Chapter 311

Compared to his previous two trips to the capital, Li Mu is undoubtedly a hot commodity now.

His high position and great power are one aspect, but the key is his ability to lead others to success as well.

A crowd of military officers and nobles all want to get on his good side.

Because of his current jurisdiction, many civil officials from the southeastern regions have also come over to build connections.

The stream of visitors arriving every day is endless.

He received so many gifts that it didn't take long for his residence in the capital to be packed full.

Frankly speaking, this residence is completely mismatched with his current status.

He hasn't purchased a new estate because he is waiting for the imperial court to provide benefits.

According to past precedents, the imperial court always grants a mansion for such military peerage.

The imperial court may be short on money, but that doesn't mean it lacks mansions.

Many confiscated mansions are off-limits to ordinary people due to regulations.

Housing prices in the capital have never been cheap.

Since there is free welfare housing, there is no need to flaunt his wealth.

Staying in a small residence for now can also make him appear as an incorruptible official.

Although incorruptibility isn't a bonus for military officers, he still needs to keep up appearances.

"Master, Young Master Sen, Young Master Lai, and Young Master Long have come to visit!"

The steward's voice rang out, awakening Li Mu's long-forgotten memories.

Frankly speaking, these three cousins of his are also victims of bad luck.

Previously, because there was no legitimate heir, the Marquis of Zhenyuan had always been very strict with their education.

Although they couldn't be considered exceptionally gifted, they were quite decent among their peers.

Unfortunately, with the birth of the legitimate heir, all their previous efforts became futile.

Neither the imperial laws nor the Li clan would allow for the deposition of a legitimate heir in favor of a concubine's son.

Having lost their right to succession, they are now just ordinary sons of a concubine in the Marquis's mansion, and their status is far worse than before.

Fortunately, the three of them are young, and the previous struggle wasn't too intense.

In this competition for the Marquis's heir, they didn't do anything out of line.

Otherwise, their current situation would be even more awkward.

It's a pity that while they didn't stir up trouble themselves, they couldn't stop their birth mothers and maternal families from doing so.

The interests of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion are too great; under normal circumstances, this family fortune is something they could never reach in a lifetime of struggle.

For the sake of these interests, the inner courtyard has never known peace. Coupled with the deliberate indulgence of the Marchioness, there has been no shortage of scandals.

Struggles in noble families are cruel.

Before the heir was decided, everyone pretended not to see anything for the sake of the three of them.

With the conclusion of the struggle for the heir, the situation changed. The lids that had been kept on were all pried open.

Li Mu isn't very clear about exactly what happened, but the Marquis's mansion has dealt with quite a few people in recent years.

The Marchioness didn't deliberately target the three of them, but their birth mothers' downfall still made their situation in the mansion awkward.

"Bring them over!"

Li Mu said with a smile.

He has no interest in getting involved in the disputes of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion. In essence, he is still the biggest beneficiary of the mansion's internal strife.

Since entering officialdom, he has frequently used the mansion's political resources. Every exceptional promotion during this period was fueled by those political resources.

In this process, military merit certainly played an important role. But in the Great Dayu Dynasty, where class is solidified, power is inherited through bloodlines.

Without the full support of the Marquis's mansion, he would still be stuck in Hanzhong serving as a Guard Commander. Even with a thousand talents, he would have had no room to display them.

"Greetings, Cousin Mu!"

As they spoke, the three of them bowed respectfully to Li Mu.

Among the younger generation of the family, Li Mu has long since become a legend. Coming from a collateral branch is never a problem in the face of success.

The imperial edict conferring his title has already been issued to the world; he is just waiting for the ceremony in two days to become the Marquis of Hanshui of the Great Dayu Dynasty.

Influenced by this, the Li clan will also enter an era of two mansions standing side by side. Their influence in the imperial court and among the public will increase significantly.

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

"Your uncle intends for you to gain experience in the military; do you have any preferred places you'd like to go?"

Li Mu asked with concern.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan could arrange for a few people to join the military himself. Pushing them toward Li Mu clearly shows he wants him to mentor these three cousins.

Political resources cannot be taken for free, and now it is time to give back. Taking care of one's own family is a matter of course.

However, such matters mainly depend on personal preference.

The next few years will be the highlight for the noble group. Given their status, there are too many opportunities to choose from.

Whether following their father or following him, their cousin, there is plenty of room for development.

"We have discussed this with our father, and none of us have a clear preference; Cousin, please arrange it as you see fit."

Li Sen spoke up first to answer.

The military branches of the Great Dayu Dynasty are not strictly divided, and commanders are trained to be all-rounders. Taking Li Mu as an example, he has infantry, cavalry, artillery, and a navy under his command.

Specialized technology is indeed needed, but the imperial court's requirements are not high, or rather, the higher-ups don't value it at all.

