Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 168 It’s the father’s fault if the son doesn’t teach

This angel is an acquaintance.

In the past, he had been ordered to welcome King Ande.

Xian'an's face was full of amiability. He took Liu Taozi's hand and congratulated him cordially.

Liu Taozi stood up and took the imperial edict, "Thank you very much, Prime Minister, for your appreciation."

Xian'an shook his head and couldn't help laughing, "Hahaha, this is all the general's own credit!"

"As soon as the Prime Minister took power, you presented military merits, defeated the Turks, and stabilized the local area. The Prime Minister praised you highly!"

Xian'an followed Liu Taozi into the inner room, where his minions were still kneeling on both sides.

The two men walked into the inner room, and Xian'an looked at the young man in front of him again.

What an amazing young man!

If my own sons and nephews could be like this, I would truly die without regrets!

When Liu Taozi instigated Heba Cheng to lead the border soldiers to attack the government officials and even asked so many people to write a petition together, the prime minister was indeed a little displeased.

He once thought that Liu Taozi had done so many things in private without telling him, and that she was too ambitious!

Until Lou Rui wrote a letter to inform the local situation.

When Liu Taozi was distributing food, he told the soldiers on the border that it was given to them by the Prime Minister.

This led to a surge in Gao Yan's reputation in the border area, even though he had never led troops before. When these soldiers mentioned the Prime Minister, they were full of praise. It was the first time they had met such a generous leader. It was all because of that damn Hui Luo who dared to withhold the money and food given to us by the Prime Minister! !

When Gao Yan learned about these circumstances, he immediately called Xian'an over and asked him to go to Wuchuan quickly.

Just for one thing.

Give this fucking thief a promotion!!!
Gao Yan was different from Gao Yang. Although Gao Yang was cruel, he had many military achievements and led border troops to war many times. His prestige was extremely high. However, Gao Yan was much worse. Without relying on nobles, he could not use his prestige to mobilize the army.

What Liu Taozi did at that moment made him particularly satisfied.

Xian'an cleared his throat and said, "I heard that Prince Changguang wanted to recruit the general to serve as a military officer in his mansion. Why didn't the general go?"

"My official position was granted by the Grand Prime Minister. If I want to serve as a military officer in the palace, it should be ordered by the Grand Prime Minister."

Xian'an nodded, "That makes sense! That makes sense!"

He looked around and whispered, "The Prime Minister blamed Heba Cheng for this major incident and dismissed him from his post, making him a commoner. This has nothing to do with the general. However, the general should not worry. The Prime Minister thinks Heba Cheng is quite capable and plans to promote him after he accomplishes something great."

Liu Taozi nodded.

Xian'an added: "The Prime Minister originally wanted to come to the frontier first and then do great things."

"However, the country is in chaos right now. If the Prime Minister leaves Yecheng easily at this time, I'm afraid something terrible will happen."

"Therefore, the Prime Minister decided to complete the major task first and then come to the border."

"Well, this winter, the Prime Minister will come here to fight against the foreign enemies."

"By then, General, are you sure you can achieve a great victory?"

Liu Taozi's face was calm, "Don't worry, I will train the army well and wait for the Prime Minister to arrive, and defeat the enemy in one battle."

Xian An stroked his beard and laughed, "It's good that you understand, it's good that you understand. This time I appointed you as General Wuyi for this reason. General Hufen can only command Wuchuan, while General Wuyi can guard the border and command the army when General Zhen is away."

"This Lou Rui, although he has military merits, he is also an old man, but he doesn't work hard. The Prime Minister knows this very well. I'm afraid you will have to do the specific training and rectification."

"Also, don't be afraid of those people in the court."

"The Prime Minister has already taken his seat firmly. You should take action here without any hesitation."

Xian'an gave instructions for a long time, and Liu Taozi listened very carefully.

At the end, Xian'an sighed, "There is one more thing that the Prime Minister did not allow me to mention. I want to ask you about it myself."

"The Prime Minister intends to make peace with the Zhou people, reopen trade, and stop fighting. What do you think?"

Liu Taozi said calmly: "The Zhou people are fickle and untrustworthy. We can only fight, not make peace."

Xian'an looked dejected. "Even a young man like you can understand this truth, why doesn't the Prime Minister listen?"

