In the reception hall of Xuanwu Palace, Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin were sipping the fragrant tea. They already knew the news about Cheng Yaojin. On the notice wall, there were awards for meritorious generals of the imperial court, including: As for Cheng Yaojin's name, he made great contributions in this battle and was awarded the title of Zhonglang General, Wu Sanguan Zhenwei Xiaowei, and became a mid-level officer.
While they were happy for Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong and Shan Xiong were even more depressed in their confidence. They were originally low-level officers with no hope of promotion. When they chose the Xiaoguo Army or the Liangzhou Army, they had huge differences. They chose He chose the Xiaoguo Army, the emperor's own army, but Cheng Yaojin chose the Liangzhou Army. After only one battle with Yang Ji, he was promoted to General Zhonglang and Captain Zhenwei.
But what about them? But the more you mess around, the more unsatisfactory you become.
The two of them went to Lai Hu'er's house the day before yesterday, hoping to find opportunities from Qin Qiong's old boss Lai Hu'er to change their current predicament. Unexpectedly, Lai Hu'er treated them because Qin Qiong had offended Yang Jian. He was lukewarm. Although he didn't say any unnecessary words, his attitude of rejecting others from thousands of miles away made them feel cold. However, Lai Huer admired Qin Qiong very much, otherwise he would not have brought Qin Qiong to Beijing to take up the post. He The reason why they didn't dare to take them in was mainly because they were worried about getting angry, so they asked them to try their luck with Yang Ji.
In Lai Hu'er's view, Yang Ji helped them deal with Yang Jian in the first place. The two parties had some relationship, and Qin Qiong was very skilled in martial arts. If he could be valued by Yang Ji, then Yang Jian would not dare to embarrass them.
Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin smiled bitterly when they heard this. In fact, Yang Ji invited them over and over again to join the army in Liangzhou, but they did not know how to cherish it and refused over and over again. However, thinking of the bleak future at this moment, they finally took advantage of In order to find out about Cheng Yaojin, he mustered up the courage to pay a visit.
The two of them felt a little uneasy. They rejected Yang Ji one after another. They were so embarrassed that they didn't know where to start. But there was still a glimmer of hope in their hearts, just because the maid who served tea said that this reception hall only accepted distinguished guests, which showed that Yang Ji was still nostalgic and did not resent their repeated rejections.
"I'm sorry for the long wait." Here, Yang Ji's voice came from the door.
"See you, Your Majesty!" Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin stood up quickly, clasped their fists and saluted, "Congratulations to Your Majesty on your triumphant return. You are the Minister of the Jin Dynasty."
"No courtesy, no courtesy, Brother Qin, Brother Shan, please sit down!" Yang Ji walked in quickly.
Yang Ji's address made the two people's faces heat up. They really couldn't bear the words "Brother Qin, Brother Shan". Qin Qiong smiled bitterly and said, "I don't dare to do it!"
The three of them all sat down. Yang Ji didn't know the current situation of the two of them. Seeing that they were very reserved, he said, "In this battle, Cheng Yaojin made good military exploits. Now he has been awarded the title of Zhonglang General, Zhenwei." The captain has become a new generation of generals that the Ministry of War pays attention to; as long as he lays the foundation with one or two more achievements, his future promotion will be a piece of cake."
After hearing this, Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin looked at each other. Shan Xiongxin hesitated and asked, "Your Majesty, I wonder where Yao Jin is? Has he returned to Beijing?"
"He has not returned to Beijing, and is still serving in Xihai County!" Yang Ji said: "Although he has led troops locally, county soldiers are not qualified to compete with border troops. Let's not talk about combat effectiveness, just discipline and fighting will. It is not as good as the frontier army; the soldiers are like this, and the generals are like this.”
Thinking of Cheng Yaojin's contribution, Yang Ji continued: "The war that Cheng Yaojin participated in was mainly because the "general trend" was on our side in the Sui Dynasty, and it actually had little to do with his personal ability. And although he has a flexible mind, he is only nineteen years old after all. He is immature in all aspects and does not have the ability to take charge of his own affairs. So I arranged for him to be appointed as a Cavalry Commander of Xingtai Province in Xikai Road and let him learn military techniques, battle formations, and battle formations from General Zhang Xutuo. While accumulating practical experience. As long as he patiently settles down for a year or two, he will definitely undergo a transformation that is like a complete transformation. "
The reason why famous generals emerged in large numbers during the Sui Dynasty and their stars shone brightly is: First, the famous generals were well educated. When these famous generals achieved success in their studies, their elders took them to the battlefield and allowed them to use actual combat to verify the military tactics they learned in the certificates, and then they understood Learn more practical ways to use military force.
Second, there were a lot of wars in the Sui Dynasty. As long as those who survived, they could basically become famous generals who had experienced hundreds of battles and had rich combat experience. This is undoubtedly more important. The most typical one is undoubtedly the one who was reborn from the ashes in the 20th century. The country at that time was very
Many generals did not understand the art of war, and some could not even recognize their names. However, they fought hard and became famous generals with great achievements. Judging from the situation in the early days of the founding of the country, let alone the top ten. / Marshals, top ten / generals, even if you rank fifty marshals and one hundred generals, people will be convinced and cannot be picky.
