Qin Mubai briefly explained Xue Rengui's situation to Li Ke.
After hearing this, Li Ke couldn't help but his eyes lit up: "You mean, he is... in white now?"
"Isn't he similar?" Qin Mubai smiled slightly, "Looking at his demeanor, he definitely doesn't look like a mountain villager. More importantly, his martial arts is really outstanding."
"Better than you?" Li Ke asked.
"There is no need to compare me with him." Qin Mubai said, "Even Lu Guogong Cheng Zhijie is no match for him."
"What? No way!" Li Ke sighed in surprise. He couldn't help turning his head to look at Xue Rengui a few more times, and said softly, "Duke Lu and your father were the famous tiger and lion pairs in my father's Qin Palace. Xiong, the most powerful general in the world!"
"You can't be wrong." Qin Mubai nodded lightly and said calmly, "I guess only my father can rival him."
"So powerful..." Li Ke took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly.
"Your Highness, I know what you are thinking." Qin Mubai said softly with a smile, "I invited him to Chang'an from the countryside of Longmen, Jiangzhou, for the purpose of promoting him and giving him a Born. But he was very ambitious and never agreed to take a job in Baiqi."
"He won't even go to Baiqi, so what kind of official position does he want?" Li Ke couldn't help but asked in confusion.
"I don't know." Qin Mubai shook his head, "Maybe what he wants is not a big official position, but a... sense of accomplishment."
"Sense of accomplishment?" Li Ke shook his head in confusion.
"In other words, he doesn't want to receive favors from others in vain, and wants to find a way out based on his own abilities." Qin Mubai said.
"That's it... I understand." Li Ke smiled mysteriously and whispered, "Mu Bai, do you think there is any hope that I can recruit him as my subordinate?"
"You can try, but don't have high hopes." Qin Mubai said.
Li Ke nodded thoughtfully, and after a moment of silence, he said: "My family is declining, especially the lack of unique military commanders. The situation has become more serious since you left. Last time we were ordered to go to Jiangzhou , I left Yuwen Hongtai and Yin Yang to guard the gate in Chang'an, and there was no one at hand. There was only Quan Wanji who could be used to punish him, but after all, he was a civil servant who was not afraid of military affairs, so when it came to military affairs, , I feel that I am short of money. In recent days, I have been thinking about how to follow the example of my father in issuing a talent search order, and recruit military officers mainly based on their family background. What do you think
Qin Mubai thought for a while and said, "But will this move violate taboos?"
Li Ke smiled and said: "Probably not. I have almost faded out of the court and become unobtrusive now. Those people from Zongzheng Temple and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of War do not send me officials and generals, and they do not allow me to hire a few people myself. Originally, the Prince's Palace had the power to appoint subordinate officials below the fourth rank, but I would ask for my father's consent beforehand, just to prevent him from thinking that I was trying to create a gang with evil intentions."
"That will work." Qin Mubai smiled knowingly at him and said, "This is an opportunity for Xue Rengui. I will indirectly recommend him to apply for the job at your house."
"Thank you so much, Mu Bai. Come, let's have a drink!" Li Ke raised his glass excitedly.
"You're welcome." Qin Mubai smiled slightly, clinked glasses with him and drank.
In fact, Qin Mubai thought very clearly in his heart that the reason why he recommended Xue Rengui to Li Ke was not to curry favor with him, or because he had no choice but to do so out of affection.
On the contrary, he did it intentionally!
After the Jiangzhou case, Qin Mubai and Li Ke had a tacit understanding and had more trust and understanding between each other. More importantly, Qin Mubai's interests and positions are always relatively consistent with Li Ke's invisibly. There seemed to be an invisible bond between the two of them, connecting them together.
If one loses, both will suffer, if one gains, both will prosper.
Furthermore, after returning to Beijing this time, because of the incident involving Princess Gaoyang, Qin Mubai felt as if he had ended his career in Baiqi. The emperor said nicely that he was giving Qin Mubai a long holiday to go home to celebrate the New Year, but in reality he was buying more time for Li Junxian, who was about to take over Baiqi, and was preparing to replace Qin Mubai.
In fact, even if the emperor didn't do this, Qin Mubai himself wanted to leave Baiqi. This position is thankless and troublesome. More importantly, because of Princess Gaoyang's incident, my identity has become very sensitive, and it is no longer suitable to continue to work in the harem.
