Chapter 81: General Zuo Qianniuwei, Titled

After the grand ceremony of presenting captives ended, Li Longji summoned officials of the fifth rank and above to enter the Taiji Hall.

The New Year's Day is coming. According to the Tang system, there will be a seven-day holiday on the New Year's Day.

It is the three days before and on the day of Yuanzheng, as well as the three days after Yuanzheng.

That means we will be on holiday starting from tomorrow.

Although he was on vacation, according to Li Longji's habits, he would summon important officials to have a banquet in Xingqing Palace around the New Year's Day.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the chief ceremonial officer led Li Xuan to his seat.

Li Longji specially approved Li Xuan not to wear court robes to enter the palace as a sign of favor.

Li Xuan's highest rank was the upper fourth grade, which was a military officer's rank, not too high up.

But no military officer dared to look down on Li Xuan. Perhaps in a while, Li Xuan would be promoted to the third rank.

Because Li Xuan's official position was the rank before Xueman Bow and Sword.

After the bows and swords are covered with snow, the emperor will definitely add more!

There were many cases where fathers and sons were in the court together, such as Li Xiu, the eldest son of Li Linfu, and Li Qian, the eldest son of Li Shizhi, both of whom were in the court, but in the back seats.

But Li Xuan, who had been favored by the emperor for his military merits, was obviously going to wear a purple robe like his father. This had never happened.

It was the first time that Li Xuan stood in the court, and it was the most famous Taiji Palace and Taiji Hall in the Tang Dynasty. He had an inexplicable feeling.

It was faster than he had imagined, as if someone was pushing him to get promoted.

He had it all under control.

Li Xuan looked at the many sons of fourth- and fifth-rank aristocratic families who entered officialdom through family connections and wore scarlet clothes.

Looking at the purple clothes worn by the whole court, it was dignified and solemn.

Looking at Li Shizhi and Li Linfu, who were standing against each other in front of the incense table.

Looking at the magnificent dragon throne in the deepest part of the palace...

"Your Majesty has arrived..."

While Li Xuan was in a trance, Li Longji straightened his appearance, came to the dragon throne and sat down, and the female officials holding fans stood on both sides.

Many unpleasant things happened in Taiji Palace, which made Li Longji rarely hold court in the Taiji Palace early in the morning.

Generally, I only have to come during grand ceremonies.

"Greetings to Your Majesty!"

When the chief ceremonial officer finished speaking, all the ministers bowed.

"Everyone is safe."

Li Longji raised his hand, his face full of smiles.

The Turkic Khanate was defeated and its leader was captured alive, which gave him great honor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

All civil and military officials took their seats.

"General Zhongwu!"

As soon as the court meeting began, Li Longji directly summoned Li Xuan to step out.

"Chen is here!"

Li Xuan stood up and walked to the incense table to perform the ceremony.

"It is said that you have made great achievements on the grasslands. The northern Hu tribes, including those north of Taiyuan, have presented cattle, sheep and furs to the military town to express their friendship. Even the Xi and Nu tribes have migrated to the northeast because of this. You have made sixteen achievements, which is comparable to the ancient Huo Qubing and Wei Qing."

Li Longji was generous in praising Li Xuan.

"I am ashamed to accept this! Your Majesty was wise and decisive in sending troops to the Turks; the general led the army in two directions; and the soldiers fought for the country and sacrificed their lives in the wilderness. I just did what a general should do. I am honored to wear the golden robe and jade belt."

Li Xuan slowly and steadily explained to Li Longji the main point of the saint's wisdom.

He felt guilty because the credit for destroying the country should go to Wang Zhongsi, who had been planning for two years.

But he stole the limelight.

"Haha... You are so modest, not like a teenager!"

Li Longji was very pleased.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Li Xuan was so brave on the battlefield that they almost overlooked the fact that he was a scholar.

He is also a man of letters who is eloquent.

Li Linfu already knew that Li Shizhi's sudden rise was closely related to Li Xuan.

He learned from the bribed eunuchs that the last time Li Xuan entered the palace, he played polo in the imperial court, which made Li Longji and Madam Yuhuan very happy.

