Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The plaque of the General of Cavalry's Mansion was taken down and replaced with that of the Prince of Qi's Mansion. Several servants stood in front of the door and looked at it. They straightened their backs unconsciously. They just muttered to themselves that this place was not grand enough and they should move to a bigger place to suit their status as...the Prince of Qi.

Inside the mansion, the sounds of eating and drinking continued, but the voices of people talking gradually became quieter with Yu Cheng's pace. The pairs of eyes looking at the plain silk on the tray seemed to understand something, and excitement appeared on their faces.

Sitting in the main seat with a big horse and a golden sword, Lu Bu grabbed the wine bowl and drank it all, looking from left to right, and stood up after a moment.

"I have been crowned a king. Yesterday, the etiquette officer told me that I should call myself "Gu" from now on, but I didn't agree." He looked at Yang Pu, then looked away. He tugged at his sleeves, and his resonant voice shook the air: "I have worn armor and helmets longer than this set of brocade clothes!" He stretched out his arms and spread out his five fingers: "My hands have held weapons longer than pens."

"I can be promoted to the throne, but I..." He lowered his arm and glanced at the generals: "I will still lead you to fight, and I will still charge in the front."

boom--

All the seated generals stood up and clasped their fists in salute: "We are willing to follow the King of Qi to conquer the world."

"Yu Cheng."

He stretched out his arm to the side with his palm open, and the tall young man standing behind him hurriedly took out the tray of plain silk and placed it in his open hand.

"I have been crowned king, and the soldiers who followed me in the battles should also be rewarded." Taking the white silk, Lu Bu took two steps forward with a smile on his face. He swept his eyes across the ranks of generals and landed on Du Fu. "Du Fu, the Tiger Guard Lieutenant General, followed me from humble beginnings, fought in the north and south, worked hard and made great contributions. He was promoted to General of the North, granted the title of Right Guard, and stationed in Tongzhou."

Du Fu was startled for a moment. He had not expected that he would be the first one. Then he reacted and hurriedly stepped out, raising his hands: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Feng Tai's mouth was grinning as if he had been appointed a general. The other generals had no objection either. Du Fu's ability and contributions were first-class among them, so they would not object.

His eyes involuntarily looked at Du Fu and then focused on Lu Bu, revealing a vague desire.

A personal guard came up from behind holding the official seal and presented it to Du Fu with both hands. Du Fu took it and, listening to Lü Bu's voice, handed him the silk in his hand and said, "Work hard in the future. I hope to see you in charge of Huanglong Mansion in the future."

Du Fu took it with both hands, his face flushed and he grinned.

Lu Bu smiled with satisfaction, and slowly read out the names of the others: "Xiao Haili was promoted to General Pingxi, stationed in Xianzhou, and given the title of Right Guard; Xi Sheng was promoted to General Pingnan, stationed in Kaizhou, and given the title of Right Guard; Bian Xiang was promoted to General Pingdong, stationed in Shenzhou, and given the title of Middle Guard. Sun An was promoted to General Anbei, stationed in Hanzhou, and given the title of Left Guard; Mi Xian was promoted to General Anxi, stationed in Suizhou, and given the title of Middle Guard; Yuan Lang was promoted to General Annan, stationed in Dingzhou, and given the title of Left Guard; Shi Wengong was promoted to General Andong, stationed in Xianzhou, and given the title of Middle Guard."

The military positions on the list all exceeded what a prince could award, but no one had any objection. It was obvious that everyone understood it tacitly. Some even wished that the reward could be raised even higher to satisfy them.

"…Wang Zheng, the general in charge of the general's office, was appointed as the military advisor general; Hua Rong, the former lieutenant of the Shesheng Camp, was promoted to the Eastern Lieutenant General and was in charge of Yinzhou; Han Shizhong, the Sima of the other army, was promoted to the Northern Lieutenant General and was in charge of Liaozhou for his meritorious service in several battles; Lin Chong of the Xianzhen Camp was promoted to the Lieutenant General of the Yulin Army, and Tang Bin was promoted to the Lieutenant General of the Huben Army, and was stationed in Liaoyang Prefecture on weekdays; Lieutenant Han Qinghe was promoted to the Left Lieutenant General and was in charge of Xianzhou; Niu Wenzhong was promoted to the Right Lieutenant General and was in charge of the seven divisions of Hesu Hall; Wei Dingguo was promoted to the General of the Zhenjun Army and Shan Tinggui was promoted to the General of the Zhenhu Army, and both were at your service in front of the tent."

