Chapter 275: Top Ten of the Martial Ranking, Enfeoffed as a Ten Thousand Household Marquis

In the small courtyard of the Li residence.

"Li Laoge, the efficiency of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War is just too low. Why hasn't the document for the Assistant Regional Commander position come down yet?"

Ning Zhongtian sat brazenly on a stone stool in the courtyard, one leg draped over the large willow tree beside him.

Li Rui cast a glance:

"What is there to be anxious about regarding this matter?"

Military officials are different from civil officials; once one's rank is raised, the promotion follows. At most, it is just a matter of being slightly faster or slower.

Of course.

With Provincial Military Commander Xue and Jiang Linxian backing him, there couldn't be any problems; it was a sure thing.

"Fourth Brother, you don't understand. This moment is actually the most comfortable time."

Things like promotions.

It is only most comfortable when one is about to be promoted but hasn't yet. Once one truly takes office, there will be no shortage of headaches.

Right now.

Li Rui is the most unique existence within the Anning Guard. Simply put, he is like a certain Second Young Master—he listens to orders but does not attend the summons.

Cao Wei cannot command him, and those who could are not in Qinghe.

Truly carefree and at ease.

Of course, such times will not last too long.

"Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life."

Ning Zhongtian curled his lips.

'Li Laoge used to be a stableman, now he's a martial artist; why does he like to talk nonsense just like those scholars?'

Noon was exactly when the sun was at its peak.

The scorching sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves. He squinted slightly, quietly feeling the sound of waves in his dantian.

Just entered the Sea-Observing Realm, and already near the Listening to Waves stage.

With only one step left, Li Rui could enter the second stage.

This speed is simply terrifying.

Stuck at a realm?

That doesn't exist. Li Rui only needs to worry about the problem of breaking through too quickly.

Perhaps this is the trouble of a genius.

Once he enters Listening to Waves, the next step is Rising Moon. For ordinary martial artists, it might be very difficult, but for the current Li Rui, it really doesn't count for much. With Daoist Xu's Huang Ting Qi combined with the power of Foundation Establishment, the path before him has long been a smooth one.

He just needs to walk it with peace of mind.

It is merely a matter of time.

Li Rui pillowed his arms behind his head and leaned back comfortably.

Just then, a series of knocks sounded at the door.

"Coming."

Without waiting for Wang Zhao to open the door, Ning Zhongtian flipped himself up and trotted to the front of the door.

As soon as he opened the door.

He froze.

"Mr. Han?"

Standing outside the door was actually Provincial Military Commander Xue's advisor, Han Zhen.

He had stayed in Yunzhou before, so of course he knew this chief advisor to the Provincial Military Commander. Although he held no rank or title, no one in the entire Annan Town dared to provoke him.

It was said that Xue Gui discussed everything with Han Zhen and trusted him the most.

And now he had actually come to Qinghe.

He hadn't heard a single bit of news; his arrival was truly sudden.

Han Zhen outside the door smiled slightly: "It's little Ning. Long time no see. Is Lord Li in?"

Ning Zhongtian nodded: "Yes, he is."

As he turned his head, he saw Li Rui, who had already risen and come up behind him.

"Mr. Han."

Li Rui cupped his hands toward Han Zhen.

Han Zhen's appearance was also beyond his expectations.

"Lord Li."

Han Zhen laughed heartily and stepped inside. As he walked, he said: "Lord Xue sent me over; there are some matters that need to be conveyed."

Li Rui did not rush to discuss the matter, but first led Han Zhen into the guest hall.

After they were seated.

Only then did he speak: "Mr. Han, what matter requires you to run all the way to Qinghe?"

Han Zhen laughed: "I came to Qinghe to inspect the city defenses. The matter was arranged by Lord Xue; I am just a messenger."

Li Rui did not expect that this old advisor of Xue Gui would be so polite.

Han Zhen: "Lord Li is already eighty this year?"

Li Rui nodded: "Eighty-two."

"I am seventy-four, I should call you Li Laoge." After saying this, he really changed his address: "Li Laoge."

Li Rui blinked and accepted it with peace of mind: "Younger Brother Han."

For a moment, he couldn't fathom why Han Zhen had come to Qinghe.

How is this the attitude of someone asking for a favor?

Han Zhen took a sip of tea and then slowly began: "Li Laoge, I have come this time entrusted by Lord Xue, and it is regarding the matter of the Assistant Regional Commander position."

Li Rui's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Could it be that there were twists and turns again?

'Am I truly cursed?'

Last time when I was promoted to Trade Captain, didn't Qi Ze intervene? Who is it this time, some prince or noble grandson?

If there are twists and turns in every promotion, he would have to consider changing professions.

If one's official luck is wrong, forcing it will only bring disaster.

Han Zhen smiled and shook his head: "Lord Li, do not overthink it. It is a good thing."

"A good thing?"

This piqued the interest of Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian beside him.

"Lord Xue has always kept in mind the matter of Lord Li's Assistant Regional Commander position; there are no problems. It is regarding another matter."

Han Zhen said with a smile:

"Lord Li may not know, but the World Martial Ranking has already been preliminarily set."