Whenever he thought of this, Li Linfu wanted to slap himself a few times. How could he have thought of recommending Li Xuan to join the army?

He originally thought that Li Xuan only had some courage for street fighting, but he never knew that Li Xuan could charge into the battlefield, kill generals and capture flags.

Immediately afterwards, Li Longji asked Li Xuan about the details of the capture of the two Khans in front of all the civil and military officials in the court.

Although Li Xuan's capture of the Khan was difficult, it was successful.

He made full use of his eloquence to describe the soldiers' march of thousands of miles in harsh conditions.

In that bitterly cold place, the wind was as fierce as a knife, the breath froze, and the soldiers' hands and feet were all frozen and cracked.

During the pursuit, they stayed awake all day, ate raw corn, and drank ice and snow when thirsty.

It is also necessary to compete with the Uighurs in wits and courage.

When they couldn't even draw their bowstrings, they charged with 900 cavalrymen against the enemy's 2,000-plus guards.

Finally, Li Xuan chased on horseback and personally captured Usumish Khan from his horse.

In fact, Li Xuan did not exaggerate much, but all the officials and nobles in the court lived a life of luxury.

They subconsciously believe that such an environment is not a place for human beings to go.

So they whispered to each other and kept praising Li Xuan's bravery and courage.

Li Shizhi, on the other hand, did not take any action. Who wouldn't envy him now?
"The moon is dark and the wild geese fly high. The Chanyu flees at night. I want to chase him with my cavalry, but the heavy snow covers my bows and swords!"

After listening to Li Xuan's story, Li Longji read out the poem in the court: "A poem about the frontier, snow covering the bow and sword. I can hear the hardships you went through in capturing the Turkic Khan, and I can also hear your courage and perseverance. The soldiers who followed you to chase the Turkic Khan will be generously compensated if they died in the battle, and their families will be given 50 acres of permanent land in the county, and they can also recommend left and right generals for promotion. I order the royal minister to open the treasury and reward the accompanying riders with silk money."

As soon as Li Longji was happy, Li Xuan's old subordinates were rewarded again.

"On behalf of the soldiers of Feng'an Army, I would like to thank Your Majesty!"

Li Xuan bowed in thanks.

Next comes the formal court meetings and the New Year's Day duty arrangements.

"This pirate Wu Lingguang is plundering Linhai again. What do the governors of Linhai and other counties do for a living? In the past seven or eight years, we have heard news of rampant pirates every year. Do you have any suggestions?"

At court meetings, there were always things that made Li Longji unhappy.

The pirate Wu Lingguang is one of them.

Since returning from the eastern capital Luoyang, Li Longji has heard the name Wu Lingguang every year.

Several deputy governors were replaced in the county, but to no avail.

Li Longji's patience had reached its limit and he was ready to send people to attack.

The ministers had no idea what to do as the pirates were elusive on the sea.

At this time, the sea was still a mysterious existence to all civil and military officials.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Linhai and fight pirates for you. I will bring the emperor's grace to the seaside, calm the waves, and let the people live in peace."

Seeing that no one responded, Li Xuan stood up again and asked Li Longji for help.

He took this opportunity to resign from his posts as the military commander of Shuofang and the military commander of Feng'an.

He remembered that the person who wiped out the pirate Wu Lingguang was Pei Dunfu, a martial arts champion and the current governor of Henan.

This gave Pei Dunfu the potential to become prime minister.

It seemed to be in the third year of Tianbao.

Li Xuan decided to take this meritorious task one step ahead.

After he returned after performing meritorious service, he asked Li Longji to transfer him to Longyou.

"I am very pleased that you can share my worries. However, naval battles are unusual, so you must be cautious."

Li Longji was very satisfied with Li Xuan's fearlessness of difficulties, but he also had concerns.

"I have not achieved anything more than half a year ago, but I can still fight in grasslands, deserts, and snowfields. Although Wu Lingguang has gathered thousands of people, he is just a bandit. I will destroy him within three months."

The pirates are probably hiding on some small island next to Linhai County.

Even if they don't go looking for that island, pirates always need food and drink, and they must have informants in the counties.

Li Xuan felt that relying on these clues, it could definitely be accomplished. The sea is mysterious, but the offshore area is not that mysterious.

