Coincidentally, the guard of Danfeng Gate today is Qin Mubai's eldest brother Qin Tong. He is the fifth-grade Zhonglangjiang of Zuojian Gate Guard, that is, the city gatekeeper who guards the palace gate. Don't underestimate this little city gatekeeper. Although his position is small and his authority is not great, it is a matter of vital importance to the emperor's survival. When Li Shimin was involved in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, if Chang He, the guard of the Xuanwu Gate, had not turned to him, it is still unknown how history would have developed.
"Third brother, is it your first day on duty today? Not bad. He is neatly dressed and full of energy. He is a good man of my Qin family." The eldest brother Qin Tong was born with a strong back and a strong waist, half a head taller than Qin Mubai, hahaha He patted Qin Mubai's shoulder armor with a smile, "This armor is really good. I heard that your armor was custom-made by the Shaofu Supervisory Office last year. You are the only one in the world. Look, this The shoulder armor is light, translucent and strong, and the breastplate can reflect the figure. The whole body is covered seamlessly without looking bloated. It is much more gorgeous and strong than the ordinary bright light armor. When worn on the body, it is as red as galloping. Fierce flames. Coupled with this apricot-yellow uniform worn by the royal family, he is the most conspicuous wherever he goes."
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Brother, please stop being rude to me. I am a general, not a peacock. Why do you only pay attention to my appearance?"
"Haha! That's right! Our Sanlang is versatile in both civil and military affairs. That's not a guarantee." Qin Tong laughed heartily and patted Qin Mubai on the shoulder, "Go in! The emperor is in Hanyuan's main hall. Well, you don't have to Unload your sword here. The emperor has a special decree, and the hundreds of cavalrymen can approach with troops. "
"Thank you, brother. I'm going in to meet you." Qin Mubai bowed his hands and walked into Danfeng Gate.
Tang law strictly stipulates that bringing weapons close to the emperor without permission is a crime of conspiracy. Changsun Wuji, who was most trusted and favored by the emperor in his early years, accidentally forgot to unpack his sword when he entered the palace, which resulted in a turmoil in Ruoda. Although the emperor did not care about his brother-in-law, the censors refused to let him go. As a result, even Changsun Wuji was almost impeached, and the generals who guarded the palace were also punished. Now, the emperor's decree allows hundreds of cavalry envoys to carry swords to accompany them. This is undoubtedly a major privilege promised to Qin Mubai to show trust and favor.
The newly built Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace is magnificent and extraordinary. The thousand-level long steps of Longwei Road are like reaching the clouds, and there are also sergeants guarding the front of the hall. The guard general is the emperor's most trusted confidant, General Li Junxian of the Zuojian Gate Guard.
Li Junxian was a general of Wang Shichong when he was fighting for hegemony in the late Sui Dynasty. When Li Shimin conquered the world, he led his troops to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Since then, he has been accompanying Li Shimin to protect him and made great military exploits. Soon after Li Shimin ascended the throne, he directly handed over the imperial guard to his command and became the general of the emperor's imperial guard.
Speaking of Li Junxian, he also had a friendship with Qin Shubao. In addition to having worked with Qin King Li Shimin in the Qin Palace, at the beginning of Zhenguan, Qin Shubao was appointed as Zuolong Wuwei General, and Youlong Wuwei General Cheng Zhijie each commanded half of the imperial guards. Li Junxian served as General Zuolong Wuwei at that time, and was one of Qin Shubao's direct subordinates and right-hand men.
When Li Junxian saw Qin Mubai walking up the Dragon's Tail Road, he took a few steps forward and smiled at him from a distance: "It turns out that General Qin is here. I asked him, why have I never seen anyone wearing something so eye-catching? Where's the armor? It turns out to be Baiqi Envoy Qin Mubai!"
"General Li is making fun of you." Qin Mubai stepped forward and clasped his fists in return, "Your Majesty, are you in the palace?"
"It's in the imperial study room in the palace. You can go in and see the master yourself." Li Junxian looked Qin Mubai up and down, with mixed expressions of joy and worry in his eyes. He nodded and said, "The next generation is formidable. Each generation is better than the next. !”
"General Li is a role model for us juniors. Sooner or later, the juniors must listen to the general's teachings, and please ask the general to give you advice." Qin Mubai said, holding his fists.
"Easy to say, easy to say." Li Jun smiled enviously, "Go ahead, the emperor has made a special trip to see you today. There must be something important, so don't delay."
"Thank you, General Li. I will take my leave first." Qin Mubai saluted with a smile on his face and walked towards the palace.