"The military commander Zeng Tu was specially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General of the Jurchens and sent to Tongzhou with the General of Pingbei; Wang De was promoted to Lieutenant General of the South and supervised Muzhou; Yu Cheng, the supervisor of the General of the Cavalry, was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Wuwei; E Quanzhong was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Army; Ma Ling was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Bandits; Yao Gang was promoted to General Zhenwei and Zheng Huai was promoted to General Zhenwu to serve in front of the tent."

Wang Zheng and others below had thoughtful expressions on their faces, and Lu Bu walked back to his seat and sat down.

"General Li Bao of Henghai, General Wei Zhaode of Louchuan, General Ruan Xiaoer of Linghai, General Ruan Xiaowu of Fuhai, General Ruan Xiaoqi of Yuehai, and General Hu Yanqing of Jinghai are in charge of the outer sea warfare and shipping; Zhang Shun was promoted to General Linhai, and together with General Zhang Heng of Gechuan, he is in charge of the inland river affairs."

Take a breath.

"…Yang Pu was promoted to be the Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites, in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites; Li Zhu and Qiao Lie were appointed as the left and right Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, and Li Yu was appointed as the Deputy Langzhong; Liu Min was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue, and Yang Minwei was appointed as the Deputy Langzhong; Gao Zhen was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment; Fang Xuedu and Wu Jiao were appointed as the left and right Langzhong of the Ministry of Warehouses, and Shi Gugong was appointed as the Deputy Langzhong of the Ministry of Warehouses; Li Ying and Jiang Jing were appointed as Langzhong in charge of the Ministry of Warehouses and the Ministry of Revenue, and three Deputy Langs were appointed, Hu Cheng, Du Xing, and Su Liang; Tao Zongwang was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works; Zhou Darong was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Food; Ye Qing was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Guests; Wu Hu was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Treasury; Zeng Nong was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Driving; Ye Chun was appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Water; Kou Wei and Ling Zhen were promoted as the Junior Supervisors of the General Works, in charge of the production and development of firearms."

"Appoint Zhang Lin as the chief physician, Ma Lin, Yang Lin, Feng Sheng, Sun Qi as the palace envoys, Zhu Gui, Zhu Fu, Dong Kai, Cao Zheng as the servants, and Jiang Wen as the chief physician."

"Your Majesty, are you planning to follow the example of the Sui and Tang dynasties and re-establish the court officials?"

Suddenly, a voice came from the newly appointed doctor of the Ministry of Rites, Yang Pu. He walked out slowly and bowed to Lu Bu: "Your Majesty, why don't you set up officials in the north and south like the Liao did, so as to win the hearts of the foreign tribes."

"I don't like those."

Lu Bu picked up the wine bowl and took a sip to moisten his throat. "The Liao court's implementation of the northern and southern official system seems to be that the Khitans rule the Khitans and the Han rule the Han, but in fact it divides the court into two. It's fine when it's strong, but if it declines, how can it not be divided into its own?"

He motioned Yu Cheng to get the list, and raised his hand to let Yang Pu sit back down. "I have read in history books that there were many people in the court of the Sui and Tang dynasties who were both Han and foreign. Although the Sui Dynasty was short, it was due to various reasons. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty proved that the idea of ​​recruiting talents from all over the world to serve one's own country was correct."

The roasted venison gave off an alluring aroma. Lu Bu looked around the people in the courtyard and said, "Although I am not talented, I know that we should gather talented people around us and work together, rather than dividing them into different levels and causing people to disperse. Now everything starts from scratch. Regardless of age or ethnicity, anyone with talent can get a position here. As for whether you can become a minister of one of the six ministries, or even go further, it all depends on your own ability. But if you are squeezed out by more talented people in the future, don't blame me for not cherishing our friendship."

"Your Majesty, you are joking. You have already lifted us to such a high position. If we cannot go up, it is our own fault. If we are pushed down, we deserve it!"

"That's right! The king has long said that we should promote people based on their talents. Those with abilities will be promoted, and those without abilities will be demoted. We must not let mediocrity block our way forward."

