Chapter 114: Shogunate Team
"Meeting General Li!"

After Liu Shan entered the main hall of the government office, he bowed respectfully to Li Xuan.

He is thirty-four years old this year.

After more than 20 years of hard study, he finally became the top scholar. But becoming a Jinshi in the imperial examination was not an easy task, it just required a foundation.

Because the imperial examination was to select scholars, and "Jinshi" meant to become a scholar.

Liu Dan still has to go through a three-year waiting period, during which time he will be selected as a civil official through the Ministry of Personnel, or as a military officer through the Ministry of War.

Many scholars passed the imperial examinations at an early age, but always failed the imperial examinations.

The candidates are numerous, worse than a flock of sheep, and the Ministry of Personnel is noisy, more numerous than a swarm of ants. This is a description of the situation of scholars seeking official positions.

In times of peace and prosperity, all scholars aspire to hold official positions, but there are too many of them, and dozens of them may compete for an official position as small as a sesame seed.

Not to mention Jinshi, even those who wanted to enter the government through family connections had to queue up.

In the past, if the father or grandfather was a fifth-rank official, his sons and daughters would have a good job. Now, only when the grandfather has served as an official of the third rank or above can a good job be found for the descendants.

After Liu Dan passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer, he waited in Chang'an for more than half a year. He was well aware of Li Xuan's reputation.

After the news came from Chang'an that Li Xuan was appointed general, he immediately rushed to Longyou, hoping to get a position in the shogunate.

"You are the number one scholar. Just for this reason, your name will go down in history. Your poems are majestic and magnificent, like the style of the frontier. Many people have written poems for me, but none of them can reach such a style."

Li Xuan asked Liu Shan to stand up.

As a time traveler, he can foresee the prime ministers in advance and also know which prime ministers are just figureheads.

Those prime ministers are still very young and are willing to bow down to them for a few pieces of silver. It is a good time for Li Xuan to summon them into the shogunate.

Although Liu Shan did not become a prime minister, he was promoted to the position of vice minister, which was considered extraordinary.

"Compared with Li Shuai, the poems I seek are of low quality and cannot be accepted by the upper class."

Liu Shan bowed again. He wrote the poem only to praise Li Xuan's achievements and express his own ambitions, hoping that Li Xuan could recommend him.

Li Xuan's poems are famous all over the world, how can he compare with them?

"I plan to transfer Wang Nandi, the envoy of Heyuan Army, to Lintao Army as ambassador, and recommend Li Feiyuanli, the deputy envoy of Anren Army, as the envoy of Heyuan Army. Wang Nandi and Li Feiyuanli are both brave and good at fighting. Please help me write such a military article."

After talking with Liu Dan for a quarter of an hour, Li Xuan tested him directly.

After a while, Liu Dan finished writing two documents in front of his seat.

Li Xuan looked at it carefully and saw at first glance that Liu Dan's handwriting was vigorous, powerful, elegant and beautiful. He was worthy of being the top scholar. He was not only good at painting, but also good at handwriting.

Looking at the content again, Liu Shan obviously came prepared. Li Feiyuanli was unknown at the moment, so Liu Shan's description was shallow, which was normal. Li Xuan didn't know that Li Feiyuanli was in the army before. After all, the Longyou Army had more than a dozen military envoys and guards.

But Liu Dan's description of Wang Nande is very detailed and it seems that he has done his homework.

"That's right! If I lead my troops out of the border tomorrow, and encounter a group of Tibetan cavalry fifty miles east of Kubahai, and after half a day of hard fighting, I kill a thousand and capture three hundred. My army will suffer five hundred casualties. I will report the results of the battle to the Saint. Please write this military report!"

Li Xuan gave Liu Dan another test.

It only took Liu Dan two quarters of an hour to draft this battle report.

The content is well-organized, the battle situation is clear, and everything Li Xuan narrates is described.

If Liu Dan had gone with the army, the story would have been written in more detail.

Next, Li Xuan asked verbally.

Such as conflicts between armies, disputes between generals, military training, and some auxiliary affairs.

Liu Dan’s answer satisfied Li Xuan.

Before another judge takes office, Liu Dan should be able to help him stabilize the rear.

