A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 300 Father and Son Game
Local secrets.

It is written truthfully before the emperor, without deception of anyone above or below.

This served as a connection between the emperor and the local authorities.

Hanlin Academy of Policy and Strategy.

Seeking talent from all over the world and building a talent pool.

This serves as a supplement to the wisdom of the imperial court.

From the central government to the prefectures and counties, from policy discussions to the selection of future officials, Gongsun's talent is unparalleled in the world.

"allow!"

Liu Ju acknowledged.

Imperial power does not extend to the countryside, and hermits do not enter the court; these are ironclad rules that have stood for thousands of years, yet Gongsun Hong is attempting to shake them.

This is not entirely consistent with his ideas on increasing power and attracting talent, but it does not conflict with them; in fact, they complement each other.

The Prime Minister is still too authoritative.

Money and power are all settled.

The small meeting between the emperor and his ministers concluded.

Gongsun Hong led the way in resigning, after which the Prime Minister's office would draft a memorial to the emperor in accordance with his will, and then issue an edict to the whole country.

Chen Mo helped the Prime Minister away.

Huo Qubing seemed to want to say something, but before he could speak, he had no choice but to bow and take his leave under Wei Qing's watchful gaze.

It's not hard to guess what the Grand Marshal and General were thinking: spring has arrived, and with all things reviving, it's time to head north and beat the Xiongnu again.

However, war cannot be started at will. If we win, we must consolidate our gains; if we lose, we must learn from our mistakes. Last year's total war can be described as a great victory. In addition to the most direct financial gains, our territory has increased significantly.

The northern border of the Han Dynasty extended to the south of the Gobi Desert, the southern Yue and Dong Yue were destroyed, the land known as the Ten Thousand Mountains was overthrown, the territory was expanded to the South China Sea, the southwestern barbarians were conquered, and the Hexi Corridor was opened up in the west... It was easy to conquer territory, but it was difficult to consolidate it. The court had to promote various measures and relocate people in order to completely transform these places into Han land.

Furthermore, with His Majesty's abdication imminent, although the world is gradually becoming more stable, it is hard to guarantee that there will be those who are dissatisfied with the new dynasty and cause trouble. At this time, whether Huo Qubing, who is known as "Heaven-Slaying," is in court or not is a different matter.

When fighting against the northern barbarians, it was usually in early spring or late autumn. Huo Qubing did not like to fight in the increasingly cold late autumn because people would become "stiff" in the icy and snowy weather, which would directly affect the speed of killing the enemy.

But early spring is different. As you walk, it gets warmer and warmer, and people feel more relaxed. Their physical and mental state keeps improving, which makes it easier to defeat enemies.

However, the imperial court has its own matters to attend to.

Enough, let's go back and reorganize the troops.

Although the emperor and the court have never issued any decree prioritizing military affairs, the resources of the Han Dynasty are being allocated to the army. They have meat at every meal and tea at every meal, far exceeding the lives of ordinary people.

Nourished by meat and milk, the imperial elites underwent a transformation in spirit and morale, rendering the old training methods unsuitable for the current soldiers; in short, the training intensity was insufficient.

Moreover, as the empire's chief strategist, the uncle, through information gathered from various sources, believed that the Han army needed to undergo appropriate changes. While the large-scale army's combat capabilities needed to be guaranteed, it seemed wasteful to use tens or hundreds of thousands of troops to deal with the devastated Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Xianbei, Wiman Joseon, and Yuezhi. At present, the Han Dynasty had no neighboring tribes or countries worth risking its national and ethnic destiny for.

The imperial court is changing, and the army must also change. It can no longer be top-heavy and cumbersome. It needs to be optimized and restructured. In short, it needs to be elite!

Any team, even a small squad of just a few people, could easily defeat any opponent.

"Five barbarian soldiers can equal one Han soldier," was the uncle's minimum requirement for the new Han army. In Huo Qubing's view, this was only natural. With good food, good drink, good clothes, and good weapons, if one Han soldier couldn't equal five barbarian soldiers, he might as well go home and farm.

