Chapter 423: Commenting on merit and speaking in unison [Thank you! Bow again!]

"Father, why would Mother beat me?"

"Hmph! Why beat you? What do you think?"

The Emperor looked at Zhao Fang and asked.

"This major matter of diplomatic relations between the two countries, how can it be child's play? You say let Northern Liao send someone and they send?"

Looking at the Emperor's appearance in the bright yellow candlelight,

Zhao Fang stood up and walked to the Emperor's side, tugged at the Emperor's sleeve and said: "Father! That can't be Northern Liao saying it, and we agree! Since the founding of our Great Zhou, there has been no precedent of marrying a noble daughter to a foreign country!"

The Emperor threw the memorial onto the table and looked at his only son irritably: "Stop pulling, my sleeve is about to be torn by you! Did I agree?"

Zhao Fang said in surprise: "Ah? Father, you didn't agree?"

After speaking, Zhao Fang's eyes turned, looked at the Emperor and whispered: "Father, you... didn't want to form a friendship between the two countries from the beginning?"

The Emperor raised the corners of his mouth, picked up the memorial from the imperial desk again, unfolded it, lowered his eyes and continued to look at it.

"Father, you really think so!"

"Also right, if a friendship between the two countries is really formed, it won't be convenient to take action in the future!"

"Father, what are you looking at, the sky is dark and the lights are dim, let me read it for you!"

The Emperor reached out and handed the memorial over.

Zhao Fang, while organizing the memorial to facilitate his reading, said: "Father, are you saying Mother was teasing me?"

"Your mother is teaching you, don't listen to the wind and rain, you must think and check more."

Zhao Fang nodded, holding the memorial, cupping his hands in a salute like a court official: "Thank you, Father, for your instruction."

The Emperor's mouth raised slightly, and he raised his eyebrows lightly, obviously very satisfied.

After Zhao Fang stood up, he began to read the memorial in his hand: "Father, is this the memorial from the Ministry of Personnel evaluating the merit of the soldiers at the front? Where have you read to?"

The Emperor said 'En', and pointed at the memorial Zhao Fang unfolded.

Zhao Fang took a look and said: "En, Duke of England Zhang the eldest son... Father has already seen it?"

The Emperor nodded.

Zhao Fang then read aloud:

"Zhongliang Lang (Military Rank Grade 28) Xu Zaiduan accumulated military merit, proposed to be promoted to Wuyi Physician (Military Rank Grade 22)"

"Fang'er, stop for a moment."

"Father?"

The Emperor shook his head and said: "This group of officials from the Ministry of Personnel, really! Add another grade to the Xu family's eldest son, to Wuyi Physician (Military Rank Grade 21)"

"Yes, Father."

Saying this, Zhao Fang put the memorial on the imperial desk and added a few strokes.

Zhao Fang continued to read in a crisp voice.

"Military rank Lang (Military Rank Grade 38) Zhu Qinghu, accumulated military merit proposed to be promoted to Yiwei Lang (Military Rank Grade 30)"

"..."

"Dunwu Lang (Military Rank Grade 43) Di Jing accumulated military merit proposed to be promoted to Wugong Lang (Military Rank Grade 35)."

"Dunwu Lang, Zhang Fangsong accumulated military merit, proposed to be promoted to Wuxian Lang (Military Rank Grade 37)"

"Dunwu Lang, Zhang Fangling accumulated military merit, proposed to be promoted to Military rank Lang (Military Rank Grade 38)"

"..."

"Xiuwu Lang (Military Rank Grade 44) Guo Kui, accumulated military merit, proposed to be promoted to Wulue Lang (Military Rank Grade 39)"

"Xiuwu Lang Yue He"

"Hmm, this Guo Kui, Yue He and these few, Fang'er, do you still remember them?" The Emperor said.

Zhao Fang nodded: "Father, I remember, they were all military men recommended by Jing Ge'er."

The Emperor smiled: "Add a grade too."

"Yes! Thank you, Father..."

Zhao Fang's face was full of smiles and he wrote a few strokes.

Actually, this is the difference between ordinary military men and the children of meritorious families.

The military rank Grade 44 'Xiuwu Lang' is a watershed for military men.

It can be understood that from this Grade 44 upwards, the status of military men has changed greatly; in today's words, it means that these people are no longer non-commissioned officers but officers.

