Zhao Jiu was not the only one who was terrified of the impending war that would cost him everything.

Even though there were a few passionate people among them, they did not dare to shout excitedly at this time, because the words "Northern Expedition" were not publicly stated after all. Maybe Lu Yihao was just responsible for the preparations for the Northern Expedition?

Of course, for people with a little political common sense, this possibility does not exist, because the Jiedushi of Guide Army was the title used by Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty, just like the Jiedushi of Taining Army used by Emperor Taizong, it has a special meaning... During the Song Dynasty, the Jiedushi of Guide Army had never been awarded to anyone else, while the Jiedushi of Taining Army was recognized as the first Jiedushi. It was awarded to several people before and after, and they were all the most important figures in the dynasty. After the Battle of Yaoshan, Han Shizhong was the Prince of Yan'an and the Jiedushi of Three Towns. His first title was Jiedushi of Taining Army.

At this time, Lu Yihao, as the Prime Minister of Xifu, added this Jiedushi, which could not be led by a military man and had been vacant for more than a hundred years. There could only be one meaning, that is, to use his qualifications, character, and enthusiasm for the Northern Expedition to serve as the chief military commander of this Northern Expedition.

When necessary, the emperor needs to kill someone, even if it is to kill someone from the ten governors, he does not have to do it himself! Because there is a ruthless character who dares to kill people to do it for Emperor Zhao.

Just when all the horses were silent under the Leifeng Pagoda, as the escort Shao Chengzhang turned back for the third time, another imperial decree arrived, and this time it was directed to the hundreds of members of the Southeast Public Pavilion present.

The decree was very simple. It required the members of the public cabinets in Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Liangjiang, and Fujian who were present on the scene to select one hundred people with both talent and virtue within today based on their talents and virtues... Ten of them would be top-class, twenty would be upper-middle class, and seventy would be top-class. At that time, Emperor Zhao would appoint these people as prefects, military officials, judges, county magistrates, criminal supervisors, and those in charge of tea and salt, etc. in Hebei, Hedong, and Yanshan according to their ranks.

No one is allowed to leave the venue without permission before the election.

After the order was given, Shao Chengzhang turned back three times, leaving only a few hundred elites from the southeast to be embarrassed and lose their composure under the Leifeng Pagoda in front of more than a thousand Qianzhou soldiers.

These people's feelings are really complicated at this moment... On the one hand, Emperor Zhao has fulfilled his promise to the cabinet, and a large number of people will be directly transferred to actual assignments, and they are such generous assignments; on the other hand, this so-called actual assignment is also obviously an empty assignment!

If the Northern Expedition was successful, then let's not talk about the Yanshan Road, just the three prefectures, eleven states, five armies, and fifty-seven counties in the eastern Hebei Road; the four prefectures, nine states, six armies, and sixty-five counties in the western Hebei Road; the three prefectures, fourteen states, eight armies, and eighty-one counties in the eastern Hedong Road. These one hundred dispatches would be absolutely proper, and would not even prevent other places from following suit.

But if it doesn't work, this mission is just bullshit!

Of course, this was also the Zhao family's conspiracy, to get them to support the Northern Expedition! Even looking at the current situation, it is possible that after being selected, these 100 people will directly follow the army, which will not only make the rear stable, but also allow these people to serve in the front and be sent out to manage the local areas at any time. At the same time, it is like handing over hostages. In case the Northern Expedition is a bit difficult, it is possible that the families of these people will directly contribute their property in the back, right?

As soon as they thought of this, everyone's thoughts quickly moved to the question of whether they should go to the battlefield if they were selected, and whether it would be dangerous.

But then again, if the Northern Expedition succeeded, then the positions of prefect, military commander, assistant prefect, county magistrate, as well as the chief judge and the chief of tea and salt affairs would be futures that one could never have imagined in one's lifetime, right?

In the panic, I couldn't make a choice, and it was impossible to escape under the watch of the army, so I could only talk nonsense to express my confused emotions.

In the chaos, in just half an hour, in the afternoon, the only Yutang scholar who accompanied the emperor, who was also the eldest son of the Donglai Lu family who actually surpassed Meihua Han to become the most famous family in the court, scholar Lu Benzhong, came to visit.

He is here to guide the election.

But with the arrival of Master Lu, things changed abruptly... There was no other reason. You know, with the eight years of fighting by Emperor Zhao, there were always some brainwashed and hot-blooded people in the six public offices in the southeast, and some people who came from official households and were obsessed with their political future.

Therefore, when Master Lu took the initiative to lead the way, dozens of people volunteered and quickly occupied half of the 100 positions.

Now, among the remaining people, those who were originally considered to have prestige and influence were naturally indignant; and those who were not originally famous in the government were also envious, but afraid that they would miss this opportunity.

So, after a whole afternoon of hard work, Master Lu finally returned to the mountain satisfied with the list of a hundred people.

After waiting for a while, around the time of sunset on Leifeng Pagoda, Shao Chengzhang, the chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, came back for the fourth time. As expected, the emperor had given an oral order. According to the list, these one hundred people could write letters to their families, but they did not have to go home. They could directly return to Tokyo with the emperor tomorrow... Those who could not ride horses should prepare their own mules!

This was expected, but it must be said that this official had been on a southern tour for nearly a year before he revealed his rumored claws. It is no wonder that the simple-minded people in the southeast were fooled.

Not to mention that this public cabinet meeting was gathered inexplicably and disbanded inexplicably, and then how the hundred people who were selected were happy, how they were worried, how they explained to their families, and how they planned for the future... Let's just say that after working hard all day, Scholar Lu Benzhong Lu returned to Emperor Zhao's house to report his mission. He was speechless in public, but that evening, when he was packing his luggage in his bedroom in Shengguo Temple, he was suddenly summoned by Emperor Zhao, and then he received an imperial edict in Emperor Zhao's "bedroom" like a bolt from the blue.

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