Later, when Liu Yan or other judges took office, Li Xuan would appoint Liu Shan as the military judge to record military affairs together with the secretary.

"From your answer, I know you are a great talent. I have two judges in the shogunate, one is the chief judge and the other is the military judge. Liu Wu, you will be my military judge from now on. Although you are the top scholar, you have no experience. I recommend you to be the left military guard, with a rank of seventh rank."

Liu is the fifth child in the Dan clan.

Li Xuan considered that he had no political experience and was not suitable to be a sixth-rank official.

"Thank you, General Li. I will definitely repay you for your kindness in the future."

Liu Shan was overjoyed and immediately stood up and bowed to Li Xuan.

He never thought that Li Xuan thought so highly of him and directly appointed him as judge.

If he waits for an official position in Chang'an, he will have to wait forever.

Rank is not very important. The judge has always been the confidant of the shogunate, which makes Liu Shan very grateful.

"The chief judge has not arrived yet, so you will temporarily appoint the governor as the chief judge."

Li Xuan asked Liu Shan to stand up and gave him instructions.

"As ordered!"

Liu Dan accepted the order.

At the banquet in two days, Li Xuan will bring Liu Dan to meet the military envoys.

Now Liu Shan had to familiarize himself with the affairs of the Jiedushi first. Li Xuan ordered him to judge small matters himself, and he would personally judge major matters and military orders.

Liu Dan cherished this opportunity very much. After taking office, he handled affairs during the day, learned about local customs and people at night, and looked at the mountain and river maps of each area.

I hope I can offer useful strategies to Li Shuai in the future.

Five days later, all the military envoys arrived.

There were three generals: Wang Nande, the envoy of Heyuan Army, Zhang Shouyu, the envoy of Anren Army, Yang Jinghui, the envoy of Baishui Army, An Sishun, the envoy of Zhenxi Army, Su Fading, the envoy of Ningsai Army, Li Guangchen, the envoy of Jishi Army, Qian'er Dafu, the envoy of Momen Army, Gao Kai, the envoy of Suihe Army, and Chen Zhang, the envoy of Weirong Army, etc.

Li Xuan took the lead in announcing the appointment of Wang Nande as the military envoy of Lintao Army and Li Feiyuanli as the military envoy of Heyuan Army.

The generals were very sorry. They all knew that Wang Nan was famous and brave in battle. Even the saint had summoned him and appointed him as Jinwu General. They had no reason to be dissatisfied.

Of course, not every military commander was eyeing the position of the Lintao Army. For example, the Zhenwei Military Commander and the Weirong Military Commander only managed 1,000 soldiers, and the Ningsai Military Commander only managed 500 soldiers, which was not even as good as the Shouzhuo Commander, so they certainly did not dare to expect a high position.

An Sishun had a lot of seniority and had served in most of the military commanders in Longyou. He had no complaints, but he was just frustrated that he had no chance of promotion.

"I am the new commander of Longyou. I am meeting with you today to coordinate the affairs of all the armies. The armies are stationed in the east and west to resist Tubo, but the lost land has not been recovered, which has always been a shame for us border generals. The saint appointed me as the commander with only one purpose, which is to completely recover the lost land and suppress Tubo on the plateau so that it cannot look north. I hope that all the armies can train the troops and be ready to be dispatched at any time."

Li Xuan said to the military envoys.

"We will obey Marshal Li's orders!"

All the military envoys stood up and bowed. They all had a premonition that after Huangfu Weiming was transferred and Li Xuan took control of Longyou, there would be big moves.

During the Tianbao period, the saints were determined to expand the territory, and everyone wanted to achieve military merit and gain wealth and glory.

For the next three days, Li Xuan discussed military affairs with the generals.

It is almost August now, and it is almost time to send troops.

Perhaps Tubo has sent troops to invade the border, and the garrisons on the border must monitor Tubo's movements at all times. Once there is any situation, they must immediately send people to report to the government office.

Li Xuan promised all the generals that if they had good strategies to defeat the enemy, they could report them. If they made great achievements, he would report them to the emperor and promote them to higher positions.

