Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2664 Northern Camp, Imperial Edict of Reward

Great Jin Dynasty, Youzhou.

The northerly wind, whipping up snowflakes, swept across the drill ground in front of Xue Rengui, the Grand Protector of Youzhou who was fighting against the Tang Dynasty, like a knife.

The tattered banner bearing the character "Xue" atop the flagpole fluttered wildly in the cold wind, like the final roar of a trapped beast.

In the very center of the training ground, hundreds of armored soldiers stood solemnly, their bodies stained with the indelible smell of gunpowder and blood, like a forest of iron cast from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The air was heavy and stagnant, with only the sound of wind howling and flags rustling, and heavy breathing exhaling puffs of white mist.

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, shattering the deathly silence. A procession of imperial guards, dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, escorted a vermilion-wheeled carriage, rolling across the frozen, hardened dirt road, and arrived at the foot of the reviewing stand.

The golden gourd, the battle-axe, and the tally gleamed with a blinding cold light in the snow.

The head eunuch, dressed in a scarlet robe and jade belt, with a fair complexion and no beard, stepped down from the carriage with the help of a palace attendant. He held a scroll of imperial edict wrapped in bright yellow brocade with cloud patterns in his hands and walked with solemn steps up the wooden steps of the command platform.

Behind him followed two young eunuchs carrying gilded trays covered with bright yellow silk, their long outlines barely visible.

Standing in the center of the command platform was Xue Rengui, the Grand Protector-General who was tasked with suppressing the Tang Dynasty. He was not wearing a cloak, but only a worn white general's robe.

"Imperial decree has arrived...!" The eunuch's sharp, drawn-out voice pierced through the wind and snow, striking everyone's eardrums.

"Wow!"

Hundreds of armored soldiers knelt down in unison, the sound of their armor plates colliding merging into a deep, metallic roar that seemed to make the frozen ground beneath their feet tremble.

On the vast white earth, snowflakes were stirred up and fell softly.

Xue Rengui took a deep breath, letting the biting air, carrying the chill of the north, fill his lungs.

He lifted his battle uniform and slammed his right knee heavily onto the cold wooden board of the command platform, making a dull thud.

The eunuch unfurled the imperial edict; the bright yellow silk shone dazzlingly against the gloomy sky and the grim military formation.

He cleared his throat and began to read the imperial edict in a deliberately drawn-out, melodious tone.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that the celestial phenomena rely on the North Star to regulate the heavens; the stability of the land depends on the valiant generals to pacify the borders. Xue Li, courtesy name Rengui, the Grand Protector-General who led the campaign against Tang, rose from humble beginnings, possesses a resolute and unyielding nature, harbored ambitions of abandoning his pen for the sword in his youth, and has since acquired the skill of shooting tigers..."

"He is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Hedong County, with a fief of ten thousand households, hereditary for three generations, and appointed General Who Conquers the East, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and his portrait is to be enshrined in the Lingyan Pavilion..."

This unexpected imperial edict at the end of the year was to reward Xue Rengui and his generals, and also to assign Xue Rengui the tasks for the next stage.

After all, Xue Rengui not only completed the Northern Expedition within a year, but also recovered Ji, You, Qing and half of Yanzhou, a total of three and a half prefectures.

Moreover, starting in May of this year, they have recovered the remaining counties of Youzhou that were in the hands of the Li Tang, except for Lelang. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of the southern part of the Li Tang peninsula has also fallen into their hands.

Now that we've decided to proceed cautiously, it's time to reward the soldiers.

Xue Rengui's previous title was Marquis of a Township. This time, he was promoted one rank and granted the title of Marquis of a County, which is the highest rank that a non-royal subject can reach.

As for his task, it was to reorganize the troops currently stationed in Youzhou into the Northern Camp.

Even excluding the task of blockading the Li Tang dynasty, this army was intended from the outset to be stationed in the north for an extended period. This force was not only tasked with blocking the Li Tang, but also with delivering the final blow to completely destroy it once the Li Tang had declined.

At the same time, Li Xiang quickly adjusted the current troop structure, reducing the number of excess infantry and using the remaining military funds to arm more cavalry.

In the Central Plains, there were indeed many siege battles. Therefore, although the Jin army's cavalry was powerful, nearly 80% of its troops were still infantry.

This type of infantry and cavalry structure is naturally not a problem in battles in the Central Plains.

However, it is not ideal for dealing with grasslands.

After all, Li Xiang's goal regarding the Yuan Mongols was not merely to reclaim half of Liangzhou and Xizhou, but to actively expand outwards.

Therefore, he was bound to adjust the proportion of cavalry in the army.

The cost of maintaining a cavalryman is quite different from the cost of maintaining an infantryman, so this is not a matter of mindlessly recruiting soldiers.

Instead, the goal was to reduce the number of old, weak, sick, and disabled infantrymen and adjust the size of the infantry force to save military spending to support more cavalry.

"He is hereby granted an iron certificate, to be kept in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, to be inscribed for ten generations. Unless he commits treason, he may be pardoned three times for his crimes... He is also granted a thousand catties of gold, a thousand bolts of Shu brocade, ten heavenly horses from the Imperial Garden, a precious sword, and the authority to act as an imperial envoy..."

As the eunuch read out each reward, a palace attendant behind him would step forward and respectfully lift the bright yellow silk cloth from the tray.

The golden gleam, the splendor of Shu brocade, and the "Pingyi" sword lying quietly within the brocade, its scabbard simple yet subtly gleaming with a cold light...

Everything on this desolate training ground shone with a breathtaking glory.

"You are hereby granted the title of Grand Master of the Three Excellencies, the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in the imperial court, the freedom to enter the court without hastening, and the right to be addressed without being named during ceremonies..."

"Thumbs up! Your heroic spirit will endure as long as the mountains and rivers!"

As the last few words of privilege were read aloud, even the official proclaiming the decree carried a subtle hint of awe in his voice.

Below the reviewing stand, hundreds of iron-willed men held their breath. To enter the palace with a sword and shoes, to enter the court without bowing, to be praised without being named! This was the ultimate honor a subject could attain! To be granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace, a rank equivalent to the Three Dukes!

Even Xue Rengui himself couldn't help but swallow hard!
Although he knew that those privileges were only granted superficially, and that the emperor's pronouncements didn't mean his officials could take them seriously. To take them seriously would truly be a path to death.

However, it is a symbol of status, honor, and favor!

The eunuch who was announcing the imperial decree closed the edict, held it firmly with both hands, and looked down at Xue Rengui, who was still kneeling on one knee with his head bowed. His voice regained its flat solemnity: "Xue Rengui, Marquis of Hedong County, receive the decree! Thank you for your grace!"

After Xue Rengui's imperial edict was read aloud, the eunuch briefly rested his throat before producing a second imperial edict, this one bestowing titles and rewards upon other generals.

As for the other generals, their rewards were not described in such detail as Xue Rengui's. They were first collectively praised, and then the results of the rewards were simply announced directly.

Everyone was satisfied except for Guo Ziyi, whose title was not only not promoted, but was also stripped, leaving him with only his official position.

Of course, Guo Ziyi was not here, but was serving in the Central Plains.

However, he was also one of the generals in the Northern Expedition, so his name appeared in this imperial edict instead of being given a separate edict.