The fiercest soldier of the border army

The Crown Prince's principal wife summoned him!

Generally speaking, the main room, main hall, and main hall represent officialdom and authority.

Clearly, the Crown Prince and the military governor have made their decision.

Tang Shun and Shi Hanshan walked side by side, their eyes sweeping over the corner ahead.

As soon as they stepped onto the stone steps of the main courtyard, they saw a person slowly walking out from the side door.

The man wore a blue robe with a belt, a lacquered gauze turban, and dark cloud patterns embroidered on his cuffs. He was dressed in fine silk and was followed by two attendants.

It was Cui Yuanlang.

He stood still on the steps, his gaze fixed on Tang Shun, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Isn't this Tang, the meritorious captain of Xiushui?" Cui Yuanlang's lips curled up. "Roaring in the guest room to attract His Highness's attention, climbing up by stepping on us scholars, that's quite a skill."

Tang Shun stopped and met Cui Yuanlang's gaze directly.

He did not respond to the sarcasm, but simply said, "Young Master Cui, you flatter me. I am merely answering the truth."

Cui Yuanlang raised an eyebrow. "You're quite the talker, but I advise you to recognize your place."

"For a mere squad leader to be able to become a commander in Lingzhou and assist the governor is already a meteoric rise."

"If we slight a person of importance, we may not even be able to keep our foothold."

These words, a mix of warning and threat, were clearly a veiled message to Tang Shun—don't be too ostentatious, or the governor will have plenty of ways to deal with him.

Tang Shun chuckled lightly, "In border prefectures, war is rampant and supplies are scarce. If the governor treats military men lightly and ignores military matters, I'm afraid his position as governor will be precarious."

"What did you say?" Cui Yuanlang's expression changed slightly.

"I'm telling the truth." Tang Shun looked at him. "The five counties of Lingzhou are in ruins, and refugees are everywhere. A few poems and a few carts of grain are not enough to fill the stomachs of ten thousand people."

"Without military force to guard the fields and without soldiers to protect the crops, even if a thousand bushels of millet are transported here, they will be looted in no more than three days."

"At that time, I wonder if Young Master Cui intends to write a poem to pray for rain, or kneel and pray for peace?"

The air around them tightened.

The two servants glared at them angrily!

Cui Yuanlang sneered, "Arrogant! Who do you think you are? A roughneck who climbed up the ranks by killing enemies and risking your life, dares to discuss politics? My Cui family has served as officials for five generations, and our disciples are all over the court and the countryside. How could your vision compare to ours!"

Tang Shun said no more and strode forward.

Cui Yuanlang stared at him, his eyes blazing with anger. Just as he was about to rebuke him again, another eunuch emerged from the main hall and loudly announced, "His Highness summons Tang Shun, Shi Hanshan, and Cui Yuanlang. Enter the hall immediately!"

The two exchanged a glance, straightened their clothes, and stepped inside.

The main hall was brightly lit, with towering beams and pillars, and the floor was covered with a thick carpet that made no sound when stepped on.

The Crown Prince sat in the head seat, his face calm, with his black-clad advisors still standing behind him, heads bowed and silent.

Seated in the main seat on the left is Jiedushi Li Qing'an, dressed in a purple robe with a gold fish pouch at his waist, and with a composed expression.

When he saw Tang Shun enter, he nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his lips.

After entering, Cui Yuanlang first performed a grand salute, and then said in a clear voice, "Your subject Cui Yuanlang has been summoned to an audience."

Tang Shun then knelt and bowed: "Team Leader Tang Shun pays respects to the Crown Prince and the Commander."

The Crown Prince raised his hand: "No need for formalities, rise."

The two stood in the center, their backs straight.

The Crown Prince cut to the chase: "I have summoned you here today for the matter of Lingzhou."

"This prefecture suffered the most severe damage from the war, with five counties devastated and people displaced. The imperial court intends to send capable officials to restore production and provide relief to the victims."

"One of you comes from a distinguished family and is well-versed in classical texts; the other comes from a military background and has proven military achievements."

