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From the moment he saw Li Yuan offering a horse to His Majesty the Emperor, Li Xu's heart was pounding and beating wildly. was really said by General Mai, His Majesty the Emperor may summon him! And today's Emperor is completely different from the one who sat in the imperial chariot yesterday. Yesterday's huge imperial chariot gave Li Xu a feeling of being a little dull and dead, but standing on the point general platform today to point out the country, it made people involuntarily feel the desire to serve him.

"There is a decree on the saint, Xuan Youxun serves Liu Hong, and Li Xu, the son of a good family, comes forward to see him!" The guards' deliberately long voices passed through the crowd, but failed to pass through Li Xu's ears. It wasn't until Liu Hongji's big hand slapped his shoulder from behind that Li Xu, who was a little nervous, understood that the good man in the guard's mouth was himself.

"The emperor summoned me, how should I salute? What to say? Did you tell him that the terrain on the Liaodong side was different from what he thought? In an instant, thousands of questions poured into Li Xu's head at the same time. made him dizzy all of a sudden, smiled stupidly, and followed Liu Hongji to the Dianjiangtai.

On the stage, all the civil and military forces have long been looking forward to it. The emperor is happy today, everyone has lived in officialdom for a long time, and they have already practiced a good ability to observe words and feelings. When the emperor is happy, he likes to promote people to be officials, and those who become officials will become the descendants of the recommenders in the court in the future, and the power of the recommenders themselves will also rise with the performance of the recommended people. A series of bends came down, and many people's eyes began to glow. Some are envious, some are jealous, and some are bitter and sweet, which is complex and abnormal.

"The last general Liu Hong visited the emperor, may my emperor live long, long live, long live!" Liu Hongji walked to the point general's stage, stood up straight, clenched his fists, bowed, and then stood solemnly.

"The last general Li Xu sees the emperor, may my emperor live long, long live, long live!" Li Xu's words and movements are half a beat slower than Liu Hongji, and a discerning person can know at a glance that he is learning and selling. Several of the old ministers were amused by his clumsy movements, but no one let out a malicious laugh. Everyone was nervous when they met you for the first time. Li Xu's current appearance makes many people involuntarily think of themselves back then.

"Two strong men are exempt!" Yang Guang's body moved forward, smiling and bowing his head.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Hongji took Li Xu to bow again, then stood up straight and raised his head, so that His Majesty the Emperor could see his face clearly without effort.

"You are the son of the late assassin Liu Sheng? I remember that you are from Yongzhou, how did you come all the way to Liaodong to join the army? Yang Guang looked at Liu Hongji and asked, the expression on his face was intriguing.

"Your Majesty, the last general wants to serve the country, but he suffers from the lack of good horses at home. So I went to the Turks without permission and came back with my friends selling some horses. After going around such a big circle, I was afraid of delaying the military period, so I ran to Liaodong to sacrifice horses, hoping to catch up with the time when the army went out! Liu Hongji thought about it and replied very seriously.

When the ministers heard this, they quietly exchanged their heads and ears. Many people can't help but regret why they are so stupid, they didn't expect to sell some war horses to please the emperor. Only Wei Wensheng, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Dugu Xue, the waiter, smiled secretly, and only a few of them knew in the entire imperial court that the two strong men used not copper coins to buy horses to pay the bills, but big blades.

"You have a heart." Yang Guang lightly praised Liu Hongji. Turning his head to look at Li Xu, he asked in a low voice again: "The friend who went to sell horses with you is the strong man next to you?" ”

"Your Majesty, exactly!" Liu Hongji replied loudly, the expression on his face was neither humble nor arrogant.

He and Li Xu are both authentic northerners, with relatively large skeletons. In addition, both of them have practiced some martial arts, so they look far burlier than ordinary people. The war is imminent, and the most lacking thing in the army is strong men, so Yang Guang, the emperor of the Great Sui, is very relieved. The reign of the Holy Son of Heaven pays attention to the wild and unsparing sages, so the two strong men in front of him must be grasped in their hands. After scanning them several times, Yang Guang turned around and whispered to Duan Wenzhen, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and said angrily: "Duan Qing, are you guilty?" ”

"Minister, minister doesn't know what a big mistake he made, please make it clear!" Duan Wenzhen, the secretary of the military department, was taken aback, and hurriedly went out of the class to stand solemnly and respectfully ask for advice.

