A hundred flowers bloomed in competition, each with its own unique beauty. Numerous concubines gathered in the Imperial Garden, filling the winter garden with vibrant colors. Laughter and songs filled the air. Li Shimin was extremely pleased, knowing that all these women before him were his own.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Haha, my beloved concubines, rise! Come and accompany me to see the treasures!"
"Come on, everyone gets a reward!"
…………
Hearing the laughter coming from the Imperial Garden, Li Chengqian and the others exchanged a miserable look. Heaven help them, they also wanted to see the scene of hundreds of boxes of gems and jewels piled up together, but there were many of their stepmothers inside, so it wouldn't be very convenient to go in at this time.
"Ahem, I heard that all these treasures came from Lingnan. I never imagined that Lingnan was so wealthy. I thought it was a barbaric land," said Li Chengqian, who already seemed like an adult.
"It is said that these valuables were all stolen from the monkey tribe." Although Li Tai has grown up, he is also much fatter than before, with a protruding belly, like a pregnant woman.
"Brother Qin is both a scholar and a warrior, fighting on the grasslands and in Southeast Asia. He's truly a role model for us all. I wish I could fight alongside him on the battlefield," Li Ke exclaimed admiringly. All three of them knew Qin Mu and had met him a few times. Although their relationship wasn't deep, they still admired this man who could command the respect of many older second-generation figures in Chang'an. Li Ke, in particular, admired him the most. Li Tai, however, felt a mixture of admiration and resentment, determined to surpass Qin Mu.
Besides Li Chengqian and his brothers, there were also some princesses present, especially Qin Mu, who had been taught by Pu'an and Dongyang. Having no powerful backing in the palace, they were quietly staying to the side. However, no one underestimated them now; firstly, they were already Confucian scholars, and secondly, they had a teacher without a formal title.
"The teacher is truly amazing, but unfortunately we can't be of much help," Princess Dongyang sighed.
“Although we can’t help the teacher, we can help Yuxin,” Princess Puan said softly.
"This is a good idea. We'll send someone to invite Yuxin to the palace tomorrow," Princess Dongyang agreed.
Because of the properties Qin Mu gifted them, they had lived more comfortably than the other princesses over the years. Therefore, they genuinely cared for Qin Mu. Inviting Qin Yuxin to the palace was also a public display, showing outsiders that Qin Yuxin had a good relationship with the royal family. Although they were just two less favored princesses, outsiders dared not ignore them, especially after hearing rumors that Qin Yuxin was discussing her future husband's family.
The royal court was bustling with activity, and Chang'an was equally abuzz. Restaurants and brothels were buzzing with discussion, and many families were also talking about it, especially those who had learned the details of the Lingnan War.
Wang Gui had become much more obedient in the court over the years. His aged face was wrinkled enough to trap mosquitoes. After returning to the Wang family, he sat for a long time, then pushed open the door and instructed the steward waiting at the door: "Order the young master to return to Taiyuan and never come to Chang'an again."
"Yes, sir!" The butler replied without asking why.
…………
The Duke of Zhao's Mansion!
Changsun Wuji looked at his sons sitting around him, shook his head inwardly, then put down his teacup and said, "Chong'er, you're not young anymore. I'm planning to have you leave Chang'an and become a county magistrate. What do you think?"
"Become a county magistrate? Why? I'm already a sixth-rank official in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Aside from Chang'an and Wannian counties, there aren't any other sixth-rank officials who can become county magistrates, are there?" Changsun Chong was taken aback and asked, puzzled.
"Do you think you can do a good job as the magistrate of Chang'an?" Changsun Wuji asked calmly.
Changsun Chong hesitated for a long time, opening his mouth but ultimately remaining silent. It's important to understand that being the magistrate of Chang'an and Wannian counties is one of the most difficult positions to hold; the official rank isn't high, but the people they manage are extremely complex. The current magistrate of Chang'an is Qu Tu Gai, a renowned figure of integrity and uprightness. Although his position isn't high, his noble title is quite prestigious.
Changsun Chong believed that if he did it, others would not make things difficult for him out of respect for the Changsun family. However, he couldn't control too many things, and it would be a thankless task. He never even considered becoming the magistrate of Chang'an.
“You know you’re not good at it, so I plan to send you to Huainan to serve as a county magistrate,” Changsun Wuji continued.
“Huainan? It’s very poor there, isn’t it? Why go there? Can’t we go to Guanzhong or Jiangnan?” Changsun Chong asked.
"Hmph! If you weren't poor, what would I be asking you to do? You're not young anymore. If you don't achieve something, how can I persuade His Majesty to marry your cousin to you?" Changsun Wuji said with a frown.
