When the two eighth-rank counsellor and assistant officials, who were as young as the main official, heard this, they were filled with righteous indignation. They were about to speak when Liu Gongren, whose mouth and tongue were parched, waved his hand. He took a few steps forward and was about to walk to the old man's side when a strong retainer blocked his path with a knife. Liu Gongren smiled. The retainer weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He probably felt that this seventh-rank civil official's eyes were clear and couldn't bring himself to hate him. After hesitating for a moment, he moved aside and allowed Liu Gongren to walk to the side of the field. He sat down next to the old man and shook the collar of his official robe. It turned out that this counsellor was sweating profusely. There was dirt under his fingernails, and even his official patch was stained with dirt. Li Maozhen's discerning eyes allowed him to catch this flaw with just a glance. He clicked his tongue and said, "Sir Liu, you are a good official. Wearing your official robe to work in the field, who would think that you are incompetent? Or are you afraid that others won't recognize you as a seventh-rank official?"
Liu Gongren smiled calmly and said, "Not only is it not cool to work in official robes, it is also cumbersome. However, if I don't wear official robes, I will be chased out of the field by your ferocious troops."
Li Maozhen furrowed his brows and didn't make a sound.
At this moment, the retainers who had followed Li Maozhen out of the city were somewhat wary. Three strange people slowly walked over from the side of the field. When the two sides were about ten meters apart, the empty-handed young man smiled and asked, "Are you Li Maozhen?"
Li Maozhen, who had been called directly by his name, turned his head and looked at the somewhat familiar face. His heart was in turmoil, but he wasn't sure. Li Maozhen was a veteran of Beiliang and naturally remembered the peerless beauty of Beiliang's Wu Wangfei. However, how could the old man believe that the young man in front of him was that him?
The young man with two youths with swords and knives on his back smiled and said, "Li Maozhen, standing in front of you, you don't curse?"
Hearing this ridicule, how could Li Maozhen not recognize this person's identity? He abruptly stood up and was about to kneel in greeting. However, at some point, the scholarly looking young man had walked over to Li Maozhen's side. He and Minister Counsellor Liu Gongren sat on the old man's left and right. Li Maozhen's light cavalry retainers were all startled. Just as they were about to protect the old man, Li Maozhen ordered them to retreat and return to the city.
Liu Gongren and the two assistant officers of the Army Garrison Division who had been standing all this time were somewhat at a loss.
Li Maozhen was so excited that he did not know what to say. The old man was not really stupid. If the King of Beiliang really sat next to him, he would not dare to scold him even if he had ten times the courage of a bear's heart and leopard's guts. Moreover, when his memorial was refuted, he only said a few words out of anger. He regretted it afterwards. In fact, at that time, if the young King of Beiliang wrote it himself instead of those women in Wutongin, then let alone refuting it, even if the King of Beiliang scolded Li Maozhen to his face, he, as a weak military officer, would not talk back. Li Maozhen, who held great power in his hands, recognized two things more than many people. One was Beiliang, and the other was the Xu family. It did not matter if you were a kitten, a dog, or the head of the Xu family after Great General Xu Xiao. As long as you sat in the position of the Lord of Beiliang, Li Maozhen would serve you to the death.
The person who came was naturally Hsu Fengnian. He leaned around Li Maozhen and looked at the eighth-rank official Liu Gongren. He smiled and said, "You should be the Minister Counsellor Liu who once studied at Shangyin Academy. You can continue talking. I'll just listen."
Liu Gongren mistakenly thought that this was a local snake that even Old General Li was afraid of and that he was the son of a general with a strong background in Liangzhou. However, since he was here, he might as well take the opportunity to explain to the old military officer why Beiliang wanted to "draw legs on a snake" and set up the Military Field Department. However, before the young civil official could speak, Li Maozhen turned his head and glared at him fiercely. "The King is sitting next to you and is personally supporting you. What nonsense are you talking to this old man about? In the future, I will strictly control those subordinates who deliberately make things difficult for the Military Field Department. If you, as the Minister Counsellor, have any difficulties, you can directly enter the You Ji General's Mansion in the pass."