"What is there to talk about with Pseudo-Zhou?"

"The Prime Minister asked me to tell you not to fight with the Zhou people. In fact, it is because of this matter that the Prime Minister plans to send Lu Yao as an envoy to the Pseudo-Zhou. At that time, you may be responsible for escorting him and then bringing him back."

Liu Taozi didn't say anything.

Xian'an added: "If you feel it is inappropriate, you can refuse it at that time, and I will help you."

"Thank you, sir. We'll talk later."

"it is good."

Xian'an talked to him about the affairs of Yecheng again. After a long chat, Xian'an stood up and said, "I still have to go see Lou Rui, so I won't bother you any more. General, you must train the army well and don't let the Prime Minister down."

"only!!"

After sending Xian'an away, Liu Taozi's minions were finally excited.

Yao Xiong laughed strangely, and he danced with joy, like a crazy monkey. "Mr. Cui! Mr. Cui! What rank is General Wu Yi? What rank is he?"

Looking at the ecstatic Yao Xiong, Cui Gang smiled and said softly, "Seventh rank, upper."

The smile on Yao Xiong's face froze immediately. He asked in astonishment, "You're talking so much! And he's a seventh-rank?"

"This seventh rank is the best among the seventh rank."

Yao Xiong waved his hand and said, "I don't care about this. Just tell me, who is on the same level as you?"

Cui Gang pondered for a moment, "The county magistrates of small and medium-sized counties have to bow when they see the general."

"What about the governor?"

"This is the governor of Xiajun, also of the fifth rank."

Yao Xiong was very unhappy and started to grumble, saying that the Prime Minister was too stingy. Listening to his complaints, Cui Gang smiled bitterly and said, "This is already very high. He is a high-ranking official in the border army, second only to the general. The higher-ranking ones are the central army, the people around His Majesty."

Tu Xiyue also said: "At your age, the general is able to reach the seventh rank, which is really extraordinary."

Tian Zili narrowed his eyes at this moment, "He didn't punish my brother, but directly promoted him. Aren't you afraid of the nobles' trouble? It seems that the Prime Minister has made up his mind."

Everyone spoke their own words, and they were all happy about the promotion.

Yao Xiong had walked up to Liu Taozi without him noticing, "Brother, how about having a banquet to celebrate?"

Liu Taozi glanced at him with cold eyes.

Yao Xiong lowered his head in fear, "It's been a while since we held a banquet, and there was no welcoming party for Old Tian and Mr. Cui after they came back."

"it is good."

It is called a banquet, but in fact it is just a small gathering.

Liu Taozi doesn't like extravagance.

The banquet was held in the government office.

General Wuyi Liu Taozi sat in the upper seat, with his head raised high, his eyes sharp, his expression fierce, and his aura amazing.

There were the Chief Clerk of the Inspector General Yao Xiong, the Scout Chief Kou Liu, the Chief Clerk Tian Zili, the Secretary Cui Gang, the Military Medical Clerk Chu Jiande, the Garrison Commander Tu Xiyue, the Banner Master Podola Ku, the Banner Master Zhang Heizu, the Banner Master Zhang Chong, the Banner Master Wang Dameng, the Chief Clerk of the Military Affairs Wang Chong, the Garrison Commander Liu Chengcai and many others sitting on his two sides respectively.

There were wine and food placed in front of everyone.

But none of them dared to take action and all looked in the direction of Liu Taozi.

"Thank you for your hard work this time."

Liu Taozi raised the wine cup in his hand, signaled everyone, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Everyone followed and drank the wine.

Liu Taozi then said: "I will report all the merits to the emperor, so there is no need to say more."

"Let's discuss what to do next."

"Governor Lou has sent someone to inform us that the prefecture and county will help us to reclaim the land."

"There are many civilians at the border, and the management is chaotic. We should first organize them into households and abolish the previous system of military households leading civilians. We should select from among the civilians, and appoint ten heads of ten households, one hundred heads of one hundred households, and one thousand heads of one thousand households. I will lead ten thousand households. These civilians will not belong to the local area or be dependent on military households. They will be directly managed by the chief of the garrison. They will be allowed to live outside the city, and agricultural tools and materials will be distributed to them, so that they can reclaim wasteland and resume production as soon as possible."

