bayedsolid Chapter 330: Minister of War Xue Rengui
Chapter 330: Minister of War Xue Rengui
Before Pei Xingjian's words had even faded in the court, Minister of Rites Xie Wanquan stood up with his head held high and chest puffed out, striding forward with confidence.
He was dressed in court robes, his head slightly raised, his expression filled with pride, and he said loudly: "Your Majesty, this year the Ministry of Rites will fully devote its efforts to the establishment of schools in all counties of our Great Tang."
"We have recruited talented individuals and invited renowned teachers, working tirelessly to promote new trends in education."
"Now, the number of students in the schools of each county has exceeded one million!"
"This feat is a testament to the flourishing culture and thriving education of our Tang Dynasty."
"I firmly believe that, given time, these students will become the backbone of our Great Tang, contributing infinite strength to our glorious legacy, making our Great Tang's reputation spread far and wide, and attracting all nations to pay tribute!"
Xie Wanquan's voice was passionate and generous.
Gao Shilian, standing aside, stared quietly at Xie Wanquan, who was full of vigor and vitality, with his brows slightly raised. That subtle movement seemed to contain many complex thoughts.
First, he secretly praised the far-reaching impact of the Ministry of Rites' move, and then silently weighed in his heart whether the Ministry of Personnel's actions this year could be comparable.
A moment later, Gao Shilian also stepped forward steadily. After bowing, he said calmly, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Personnel has also been working very hard this year and dares not slack off in the slightest."
"We, the ministers, have carefully planned and searched for talented individuals, and have already filled the vacancies in various places of the Tang Dynasty one by one."
"Nowadays, the local governments are full of talented people, each doing their job, and the government's orders can be carried out with ease."
"Your Majesty is wise and wise. We have agreed that, starting next year, the Ministry of Personnel will officially launch the imperial inspection. Combined with the vigilance of Your Majesty's Imperial Guard, the two will complement each other and will surely comprehensively and effectively curb the breeding of corruption and restore the clean and honest officialdom of the Tang Dynasty."
Gao Shilian's words were sincere, and every word revealed the responsibility of the Ministry of Personnel.
Minister of Justice Zhang Liang stood there, unable to calm down.
His eyes unconsciously looked around the court. Compared with the other four departments, the achievements of the Ministry of Justice were really lackluster.
He had originally intended to conceal his presence as much as possible in the court to reduce unnecessary attention, but now the atmosphere has become so heated that all the ministers have stepped forward and proudly reported their respective achievements.
Everyone's eyes were on him, if not for himself, then for his brothers in the Ministry of Justice!
If he continued to remain silent, it would seem unreasonable and unacceptable.
Helpless, Zhang Liang forced himself to remain calm, bravely stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, although the Ministry of Justice has not accomplished anything earth-shattering this year, we are doing our utmost to rectify the atmosphere."
"We have toiled tirelessly day and night, and thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings, we have been able to resolve over a thousand cases."
"And all criminals will be sent to Mobei to work on its infrastructure, following Your Majesty's orders. Their hard work will atone for their crimes, contributing to the development of Mobei and making a small contribution."
Although the achievements of the Ministry of Justice were not so dazzling, they were at least decent and without any mistakes. It could be considered a satisfactory result.
The position of Minister of War remained vacant, having previously been held by Li Jing, who had made outstanding military achievements.
After Li Jing went to a sanatorium for recuperation due to illness, the Ministry of War fell into an embarrassing dilemma of existing in name only.
The reason for this is that the power to deploy troops and generals, which concerns the safety of the country, is now in the hands of His Majesty himself, while the crucial task of coordinating food and fodder is solely undertaken by the Qianyu Chamber of Commerce.
Therefore, even though the position of Minister of War had been vacant for a long time, no one came to fill the vacancy.
But now the situation has changed dramatically. The Ministry of Revenue is now full of money, and a major war against Goguryeo is imminent next year.
