During the Tang Dynasty, China was a martial nation, and the Tang Dynasty was a dynasty that attached great importance to military merit. It is absolutely impossible that Qin Mubai led the Guanxi Army to accomplish such extraordinary feats, and that the emperor and the court would not reward him heavily.
Now the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty are wondering, how should the emperor reward Qin Mubai? —This young man, who has been in constant controversy in recent years and has become extremely famous, is also his son-in-law
Not long ago, because of Qin Shubao's death in battle, Li Shimin was greatly mourned. Not only did he personally go to the house to express his condolences as a brother, but after the incident was over, he also abolished the court and offered sacrifices as usual, so that Qin Tong, the eldest son of the Qin family, who was himself The deputy envoy of Baiqi, the pro-honored guard, inherited the title of Duke Baoyi from Qin Shu, and increased the original 400 food households in Duke Yi's name to 500. At the same time, Qin Shubao was given the posthumous title of "Wu" and was given as a gift to the Governor of Xuzhou and changed to the title of Lord Protector.
Since ancient times, China has given posthumous titles to emperors, generals, ministers, princes and celebrities after their death. Among them, single-character posthumous titles are even more noble, because only emperors enjoy the privilege of granting single-character posthumous titles to their subjects. "Book of Zhou: Posthumous Law Interpretation" says, "Strongness and straightforwardness are called wu, power and virtue are called wu, and punishment and victory over the people are called wu." This is a very high evaluation.
In addition, some of Qin Shubao's old friends and admirers felt that only one posthumous title of "武" was not enough to cover all of Qin Shubao's life, so there were many two-word "private posthumous titles", among which the most widely recognized is " Zhenwu".
"Innocence and keeping integrity are called chastity, being overly restrained is called chastity, not concealing and being unyielding is called chastity", which means that Qin Shubao is an upright and selfless man, a chivalrous and righteous person, and a peerless hero with extremely high personality and charm!
Not to mention the people, Qin Shubao was worshiped as a door god when he was born. After his bravery and heroism, he was deified by the people of the Tang Dynasty who worshiped martial arts and gods, and became a symbol of the patron saint of justice in the hearts of the people.
Li Shimin asked craftsmen to make a copper weapon three times the size of Qin Shubao's tiger-head chiselled gold gun, and set it up in front of the Wude Hall to show that the Tang Dynasty was prepared for danger in times of peace and never forgot military affairs. Deeply miss Qin Shubao. As for the original tiger-head chiselled gold gun that had been collected by the imperial court before, it was treasured as a national treasure in Neiyanzhen Pavilion and could not be easily seen by ordinary people.
In fact, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, Qin Shubao, the founding hero of the country, who was once famous all over the world, disappeared for nearly ten years. Nowadays, there is no way to catch up with this honor after death. Many people know that half of this is because of Qin Shubao's achievements and heroic sacrifice for the country in the past two years. The other half is because of his ambitious son who is now making great military exploits. .
Therefore, everyone is speculating that even his late father enjoys such an exclusive honor, so how should the emperor reward Qin Mubai
Many people habitually feel that the two great victories in Huanyue Valley and Dafeichuan are enough to make the young prince-in-law Qin Mubai soar into the sky and become unmatched. There were also some sophisticated politicians in the city who secretly thought that if the emperor rewarded Qin Mubai generously, it would mean that the war was almost over and it was time to end the war and negotiate peace with Tubo. After all, using war strategies and coercion to win negotiations is extremely beneficial to Datang.
On the other hand, if the emperor only gave a symbolic commendation to Qin Mubai and the officers and soldiers of the Guanxi Army, it would mean that this battle is really going to continue! The emperor's previous statement that there was no compromise, truce, or alliance with Tibet was not a lie.
Because the emperor has this kind of mentality. The deer and the rabbit are not destroyed, the eagle and the dog are not full - he will reward the minister to the head with a sudden blow. What will he do if he doesn't work hard in the future? What if he makes great achievements in the future
really!
As soon as Li Shimin opened his mouth, the court announced that he would confer the title of Prince Consort Qin Mubai to the Marquis of Lantian, and honor him as General Yun. He would live in a town of only 200 households, and he would be rewarded with 300 taels of gold and 5,000 guan, and a tribute of 12 night pearls from the South China Sea. He still held the post of chief military officer of the Guanxi Road, and took over the important military and political position of Qin Shubao in the feudal frontier - the Protector of Anxi - to him.
Among them, the most inconspicuous, unexpected and sensitive one is the military officer named "General Yunhui".
Among the twelve ranks of military generals, the highest level of military generals is Shangzhuguo of the second rank. Qin Shubao enjoyed this honor during his lifetime. This official position has no actual position and does not enjoy privileges such as salary and land. It is purely a symbol of honor (somewhat similar to today's titles such as "First Class Merit"). The corresponding rank of General Yunhui is "Guardian", which is only the third rank.