As for the authenticity of the training, there is no need to worry at all. In previous battles, the Han Dynasty captured tens of thousands of people from the Xiongnu and other ethnic groups, who were directly used as sparring partners. Among them were many generals, ministers and warriors from the Xiongnu and other ethnic groups, and the sparring effect was remarkable.

With Huo Qubing around, during practice, anyone who dares to cheat is practically courting death.

With a strong and well-equipped army, Huo Qubing decided to launch an expedition to "test his skills" by taking the heads of the Xiongnu.

Unfortunately, expanding the map too quickly isn't all good.

Zhang Tang, who was lagging behind, walked slowly, but never heard the emperor call him back to his residence to write his resignation.

As Chen Mo helped Gongsun Hong out of the palace, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Is that what you're thinking, Master?"

Such immense power as prime minister was divided up so easily; for a subject to act like a tutor to a prime minister is far too naive.

Gongsun Hong's hair and beard were completely white, his skin was dark and thin, and his deep eyes were unfathomable. "Little Mo, did you think I was doing this for the sake of the emperor?"

"With the power of the prime minister waning and centralization of power, if the prime minister is no longer the ruler, is he still acting for the sake of his fellow disciples?" Chen Mo asked with a smile as he saw Mo Zimo and Huo Guang standing respectfully beside the palanquin in the distance.

The closed-door disciple, Senior Brother Mo, and the Heavenly Mandate Han Prime Minister, Senior Brother Huo, their deception is truly hard to resist.

"Yes," Gongsun Hong replied earnestly.

Chen Mo was speechless. "Master, what do you mean by that?"

"What will happen when your senior brother Mo becomes prime minister and contends with the emperor?"

"His body will perish and his entire clan will be wiped out!"

"What will happen when your senior brother Huo becomes prime minister and contends with the emperor?"

"...and their own lives and the extermination of their clans shall also be deserved!"

Chen Mo was astonished and said insincerely, "Senior Brother Mo and Senior Brother Huo are both exceptionally talented. How could they possibly compete with the Emperor? Master, you are overthinking it."

"You little devil! Don't you dare harm anyone!"

Gongsun Hong's withered fingers landed on Chen Mo's head, causing Chen Mo's face to contort in pain. He still had to struggle to support his master's body and steadily descend.

Did the master see that he wanted to deal with his two senior brothers in the future?

Gongsun Hong knew his disciples were teasing him, but he wasn't worried about them fighting to the death. He slowly said, "When I came to Chang'an, it was dusk, and the city walls were closed. I stayed overnight in the fields and by the woods. At midnight, I suddenly heard a ridge in the field arguing with a wooden puppet in the woods. The ridge said, 'You are not as good as me. I am made of earth. No matter how strong the wind or how long the rain, even if it soaks me, I will still return to the earth. When the sun shines, I will become a ridge again. As long as the earth exists, I will live forever. But you are wood. You are either the root or the branch of a tree. No matter how strong the wind or how long the rain, you will be uprooted and broken, drifting into rivers and flowing east to the sea, disappearing without a trace.' Xiao Mo, tell me, what do you think of what the ridge said?"

"What does the Prime Minister think?" Chen Mo sensed a hidden meaning in the question, but was completely bewildered, so he pushed the question back.

"Tugeng's words make sense."

Gongsun Hong didn't care and said bluntly, "A tree without roots cannot last long. For example, a prime minister who has no central position but wields central power is like a solitary tree. Although it may have many branches and leaves on the outside, it is actually as precarious as a pile of eggs. If he has no real achievements, he will eventually become a drifting tree. It is better to make plans early and return the power to the ruler."

"Otherwise, if your brother becomes prime minister one day, you will be in a predicament where you cannot back down."

……

Watching their figures slowly disappear into the twilight, Liu Ju uttered two words, "Prepare the carriage, Shenlong Palace!"

(End of this chapter)