gnovel Chapter 159 Like father, like son
Chapter 159 Like father, like son
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Upon hearing Liu Mu's words, Rong Jiu hurriedly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, the grain we've collected and the wages the court has issued are all piled up among the prisoners, and the amount is exactly the same. However, every time I request their distribution, Zhao Jujie obstructs us in every way possible!"
Liu Mu could easily guess that at the time, they were at war with Kangxi. Zhao Jujie, as a civil official with military power, didn't know how to help his master, so he chose to exploit the families of the garrison soldiers in an attempt to incite internal strife within the Han army.
After sighing, Liu Mu waved his hand.
"Song Jiu, you have committed offenses but have done nothing. Thirty percent of the grain in Tianjin will be stored in the granary. You will be given two more months to reorganize the people and distribute money and grain!"
Liu Mu looked at Li Meng as he spoke!
"Li Meng!"
"I'm giving you the opportunity to lead troops. Organize the boys over ten years old in Tianjin to train them while assisting Song Jiu in distributing money and provisions to stabilize the region. Do you have confidence?"
Li Meng, who was kicking mud with his head down, suddenly looked up when he heard this. "Is this something for me to do? You even made me lead the Boy Scouts."
Oh my god, I've never done this before, I'm so nervous.
Although Li Meng thought this way, he was very stubborn and probably learned it from his father. He first raised his fist and bowed to his eyebrows.
"This humble general, Li Meng, receives the order!"
Li Meng was covered in holes, and his thick black hair had all come out. He looked nothing like a soldier.
They look more like bandits!
Liu Mu laughed when he saw this, and the generals of the Imperial Guards all tried their best to suppress their laughter.
Seeing this, Li Meng, though not daring to argue with Liu Mu, was one of the few generals in the Imperial Guards who dared to talk back. He raised his foot to appear taller and shouted:
"Hmph, fortunes change every three years!"
"I, Li Meng, will lead these boy scouts to capture the disloyal subjects and defeat those short Japanese devils for His Majesty!"
Liu Mu found Li Meng's first two sentences quite inspiring, since the guy really did have the ability. However, attacking Japan was something that someone of his age, or rather, someone of his social class, should not know.
Thinking of this, Liu Mu stared at Li Meng and asked:
How did you know?
Li Meng wasn't afraid and dusted himself off.
"Your Majesty, my family was a hereditary military household in Tianjin. My great-grandfather fought against the Japanese in Korea when he was young, and he told me a lot about it!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Mu nodded, then calculated the timeline and realized it was indeed about right. It was quite possible that he had indeed fought in Korea; he was truly a son of a military family!
So he quickly looked at Song Jiu.
"Find out immediately what Li Meng's father's name is, where he is now, and what his position is."
Like father, like son.
The reverse is also true.
If Li Meng is this good, how could his father be any worse?
Although Song Jiu was timid, he was quite capable and returned with the booklet in less than half an incense stick's time.
"Your Majesty, Li Mengsheng's father is named Li Yong. He was a cavalryman in Tianjin Guard. Last year, he killed five Dutch cavalrymen and was promoted to cavalry centurion. Last year, he followed Your Majesty and killed one Manchu Tartar cavalryman outside Beijing. He was promoted to reserve chiliarch!"
"He ranked in the top 100 in this year's Beijing military exam, was officially promoted to cavalry commander a month ago, and was simultaneously transferred to Guanzhong!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Mu nodded; this level of martial prowess was already quite impressive.
The honor of being on the front lines and personally killing enemy soldiers is a feat of merit. Under such circumstances, it is a miracle not to die.
In the Ming Dynasty, this would mean a promotion of three ranks, a reward of one hundred taels of silver, and a commendation from the general.
The same applies in the Han Dynasty. A promotion of three ranks would be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver, and the reward would be recorded in the military report. If the emperor took notice of the emperor, the promotion would be meteoric.
Liu Mu didn't see it; it must have been an oversight!
Li Meng, standing to the side, gaped wide upon hearing about his father's military exploits; his mouth was as big as a goose egg, clearly showing his overflowing admiration for his father.
Liu Mu nodded and said to Liu Dingbian:
"Remember to remind me when you get back that I want to create a separate register of military merits for Li Yong!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Dingbian also showed a look of envy.
Being listed separately in the military merit register means you're a favorite of the emperor, and no one dares to withhold your military merits. If you achieve another great merit, you'll definitely be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and maybe even a noble title.
Currently, there are no more than ten people below the rank of lieutenant general in the entire Han Dynasty.
Liu Mu glanced at the ragged people, then at the trampled wheat fields around him, and finally, too ashamed to enter the city, he mounted his horse and waved his hand.
"Back to the palace! Back to the palace!"
Seeing the emperor about to walk away, Li Meng scratched his head in embarrassment, but ultimately love overcame his shame, so he gritted his teeth and chased after him.
"Your Majesty, may I borrow a warhorse?"
"I want to learn horseback archery; I want to be even better than my father!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Mu turned his head, stroked his chin with interest, and nodded, thinking of this cavalry general who would become a fierce general in a few years. He then looked at Liu Dingbian.
"Give him a horse!"
"I want Mongolian horses!"
The main reason for feeding Li Meng Mongolian horses is that they are easy to raise. Ili horses and Kazakh horses both need to eat high-quality fodder and are prone to illness if not properly cared for.
Upon hearing this, Liu Dingbian breathed a sigh of relief. He could see that the emperor liked the little guy and thought he wanted his black dragon steed.
This time, each member of the Imperial Guard had two horses. Leaving one Mongolian horse behind wouldn't be a big deal. Soon, a Khorchin Mongolian yellow horse was brought out, known for its stamina and ease of raising.
Although the Han people are poor now.
But the one thing we don't lack is horses.
Not to mention the more than 50,000 warhorses at the Yili Horse Breeding Farm, there are horse breeding grounds everywhere in the Hetao, Hexi, Heilongjiang and Horqin areas, with at least 500,000 to 600,000 horses.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"drive!"
Looking at the Mongolian horse, which was a meter tall at the shoulder, Li Meng bowed to Liu Mu, then flipped himself onto the horse's back, his legs naturally resting on the horse's belly. With a loud shout, the warhorse charged forward.
It disappeared in the blink of an eye.
They were probably afraid Liu Mu would change his mind.
Seeing this, Liu Mu smiled and shook his head. Playing with young people made him feel younger. He then rode his horse towards Beijing.
……
Just as Liu Mu returned to the palace, dark clouds gathered over the large drill ground in Hanzhong.
Because Wang Fuchen had just ordered his 30,000 troops from Hanzhong to return to Guanzhong, citing a change in Chang'an.
Li Yong, who had just taken command of a thousand cavalrymen, sensed something unusual.
Because he had just come from Beijing, the war in the southeast had been settled, and the Beijing garrison was in training. It would be problematic to lead a large army back to Guanzhong at this time.
Aside from his robust build and height of over 1.8 meters, Li Yong has an ordinary appearance, looking like a typical farmer from Hebei.
After the 30,000-strong army dispersed and preparations for the march began, Li Yong secretly contacted his men, mainly officers from Hebei, as they all knew each other from the previous battles.
Li Yong was also afraid that his deduction was wrong, so he only dared to call five familiar people. He didn't dare to call anyone else he had met but hadn't spoken to.
That evening, the six of them gathered together.
It was Li Yong's commander's tent.