I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 614: Heaven provides everything for man, but man has nothing to repay Heaven

The Nine Gifts.

One is chariots and horses, two is the imperial robes and crowns, three is musical instruments, four is the red doors, five is the steps, six is ​​the tiger guards, seven is the axes, eight is the bows and arrows, and nine is the glutinous rice wine.

To put it bluntly, it means giving away a complete set of clothes.

The golden chariot, the robes and crowns, the music of bells and chimes...all the regulations were there, almost like an emperor!

It can be said that the gift of nine lives is no less than directly conferring the title of king on Han Shao.

Oh, no! To be precise, those who were granted the Nine Gifts were already more dignified than those who were crowned kings simply from the perspective of etiquette.

Even though Han Shao was mentally prepared for the generous gift that Emperor Taikang might give him, he couldn't help but be dazed for a moment.

Especially when he saw the waiter of the delegation who came with Li Jin, taking out all those items and placing them in front of him, and was about to put on the gorgeous robe for him, Han Shao's expression changed for a while, and he said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, is this...an excessive favor?"

Seeing Han Shao stopped the waiter's action, Li Jin sighed, took the imperial robe from the waiter, stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

"Your Majesty has now placed all his hopes on Lord Yan. I hope Lord Yan will not let Your Majesty down..."

As he spoke, he personally put on the imperial robe for Han Shao and put the crown and seal on him.

Han Shao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not dodge again.

Because leaving aside the friendship between the monarch and his subjects, fundamentally speaking, this is actually a transaction and compensation.

After a series of complicated dressing was completed, Li Jin, who had never served anyone except Emperor Taikang, looked Han Shao up and down and couldn't help but sigh.

"Lord Yan is so elegant and graceful, almost like your Majesty in his youth..."

Upon hearing this, Han Shao looked at this loyal slave of the Tian family with amusement and smiled.

"Li Zhongchang, don't say that casually."

Li Jin was stunned for a moment, then realized his slip of the tongue and smiled awkwardly.

"I said something wrong, Lord Yan, please forgive me."

If Han Shao was a prince, he could cover up his words by saying "inherited from father to son".

But for Han Shao, a foreign official, it was a bit of an overreach.

However, the dignity of the imperial family has fallen to this point today. Not to mention Han Shao, perhaps Li Jin did not realize it. Even he did not really take his slip of the tongue to heart.

After laughing the matter off, Li Jin wanted to lead Han Shao to ride the luxurious and majestic golden carriage again to experience it, but was rejected by Han Shao.

"That's it for today."

Seeing the confusion in Li Jin's eyes, Han Shao took off the annoying crown and threw it into the hands of Wang Teng behind him.

"Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness."

"How can I be worthy of such a generous gift from Your Majesty if I only killed two traitors, Yuan Feng and Ding Gui?"

Li Jin was stunned at first, then excitement suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"What does Lord Yan mean?"

Faced with Li Jin's question that he knew the answer to, Han Shao glanced at him with a half-smile.

"I always keep my word."

"Back then, I said by the Tongtian River that I would ask Your Majesty to give me ten years. After ten years, I will cleanse the region for Your Majesty. Now is the time to fulfill my promise."

The so-called [Commander-in-Chief of All Military Forces at Home and Abroad], although nominally the highest military commander of Dayong, was actually only a temporary position.

Not only was the matching [General] not conferred at the same time.

Emperor Taikang was even unable to take his title of General of the Northern Expedition any further and secure for him any of the three prestigious positions: General of the Cavalry, General of the Chariots and Cavalry, or General of the Guards.

It can be seen how much the voice of this nominal supreme being on earth has shrunk over the years.

However, this title is just right for Han Shao.

Well, it makes it convenient for Han Shao to risk his life for him and Huang Tiandao.

But this kind of thing usually requires mutual consent, so Han Shao had no complaints.

……

After receiving Han Shao's promise, Li Jin left happily, probably because he was anxious to go back and report the good news to Emperor Taikang.

Looking at these Heavenly Family messengers who once traveled the world and no one dared to disrespect, and now in such a miserable state, Wang Teng, the ancestor of the Wang family and a witness to the rise and fall of Dayong, could not help but sigh.

But after sighing, he hesitated for a while and couldn't help but speak.

"The Ji family has ruled the country for more than 2,000 years, and now it is almost certain that they will lose the country. Your Majesty, do you really want to prolong the Ji family's reign?"

Han Shao glanced back at him.

"Why? You want to make the decision for me?"

Wang Teng was shocked and said he didn't dare.

"I am just worried... if time goes on for too long, things will get complicated and delay your majesty's restoration..."

Since the great changes in the world in ancient times, who knows how many old monsters have survived?
With a trace of the ancient imperial bloodline, he was able to see through the shadow of Tianmen on Qi Shuo, and then deduce Han Shao's roots and origins.