Once these words were spoken, Li Rui's eyebrows rose slightly:

"So fast?"

It had only been a month since Jiang Linxian went north, and the World Martial Ranking had already been preliminarily set.

According to past precedents.

After the World Martial Ranking is preliminarily set, it only needs the Emperor's signature to be finalized.

At most, it would be announced to the world in a month.

Han Zhen must have received wind of it.

Han Zhen continued: "Our Viceroy Yuan has entered the top ten. His Majesty is overjoyed and wants to enfeoff Viceroy Yuan as a Marquis, with his fief right here in our Yunzhou."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly.

These words were not long, but the amount of information was immense.

Enfeoffed as a Marquis for being in the top ten of the Martial Ranking!

These words, placed in the current Yu Kingdom, are a monumental event.

Because as for the Marquises of the Yu Kingdom, except for those few who were hereditary, all the others have died; not a single one is alive. As for Dukes... not even the dead ones exist.

Just like the previous Zhuang Renhe, it was only after he died that he obtained a Viscount title.

And whether it could truly be hereditary still had variables.

The Emperor's heart is hard to fathom, after all.

Why?

Of course, it is because the Emperor worries that these Marquises will grow too powerful and eventually become uncontrollable.

The rebellion of the vassal kings in the previous dynasty was written about several times in history books. When the Emperor was still a prince, he must have had his ears pulled by great scholars and been told about it many times.

After becoming Emperor, of course, he could not let the lessons of the previous dynasty happen to himself.

It would not only endanger his own throne but could even lead to the fall of the country.

Therefore, Viceroy Yuan being enfeoffed as a Marquis is a supreme honor.

Not to mention that it is a true Ten Thousand Household Marquis with a fief.

A man should be like this! Han Zhen sighed in his eyes. To be enfeoffed as a Ten Thousand Household Marquis is something many dream of. In the entire Yu Kingdom, there is only one person with a fief, the Duke of Wei, and that was only because of the special permission of the Founding Emperor, and then there were no more.

Even the Marquis of Dingyuan, who shakes the world and holds power over the court, can only stay honestly in the capital.

Viceroy Yuan is a unique existence in the Yu Kingdom.

Han Zhen continued: "In the future, our Annan Town will be under the jurisdiction of Viceroy Yuan. This is a great good thing for us."

A feudal lord!

To support one person with one province, what grandeur.

Li Rui suddenly understood why Viceroy Yuan came to Yunzhou; he probably had already heard the news.

Everything actually had traces to follow.

The war in the northwest is gradually slowing down, and Viceroy is a temporary position; no one can be a Viceroy for a lifetime.

Viceroy Yuan has been a Viceroy for fifty years, which is long enough.

If he continues to be one, I'm afraid someone will be dissatisfied.

And this crisis in Qinghe let the imperial court know about the turmoil in the Wu Kingdom, which could affect the Yu Kingdom at any time, so there needs to be someone to guard it.

Please... you.... collect_(!)

Enfeoffing that Viceroy Yuan to Yunzhou can both show the vastness of imperial grace and allow Viceroy Yuan to guard the southern part of the empire for the imperial court; it is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone.

Yunzhou is tens of thousands of miles away from the heartland of the capital; just marching would take a month.

Even if he is enfeoffed as a Marquis and has thoughts of rebellion, the imperial court has enough time to respond.

'Good strategy!'

Just as Li Rui was pondering, Han Zhen spoke: "Viceroy Yuan is enfeoffed as a Marquis and is establishing a Hou Fu. The people in the mansion will naturally be recruited from the fief. Lord Xue hopes Lord Li will prepare well and not miss this opportunity."

"People in the mansion" is a euphemism; Han Zhen was talking about guests of the Hou Fu!

Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

Power is never measured by the height of official rank, but by the distance to the core of power.

If the Imperial Palace is the core of the Yu Kingdom's power, and the closer one is to the palace, the greater the power, then in Yunzhou, Viceroy Yuan's mansion is the absolute core.

Being able to become a guest of Viceroy Yuan, at the very least, one's status is much higher than that of a fifth-rank official.

A seventh-rank official at the Prime Minister's gate—that is the logic.

Ready-made, this Mr. Han before us, although he holds no rank, the weight of his words in Annan Town is greater than that of Assistant Regional Commanders like Cao Wei.

Han Zhen laughed: "Lord Xue feels that Li Laoge is a talent, which is why he has this expectation. Lord Li must not let down Lord Xue's expectation."

Li Rui was overjoyed and bowed: "Many thanks to Lord Xue and Younger Brother Han for the guidance."

Things like promotions.

Without guidance, one cannot move an inch, not even finding the door, let alone getting on the right path.

Xue Gui wants Li Rui to grasp this opportunity and raise his Assistant Regional Commander position a bit higher.

Although the Marquises of the Yu Kingdom are not like those of the previous dynasty, what they actually emphasize is just the tax revenue.

That is, the tax revenue of one province supports Viceroy Yuan alone, while the government offices and military towns within the province remain as they were; this is to prevent them from breaking away from the imperial court's jurisdiction.