"If it weren't for the Tang Gong recommending the virtuous, I would have missed two strong men today. As the secretary of the military department, you have such a loyal and upright person under your command who has never noticed it, isn't it a big mistake? Yang Guang smiled and woke up Duan Wenzhen, who was full of innocent faces.

It turned out that Banzai was joking. Duan Wenzhen's heart immediately mentioned his throat and eyes, and immediately put it back into his stomach. After thinking about it, he whispered to Yang Guang: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister remembers that there were names of the two of them in the military book. Li Yuan, the governor of Sicang, has already recommended them as brigade leaders and other generals, and the military department has already sent a reply, but I don't know if the reply was sent to Huaiyuan in time! ”

"Who is the brigade rate, and who is the other general?" Yang Guang nodded and continued to ask.

"The minister remembers that the reply of the Ministry of War is that Liu Hong and Liu Hongji are other generals, and Li Xu and Li Zhongjian are the brigade leaders!" Duan Wen Zhenli reported the official positions granted by the imperial court to Liu and Li. According to the old practice of the Great Sui, the appointment of official positions below the fifth rank was the scope of responsibility of the Shangshu and the left and right servants of each ministry, and the emperor never asked about it. But today it is rare for the emperor to be happy, so the ministers are not willing to go against Yang Guang's wishes, and let Duan Wenzhen follow the emperor's temperament.

"Liu Hongji, Li Zhongjian, well, the words are good!" Yang Guang nodded and commented with a smile. After thinking about it, he said angrily: "Could it be that my Great Sui military position is fully completed." General Liu is not only my right servant, but also has merit, why did he confer such a small official position? ”

"Your Majesty, Liu Hongji and Li Xu are both recommended by the treasurer, and the ministers will have time to verify their talents in detail in the future!" Duan Wenzhen secretly looked at His Majesty the Emperor in front of him, and replied slowly. The position of treasurer and governor was inadvertently bitten hard by him.

Liu Hongji is such an old man, hearing the dialogue between the monarch and the minister, he hurriedly bowed down again and modestly excused himself: "Your Majesty, the last general is immoral and incompetent, and the post of protecting food is no longer useful. Your Majesty, please hold a high position for the time being, so that you can be truly talented. ”

"Oh!" Yang Guang was stunned, since he succeeded to the throne, he has only seen people who think he is a small official, and he has never seen an official like Liu Hongji who is so difficult to do. After a little groaning, he already understood the truth, smiled and waved his hand, and said: "Tang Gong Li Yuan has supervised the grain for me for half a year, and he has worked hard and made great achievements, so it stands to reason that he should be promoted." Besides, I just said that I will not forget my deeds, and of course I can't go back on my word. Zhuqing, what do you think I should do to reward Li Qing for his merits? ”

Although this sentence is asked to everyone, in fact, the power to answer is only limited to the two high-ranking and powerful ministers, Nayan Yang Da and Su Wei. Previously, Liu Hongji could not be promoted again, and the two old ministers already knew that it was because he was directly under Li Yuan's command. Li Yuan was the governor of the five-rank division, and Liu Hongji was recommended by him as a general from the five-rank division. If Liu Hongji is promoted again and Li Yuan is not promoted, there will be great confusion in the management of the grain protection army. Thinking of this, Nayan Yang Da came out of class, first saluted the emperor, and then suggested loudly: "The minister thinks that Tang Gonggong is in civil affairs and diligent in general affairs, and he should make up for the lack of Wei Shaoqing, and the grain of the governor Huaiyuan, Liucheng, and Yanjun!" ”

"The old minister seconded the proposal!" Nayan Suvi echoed loudly.

