Chapter 113 Skeleton King Yinan

The news from the court naturally spread to the people.

It was originally thought that Qibi Heli was indebted to the court but did not intend to repay the court, and actually rebelled with his entire family to Xueyantuo.

No one expected that Qibi Heli was actually tied up and went there not voluntarily.

Moreover, Qibi Heli was so resolute that he cut off his ear with a sword to show his loyalty.

The world was shaken again, and this time, the wind direction completely reversed.

It turns out that there are such loyal and brave people among the barbarians, and not all of them are like Ashina Jieshelu who has a beastly heart in human form.

The national character of a country is inseparable from its national style. The Tang Dynasty was powerful and vast, so the people were naturally very open-minded. Their previous rejection of the Hu people was just out of their injustice to the saints, thinking that the barbarians had betrayed the saints' trust.

Now that public opinion has reversed, Tangren naturally readily admits his previous mistakes.

The person whose reputation has undergone the biggest reversal is none other than Li Xiang.

Before, I thought he was just a young man with a sense of justice, who blindly believed in the Hu people and had no idea how to judge people.

In the eyes of everyone, Li Xiang now deserves the title of "Chang'an's Timely Rain".

When it comes to the ability to identify people with wisdom, he is almost comparable to today's saints.

The two restaurants owned by Li Xiang were packed again.

Li Jingren took the opportunity to hang up a sign in the restaurant, inviting the loyal and brave Khitans who remained in Chang'an to pay for all the expenses of the restaurant by the young master of Chang'an.

All of a sudden, merchants in Chang'an City followed suit.

Since ancient times, China has respected loyal and righteous people. Even loyal ministers from foreign races would be looked up to, let alone loyal ministers who were loyal to the Tang Dynasty?

After hearing that Li Xiang was being flattered, Li Shimin did not feel resentful. Instead, he laughed heartily and proudly told his entourage that Xiang was very similar to him.

Naturally, the ministers began to flatter Lao Li, saying that the Tang Dynasty had a successor, which was fortunate for the country and the people.

The common people were also muttering, now that the Tang Dynasty has attracted all nations to pay tribute, anyone who disobeys will be given a Earth-shattering Fist of the Emperor's Grace, and the Emperor's grandson obviously looks very similar to the current Emperor, so isn't the Tang Dynasty about to reach its peak again? !

Of course, there were also a small number of people who were influenced by the cult of the gods of legitimate and illegitimate children and used the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children to slander Li Xiang, but they were completely drowned out by the voices of the majority of the people.

When Li Shimin ordered preparations for war against Xueyantuo, the whole Chang'an was in an uproar.

In the era when the fubing system and the equal-field system had not yet been abused by Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, the fubing were at the forefront of the entire feudal dynasty in terms of both their desire to fight and their combat effectiveness.

Everyone knows that oil will breed the American military, but few people know that land will breed the Tang army.

Fellow villager, why are you building a house on my land?

During the Zhenguan period, the government soldiers maintained high morale and combat effectiveness. The dozens of acres of permanent farmland were secondary. The most important thing was the strict system of honorary officials.

The so-called "Twelve Rotations of Honors, Rewards of Hundreds and Thousands of Powers" refers to the twelve levels of honorary officials, with the lowest being Wuqiwei and the highest being Shangzhuguo.

The Tang Dynasty's honorary officer system was specifically designed to reward soldiers, and had the characteristics of clear hierarchy, merit-based, distinct rewards and punishments, and a hereditary system.

Regardless of whether they achieved military merit or died in battle, the soldiers of the government could obtain certain honors, and these honors could come with privileges.

The two most basic privileges are not having to bear regular military service and being able to hold an official position.

The honorary officer system of the Tang Dynasty was similar to today's military rank system. After obtaining a certain honorary rank, one could go to the Ministry of War for selection, and then obtain a corresponding actual position based on the level of the honorary rank. Some honorary officer positions could even be passed down to future generations.

The introduction of this hereditary system will allow them to pay more attention to their duties and obligations so as not to affect their descendants.

This is not just a temptation for the first incense layperson, it is a benefit that can be actually implemented.

It is equivalent to the modern times, where a soldier goes out to fight in a war and becomes a colonel. When he dies, he can pass the title to his son. Who wouldn't want to take a chance and turn a bicycle into a motorcycle?
The lives of the villagers who built houses and pitched tents on the land can be transformed into military merit.

The honorary officer system not only focuses on rewards, but also on punishment. Strict discipline ensures the combat effectiveness of the army. If an honorary officer makes a mistake or fails to perform his duties, his honor will be revoked or demoted.

