Chapter 302: Cut Off the Big Families to Supplement the Common People

After asking Huangmen about the emperor's good mood, Hou Junji breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it is already August, the scorching sun still shows no signs of dissipating.

At this time, Hou Junji missed the carefree days of previous years.

If it was last year and the year before, in such hot weather, the emperor would definitely give ice to cool down.

Digging cellars to store ice is certainly not the patent of the royal family, but being given ice at least shows that he is in the heart of the emperor.

But this year, there is nothing, and coupled with the "old marquis was beheaded" known from later generations, this makes Hou Junji's mentality a little unbalanced.

So Hou Junji also delayed the matter entrusted by the emperor again and again, hoping to get this matter done well to make up for some image. Fortunately, there are finally some results now.

The cool place at the foot of the imperial wall prevented Hou Junji from being scorched by the sun. When he arrived at the Taiji Hall, he unexpectedly met Wei Zheng who had returned to Chang'an.

At this time, Wei Zheng looked a little darker and thinner than he remembered, and his temperament seemed more stable.

"... When I was dealing with Turkic affairs, Xueyantuo's Yinan Khan did many illegal things."

"He sent envoys to test me many times, and even tried to bribe me with treasures in exchange for Turkic warriors. Judging from his actions, he was seeking his own death."

Li Shimin was very interested:

"Where is the treasure? Did you reject it?"

Wei Zheng was neither humble nor arrogant:

"I will take it all and bring it back to Chang'an. Your Majesty can check it and use it as a fund for the future attack on Xueyantuo."

"After that, I announced Yinan Khan's crime of bribery and the crime of occupying water and grass, sent a letter to Bingzhou, and sent more than a thousand elite soldiers. We attacked them with cavalry, beheaded 200 people, and captured more than 1,000 people alive, for your majesty to punish. "

Li Shimin laughed at Wei Zheng's method of dealing with them:

"Xueyantuo should be punished, and what you did was very appropriate."

"But you may borrow this treasure to conquer Tuyuhun first, and it is better to consume Xueyantuo's strength when managing the Western Regions."

Wei Zheng nodded slightly. This kind of military strategy was not his forte. If it was in the past, he would try to give some suggestions, but now that he knew about the praise of Li Jing in later generations, Wei Zheng felt that it was better to watch more, ask more, and say less about military strategy.

But at the end, Wei Zheng did not forget one sentence:

"Your Majesty, the reform of the imperial examination system is the move of the sage king."

Li Shimin refused to accept this and said lightly:

"This system inherits the legacy of the previous dynasty and is also guided by future generations. What merit do I have?"

"If we can use this system to select talents for governing the country and lay the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, it can be called a merit."

After the king and his ministers finished their talks, Wei Zheng saw Hou Junji standing by his side.

He also bowed to Hou Junji, and walked away with his head held high. He was busy for half a year, and he needed a good rest.

But Wei Zheng felt quite strange. Why did Lu Guogong want to avoid him when he and Lu Guogong were greeting each other just now?

Whether in terms of official position or title, Hou Junji, who was appointed as the general and the Duke of Lu, was far superior to him, so Wei Zheng took the initiative to greet him, but why did the other party behave so strangely?

But these are all trivial matters. Wei Zheng quickly put this matter aside, but thought about several restaurants in the West Market.

A big meal, some wine, and a good sleep were what he wanted to do most now.

Watching Wei Zheng walk away, Hou Junji took out a book from his arms under Li Shimin's suspicious eyes and handed it to him:

"I have lived up to your trust and now the book is ready."

Li Shimin took it with interest and read out the title on the title page:

"The Biography of Qu Tu Jilai?"

Li Shimin sighed as he pressed the page. Of course, he remembered the surname Qu Tu.

Qu Tu Zhongtong, or Qu Tutong, was a former Sui general. After being captured by the army at Tongguan, he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and entered the Qin Palace, where he was highly valued by Li Shimin.

Ping Wang Shichong ranked first in terms of merit. Considering the prestige of the old general, Li Shimin appointed him as the Right Prime Minister after ascending the throne and entrusted him to guard Luoyang. He eventually died of illness in office in the second year of Zhenguan.

Waving his hand to signal Hou Junji not to care, Li Shimin opened the book.

An hour passed during this time, during which the Taiji Hall was quiet. Some eunuchs who came in to present official documents were ordered by Hou Junji to wait at the door of the hall with his eyes.

When Hou Junji felt his legs were a little numb, he heard Li Shimin praise:

"Good!"

Li Shimin was familiar with history books, but this "Biography of Qu Tu Jilai" was completely different, and its story outline was not complicated.

A Hu child with a Han mother, under the guidance of his mother, conquered the Hu brothers, and relied on his bravery and brains to eventually become the leader of a small tribe.

In the turbulent times, he eventually surrendered to the Sui Dynasty and became a close general under the command of Qu Tutong, who was from the same clan. He led the troops when attacking the Turks, and persuaded the general to surrender to Qin Wang Li Shimin in Tongguan.

When he defeated Wang Shichong, he made a clever suggestion, and finally became a marquis and a nobleman after success. In his later years, he returned to Liaodong and moved his mother's tomb back to the Han area.

After closing the book, Li Shimin still felt that it was lingering. Although the protagonist was a Hu child, he had a Han heart under his mother's education.

The description of life was also progressive.

The educated and well-mannered life after surrendering to the Sui Dynasty also contrasted with the barbaric life in Liaodong.