Instead of waiting to be kicked away, it is better to take the initiative to find a way out. If Qin Mubai leaves Baiqi and the palace, there are only two ways out: one is to be promoted openly and secretly, and be transferred to the six-rate twelve guards to serve as a general, just like Changsun Huan who was eliminated; the other is, He learned from Cheng Zhijie and was transferred to a distant prefecture and county as a local military attaché.
Obviously, the second way out is far better than the first.
When you get to the local area, you can become the governor of a state or city, or the captain of the military government. After all, you are still a giant. It is far better than being transferred to the complex and intricate Twelve Guards veteran army and being a helpless and lonely person. A young general who is looked down upon and has no chance of getting ahead.
Not long ago, Qin Mubai had a meeting with Li Ke when he just returned to Chang'an. He overheard him mention that because of his contribution to Jiangzhou, the emperor gave him the hereditary title of "Jingzhou Governor", and he would be able to take office in the next year.
When Li Ke is about to be transferred, why not go with him to Jingzhou and become the governor? Even if you can't be a governor, you can be a Sima or a long history, or even if you can't be a state official or a captain of the army, you can do it!
By then, wouldn't the two of them join forces and easily cover the sky in Jingzhou? It's better than being nestled in Baiqi and the palace now, facing countless pressures and troubles, and never having a day to relax. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to get promoted as a Hundred Cavalry Envoy. No matter how well you do, you can only get some verbal praise from the emperor. If it's done even slightly poorly, it's most likely a fool's errand. The Baiqi Envoy may look great on the surface, but it is actually a very cost-effective job. Where can I be more comfortable than being a local bully
Even Qin Shubao had told Qin Mubai more than once that if there was a chance, he might as well leave the whirlpool of Baiqi. If there is a war, it is best to join the army to earn military merit; if there is no war, but to go to the local area to conduct military affairs, as long as the luck is not extremely bad and there are no big mistakes, then it is a meritorious service in governing the local area and it is easy to be promoted.
This roundabout approach of going to the local level for one or two years to study for a year or two before being promoted was actually adopted by many officials in the capital. It has been proven that it is indeed feasible.
Qin Mubai felt as if he had reached a bottleneck in his official career. This trip to Jiangzhou can be said to have been a meritorious service, but he only received some land and silver cloth as rewards, and was given the symbolic title of Knight Rider Lieutenant, which can be seen everywhere in the army. It was worthless at all. If you don't find another way to seek a breakthrough, you will have to wait to be kicked out of Baiqi by the emperor, and you can be sent to any army to hang around at will, or even thrown to any border to defend the Tucheng.
Therefore, Qin Mubai pushed Xue Rengui to Li Ke without hesitation. Once this step is completed, it will be your job-hopping. When the time comes, it would be best to bring a few Baiqi confidants over. Li Ke is weak now, so he would definitely be grateful and attach great importance to him if he seeks refuge at this time. Coupled with the old friendship and interest ties between the two, wouldn't it be easy for one person to become more powerful than ten thousand people in Li Ke's camp
This is ten thousand times better than walking on thin ice in the palace with no guarantee of safety!
At this point in the discussion, Qin Mubai began to think about the "job-hopping plan" in detail.
…
In the main hall of Qin Mansion, the banquet is still going on.
Across the courtyard in the back room, Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang'er were chatting with Wu Mei's mother-in-law. Suddenly they heard that the house was extremely lively and there were people competing in martial arts in the backyard, so they were surprised. Seeing that there were many cars driving in the front yard, there must be important guests visiting. It was not easy for women like them to show up to the house, so they asked the servants in the mansion to inquire.
This question didn't matter. After asking, the three of them were a little stunned.
"What day is it today? Why are there so many people here at once?" Ms. Liu said in surprise.
Qin Shuang'er blinked and looked at Wu Meiniang and said, "How come... Princess Gao Yang is here too?"
Wu Meiniang smiled slightly to herself: "She is a princess. It is her freedom to be a guest in whichever subject's home she wants!"
"Meiniang..." Ms. Liu looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.
"Whatever you want to say, madam, just say it!" Wu Meiniang said with a calm smile.
"Hey..." Mrs. Liu sighed softly and said, "The incident between Sanlang and Princess Gaoyang has caused a storm in the city and everyone knows it. You must be unhappy after hearing this. Sanlang is not sensible, so I, the mother-in-law, can only take his place. I apologize to you."
