Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 273 Begging for Officialship
A wanted criminal actually knew that the prime minister’s son was having an affair with the princess?
This is simply a joke, no one would believe it if I told them.

But in history, there was such a hero from Yangling who, after being arrested, reported that Gongsun He's family had cursed Emperor Wu of Han with witchcraft, which led to the death of Gongsun He and others. This was the beginning of the Witchcraft Disaster.

It is very interesting to say that he had been wanted for a long time and it was Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng who arrested him. As a result, it was such a wanted criminal who knew such a secret thing.

It's okay to say that the Yangling hero Zhu Anshi is capable, after all, he was wanted for many years and still managed to stay at large. But to say that he knows some things in the palace is to flatter him.

In the final analysis, it was because Liu Che was too suspicious, and coupled with the deliberate frame-ups by some scoundrels, the prime minister fell into trouble because of these things.

But those are some things that happened in history, and Huo Xian would definitely not allow such a thing to happen again.

Gongsun Jingsheng fell from power, and even if he wanted to atone for his sins, he would no longer have the chance. As long as Huo Xian was still in power, Gongsun Jingsheng could only be the son of the prime minister, and not get any official position.

As for Zhu Anshi, the great hero of Yangling, Huo Xian didn't care so much. He hadn't caught him before. But now it was different. If he dared to show up and violate the law with force, then he would have no psychological burden to fight him.

It is true that Zhu Anshi now seems to have nothing to do with the witchcraft disaster, but who made him a wanted criminal now? He should be arrested!
Huo Xian, in a good mood, held a banquet in his mansion. Many guests came, including those who were originally thought to be Wei Huo, Li Guangli and Li Ling also came.

Although they felt somewhat uncomfortable, the universal values ​​of today forced them to come. Huo Xian was their benefactor, the one who led them to fight and made them marquises and generals, so they had to come.

Otherwise, his reputation would be ruined and he would be considered a typical example of disloyalty and injustice. In the Han Dynasty, such a reputation was not good, and even a marquis would be despised by others.

Huo Xian may not be very polite at ordinary times, and does not particularly care about those things, but Li Guangli, Li Ling and others are not so "free and easy". They all care very much about their reputation.

Li Guangli looked at the Guanjun Marquis's mansion with envy, as it was filled with distinguished guests. As the Marquis of Haixi, he was also a powerful and influential person, but now he was just one of the more respected marquises and could not compare with the Guanjun Marquis at all.

Li Ling also had mixed feelings, as he had now fulfilled his grandfather's lifelong wish of being granted a title of nobility. However, he was now drinking in the Marquis Guanjun's Mansion, and everyone knew that the Li family and Wei Huo had many grievances!

Ignoring the depression of Li Ling and Li Guangli, Huo Xian can be considered to be in high spirits now, and he has every reason to feel proud.

Gongsun Ao and Zhao Anguo led the soldiers to triumph, and the soldiers' rewards were basically in place. This was the perfect ending of the expedition to the Western Regions, and this could be considered a real celebratory wine.

Huo Xian felt quite happy, as the rich and powerful gathered here and there were no ordinary people around. This showed his appeal and that Wei Huo was indeed very powerful now.

Even if many of them are just icing on the cake, it still has its current grandeur, and that is a good thing.

Not only Huo Xian was happy, but his followers were also happy. After all, with the current momentum, they were able to catch up with the scene when Huo Qubing suddenly appeared and shone brightly in Chang'an.

At that time, Huo Qubing was extremely powerful. His prestige and aura far surpassed those of all the powerful and wealthy. Even the gate of General Wei Qing's mansion was deserted, and everyone ran to the Guanjun Marquis's mansion.

Now there is a vague sense of this situation. The prestige and momentum of the Champion Marquis' Mansion are growing stronger and stronger. This is what the followers of the Champion Marquis' Mansion most want to see.

The majestic Huo Shan ran to the Jianzhang Palace after entertaining the guests. It would not be good for him to not appear in front of the emperor for a long time after returning to Chang'an.

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian and said jokingly, "You have been very busy these days, busy visiting relatives and entertaining guests. I thought you had forgotten where the Jianzhang Palace was."

Huo Xian was not embarrassed and said, "I am planning to go to the same camp tomorrow. The army has returned victoriously, and I, the Grand Marshal, have to go there anyway."

Liu Che laughed at him, "You remember that you are the Grand Marshal? You used to want to go to the military camp, but now I think you are lazy and leave everything to Zhao Anguo."

