Beiliang was in turmoil. The news that Chen Zhibao had entered Shu and was about to be made king had spread throughout the world.
He was probably going to become the second king of Liyang before Hsu Fengnian, the hereditary King of Beiliang.
A simple and elegant carriage slowly stopped in front of the Chu manor. The gatekeeper, who was leaning against the side door and eating melon seeds, was a little stunned. The coachman was a young woman in green. She thought that the master of this manor was really not afraid of sending a servant girl into a tiger's den. However, when the gatekeeper saw the people coming down from the carriage, he was so scared that he kept quiet out of fear. His lips trembled as he threw down a handful of melon seeds and staggered out of the door. The first to come down was a white-haired man. He wore a white base and a black robe. He did not have much of an air of nobility, but his face was enough to make the gatekeeper nervous. In Beiliang, only this young master could keep his master in check. Behind him was the second son of the Great General, Xu Longxiang, the handsome Yuan Zuozong, and the tall and sturdy Qi Dangguo. The four of them were all prominent figures who could not possibly visit the Chu manor. Now that they had gathered together, could it be that they had come to raid the manor? The gatekeeper hurriedly spat a few times. General Chu's loyalty was clear. No matter who they raided, they would not be able to get here. Seeing the rare guest at the front, His Royal Highness Hsu Fengnian, the quick-witted gatekeeper knelt down without another word. Just as he was about to muster enough energy to shout and make his master proud, Hsu Fengnian had already laughed and said, "That's enough. Stand up and lead the way."
The group had just sat down in the main hall of the Chu manor when they felt the ground shake. Chu Lushan, dressed in loose casual clothes, stepped over the threshold and rolled into the hall. A lump of fat knelt at Hsu Fengnian's feet. "Lu Qiu 'er has finally brought Your Highness to my humble abode. Your presence brings light to my humble abode. When I return, I will burn more incense for my ancestors."
Hsu Fengnian kicked him. "Humble abode? I don't think it's any worse than Beiliang Palace. Today, I've brought Second Brother Yuan and General Qi to your place to drink. Don't talk nonsense. Let's find a quiet place that isn't so tacky. "
With great difficulty, Chu Lushan staggered to his feet. He turned his head and gave the old steward of the residence a fierce look. Then, he turned his head and gave a fawning smile. A pair of soft and boneless white and chubby hands pulled on Hsu Fengnian's arm. "There are good places to drink and drink tea. Later, if Your Highness is dissatisfied, Lushan Lushan can cut off two catties of meat to drink."
Hsu Fengnian said sarcastically, "You're so fat, yet you're shameless enough to serve as food. The rest of us can't even eat."
Chu Lushan said embarrassedly, "It's Lushan Lushan's fault for not being able to grow a body that's fat and thin enough to go well with the wine."
They arrived at a bamboo house. The purple bamboo was sparse and not dense enough to make one feel desolate. The small pond was deep and green. Sunlight shone through the gaps between the bamboo leaves. Beside the pond, there was actually a wild turtle the size of a palm dragging its family along to bask in the sun. When it heard the sound of footsteps, it slithered into the green pond. The small pond house was large and the lighting was ingenious. When they pushed open the door and entered, it appeared quiet and spacious. There wasn't the slightest sense of uneasiness. There was even a guqin with speckled patterns placed in the bamboo house. Sitting here, regardless of whether it was drinking or drinking tea, it could be said that the scenery and tea complemented each other. Hsu Fengnian glanced at the guqin. Outsiders didn't know the talent of Chu Lushan, but he knew the inside story. Chu Lushan was good at music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and poetry. It was a pity that he didn't have the appearance of a famous scholar. After sitting by the window, Chu Lushan poured two cups of wine for Hsu Fengnian and Qi Dangguo. Holding the wine pot, he asked Yuan Zuozong with a smile, "Since you don't mind my dirty hands and the smell of wine, I'll be bold enough to pour a cup for you."
Yuan Zuozong raised his eyelids. Chu Lushan took the opportunity to pour a cup of wine.
