Evergreen Immortal..

Chapter 275: Top Ten on the Martial Ranking, Conferred the Title of Marquis of Wanhu

In the small courtyard of Li’s house.

"Brother, the efficiency of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War is too low. Why haven't the documents for joining the army come down yet?"

Ning Zhongtian sat on the stone bench in the yard with one leg resting on a big willow tree nearby.

Li Rui glanced at it:
"What's the rush about this matter?"

Military officers are different from civil officials. Once their rank is promoted, they can be promoted. It is just a matter of how fast or slow the promotion is.

of course.

He has General Xue and Jiang Linxian backing him up, so nothing can go wrong and he has it all under control.

"Fourth brother, you don't understand. This is the most comfortable time."

Things like promotion.

You feel most comfortable when you are about to be promoted. Once you really take office, you will have a lot of headaches.

just now.

Li Rui is the most special one in An Ning Wei. To put it simply, he is like a certain Erlang, who only obeys orders and not announcements.

Cao Wei couldn't control him, so those who controlled him were no longer in Qinghe.

It's really free and easy.

Of course, this time won't last long.

"Steal half a day's leisure."

Ning Zhongtian curled his lips.

"Brother, you used to be a horseman, and now you are a warrior. Why do you like to talk nonsense like those scholars?"

Noon is the time when the sun is at its highest.

The scorching sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves. I narrow my eyes slightly and quietly feel the sound of the waves in the sea of ​​​​qi in my body.

As soon as you enter the sea, you can hear the waves.

Li Rui is only one step away from entering the second stage.

This speed is terrible.

Stuck in realm?
That doesn't exist. Li Rui only needs to worry about the problem of breaking through too quickly.

Perhaps this is the trouble of genius.

Once entering Tinglan, the next step is to ascend Mingyue. It may be difficult for ordinary warriors, but for Li Rui now, it is really nothing. With the Huangting Qi of Master Xu and the power of foundation building, there is already a smooth road ahead for him.

Just go with confidence.

It's just a matter of time.

Li Rui rested his arms behind his head and leaned back comfortably.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"I'm coming."

Without waiting for Wang Zhao to open the door, Ning Zhongtian turned over, got up, and trotted to the door.

Once the door is opened.

stunned.

"Mr. Han?"

The person standing outside the door was actually General Xue's aide, Han Zhen.

He had been to Yunzhou before, so of course he knew the general's chief of staff. Although he had no rank or title, no one in the entire Annan Town dared to provoke him.

I heard that Xue Gui always discusses everything with Han Zhen, and Han Zhen is the one Xue Gui trusts the most.

Now Qinghe has come.

He hadn't heard any news at all, it came so suddenly.

Han Zhen outside the door smiled slightly: "It's Xiao Ning, long time no see, is Lord Li here?"

Ning Zhongtian nodded: "Yes, yes."

As he turned his head, he saw Li Rui who had stood up and walked behind him.

"Mr. Han."

Li Rui clasped his fists towards Han Zhen.

Han Zhen's appearance was also beyond his expectations.

"Master Li."

Han Zhen laughed and walked in. As he walked, he said, "Master Xue asked me to come here. He needs to tell you something."

Li Rui did not rush to talk about the matter, but first led Han Zhen into the main hall for receiving guests.

After sitting down.

He then spoke: "Mr. Han, why did you come all the way to Qinghe?"

Han Zhen laughed and said, "I came to Qinghe to inspect the city defense. This was arranged by Lord Xue. I am just a messenger."

Li Rui didn't expect that Xue Gui, his old aide, would be so polite.

Han Zhen: "Master Li is already eighty this year?"

Li Rui nodded: "Eighty-two."

"I'm seventy-four, so I should call you brother." After saying that, he actually changed his tone to "Brother Li."

Li Rui blinked and accepted it with peace of mind: "Brother Han."

For a moment, he couldn't figure out why Han Zhen came to Qinghe.

How is this the attitude of asking for help?

Han Zhen took a sip of tea and then slowly said, "Brother Li, I came here this time at the request of Lord Xue to join the army."

Li Rui raised his brows slightly.

Is there going to be another twist?
'Am I really a person of bad luck?'

The last time I was promoted to the position of Si Mo Xiao Wei, wasn't it Qi Ze who showed up to interfere? So which prince or grandson is it this time?

If this promotion is not successful, he will have to consider changing careers.

If your career is not going well, forcing it will only cause trouble.

Han Zhen smiled and shook his head: "Master Li, don't think too much, it's a good thing."

"Good thing?"

This aroused the interest of Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian standing beside him.

"Master Xue has always remembered that Master Li joined the army. It's not a big deal, but it's another matter."

Han Zhen said with a smile:

"Master Li, you may not know that the martial arts evaluation of the world has already been determined."

After hearing this, Li Rui raised his eyebrows slightly:

"So fast?"