The imperial court doesn't play with checks and balances regarding military branches, so Li Mu naturally won't stir up trouble. Combined operations of all branches are far stronger than a single branch.

For military officers, compared to the choice of branch, the location of their posting is even more important.

At present, the military power of the noble faction is mainly concentrated in the south and the capital; although there are some troops in the north, their combat effectiveness is truly worrying.

In times of war, military merit is the ladder to climb upward. If one wants to develop in the military, one must naturally go to the units with the strongest combat effectiveness.

"If I am to arrange it, you must start from the grassroots to gain experience.

One step at a time, climbing up slowly from the bottom.

It's not too late to regret it now; once you enter the military, there will be no turning back!"

Li Mu said with a serious expression.

Having studied military knowledge does not mean one is a qualified commander.

Many things in the military must be learned on the battlefield. Theoretical knowledge can only accelerate the growth process.

Suddenly occupying a high position and losing the process of growth and learning might look like a smooth career path, but in reality, it is planting landmines for oneself.

At other times, one can brag as much as one wants, but now is a time of war. On the battlefield, lack of ability will only harm others and oneself.

"Cousin, can we take on civil positions?"

Li Lai asked, looking depressed.

In previous years, the world was at peace, and the civil official group was at its peak. Influenced by the broader context, the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion was also striving to shift from military to civil.

The three brothers started by studying civil subjects and even took great scholars as their teachers.

No one expected the situation to change so quickly. Before they could earn their fame, the world fell into chaos.

In troubled times, martial arts have a better future than civil studies.

The political resources of the Marquis's mansion are mainly concentrated in the military; only by developing in the military can they be provided with sufficient support.

"You can, but the ceiling is not high.

There is an unwritten rule in the imperial court: a family can only have one main line in either civil or military paths, and they are not allowed to advance in both simultaneously.

Unless our Li family abandons everything in the military, the highest limit for you on the civil official path is Rank Four, and it will most likely be a sinecure."

Li Mu answered frankly.

The Great Dayu Dynasty has been passed down for over 270 years without any powerful official usurping the throne, the biggest reason being the checks and balances formed in the system.

No matter how illustrious a family is, they can only choose one between the civil official path and the military officer path.

Superimposed with the national policy of controlling the military with civil officials, civil officials have long held the reins of power.

Without troops in their hands, no matter how powerful a civil official is, they have no ability to usurp the throne.

"Cousin Mu, our abilities are limited; reaching Rank Four can already be considered a decent future."

Li Lai said in a low voice.

Past ambitions are completely not worth mentioning in the face of cruel reality.

Developing in the military might be fast in the beginning, but once you reach the later stages, it is equally riddled with difficulties.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan is about to serve as a high-ranking regional official, and Li Mu, this Marquis of Hanshui, will also take this step in the future.

The Li family's influence in the military will reach a terrifying height.

With the lesson of the Liaodong Garrison, the imperial court will surely learn its lesson. It will not allow one family or surname to hold the reins of military power.

Besides the suppression from the imperial court, there are also problems within the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion.

Before the legitimate heir grows up, the Marchioness will not allow them, these sons of concubines, to grow too fast and threaten the legitimate heir's status.

For the sake of orderly succession in the Marquis's mansion and to prevent them from harboring improper thoughts, the Marquis himself will not give them too many political resources.

"Don't rush to decide this matter yet; the three of you are still young, and your perspective on problems is too narrow.

Just follow me to the local regions to see for yourselves first; once you have thought it through, then make a decision.

Whether you choose civil or military, I can make arrangements for you.

How far you can go depends most crucially on your own abilities!"

Li Mu said earnestly.

If the troubled times were to end quickly, this choice wouldn't be bad.

But he doesn't think highly of the future of the Great Dayu, or rather, he doesn't think Emperor Yongning has the ability to pacify the troubled times.

Referring to history, one knows that once the world falls into chaos, it enters the late stage of a dynasty.

Even if the rebellion can be pacified, it will only linger for a few more years.

In history, only the Han and Tang dynasties achieved a revival after experiencing troubled times.

That was because they were lucky enough to encounter a revivalist monarch who turned the tide.

More dynasties simply slid into the abyss after encountering setbacks.

If the situation in the world cannot be reversed, then mastering as many troops as possible is the best strategy to deal with the situation.

Of course, if the three of them still choose the civil path, he won't stop them.

Military officers have more advantages in the future, but they also need to bear higher risks.

All kinds of accidents can happen on the battlefield, and it's not just one or two noble sons who have died in battle.

This explosion of talent among the nobles seems to show signs of returning to their peak, but this is just an illusion.

Many people's merits contain a lot of exaggeration.

They have indeed made many military contributions, but in essence, they are just executors of orders.

Their ability to lead troops into battle independently has yet to be verified.

It's not that Li Mu doesn't give them opportunities to train; it's mainly due to political needs. The noble group must control the military as soon as possible, and there isn't that much time to cultivate them.