"Madam, you are serious." Wu Meiniang said relaxedly, still smiling, "Mubai has already explained this matter to me frankly and in detail. I know everything about the two of them."
"Ah?" Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang'er were stunned together.
"That's right." Wu Meiniang said, "Mubai and I have deep feelings and complete trust. I believe everything he says. Even if the emperor wants to marry Princess Gaoyang to him, I have no objection. "
"Huh?..." Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang'er exclaimed again, opening their mouths so wide that they could almost swallow a fist.
"You don't have to be surprised." Wu Meiniang said with a sweet smile, "I don't mean to say it in a high-sounding way, this is indeed what I really think in my heart. It is normal for a man like Mu Bai to be liked by other women. But If I am a farmer who occupies a few more hectares of land than others, and I have a little savings but still want to have more concubines, how could I be so naive as to force Mubai to have only one woman, since I can't change this? , no matter how many women are around him, it would be the same. Since the other party is still a princess, it would be even better. In this way, it may be able to provide convenience and assistance to Mu Bai. It’s indeed touching. Don’t worry, I don’t mind having Princess Gaoyang next to Mubai.”
"Really?..." Mrs. Liu murmured, looking at Wu Meiniang in surprise, still not believing it.
Qin Shuang'er shook her head and sighed: "Sister Mei, you are really open-minded and wise. Why does my third brother like you so much? It seems that it is not only because of your stunning appearance, but also because of your wisdom and mind. Oops , How is it so unfair that God has given you such a stunning appearance and such intelligence, why do I have neither?"
"You kid, are you complaining that your parents didn't give you a good birth?" Ms. Liu cursed with an angry smile, took Wu Meiniang's hand and patted it gently, saying gratefully and happily, "Meiniang, Mu Bai can It's a blessing to have you in my past life. In fact, Mu Bai has some similarities with his father's character. They may be sentimental, but they will definitely be abnormal as long as they are around women. Respect and cherish. I am just the concubine of the Qin family, but Duke Yi has always been kind to me and has never treated me as a dispensable concubine. Over the years, we have always known each other. Giving up on this kind of thing is absolutely out of my reach.”
"I know this. Mu Bai is an upright and good man. In fact, he was driven by a sense of kindness towards Princess Gaoyang, which made him accept her?" Wu Meiniang said, "Princess Gaoyang is actually a very kind person. Poor woman. If I were Mu Bai, I would definitely be moved by her and accept her without regrets. Although I was preconceived, how could I bear to break them up and leave Mu Bai without such a purpose? Where is the good woman that he works so hard for?"
"That's so well said!" Mrs. Liu nodded in approval, "We are a family of women and can't do anything earth-shattering. Everything is for the good of our men. That's right. But don't worry, I will always advise Mu Bai. Let him restrain his flirtatious thoughts and stop flirting with others. If he dares to bully or let you down, I will not spare him!"
"Thank you, madam!" Wu Meiniang smiled. "Mu Bai treats me very well. He has always been a very righteous and conscientious person. I trust him!"
"Hey!..." Qin Shuang'er shook her head and let out a long sigh, "How lucky is my brother? To meet such a reasonable and good woman like you!"
"Meeting him is also my blessing." Wu Meiniang smiled slightly.
…
In the main hall, the banquet was about to end.
Cheng Zhijie, who was greedy for drink, was the first to get drunk. Yelling and laughing in the hall, making a lot of noise. Li Ke and Qin Mubai also drank a little more. Xue Rengui, who was too drunk, had long wanted to run away, but he just kept sitting there out of love.
Only Princess Gao Yang had never drank anything, and she kept staring at Qin Mubai with bright eyes, throwing meaningful glances at him from time to time, so that Qin Mubai didn't know what she wanted to say.
After the banquet was removed, Cheng Zhijie and his son were left in the Qin Mansion and arranged a guest room to stay. As if Xue Rengui had been pardoned, please leave. Qin Mubai personally saw him off and sent him to the door of the mansion.
"General, please stay. I'll send you off without any trouble." Xue Rengui said with cupped hands.
"Brother Xue, walk slowly." Qin Mubai smiled in return and didn't say much.
