.
The samurai Xun's brigade leader position must be reserved. Even if he doesn't send this jade Ruyi, Li Xu will still give him the original cavalry brigade. This is an unwritten rule in the military camp. Although he is a bit stupid
, not stupid enough to break the rules randomly. Who should be assigned to the other two brigade leadership positions? He thought over and over again, and his mind became a mess.
After thinking about it, Li Xu knew that he was not good at handling these things. Since leaving the grassland, Liu Hongji, the big brother, had taught him almost everything. So, he simply stopped thinking about it, packed up the regular clothes he wore when not fighting, and went straight
Walked outside Liu Hongji's tent.
Liu Hongji just didn't go out. When his soldiers reported that Li Xu was here, he hurriedly welcomed him out with a smile. The two entered the tent hand in hand. After the soldiers served tea and left, they happily started today's topic.
"This captain's uniform looks good. It looks more energetic than the brigade captain's uniform. Let me guess, you encountered something difficult, right?" Liu Hongji put down the tea bowl, looked at Li Xu's clothes, and asked with a smile.
.
"Of course I can't hide it from Brother Hongji!" Li Xu smiled and admitted frankly. "As you know, I don't know much about the rules in the military camp. I don't have the right person to guide me, so I have to come here to trouble you."
"Tell me, what's the matter?" Liu Hongji agreed with a smile, "Now that Duke Tang is in charge of food and grass in the three places, he has no time to take care of things in the military camp. He has told us that if there are any difficulties, we two brothers will discuss it and solve it!"
"It's a matter of brigade allocation. Yesterday Brother Hongji said he would give me three vacancies. But I don't know how to arrange it." Li Xu blushed and replied in a low voice.
After listening to Li Xu's words, Liu Hongji stretched out his big hand and scratched the back of his head vigorously. The reason why he directly expanded Li Xu's unit with new recruits instead of transferring other brigades was to give this good brother a chance to join forces.
How many people live together? In the future, whether on the battlefield or in the officialdom, everyone will be able to take care of each other. But he never expected that Li Xu didn't understand such simple common sense.
"Brother Hongji, you know, I can't hold up the wall with mud!" Li Xu saw Liu Hongji's surprised expression and felt even more ashamed. He lowered his head and muttered cautiously.
"It doesn't matter, you haven't experienced it, so of course you don't understand! I was negligent!" Liu Hongji comforted Li Xu with a smile. After sorting out his thoughts, he gave him instructions in a low voice: "If you encounter someone in another army,
In this case, you usually have to arrange for two people you trust, and leave one vacancy for your immediate superior! I am under my direct control as the captain, and my immediate superior is my eldest brother, so there is no need to leave any vacancies. All three positions are allocated.
Just anyone you can trust!"
"Your regiment is all cavalry, and the establishment is larger than others. So in addition to the brigade, there are also three soldiers, commanders, and cavalry to join the army, and one to record the march. These are all considered the official establishment of the imperial court, and they have a salary.
Take it!" Liu Hongji paused and added.
Hearing this, Li Xu's head got even bigger. The arrangement of the three brigade leaders had already made him rack his brains. Suddenly, four more soldiers joined the army. Where should he find them? Liu Hongji couldn't help but see his embarrassed expression.
As if he was just pretending, he thought for a while and whispered: "Lv Lv can arrange for Samurai Yu to be a warrior. He has been with you for such a long time. If he is not promoted after you are promoted, others will say this about you."
He is a cool person. One of the other two positions is for Li Liang. After all, he came from Tang Gong's house and he used to be a team leader under you. You can choose the other one from among the people who usually interact with us a lot.
He should be promoted from the rank of captain. As long as you like him, no matter which captain he is under, I can transfer him directly to you. But you'd better ask him what he wants in advance. Anyway, let him
I accept your kindness. You can simply transfer Qin Ziying to record the march. He is more withdrawn, but he is still careful enough. If he is transferred at the same level, no one will gossip. As for the other three joining the army, you can let Lao Wang and Lao Qi.
Recommended, they also have a group of people who are familiar with handling food, grass, equipment, and it is more convenient than choosing by yourself!"