Liu Gongren and the two young officials behind him were stunned. Hsu Fengnian raised his head and waved his hand. He smiled and said, "Sit down and talk."
They sat side by side on the side of the field. Other than Li Maozhen who was able to maintain a calm expression on his face, the others, including Liu Gongren, were all restless and had an uncontrollable excitement in their chests.
In the cultivation of the government, one rank followed another, and the threshold followed the threshold. There was almost no end to it. For the six ministers who were the pillars of the imperial court, not to mention the officials from other places, even the officials from the capital who could participate in the court assembly might not be able to get in front of these important figures in their entire lives, much less speak a few words with them. However, other than the Grand Secretary Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang, the vassal kings who had divided the territory were undoubtedly rarer than these pillars of the dynasty. These scholars who had gone to Liang had long heard of the various deeds of the new Liang Prince. He was different from the notorious reputation of the past. The rumors that were becoming more and more intense were mostly the heroic deeds of the young vassal kings. However, even if Hsu Fengnian was an embroidered pillow that could not be supported, as long as he was the master of Beiliang, then he was destined to have a large group of famous heroes on the battlefield, such as Chu Lushan, Yuan Zuozong, and Yan Wenluan, standing behind him.
Hsu Fengnian saw that they were not willing to speak, so he could only smile and ask, "Official Liu, how many roads have you traveled since you became the minister counsellor?"
Liu Gongren said respectfully, "I have been the minister counsellor of the army division for more than two months. I don't know how many roads I have traveled, but I have already changed four pairs of boots."
Li Maozhen said softly, "Liu Gongren, this eighth-level official, is not quite the same as the previous pests in Beiliang. I have investigated his background. Since he took office, he has not bought a private residence or kept a servant. However, I can't rule out the possibility that he is not familiar with the network of officialdom and did not dare to enter the water too early and ruin his future. "
Liu Gongren did not know whether to laugh or cry. He said in a muffled voice, "Old General Li, are you saying good or bad things?"
Hsu Fengnian said, "With Li Maozhen's bad temper, generally speaking, if he did not directly say bad things about you, then it is considered good things."
Li Maozhen smiled softly and nodded. His expression was somewhat self-satisfied.
Xu Fengnian suddenly addressed him as Old General Li and asked, "Liu Gongren and the other scholars who have just taken up their posts, are they satisfactory?"
Li Maozhen grunted and said, "At the very least, within three or four years, they can be considered honest officials. As for whether they can be called capable officials, compared to those who squatted in the latrine pit and did not shit, they are certainly much better."
Hsu Fengnian said to himself, "This is enough."
Li Maozhen suddenly asked carefully, "Your Highness, why don't we switch places? I do not dare to sit in the middle of the main seat. I feel that Your Highness is trying to use peaceful means before resorting to force. Are you going to remove my official hat?"
Hsu Fengnian joked, "Xu Xiao said before that you, Li Maozhen, are addicted to being an official, which is why he made an exception and asked the Liyang imperial court for you to be a four-man guerrilla general. Now it seems that this is indeed the case."
Li Maozhen laughed out loud and said, "If I am not an official, how can I lead troops into battle? I know my own weight, otherwise I would have asked Your Highness for the position of Grand Commander."
Hsu Fengnian said softly, "There will be a lot of fighting coming up."
Li Maozhen was stunned for a moment before he smiled knowingly. "According to our old rules, every time there is a big battle, the Xu family cavalry must set up two temporary vanguard battalions. Why don't you count Li Maozhen in? In any case, the Grand General has promised me that the title of guerrilla general can be inherited. This old man has no other wishes. The eldest son of the Xu family, Li Houshi, is not inferior to me in leading troops. Leaving Yellow Flower Pass to him, Your Highness can be at ease. "
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "Xu Xiao is already dying of old age in his bed. You, Li Maozhen, have four generations under the same roof. What are you going to do at the border?"
Li Maozhen said in a low voice, "Then let's treat it as one last time helping the Grand General fight at the border. Military Advisor Li Yishan once said that we must always let those northern barbarians remember one thing. Where the Xu family's gate is where the gate of Liyang is! "
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