This is seriously inconsistent with the military success of the Great Victory of Kansai. When Tuyuhun was pacified in the early years, only the deputy general Xue Wanche who accompanied him on the expedition was awarded the honorary title of a third-grade general of the army!
The implication is that Li Shimin is saying to Qin Mubai and the ministers - your contribution is not enough! We must continue to fight and expand our results!
This battle must continue!
Qin Mubai, if you want to soar into the sky, it's still early, you've just spread your wings now! The Tang Dynasty has just begun its journey of expanding its territory and conquering the world.
Li Shimin did not say a word of these heroic words in the court, but just this reward made everyone clearly feel the emperor's ambition and lofty goals at this moment!
The grand blueprint that Li Shimin, Qin Mubai, the emperor and his ministers had reached in private and tacit agreement in the early years finally came to the fullest extent.
After Li Shimin ascended the throne and pacified the Turks, the Tang Empire, which had been at peace for more than ten years, finally woke up suddenly after sleeping for many years. Like a tiger descending from the mountain, it opened a new chapter in its grand hegemony!
The civil and military officials have almost seen that the historical picture of the Tang Empire is about to be as majestic and majestic as a torrent.
The person who wrote the picture is none other than the current Holy Emperor, and the weak rookie who is constantly creating miracles thousands of miles away, Qin Mubai.
"Given time, how can we predict this boy's future?"
Unknowingly, many people began to secretly compare Qin Mubai with people like Changsun Wuji and Li Ji. The frequent wars in recent years have led to a strong resurgence of military generals who had been dormant for a long time. Is it to be expected that the previous situation in which the civil servants above the imperial court were in charge of the mouthpieces and their momentum was one-sided is quietly reversing? !
The civil and military balance is evenly matched, restraining each other and not erecting powerful ministers. Is this what the emperor wants
…
An unexpected victory and a modest reward caused undercurrents in the court to surge again. The political landscape of the civil-military game is also undergoing subtle changes in microseconds.
Changsun Wuji, who was shrewd, wealthy, and knew the emperor well, naturally saw all this clearly and thought clearly about it. He knew that there was a strong enemy rising up in the imperial court. This was caused by the current situation and also the emperor's secret intention. However, this does not mean that the emperor does not trust or reuse him. Changsun Wuji still has confidence in this point.
Because kings have always been like this, especially a domineering and wise king like Li Shimin, he will never allow his subordinates to have powerful ministers who dominate the government and the public. As time goes by, if Qin Mubai or someone else becomes too prominent, even if they are not suspected and weakened, another person will suddenly become stubborn and compete with them evenly.
Therefore, even if all the courtiers were secretly worried about Changsun Wuji, or secretly ridiculed his loss of power and decline, Changsun Wuji himself had always been at ease. He firmly believed that no matter what, his eldest grandson Wuji would never fall in Zhenguan.
As for after Zhenguan? … Wait and see!
…
During the court meeting, Li Shimin said that since the merits of the Guanxi Army had not yet been submitted, only Qin Mubai would be rewarded "for the time being". In the future, all officers and soldiers of the Guanxi Army would be rewarded based on their merits.
This is exactly what confirms Li Shimin's speculation that he hopes the war will continue.
For such a great victory, as usual the court would hold a banquet to celebrate. Li Shimin issued an order to hold a banquet at the Qide Hall of Taiji Palace tonight to celebrate. After the court meeting ended, Li Shimin privately called Fang Xuanling to the imperial study.
"Xuanling, are there any mistakes in my decisions today?" Li Shimin asked a very cold and humorous question, which made Fang Xuanling extremely difficult to answer.
Fang Xuanling is well-known throughout the world for his "Fang's strategy and his loyalty". Normally, Li Shimin would ask Fang Xuanling for his opinion whether it was military or civil affairs or court affairs. But today, the emperor has already announced it to the court. Jun Wu joked that even if Fang Xuanling felt that there was something wrong, what could he do
Therefore, Fang Xuanling just smiled, cupped his hands and replied: "Since your Majesty has made a decision, there is nothing wrong with it."
"Haha!" Li Shimin laughed and said, "I know what you want to say. Was my decision a little too hasty? Or, was my reward for Qin Mubai a little too harsh?"
"Your Majesty is wise." Fang Xuanling admitted bluntly.
"You are the prime minister in charge of military affairs." Li Shimin said, "I called you here just to ask you, how are the 300,000 troops outside the city so isolated?"
Fang Xuanling thought for a moment and replied: "I think that since your majesty has already broken your promise once, you cannot do it again."
"Oh, what should I say?" Li Shimin asked.