Xue Rengui turned around and walked a few steps. His steps seemed to stagger a little. He probably drank too much. But after walking a few steps, he stopped again, turned around and walked towards Qin Mubai. He seemed to have made a decision, solemnly clasped his fists and said: "The general has intended to help me many times, but I have always been ignorant of what is good and what is good. Please forgive me, General!"
"Brother Xue, what are you talking about? I just hope that the two of us can become good friends." Qin Mubai said.
"Brother Qin comes from a noble family, but he does not despise me for being a common people. This makes me very ashamed." Xue Rengui said, "Actually, I have always refused to join Brother Qin's Baiqi. It is not because I have any grudge against Brother Qin."
"Oh, what's the reason?" Qin Mubai asked.
"That's because... my lifelong wish is to serve the country on the battlefield, not to serve as a bodyguard beside the emperor." Xue Rengui cupped his hands and said, "General, please forgive me for being rude. I... really have no interest in Baiqi!"
"Everyone has his own ambitions, and he can't do it." Qin Mubai laughed and said, "Actually, I was only a temporary expedient in Baiqi, and I was not very enthusiastic about this position. My original idea was just to borrow The advantage in my hand is just to open a door to your career, and I have no intention of forcing you to stay in Baiqi."
Xue Rengui's eyes flashed: "So, the general only regards Baiqi as a transitional place?"
"Absolutely!" Qin Mubai chuckled, "I was born as a general, and I was nurtured by my father since I was a child. I served as a general and was wrapped in horse leather. How could I be willing to remain silent in the royal harem and work as an errand guard for others to do their bidding? ?”
"It turns out that the general also has ambitions all over the world!" Xue Rengui's expression became much more relaxed and relieved, and he said with a smile.
"Men are ambitious in all directions. Brother Xue and I think the same thing." Qin Mubai said, "The reason why I ran for the Hundred Cavalry Envoy in the first place was just to open this door for myself. Now that the door has opened, it's time for me to leave. It's time. It may not take long for me to be transferred. Therefore, I won't mention the matter of recommending Brother Xue to join Baiqi anymore, because I have to leave, haha!"
"Really? General, has he thought of a way out?" Xue Rengui asked.
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Not yet. But don't worry, if I have the opportunity to lead troops on an expedition, I will definitely call you!"
"If this can be done, Xue will shed tears of gratitude!" Xue Rengui hugged his fist heavily.
"Brother Xue, you're welcome!" Qin Mubai returned the salute and sighed happily in his heart: It turns out that's the reason. Xue Rengui doesn't want to be a guard, he just wants to go into battle and fight! Yes, this is indeed in line with his character. He is too humble and sincere, and he also reveals a bit of honesty. Yunbo's treacherous palace is indeed not suitable for him. It seems that he has a very clear positioning of his life - to gallop on the battlefield and kill enemies with pleasure, and to make achievements with his own abilities!
Xue Rengui said goodbye and left. Qin Mubai walked back slowly and thought about this matter. He couldn't help but smile and thought to himself: Xue Rengui wants to be a general but not a bodyguard, so it is just right for him to enter Prince Wu's palace and become a military attache leading troops. Although he aspires to be on the battlefield, he must first be familiar with the military structure of the Tang Dynasty. Otherwise, even if there is a war, he will not be able to adapt to the army when he enters it, so why not turn his eyes black? I believe Xue Rengui will agree with this proposal.
In this way, the matter of getting Xue Rengui to Prince Wu's Mansion is already half done!
"Hey, why are you giggling all alone!" Just as he was having fun with his thoughts, a scolding voice suddenly came from beside him. If it weren't for Qin Mubai's extremely strong psychological quality, he would have been frightened.
Who else could it be? Of course it is the reckless Princess Gaoyang.
"You guys, do you want to murder your own husband?" Seeing that there was no one else around, Qin Mubai cursed with a smile.
"Hehe! This can scare you to death. You are not so fragile, and you still say you want to protect me!" Princess Gaoyang's face turned red, perhaps because she had drunk a little wine. She was smiling with little tiger teeth, and in her two dimples, there was a happy smile unique to a little woman.
.
[This chapter has five thousand words. It’s a big post. It’s my busiest time, so I came back very late to type. I’m sorry! Today I am burning the midnight oil and trying to add another chapter to everyone after midnight as compensation! Please support me with red votes and give me some motivation, thank you! ]