Everyone in the court is clear in their minds. Your Majesty must reassign the key position of Minister of War to coordinate military affairs and ensure the smooth progress of the war of conquest.
Li Chengqian sat upright on the high dragon throne, his eyes slowly sweeping over the ministers standing below, a gratified smile on his face.
"My dear ministers, you have all done an outstanding job this year, and I am deeply pleased. I hereby declare to the world that all officials of the Tang Dynasty will receive double their salaries at the end of the year as a reward for your hard work this year."
"And the officials of the Ministry of Revenue, because of their heavy workload, are specially granted three stipends."
"Minister Li, you will be in charge of coordinating and arranging this matter. You must ensure that the salaries are distributed accurately and without any mistakes."
Li Chengqian's voice was solemn and echoed in the court, carrying praise for his ministers.
As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials saluted in unison and shouted in unison: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone's face was filled with irrepressible excitement. After all, this extra month's salary for no reason was a real reward, enough to make them very happy.
"Xue Rengui!" Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Xue Rengui.
"The general is here!"
Upon hearing the voice, Xue Rengui took a step forward without hesitation, his movements quick and decisive, and saluted with his hands clasped together.
"Old General Li Jing is already recuperating in the sanatorium. Next year, I intend to conquer Goguryeo. Now that the Ministry of Revenue has sufficient funds and grain to support it, the position of Minister of War cannot remain vacant."
"I have observed that you are brave and adept at fighting, possess both wisdom and courage, and possess outstanding talents. I will now appoint you as the Minister of War."
"I will entrust you with the specific details of the expedition against Goguryeo next year."
"You must give it your all and plan carefully. If you do well, the position of Minister of War will naturally be firmly secured by you."
"But if there is any mistake, then you will have no choice but to step down and continue to serve as your general."
Li Chengqian's eyes were filled with expectation, and he placed high hopes on Xue Rengui, hoping that he could establish great military exploits for the Tang Dynasty in future wars.
When they heard Li Chengqian's appointment, not many people in the court looked surprised.
After all, the trend of the entire court is now moving towards younger people. A young Minister of War is not too shocking compared to the young General of the Divine Guard or the young Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who have already appeared.
Everyone has gradually become accustomed to this, not to mention that with the extremely intelligent young Master Qi sitting by their side, it seems that any changes are reasonable and not surprising.
Xue Rengui stood there, his heart full of surprise.
He had never thought that one day he would be promoted to the Minister of War. This sudden favor made him a little overwhelmed for a while.
But he quickly recovered and bowed deeply in thanks: "I thank Your Majesty for your great grace! Your Majesty has placed such trust in me. I will repay your kindness with my all and devote myself to the preparations for the conquest of Goguryeo. I will never let Your Majesty down and will surely satisfy you!"
His voice trembled slightly.
Qin Ruzhao and Zhang Xianhuai stood aside, looking at Xue Rengui with encouragement in their eyes.
With Xue Rengui's ability and character, I believe he will be able to shoulder this important task and establish great military achievements for the Tang Dynasty in future wars.
After the position of Minister of War was confirmed, Minister of Rites Xie Wanquan seemed to recall something and said, "Your Majesty, will this year's New Year's Day celebration still be held? Last year, because Your Majesty was delayed in Xianyang, the New Year's Day celebration could not be held as scheduled."
"Now that envoys from all nations have gathered in Chang'an, should the ceremony still be held at the Daming Palace as usual? Your Majesty, please provide your instructions."
Li Chengqian pondered for a moment. Now that the Tang Dynasty was becoming more powerful and attracting foreign countries, it was indeed necessary to hold a grand New Year's Day celebration to demonstrate the country's prestige and enhance exchanges with other countries.
"Let's hold the New Year's Day celebration this year, and it will still be held in the Daming Palace."
"Thank you, my dear. Please inform the envoys from the smaller nations and have them prepare to join us in this grand event."