Li Junxian looked at Qin Mubai's back, sighed and shook his head: "I am not as good as a young man! Just with this appearance and bearing, this young man is several times better than me... It is time for a change around Your Majesty. "
Qin Mubai felt a little dazzled when he walked into Hanyuan Hall. This newly built palace is the main hall of Daming Palace. On weekdays, the emperor would review the memorials or rest and recuperate here. The furnishings and arrangements in the palace are extremely gorgeous and dazzling. In fact, Li Shimin has always been a very frugal emperor. This palace was originally built to honor his father Li Yuan, so it was extremely gorgeous. Compared with the solemn Taiji Palace, the Daming Palace seemed even more noble and royal. The aura of wealth is undoubtedly revealed.
A deacon and eunuch led Qin Mubai through the corridors and alleys of the huge and gorgeous Hanyuan Palace for a long time. Then he led him to stop in front of a house in the back hall and said, "General Qin, please go and see the palace on your own. Your Majesty is in this study."
"Thank you, father-in-law." Qin Mubai breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his clothes, and was ready to knock on the door to attend.
From the moment he entered the Suzaku Gate, he felt as if he had entered another world. In Chang'an City, there is a peaceful and prosperous scene, which generally makes people feel relaxed, harmonious and relatively casual. Inside the palace, it is solemn, solemn, rigorous and luxurious, but it does not appear to be extravagant or vulgar, and there is quite a sense of awe-inspiring righteousness reverberating around it. Everyone in this imperial city, from the courtiers to the eunuchs and maids, there is no one who is not proactive, confident and optimistic, full of vigorous vitality.
The so-called spirit of the Han and Tang Dynasties, 'positivity, optimism, confidence, and hard work', is an indispensable part of it. A glimpse of the leopard shows that the atmosphere of Zhenguan Tang Dynasty is still prominent in this palace. Thanks to the good fortune of some braided directors, Qin Mubai had watched a lot of TV dramas about the Qing Dynasty. No matter how these dramas are whitewashed, Qin Mubai can always smell a strong smell of servility and a dull atmosphere of decay and decay. It is estimated that if he works in such a palace, the Zhengzheng man will become a slave like a eunuch in three to five years.
There were eight guards on duty in front of the imperial study. They were a little surprised to see Qin Mubai approaching with a knife. After routine inquiries, a eunuch came in to inform, and Qin Mubai was announced into the study.
In the study room, the furnishings are extremely simple. There were no splendid carpets and rare treasures as Qin Mubai imagined. There were only two large bookshelves, a brazier, a couch and a bookcase. Li Shimin was wearing a loose and comfortable brocade robe, sitting by the fire pot and reading a book casually.
Qin Mubai had already entered to pay homage. Li Shimin put down his book and smiled: "Without courtesy. Mubai, how do you feel about coming to Daming Palace on your first day today?"
"It feels very good." Qin Mubai replied, "It turns out that your Majesty not only manages the country well, but also has wonderful methods for his Majesty. The whole imperial city is full of vitality, rich but not arrogant and not extravagant. Everyone is diligent and knows the etiquette and law. There is a degree. Wei Chen feels it deeply."
"Well said." Li Shimin smiled and said, "To be a great business, people should be the first thing. This is the approach I have always adhered to. As the saying goes, if you want to discipline the people below, you must set an example first. A family is like this, a team As is the case with an army, so is a dynasty."
"Wei Chen has learned a lesson." Qin Mubai accepted it with his hand, and thought to himself: The emperor is teaching me how to control the army of Baiqi.
"Mubai, I specially took the time to summon you alone today for three things." Li Shimin said, "The first is to talk to you about Baiqi's training. Tell me what you think."
"Yes." Qin Mubai had already prepared the draft, thought about it, and said, "Your Majesty, Wei Chen has no experience in leading troops and is not good at training soldiers and horses, so I would like your Majesty to appoint a skilled veteran as a guide. However, Wei Chen Worrying about a small thing.”
"tell me the story."
"What I'm worried about is that these six hundred hundred cavalry soldiers and officers all come from wealthy official families." Qin Mubai said, "There should be many of them who have developed arrogant, lazy and perverse habits since childhood. Habit. Now that I have joined Baiqi as a servant, I have more pride. I believe that the first step in managing this army is to manage the heart. "
"That's good." Li Shimin smiled, stroking his hands, "This is also a problem I have been worried about. Compared with the common people, these children of the official clan have received much better education and training since childhood, and their overall quality is several times stronger. This is why I The reason for falling in love with them. At the same time, we must also guard against their shortcomings. Tell us what you think. How do you plan to treat your heart
"Weichen's idea is very simple, just implement a competitive elimination mechanism."