Wei Wei Shaoqing is an officer from the fourth grade, and he is usually responsible for the management of ordnance and baggage. Li Yuan used this position as the governor of the grain and grass of the three places, and this suggestion has to be said to be a serious statement. Yang Guang thought about it, and then accepted the two suggestions, and ordered someone to draw up a holy decree on the spot, and promoted the treasurer and governor Li Yuan to be the guard captain Shaoqing with the merit of supervising grain, and was in charge of the grain and grass of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

Hearing the emperor's arrangement, Li Yuan hurriedly stood up from the tail of the general's team and thanked him with a military salute. Yang Guang nodded, said a few words of encouragement, and then ordered him to return to class. Then, he turned his gaze to Liu Hongji and Li Xu, and asked with a smile: "Liu Qing, do you dare to accept the order if I deal with it like this?" ”

"The last general is willing to obey His Majesty's arrangement!" Liu Hongji hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted loudly.

"Duan Qing, in your opinion, what position should Hongji give?" Yang Guang smiled lightly, turned his head sideways, and asked the secretary of the military department.

"According to the merits reported in the military book, Liu Hongji first had the merit of sacrificing horses, and then he sacrificed his life to guard the granary and repel the dead soldiers of Goguryeo, and he could be promoted to the captain of the chariot and cavalry!" Duan Wenzhen was very good at figuring out the emperor's thoughts, thought about it, and stepped forward to play.

"His father Liu Sheng was a stabbing historian and was known as a virtuous person. The son of a virtuous minister, the capital of a good general, the captain of the chariot is too small, and it is difficult to repay the hero. It's better to be promoted to the general of the chariot cavalry, and the actual five-grade official is awarded, and the commander of the grain protection soldiers in Huaiyuan Town, what do you think? Yang Guang thought for a moment and asked.

"The minister thinks that His Majesty has handled it very properly!" Duan Wenzhen nodded yes.

"After seeing Your Majesty treating the virtuous ministers so kindly, who dares not to serve the dead!" Huangmen waiter Pei Ju came out of class to express his approval. He was the advocate of this crusade against Goguryeo, and he always won the heart of His Majesty the Emperor. When the ministers saw him coming out, they also expressed their approval. Although the general of the chariot cavalry and the lieutenant of the chariot cavalry are both five-rank martial arts, there is a world of difference in the size of their power. Some people didn't want to hinder it, but thinking that Liu Hongji, the general of the chariot and cavalry, was personally ordered by the emperor, and it wouldn't take long for his appointment and dismissal to no longer be controlled by the military department, so he couldn't help but swallow back the words of opposition that came to his lips.

In the envious eyes of everyone, Liu Hongji gave gifts and thanks. He took the holy decree with both hands, followed Pei Ju and walked up to the platform, and was led to the end of the ranks of military generals.

Li Yuan, who was depressed in his heart a little, smiled and tilted his head and gave Liu Hongji a glance full of kindness. Liu Hongji looked back at each other, and the eyebrows of the two of them were raised at the same time, and the satisfaction in his heart was beyond words.

Next to the platform, only Li Xu was left alone at this moment. Without Liu Hongji, the guide, he couldn't help but feel a little at a loss. Fortunately, the emperor is in a good mood today, and he does not mind his subjects committing some ignorant mistakes. After carefully looking at the slightly dark-skinned and solid young man in front of him, Emperor Yang Guang of the Great Sui Dynasty asked kindly: "I heard that you once led a hundred cavalry to defeat 2,000 dead soldiers in Goguryeo, is there such a thing?"

"Your Majesty!" Li Xu clenched his fists in his chest as the ministers replied, bowed down and replied, "The ministers hit by mistake and dispersed more than 200 black-clothed dead soldiers with a hundred cavalry. The number of two thousand is really exaggerated! ”

After listening to the conversation between the two, the ministers of civil and military affairs looked at each other one after another. They all arrived in Huaiyuan Town yesterday, and of course they hadn't heard this story. In addition to being surprised, he looked at Li Xu with a little more respect. Even his unfamiliar fist clenching posture seems to be much more pleasing to the eye.