At the same time, Li Xuan required strict military discipline in the army and would send patrol officers to inspect the troops. If there were any violations of military discipline or bullying of the civilians, the commander would be punished for minor offenses and removed from office for serious offenses.

Li Xuan also asked the commander to train the army and reward those who ranked at the top with meat and silk money to boost morale and encourage the soldiers to train diligently.

In the various settlements in Longyou, Li Xuan asked the soldiers to encourage themselves.

Each army must be self-sufficient in at least 70% of its food.

If there are more military farms, they will be rewarded with silk money.

Li Xuan also followed Wang Zhongsi's example and had military officers supervise the use of weapons by writing the names of the users on them.

If it is damaged or discarded without reason, military law will be imposed.

Li Xuan strictly required the reward and punishment system of the troops, those who had made contributions must be rewarded, those who had made mistakes must be punished, and merits and mistakes could not be offset.

The commander-in-chief is not allowed to kill soldiers at will. Even if it is a capital crime, it must be reported to the government office.

If there was an "accidental death", Li Xuan would send a prosecutor to investigate.

Regarding the pensions for those killed in battle, Li Xuan requested verification with various local authorities. Anyone who embezzled the pensions would be executed, no matter who they were.

Li Xuan seemed to have set strict military rules, but they were actually based on the interests of ordinary soldiers. He strictly implemented the rewards for the soldiers.

At the same time, Li Xuan would also take care of the merits of the generals. As long as they had made contributions, he would recommend them for promotion. Even the generals of the imperial guards would apply to the emperor for promotion.

In short, there is only one thing: military regulations must be strictly observed.

Li Xuan would recruit four inspectors to inspect the troops for him.

After the shogunate was complete, Li Xuan would often go to a certain army unexpectedly to understand the situation.

The Longyou Jiedushi had plenty of silk money, and as the Longyou Zhidushi, Li Xuan could also mobilize resources from the twelve counties of Longyou to maintain the operation of the Longyou army.

As long as there is no phenomenon like Xu Kuo who is greedy for military pay and rewards, the army will be able to have enough money and silk.

……

Changan.

In the third year of Tianbao, the imperial examination was approaching, and scholars from all over the world rushed to Chang'an, hoping to pass the imperial examination and become famous overnight.

This includes Cen Shen.

His great-grandfather was the famous Cen Wenben.

Unfortunately, he was not of high rank and could not enter the government through family connections, so he could only study hard in order to become a Jinshi.

Cen Shen ranks 27th.

This ranking does not mean that his father has twenty-seven sons, but the ranking among the same generation in the clan.

Generally speaking, a clan lives in one place.

For example, Li Shizhi separated from his brothers at an early age and moved to different places. The ranking of his sons was not considered in the family. If Li Xuan's brothers had not separated from Li Shizhi, their sons would have been ranked in the family in the future.

"Cen Twenty-Seven, everyone knows that General Li personally invited you to join the shogunate as the chief judge. Isn't this what you are looking for? Why don't you come?"

In a teahouse, scholars gathered together, and someone suddenly asked Cen Shen, who was dressed in white.

Generally, it was scholars who went to seek official positions and visit the emperor, but Li Xuan, who was a general, personally invited him, which showed that he valued him. Once Cen Shen went to Longyou, he would be appreciated by Li Xuan.

The literati were very envious of Cen Shen. They thought that Cen Shen had presented his articles to the sage, and General Li knew about it.

"I have been traveling between Chang'an and Luoyang for ten years, doing nothing. This time I will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi. After I have achieved fame, I will go to see General Li!"

Cen Shen said with confidence.

He had never met Li Xuan before, but he was suddenly invited to the residence of Li Shizhi, the Duke of Song, the day before yesterday, and he was flattered. After learning that Li Xuan was going to recommend him to be a magistrate in Longyou, he was even more delighted.

Even if you pass the imperial examination, you still have to wait for several years.

He wanted to ride to Longyou immediately, but when he thought about the upcoming imperial examination, he changed his mind and prepared to go there with fame and honor.

"Haha... Cen Twenty-Seven is going to take our Jinshi quota."

The literati laughed and teased Cen Shen.