"How about a competitive elimination method?"
"Your Majesty, it's like this." Qin Mubai said, "Don't Baiqi have a quota of 600 people? You can conduct assessments on a three-month or half-year basis and eliminate some of them. Every soldier and Every general, including Wei Chen, undergoes review and assessment in various aspects such as ethics, military, and culture, and a group of backward and unqualified ones are regularly eliminated, and fresh blood is added. I believe that this is the only way to maintain the momentum of Baiqi and overcome the arrogance of the officials."
"Say, that's good. Your idea coincides with mine!" Li Shimin laughed, "Qin Mubai, I didn't expect that you could have such insight at such a young age. It's not easy. Please tell me about this matter right away. You can start to do it. As for how to carry out normal training, I have appointed Li Junxian to serve as the commander of Baiqi temporarily. If you don't understand anything, I will make an agreement with you. , for a period of three months, the Hundred Riders will be evaluated and eliminated at that time. No matter who it is, as long as they fail the review, they will be eliminated. You don’t have to worry about offending others, I will do it. I support you clearly.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qin Mubai accepted with his hand, and couldn't help but sneered in his heart: Changsun Huan, Yuchi Baoyun, I have already acted first. This golden hoop curse was given by the emperor. I hope you won’t be naughty with me when the time comes.
"The second thing is to determine the candidate for the Hundred Cavalry Officer." After speaking, Li Shimin took out a piece of paper and said, "Take a look, do you have any opinions?"
"Your Majesty... There is no need to read this minor minister." Qin Mubai did not pick it up, but cupped his hands and said, "Major matters can be decided by your Majesty, minor ministers dare not overstep."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't hurt to take a look." Li Shimin smiled and said, "These people will be your colleagues and subordinates from now on. You should be aware of them first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qin Mubai took it and glanced at the list. As expected, the three deputy cavalry envoys were Changsun Huan, Yuchi Baoyun and Cheng Huaibi. Most of the other generals are young people under thirty years old.
"Your Majesty, I have no objection."
"That's good." Li Shimin said with a smile, "In Zhenguan Datang, what I value is unity of one heart and one mind, and deeds and deeds. As the envoy of Baiqi, you must unite everyone in Baiqi. There can be no conflicts or misunderstandings. Split. Of course, you can't let anyone in the Hundred Cavalry ride on you and dictate to you. General, the soul of the army, your ability, Qin Mubai, will determine the strength and appearance of this Hundred Cavalry. . Mu Bai, don’t let me down.”
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely fulfill my mission!" Qin Mubai responded with his hands serious, thinking: I can finally hear the emperor's implication - if you can't even restrain your subordinates, it will be a failure. Don't be timid just because you have a few subordinates with "big backgrounds", go ahead and do it boldly.
"Okay, I will be waiting for this." Li Shimin said, "The third thing is also the most important. Baiqi is a new army. Although it has been formed after rigorous selection, there is still no guarantee that the good and the bad will not be the same. There is no uniformity. I have formulated military regulations specially tailored for Baiqi. You must learn them and keep them in mind within these three months."
After that, Li Shimin handed over a thick booklet.
Qin Mubai took it and glanced through it hastily. He roughly understood that this was not only military regulations, but also a political education textbook. It’s no wonder that political indoctrination by the emperor’s personal bodyguards is a must. The ability of this army is actually secondary. Loyalty is what Li Shimin values most.
No wonder he said that this one thing is the most important.
"Wei Chen accepts the order. Don't worry, Your Majesty, Wei Chen will make these military regulations ingrained into the bones of every Baiqi until death."
"Very good. You are very smart and perceptive, and I very much look forward to your turning the Hundred Cavalry into a true royal army." Li Shimin chuckled, "Three months later, the Hundred Cavalry will officially take over the defense around me. From that time on, I will still be escorted by prison guards, Jinwu guards, and other troops. But no matter how the other troops change, Baiqi will always be the closest to me. "
"yes!"
"Go. Find Li Junxian outside the palace. He will take you to the Baiqi Army Camp and tell you everything you want to know." Li Shimin looked at Qin Mubai with a smile, paused briefly, and said, "Suspect No, I have no doubts about my employment. I have a special order for you. If you have any important matters, you can come directly to the palace to report to me at any time. You can go anywhere in the palace without hindrance without dismounting or removing your sword."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qin Mubai bowed his hands, but a strange thought flashed through his mind: The harem is full of beauty, aren't you trying to lure a wolf into the house? cough…