In addition, if the honored officers performed poorly on the battlefield, they would be demoted or dismissed. This strict reward and punishment system can make soldiers and generals more aware of what kind of discipline and rules they need to abide by, so as to better promote the discipline and order of the army.

The imperial court believed that they were defending their dignity, but the soldiers cared less about dignity than anything else. The most important thing was that they could get promoted as long as they fought in battles, and everyone had a bright future.

"Everyone among the common people volunteered to join the conscription, and some even did not use government supplies, but provided their own food and clothing and volunteered for the conscription in name only." This passage can reflect the situation at that time.

Once this upward channel was cut off, it meant that the Fubing system began to collapse. In addition, the equal-field system was severely damaged. From the middle and late period of Li Zhi's reign, the status of Fubing plummeted, and reached its peak during the reign of Wu Zetian. The nobles could arbitrarily pull Fubing to do free work for them, which led to the social disgrace of being a Fubing.

This left Li Longji with no choice but to start the conscription system and use the military governors as a Pandora's box to quench his thirst.

Of course... the truth about Wu Zetian cannot be spoken carelessly, otherwise you will be made a fool of yourself.

Under this encouragement, even the men in Chang'an City began to join the army enthusiastically, demanding revenge.

Especially the five people who were taught a lesson by Li Xiang before, also joined the army.

The Xueyantuo envoys were now like rats crossing the street, but fortunately the Hu people all looked pretty much the same, and the Xueyantuo didn't have any special features either, so no one recognized them and started beating them up.

But even so, the Xueyantuo envoy was frightened and hurriedly left Chang'an, planning to return to Xueyantuo to report the situation in Chang'an.

People from other tribes or countries, such as envoys from Tibet, Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje and other countries, also reported the Tang Dynasty's attitude, handling methods and public reaction to this matter back to their own capitals or royal tents.

The center of this storm, Chang'an Young Master Li Xiang, was sitting in a restaurant box, distributing printed magazines to everyone.

In fact, not too many copies were printed. Lao Li was currently busy with Xueyantuo's affairs and did not have the energy to care about the magazine's issues.

Li Xiang also knew that for such matters, the imperial court must issue a decree to monopolize the business, so as to prevent everyone in the society from getting involved and the situation getting out of control.

"This magazine is good." Li Jingren picked up the magazine and praised it before even opening it.

"It's this word... I can't quite make out what it says." Cheng Chubi knew it wasn't Li Xiang's handwriting. He took the magazine and read it for a long time before asking with a smile, "Who wrote it? This word? It's simply..."

"My grandfather." Li Xiang replied.

"…She is as graceful as a startled swan, just like that." Cheng Chubi's face turned red, and he made a sharp turn, even using what he had learned all his life, a half-sentence from "The Goddess of Luo River".

Li Xiang did not continue to tease him, but smiled and pointed to the magazine, on which there was an article of "The Story of Liu Yi" that was published in advance: "We can arrange a few storytellers to tell people a few short stories in the restaurant."

"Storyteller?" Li Jingren scratched his head. What was this thing? He had never heard of it.

Li Xiang smiled and explained to him: "Just like the story I told you before, people who specialize in telling stories in restaurants can also attract some customers."

After hearing this, Li Jingren understood.

"Oh, okay." "Brother, what do you think about this expedition?" Cheng Chubi asked, scratching his head.

"Me? I plan to ask Aung to take me with him this time." Li Xiang said with a smile, then looked at Cheng Chubi and asked, "What about you?"

Cheng Chubi said a little aggrievedly: "Aye said I was young and didn't take me out to play..."

"You guy, do you think the battlefield is a place where you can just play around?" Li Xiang scolded with a smile.

"Oh." Cheng Chubi nodded.

Li Jingren cursed again, "You barbarians are nothing but dead bones in a tomb. How dare you kidnap a general of the Great Tang without permission? You really think that there is no one in the Great Tang!"

"Last year, Yi Nan sent his son Da Tu She to lead an army of 200,000 to attack Li Simo, but was defeated by the Duke of Ying. He beheaded 3,000 people, captured more than 50,000 people and 15,000 horses. Now he dares to challenge the might of the Tang Dynasty. He really doesn't know how to live or die!"

Li Xiang thought, "Why is your evaluation similar to Yuan Shu's? They are both Skeleton Kings, right?"

"Just wait and see. Yi Nan may not have the courage to do that." Li Xiang said with a smile.

"No matter what, he will be punished!" Li Jingren spat angrily and spoke a few words to speak up for Qibi Heli.

"When General Qibi returns to the court, we must treat him to two meals of cold-boiled pig ears." Li Yin suddenly said from the side.

"Why do you say that?" Li Xiang asked with raised eyebrows.

