After chatting all the way into the Linhu Palace, Li Yuan was leaning on the bamboo couch. Someone from the palace brought him a cold soup made from mung beans. It was already mid-May, the weather was getting hotter, and the palace city was in full bloom again. It was the hottest in Chang'an, so Li Yuan had to ask two palace attendants to fan themselves behind with fans.
"It's been extremely hot this year. I'll be leaving Beijing to escape the heat in a few days." Li Yuan said casually: "When the time comes, Huairen, as the Minister of Agriculture, should accompany him."
"Su Zhi, the supervisor in the palace, can make ice now." Li Shan muttered, took a sip of mung bean soup.
"You are willing to bear it. Su Zhi was scolded by Pingyang for this." Li Yuan leaned lazily on the couch, "Okay, let's get down to business."
Today, Li Shan avoided talking in the Liangyi Palace. Li Yuan quickly recalled the previous proposal to establish a county in Yulin. Li Shan was also hesitant, and only met in private for the second time to speak frankly.
Li Shan put down the bowl, took the silk cloth handed by the palace attendant, wiped his hands, and said softly: "Everyone in the court knows that your Majesty is lenient and kind. He never forgets the past and treats the elderly kindly. Therefore, he has fought fiercely for half a year, and there are many generals and soldiers. Your Majesty will reward you...after all, the two battles in Jingzhou and Yuanzhou were last year or early this year."
Li Yuan frowned slightly, "Huairen also hopes that I will extend my kindness to all the generals?"
"There needs to be a distinction." Li Shan explained: "Those who have not yet had a title, such as Feng Li and Liu Hei'er, should be promoted to a title. Duan Zhixuan, Zhang Baoxiang, Li Keshi, and Ma Sanbao are all county marquis and can be promoted to a title. "
"Your Majesty will reward many of the generals further down, but generals such as Xue Wanche, Zhang Shigui, Shi Danai, etc. may be county princes or national princes, so your Majesty should be careful about them."
In fact, Li Shan's words are tantamount to completely denying Pei Shiju and Xiao Yu, and supporting Pei Ji and Chen Shuda's view of not awarding a large number of promotions this time. In such a war, it doesn't matter how many county marquises, county princes and the like are added. The following is It doesn't matter if there are more soldiers at the grass-roots military academies and even more casual officers, but at the level of county and prince, the gap must be locked.
Li Yuan's expression slowed down obviously, thinking that Li Huairen still knew what was going on. He cooperated so well even though he didn't have any communication beforehand... Regarding this discussion, Li Yuan had only had private discussions with Pei Ji beforehand, but overall Yan, not to mention the entire court, even the East Palace and the Prince of Qin's Palace did not have a unified opinion.
"Huairen is right." Li Yuan seemed to say casually: "But for such a great achievement, if we don't reward him generously, I'm afraid the morale of the army will be unstable... Just like your disciple Zhang Zhongjian, as early as the battle of Cangtou River two years ago He has great achievements. He was very effective in the Tiantai Mountain battle last year. He led the front army alone in the Jingzhou victory. He led the army to conquer Xiaoguan in the Yuanzhou battle. He also beheaded the generals and captured the flag in the Helan victory. He was extremely brave, but he was just a county official. .”
You shameless old man, you have to ask me to come forward... Li Shan secretly cursed, Li Yuan summoned him just because he wanted to be the wall that blocks the wind. The former Lingzhou Army coach stepped forward to take over the responsibility, below The complaints...at least Li Yuan has to bear much less.
The reason why he avoided this matter was that Li Shan was worried about this. He was not stupid. He pretended not to understand what Li Yuan meant and said with a wry smile: "It's up to your majesty, but to be fair, there are many heroes among the bodyguards around me. , all have a rough background, but Zhang Zhongjian is the only one..."
Li Yuan raised his eyebrows, "What?"
"This person has the strongest ambition to pursue an official career." Li Shan shook his head, "It's actually a good thing for your Majesty to put some pressure on him."
"Zhang Zhongjian is now the Duke of Weiyang County." Li Yuan said slowly: "After this battle, he will definitely stay in the Lingzhou army, and he must be a general. It will be difficult for him to be a County Duke."
Li Shan could understand the meaning behind these words. Su Dingfang had been back to Beijing for many days, and the military commander of Lingzhou Road was still vacant. It was unlikely that Chief Shi Wen Yanbo would succeed him, but no matter who succeeded him, Zhang Zhongjian was the one who had been replaced before. A general who has made great achievements one after another within half a year and is leading an army must have great weight and is likely to be responsible for it alone.
But the problem is that now Li Shan and Su Dingfang have returned to Beijing, and most of their cronies and bodyguards who were left to serve as grassroots military academies to control the army have also returned to Beijing. However, Zhang Zhongjian’s title is not high and his qualifications are not deep, so he may not be able to stop him. .
"Take Zhang Zhongjian as an example." Li Yuan sighed: "It is difficult to be promoted, and if you are not promoted to a noble title, there will inevitably be resentment."
Zhang Zhongjian's current position is General Zuojianmen, and it is indeed impossible to be promoted.
After going around and around, he came back again... Li Shan was also drunk. Do you want me to take the blame? !
Since you are shameless, you can't blame me for being shameless... But Li Yuan's shamelessness was clearly displayed, and Li Shan's shamelessness was known to no one in this time and space except himself.
"Actually, I know that your Majesty is not stingy, but is actually planning for the future." Li Shan said sternly: "Although the world is unified, Lingnan is far away from the sea, and many people are not convinced by the king. There are often rebellions in the southwestern Shu region, and there are also people in the south of the Yangtze River. Beyond the mountains, Shandong, Hebei, Hedong, Guannei, and Longyou are facing the grassland."
"Within a few years, there will definitely be a national war between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks. Even if the Turks do not go south, the Tang Dynasty will inevitably go north after recuperating. If the reward this time is too excessive, why should it be a reward after the Turks are destroyed?"
Li Yuan was very happy and said repeatedly: "What Huairen said is true. This is what worries me!"
This truth actually existed in Li Yuan's heart, but he didn't have a formal concept. He was just motivated by the vigilance of a superior, and he didn't want to see a large number of princes and princes appear.
But Li Shan raised this question completely, and gave Li Yuan... at least a righteous reason in his own heart. This made Li Yuan feel like he was a close friend in the mountains and rivers.
"After half a year of fierce fighting, Zhang Shigui, Xue Wanche, Zhang Zhongjian and others are all qualified to be promoted to Dukes based on their military exploits. When the Turks are destroyed, will your Majesty still be able to be crowned Dukes?" Li Shan said eloquently. : "What's more, if the Eastern Turks are destroyed, there will still be Western Turks!"
"Besides the Western Turks, there are also the Nine Tribes of Tiele and Goguryeo..."
"Furthermore, since the Later Han Dynasty, there have been several Xianbei tribes in the grassland, followed by Rouran, and then the Turks. Maybe the Turks will be destroyed, and the Hu tribe will take advantage of the situation."
Li Shan said sincerely: "Actually, Your Majesty does not want the general to lose his enterprising spirit."
This is said in a nice way, but in a bad way... these generals are like hounds. If they are full, will they still chase and drive away their prey?
Li Yuan couldn't help but get up and pace back and forth, thinking over and over again. After a moment, his eyes fell on the calm face of Li Shan, and he said with a smile: "Huairen must have taken some measures?"
Li Shan felt very guilty and apologized to Li Shimin in his heart, and said softly: "Your Majesty, please remember the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai in the early years of the Later Han Dynasty."
(End of chapter)
