Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 130: Stop howling, old dog! It’s so noisy! [Please subscribe]

After completing the matter of offering sacrifices and praying for rain, Li Shimin asked Du Ruhui and Wei Zheng to return to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, but left Fang Xuanling alone.

At this time, the emperor and his minister were strolling in the imperial garden of Taiji Palace, looking at the unpicked white floribunda flowers, both speechless.

It was not until a craftsman in charge of looking after the imperial garden saluted Li Shimin that Li Shimin suddenly remembered the purpose of keeping Fang Xuanling.

But he smiled and said, "This piece of white fold grass was planted in the imperial garden by the retired emperor. I don't know what's so beautiful about it."

"If you say it looks like a flower, it doesn't have any fragrance. If you say it looks like grass, it does have flowers. It's really useless to keep it, but it's not a pity to throw it away!"

"Uh"

Fang Xuanling was speechless and didn't know how to respond to Li Shimin for a moment.

But Li Shimin didn't seem to want him to respond, and sighed to himself:
"Since I implemented the New Deal, the only officials in the court who have made any significant achievements are those in the Qin Palace. Back then, they assisted me in conquering the world and were truly invincible!"

Hearing this, Fang Xuanling understood instantly.

His Majesty Li II was not talking about Bai Diezi, he was clearly talking about that group of old ministers of Wude.

And from the meaning of these words, it seems that he is criticizing himself for being too slow in cutting down the number of officials.

So he quickly said, "I have already made arrangements with the former officials of the Prince of Qin's Palace. The day when Your Majesty and they will rule the world together is not far off."

"Ah."

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction, but he still reminded Fang Xuanling: "Although the officials of the Qin Palace need to be arranged, my patience with some people is running out."

Hearing this, Fang Xuanling was deeply moved.

Li Shimin glanced at him indifferently again and continued, "I heard that Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping came to Chang'an?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, they have already participated in the assessment hosted by the Ministry of Personnel!" Fang Xuanling replied quickly.

Li Shimin continued to ask: "Do you think they can pass this test?"

"Your Majesty, I haven't yet gone to the Ministry of Personnel to get their homework. I don't know how they did on the exam, so I can't judge!"

"Ah!"

Li Shimin chuckled and said, "I also heard that the first thing they did when they arrived in Chang'an was go to your house. You wouldn't be partial, would you?"

"Your Majesty is aware of this!"

Fang Xuanling said solemnly, "I met with them in the palace because Your Majesty asked me to investigate the Crown Prince's conspiracy to rebel. This has nothing to do with their assessment."

Li Shimin smiled faintly upon hearing this, then reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "When it comes to reducing the number of officials, be rigorous and don't give people any reason to criticize you. Do you understand?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will be extremely diligent in my work! I will never let you down!"

Fang Xuanling bowed his head and kowtowed.

Soon, he was sent back to the Secretariat by Li Shimin.

As soon as he entered the Secretariat, the new Minister of Personnel, Gao Shilian, came over with the coursework for official assessment.

"Minister of the Secretariat, these are the assignments for the assessment of local officials. I have already reviewed them. I have also noted those that do not meet the selection criteria of the Ministry of Personnel. Please review them again. I will then announce the assessment results in the name of the Ministry of Personnel!" Gao Shilian said with a smile.

"Minister Gao has already read it himself, so I don't need to look at it!" Fang Xuanling took the test paper handed by Gao Shilian with a smile and said jokingly.

Unexpectedly, Gao Shilian's expression straightened, and he said in a slightly admonishing tone: "My nephew even lost his official position because of this matter. You must not be confused! This is a matter instructed by His Majesty, and it cannot be sloppy. You must carefully review it. I will be waiting for you!"

"Hahaha, okay, okay, I'll review it carefully, carefully review it!"

When Fang Xuanling heard Gao Shilian's words, he smiled and nodded repeatedly, then opened the examination paper and began to examine it carefully.

It was not until he had finished looking at all the exams and found that there were no exams for Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping that he let out a slight "Huh" and frowned.

"What's wrong, Minister of the Central Secretariat? Is there something wrong?" Gao Shilian, who was dozing off on the side, woke up immediately when he heard Fang Xuanling's light "eh" and asked him.

Then Fang Xuanling said, "Minister Gao, if I remember correctly, Governor Pei and Commander Zhang from Jiangling also participated in this assessment, right? Why aren't their exams here?"

"Ok?"

Gao Shilian was stunned for a moment, then he came forward and flipped through the exam papers on Fang Xuanling's desk, wondering, "Did I miss any? That shouldn't be the case! I brought all the candidates who have passed the Ministry of Personnel's selection criteria!"

"Uh,"

The corners of Fang Xuanling's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to support his forehead.

From what he said, it was obvious that Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping did not meet the selection criteria of the Ministry of Personnel, which was why they were intercepted by the old Shangshu from taking the examination.

but!

How could they fail the test?
I accepted all the gifts!