But no one thought that Cen Shen would pass the imperial examination. If Cen Shen really had such ability, he would not have wandered around Chang'an and Luoyang for ten years without taking the imperial examination.

Cen Shen didn't care about the scholars' teasing.

Soon after, the imperial court posted a notice.

There were 29 successful candidates in this imperial examination, and Cen Shen ranked second.

The top scholar was a man named Zhao Yue.

Cen Shen didn't even have time to drink with his classmates in Qujiang or Xingyuan.

After confirming his identity, he immediately headed for Longyou.

……

Huayin County.

A young man named Yang Wan put down his book, his face full of worry.

Although Yang Wan was from the Yuanwu branch of the Hongnong Yang clan, like many other aristocratic families, he was poor since childhood and studied while farming. He was well-known for his intelligence, knowledge, and filial piety to his parents.

"Erlang has been invited by General Li of Longyou to serve as a military commander. Are you determined to go?"

Yang Wan's uncle asked him.

"I wanted to go and repay General Li's appreciation, but my family has been poor since my father passed away, and I was afraid that my mother would be left alone after I left."

Yang Wan has always found it difficult to make up her mind.

The Hongnong Yang family has been passed down from the Han Dynasty to the present day for more than a thousand years. Even though the members of the family are poor and destitute, they still remain filial and righteous.

"This is why I came here! Our relatives and neighbors have collected enough money for your journey and bought you a horse. I will also take care of your mother. We scholars should not stay at home to farm and grow crops for a living. Your uncle has no talent and has no choice but to do this. A man should have ambitions and fly high like a swan, just like our ancestors Yang Chang and Yang Zhen, bringing glory to our family and continuing our lineage."

"Go, don't worry about anything."

Yang Wan's uncle handed him a bag of money and pointed to a horse outside the door and said.

"uncle……"

Yang Wan wept and knelt before his uncle, swearing that he would repay his uncle and his neighbors if he became famous and wealthy.

Uncle Yang Wan stroked his back, silence speaking louder than words.

……

Feng'an County.

Liu Yan also received a letter from Li Xuan.

The chief judge is much better than the little Feng'an magistrate.

With an uncertain future, going to Longyou is the best option.

He was familiar with Li Xuan, and Li Xuan's unparalleled charm had always been fresh in his memory.

Li Xuan, the deputy envoy of Longyou Jiedushi and the governor of Jiedushi affairs, wrote the letter personally, so Liu Yan had to give him face.

Now Feng'an County is stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment. He stays in Feng'an County just to wait for the next transfer.

After thinking for a day, Liu Yan resigned to the court and left Feng'an County after the new county magistrate took office.

On the day Liu Yan left, the people carved a stele to commemorate his achievements. Before that, Xu Jian had been oppressing the people, but Liu Yan was lenient to the people and suppressed the powerful.

He never supervised the taxation, but the people never defaulted on paying their taxes, which shows that he was good at governing the county.

……

Taiyuan.

"I am deeply moved! I am just an unknown lieutenant in Taiyuan Prefecture, but General Li of Longyou recommended me as the chief military officer."

In a house, a boy of about twelve or thirteen was washing the feet of a strong man, very carefully and patiently.

The sturdy man is Che Shensai, and the boy is Che Shensai’s son Che Guangqian.

They are descendants of Che Yin, one of the protagonists in the story “Fireflies in a Bag Reflecting the Snow”.

Che Shensai looked at the letter again under the candlelight. Even the seal of the Longyou Jiedushi was on it. This was definitely not a joking letter.

Du Yuhou was a trusted military officer of the Jiedushi, who was in charge of sentencing the troops and had a promising future.

For example, Li Guangbi, the commander of the Shuofang Army, had been promoted by Wang Zhongsi to be the commander of the Right Wing Army.

"Grandpa, is this the General Li who captured the two Khans, rode into battle on horseback, and wrote poems when he dismounted?"

Che Guangqian shuddered and asked Che Shensai.

The food for Shuofang was transported from Taiyuan, and he had heard that thrilling story a long time ago.

"Yes. It is the world-famous General Li. He was promoted to general at the age of seventeen!"