Huo Xian had no better way to refute this, the reality was roughly the same. He really didn't like going to the military camp as much as before. In the past, he would live directly in the military camp and not return home.

Huo Xian was thick-skinned and said, "Your Majesty, I am now the Grand Marshal. Although Yulin and Qimen are good, I don't need to manage them everywhere. I should be in charge of all the cavalry and all the soldiers of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Che glanced at Huo Xian and said, "After you have taken care of the Southern Army and the Northern Army, you can start to take care of the Han cavalry. Now that the general is in charge of these matters, don't think too much."

Huo Xian thought about it carefully before saying, "Just because the general is no longer in charge of military affairs doesn't necessarily mean I will be in charge."

Liu Che smiled and said that it was good that Huo Xian understood this principle. Some things did not need to be said directly.

It is true that Liu Che likes Huo Shan, but as an emperor, he also has to consider the current power of Wei and Huo.

Besides, Huo Shan was still young enough. If he was really indulged without restraint, it would not only put Huo Shan in danger but also make the crown prince very embarrassed.

Huo Xian said seriously, "Your Majesty, I will just go and take a look at Yulin and Qimen occasionally. In fact, I think it's a bit too much to let Zhao Anguo take care of them. He is a marquis after all."

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian with interest and asked, "Are you asking for an official position for your deputy general?"

Huo Xian was immediately embarrassed, "I can't hide my little thoughts in front of His Majesty!"

Liu Che laughed and said confidently, "Not to mention that you have been in front of me since you were a child. If I can't see through you, how can I control my ministers? You have never been able to hide your thoughts. When you have thoughts, you look around."

Although Huo Xian felt that the emperor's words were a bit exaggerated, he believed that he was not completely naive, or that his thoughts could be easily seen through. It was just that there were some things that he did not seem to pay attention to.

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian and asked, "Did Zhao Anguo find you, or did you come up with this idea yourself?"

"How dare he mention this to me?" Huo Xian said depressedly, "An Guo, Cao Zong and I fought together on the battlefield when we were young. Now Cao Zong and I are not close, and An Guo doesn't dare to say anything."

Liu Che did not comment on this, but he could fully understand Huo Shan's idea. Huo Shan was the Grand Marshal, so he could not get close to people, especially some of his former generals.

Huo Xian continued, "I have fought three battles, and An Guo was my deputy general all three times. Now he is only a General of the Central Army, which is unreasonable. How can he be promoted to General of the Left?"

Liu Che thought about it carefully and said, "What about Li Guangli? What about Zhao Po Nu?" Li Guangli was a general after all, but he was only a general of miscellaneous title. The same was true for Zhao Po Nu, who had made great contributions but was still a general of miscellaneous title, and he was also Zhao Anguo's father. Including Gongsun Ao, he was also a general of miscellaneous title.

The generals of the Han Dynasty were very valuable. Generals with miscellaneous titles were the top figures in the court and the military, and those generals with important titles not only had to have the status of a marquis, but also had to have the absolute trust of the emperor.

Huo Xian made a compromise and said, "If you don't want to be the Left General, you can at least be a miscellaneous general, right?"

Liu Che smiled and said, "General of a miscellaneous title? Isn't it enough to be General of the Central Army now?"

Huo Xian said indignantly, "Your Majesty, you should reward meritorious service and punish wrongdoing! When I led the army, I enforced strict military discipline, and I know that many soldiers complained about it. But the three armies have fought for their lives, and I was able to lead them to victory and gain military merit for them, so they should never lack the rewards they deserve."

Liu Che smiled and nodded. Although Huo Xian was born in a noble family and looked a bit dandy, there was one good thing about this kid, that is, he had a broad mind and didn't care about some dirty things in the army.

Embezzlement of military pay and robbing the military merits of one's own soldiers are common occurrences in the army.

However, when Huo Xian was leading the army, those officers did not dare to do so. This was naturally because Huo Xian, the General of Cavalry, would never show mercy when encountering such things.

Huo Xian continued, "Your Majesty, let's not talk about other things for now. Zhao Anguo has now been rewarded and his fiefdom has been increased, which should be enough. But his military merits are there, so how can his official position not be promoted?"

Liu Che asked with a smile, "If he doesn't get promoted, does he feel that it will be difficult to convince the people? All the soldiers under his command have been rewarded, but your deputy general has not received any reward?"