One after another, after making military contributions, they were transferred away from his command.

Besides deliberately showing the outside world that he is not hoarding troops to bolster his own power, it is also a need for group interests.

Relatively speaking, the batch of noble sons who followed him early on has the highest overall quality.

The outside world didn't think as highly of him, so their requirements for these people weren't as high, and they had more time to be cultivated in the military.

Subsequent situations changed; Li Mu made a name for himself, and all parties became eager for quick success.

After seeing successful cases, many people forgot the cruelty of war, and some noble families even sent their heirs over.

Li Mu rejected the group of people who were just there to slack off, but the overall quality is still on a downward trend.

Among the many noble sons, the abilities of Li Sen, Li Lai, and Li Long do not have an advantage.

At least up to now, they haven't shown any outstanding qualities in military affairs.

After the small interlude, Li Mu remained busy.

The ceremony for conferring his title is imminent, and a series of cumbersome rituals are waiting for him to learn.

During this period, there were also a large number of guests coming to visit or sending invitations; he turned down most of these social engagements, but there were still some he couldn't avoid.

He stayed busy until the grand ceremony, which finally ended this high-frequency socializing.

Facts proved that the Imperial Observatory still had some tricks up its sleeve.

He doesn't know if the chosen auspicious day was actually auspicious, but at any rate, the heavens were very kind, and it was a clear sky from the start.

As the protagonists, Li Mu and the Marquis of Wuyang arrived at the scene early, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

"Marquis, did you not sleep well last night?"

Looking at the Marquis of Wuyang, who was yawning repeatedly, Li Mu asked with a puzzled expression.

In the Great Dayu noble system, military peerage is undoubtedly the highest tier, and the conferring ceremony is the grandest.

The imperial court is short on funds and cut quite a bit of the budget, but the scene was still grand.

Regardless of the regulations or the importance placed on it by the imperial court, it is far beyond what other noble conferrals can compare to.

The more importance placed on it, the less room there is for mistakes.

"When one gets old, the body just doesn't hold up anymore."

The Marquis of Wuyang said with slight embarrassment.

Li Mu has many social engagements, but he has even more.

Besides daily socializing, he also has to appease the group of wives and concubines at home.

When he was sent out initially, the two Guang regions were in a state of war, so it was naturally impossible to bring his family along to take up the post.

After being separated for a long time, it's inevitable that after returning...

Because he was too excited, he was tossing and turning late last night, which affected his state today.

To stay alert, he even specially held a slice of ginseng in his mouth when he left the house.

"You are in your prime, so you shouldn't call yourself old.

Next, you will have to preside over the recovery of Nanjing, so you mustn't wear yourself out."

Li Mu teased, pretending not to know.

Lust is a blade; once you get hooked, don't think you can easily let go.

Of course, there is also an element of jealousy involved.

Having a house full of wives and concubines also requires a threshold; not everyone is qualified to take a bunch of concubines.

As a model of political marriage, the status of the legitimate heir must be guaranteed.

Before the birth of a legitimate heir, he must restrain himself.

Countless beauties were sent to his door, but he could only politely decline.

Yet he has been fighting abroad for years, a typical case of being together less and apart more, with simply no time to have children.

Fortunately, the Great Dayu Dynasty allows bringing family along to take up posts; otherwise, a miserable military officer like him would be in an even more awkward situation.

"Hmph!"

"Daring to laugh at me? I'll spread the word later that the Marquis of Hanshui intends to take a concubine.

There are plenty of families in the capital who want to marry into your family; by then, your threshold will be trampled by matchmakers.

I still have two distant nieces who are stunningly beautiful; do you want to marry them both?"

The Marquis of Wuyang retorted unceremoniously.

Indulging in the lap of luxury isn't his fault.

Facing the temptation of beauty, few normal men can hold out.

Especially after being separated for a long time, one needs intimacy even more.

"Marquis, this joke is not appropriate."

Li Mu refused immediately.

Taking concubines also has its ranks; different statuses correspond to different treatments.

If you take a woman from an ordinary family, you just take her. In this patriarchal society, it's no big deal.

The Marquis of Wuyang's distant nieces are different; no matter how distant the relationship is, this represents a marriage between two families.

Such high-status women belong to "noble concubines" and must be "married."

If the legitimate wife passes away, they have a chance to be promoted to the primary wife.

Marrying a "noble concubine" without the consent of one's own wife is a slap in the face to the Duke of Cheng's mansion.

Generally speaking, this operation only happens after the age of thirty without a legitimate heir.

In most cases, dukes and marquises take "good concubines" from ordinary families or "lowly concubines" of low status.

These people have low status, no maternal family support behind them, and will never be promoted.

"Two Marquises, His Majesty is coming."

Seeing that the two had veered off-topic, the eunuch on the side hurriedly reminded them.

(End of chapter)