The time Zhang the third son and fourth son joined the army under Marquis Yongyi was several months later than Guo Kui.

But because of their background, the starting point of the two Duke's Mansion children was Dunwu Lang!

This was still because the Duke of England deliberately suppressed it.

Zheng Xiao was roughly the same under General Zheng Jun.

Their starting point was twelve grades higher than Guo Kui.

Zhao Fang continued to read down:

"Congyi Lang (Military Rank Grade 45) Lu Junyi, accumulated battle merit, proposed to be promoted to Wu Yilang (Military Rank Grade 42)"

"Congyi Lang Wu Song, accumulated battle merit, proposed to be promoted to Xiuwu Lang (Military Rank Grade 44)"

"Bingjie Lang (Military Rank Grade 46) Fang Ding..."

"Li Tianrun"

"Deng Yuanjue"

"Father?" Zhao Fang looked at the Emperor with full hope.

The Emperor nodded helplessly.

Zhao Fang was busy writing again.

Having experienced battle, Wu Song, Deng Yuanjue, and others had already turned from soldiers into officers.

If there were no war against Bai Gao, even if they were outstanding in the army, they would have to grind from the bottom to the top to have a chance of promotion; there is a chance, not necessarily a promotion.

And now,

they went to the north after competing with Jin Kingdom warriors at the polo field this year.

In less than ten months,

those of them with ability had already walked the road of others for seven or eight years with their heads on their belts, and became Great Zhou military officers.

The Emperor looked at Zhao Fang who had finished changing, and when Zhao Fang was about to continue reading, the Emperor said: "Fang'er, stop here."

Zhao Fang paused: "Ah? Father, I haven't found Jing Ge'er..."

The Emperor smiled and took out a folded memorial from the imperial desk and handed it to Zhao Fang: "The Xu family boy is in this memorial."

Zhao Fang hurriedly took it and flipped through it quickly.

Although Xu Zaijing is a squad leader under his father's command in the Northwest Army, managing a dozen or so people under him, this is his position, not his military rank.

Besides, when he went to the Northwest, both the Emperor and the Empress knew.

So Xu Zaijing's military rank when entering the army was Wu Yilang (Grade 42), and He Guan, who 'protected' Xu Zaijing, had the same military rank after many years in the army.

Zhao Fang looked at the memorial and read carefully: "Wu Yilang Xu Zaijing, battle merit is outstanding, proposed to be promoted to Wuyi Da... Gongwei Lang??? (Grade 32)..."

Zhao Fang said urgently: "Father! Jing Ge'er blocked the enemy and entered Xingqing Prefecture, the Ministry of Personnel proposed to promote him to Wuyi Physician (Grade 20, which is a promotion of twenty grades) isn't that quite good? Why did you cross it out?"

Saying this, Zhao Fang also pointed to the place where the Emperor crossed out on the memorial.

The Emperor raised the corners of his mouth and said: "Fang'er, look down."

Zhao Fang looked down as told.

"Wu Yilang He Guan battle merit is outstanding, proposed to be promoted to Gongwei Lang"

"Wu Yilang Yin Qingyun... proposed to be promoted to Youwu Lang (Military Rank Grade 34)"

"... Alan Sanwu proposed to be promoted to Wu Yilang..."

"Wang Yan proposed to be promoted to..."

"An Woyi proposed to be promoted to..."

"..."

Looking at the memorial, the scouts under Xu Zaijing and the Great Zhou soldiers who entered Xingqing Prefecture with him, the span of their promotion was very large, larger than the young masters of the Duke of England's family.

Zhao Fang said hesitantly: "Father, you... divided the merit?"

The Emperor nodded: "Fang'er, this military rank has an end! It must be rewarded slowly... it's better to convert those military merits into silver money for him."

Zhao Fang nodded solemnly.

"Besides, the Xu family boy doesn't seem to care about these things."

Zhao Fang looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor looked at the memorial in Zhao Fang's hand and said: "Our Great Zhou does not value civil over military! But speaking of it... it is still governing the military with civil officials."

"Military merit is not hard to obtain for the Xu family boy, but he will enter the center in the future, and eventually he must have a good background! Must be famous on the list!"

Zhao Fang nodded: "Father is right! It's getting late, Father, let's go back!"

"En!"

The Emperor nodded and stood up from the dragon chair.