Of course, as the nominal master of Yunzhou, Viceroy Yuan has great advisory power.

For officials below the third rank, as long as Viceroy Yuan speaks, it can be done, and neither the Emperor nor the Ministry of Personnel will block it.

Therefore, as long as one can hold onto Viceroy Yuan's thigh, rising to prominence is just a matter of a word.

Even with Viceroy Yuan's influence, it is not impossible to be recommended for an official position in the capital.

A great opportunity!

Xue Gui telling Li Rui this news means he treats Li Rui as one of his own.

Becoming a guest does not hinder him from being an official; both can be achieved. Who told him that Yunzhou is Viceroy Yuan's fief, and the rules are all set by him alone.

Besides, it is also because Li Rui himself is capable.

There won't be too many guests in the Hou Fu, at most a handful.

So it is not easy to become a guest.

If he can enter the Hou Fu, Xue Gui is equivalent to planting one of his own people beside Viceroy Yuan; the benefits are self-evident. Li Rui gains fortune, and Xue Gui also gains benefits; it is a win-win situation.

But the prerequisite must be that this person can be favored by Xue Gui.

If even Xue Gui doesn't favor him, Viceroy Yuan probably won't either; going would be a waste of effort.

He also understood why Han Zhen was so polite to him.

To put it bluntly, it is potential.

If Li Rui can really become a guest of the Hou Fu, his status will be above his, so of course he has to be polite.

Otherwise, being bossy now is fun, but when others climb above you, you will have to pay it back with interest.

As the chief advisor of the Provincial Military Commander's Mansion, Han Zhen naturally wouldn't do such a stupid thing.

Leave a line in life, so we can meet again later.

This is a common principle in the officialdom of the Yu Kingdom.

Han Zhen: "I have already conveyed Lord Xue's words, so I will not stay long."

Watching Han Zhen stand up.

Li Rui tried to persuade him to stay: "Younger Brother Han, the hour is still early. I have already ordered people to set up a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Tower. Let's have a couple of drinks."

Han Zhen smiled and waved his hand:

"Li Laoge, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. When you go to Yunzhou Prefecture, I will treat you to wine."

"Since that is the case, I will not keep Younger Brother Han."

Li Rui did not persuade him much more.

Persuasion depends on the person. If it were Lei Yong, he would certainly persuade him again and again, but if it were Han Zhen, he would stop at the right point, otherwise, it would cause displeasure and be counterproductive.

Li Rui personally sent Han Zhen out of the Anning Guard before returning home.

"Li Laoge, this is a great opportunity!"

Seeing Li Rui return, Ning Zhongtian said with shining eyes.

Guest of the Hou Fu.

This is no small matter.

It is equivalent to climbing onto Viceroy Yuan's connection; won't he take off in the future? And he just heard that Xue Gui will definitely help say a few words, so the possibility is very high.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "Fourth Brother, you have also heard it; you can also prepare. It is a good opportunity."

Although he was moved, he would not lose his composure because of it.

He would continue doing what he was doing.

Didn't he hear Han Zhen say it was still internal news? By the time it is truly announced to the world, it will be at least several months or half a year away.

It cannot be rushed.

Ning Zhongtian nodded: "Exactly."

Even if he cannot become a guest, it is a great opportunity to perform. If he performs well and is valued by Viceroy Yuan and taken as a disciple, wouldn't that be even more profitable?

He was even more glad that he had sworn brotherhood with Li Rui.

If not for this, how could he have known this news in advance?

Being prepared, the chance of success might be much higher.

Ning Zhongtian suppressed the excitement in his heart, no longer in the mood to sunbathe with Li Rui, and found an opportunity to trot home.

Li Rui smiled and shook his head.

Young people only need to see a goal to have passion.

"Little Zhao, let's eat."

Late at night.

Li Rui sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, closing his eyes and focusing his mind.

Introspection of his own body.

Ever since Foundation Establishment, the Immortal Xuan Qi in his body has changed greatly; its rank is terrifyingly high, almost identical to the Immortal Qi he obtained before!

The Immortal Xuan Qi wanders in his body, and wherever it goes, subtle changes occur. The combination of the Long-Life Art and the Dragon Roaming the Nine Heavens Diagram makes his vitality terrifyingly vigorous.

Li Rui is circulating the Immortal Xuan Qi to examine himself.

'There should be no hindrance.'

After wandering for several cycles, his thoughts stirred slightly.

The next instant.

The originally calm dantian suddenly rippled. Soon, the dantian began to churn, surging out like a tide, rushing toward his limbs and bones, and then returning to the dantian.

Cycle after cycle, endless reincarnation.

Li Rui had long been prepared for the changes in his body. He closed his eyes and focused, his expression peaceful, as if wandering in a sea of clouds, feeling happy and satisfied.

Soon.

A strange scene appeared.

The room, which was closed on all four sides, seemed to have a breeze blowing through it. His sleeves billowed, his hair and beard fluttered, as if riding the wind and controlling the void.

The dantian became more and more intense, with waves rolling, and faintly, one could hear the sound of the tide.

Li Rui opened his eyes, and a sharp light flashed through them.

"I wish to listen to the waves."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 276 =====