Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 222 Leave the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Tang State Duke's Mansion to me.
The Grand Secretariat and the Duke of Tang's residence were separated by only one street.

The entire Guanzhong bureaucracy was operated within this Xingtai Mansion.

"You are Liu Qiu!"

Standing in front of Li Shuang was a refined-looking man.

Erzhu Rong's massacre of the nobles in Luoyang caused panic among the powerful clans, but at the same time, it also brought opportunities to the poor and small and medium-sized noble families.

Liu Qiu, who came from the Liu family of Jie County, was one of them.

Liu Qiu was the son of Liu Sengxi, the prefect of Yingchuan. During the Xiaochang era, he passed the imperial examination and was appointed as the registrar of Yanzhou.

At less than thirty years old, he was just a nobody in the Northern Wei Dynasty. But after the collective elimination of the nobles and officials of Luoyang, people like him got their chance.

The court, which was originally based on seniority, is now in a period of turmoil, and suddenly it has become a system where the most capable hold positions.

Erzhu Rong's powerful government and the imperial court in Luoyang were both recruiting scholars. Apart from Li Shengui in Henan, he seemed to care little, eating and drinking as usual, as if the disputes outside were none of his concern.

In the present Northern Wei Dynasty, the three strongest official forces, Erzhu Rong, Li Shuang, and Li Shengui, each control a region, and Hebei, Shandong, and other areas are in turmoil.

After a moment's thought, Liu Qiu decided to come to Guanzhong.

He didn't want to side with Erzhu Rong, but he also didn't think Yuan Ziyou could win, so he didn't really have a choice.

"Exactly!"

Li Shuang waved his hand and said:

“There are two villages outside Chang’an that are fighting over land. Go to the stables, get a horse, and take twenty armored soldiers with you to quell the dispute.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiu did not feign concern or say anything like how a scholar could be compared to a country bumpkin.

Li Shuang did not tell him how he would be rewarded after completing the task.

Liu Qiu accepted the order and left.

The staff in the governor's mansion were not surprised by this. Although the staff in this mansion were all scholars, they were not separated from martial arts and all had some martial virtues.

If you can't even wield a big sword, how dare you claim to have read the Spring and Autumn Annals?

At this time, Chang'an City had some food reserves and its treasuries were somewhat adequate, but it was still far from enough.

Li Shuang summoned his staff to discuss the Fubing system.

One of the most important topics is "the upper level"!
The twelve military prefectures in Guanzhong each took turns serving a month in Chang'an.

This would not only bring the soldiers closer to the Duke of Tang's mansion, but also intensify the training of the soldiers.

When Chang'an was first built, military considerations were the primary factor. The city was equipped with a full range of military facilities and a large training ground for soldiers.

None of the staff members objected to this.

A military prefecture can have anywhere from 2,000 to 1,500 soldiers, which can be easily absorbed into Chang'an.

Moreover, at this time, the combat strength of the soldiers in the various military prefectures in Guanzhong varied, and collective training would help improve their combat strength.

The staff were drafting specific rules when Liu Qiu returned as ordered.

"Your Excellency, I have already quelled the dispute."

The round trip took no more than an hour, and Liu Qiu had already resolved the issue.

Li Shuang asked:

How did you solve it?

Liu Qiu cupped his hands and said:
"When I went down there, I found that the land they were fighting over had no clear owner. So I drew a map, had the people of one village draw the boundary, and then let the people of the other village choose the land first. In this way, the dispute was settled."

After hearing this, Li Shuang laughed and said:
“You can choose a mansion or a piece of land in the neighborhood near the Xingtai Mansion to build your own house. From now on, you will stay in the Xingtai Mansion and serve as a secretary.”

Liu Qiu was astonished. He had met princes and nobles of the Northern Wei before, but he had never seen anyone like Li Shuang who offered houses and land so readily.

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Liu Qiu tried his best to remain calm so as not to lose his scholarly demeanor, but when he spoke, he could not hide the excitement in his heart.

"Your subordinate thanks the Duke!" ...

After the business was discussed, it was already dark.

Li Shuang returned to the Duke of Tang's mansion.

In the inner palace, Dugu Ru was already waiting.

She was dressed to the nines today, and as soon as she saw Li Shuang return, she smiled and had wine and dishes served.

"Husband, you are back!"

When Li Shuang saw Dugu Ru's appearance, he knew she was about to eat someone.

The dishes on the table were mostly chives and roasted lamb kidneys, and there were also desserts such as deer blood and wolfberry stew, which made Li Shuang feel a bit overwhelmed.

"My husband, I have something to tell you."

"Madam, please speak!"

"My husband spends all day mingling with his civil and military officials; don't forget your duties."

"What's the matter?"

"You should take a concubine!"

"..."

Dugu Ru looked at Li Shuang and said righteously:
"Don't spend all your time with those men. What's so good about those stinky men? A husband should take a couple more concubines and have more children. That's what's important!"

"Aren't you being a little too considerate of me?"

"This is what I should think of for my husband. Erzhu Ying'e is in this household without a clear status, so you should give her a proper title. Besides, I have also taken a fancy to a maid from the Yuwen family. Why don't you take her as a concubine as well?"

Dugu Ru's judgment was undoubtedly sharp.

Erzhu Rong became the Grand General of Tianzhu, wielding immense power. Regardless of what the future holds, having Erzhu Ying'e as a connection is beneficial for Li Shuang.

However, to Li Shuang's surprise, Dugu Ru also took a fancy to a woman from the Yuwen clan.

When Li Shuang conquered Wuchuan, he gained the women from the Heba and Yuwen families. Although he later released them, the women from both families remained in his residence.

The three Heba brothers sided with Erzhu Rong, and Dugu Ru arranged for Li Shuang to take Heba Zhen as a concubine. Now, Yuwen Luosheng is also highly regarded by Erzhu Rong, and Dugu Ru arranged for Li Shuang to take a woman from the Yuwen clan as a concubine.

But Dugu Ru's story doesn't end here.

“Recently, I corresponded with Sister Zhaojun. In her letter, she mentioned that the Earl of Tongdi has a younger sister who is of marriageable age and she is interested in arranging a marriage between them. I once heard Mr. Han say that this Earl of Tongdi is no ordinary man. Why don't you take him as a concubine, my husband?”

"Madam, you are so virtuous!"

Li Shuang's words were not meant as praise. Dugu Ru sighed with a sorrowful expression:
"Who told me that I am just a rough woman from the grasslands, whose only thought is that my husband is as great as the sky? I am not as good as the princess of the Yuan family, who can still be elegant with my husband."

Of all the women in the inner palace, only Yuan Mingyue made Dugu Ru feel wary.

There's no other reason than that, whether it's status, talent, appearance, or figure, Dugu Ru cannot definitively surpass her.

Coincidentally, Yuan Mingyue had just been diagnosed with pregnancy.

Li Shuang laughed and was about to brush it off, but Dugu Ru wouldn't listen at all.

"My husband only needs to fight bravely on the front lines; I, the concubine, have many more things to consider here in the inner palace."

As she spoke, Dugu Ru felt a sense of urgency, picked up a bowl of deer blood, and fed it to Li Shuang.

After a quick meal, Dugu Ru pulled Li Shuang into the room.

"Let me begin the important task of revitalizing the Tang State Duke's Mansion!"

……

(End of this chapter)