"Actual combat?" Qin Qiong's heart moved. She looked at Yang Ji with shining eyes and asked in a deep voice, "According to your Majesty's wishes, is it possible that the battle in Tuyuhun is not over yet?"
"It is indeed not over yet." Pointing his sword at the southwest and forcing Party Xiang Qiang to advance westward was a national event. Yang Ji naturally would not reveal it to two unrelated people. He nodded: "Tuyuhun is also a country with hundreds of years of history. The country naturally has many stubborn and die-hard elements; in order to prevent these scattered tribes and armies from resurrecting and causing trouble to the local area, our army must of course pursue the victory and annihilate them. However, this kind of general war to suppress bandits is more important than a major battle. It’s more troublesome, more time-consuming, and it tests the abilities of our generals.”
At this point, Yang Ji had already figured out the purpose of the two people's visit from the change in Qin Qiong's expression. Their real purpose was to seek a position, hoping to use his platform to become the second Cheng Yaojin; and the so-called "find out about Cheng Yaojin's current situation" It was just a stepping stone for them, but perhaps they were too embarrassed to say it at this time because they had rejected him so many times.
This discovery also made Yang Ji completely lose his intention of using it for his own use.
The two people in front of him were not handsome men commanding thousands of troops, but just fierce generals who charged into battle. For Yang Ji, who had so many fierce generals under his command, their appeal could not be said to be non-existent, but it was also pitiful. After such a quarrel, Yang Ji has no interest at all.
In fact, Yang Ji's dissatisfaction was not just because of the current situation, nor was it sudden, but it had existed for a long time. After all, Yang Ji had saved the lives of Yang Jian and Yu Wenshu successively. Although he had the intention of making use of the topic at the time, he also received huge rewards afterwards; but for Qin Qiong, Shan Xiongxin and others, the life-saving grace was real. No matter how they calculated, they could not escape. However, they had no sense of gratitude at all. Faced with the kindness of King Wei and his benefactor, they rejected him again and again.
That was all, but now that they saw that Cheng Yaojin had a bright future, they thought of using him again. Do you really think that Yang Ji is Cao Cao who loves his talents as much as his life? Or do they think they are Zhuge Liang who needs to visit the thatched cottage?
It's so funny!
Don't ask him to invite you again, even if it's for free. He didn't want to "make the same mistakes" as Li Mi and Wang Shichong did, raising a bunch of white-eyed wolves in vain.
"The king's words are absolutely true." After listening to Yang Ji's words, Shan Xiongxin was convinced. When they competed in the Xiaoguo Army, they lost to bandit opponents. The opponent's martial arts were not good, but they could use the terrain to "kill" them. This greatly reduced the confidence of these local powerful people, and many of them quietly backed down, while his eldest brother and Zhai Rang resigned directly.
Shan Xiongxin's temperament was much more straightforward than Qin Qiong's. Seeing that Qin Qiong still couldn't open his mouth to apply for a job, he planned to explain it directly to Yang Ji. However, before he could speak, a rough voice came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Mr. Su Xianghe Yuwen and the Ministry of Industry I asked to see you and said that we have something important to discuss."
"Please invite them to the left compartment for tea first!" Yang Ji secretly exclaimed, "You've come just in time." He stood up and said to Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin with great regret, "Oh, I wanted to have a good drink with you two. To tell the story of separation, it’s unfortunate that Su Xiang and the Ministry of Culture and Industry came here by chance, so I’m really sorry!”
"State affairs are important!" Shan Xiongxin had no choice but to stand up and change his words: "Your Majesty has heavy official duties, so I won't bother you."
"Cheng Yaojin is very good now, just don't worry, you two." Yang Ji said, "I'll hold a banquet to apologize another day when I'm free!"
"Your Majesty, you're welcome!" Shan Xiongxin and Qin Qiong said in unison: "We really can't take it!"
Yang Ji sent them to the square in front of the palace. He happened to see Su Wei and Yu Wenkai walking in quickly under the leadership of Gongsun Huan. He immediately ordered Hao Yuan who was waiting to send Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin away instead. .
Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin saw two high-ranking officials in purple court uniforms approaching in a hurry. They didn't stop for a moment, saluted Yang Ji, and followed Hao Yuan away.
Su Wei and Yu Wenkai just looked at each other
The two of them glanced at each other and walked towards the welcoming Yang Ji, saluting from a distance: "See you, Your Majesty!"
"Su Xiang, Yuwen Shangshu!" Yang Ji returned the salute with clasped fists.
"I'm sorry for disturbing the king's guests!" Su Wei said with a smile.
"It doesn't matter. They are friends of one of my generals. They came here specifically to find out about their friends." Yang Ji pointed to the guest hall on the left side of the main hall and said with a smile, "We'll talk inside."
Su Wei and Yu Wenkai smiled and nodded.