Huo Xian nodded repeatedly, not trying to hide his thoughts at all. He really thought so. After all, he was a general, and it was his duty to ask for benefits for the officers under his command.

While he, the Marquis of Guanjun, eats the meat, the officers and soldiers under him must at least get a sip of the soup.

Sometimes, the minds of soldiers are simple. If they have military merits, they want to be rewarded.

Liu Che smiled and said, "You are right to think so. It would be unreasonable if your deputy general did not receive any reward or promotion. There are many marquises in the army, but it is not enough to convince the people."

Huo Xian nodded excitedly, "Your Majesty, many of the marquises in the army are only colonels. If Zhao Anguo is only a lieutenant general now, it is really not enough to convince the people."

The Lieutenant Colonel was already a very high official position, and he was also a top figure in the army. However, compared with Huo Xian, he was obviously far inferior.

So don’t say that Huo Xian was too flattering in asking for an official position for Zhao Anguo. Rather, there might be some major wars in the future, and Zhao Anguo’s official position would need to be slightly improved.

"I understand. I will give him a promotion when the time comes." Liu Che said with a smile, "But let's make it clear first. I can only give him an ordinary general title. Don't think about the rest."

Huo Xian was already very satisfied and said, "That's fine too. It just needs to be a general."

A general with a miscellaneous title is still a general, and there is nothing to complain about. Zhao Po Nu, Gongsun Ao and others fought for most of their lives but were only generals with miscellaneous titles. This is enough to show the value of a general with a major title in the Han Dynasty.

The same goes for Li Guangli. The first time he led the army to attack Dayuan, he was only a General of the Second Division. Until now, he still serves in the army as Marquis of Haixi and General of the Second Division.

Huo Xian was a little curious, "Your Majesty, what general title should be given to him? General Junji is his father-in-law, and both father and son are generals."

Liu Che joked, "The general and Wei Kang are both marquises, and both have the title of general. How do you calculate this?"

Huo Xian said speechlessly, "Uncle Wei Kang's ability is not worth mentioning. If it weren't for the great contributions of the general, how could he be made a marquis and given the title of general!"

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian and asked with a smile, "If you destroy the Xiongnu, your military achievements may not be less than those of the general. You are only twenty years old, what will you do in the future?"

Huo Xian said without thinking, "Don't we still have Wuyou? First, make Wuyou a marquis, then find a reason to depose him, and then he can inherit the title of Guanjun Marquis."

It was not like Liu Che had never done this before. He had rewarded meritorious deeds and punished wrongdoers, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Liu Che sighed and said, "I don't dare to use you much now. If you have too many military achievements, you will definitely be suspected in the future. It would be fine if you were older, but you are so young!"

Huo Xian held it in for a long time, but still couldn't hold it in. "It's because the Han Dynasty has no great generals, so I have to do it! After I defeat the Xiongnu, I will go and defile myself. But since Your Majesty is protecting me, I don't need to defile myself."

Liu Che listened carefully to Huo Xian's somewhat joking words and thought there was nothing wrong with them.

If he had always protected Huo Shan, there would be nothing to worry about. He would not have to worry about Huo Shan becoming too successful and thus endangering his master, and naturally he would not have to think about defiling himself.

Liu Che smiled and said, "If we add the title of general, I think General Yan is not bad, what do you think?"

Huo Xian immediately said, "That's good. If Your Majesty gave him the title of the Western Regions, I would not be satisfied."

Huo Guang and others were all speechless. How could anyone dare to say this in front of the emperor? Only Huo Xian was so outspoken that he dared to say anything.

Whether it was Li Guangli or Zhao Po Nu, they basically used their general titles based on their combat missions. And the general title Liu Che intentionally gave to Zhao Anguo was actually based on the purpose of the war.

However, the significance of General Zhuangyan was very special. This was in the heartland of the Xiongnu. Previously, General Wei Qing had won a great victory near Zhuangyan Mountain and directly broke through Zhaoxin City.

Giving Zhao Anguo such a general title actually meant that Huo Shan would lead Zhao Anguo to fight into the heartland of the Xiongnu. This was asking Huo Shan to go straight to the heart of the Xiongnu and destroy the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Liu Che was very satisfied with Huo Shan's attitude. His Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry was still as bold and confident as ever.

He didn't mind Huo Xian's arrogance. A garrulous general could win battles. His Guanjun Hou should be so confident in leading the army into the grassland and sweeping across the Huns!
(End of this chapter)