The few people below who were irritable started to shout. Lu Bu smiled with satisfaction again and continued to confer rewards that had been interrupted just now. He stood up and looked at everyone: "Moved Yang Bangyi to the position of Junior Inspector of Liaoyang Prefecture and granted him the title of Zuo Geng; promoted Lu Guan to the position of Yellow Gate Assistant Minister; promoted Wei He, the former Commandant of Yaozhou, to the position of Lieutenant General of Fujun, to accompany the army at will; promoted An Renmei to the position of Captain of Breaking Bandits, to accompany the army at will. Promoted Su Ding to the position of Captain of Yanghua, to accompany the army at will."

"Promote Feng Tai to Colonel of Tunqi; promote Niu Gao to Colonel of Xuanwei; promote Dong Ping to Colonel of Wumeng; promote Hu Yanzhuo to Colonel of Zhenwei; promote Teng Xun to Colonel of Huwei; promote Teng Kan to Colonel of Hulie; promote Huang Xin to Colonel of Shesheng, temporarily under the command of Hua Rong; promote Xu Wen to Colonel of Zhechong, temporarily under the command of Han Shizhong; promote Han Chang to Colonel of Jianwu, temporarily under the command of Han Qinghe."

"He promoted Lü Yan to be the General of the Central Army in charge of Agriculture, and placed Qin Sheng and Zeng Mi under his command."

"Promote Di Lei to Zhenwei Zhonglang Jiang, Ma Xi to Pinglu Xiaowei, Ma Jin to Taokou Xiaowei, and temporarily put them under Xi Sheng's command."

"Promote Lu Zhishen to the position of Infantry Colonel, Wen Zhongrong to the position of Zhaode Colonel, Liu Yun to the position of Polu Colonel, Mie Gong to the position of Ningyuan Colonel, Qin Ming to the position of Zhaolie Colonel, and temporarily put them under the command of Bian Xiang."

"Promote Shan Shiqi to the rank of Hengye Colonel, Chen Yun to the rank of Zhaowu Colonel, Liu Yuan to the rank of Jianzhong Colonel, Dong Xian to the rank of Xiaoqi Colonel, and Zhao Li to the rank of Wuya Colonel, and temporarily put them under the command of Mi Xian."

"Pan Zhong was promoted to Wufen Colonel, Guan Sheng was promoted to Dangkou Colonel, Jing Chao was promoted to Fenwei Colonel, Shangguan Yi was promoted to Fenwu Colonel, and Wang Jun was promoted to Guangwei Colonel, and they are temporarily under Sun An's command."

"The rest of you will be promoted one rank and one grade of nobility."

……

This banquet, no matter how you look at it, reveals that they are preparing for the next step. Although the highest rank of a military officer is Siping, and the civil officials are Langzhong, it is this approach of leaving room for maneuver that makes the civil and military officials below red-eyed. As Lu Bu just said, the stage is set, whether it can win a full house depends on their own ability.

"That's it for now. Don't touch the rest. I'll reward you later if you have made any contributions."

Lu Bu waved his hand to signal Zhou Darong to come over: "The venison is almost ready. You, the newly appointed doctor of the Ministry of Food, should do the job of dividing the meat again."

Zhou Darong's chubby face was flushed, and his hands were trembling slightly: "It is my duty to serve the king. No, I am willing to serve the king for my whole life."

"How can you do that? However, you are in charge of the imperial chefs. You should train some talented people in the future." Lu Bu laughed and pointed at the crowd below: "In the future, more people may come to the banquet. You can't be the only one who can do it."

"That can't be possible." Zhou Darong patted his chest, the fat on his face trembling with excitement: "I will definitely live up to your expectations."

Lu Bu gave a signal, and the man went down with a sharp knife to cut open the deer, which was dripping with fat. The fattest part was naturally given to the King of Qi who was sitting in the main seat, while the strong left and right shoulders were given to Du Fu and Wang Zheng, and the deer chest was given to the doctors from various departments present today, and then he went down in order.

"He is quite a smart guy."

Lu Bu looked at the fat figure busying himself there and smiled. Yu Cheng from the back brought the list of rewards that had not yet arrived, called the guard, and asked him to wait for the fast horse to go out, take the reward silk and official seal, and set off immediately to deliver them to everyone.

