Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 217 Lots of Talents
"Oh?" Xue Ne smiled and looked at Liu Jianjun. "I'm all ears."

"This humble official would like to request a batch of quotas from General Xue," Liu Jianjun said, bowing respectfully.

"Quota?"

"Yes, quota." Liu Jianjun nodded and continued, "I am aware that there has always been the phenomenon of 'ghost employees' in the army. This is not necessarily due to embezzlement by the officers in the army, but rather a loophole in the rules and regulations. The quota I need is the quota for these ghost employees. There are not many, just the same as the eight hundred for this siege."

Li Xian was not surprised at all by Liu Jianjun's statement.

The Tang Dynasty and even the Wu Zhou Dynasty implemented the Fubing system, which combined soldiers and farmers. They farmed at home in peacetime and took turns guarding the central government or defending the frontier. They did not need to receive regular military pay from the state, and they provided their own weapons, equipment, and even rations.

In this situation, there is little room for directly "embezzling military pay".

However, where there are rules, there will naturally be loopholes.

Because of the frequent changes in troop numbers, troop counts become complicated. Therefore, even the most incorruptible local generals would only report a relatively high number when counting troop numbers.

After all, the portion that was underreported had to be made up out of their own pocket.

As a result, many corrupt officials would falsely report the number of soldiers to fraudulently claim the grain, cloth, rewards, or other supplies allocated to the army by the state.

Some officials would even demand heavier bribes from existing soldiers in order to exempt them from military service, which became a way to amass wealth.

Of course, the latter is not the same situation as the one Liu Jianjun mentioned about receiving salaries without working; these are just problems that existed in the military service systems of the Tang Dynasty or the Wu Zhou Dynasty.

Li Xian was puzzled as to why Liu Jianjun wanted this spot.
Could it be that he's short of the pay for those 800 military positions?

Xue Ne also voiced Li Xian's doubts, saying, "Why does Chief Secretary Liu want these eight hundred places...?"

"I have a group of people who want to fill these vacancies."

As soon as Liu Jianjun said this, Li Xian subconsciously thought of another "eight hundred": the eight hundred cotton mill craftsmen that Xue Da was training.

Liu Jianjun once said that Xue Da guaranteed that the eight hundred craftsmen were just ordinary cotton mill workers in normal times, but once they took that mysterious weapon, they would become an army that could make even gods and demons tremble in fear.

It now seems that the weapon Liu Jianjun mentioned must be this thunderbolt.

Li Xian felt a sudden surge of heat in his heart.

What is Liu Jianjun planning to do?
At this moment, Xue Ne also stared intently at Liu Jianjun and said, "Eight hundred men... Chief Secretary Liu should be able to afford to support them, right?"

Liu Jianjun met his gaze fearlessly and said, "But I cannot provide them with another resume."

This time, Xue Ne stared at him for a long time before saying, "I know a little about how Chief Secretary Liu led Prince Pei to accumulate power right under His Majesty's nose, yet remained undetected."

Liu Jianjun waved his hand and said, "General Xue, you flatter me. I don't know about these eight hundred..."

"Why eight hundred?" Xue Ne asked again.

Liu Jianjun grinned: "Because the attack on Wugu City is exactly eight hundred. I know nothing about military matters, but since General Xue says eight hundred is appropriate, then I will listen to General Xue."

Xue Ne was taken aback, then suddenly had a look of bewilderment: "So, it seems I've been used as a pawn by Chief Secretary Liu?"

Liu Jianjun chuckled and said, "Everyone has their own expertise. I thought three hundred would be enough, but since you insist on giving me another five hundred, I have no choice but to accept it."

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became much more relaxed.

But Li Xian didn't quite understand how many twists and turns were involved in their conversation.

At this moment, Xue Ne also said seriously, "I have eight hundred slots, but the military pay for these eight hundred slots... will have to be figured out by Chief Secretary Liu himself."

Liu Jianjun was taken aback, and said, "General Xue, although it is somewhat impolite to ask this, I still want to ask a question..."

He paused, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly: "You...you really got greedy?"

Li Xian was also a little curious.