"His Majesty ordered the world with a personal message, and wanted to lead an army of 300,000 to march in person. The army was well prepared, but suddenly it stopped going. Although there was a reason for the incident, after all, he broke his promise and gained weight, which undermined the monarch's power. Moreover, the enthusiasm of the people of the world and the soldiers outside the city They have been agitated, and now His Majesty suddenly announces that he will not go on the expedition, which is like pouring cold water on them, and it is easy to lose people's hearts," Fang Xuanling said, "So Wei Chen thought that since His Majesty has decided not to go on the expedition himself, but , this newly recruited army of 300,000 cannot be disbanded immediately. On the one hand, it will lose the morale of the army and the people, and on the other hand, the court has spent a lot of money and food to recruit troops. If it is dispersed like this, it will be a waste. "
"This theory coincides with mine." Li Shimin laughed and said, "You are right. I emptied the treasury and even transported the food from the former Sui Dynasty to recruit this 300,000-strong army. We cannot say that it has been disbanded. Including the original troops in Guanzhong, there are now nearly 600,000 troops outside Chang'an City. I plan to select one of the six elites to form a permanent army of 100,000 in Guanzhong Town to guard the capital. What do you think?"
Fang Xuanling was slightly surprised, "Your Majesty, you mean that from now on, the imperial court will keep these 100,000 troops?"
"Yes." Li Shimin said, "The frequent wars in the past two years have taught me a lesson. In addition to the military mansions in Guanzhong and the previous soldiers, I must have another standing field army on hand to prepare for emergencies. . To prevent the current situation from happening again, the temporary recruitment of troops may not be able to provide so much money and food for a while, which will cause a crisis. Secondly, after all, the soldiers and horses recruited temporarily lack training and have limited combat effectiveness. In addition to the Imperial Guards, Jinwu Guards, and Niu Qianwei who guard the palace, there is also a truly elite division that is accustomed to fighting, and can rush to the battlefield to kill the enemy at any time, and this field army is fully supported by the imperial court. Recruiting troops. The generals will be recruited and appointed by me personally.
Fang Xuanling raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Shimin in surprise... Long Wuwei, this was a command that was used at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty but was now abandoned. Once upon a time, Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie were the great generals of Longwuwei!
Li Shimin continued: "At the beginning of its establishment, the officers of Longwuwei were only selected from among my own 100 knights. Let Qin Tong and Qin Bin temporarily serve as the generals of Longwuwei to exercise their real power to select on my behalf. The sergeants train their troops and horses. When the army is formed in the future, I will assign actual generals to lead them. The Tang Dynasty already has ten guards: left and right guards, left and right Wei guards, left and right Xiao guards, left and right prison guards, left and right Qianniu guards, and left and right Jinwu guards. Now I want to expand the two guards to sixteen guards! In addition to adding the left and right Longwu Guards, two field garrison troops honored by the emperor, we also need to add the left and right Yulin Guards, two imperial guards and horses, who are responsible for guarding the palace. The core of these two guards is my Hundred Cavalry Guards. It can also be said that I want to expand the original Hundred Cavalry Army into two regular armies, each with a combined number of about 10,000 people. The irregular command titles were abolished, and the Baiqi envoys were no longer specially set up. However, the original Baiqi officers and sergeants were retained in the left and right Yulin guards to form the core of the army. Moreover, the Baiqi camp was also retained. , continue to cultivate outstanding military talents for me for the Tang Dynasty, but there will be some changes in the name... It is called "Baiqijian", which is equivalent to the level of Imperial College and various government offices, and the highest officer is still called Baiqishi. , but Li Junxian, the original Baiqi civilian official, once served as a chief official in Baiqi? He can first serve as the Baiqi envoy and establish the Baiqi supervisor..."
Li Shimin kept talking about the time of having a stick of incense. Fang Xuanling was shocked when he heard it. He thought in his heart: It seems that the emperor is really happy today. It was one thing to win the battle in Kansai, but the most important thing was that the blueprint for hegemony that he had already drawn up in his mind was finally about to unfold. First of all, we should start to make changes in the military, recruit and expand the army and gather military power. It seems that the war with Tubo will definitely be protracted. The emperor has still not given up on the possibility of a personal expedition. Maybe at some point, he will personally lead the Longwu Guards on his left and right to fight out of Guanzhong...
Thinking of this, Fang Xuanling was surprised and amused. She secretly thought that even though Emperor Dulong had been in Dabao for so many years, he still had not worn away his military spirit and belligerent character. Perhaps this was the reason why he and Qin Mubai had a tacit understanding of each other. An important reason, right? Both of them have the same drive to win and be aggressive.
"Xuanling, I've been talking for a long time, what do you think?" Li Shimin's question interrupted Fang Xuanling's meditation.