Che Shensai also yearned for it. Although there were rumors that Li Xuan was as cruel as a cruel official, those were just the whining of literati. The generals all admired Li Xuan.

Because Li Xuan was young, people now compare Li Xuan with Huo Qubing.

"Master, you are famous in Longdi and have great martial arts skills. Perhaps General Li heard about your deeds and wanted to summon you to his palace."

Che Guangqian is very smart, and he thought of this.

Their family once lived in Longxi, where Han and Hu people lived together and often fought over trivial matters.

Six years ago, Che Shensai saw two Hu people beating a Han Chinese on the street.

Che Shensai, a Han Chinese, was very angry. He rushed over and beat the two Hu people to death with three punches and two kicks.

The two Hu people had a tribe in Han area. In order to avoid being hunted down, Che Shensai had no choice but to flee to Wugong with his entire family.

Later, Che Shensai, recommended by his father Che Xianzheng, went to Taiyuan to serve as a minor military officer.

"Maybe so! After I become the chief military officer of Longyou, the Hu tribe will not dare to retaliate against me, and my family can return to our hometown. It's such an honor! Qian'er must repay General Li's kindness in the future!"

Che Shen Sai also felt that this was the only explanation.

Fortunately, his martial arts skills had not been wasted since he came to Taiyuan. He felt like he had regained his vitality, and if possible, he would ask General Li to let him fight in the battlefield.

Even though Che Guangqian is already twelve years old, Che Shensai is only in his early thirties.

"When I grow up, I will join the army in Longyou, with my grandfather."

Che Guangqian not only washed Che Shensai's feet, but also massaged his legs and back to show her filial piety.

In fact, Che Guangqian had just arrived in Taiyuan not long ago. When he was ten years old, he walked alone from Wugong County to Taiyuan, traveling thousands of miles to visit his father.

After he arrived in Taiyuan, he studied literature and practiced martial arts during the day and served his father at night, taking care of him in every possible way.

This kind of filial piety was praised by the officials and generals of Taiyuan Prefecture.

……

Gao Shi, Li Bai and Du Fu went to Wangwu Mountain to visit Sima Chengzhen to seek a way to become immortal.

But they didn't know that Sima Chengzhen had already ascended to heaven nine years ago, so their trip was in vain.

These three brothers knew that this was something that could never come true, just like Du Fu's self-reflection, "When autumn comes, we look at each other but we are still drifting like weeds, and I feel ashamed of Ge Hong for not having made cinnabar."

After Li Bai was frustrated in Chang'an, he became more interested in Taoism, so Du Fu, who "adhered to Confucianism and served as an official", went crazy with them.

The messenger couldn't find Gao Shi, so he could only leave the letter in Chenliu City, where Gao Shi often went.

When Li Bai and Du Fu continued to move eastward, Gao Shi happened to receive this letter in Chenliu.

Gao Shi had a love-hate relationship with the army. In the middle and late Kaiyuan period, he stayed in the Youzhou army for a period of time. Zhang Shougui concealed the defeat and the soldiers were corrupt, which made Gao Shi, who was determined to make achievements, see the reality clearly.

After leaving the army, he immediately wrote the immortal "Yan Ge Xing" satirically, which almost reflected the common phenomena in the border troops at that time, such as greed for merit, bullying, corruption, enjoyment of wine and sex, and concealment of defeat.

"The Longyou Army should be different from the Youzhou Army. General Li can punish the tyrants and eliminate evil for the people. He is definitely not the kind of person who lets his troops do harm. I am grateful for your invitation and promise of an important position. I will go there right away."

Gao Shigang and Li Bai and Du Fu parted ways.

Li Bai said that among the dignitaries in Chang'an, Li Xuan was a rare person who treated him with courtesy and laughed and talked with humor.

Even though he was disappointed with the army, Gao Shi never gave up his expectation of joining the army.

Just as he said when he was young, "I would not hesitate to die for a thousand miles if I could achieve success in one day."

Although he failed in the imperial examination, Gao Shi was very excited to be appreciated by General Li.

He said goodbye to Chenliu Magistrate Zheng Yan and also brought a letter from Nan Jiyun.

As he rode westward, he wrote a poem almost every day to express his high spirits.

(End of this chapter)