"Oh?" Yang Guangyou sighed in surprise, obviously, this was also an answer he had not expected. Turning his head to look at the phalanx of the Zuo Wuwei soldiers, he asked in a low voice: "Li Qing, I also heard that you once defeated General Qian Shixiong in the martial arts arena, is this true?" ”

"Your Majesty, minister, the last general, it was General Qian who deliberately let me. If you really do it, the last general won't even be able to walk through three faces! Li Xu's face turned red all of a sudden, and he explained loudly. After learning martial arts behind Qian Shixiong for nearly a month, he already knew how big the gap between him and the other party was. Therefore, the name of winning the competition is not dared to accept it no matter what.

Seeing that the young man in front of him was actually blushing to his neck, Yang Guang felt that he was simple and lovely. When he was happy, he wanted to give him a big surprise, but he didn't know what kind of official position was more suitable. This young man is estimated to be less than sixteen years old, and he is from a civilian background, and his official position is too big, which will inevitably provoke criticism from the ministers. is too young, and he is ashamed of his honesty. After thinking about it, until Li Xu waited until his heart began to tremble, he suddenly remembered a key question, suddenly raised his voice, and asked: "Since your surname is Li, you are of the same clan as Tang Gong?" ”

"Your Majesty, the last general, the last general is the same as Tang Gong. According to the genealogy, he should be the younger generation of Tang Gong! Li Xu thought about it for a moment and decided to answer truthfully. Since he entered the grain protection barracks, everyone thinks that he is the nephew of Tang Gong Li Yuan. has been cheap for a long time, and Li Xu can't help but have a sense of recognition in his heart for this unwarranted extra family affection.

"I didn't expect the Li family to have another talent!" Yang Guangda laughed and commented loudly.

Listening to His Majesty the Emperor's hearty laughter, Li Yuan hurriedly went out of class and reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, although Zhong Jian is of the same clan as Weichen, they are far apart, and they have never met each other. It was when he arrived in the army that the minister knew that he was a junior of Weichen! ”

"Well, whether he is your junior or not, he is a rare talent. Especially this honesty, I love it very much. Duan Qing, what is the shortage of the grain protection army, make up for the Li Brigade rate. Youdao is a father and son soldier in battle, don't break him up with Li Shaoqing! ”

"Li Zhongjian is a good family, he has the merit of sacrificing horses, training troops, and defeating sneak attackers, and the three merits are cumulative, so he should be promoted to another level and become a captain of the grain school!" Duan Wenzhen looked at Yang Guang and then at Li Yuan, and started cautiously.

"It's a pity that this kid's surname is Li!" After listening to Duan Wenzhen's proposal, Yang Da and the others couldn't help but shake their heads lightly. His Majesty the Emperor's affection for young people comes from the bottom of his heart, and if it weren't for his last sentence not being in line with the holy will, I am afraid that there will be one more young general in the court from now on.

Since the founding of the Great Sui Dynasty, the martial arts have been remarkable. From the princes and nobles to the grass people, they are all proud of practicing martial arts, and for decades, the young generals have made great achievements and have always been a good story of the government and the opposition. In the past, there was the King of Jin and the general Yang Shuang, and then there were Luo Yi and Bulu Shan, if there was another Li Zhongjian, after returning from this expedition to Goryeo, many daughters would have a choice of goals.

"It's a pity!" Dugu Xue, the waiter of the Criminal Department, also sighed in his heart. is also a strong man who sacrifices horses, Liu Hongji does not forget the old master, and is a loyal and righteous man in the eyes of the emperor. Li Xu just because he has the same surname as Li Yuan, the result is diametrically opposite. This Tianwei is really a little unpredictable!

"This kid, thanks to the old man, he still reminded him to pay attention to his words!" In the ranks of military generals, the old general Mai Tiecane sighed constantly in his heart. To tell the truth is a virtue, but the first priority of officialdom is to roll up your tongue and communicate with others, this skill cannot be learned, and officialdom will never stand. After thinking about it, the old general was relieved in his heart, this kid was as good as a jade, and his position was too high, which might not be a good thing for him. If you have more experience below, you may be able to achieve more in the future.