He knew that Liu Jianjun didn't care about the pay for these 800 soldiers. The monthly pay for soldiers in the Tang Dynasty was about two taels of silver, which was mostly distributed in the form of grain or cloth. Liu Jianjun had two cotton mills in Chang'an and Yingzhou, and the cotton produced could be used directly as military pay. He could support not only 800 people, but even 8,000 people.

However, the military pay for 800 positions, once it falls into the hands of an individual, is a huge sum of money.

He also looked at Xue Ne with curiosity.

Xue Ne noticed Li Xian's gaze and glared at Liu Jianjun with annoyance, saying, "How could I possibly embezzle those silver coins?"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the sky outside and suddenly asked, "It's still early. Do Your Highness and Chief Secretary Liu have any free time?"

Liu Jianjun was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously.

Seeing that Liu Jianjun nodded, Li Xian also nodded.

After all, when Li Xian was in Luoyang, he still had to attend the New Year's court. But after arriving in Yingzhou, Li Xian had nothing to do. On the contrary, Liu Jianjun was busy with saltpeter and sulfur, and was so busy that he was dizzy.

Seeing that the two had no objections, Xue Ne ordered his personal guards to bring three horses. The three men rode the horses, accompanied by a squad of personal guards, and headed south of Yingzhou City.

The further you go, the more desolate the scenery becomes.

Unlike the hustle and bustle and gradually recovering vitality of the city, this place is mostly filled with low, dilapidated mud-brick houses.

Xue Ne was clearly very familiar with the place. Although he remained silent the whole way, he led Li Xian and Liu Jianjun through the narrow dirt road with ease. Every now and then, thin and pale children would hide behind the doors, looking at the group of officials in fine clothes and riding horses with timid yet expectant eyes.

Finally, they stopped by a nearly dried-up stream.

Xue Ne dismounted and pointed to several particularly dilapidated courtyards not far away, his voice somewhat low: "This is it."

He led Li Xian and Liu Jianjun to one of the houses, where half of the courtyard wall had collapsed and was barely held together with thorns.

The courtyard gate was ajar, so Xue Ne pushed it open and went inside.

Li Xian and Liu Jianjun exchanged a glance and followed him into the courtyard.

The courtyard was desolate. An old woman with gray hair and tattered clothes was hunched over, mending an old garment whose original color was almost unrecognizable on the only low stool in the courtyard.

Hearing the noise, the old woman raised her head, her cloudy eyes searching for a while before she recognized Xue Ne.

She hurriedly tried to get up and bow, but Xue Ne quickly stepped forward to support her.

“Aunt Wang, there’s no need for such formalities.” Xue Ne’s voice was gentler than Li Xian and Liu Jianjun had ever heard before. “I’ve come today to deliver your condolences.”

The old woman was taken aback and said, "Isn't it usually delivered at the end of the month? Why today..."

Xue Ne did not explain, but simply took a cloth bag from the guard, which contained some copper coins and a few bolts of coarse linen, and handed it to the old woman.

But the old woman put the cloth bag aside and asked, "General Xue, is there still war brewing on the frontier?"

Clearly, although Xue Ne did not explain, the old woman seemed to have guessed it.

Li Xian felt a pang of unease watching this scene.

The old woman's poverty was evident to the naked eye, but after receiving the compensation, she did not care about these things that could change her life. Instead, she immediately became concerned about the war on the frontier.

Just then, Xue Ne didn't speak, but the old woman suddenly raised her head, straightened her hunched back, and said to Xue Ne, "General Xue, I thank you for the money and silk. But... but I still want to tell you, if the border is in danger, Da Lang still has his younger brother, and I still have my grandson!"

Li Xian was slightly taken aback and looked at the old woman.

The old woman's face was a mixture of sorrow and pride as she said, "Yes! I have another grandson! His name is Erlang, and he is stronger and braver than his elder brother! General, please take him with you! Let him follow you to fight the Turks and pacify Goguryeo! He will surely be able to, like his elder brother, bring about a peaceful and prosperous era for His Majesty and for the Tang Dynasty!"

As she spoke, she called out "Erlang" into the house, and a boy who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old ran out.

The young man was thin and had a sallow complexion, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. When Li Xian saw him, he was reminded of Liu Jianjun, who was still in Bazhou back then.