The excessive demands for the people by the Sui Dynasty also contrasted with the rest and recuperation after the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin had to admit that these folk storytellers were indeed quite capable.

"Is Qu Tuji still alive? I would like to meet him."

Hou Junji waved his hand awkwardly and said:

"There is no such person."

Then he explained:

"I went to find Qu Tutong's old generals, and these stories are a mixture of the experiences of dozens of family generals."

Li Shimin smiled:

"I forgot that this is a novel. If this person has such talent, Zhongtong will definitely recommend him to me."

After solving this problem, Li Shimin no longer had any doubts:

"This book is very good and should be widely read!"

"This matter will be left to your beloved."

Hou Junji was overjoyed and immediately accepted the order.

For Li Shimin, who is familiar with history, the only attraction of this book is the ups and downs of the story, but it cannot withstand careful scrutiny.

But for the common people, instead of scrutinizing this, it is better to discuss with the surrounding neighbors whether the customs of the Hu people are really so barbaric?

Was the life of the princes and nobles of the former Sui Dynasty really so extravagant?

After the story spread widely in Chang'an, the Hu merchants who gathered in Chang'an took the story to the border and brought it back to the tribes that still drank blood.

For them, the meaning of this story is simpler and more straightforward:

The Tang Dynasty welcomed capable Hu people.

And by then, it won't matter whether Qu Tu Ji is there or not.

Since returning to Chang'an from the Western Regions, Hou Junji's heart has been hanging.

But after being truly entrusted with the important task at this time, this heart finally fell back into his stomach.

And after having a detailed chat with His Majesty, Hou Junji was assigned an additional errand.

In a good mood, Duke Lu went straight out of the palace gate and mounted his tall horse.

He gently pinched the horse's belly and let the horse run slowly along the straight track. Hou Junji rode on the horse and looked around, feeling that for him, the city of Chang'an finally had color again.

The bustling hawking noise is no longer annoying, and the Hu merchants leading the camels are no longer disgusting.

Even when a child accidentally ran onto the straight road, Hou Junji took the time to rein in the horse and comforted the panicked woman.

In addition to the merchants, the notices posted in the streets and alleys of Chang'an City also attracted the common people to stop and watch and discuss in an uproar:

"Does Your Majesty want to launch a large-scale imperial examination?"

"In the imperial examination system, there is no distinction between states and counties, and there is no distinction between families. It is based on examination based on talents."

"Is our Tang Dynasty going to change?"

"Have you, a farmer, never seen the imperial examination before?"

"My ancestor was also a former official of the Sui Dynasty. Looking at you, what kind of pig and dog are you?"

Hou Junji just glanced at him, sighed, "I, Tang Zhen, have a lot of martial virtues," and walked away.

Now that his problem was temporarily solved, Hou Junji could not help but make plans for his son.

As the Duke of the country, Hou Junji knew better that what His Majesty initiated together with the reform of the imperial examination system was the reform of the official system.

Those who have won the imperial examination and those who have won military merit will be given priority in being assigned officials. The rank earned by Enyin will be reduced by one level. If the official fails to pass the assessment, the penalty of dismissal will be added to the demotion.

Hou Junji can imagine that if it were during the Kaiyuan period of Zhenguan, the resistance to this move can be imagined.

But if you dare to express your objections now... His Majesty will send Jieli to dance at your house tomorrow. Believe it or not?

All kinds of government orders do not harm the people, but only harm the family name.

Nowadays, Da Xing is no longer the powerful person he was in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and all he can do is to advertise himself.

And some big names are silent and watching with cold eyes. Hou Junji knows what he is thinking.

They don't want to challenge His Majesty's current strength, so they have to wait for an opportunity when the Tang Dynasty is defeated, and then attack in groups.

But... when it comes to educating sons, today's Holy Master pales in comparison.

But if you want to talk about the martial arts of the Tang Dynasty...

"How could His Majesty be defeated?"

Riding on a big horse, after leaving the city, there is an endless wilderness. The fields are perfectly spliced ​​together, forming a pleasing scene.

"Hey! Are you okay, Changsun Weng?"

Riding on the horse, Hou Junji looked at Changsun Wuji in front of him and laughed.

The brocade robe was rolled up around the waist, but it was still stained with mud. The hair on his head was a little scattered, and there were big beads of sweat on his cheeks.

In this way, who would have thought that he was the uncle of the current Holy Emperor?

Facing the sun, Changsun Wuji recognized Hou Junji's appearance and chuckled:

"Who did I think he was? It turned out to be a rebellious person who was beheaded."

Hou Junji took a breath, and then said with a relaxed face:

"Changsun Weng thinks there is no hope of coming back and plans to work on farming to support himself in his old age?"

Changsun Wuji glanced at Hou Junji with some pity. Just from his appearance, he could tell that he must have felt that he was favored by His Majesty again and had nothing to worry about.

But you are such a smart person who dares to imitate the Xuanwu Sect. How can His Majesty be so reassured?

"The great affairs of the country depend on the country, and the safety of the country depends on the agriculture. Now that we have good generals to defend against foreign enemies, I, the one who asked me to leave, can only farm the fields to serve the country."

"Master Lu, don't delay your majesty's entrustment, and don't trample on the farmland I want to use to support myself in my old age."

Hou Junji looked carefully again, but could not see any clear hall on the land, so in the end he could only shake his head and ride away.

He also had to follow the holy order to go to Chencang to invite Liu Rengui, so he couldn't delay.