If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knew that I accepted the gift but didn't do the job, then...
Thinking of Li Chengqian's style of action, Fang Xuanling's face suddenly darkened. He scolded Gao Shilian, "Minister Gao, when I returned to the Secretariat, His Majesty reminded me to be rigorous in my work! Look at you, you haven't even shown me the entire examination. How am I supposed to make a ruling?"

"Ah? This"

Gao Shilian reacted for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Don't official assessments usually involve the Ministry of Personnel first screening according to standards, and then having the Minister of the Central Secretariat review them? Since there are no assessments for Jiangling Prefecture officials here, it means they don't meet the Ministry of Personnel's selection criteria. Does this still require a decision from the Minister of the Central Secretariat?"

"Of course!"

Fang Xuanling said righteously, "And this applies not only to the examinations of Jiangling officials, but also to the examinations of officials in other prefectures and counties. Regardless of whether they meet the selection criteria of the Ministry of Personnel or not, they will all be submitted to the Secretariat for decision!"

"Ah? But."

"Minister Gao! His Majesty has already told me to be rigorous in my work! You don't want His Majesty to blame me and then implicate you, do you?"

"I"

Gao Shilian opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

But Fang Xuanling said without question: "From now on, the Ministry of Personnel will only be responsible for the assessment, and everything else will be handed over to the Secretariat, including the announcement of the assessment results!"

"This, this, this"

Gao Shilian didn't expect Fang Xuanling to be so strong, and he didn't know what to say.

But when he thought that this was an order from His Majesty Li Er, he reluctantly nodded and agreed: "I will have the other part of the exam delivered right away. Please wait a moment, Minister Zhongshu!"

"Well, I'll have to trouble Minister Gao!"

Fang Xuanling smiled and nodded, then warned meaningfully, "We all serve His Majesty, and we cannot afford to be careless! Be rigorous! Be rigorous!"

"Yes, yes, what the Minister of the Central Secretariat said is right. We should devote our lives to your majesty and sacrifice our lives for him!" Gao Shilian couldn't help wiping the sweat from his forehead and nodded repeatedly.

Soon, Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping's examination results were delivered by the Ministry of Personnel.

Fang Xuanling glanced at their exams calmly, and his face suddenly turned dark.

It turns out that the reason they did not pass the selection criteria for officials of the Ministry of Personnel was
Giving too many gifts may be seen as misconduct.

This is fucking outrageous. It's outrageous to open the door. It's outrageous to the extreme.

On the other side, Pei Ji’s mansion.

Pei Xuan was inexplicably scolded by Pei Ji and stood there in a daze with his eyes wide open.

I thought to myself, did I give you face?!

I'm His Royal Highness's man! How dare you scold me like that?!
If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hadn't asked me to find out more about you, do you think I would have acknowledged you as my lousy cousin?!

I've been in Jiangling for nine years, and I'm still a provincial governor. You've been doing great in the capital, but have you ever thought about me, your cousin?!

Grass!
It's a plant!
"What do you mean, cousin? Am I unworthy of passing the test?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Pei Xuan's face darkened. But Pei Ji, uncontrollably sneered, "Don't I know what's wrong with you? Your father risked his life for your future, and you took this position as Governor. Now you don't know how to cherish it, and even dare to cheat at the assessment. Do you think we're still in the Wude era? Do you think you can just cheat and pass?"

"."

When Pei Xuan heard this, his face was covered with dark clouds.

It would be fine if Pei Ji didn’t mention his dead father, but once he mentioned his father, he would be filled with resentment.

Back then, his father, under the instigation of Pei Ji, falsely accused Liu Wenjing of treason, which resulted in the execution of Liu Wenjing's entire family. Although his father was promoted to a high official position, he was assassinated not long after. As a result, he succeeded his father and became the governor of Jiangling.

However, he was always brooding over this matter, thinking that Pei Ji had failed to protect his father, and even thought that his father might have been killed by someone secretly sent by Pei Ji.

After all, the matter involved too many things. Even if Pei Ji was Li Yuan's favorite, Li Yuan might not be able to protect him.

Feeling that there was something wrong with what he had just said, Pei Ji subconsciously glanced at the officials of the Wang and Cui families. Finding that there was nothing unusual about them, he softened his tone and said to Pei Xuan, "Don't blame me for speaking harshly, cousin. I'm doing this for your own good!"

"How about this? You stay in my house for two more days while I go to the Ministry of Personnel to inquire about the situation and help you lobby. Once I have a result, you can return to Jiangling. How about that?"

He felt that Pei Xuan had no connections of his own and there was no way he would pass the assessment.

Even if Pei Xuan was lucky enough to pass the assessment, he would take the credit for himself and thus control Pei Xuan.

In this way, he would be able to know every move of Li Yuan in Jiangling.

However, when Pei Xuan heard his words, he directly refused: "Don't bother Pei Sikong. I believe in my ability. I came to Pei Sikong's mansion this time to see you on behalf of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. From now on, we will not meet again. Farewell!"

After saying this, he stood up from his seat and opened the door.