Fang Xuanling cupped his hands and replied: "What your Majesty has just said is a major military matter. It is important and complicated. It must be discussed and implemented by all ministers. Now, Your Majesty, are you a little too impatient?"
"Are you anxious?" Li Shimin waved his hand and laughed heartily, "I have been thinking about it for many years. I have been the emperor for more than ten years, and the military establishment is still based on the examples of the Wude Dynasty and even the former Sui Dynasty. This is appropriate. Is it true that the imperial army has the advantages of the imperial army, and recruiting soldiers also has the advantages of recruiting soldiers? As you can see in front of us, if the emperor does not have a standing and stable elite army, he will be in trouble. I have decided to form a new group of four guards, namely the left and right Longwu guards and the left and right Yulin guards. The former is for both the capital garrison and the field attack, with each guard tentatively numbering 50,000 men. The latter is the palace garrison, with each guard tentatively assigned. Ten thousand men and horses. They will all be under my direct command. The core generals will be selected from among the hundreds of cavalry, or I will personally appoint a capable general. "
Fang Xuanling nodded without saying much. It seems that the emperor has already planned and made up his mind. It is useless for him to say more. Moreover, the newly formed four guards have clear functions and are of great benefit. They are also of great benefit to consolidating the emperor and safeguarding the capital. Apart from spending a little money and food, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Li Shimin was an emperor who was about to conquer the world. He was more proficient in military affairs than anyone else. Fang Xuanling found almost nothing that he could suggest changes to.
"I have another idea, that is, after the left and right Longwu Guards are formed, they will be brought to the battlefield to fight." Li Shimin said, "Any form of training will not be as effective as actual combat. I What is needed is a truly elite division, so they must be tested on the battlefield.”
After hearing this, Fang Xuanling finally understood something... Did the emperor go around in such a big circle to increase his troops in Lanzhou
"It's time for me to give Qin Mubai some practical help." Li Shimin said, "He asked the imperial court for help in his memorial. He asked for money, food, and medicine. This is all reasonable, except for soldiers and horses. Why is this? ,Xuanling, have you thought about it?"
Fang Xuanling was stunned for a moment and replied: "Qin Mubai may know that there are not many soldiers and horses in Guanzhong to mobilize."
"No. He doesn't want to embarrass me." Li Shimin sighed and said, "Lanzhou has been fighting for so long, and I haven't sent them a single soldier. Qin Mubai led the soldiers and civilians of Lanzhou alone to resist the Tubo and Turks The countries are attacking with all their strength, and the battle line is thousands of miles short of major generals. It is too difficult. Every time I think about this, I feel guilty and sad. Now that I have recruited an army of three hundred thousand! , money and food were also spent, it would be a waste if it was not used! From all the 600,000 troops in Guanzhong, 100,000 elites were selected to form the left and right Longwuwei 100,000 troops, and the generals were selected to lead them to Lanzhou to participate in the war. I will serve under my command. Because we are fighting against Tibet, Turks and other countries, we will mainly use cavalry - Xuanling, what do you think?"
"Uh, this..." Fang Xuanling really didn't know how to answer. One hundred thousand elite cavalry is not a small number. It is true that the lack of troops in Lanzhou made it difficult for the major generals to fight, but was the emperor really too generous this time? Even the two-guard field army that he planned to personally command was given to Qin Mubai - although the euphemistic name was "pulled to the battlefield to practice and practice", but to put it bluntly, wasn't it just to give Qin Mubai a hundred thousand troops
To put it bluntly, from now on, at least one of the positions of General Long Wuwei will definitely fall on Qin Mubai's shoulders. Originally, his father was General Zuo Longwuwei!
During the great victory in Guanxi, more than half of the 300,000-strong army at Garqinling was lost; at the same time, Li Shimin sent an additional 100,000 troops to Qin Mubai... What does this mean? Where is the end of the pursuit of evildoers? Does the emperor really want to conquer the plateau and pacify Tubo in one fell swoop
Thinking of this, Fang Xuanling's eyes flashed when he looked at the emperor; at the same time, Li Shimin smiled enigmatically and squinted his eyes, waiting for Fang Xuanling's reply. The monarch and his ministers already have a tacit understanding!
"Your Majesty, I thought..." Fang Xuanling even took a breath of cold air and said, "Tubo is different from the Turks of the past... In addition to political games and military competition, there is also an extremely special factor there, which is the thousands of miles of snow. plateau!"
"So what?" Li Shimin slapped the dragon case with his palm, "Qin Mubai only sent a few hundred people to cross the Kunlun Snow Mountains that no bird can cross, and went straight to Golmud and took away the home of the Garqin Mausoleum in one fell swoop - I'll do it again If you give him an additional 100,000 troops, won't he be able to capture the city of Luoshou and abandon the clan?"