In just a few words, Liu Hongji had already outlined the entire context of a cavalry team for Li Xu, and people couldn't help but admire his experience. Li Xu thanked him repeatedly and found a pen and paper to write down Liu Hongji's suggestions. 2
They chatted about military affairs for a while, and Liu Hongji whispered: "Zhongjian, you are now a sixth-grade captain, so you should pay more attention to everything. The officialdom is not as good as the battlefield. You can see who is strong and who is weak by raising your hand. Officialdom
Things have always been complicated. If you accidentally do something wrong, you may ruin your whole life's future!"
"Thank you, brother Hongji, for your advice!" Li Xu sat upright, clasped his fists and saluted Liu Hongji, and said solemnly. In the past six months, Liu Hongji has given him a lot of guidance in how to deal with others. Although Li Xu said some kind words,
Not to mention it, I still feel deeply grateful to Brother Liu.
"We can't always eat from the same pot, and I can't always have the opportunity to give you advice. Besides, my little ability is all the result of suffering. You are young and have no one to support you. What will happen to you in the future?
There may be more! If you think about things more and sometimes think of yourself as the other party, you may be able to see things more clearly!" Liu Hongji said, shaking his head with a smile.
These words sounded a little weird, as if the two people were about to separate. Li Xu put down the tea bowl in surprise and asked loudly: "Brother Hongji, why did you say this? We are working together well, how could we be separated? Besides, you are here
With guidance from the side, I will make fewer mistakes!"
"The two of us hit it off at first sight, so I brought you to Huaiyuan Town just to help you find a fortune. In official circles, relationships are as thin as paper, and there are not many people who value loyalty like you. I helped you, and
I hope that I will be taken care of in the ups and downs in the future! Even today, my brother will not hide this little thought from you." Liu Hongji's eyes met Li Xu's frank eyes and he replied in a low voice.
Although the words were spoken very straightforwardly, the feeling between the two of them suddenly became a little raw. After pondering for a moment, Li Xu imitated Liu Hongji and scratched the back of his head, and said with a wry smile: "If there is no help from Brother Hongji, I will
Now he is still a deserter on the grassland. The reason why he is where he is today is all thanks to Brother Hongji and Duke Tang. If you have something to do, you might as well say it directly. Brother Hongji also knows that I am not very good at reading people's thoughts.
!”
"I'm not saying this to ask you to accept my love. I brought you to the military camp because I wanted to seek wealth and wealth with you. But now there is a bigger fortune waiting for you, but I don't know if I should let you go.
Take it!" Liu Hongji nodded and said.
"Dafugui, is Brother Hongji talking about Yu Wenshiji's visit to me yesterday?" Li Xu thought for a moment and asked. The only thing that could make Liu Hongji hesitate to speak was this matter. There were many people at the wine table yesterday.
He didn't even have the chance to explain the whole story clearly. As a younger member of the Li family, Liu Hongji would inevitably have some grudges in his heart.
"Yes, the Yuwen family obviously wants to win over you. They are the most famous sect in the Sui Dynasty, and Duke Tang is now in decline!" Liu Hongji nodded, admitting that Li Xu's guess was correct.
"Tang Gong has been kind to me, and he has always treated me as his nephew!" Li Xu gave Liu Hongji a firm smile and answered frankly. He would not join the Yuwen family without anyone's persuasion.
.No one from the Yuwen family he has met so far has left a good impression on him, which is certainly one of the reasons. In addition, deep down in his heart, Li Xu always feels that there is a trace of family affection between him and Mr. Tang. Although Yuwen Shiji said,
Tang Gong Li Yuan just wanted to use him. But the people of the Yuwen family pointed this out, and they may not have any good intentions. Moreover, even if he took refuge in someone else's sect, he would still be used. If he was also used by others, he would not stay here.
At least there are a few trustworthy friends in the food protection army.
"If you think so, I feel relieved. The knowledge of being an official lies first in being a human being. In fact, although the Yuwen family has gained power, having you go is just the icing on the cake. It is not more practical than sharing the same boat with Tang Gong. As long as this paragraph is
Once you get through the tough times, others will never forget your love!"
"The knowledge of being an official lies first in being a human being! Brother Xie Hongji gave me some advice, and Zhong Jian remembered it!" Li Xu handed over his hand again and replied.
The two of them smiled at each other, but inadvertently sighed in their hearts. After talking, the grudge between them was no longer there. But everyone understood that the original brotherly feeling had gone with the wind.
At this moment, Liu Hongji didn't know whether he had gained more or lost more. The same was true for Li Xu. (To be continued)