"Stop!"

Pei Ji saw this and threw the teacup in his hand, angrily saying, "Once you step out of this door today, don't expect me to help you again!"

"Ah!"

Pei Xuan laughed, a speechless laugh: "I've been in Jiangling for nine years! Nine years! Do you know how I've been spending these nine years?"

"I"

Pei Ji stood there in a daze, not knowing how to start speaking for a moment.

The officials of the Wang family and the Cui family looked at each other in confusion.

Pei Xuan glanced at the tea leaves scattered on the ground and said coldly, "What a pity that I wasted several cans of good tea and just fed them to the dogs."

"Pei Xuan!"

"Stop howling, old dog! It's so noisy!!"

"You are presumptuous!"

Pei Ji's face turned livid with rage. He was about to order someone to arrest Pei Xuan when a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Sir, there's news from the Secretariat that the Ninth Master has passed the Ministry of Personnel's assessment!"

"What!?"

Pei Ji was struck by lightning when he heard this.

I thought to myself, how could this happen?
what is happening! ?

Pei Xuan smiled coldly and walked out of the room.

At the same time, outside Li Jing's mansion.

Zhang Ping and Su Dingfang were leading their horses and saying goodbye to Li Jing.

"Uncle Li, next time you come to Chang'an, I will bring you a few jars of new good wine. I guarantee you will be satisfied!" Zhang Ping said to Li Jing with a smile.

Li Jing also smiled and nodded at him: "Then I will wait for your good news!"

"What good news! You should drink less alcohol in the future and don't hurt your body!"

As soon as Li Jing finished speaking, a woman with a very heroic appearance, who did not look like an ordinary lady at all, walked out with a smile.

Zhang Ping took a closer look and quickly bowed to her: "My nephew greets my aunt!"

"Oh, you're not much older than me. It's weird to call me aunt! Just call me Madam Li from now on!"

As he spoke, he said to the female guard behind him, "Give the dry food I prepared to General Zhang to eat on the road!"

"Mrs. Li, you are too polite. Just call me Zhong Yu!" Zhang Ping hurried forward and took the bag handed over by the female guard.

He knew how powerful Mrs. Li was.

Although Li Jing was killing people everywhere and his military orders were as strict as a mountain, when he returned home, everything was under the control of Mrs. Li.

She said go east, and General Li would never dare to go west.

There was only one reason: her surname was Zhang, her given name was Chuchen, and she was known as the "Red Fu Girl." She was once a singing girl in Yang Su's family.

Although he came from a humble background, he had extraordinary insight. Not only did he see Li Jing's talent at a glance, but he was also very knowledgeable about both civil and military strategies.

In addition, he was influenced by Li Jing and his attainments in military strategy were not much different from Li Jing, otherwise he would not be included in the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust.

It is also because of this that Li Jing always brings "Hong Fu Nu" with him when he goes to war to help him with advice.

Therefore, "Hong Fu Nu" was Li Jing's wife on the surface, but in fact she was his military advisor.

He had no choice but to obey the military advisor's orders.

"Hehe, this is the training captain you asked my husband for, right? He looks to be around thirty-five or thirty-six, but he's full of energy and quite brave. I'm sure he's a veteran of the battlefield, right?"

The moment Zhang Ping took the bundle, Hong Fu Nu's gaze fell on Su Dingfang, who had been silent all the time, and she asked with a smile on her face.

Zhang Ping's heart trembled, thinking that the 'Red Fu Girl' was indeed worthy of her reputation. He quickly smiled and said, "Madam Li, you have a keen eye. You really can't hide anything from you! Yes, this man's name is Su Lie, a former general of Liu Heita who has recently surrendered to the Tang Dynasty!"

"Oh?"

Hong Fu Nu raised her eyebrows and asked with immediate interest, "I wonder if this former general of Liu Heita has ever fought against our Tang army? And who was the general he fought against?"

"Uh, this."

Zhang Ping looked nervous and turned to look at Su Dingfang, fearing that he would be exposed and he would not be able to leave.

But Su Dingfang said calmly: "How dare a defeated general talk about bravery?"

"Oh! You have some backbone, I don't know."

"Oh! I've already agreed to let Su Lie follow Zhong Yu to Jiangling. Why are you asking so many questions?"

Seeing that "Hong Fu Nu" kept asking Su Dingfang questions, Li Jing suddenly felt jealous and quickly stopped her.

"Hong Fu Nu" was so angry that she glared and was about to throw a tantrum.

"Dingfang! Get on your horse!"

Zhang Ping hurriedly greeted Su Dingfang and said goodbye to Li Jing: "Uncle Li, it's getting late. We're leaving first! See you later!"

As he said this, he jumped on his horse as if fleeing and rode away with Su Dingfang.

"oops!"

Seeing Zhang Ping and the other two leave without a second thought, Hong Fu Nu stamped her feet in anger and complained to Li Jing, "Brother Jing! You've missed out on a truly exceptional general!"

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(End of this chapter)