Those old monsters have lived too long, and no one knows how terrifying they are.

In his opinion, if he cannot take advantage of the current boiling point of humanity to seize the throne of the Supreme Human Emperor as soon as possible and protect himself with the destiny of humanity, if he happens to fall into the trap of those old monsters, wouldn't he be tying himself up in knots?
There is no doubt that old man Wang Teng is indeed standing from Han Shao's perspective and planning for him.

It’s a pity that Han Shao didn’t seem to be very grateful.

"This is not something you should consider."

Wang Teng's face froze after being splashed with a basin of cold water. He wanted to say something else, but seeing Han Shao's indifferent expression, he didn't dare to say anything more.

But just when he was secretly feeling disappointed, he heard Han Shao's tone soften.

"The things you see and the conclusions you draw will be very different depending on your perspective and height."

"I already know your intentions. Just do your work with peace of mind. You will have your own destiny in the future."

"I will never mistreat my meritorious officials."

Hearing this, Wang Teng's originally depressed spirit suddenly perked up.

"It seems that Your Majesty is not unwilling to listen to others' opinions, but there are some things that I cannot know for the time being..."

Also!

The king has the mandate of heaven on his shoulders and his status is supreme.

How could His Majesty take a few evil spirits seriously?

Wang Teng felt relieved, and couldn't help feeling touched when he thought that Han Shao actually spoke to comfort him.

"I have overstepped my authority! I will be more careful with my words and actions in the future and do my work with peace of mind!"

Han Shao was already very good at giving a slap in the face and a sweet date.

Seeing that he was so aware of the current situation, Han Shao nodded slightly to show his approval.

But after thinking about it, I added another sentence.

"You don't have to be too reserved. If you have any ideas, you can talk to me."

"I am not a saint, if you can help me find the gaps and fill them, it will be a meritorious service."

Whether people listen to what I say or not is up to me. Considering this old guy’s age, maybe he has some unique insights?
So there is no need to completely block this aspect.

In short, it is both necessary and appropriate.

At this moment, Han Shao portrayed the face of a superior to the fullest.

After this confusing beating, Han Shao no longer wanted to see this old face lingering in front of him, so he simply made arrangements.

"By the way, Bingzhou has just been settled, and we still need someone to take charge. How about you do some hard work for me?"

Faced with such a small request, Wang Teng, who had just been encouraged, naturally took the lead.

"I am an old and newly-submitted minister. I am extremely lucky to have the trust and respect of the emperor! How dare I disobey your orders now?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I am here in Bingzhou. If any trouble occurs, please chop off my head to atone my sin!" When this military order was issued, it was full of generosity and passion.

Han Shao squinted his eyes and looked at him for a while, then said.

"Don't be too confident..."

"What if stability is not what I want?"

Don't want stability?

Wang Teng was a little confused and was about to ask a question hesitantly, but Han Shao had already started talking.

"Wang Teng, do you know what truth I have learned from my experience in this world?"

Han Shao asked himself and answered his own questions.

“Everything is created to nourish man, and man has nothing to repay heaven with!”

It was clearly a sentence without any emotion, but when Wang Teng heard it, he suddenly felt a great chill growing in his heart.

His whole body was cold and he couldn't help shivering, but Han Shao suddenly patted his shoulder with his gentle hand and his whole body froze.

"There are too many practitioners in this world. They greedily absorb the vitality and spiritual power of this world, but they are of no benefit to this world. What's the point of keeping them?"

Facing Han Shao's words, Wang Teng said in a hoarse voice.

"So...what does your Majesty mean?"

Han Shao patted his shoulder and spoke bluntly.

"Nowadays, most of the practitioners in this world come from noble families, and this is also the case in Bingzhou."

"Go and clear them out for me."

"It can be regarded as giving the people of this world and this world a chance to breathe."

The local noble families in Youzhou were not powerful to begin with, and after all these years of turmoil, the only ones left are a few small clans like the Chen family of Zhuo County who had long since surrendered to Han Shao.

Zhuozhou was even worse off. Ten years ago, the Huangtian Army of Qingzhou had wreaked havoc there. This time, Han Shao used Yuan Feng as an excuse to cleanse the area once more.

Only in Bingzhou, Qi Shuo fought too smoothly in this battle, and many noble families surrendered without suffering any damage at all.

Is this okay?
Of course not!

So Han Shao needed a knife to finish what he had not finished.

And his Wang family of Bingzhou was obviously just the right fit.

Wang Teng's face turned pale as he completely understood Han Shao's intentions.

He knew very well that if he did so, he would undoubtedly be cut off from the world's noble families.

But now that things have come to this, does he have any reason or qualifications to refuse?
No!

But just before he was about to grit his teeth and agree, he still said something with difficulty.

"Your Majesty has entrusted me with such a great trust that I dare not refuse."