On the way back to the sleeping palace,

in the windless corridor, every few steps there was a female official carrying a bright yellow lantern.

The father and son walked slowly: "Fang'er, after this year you will sleep by yourself, are you afraid?"

"Father, I am not afraid."

"Father, will the soldiers in the Northwest return before the New Year?"

The Emperor's beard on his lips moved and said: "The weather is too cold."

"Oh! When they come, I want to invite them to dinner."

The Emperor laughed: "Then will you drink wine?"

"If Father allows, I will drink a few bowls."

The Great Eunuch following the two listened to the conversation between the father and son with a smile,

although the Great Eunuch had seen this scene many times,

but every time he saw it, his heart always felt warm.

Before there were imperial princes,

when the Emperor returned to the sleeping palace after handling government affairs, his waist and back were always hunched, looking lonely and depressed, and he would sigh from time to time.

Not long after the imperial prince was born,

the Emperor's figure carried a hurried taste.

Now,

the back figure has become the father and son,

the Great Eunuch wanted to laugh when he looked from behind.

The Emperor also seemed to have ushered in a second spring, full of energy all day long.

Before Bai Gao surrendered, the Great Eunuch felt the Emperor seemed to be a few years younger.

Thinking of these, the group had already arrived at the Empress's sleeping palace.

Zhao Fang stepped into the hall first and complained loudly to the Empress: "Mother, Father didn't agree..."

The next day,

before dawn,

Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion,

Gu Tingyu had already gone to court.

In an open space much smaller than the Xu family's horse racing track, the servant Zhique was standing on the side holding a lantern. 【42

"Woo! Woo-woo!"

The whistling sound of a staff being swung echoed in the open space.

At this moment,

Footsteps came from the veranda behind Zhique.

Zhique turned his head to look and then hurriedly bowed: "Marquis."

"Hmm."

Gu Yankai walked over with his hands behind his back.

Standing under the veranda, Gu Yankai looked at the figure moving and shifting in the open space and said in a low voice: "Does he get up this early every day?"

"Yes, Marquis. When it rains, the young master practices under the veranda."

Looking at the ground under the lantern light, where the color was different from the surroundings due to frequent stepping, Gu Yankai nodded.

Subsequently,

Gu Yankai walked to the weapon rack, picked out a long spear with a round head that had not been sharpened, and held it in his hand.

Slowly warming up,

Gu Yankai looked at Gu Tingye, who was standing to the side leaning on his spear, and said: "Come!"

Gu Tingye, eager to try, lifted the long spear off the ground with both hands, performed a spear flourish, and then struck towards Gu Yankai.

As the saying goes, fists fear the young and strong, while staffs fear the old veteran.

Gu Tingye had been practicing the spear for more than ten years, but compared to someone like Gu Yankai who had experienced battlefields, he was still much greener.

After a few moves,

Feeling the cold, blunt spearhead resting against his neck, Gu Tingye couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of cold saliva.

Gu Yankai withdrew the long spear: "Again!"

The sky brightened.

Gu Tingyi yawned and took the maid to his mother's hall to have breakfast.

Seeing Gu Yankai in the hall, Gu Tingyi was even slightly stunned.

It took a while of thinking before she realized that her father had returned to the residence.

Gu Tingyi felt the somewhat unusually quiet atmosphere in the hall: "Father, Mother, Sister-in-law."

After crouching slightly, Gu Tingyi sat down beside Pingmei at the table, winking at her sister-in-law.

Looking at her sister-in-law's eyes, Pingmei shook her head.

"Cough!"

Bai Shi coughed.

Gu Tingyi hurriedly picked up the spoon on the table and stirred the rice porridge in the soup bowl in front of her, looked up, and happened to see her mother glare at her father, Gu Yankai; her father also looked somewhat uncomfortable on his face.

Sheng family school,

The curtains in the room had already been pulled open,

The morning sunlight of winter shone in.

Scholar Zhuang lifted the cotton curtain and took off the ear muffs he was wearing on his ears.

Taking off his thick cloak and placing it to the side, Scholar Zhuang sat on the Arhat chair behind the table, scanned the room, and then looked curiously at Gu Tingye, who was sitting in the middle: "Yuan Erlang, what happened to your face?"