"Minister, the last general thank Your Majesty Hongen!" In the complicated eyes of everyone, Li Xu, who didn't know that he had been up and down in the officialdom for a while, happily thanked His Majesty the Emperor. Holding the holy decree that the ink marks had not dried, he couldn't help but feel excited.

I finally made it to the captain, although I am an auxiliary soldier, I can't compare with the Tiger Ben Iron Cavalry. After all, it's a good start.

All roads are taken from the first step. Without the first step, there is no ending. With heartfelt gratitude, the young man thought with great ambition.

Until he returned to the gate of the camp under the support of everyone, Li Xu had not recovered from the excitement of being promoted. He is not as big brother as Liu Hongji, his family background is prominent, and he has no roots and no foundation. A poor boy can be promoted from a team to a captain in less than half a year after joining the army, and I have to say that God favors him. According to the Great Sui military system, 300 people are regiments, each regiment has a captain, and three brigades are rated. Reaching the rank of lieutenant means that you officially become a member of the military officer, and you have a fixed salary to take, rather than just reducing the conscription at home......

If this news reaches his hometown, maybe my uncle and father will never be bullied again. Li Xu thought happily, and agreed to the proposal of everyone to eat and celebrate in the evening. There were only 1,200 grain guards, but two of them were given the opportunity to be summoned by the emperor himself, and for everyone, whether they were envious or jealous at first, they all felt glorious later.

At the gate of the camp, there are a lot of people around at this moment. Seeing the officers returning, everyone hula dispersed. Without waiting for Liu Hongji to ask what happened, a Minzhuang who was covered in mud and had been beaten blue and purple on his face cried and ran over, bypassing Liu Hongji and Wang Yuantong, and went straight to Li Xu.

"Xuguan, you're back, the fifth brother has a lot of trouble finding you. They, they didn't let me enter the camp, and, beat, beat me! Woo-woo-woo-" The person who came grabbed Li Xuma and cried incoherently.

"Fifth brother?" Li Xu was a little confused. My brother died in the last battle of Liaodong, and since then, he has become the only seedling at home. Although there are still a few cousins in the clan, because my father is a peddler and picks his hands, everyone rarely comes to visit the house. Since I was a child, except for the time when the five children beat Ganluo's idea, no one has ever regarded himself as a younger brother.

Thinking of the little wolf Ganluo, the mystery in front of him suddenly became clear. The self-proclaimed fifth brother, who is not his cousin Zhang Xiu, the fifth child? It's just that the five babies of the Zhang family have always been famous for their neatness and neatness, and although this person's clothes are good at the moment, there are stains everywhere on the hem and placket, and there are two circles of black and shiny black things wrapped around the cuffs, which is obviously the result of the accumulation of dry snot.

"Fifth brother, is it the fifth brother of the Zhang family?" Li Xu jumped off the horse and asked tentatively. The person who came was crying all the time, and he didn't even report his name and surname, and it was difficult for him to see the appearance of Zhang Xiu, one of the most chic people in the county school that year, from his face and hair full of dirt.

"Xuguan, I found you. I'm the fifth brother, I'm Zhang Wuwa! When the visitor heard Li Xu's question, the howl became louder. Liu Hongji and the others saw that it was Li Xu's family who came to look for him, said hello, and went back to the camp to sort out the armor first. The samurai jumped off his mount and led Kurofeng into the camp gate.

"Fifth brother, why did you get here? Aren't you preparing to take the exam in Beijing? How did you get conscripted too? Li Xu took out a kudzu scarf and handed it to Zhang Xiu, patted the other party's shoulder by the way, and asked in a low voice.

"Imperial court, conscription. Zhao Ergouzi, take the money, no, woo, don't do anything! Zhang Xiu took the kudzu scarf that he had never disdained to use before, wiped it on his face indiscriminately, and cried with sobs.

It took about half a stick of incense for Li Xu to finally understand the ins and outs of the matter from Zhang Xiu's intermittent narration. In the spring of last year, the imperial court began to order conscription, and the Zhang family sent people to the government to get rid of military service under the pretext that Zhang Xiu was excellent in character and learning and was about to go to Beijing to take the exam.