"But in my opinion, Your Majesty is in need of people right now. Why not send them to serve you in front of the battlefield? This way, we can make the best use of them and avoid waste."

You see, this old guy has just been beaten and his old problem has come back again.

You are just my thug and a knife that is easy to use. Do you really think of yourself as an advisor?

Han Shao sneered in his heart but did not show it on his face. Instead, he continued to persuade him in a gentle and persuasive manner.

"Your suggestion does make some sense, but do you think I can trust them as much as I trust you?"

A bunch of people who are used to enjoying themselves.

If we really go into battle, we will do more harm than good.

Wang Teng apparently figured this out quickly, so he fell silent.

At this time, Han Shao chuckled and said faintly.

"Don't worry, it's not a waste. Aren't you all very curious about how I and my trusted men went from having nothing to where we are today in the blink of an eye?"

Wang Teng looked up at Han Shao somewhat stiffly. In a trance, he felt that Han Shao's expression when he said this was extremely eerie and scary.

But after feeling frightened and horrified, he couldn't help but tremble with excitement.

"Your Majesty wishes to bestow this authority upon me?"

……

With Wang Teng returning to Bingzhou, Han Shao could rest assured to transfer the Zhenliao Army in Bingzhou to the south.

However, Han Shao left Qi Shuo, the commander-in-chief of the Western Army, there without moving.

A long time ago, Han Shao had thought of pulling Qi Shuo out of the army and placing him in the Ministry of War to compete with the civil officials, and to coordinate and bridge the relationship between the civil and military officials.

Now is a good opportunity for him to gain experience alone.

For this purpose, Han Shao even specially created a temporary position for him that was different from the official position in Dayong - the Jiedushi of Bingzhou.

The entire military, political and civil affairs of Bingzhou were directly thrown to him.

Honestly speaking, Han Shao would have been wary of privately setting up an official position like this, especially an important position in charge of an entire state.

But who was it that Emperor Taikang deliberately gave him the authority to act at his own convenience in this imperial decree?
If you don't use it, you won't use it.

In this regard, Emperor Taikang actually had no choice but to do so.

Nowadays, the appointment and dismissal of the entire bureaucratic system of Dayong is almost entirely controlled by Beigong.

If not for this, Han Shao would not still be just the General of the Northern Expedition.

Even he is like this, let alone people like Li Jing.

To this day, they still only hold the military rank of General of the Central Army. This is because the position of General of the Central Army belongs to the Forbidden City and its power has always been vague. This is why it has always been in the hands of Emperor Taikang and has not been taken away by the Beigong side.

"It's really rare for a king to be so cowardly..."

Han Shao secretly complained about this, but he was happy about the power given to him by Emperor Taikang to do as he pleased.

Aren’t all official positions in the hands of Beigong?
Then I'll start a new business!
You play yours, I play mine!
Since it's against the rules to appoint a general, then it should be okay for me to appoint a marching commander, a governor, or a protector general, right?
Therefore, Han Shao didn't do much else these days. Apart from commending and rewarding people for their contributions in this battle, the only thing he did was to confer official titles on a large scale.

For example, Li Jing now holds the title of the military commander-in-chief and leads all the armies.

Zhao Mu and Feng Can were appointed as the left and right commanders respectively, assisting Li Jing in military affairs.

A large number of others were appointed, including military commanders, chief military commanders, generals, and brigade commanders.

Although such a new title will make it difficult for many soldiers to adapt for a while, its advantages outweigh its disadvantages.

Over the years, the Zhen Liao Army has expanded significantly, and without any promotion from the imperial court, the chaos in the military positions is evident.

Han Shao's seemingly ridiculous behavior not only completely clarified the relationship between superiors and subordinates, but also provided the soldiers with a complete promotion channel.

When people have a clear hope, their energy and spirit will naturally rise.

This spirit should be reflected in the army, that is, the military spirit and morale are the most obvious!
……

Wait until the Zhenliao Army from Bingzhou and more than 30,000 Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry who surrendered arrived in Zhuozhou one after another.

Once again standing on the bank of the turbulent Tongtian River, Han Shao looked at Qingzhou on the other side of the river and couldn't help but sigh.

"Time flies by so fast..."

Ten years ago, he put on a show and withdrew.

Ten years later, when I came here again, everything was ready.

Without looking at the hundreds of thousands of heroic men behind him, Han Shao shifted his gaze to the several Taoists in yellow robes around him.

"So many years have passed. You have seen the changes in the customs under my rule. You should also have seen the situation of the people under your rule, Huang Tiandao."

"Now tell me, which of my teachings and that of my great and virtuous teacher can be compared to the glorious teachings of humanity?"

……

I will be going back to my hometown tomorrow. I need to rest for a few days. I want to say hello to my brothers in advance...

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(End of this chapter)