Chapter 2: Night Banquet at the Marquis's Mansion

"Nephew greets Uncle and Aunt..."

Li Mu bowed respectfully.

Feudal dynasties valued etiquette the most; losing etiquette meant being laughed at for having no upbringing at best, and losing one's life at worst.

Any behavior that exceeded the era's scope was irresponsible to oneself.

"We are all family, no need for such formalities!

In recent days, your uncle has been talking about you quite a bit.

In the blink of an eye, it's been five years, and Mu'er has grown into an adult.

Your cousins are all at the Tonghe Academy and won't be back until the end of the month.

These two are your younger cousins; what are you standing there for? Come over and greet your cousin."

Just as the Marquis's wife finished speaking, one big and one small girl walked out and greeted in unison:

"Greetings, Cousin!"

The older cousin was seven years old and was a bit shy and embarrassed.

The younger cousin was only four years old, her eyes spinning constantly, her face full of curiosity.

"Greetings, younger cousins!"

After simple pleasantries, the banquet began directly.

Feudal etiquette was everywhere; at the large table of dishes, only Li Mu and the Marquis of Zhenyuan enjoyed them.

The female relatives were directly in the backyard, opening another table.

……

"Mu'er, what is your view on the situation in the imperial court?"

As soon as the Marquis of Zhenyuan opened his mouth, Li Mu knew the examination had begun.

Mixing in the imperial court, one's ability might be mediocre, but one's political vision absolutely cannot be lacking.

The more they were political allies, the more they needed to understand each other.

The destructive power of a pig teammate was greater than that of an enemy's thousands of troops and horses.

"Chaotic!

The factions in the court are intricate and complex.

The pure stream and the eunuch party are fighting fiercely, and the conservatives and reformers are incompatible like fire and water.

Below, there are also the Zhe Party, Chu Party, Jin Party, Qin Party, Lu Party, Hui Party, Liaodong Faction... formed by region.

Almost all the high-ranking officials in the court have multiple labels, and their political stances can change at any time, making it difficult to give an accurate positioning.

Nephew is far away in Hanzhong and really cannot sort out the factions in the court.

However, the main conflict is between civil officials and eunuchs; we military generals have been weak for a long time and rarely participate in the struggles of various parties."

Li Mu replied frankly.

The complexity of the Great Great Dayu Dynasty's situation was comparable to the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Which party an official belongs to is often not something they can decide themselves, but is determined by their birth and location.

"To have this understanding, it seems you have indeed grown.

The situation in the capital is even more complex than what you see.

His Majesty wants to do too many things, and everyone can't keep up with the rhythm, which is why there is the current chaos.

However, the starting point is good, it's just that he is young and vigorous, and his actions are slightly impatient."

The Marquis of Zhenyuan's words startled Li Mu; it seemed like he was defending Emperor Tianyuan, but in reality, his tone was filled with thick resentment.

Although the Great Great Dayu Dynasty did not punish people for their words, directly criticizing the Emperor was still not a small trouble if it spread out.

Daring to speak openly, apart from the stimulation of alcohol, it was probably also because the dissatisfaction had accumulated to the limit.

Thinking of the series of operations after Emperor Tianyuan ascended the throne, Li Mu instantly expressed understanding.

After ascending the throne, the current Emperor couldn't wait to announce reforms and promulgated a series of policies.

"Retrenchment of Redundant Personnel," "Reform of the Imperial Clan System," "Imposition of Mining Taxes," "Reorganization of the Capital Camp"...

Looking at them individually, each reform was of great significance to the Great Great Dayu Dynasty.

As nobles deeply tied to the imperial court, they didn't want to see the situation slide and supported most of the reform measures.

For a time, Li Yuan was still a backbone of the reform faction, until the Emperor ordered the "Reorganization of the Capital Camp" last year.

At that time, Li Mu was still mourning in Hanzhong and didn't know the specific situation, but the final result was that the noble group suffered heavy losses.

According to the Emperor's will, the Capital Camp, with the Twelve Regiment Camps as the core, was reduced by 30% in establishment, and elite troops were drawn from the Capital Camp and border troops to form the Five Army Camp.

A purely military reorganization was not a big problem; the key point of conflict lay in personnel appointments.

The main generals of the Five Army Camp were mostly promoted from the border areas, and noble children only occupied marginal positions, almost excluded from the power center.

Even if the Emperor made appeasements afterwards, this kind of distrustful approach still chilled the hearts of the nobles.

The rift between the Emperor and the nobles was a good opportunity that the civil official group naturally wouldn't miss.

A large amount of resources tilted towards the Five Army Camp, and the noble group, which already had limited speaking power, saw its weight in the court further reduced.

With core interests damaged, the nobles who had firmly supported the Emperor also had subtle changes in their stances.

"Uncle, please rest assured.

Coming to the capital this time, I am just here to take up my post, and other matters have nothing to do with me.

Apart from waiting for the court's appointment, I will stay in the mansion for the rest of the time!"

Li Mu immediately stated his position.

He didn't dare to touch sensitive topics involving the Emperor.

As one of the representatives of the noble group in the court, it was fine for the Marquis of Zhenyuan to complain after drinking, but that didn't mean he, a small pawn, could discuss it too.

"As long as you know the stakes, you don't need to stay in the mansion all day.

Some relatives and old friends still need to be visited and maintained, so the relationship doesn't fade.

For fellow villagers, you can selectively visit them according to the actual situation.

Now you are not yet an official of the imperial court, so there is no need to avoid these normal human interactions too much.

The starting point of the Hanzhong Guard Battalion Commander is not bad, but the development is too limited to go further.

In a few days, I will arrange for you to meet some powerful figures among the nobles.

There is a vacancy for three Thousand-Household officers in the Five Cities Military and Horse Division, and His Majesty intends to select them publicly; I am prepared to recommend you to go and try, and then be sent out after a few years."

Li Yuan said with a smile.

It could be seen that he was very satisfied with Li Mu's performance.

"Uncle, wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?"

Li Mu said with a troubled face.

In the Hanzhong area, he was a prominent figure as a Guard Battalion Commander, and everyone had to give him some face.

The situation changed when he was in the capital; in this world where powerful people walked everywhere, he was nothing.

Everyone wanted to climb up, but one had to consider the actual situation.

In his previous life, he was just a 996 corporate slave, and his understanding of politics was very limited.

Observing from the outside, he might be able to analyze the pros and cons and see the truth, but once he was deep in the game, it was hard to say.

Even with the support of the Marquis's mansion's political resources, a nephew was ultimately not a son.

Providing an opportunity was fine, but wanting long-term political resource support was being too ignorant.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion had been passed down to the present, with many branches, and there were eight branches of clansmen in the capital alone.

There were dozens of distant nephews like Li Mu, and it was impossible to take care of them all.

"I know you have concerns, no need to worry too much, just listen to my arrangements!

The capital is not like the local area; although the situation here is complex, the platform is big enough, and there are plenty of opportunities inside.

Twenty years of hard work in the local area is not as good as five years of struggle in the capital.

Even if the official position doesn't change when you are sent out, the connections you make in the capital will benefit you for a lifetime.

……"

Determining that his uncle was serious, Li Mu could only dispel the idea of refusal.

It seemed like the rank had dropped, but capital officials had always been more valuable than local officials, and real positions were even harder to come by.

This kind of opportunity, if placed outside, would be fought over until heads were broken; refusing again would be ungrateful.

Seedlings are out, please take care of them.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3 =====