It has been just over a month since Jiang Linxian went north, but the world's martial arts reputation has already been determined.

According to past practice.

After the world's martial arts evaluation is initially determined, all it needs is the emperor's signature and approval.

It will be announced to the world in a month at most.

Han Zhen must have heard about it.

Han Zhen continued, "Our Governor Yuan made it into the top ten. His Majesty was very happy and wanted to confer the title of Marquis on Governor Yuan. His fiefdom will be in our Yunzhou."

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

This sentence is not long, but it contains a lot of information.

The top ten in martial arts evaluation will be awarded the title of marquis!

If these words were placed in the current Yu State, it would be a big deal.

Because of the marquises of Yu State, except for a few who inherited the throne without succession, all the others are dead, and there is not a single one left alive. As for the dukes, there is not even a dead one.

For example, Zhuang Renhe was given the title of viscount only after his death.

Moreover, there are still variables as to whether the throne can be passed down without interruption.

Your heart is hard to predict.

Why?

Of course, it was because the emperor was worried that these dukes would become too powerful and difficult to control.

The rebellion of the princes in the previous dynasty was recorded several times in history books. When the emperor was still a prince, he must have been told about it many times by the great scholars every day.

After becoming emperor, it was certainly impossible for him to let the lessons of the previous dynasty happen to him again.

Not only would it endanger his own throne, it might even lead to the destruction of his country.

Therefore, it was a great honor for Governor Yuan to be conferred the title of marquis.

Not to mention that he also owns a fiefdom and is a true marquis.

A man's life should be like this! Han Zhen also sighed. Being granted a title of Marquis of Wanhu is something that many people dream of. In the entire Yu Kingdom, there is only one person who has a fiefdom, the Duke of Weiguo, but that was granted by Emperor Taizu, and then it was gone.

Even the Marquis Dingyuan, who was feared and powerful throughout the world, had to stay in the capital city.

Governor Yuan is a unique existence in the State of Yu.

Han Zhen continued, "From now on, our Annan Town will be under the jurisdiction of Governor Yuan. This is a great thing for us."

A local lord!
To support one person with an entire state is such a noble thing.

Li Rui suddenly understood why Governor Yuan came to Yunzhou. He guessed that he had heard the news a long time ago.

There is actually a trace for everything.

The war in the northwest is gradually easing. The governor is a temporary position and no one can be the governor for life.

Governor Yuan served as governor for fifty years, which was long enough.

If I continue doing this, I'm afraid some people will be dissatisfied.

Moreover, the crisis in Qinghe made the imperial court aware of the turmoil in Wu State, which could bring disaster to Yu State at any time, so someone was needed to guard it.

Conferring Governor Yuan the title of Duke of Yunzhou would not only demonstrate the emperor's great favor, but also allow Governor Yuan to guard the southern part of the empire on behalf of the court. It was a win-win situation.

Yunzhou is tens of thousands of miles away from the heart of the capital, and the march alone takes a month.

Even if he was granted a title of nobility and showed rebellious intentions, the imperial court would have enough time to deal with it.

‘Good trick! ’

While Li Rui was thinking, Han Zhen spoke up: "Governor Yuan was conferred the title of Marquis and established the Marquisate. Naturally, the people in the residence must be absorbed from the fiefdom. Lord Xue hopes that Lord Li will make good preparations and not miss the opportunity."

"People in the mansion" is a euphemism. Han Zhen was referring to the guests in the marquis' mansion!
Li Rui's heart moved slightly.

Power has never been measured by the rank of an official, but by the distance from the core of power.

If the imperial palace is the core of power in the State of Yu, and the closer one is to the imperial palace, the greater the power, then in Yunzhou, Lord Yuan's mansion is the absolute core.

Being able to become a retainer of Lord Yuan means that one's status is at least much higher than that of a fifth-rank official.

This is the reason why there is a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister.

The Mr. Han in front of him, although he has no rank, his influence in Annan Town is greater than that of the lieutenant generals like Cao Wei.

Han Zhen laughed and said, "Lord Xue thinks that Brother Li is a promising talent, so he has such high expectations. Lord Li, please don't let Lord Xue down."

Li Rui was overjoyed and bowed: "Thank you, Master Xue, and Brother Han for your advice."

Things like promotion.

Without someone to give you advice, you can't move forward at all, you can't even find the door, let alone get on the right track.

Xue Gui wanted Li Rui to seize this opportunity and get promoted to a higher military rank.

Although the marquis of Yu State was not like that of the previous dynasty, what mattered was actually just a fief.

That is to say, the taxes of a state are used to support Lord Yuan, while the government and military garrisons in the state remain the same. This is to prevent the state from being out of the jurisdiction of the imperial court.

Of course, as the nominal master of Yunzhou, Lord Yuan has great advisory power.

For officials below the third rank, as long as Lord Yuan speaks up, everything will be possible, and neither the emperor nor the Ministry of Personnel will stop it.