The young man ran to the old woman's side, looking at Xue Ne and his entourage with a mixture of timidity and longing. The old woman grasped his hand tightly and continued, "General Xue, don't underestimate him because of his young age. He's strong enough to work! When his elder brother was his age, he was already patrolling the border with the captain! Let him go, let him go for his brother and his grandfather, to see how this peaceful and prosperous world was won!"

The boy listened to his grandmother's words, puffed out his chest slightly, and tried his best to look majestic.

The courtyard fell silent once again.

Li Xian felt as if something was blocking his throat, and his nose felt sore and painful.

He turned his head away, unable to bear looking at the old woman's expectant eyes and the boy's feigned strength.

Although Xue Ne didn't mention the old woman, Li Xian could vaguely guess what it was.

This is no longer a simple matter of sending sons and grandsons to join the army; it is a family of loyal martyrs, a family that has followed one after another, a family that has used its blood and lives to fill the seemingly endless flames of war on the frontier!

Liu Jianjun also composed himself, his expression complex.

Xue Ne took a deep breath, looked at the young man, and asked, "How old are you?"

The young man straightened his back and said, "I'm sixteen!"

Li Xian pursed his lips and remained silent.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, a man was considered of legal age at twenty-one. Only after reaching this age would the court include him in the list of those conscripted for corvée labor and military service.

Therefore, twenty-one years old is theoretically the starting age for officially becoming a soldier and beginning to undertake rotating guard and military service duties.

Although the Tang Dynasty law stipulated that men would officially serve in the military at the age of 21, the selection process would be carried out in advance. Men would be registered and undergo physical examinations and political reviews at the age of 16. At this time, local generals would mostly turn a blind eye to men joining the army.

Therefore, the age of enlistment that is "mistakenly believed" by the public is generally sixteen, which is the age that the young man reported.

Xue Ne also saw through the young man's lie. He patted the young man's head, shook his head, and said, "According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, a man becomes an adult at the age of twenty-one. You will have to wait another five years."

The boy's carefully maintained air of authority crumbled instantly, and he looked at the old woman with a helpless expression.

The old woman, still wanting to make one last attempt, stammered, "General... sixteen... sixteen can be considered half a laborer, and there are... aren't there others in the army..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xue Ne interrupted her: "There are unmarried men in the army who serve as menial laborers and auxiliary soldiers, but they are not regular soldiers, and they are mostly used when the situation is critical and they have no other choice. This battle is not urgent..."

He paused, looked at the young man, and continued, “According to the ‘Household and Marriage Law’ and the ‘Unauthorized Construction Law,’ your family has already had two men who died for their country, making you a family of loyal martyrs. You only have this one underage male in your family. According to the law, you should be given preferential treatment and exempted from corvée labor and military service until you reach adulthood. This is the law of the country and also a consideration for families of loyal martyrs.”

"As an official appointed by the imperial court and commander of the border army, how can I lead the way in breaking the law and conscripting the descendants of loyal martyrs who are not yet of age? If this precedent is set, how will the bloodlines of countless families like yours continue in Yingzhou and even throughout the country?"

The old woman clearly only half understood what Xue Ne said, but she knew that letting Wang Erlang join the army was a violation of the law by Xue Ne. Her eyes quickly turned ashen, and she murmured as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

Seeing this, Xue Ne knew that the matter was over. He then waved to Li Xian and Liu Jianjun and left the courtyard.

After leaving the old woman's courtyard, Li Xian was unable to calm down for a long time.

He already understood Xue Ne's intention in bringing him and Liu Jianjun here.

Those "ghost salaries" weren't because he was unwilling to pay them, but because he genuinely couldn't afford them.

Finally, Li Xian couldn't help but ask, "General Xue, are there many women like Wang Ao in Yingzhou City?"

Xue Ne slowly uttered two words: "Quite a few."

Li Xian pursed his lips and pressed on, "Isn't the imperial court's... imperial court's pensions enough for them to make a living?"

This time, it was Liu Jianjun who answered him. He sighed, his tone less carefree than usual and more serious: "Your Highness, you have been in the deep palace for a long time and may not know that the court has its own regulations for providing relief, but the distribution process goes through many layers of intermediaries. It is common for less than half of the relief funds to actually reach these military families."

"In addition, the border areas are bitterly cold and resource-poor. It is already difficult for them to keep alive with this little money and silk."