The atmosphere below was becoming more and more heated. Many rough guys opened their collars and started drinking. When they were having a good time, Yao Gang and Feng Tai started arguing for some reason. They stood up and walked to the front to decide the winner in sumo wrestling.

“…How shameful.”

Yang Pu looked at Feng Tai and Yao Gang, who had taken off their armor and shirts and were bare-chested, with a look of disapproval on his face. He was about to stand up to stop them, but Li Zhu beside him quickly pulled him back and said with a smile: "Doctor Yang, don't ruin the mood. Look, the king, do you seem unhappy?"

Yang Pu opened his eyes and looked over. Lu Bu, who was sitting in the main seat, was laughing more happily than anyone else. He was cheering for Yao Gang. He half stood up and sat down again under the force of Li Zhu. He shook his dizzy head and said, "Your Majesty, you are in a good mood."

"Your Majesty, don't care about these things. You should drink and have fun at the banquet." Qiao Lie spoke from the other side, holding up the wine glass and toasting Yang Pu: "Doctor, you will get used to it in the future."

"I may not be able to get used to it." Yang Pu smiled bitterly and rubbed his red face: "Forget it, just don't look at them, let's drink our own."

"color!"

"Ugly ghost, this is too much!"

The loud laughter made Yang Pu, who was holding the wine bowl, tremble his hands. He drank it helplessly, and watched Feng Tai stand up from the ground with a red face, jumping up and down and cursing: "Bullshit! I just didn't stand firmly just now! Zheng, come out, I'll fight you!"

Zheng Huai stood up suddenly with a drunken flush, drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp, and put it on the table with a bang: "Come on, I'm not afraid of you, an ugly ghost!"

Feng Tai was furious. Seeing him coming up, he immediately went up to him and started a fight. Strange laughter echoed in the air.

……

"Try this, sister-in-law."

Wu Qing handed a crab to Niu: "This is a sea crab from Yaozhou. It is different from the ones we ate in the mountains before, and it tastes even better."

"Oh, let's try it."

Niu's eyes lit up and she reached out to take it. Suddenly, a huge laugh broke out in the front yard, causing the women who were chatting about family matters to raise their heads and look towards the direction where the sound came from. Ruan Xiaoer's wife curled her lips and said, "Oh, he's drunk again."

Looking at Niu, "The Niu girls will have to work hard later."

"I'm used to it." Niu smiled helplessly, holding the crab with her claws: "Men, when they get together, they all drink. As long as they don't go out and mess around, they can drink as much as they want."

"That's right. They are all men in the army, and few of them don't drink." Su Jinniang looked over there and nibbled on the chicken rack in her hand: "Although Sanlang used to drink, he didn't have a limit. The last time he came home, he was able to drink more than my father and brothers by himself."

"Your Sanlang..." Hu Sanniang thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, "Isn't his superior Master Lu? It's natural that he can drink more than your father and brother. I guess he drinks every day in the military camp."

"Yeah, it's true." Su Jinniang stopped chewing the bone, then threw it away and wiped her hands with a wet towel: "As long as it doesn't interfere with my husband's important business, it's fine. Otherwise, I'll let him know what the family rules are."

The women smiled and looked at Hu Yanzhuo's wife Li Feiqiong, "By the way, why don't we see your dragon and phoenix today?"

"His father sent him to school." Li Feiqiong wiped his hands and looked at the sky: "School will not be over until 3 p.m."

"Is there a private school here?" Niu and Ruan's eyes lit up, and Wu Qing's face was also thoughtful.

"Yes, it is said that it was opened by a scholar, and the explanation is not bad. The key is that I don't have to watch my two children day and night, otherwise they will annoy me to death sooner or later."

"Sister-in-law..." Wu Qing leaned forward and said, "Is there anyone there who teaches etiquette to girls? I want Qiongying to go there too. She's been getting wilder lately."

"All of them." Li Feiqiong nodded, looked at Wu Qing, and then looked at Niu and Ruan who also had happy expressions on their faces: "How about we go together the day after tomorrow?"

"Then it's settled."

The three women were overjoyed and quickly agreed. Then there was a louder commotion in the front yard, but the women in the backyard were eating and drinking calmly, looking as calm as a mountain.

The banquet lasted until the moon was at its highest point in the sky, and everyone dispersed after drinking to their heart's content.

Tomorrow, I will deal with this matter as the civil and military officials of Qi. (End of this chapter)