Li Yin glanced at Li Xiang and said naively, "Brother, don't you always advise me to eat pig brains, saying that eating them will replenish what you have? Now that General Qibi has cut off his ears, of course I have to eat pig ears to replenish them..."

Everyone:...

"You'd better eat some more pig brains." Li Xiang patted the good uncle on the shoulder. He knew that his uncle had good intentions, but how it would sound to other people was another matter.

Just as I was about to say something, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Li Jingren said.

Then the door opened and a handsome man walked in.

Li Jingren smiled and said, "Brother, let me introduce you to this, this is Xue Li, Xue Rengui!"

This was one of the people Li Xiang asked him to find last time. After all, after traveling through time to this era, he always had to discover some famous generals and ministers in advance.

Apart from Xue Rengui, there is also Di Renjie.

Originally, Li Xiang wanted Hegan Chengji and Zhang Sizheng to go, but then he changed his mind and thought that these two idiots from the East Palace... were not very suitable.

"Prince!" Xue Rengui saluted with his arms crossed.

"I've heard Jingren talk about your reputation a long time ago. He said that you are a martial arts expert and also very loyal and righteous." Li Xiang said with a smile.

Xue Rengui was so excited that he didn't know where to put his hands.

Although the Xue family had noble ancestors, by his generation the family had fallen into decline.

Historically, there was really no other way. When it was heard that Li Shimin was recruiting troops to conquer Liaodong, he went to Zhang Shigui to enlist in the army at the suggestion of his wife.

He was an ordinary soldier until he was received by Li Shimin and granted an official position.

So it is normal for him to be excited when seeing Prince Li Xiang.

Li Xiang certainly didn't mind being able to snatch this famous general, who would be famous in later generations, under his command in advance.

"Brother Xue's martial arts are indeed strong, and his appetite is also too big." Li Jingren said with a smile: "He eats more in one meal than Chu Bi, Xun Yu and I combined!"

Seeing Xue Rengui was in a bit of a dilemma, Li Xiang smiled and helped him out, saying, "Rengui is so big and strong, it's normal for him to have a big appetite. It would be strange if you three young men could compare with him."

"How about you be my bodyguard first, and when the time is right, I will recommend you to the saint, how about that?"

"Thank you, Prince!" Xue Rengui saluted with his arms crossed with an excited look.

It would be a lie to say I'm not excited, because the pie Li Xiang has drawn is indeed very big.

If I join the army and start from scratch, I don’t know when I will be able to make it.

And now Li Xiang is promising that he will be recommended directly to Li Shimin in the future. This can be regarded as a step to success. How can Xue Rengui not be excited?
"Since you are my guard, you will call yourself my subordinate from now on." Li Xiang said with a smile, and then looked at Li Jingren and said, "I will make a set of clothes and armor for Rengui later... What kind of weapon is Rengui good at?"

"My Lord, I am good at using the painted halberd and can draw a six-stone bow." Xue Rengui replied.

"Brother, I happen to have a set of unused painted halberds and a six-stone bow at home." Cheng Chubi suddenly said.

"The painted halberd is fine, after all, Duke Lu uses a spear, but this six-stone bow... are you sure Duke Lu doesn't use it?" Li Xiang asked suspiciously.

"Oh, brother, you don't know this." Cheng Chubi began to tell his father's true colors: "My father couldn't open it many times, so he just left it at home unused."

"So that's how it is..." Li Xiang sweated profusely.

After everything was arranged, Li Xiang first let Xue Rengui stay in the restaurant temporarily.

After all, Xue Rengui is alone now and he has not brought his family to Chang'an, so it is convenient for him to stay in a restaurant.

What's more, he is a big glutton (in terms of appetite)...it's hard for anyone to satisfy his appetite except in the restaurant.

He went to Liangyi Hall alone, intending to meet Li Shimin.

Old Li was reading memorials in Liangyi Hall. When he saw Li Xiang jumping in from the door, he deliberately said with a fierce face, "Jumping around, how can you be so unbecoming!"

"Hehe." Li Xiang fooled Li Shimin with his silly smile.

As the saying goes, a man remains a young man until he dies. Moreover, Li Xiang is already a young man now, so it is normal for him to have a young mentality.

Besides, jumping around like this is very stress-relieving.

"Tell me, why do you have time to come to Liangyi Palace instead of playing with your brothers?" Old Li looked at Li Xiang with a smile.

Li Xiang walked up to Li Shimin and told him the purpose of his visit without hiding anything.

"Aunt, can you bring your grandson along to help you gain some experience during this expedition?"

(I was busy looking up information, my eyes were spinning around)

(There will be another chapter later)
(End of this chapter)