"What do the left and right prime ministers think?"

Li Longji did not agree immediately, but looked at Li Linfu and Li Shizhi.

"General Zhongwu is my son and he has served his country. I cannot stop him."

Li Shizhi respected Li Xuan's opinion.

Although Li Xuan's performance on the battlefield made him feel distressed, it was able to highlight his distinct personality.

"I think General Zhongwu has the ability to pacify the pirates. We can give it a try."

Li Linfu knew from Li Longji's expression that he was fond of Li Xuan, so he didn't dare to speak to stop him.

The general was bound to die in battle, and Li Linfu cursed Li Xuan with ill intentions.

If you can gallop on both land and sea, you are really amazing.

The pirate Wu Lingguang has been causing trouble for seven or eight years. Li Linfu believes that it will be very difficult to wipe him out.

Moreover, after Li Xuan left, he wanted to speed up the implementation of his strategy and bring down Li Shizhi first.

Li Xuan was too much of an eyesore in Chang'an.

"General Zhongwu is now in charge of the military power of Shuofang."

Li Longji looked at Li Xuan again.

"The north is full of feasts. I am willing to resign my duties as the military commander of Shuofang and the military commander of Feng'an."

Li Xuan replied to Li Longji.

"I grant your permission."

"You have captured Usumish Khan and Basimi Jiediyishi Khan, and have made great contributions to the country. You are loyal to the country and brave. You are promoted to General of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard, and granted the titles of Silver and Green Guanglu Dafu, Light Chariot Commander, and the title of Man of Qingshui County."

Li Longji agreed to let Li Xuan step down and rewarded him with a high position and generous salary.

The General of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard was a third-rank official in the Southern Ya Imperial Guard.

Li Longji no longer promoted Li Xuan to be a military official, but instead appointed him as a third-rank civil official, the Yinqing Guanglu Dafu.

This is also the standard for many military commanders, either serving as civil officials, such as Wang Zhongsi, the Imperial Censor, or Fu Menglingcha, the Imperial Censor. Or they are given a civil official post.

Both civil and military skills, and harmony of yin and yang.

Li Longji awarded Li Xuan a medal, the rank of Light Cavalry Commandant, a fourth-rank official.

Honorary officials are military meritorious officials. Anyone who has military merit is awarded an honorary title. There are twelve ranks in total. A rank is a unit of measurement for military merit.

Li Shizhi's honor was the second-rank Shangzhuguo, the highest level of honor for an official.

Li Xuan’s rank as the Light Cavalry Commander was the seventh rank.

In fact, Li Xuan had made more than seven military achievements. Li Longji had his own considerations for Li Xuan's canonization.

The most important thing is that Li Xuan began to be given a noble title, the lowest male founding member of the country, which was the fifth rank.

There were nine ranks of nobility in the Tang Dynasty: the first was the king, with an estate of 10,000 households, the first rank; the second was the heir to the king or the prince of a county, with an estate of 5,000 households, the first rank; the third was the duke, with an estate of 3,000 households, the first rank; the fourth was the founding duke of a county, with an estate of 2,000 households, the second rank; the fifth was the founding duke of a county, with an estate of 1,500 households, the second rank; the sixth was the founding marquis of a county, with an estate of 1,000 households, the third rank; the seventh was the founding earl of a county, with an estate of 700 households, the fourth rank upper; the eighth was the founding son of a county, with an estate of 500 households, the fifth rank upper; the ninth was the founding baron of a county, with an estate of 300 households, the fifth rank upper.

According to the regulations, Li Xuan was entitled to a fief of 300 households in Qingshui County.

Li Longji saw that Li Xuan was young and only granted him the lowest title.

Now Wang Zhongsi is just a baron.

Although Li Xuan lost his post, he could wear purple and gold and be ranked as a third-rank official. In the future, a halberd could be placed in front of the left prime minister's residence to show his honor.

All the ministers cast envious glances at him.

Li Shizhi was in his prime, and his son was already a third-rank official before he even reached adulthood, so the father and son served in the same court and were close to each other.

There were indeed people who were younger than Li Xuan and held higher positions, but they were all descendants of Li Longji. They were simply canaries kept in a cage and could not be compared with Li Xuan.