“These are not things I’m good at.”

"Zili, Gang."

"This important matter must be carried out by the two of you."

"There are many things to do, and it is impossible to rely on the people here at hand alone. Quickly recruit literate people from the civilian population to assist you."

Listening to Liu Taozi's orders, Tian Zili's mouth corners couldn't help but twitching.

He felt hot all over and something was burning in his chest.

Commanding border troops is nothing.

Border troops cannot be self-sufficient and rely on local governments and the government. If they want to start a rebellion and their logistics are cut off, they will surely collapse unless they can capture cities and strongholds with great force.

But if we have the power of civil administration, we will not only have an army, but also hundreds of thousands of civilians who can be self-sufficient in food, and we can even develop new soldiers from among them to build our own army.

Sitting at the frontier, he has millions of civilians under his command, who do not return to their hometowns or even to the imperial court. In addition, he has tens of thousands of elite soldiers from all over the world, and he is self-sufficient in food, armor, horses, and weapons.
Tian Zili's eyes were red, and even his breathing became rapid. Compared to him, Cui Gang obviously didn't think too much.

He just thought it was a benevolent policy.

Laborers were starving to death in droves, and the government's grain was severely lost on the roads. If the laborers on the border could be well settled, wasteland could be reclaimed, the government's burden could be reduced, local income could be increased, and the people would not be starved to death, this would be a very good policy.

However, this workload is obviously a bit scary.

The two of them stood up at the same time and bowed deeply to Liu Taozi.

"only!!"

Liu Taozi then looked at the rest of the people.

"As for the border soldiers, we need to continue to supervise, rectify, and train them."

"I am only telling you about the upcoming Prime Minister. Do not spread it to anyone else."

"When the Grand Chancellor arrives, we will let him see our brave and invincible border soldiers and show him the results."

Everyone stood up again, "Wei!!"

Liu Taozi then pointed at the food in front of her and said, "Eat it all."

The banquet no longer had the restraint it had just had, and everyone was extremely happy. Yao Xiong was carrying wine and eating with others everywhere. Kou Liu was discussing heatedly with Tu Xiyue about the differences between the Xianbei dialects in different regions. Chu Jiande was talking to everyone around him about the celestial signs he had predicted.

The scene was very lively.

Only Tian Zili and Cui Gang behaved quite reservedly.

His brows furrowed slightly.

It's not that they want to ruin everyone's mood, but the task they received is the most difficult.

They all lack experience in this area and really don't know whether they can do it properly.

However, these two people are not the kind of people who will give up easily. Since the lord has asked them to do this, they will not back down and will definitely do their best, regardless of success or failure! !

It started in Wuchuan, where they organized laborers and reclaimed arable land.

Liu Taozi drank with everyone for a while, then quietly stood up and left.

As soon as he walked out the door, someone caught up with him.

The person who came was Tian Zili.

"Lord!!"

Liu Taozi glanced at him without saying anything and continued walking outside. When he reached the government office, the weather was quite refreshing, but there were not many people in the city. Looking into the distance, it seemed a little bleak.

Liu Taozi walked slowly on the road, and Tian Zilie followed him.

"My lord, if you can do this well and keep your seat firmly on the border, can you then do great things?"

"event?"

“Is what you are doing now a small matter?”

"My Lord, you know what I am talking about."

Liu Taozi stopped and slowly looked up at the sky. The colors of the sunset were quite charming, and Tian Zili also looked up.

Liu Taozi then spoke up and said, "Just focus on your work, don't worry about big or small things, do your current work well, and if you do it safely, there will naturally be other things to do."

Tian Zili trembled all over and bowed to Liu Taozi again, "Yes!!"

The sky is still dark.

Cui Gang was lying in the house, sleeping soundly.

Compared with the previous ones, the small house he lives in now is not even a house. Although the office is large, there are many people inside, so it is already very good to be allocated a single room for him. Although the small house is simple, Cui Gang sleeps soundly in it now.

After experiencing the initial pain and discomfort, Cui Gang gradually adapted to this place.

Especially this time of galloping on horseback, Cui Gang was completely changed.

The fair and tender boy from aristocratic family now looked like Tian Zili, with dark and rough skin and a thin body. Even his old friends from Anping would probably not recognize him if they saw him.