A group of three people entered the living room, and the guests of honor took their seats. When the maid served the tea, Yang Ji waved them away and said to the two of them: "If my guess is correct, you are here for the Jinyang Cang mentioned in the morning. Are you coming?"
"Haha!" Su Wei laughed loudly and raised his finger: "I know that everything can't be hidden from the king. Yuwen Shangshu and I are here to ask for something, and we hope that the king will lend a helping hand."
"With Yuwen Shangshu, a master architect here, even if I want to lend a helping hand, I am not qualified!" Yang Ji glanced at the two of them and asked curiously, "But I don't know why?"
When Yu Wenkai saw Su Wei smiling and saying nothing, he knew that Su Wei was going to step in. He bowed his hand to Yang Ji and said, "Nothing else, I just hope that the king can lend me someone!"
Yang Ji asked: "Who is Yuwen Shangshu referring to?"
"Prisoners! We need prisoners from your Majesty's hands." Yu Wenkai said: "The construction of Jinyangcang will definitely require civilians and manpower. However, many young men from Bingzhou, Youzhou, and Jizhou have gone to dig Taihang Baxing. If the people are The construction of Jinyangcang will inevitably affect farming. Therefore, we talked to the sage about this matter, but the sage said that there is no need to send out civilian services, and the required manpower can only be "borrowed" from the king. "
Yang Ji pondered for a long time and said to Yu Wenkai: "In addition to the 50,000 people promised to the saint, I do have some in my hand, but I don't know how many Yuwen Shangshu said?"
"Your Majesty, are you agreeing?" Yu Wenkai was overjoyed and looked at Yang Ji in surprise.
"How much? Just give me a number."
"Ten thousand!"
"Ten thousand?"
"Is it too much? What if..."
"No!" Yang Ji interrupted Yu Wenkai with a wave of his hand and shook his head: "I mean ten thousand is too little. I can give you thirty thousand."
"Really?" Su Wei and Yu Wenkai were both stunned, and their voices stuttered: "Your Majesty, please don't coax us? Will we take it seriously?"
"That's true!" Yang Ji smiled: "The Jinyang warehouse is the top priority, so the sooner it is completed, the better!"
"Your Highness!" Su Wei took a deep breath and said to Yang Ji: "However, Jinyangcang is concentrated in a limited terrain and cannot use so many people at once. If there are people idle, there is also the risk of unrest. That’s why we only have 10,000 people.”
Yang Ji frowned and said, "Where are the other 20,000 people? Aren't you going to take them?"
"The imperial court needs this kind of free labor everywhere!" Su Wei said loudly: "How can we not want the king's 20,000 strong and powerful slaves? Even if there are more than ten or two hundred thousand more, the imperial court will not be too few. "
"Then how will Su Xiang plan to arrange these prisoners?" Yang Ji asked curiously: "Are they going to open the official road to the Liaoxi Corridor? Or are they going to enter Xingxing from Taihang?"
"No! I plan to let them go to the northern part of Yongzhou to build water conservancy and reclaim farmland." Su Wei explained: "The Hetao Plain was one of the important grain-producing areas during the Western Han Dynasty. However, wars continued and the farmland and canals were no longer available. In order to restore the Hetao Plain to its old appearance, the imperial court asked the Capital Water Supervisor to make an overall plan for the Hetao Plain canals last year to form a water conservancy network integrating water canals and transportation. However, due to a serious shortage of manpower, it has not been completed. If With the 20,000 laborers provided by the king, the progress will be at least two or three times faster than now."
"That's good!" Yang Ji thought for a while and said, "Since the imperial court is so short of free labor, I will write a letter to the Prefectural Mufu later and ask Zhang Dinghe to escort 40,000 prisoners to Huining County first. But the Liangzhou army cannot cross the border, and you must be prepared to respond."
Since it was Yang Guang who asked them to come to him for help, he would hand over the 40,000 prisoners to them first. If they were delivered one day earlier, Liangzhou would also lose 40,000 mouths to eat.
The army in charge can also be relaxed.
"Forty thousand?" Su Wei and Yu Wenkai's eyes almost popped out of their heads, and they asked in unison: "Liangzhou is building roads every day and everywhere. Doesn't your Majesty want even a single prisoner?"
"It's not that I don't want it, it's that Liangzhou really can't afford it!" Yang Ji said with a wry smile: "In addition to the captives, Liangzhou also has many, many slaves bought from the Eastern and Western Turks; if nearly 100,000 Tuyuhun prisoners were put into the The construction of Liangzhou and Xihaixingtai will certainly speed up the progress of some projects, but the total number of foreigners exceeds the limit of the army. I am worried that it will not only be difficult to manage, but may also easily cause turmoil, so I do not intend to These prisoners were invested in the construction of Liangzhou."
"So that's it!" Su Wei suddenly realized and asked tentatively: "The number of prisoners is too large, which will cause other people to fail to do the work and cause chaos. We'd better hand over these prisoners before the northern patrol. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Without further ado, let's act separately!" Yang Ji naturally had no objection.
"Here!" Su Wei and Yu Wenkai stood up, saluted Yang Ji, and left in a hurry.