Therefore, as long as one can hold on to Lord Yuan's thigh, it will only take a word for him to rise to prominence.

Even with Lord Yuan's influence, it is not impossible to recommend him to be an official in Beijing.

Great opportunity!
Xue Gui told Li Rui the news because he treated Li Rui as his own.

Being a retainer did not prevent him from being an official, he could have both. After all, Yunzhou was the fiefdom of Governor Yuan, and he set all the rules alone.

In addition, Li Rui also made a good effort on his own.

There aren't many retainers in the Marquis's Mansion, at most they can be counted on one hand.

So it’s not easy to be a retainer.

If Xue Gui could enter the Marquis's Mansion, it would be equivalent to placing an independent person next to Governor Yuan. The benefits are self-evident. Li Rui would be lucky and Xue Gui would also benefit. It would be a win-win situation.

But the prerequisite is that this person must be favored by Xue Gui.

If Xue Gui doesn't like it, Lord Yuan probably won't like it either, so it would be a waste of time to go.

He also understood why Han Zhen was so polite to him.

To put it bluntly, it's potential.

If Li Rui could really become a retainer of the Marquis's Mansion, his status would be higher than his, so he would have to be polite.

Otherwise, it may feel good to be bossy now, but when others climb over your head, you will have to pay them back with interest.

As a senior aide to the General's Office, Han Zhen would naturally not do such a stupid thing.

Be a man to stay on the line and meet each other in the future.

This is a common principle in the officialdom of the State of Yu.

Han Zhen: "I have delivered Master Xue's message, so I will not stay any longer."

Watching Han Zhen stand up.

Li Rui tried to persuade him, "Brother Han, it's still early. I've already ordered someone to set up a banquet at Zuixianlou. Let's have a couple of drinks."

Han Zhen smiled and waved his hand:

"Brother Li, there will be many opportunities in the future. When we go to Yunzhou Prefecture, I will treat you to a drink."

"In that case, I will not keep Brother Han."

Li Rui didn't persuade him much.

This kind of persuasion depends on the person. If it is Lei Yong, he will definitely persuade again and again, but if it is Han Zhen, he will stop at the right time, otherwise it will cause displeasure and the gain will not outweigh the loss.

Li Rui personally escorted Han Zhen out of Anningwei before returning home.

"Brother, this is a great opportunity!"

Ning Zhongtian spoke with shining eyes when he saw Li Rui coming back.

A guest in the marquis's mansion.

This is incredible.

It was equivalent to getting on the relationship with Lord Yuan. He would be able to take off in the future. Besides, he just heard that Xue Gui would definitely say a few words for him. The possibility was very high.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "Fourth brother, you have heard it, so you can prepare yourself. This is a good opportunity."

Although he was tempted, he would not lose his composure because of it.

Just do what you should do.

I haven't heard from Han Zhen that these are all internal news. It will take at least several months or half a year for them to be announced to the world.

Not in a hurry.

Ning Zhongtian nodded: "That's right."

Even if I can't become a retainer, it is still a great opportunity to show myself. If I perform well and am noticed by Governor Yuan and accepted as a disciple, wouldn't that be even more profitable?
He was even more fortunate to have become sworn brothers with Li Rui.

Otherwise, how could he have known the news in advance.

If you are prepared, your chances of success may be much greater.

Ning Zhongtian suppressed his excitement and no longer wanted to bask in the sun with Li Rui. He found an opportunity and trotted back home.

Li Rui smiled and shook his head.

Young people will be passionate about what they do as long as they see the goal.

"Xiao Zhao, eat."

late at night.

Li Rui sat cross-legged on the cushion with his eyes closed and concentrated.

Look within yourself.

Since he established his foundation, the immortal energy in his body has changed greatly. It has an incredibly high grade, almost identical to the immortal energy he had obtained before!

The mysterious immortal energy roams around in the body, and wherever it goes, subtle changes occur. The combination of Changchun Gong and the Dragon Traveling in the Nine Skies makes the vitality terrifyingly strong.

Li Rui is using his immortal energy to examine himself.

'There should be no problem.'

After walking around for a few times, he had a slight change of mind.

next moment.

The originally calm Qi Sea suddenly began to surge, and soon, it began to churn, surging out of the Dantian like a tide, rushing to the limbs and bones, and then returning to the Dantian.

It goes on and on, the cycle never ends.

Li Rui had long been prepared for the changes in his body. He closed his eyes and concentrated, looking peaceful, as if he was wandering in a sea of ​​clouds, feeling contented.

soon.

A strange scene appeared.

The room, which was originally tightly closed on all sides, seemed to be blown by a breeze, causing his sleeves to flutter and his hair and beard to fly, as if he was riding the wind and flying in the air.

The Qi sea became more and more violent, with waves rolling, and the sound of the tide could be faintly heard.

Li Rui opened his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed across them.

"I want to listen to the waves."

(End of this chapter)