"Yes, Father, I am willing to go." Changsun Chong nodded in agreement. Last time, Changsun Wuji had raised the issue of wanting to strengthen the family ties with Li Shimin through marriage, but Wei Zheng strongly opposed it because Changsun Chong and Princess Changle were not within the three degrees of mourning, which was not in accordance with propriety.
Although Li Shimin also wanted to win over his brother-in-law, many second-generation leaders of the Tang Dynasty were performing well, while his second eldest grandson Chong had not yet demonstrated his value. Therefore, he was unwilling to marry his most beloved eldest daughter to him.
Those who were previously inferior to him, such as Cheng Huaimo and Yuchi Baolin, have all become famous throughout the land. Even the younger ones, Cheng Huailiang and Yuchi Baoqing, have gained considerable renown. Nowadays, in Chang'an, many people don't know Changsun Chong, but the Yuchi, Cheng, and Qin families, because of Qin Mu and the others, are all the talk of the town.
It's understandable that he felt resentful; he believed he simply hadn't had the chance. Once he figured that out, he immediately became excited.
"Well, don't worry, the family will fully support you. You must achieve something." Seeing that his son had figured it out, Changsun Wuji finally smiled.
As for his other sons, he can be left to their own devices and raised in the same way as before. The idea of sending Changsun Chong out to a remote area came to him today after hearing Li Shenfu's words about letting them experiment.
The next day, a notice was issued in Chang'an, inviting scholars who wished to serve as officials in Lingnan to voluntarily sign up.
"What? Eight hundred scholars are willing to go to Lingnan?" Li Shimin exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the count is indeed 845 people," Fang Xuanling replied.
"Who are they?" Li Shimin asked, frowning.
"Half of them are scholars from poor families, and the rest are from families of all sizes across the country."
"Does my dear minister know the reason? Could it be that their duties were not clearly explained?" Li Shimin asked again.
"It's very clear that they are only to serve as clerks, not officials. I had someone ask them privately, and some of them are doing it for their future, because they won't be given official positions in Chang'an anytime soon and will eventually have to go to the local areas to serve as clerks; others want to learn from Qin Huaidao. There are rumors that Qin Huaidao possesses the pre-Qin heritage, not just the Guigu lineage, and with his guidance, it would be easier for them to make progress," Fang Xuanling explained.
"Nonsense!" Li Shimin couldn't help but retort. Although he didn't know exactly what Qin Mu had learned, he was certain that it wouldn't involve much of the pre-Qin tradition.
The transmission of the various schools of thought has been somewhat incomplete over time, but the main reason for the difficulty in advancement is the reduction of spiritual energy, a fact that the royal family is well aware of.
However, Li Shimin also knew that Qin Mu's performance was truly astonishing. He was the youngest great Confucian scholar of the era, and those who had studied under him had all made great progress. The Cheng family and the Yuchi family, who had the closest ties to the Qin family, were already renowned. Even the most junior Six Doors constables had produced a large number of top-tier and ordinary experts. There was also Han Chen, who could sever life and death with a single needle; Fang Yi'ai, who could fight a thousand soldiers; and even Liu Hongji. Li Jing had even sent his son to him. How could others not be tempted?
Previously, some of his close associates were too embarrassed or distrustful to admit their involvement, but those who went with him last time produced more than ten county magistrates. The rest also occupied various administrative positions, and although their positions were not high, they wielded considerable power.
"What do you think, my dear minister? Should we allow them all to go, or select a few?" Li Shimin asked.
"I believe that if they are willing to go, then let them go. Although Qin Huaidao is used to employing acquaintances, he has also managed to use them according to their abilities. In the several campaigns he has led, no family's children have been lost. Those scholars will also gain some experience by going there," Fang Xuanling suggested.
“That’s right. Although Qin Huaidao is young, he has a good eye for people. Ma Binwang is very talented, and the Six Doors have been managed very well over the years,” Li Shimin agreed.
"Your Majesty is wise. Those aristocratic families will find it difficult to gain an advantage over Qin Huaidao. However, it would be a waste of Ma Binwang's talent to place him in the Six Doors," Fang Xuanling said with a smile. Although the aristocratic families of Jiangnan made a fortune and opened up new avenues of wealth with Qin Mu, the investment was also substantial, requiring considerable manpower and resources. This was ultimately more beneficial to the court.
“My dear ministers, you are all in the prime of your lives. Let Ma Binwang hone his skills for a few more years. The Six Doors are a good place to train people,” Li Shimin said with a slight nod.
Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling secretly sighed at Ma Zhou's good fortune. This meant Ma Zhou had won the emperor's favor, and it was only a matter of time before he entered the central government. There were many talented people, but not everyone could be given important positions. It depended on whether the emperor liked him or not; luck was the most important factor.
If Ma Zhou hadn't distinguished himself at the Six Doors, he wouldn't have caught Li Shimin's eye. He might have had other opportunities, but who knows how long it would have taken?
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Youzhou!" came the anxious voice of a palace attendant from outside the door.
"Summon them!" Li Shimin's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice.
…………
In the seventh year of the Zhenguan era, with the threat of the monkey tribe gone, Qin Mu finally had some free time and more time to take care of his son. Qin Qiong deprived the little one of the right to name himself; he was named Qin Ying.
The little one, who couldn't speak yet, loved to put his chubby fists to his mouth and occasionally make incomprehensible noises, which would make Qin Mu laugh uncontrollably.
On the other side, Han Chen and Baili Rou fully demonstrated that parents are the true love and children are just an accident, letting the little guy run around on the ground and letting him get up when he falls.
"You two seem to have it easy! You leave all the work to us," Cheng Huailiang complained as he strode in.
"Greetings, King of Wu!" Qin Mu looked at the people behind Cheng Huailiang, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he stood up to bow.
"Ke greets Uncle!"
"this…"
"Uncle, please don't worry about it. I've come here to learn from you, and I have no imperial orders to carry out," Li Ke said before Qin Mu could speak.
"It's been a few years since I last saw you, and the King of Wu has grown into a young man! He has quite the bearing of Your Majesty!" Qin Mu said with a slight smile, without saying anything else.
"Uncle, you flatter me," Li Ke said with a modest smile.
"Since you came in secret, call me teacher from now on."
"It's the teacher!"
"Sit! Your Majesty, how are the Empress and the others?"
"Everything is fine, it's just that Mother is a little reluctant to part with her," Li Ke replied.
"It's normal for a mother to worry when her son travels a thousand miles. Remember to send a letter home every month from now on," Qin Mu instructed.
"Thank you for reminding me, teacher." Li Ke, now filled with the excitement of leaving home for the first time as a teenager, had not yet felt homesick and his face was full of curiosity.
"What are you studying now? Martial arts or spiritual cultivation? And which school do you want to study?" Qin Mu asked.
“I studied military strategy,” Li Ke said, looking at Qin Mu with a hint of trepidation in his eyes, because he knew that Qin Mu was a Confucian scholar and was unsure whether he could teach him.
“Military strategists primarily cultivate spiritual power, using formations, array plates, and array flags to fight the enemy. You, who study military strategy, shouldn’t be coming to me. The Duke of Wei and the Duke of Ying are the true masters of our time,” Qin Mu said, shaking his head slightly.
"Ah!" Li Ke was stunned for a moment, thinking that Qin Mu had refused, and his eyes showed disappointment.
"However, I also know a little about military strategy, so teaching you is no problem. It's just that I haven't entered the path of martial arts through this, so you'll have to figure it out yourself," Qin Mu said, changing the subject.
"Okay." Li Ke's expression relaxed, and he happily agreed.
"Have all the scholars been arranged?" Qin Mu turned to Cheng Huailiang and asked.
"It's all arranged. As you said, five people per group, managing a village of three thousand people. Performance will be evaluated after one year. The capable will rise, and the mediocre will fall! However, two hundred people want to stay by your side to study," Cheng Huailiang said.
"Stay by my side?" Qin Mu frowned upon hearing this. Now that he had advanced to the rank of Great Confucian Scholar, he no longer wanted to teach people as he had before.
Just as he was about to refuse, he swallowed the words back and said after a moment of silence, "Tell them to go to work first. I will start classes after spring planting and have someone replace them then."
"Okay!" Cheng Huailiang didn't care about anything else; he just wanted to follow orders.
"From now on, you will live in the mansion and cultivate with me every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). During the day, you will live with the soldiers in the military camp, and at night you will study. I will teach you when I have time."
"Thank you very much, Uncle!" Li Ke bowed excitedly.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Go say hello to Ruoxi."
"teacher?"
"Is there something you need?" Seeing Li Ke take a few steps, she turned back, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
"Oh! I just remembered something, and I don't know if it's important to you."
"Um?"
"Before I left, I heard that many of the court's generals had left Chang'an, and that large numbers of enormous beasts had appeared in places like the Taihang Mountains and Youzhou," Li Ke explained.
"Is it the kind that appears suddenly?" Qin Mu asked, a thought popping into his head.
Li Ke scratched his head and said uncertainly, "It seems so. I only heard it from the eunuchs in private. It seems there are quite a few of them, and they have appeared in towns and injured some civilians."
70
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