Qi Dangguo had a good relationship with Chu Lushan. Among the six adopted sons, he was the most popular one. He and the other five adopted sons of the same generation often visited each other's homes. A little girl from the Chu Family was born a few years ago. She even recognized him as her adoptive father. The only thing he didn't do was to betroth the two children to each other. Chu Lushan often beat and scolded his other sons as if they were adopted. Only this little girl was doted on. He despised Qi Dangguo's youngest son for having a coarse appearance. This made Qi Dangguo ask Chu Lushan why his son was ugly every time they met in the past two years.
Hsu Fengnian took a sip of wine and looked around. Among the three, White Bear Yuan Zuozong had the highest military rank. He was a second-grade Zhen An General, which was a real high position and power. In the Beiliang Army, he was only half a grade lower than Chen Zhibao, the Governor of Beiliang. Yuan Zuozong was currently the deputy general of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. Chu Lushan was a primary third rank Thousand Bull Dragon Martial General, but he did not have any actual military power. Qi Dangguo was even worse; he was just a Zhe Chong Chaplain with a very small official hat. However, in every large-scale battle, he was responsible for carrying the flag. Because Beiliang was under the control of the military and the government, and because Xu Xiao was once a first-grade Pillar State and a first-grade Agile Cavalry General, and because the Emperor was far away, the civil officials had the same rank as the Liyang Dynasty. Most of the generals could be one grade or half a grade higher. The imperial court also pretended not to see this. Even Grand Secretary Zhang Julu had said that Beiliang should be like this. Today, Beiliang didn't have a special civil official system. Just the generals who were seventh-grade and above, not to mention the officials who had withdrawn from the border, still numbered as many as eighty people. Most of these people who supported Beiliang's 300,000 strong cavalry hadn't seen Hsu Fengnian with their own eyes.
Hsu Fengnian finished a cup of wine. While Chu Lushan was pouring wine, he asked, "Lu Qiuer, who do you think will be the Governor of Beiliang?"
Chu Lushan said without hesitation, "General Yuan. If it weren't for Zhong Hongwu, the cavalry commander, and Yan Wenluan, the infantry commander, they would have the qualifications and ability. But to be honest, General Zhong has a big prejudice against His Highness, and he has a complicated relationship with Chen Zhibao. It's not suitable for him to be the second-grade Governor. As for Yan Wenluan, he seems to be impartial and has a gap with Chen Zhibao. But the old general has a gloomy temper and is more difficult to deal with than Zhong Hongwu. I've been watching him for more than ten years, but I haven't heard him say anything bad about His Highness. On the contrary, it's not reassuring. In the end, General Yuan should be the Governor of the two provinces. It's reasonable in all aspects. Why are you staring at me? I said this in front of His Highness and you, Yuan Zuozong. It's the same in front of my adoptive father. Believe it or not. You don't appreciate my good words. You're hard to please! "
Yuan Zuozong smiled and lowered his head to drink.
Huang Man'er had been squatting beside the zither in a daze.
Hsu Fengnian said calmly, "Lu Qiuer, give me a list of names. I'll promote one or two ranks as appropriate. If it's really necessary, it's okay to skip three ranks."
Chu Lushan took out a stack of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Hsu Fengnian with a smile. Yuan Zuozong frowned and coldly stared at Chu Lushan, who could predict the future.
Hsu Fengnian smiled and spread out three pieces of paper on the table. There were more than sixty people on the paper. In addition to the names, there were concise military resumes. The advantages and disadvantages were clear at a glance. The writing was Chu Lushan's unique semi-cursive. It was dangerous but not strange. It was natural and unrestrained. Hsu Fengnian read it all and pushed it to Yuan Zuozong. After reading it carefully, Yuan Zuozong's eyebrows slightly relaxed. There were more than ten people on the paper who could be classified as Chu Lushan's direct subordinates. But most of them were the frustrated middle and lower level captains in the Beiliang Army. What they had in common was that they were young and good at fighting. They were full of vigor without any lethargy.
Hsu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Lu Qiuer, don't you have any scruples? Won't you take it out later? "
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