"Moreover, in a family like Wang's, where all the able-bodied men have died and only the elderly, women, and children remain, even if they have enough money and silk, without labor, it would be difficult to survive in this place."

Xue Ne continued, "There are even some families whose sons died on the battlefield, and they can't even find their bodies. If their names are omitted from the official documents, they are considered missing and can't even receive this meager compensation. As for me... there's only so much I can do."

As Li Xian listened, he felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart.

He had studied the classics since childhood and knew about "benevolent governance" and "loving the people like one's own children." But only now, witnessing the life and death separations in this dilapidated courtyard and hearing the cruelty of this cold reality, did he truly realize the vast chasm between the words in the books and reality.

The three of them didn't say anything more and returned to Yingzhou City. Xue Ne returned to the Governor's Mansion under the pretext of important military affairs, while Li Xian and Liu Jianjun returned to the staff dormitory of the cotton mill.

Throughout the journey, Li Xian was still reeling from his earlier emotions. Gazing at the bustling scene of the cotton factory outside the window, the old woman's dejected eyes and the boy's stubborn face kept replaying in his mind, filling him with mixed feelings.

Liu Jianjun, on the other hand, seemed to be in much better spirits.

He somehow produced two flatbreads, went to Li Xian's room, handed one to him, and comforted him, "Alright, stop looking so gloomy. General Xue didn't take us there just so we could sit here sighing and complaining."

Li Xian took the flatbread, but had no appetite. He just stared at it and said in a low voice, "I just... have never felt so truly how difficult it is for the soldiers and their families on the frontier. In the past, when I heard of great victories on the frontier in Chang'an and Luoyang, I was only excited, but I didn't know how many 'Wang Ao' families' had shed blood and tears behind these victories."

Liu Jianjun plopped down next to Li Xian, pushed the somewhat disheveled mattress further in, took a bite of his flatbread, and then said, "Let me tell you something else."

Li Xian was taken aback and looked at Liu Jianjun with confusion.

Liu Jianjun didn't say anything, but took the pancake back from Li Xian's hand, stuffed it into Li Xian's mouth, and said, "Take a bite first. Neither of us has eaten anything this morning. I'm hungry, how can you not be?"

Li Xian was both amused and exasperated by Liu Jianjun's actions, and could only take a bite of the pancake.

The flatbread was a bit dry, but once you put it in your mouth, it made your mouth water.

Liu Jianjun straightened his posture and asked, "Did you think General Xue just took us to see where those empty salaries went?"

Li Xian asked, puzzled, "Isn't that right?"

"laugh."

Liu Jianjun chuckled and said, "It's the main reason, but definitely not the whole reason."

“These past few days, he must have been trying to find out about us from various sources. The fact that he took us to see that old woman at this time means that he is increasingly leaning towards you.”

Li Xian still didn't understand the connection between these things.

Liu Jianjun then explained, "Think about it, Xue Ne showed you such a human tragedy, what did you think of?"

Li Xian stammered, "The people are suffering terribly, separated by life and death?"

Liu Jianjun immediately looked defeated and asked again, "So what's your opinion on Xue Ne?"

Li Xian glanced at Liu Jianjun blankly.

This time, Liu Jianjun explained with exasperation, "Think about it, even though that old woman's family was in such a state, she was still willing to send her second grandson to General Xue's command. What does that show? It shows that Xue Ne was deeply loved by the people! It shows that he loved his soldiers like his own children!"

"And that's what he wants you to see and think about!"
"For him, this is an investment!"
"Think about it, if we actually end up together, and you see and think about this, how will you treat him? Will you continue to trust him and give him important responsibilities?"

Li Xian nodded blankly.

Liu Jianjun continued, "That's his goal!"

He paused, then continued, "Of course, it's undeniable that Xue Ne is indeed capable. The fact that we went there on short notice, and that old woman was clearly not a plant arranged by Xue Ne, only shows that Xue Ne is very shrewd. First of all, he is capable, and secondly, he knows that his abilities should be seen by his superiors."

"His shrewdness is a good thing for us."

At this point, Liu Jianjun looked at Li Xian meaningfully and said, "Your Li Tang dynasty is truly full of talented people."

Li Xian was about to say something, but Liu Jianjun reverted to his disappointed tone and said, "What a pity, I wasted my charm on a blind man like you!"

……

(End of this chapter)