Gu Tingye, whose cheekbone was red and swollen, twitched his eyes in pain, stood up, squeezed out a smile, and said: "Scholar, the student was walking at home and accidentally stepped on ice and fell."

Scholar Zhuang looked at Gu Tingye: "It is better to be more careful in the future."

"Yes, Scholar!"

Scholar Zhuang nodded, waved his hand to signal Gu Tingye to sit down, and said: "The metropolitan examination is in February next year; you all have no chance to participate. Here are the questions from the provincial examination of the past two years, Changbai..."

Hearing the scholar's voice, Changbai handed the few sheets of paper on his table to Zaizhang first, and then passed them towards the back.

"You all."

Everyone bowed: "Yes, Scholar!"

Scholar Zhuang waved his hand and looked at the three Lan on the other side and said: "The homework for the three young ladies' calligraphy practice should also be handed in."

At noon,

The unfinished homework of Changbai, Xu Zaijing, and others was still left on the table.

Outside the school,

Gu Tingye pulled Xu Zaijing's arm and walked towards the courtyard gate, followed by Qingyun.

After waiting for a while in the outer courtyard of the Sheng family,

Gu Tingye's servant Zhique came over holding two sugar canes: "Young Master, do you think these two sugar canes bought on the side of the road are okay?"

"Fine, fine, fine! Give me the knife too!"

As he spoke, Gu Tingye took the sugar cane and dagger handed over by Zhique.

After roughly measuring, he used the dagger to whittle the two sugar canes to the length of a long spear and threw one of them to Xu Zaijing.

"Fifth Young Master, come, let's spar."

Xu Zaijing shook his head and said: "Ye Ge'er, you are not my opponent, let's forget it!"

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing threw the sugar cane in his hand back into Gu Tingye's arms.

Gu Tingye was stunned, looked at Xu Zaijing who turned and left, and said: "Hey, hey! Fifth Young Master! Stay! I am asking you for advice! I am asking an expert who has been on the battlefield for advice!"

Xu Zaijing turned around and smiled: "That's more like it."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing took the sugar cane again and said: "Come! Ye Ge'er, what do you want to ask for advice on?"

After a slow-motion sparring session between the two,

Gu Tingye frowned and said: "Fifth Young Master, why are you just like my father, not defending your chest at all, and just stabbing straight at my face like that! You lost this one!"

Xu Zaijing: "Ye Ge'er, let's do it slowly one more time, you think carefully about who lost."

After sparring, Gu Tingye hesitated and said: "I won! My spear butt poked your chest a split second faster than you hit my face, Fifth Young Master!"

Xu Zaijing shook his head helplessly, and then raised his chin towards Qingyun.

Qingyun, who understood on the side, bowed and explained: "Second Young Master, on the battlefield, everyone wears armor; the place you poked is exactly the position of the heavy chest armor! My young master poked the face; even with a face mask, one would be stunned."

"It is my young master who won!"

Xu Zaijing on the side, while whittling the sugar cane with Zhique's dagger, said: "Ye Ge'er, don't you wear armor when you exercise?"

Gu Tingye's eyes drifted: "Hiss! It's early in the morning, the armor is frozen cold, how can I wear it?"

"That's why you can't comprehend it!"

After finishing, Xu Zaijing returned the dagger to Zhique and walked towards the school with the whittled snow-white sugar cane.

The next day,

Gu Tingyi yawned again and entered the hall for breakfast.

After scanning the room,

Today, her mother Bai Shi's face looked even worse.

After bowing to her family, she sat down at the table, and Gu Tingyi saw a small patch of purple-red on her father's face, who was facing away from her.

"Father, what happened to your face?"

"Eat!"

Bai Shi said softly.

Perhaps because it snowed too much last year,

This year, Bianjing only had two snowfalls after the beginning of winter,

It was already the end of the eleventh lunar month and almost the twelfth lunar month, yet not a single snow had fallen.

Bianjing outer city,

On the city wall of the tall Wansheng Gate, the city-guarding soldiers looked at the smoke and dust rising in the distance.

After a long while,

A line of elite cavalry, not wearing armor and wearing cold-weather masks made of silk or cotton, stopped their horses outside the city.

The knights looked at the towering city gate,

Two of the knights wearing cold-weather masks, whose faces could not be seen clearly, looked at each other and said in unison: "It shouldn't have been born yet, right?"

(End of chapter)