Li Linfu had a blank expression on his face, as if he already knew about Li Longji's reward to Li Xuan.

"I thank your majesty for his grace."

Li Xuan thanked him. He was surprised to think that he would be rewarded like this.

It is unlikely that he will be promoted to the rank of general now, as that would be an honor bestowed upon him by the title of Jiedushi.

He has more achievements to make.

"No need for formalities. You have just returned to Chang'an after an expedition to the snowy desert. I have specially approved you to lead the Left Thousand Bull Guards to fight against the pirates in one month. The soldiers from Linhai County, Yuyao County and other counties are at your disposal, and the ships going out to sea are all supplied by the counties."

Li Longji was not unkind. He stayed in Chang'an for a month to let Li Xuan celebrate the New Year.

"The minister obeys the order!"

After receiving the order, Li Xuan returned to his seat.

Li Longji was in a much better mood, and the court meeting went on smoothly.

After retiring from court, Li Longji didn't want to stay in Taiji Palace anymore. He wanted to go back to Xingqing Palace to see Madam Yuhuan.

……

"Congratulations, Qilang! I really did not disappoint you in recommending you as a general!"

The emperor left and the ministers were allowed to leave the Taiji Hall.

Li Xuan followed Li Shizhi and Li Qian out of the hall, but Li Linfu stopped them outside the hall and said with a smile.

"If it weren't for the support of the Right Prime Minister, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Li Xuan bowed to Li Linfu and expressed his gratitude.

If you didn't know the relationship between the Left Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister, you would think that they were in harmony and peace among their subjects!

Some old ministers looked up to Li Xuan and thought that he was flexible and could accomplish great things.

"The disciple is better than the master. We are all old. In the future, the Tang Dynasty will be ruled by you young people." Li Linfu patted Li Xuan's shoulder, looking like he was optimistic about you.

"I am too inexperienced, and the court still needs the Right Prime Minister to preside over the overall situation."

In front of all the civil and military officials, Li Xuan naturally had to greet Li Linfu with a smile.

"Qi Lang, if you have time, come to my house and sit down. I will welcome you with open arms."

At this moment, Li Linfu thought about his son, then looked at Li Xuan, feeling complicated.

How could Li Shizhi, a man like him, have such a talented son?

"Slow down, Zuo Xiang. I will definitely visit you when I have time."

Li Xuan bowed again.

"Congratulations, General..."

"Heroes emerge young..."

"The left prime minister is so lucky, it's like this to have a son."

"I must invite the general to a banquet if I have the chance..."

After Li Linfu left, a group of ministers came to congratulate Li Xuan.

Li Xuan returned the greetings one by one, speaking humbly without a trace of arrogance that came from being favored by the emperor.

His mature and steady demeanor left a good impression on the ministers.

"He Jian, long time no see, how are you?"

Li Xuan took the initiative to greet He Zhizhang. After not seeing him for more than half a year, Li Xuan felt that He Zhizhang looked much older and haggard.

When I was at the willow bank of Qujiang before, I could vaguely see the demeanor of Shi Hao.

"It's like this when you get old. I haven't attended the morning court for three months. I came to Taiji Palace today just for the special reason."

He Zhizhang was really old. He reminded Li Xuan: "Qi Lang has become famous at a young age, so you must be cautious!"

"Don't worry, Supervisor He, I know how to do it."

Li Xuan understood what He Zhizhang meant.

"Alas! My hometown is in Yongxing County, Kuaiji Prefecture. I am going to ask the saint for my remains. When Qilang goes to my hometown to fight the thieves, I will do my best to be a good host."

He Zhizhang held Li Xuan's hand and said.

"He Jian is already old, why bother to travel so far? Your descendants are all in Chang'an, and they can enjoy their old age there!"

Li Xuan advised He Zhizhang.

Chang'an is three thousand miles away from Kuaiji.

Even if He Zhizhang, who was over 80 years old, was sitting in a car, his body would not be able to bear the bumpy ride.

Li Xuan remembered that in history He Zhizhang died not long after returning home, and he didn't know if this was the reason.

(End of this chapter)