"Now that we are all here, I believe we can work together to govern this place, prioritizing the well-being of the people."

Cui Yuanlang bowed and said, "Your Highness is wise. As the Prefect of Lingzhou, I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's grace."

"My Cui family has already prepared 500 shi of grain, which can be transported as soon as I take office, ensuring that the people of Lingzhou will not starve to death on the way."

He spoke generously, but his tone carried a condescending air, as if five hundred bushels of grain were a heaven-sent rain, enough to secure the fate of the world.

Li Qing'an, sitting on the left, chuckled upon hearing this: "Young Master Cui, don't speak too soon. Although Lingzhou is poor, it is not short of grain merchants."

"Last winter, three rice merchants transported grain into the prefecture, but what was the result? The price of rice did not fall but rose instead, and the people continued to eat tree bark as usual."

"Five hundred shi sounds like a lot, but if someone hoards it for speculation, it will vanish in the blink of an eye. Having grain without rules won't save people."

Cui Yuanlang said confidently, "What you say is true, sir. Five hundred shi is only the first batch of grain. If someone tries to manipulate things behind the scenes, the Cui family has no shortage of resources."

Having said that, he glanced at Tang Shun, seemingly casually, and said, "I only hope that Your Majesty can rest assured that if anyone abuses their military power and disobeys orders, I will punish them according to the law!"

The Crown Prince glanced at the two men and knew that Cui Yuanlang had misunderstood. "You two both want the position of Prefect of Lingzhou, but there is only one position available. Why don't you decide for yourselves?"

Cui Yuanlang was stunned, his eyes widening: "What?!"

He pointed at Tang Shun, "He also wants to be the governor of Lingzhou?!"

"This is my will."

The Crown Prince nodded, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative, "Of the five counties in Lingzhou, Lingwu and Wenchi, though unaffected by the disaster, are now home to a large number of displaced people."

"Soaring grain prices have made life most difficult for ordinary people."

"From this day forward, you two will each serve as pacification commissioners in a county. Whoever can stabilize grain prices, pacify displaced people, and restore farming within three months will be promoted to governor of Lingzhou and govern the entire prefecture."

pat-

Upon hearing this, Cui Yuanlang was so shocked that he took two steps back, his chest heaving violently!

Tang Shun was also extremely surprised!

Tang Shun hadn't expected that the military governor was indeed helping him!

Moreover, instead of helping him become a county magistrate, they set up assessments and directly promoted him to governor!

What a surprise! It all came too suddenly!

Of course, it was a pleasant surprise for Tang Shun, but a real shock for Cui Yuanlang.

Cui Yuanlang never expected that the soldier in front of him would be so ambitious!

He wasn't asking for the position of commander of the Lingzhou army, but rather the position of governor of Lingzhou!

More importantly, neither the crown prince nor the military governor objected!

Cui Yuanlang was filled with shock and anger, and shouted:

"Your Highness! Commander! You are but a military man, a mere squad leader, not even a rank official! How can you abandon your martial arts for a civil post and be promoted to a fourth-rank official!"

"This is illegal! It's unreasonable!"

Military Governor Li Qing'an calmly replied, "Because of the extraordinary achievements, one should undertake extraordinary tasks."

"As the military governor of Beiting, my authority was already within the scope of the prefect's dismissal, let alone with Your Highness's approval."

Having encountered a minor setback with Li Qing'an, Cui Yuanlang remained undeterred and turned to the Crown Prince to continue speaking:

"Your Highness! I am a direct descendant of the Cui family of Hedong. I have studied the Six Classics and am well-versed in classical texts since childhood. How can I compete with a mere soldier? Such an arrangement is an insult to my family!"

Cui Yuanlang's voice grew louder and louder as he angrily pointed at Tang Shun, "This kind of opportunistic villain, ignorant of both the court and human relationships, how can he possibly be the pacification chief of a county!"

"Furthermore, I have official documents from the Ministry of Personnel on my person. If Your Highness is not going to disregard these documents and simply watch the regional military governors abuse their power, then you are not going to do so!"