This change is not just in appearance. Except for some small habits, he now looks more and more like a frontier warrior. Yao Xiong and others have become much closer to him.

"Dong Dong Dong!!"

Suddenly there was a hurried knock on the door, and Cui Gang was awakened from his sleep.

Cui Gang was horrified. He suddenly took down the sword hanging on the wall, rushed out and opened the door.

After opening the door, Cui Gang was stunned.

At this moment, the person standing outside the door was Tian Zili.

He saw Tian Zili standing in front of him with high spirits and bright eyes.

"Mr. Tian? What happened?"

"It's time to get to work!"

"what??"

Cui Gang raised his head, looked at the sky outside, then looked at him, "Now?"

"The laborers have already gotten up, so it's better to get started early. It's hot now, so it's better to get started early and late, and let them rest at noon, otherwise they will get heatstroke."

Cui Gang pondered for a moment and nodded, saying that it made sense.

He hurriedly went in to change his clothes, and the two of them walked out. Some minor officials were yawning and had been waiting for them. They walked towards the North Parade Ground where the laborers were. Now, that place is no longer called the North Parade Ground. People in the city who like to do good things call it the "No-Run City", which means that the laborers are locked up here and cannot escape.

Walking on the road, Tian Zili kept talking about his thoughts.

"I think we need to organize them first. We can't let them live together. We should separate them according to the ten households and the hundred households that my brother mentioned, so that they can clearly identify with each other. This will make it easier for these ten households in the future. We can directly use the older people among them. It doesn't matter if they can't read, as long as they can recognize people."

"As for the hundred households, we have to learn the characters. It would be best if we drafted it and then get Brother's approval."

"In addition, we need to distribute some extra food to these people and help them build up their prestige so that the rest of the people will obey them."

"I have thought about this for a long time, and I think we should let our own officials take on the role."

"What do you think, Cui Jun?"

Cui Gang yawned, still feeling a little tired.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Tian is right. I went to bed very late last night."

"Mr. Cui, the important task of saving the people of the world now falls on us, so we must not neglect it."

Tian Zili looked at Cui Gang again, his expression extremely solemn.

When Cui Gang first saw Tian Zili's appearance, he just murmured, "Very good."

Yecheng.

Changguang Palace.

Gao Zhan is currently in high spirits.

Gao Yan would certainly not treat his younger brother, who had contributed the most, unfairly.

After taking power, Gao Yan appointed him as Taifu, and also as the recorder of Shangshu affairs, and made him the Grand Commander of the Capital.

His official position was second only to two people and above ten thousand people.

Gao Zhan was also extremely attentive and hardworking in everything Gao Yan asked him to do.

The yard was shaded by green trees. Gao Zhan was playing the 'spear holding' game with several young and strong soldiers. They were having a lot of fun, laughing and talking non-stop. Gao Zhan pulled open his collar, revealing his strong and firm skin. He was obsessed with the entertainment when he suddenly heard crying coming from outside.

Gao Zhan was furious.

Why is it that every time I’m having fun, someone always jumps out to interrupt me?
He quickly called his servants and said, "Who is crying outside? Cut off his tongue for me!"

A moment later, the servant brought He Shikai here.

He Shikai was seen standing in front of Gao Zhan with disheveled hair and a haggard face. He couldn't help but burst into tears out of grievance.

"My king, I'm so sorry!"

Gao Zhan was stunned. "Why, were you taken in by Liu Taozi?"

He Shikai's crying paused for a moment, and he quickly knelt down, "Your Majesty, that Liu Taozi doesn't take you seriously at all. I tried to persuade him to come and serve as a military officer, but he started talking nonsense, saying that a wise man would not choose a mediocre leader. I was so angry that I wanted to stop him, but he beat me with a stick, and he didn't even leave you any face. The minions around him are all laughing at me."

He Shikai knelt on the ground, crying bitterly.

After not hearing any sound for a long time, He Shikai slowly raised his head and looked at Gao Zhan timidly.

At this moment, Gao Zhan, who was standing in front of He Shikai, had a red face and eyes wide open, as if he was crazy.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter.

"Okay! Okay!!"

"Come here, pass on my order to immediately dismiss General Wuwei and the Grand Commander of the Qianniu Warriors Liu Taozhi!!"

(End of this chapter)