Drinking and banquets have been an extremely important social activity since ancient times.
Since the imperial dynasty, saints have been fond of giving banquets.
Gaozu gave 49 banquets, Taizong gave 72 banquets, and Xuanzong gave 47 banquets. These are the three saints with the most.
Has many functions.
Some of them helped ministers solve difficult life problems. Because in the early days of the dynasty, the system was incomplete and official salaries were low. Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong always gave gifts when giving banquets, which was equivalent to bonuses.
Some are "team building", where everyone eats and drinks together to increase feelings and improve morale.
There are also ways to resolve family conflicts.
For example, "Xue Wanche paid homage to Princess Danyang. People said to Taizong: 'Xue's consort has no talent, and the princess will be ashamed of him. He will not be able to sit down for several months.'" Taizong laughed when he heard this, and bought all the consorts with wine, and he was not unfaithful to others.
Ci Se, talked exclusively to Xue Wanche, and praised him many times during the dinner. He also bet with him on tug-of-war, pretended to lose, and handed the saber to Xue.
After drinking, Xue Wanche was about to ride back, but the princess immediately asked him to get in the carriage and go home together to get back together.
Shuofang's army's banquet was pure "team building".
In addition to the main banquet, there are separate banquets for military officials, civil servants, chiefs, etc. In terms of scale, it is no longer a banquet, but a big banquet (pú).
The sergeants were busy cooking cattle and sheep, preparing wine and food, and one dish after another was brought out and placed on the table.
The dishes are actually very simple, just common foods: steamed cakes, cheese, ghee, barbecue, boiled meat, candied fruits, dried fruits, wild vegetables, wine, kumiss, etc. Most of them were transferred here with the military masters, and a small part were made from local materials.
Compared with the banquet given in the palace, it is indeed very simple, but the portion is substantial. Everyone sat on the floor, the atmosphere was harmonious, and they had a great time eating.
Shao Shude took his eldest son Chengjie with him and asked him to get to know the military envoys, deputy envoys, and shogunate assistants one by one.
It doesn't matter if children can't remember it, as long as adults can remember it.
"This is Lu Huaizhong, the envoy of the Wuwei Army. He is the most trusted person of my father. When he goes on an expedition, he often relies on him as the vanguard. In the battle of Lingzhou, he attacked Kang Yuancheng in the wind and rain at night." Shao Shude led his son to Lu Huaizhong and said
: "My son is still not polite?"
Shao Chengjie was confused when he heard it, but he still understood the word salute and immediately started to do it properly. The movements were quite standard, and it could be seen that Zhe Fang Ai had put in a lot of effort.
"Young Master has grown up to be very smart. With the Commander-in-Chief having such a fine son, there will be a successor to the cause of the feudal town." Lu Huaizhong also returned the greeting.
Young Master is the name given by the imperial court to the children of rich and powerful families. Ordinary bureaucrats' children cannot afford this title.
Shao Shude originally wanted Lu Huaizhong to be the military governor of Weibei, but he was unwilling to do so. He asked his staff to write a letter for him, expressing his willingness to continue to lead troops and make achievements on the battlefield.
In this regard, Shao Shude can only let it go and look for opportunities to make amends in the future. They are all old brothers, so they naturally want to share wealth and honor. Although Lao Lu seems not to have this ambition, he just wants to bring peace to the poor people like Li Hanzhi who are trying to get away with it.
Military leader.
…
"This is the cavalry envoy——" Before Shao Shude could finish his words, Chengjie had already called him uncle, which was a little funny.
"My little boy, I haven't been to my uncle's house for a long time. My cousin misses me very much." After saying that, Oritsugu blinked and said with a smile.
He has such a temperament that he sometimes "plays tricks" on people and makes people unable to resist. He is more likely to offend people unknowingly, but he doesn't seem to care at all.
Other people's opinions and preferences will not hinder me from making achievements and enjoying wealth.
…
"This is Zhu Shuzong, the commander-in-chief of the military government, who trains soldiers and compiles military laws. He is a father who cannot be separated from him for a day."
When he arrived in front of Zhu Shuzong, Shao Shude emphasized the words "cannot leave for a day".
The credit of some people is not on the surface, but on the hard work behind the scenes. They are not as eye-catching as the all-powerful generals on the battlefield, but without them, you will find that everything is unsatisfactory, and the military's combat effectiveness is getting worse year by year.
"The eldest man is of a dignified nature, has a kind appearance, is devoted to scriptures, and is virtuous. From now on, if he practices martial arts diligently, he can go on an expedition with the marshal. If my husband and children have no military exploits, it will be difficult for them to convince the public." Zhu Shuzong looked at his son-in-law.
After carefully examining Shao Chengjie, there were many suggestions in his words.
Dalangjun is also the name given to the noble children in the country, and is closer to the prince.
Shao Shude recently wanted Zhu Shuzong to be the governor of Hexi Province, but he also refused, saying he was willing to continue training troops for the commander-in-chief.
Shao Shude did not persuade him much and kept everything in his mind. Tielin was already old, and as long as Shuofang Town was still there, Zhu Shuzong's status would not be lower than anyone else's.
…
"This is Chen Cheng, the deputy envoy of the shogunate. He praised military maneuvers, was full of wisdom, served in the army and conquered, and made many military exploits." Shao Shude brought his son to Chen Cheng again and introduced him.
Shao Chengjie bowed respectfully.
"If he is a handsome boy, he will grow up to be magnificent in appearance, talented in literature and martial arts, and proficient in everything." Chen Cheng returned the gift and said with a smile: "Our wealth is guaranteed."
Shao and Chen both laughed.
The level of the heir to the feudal town is related to the continuation of everyone's wealth. This is no joke.
If the eldest son really fails and the generals have opinions, Shao Shude will also consider whether to change the heir.
The generals and staff who join us in conquering the world are all "shareholders" of this foundation, and the "chairman" must also consider the rights and interests of small shareholders.
After walking around in a circle, Shao Shude ordered everyone to continue eating and drinking, then took his son out of the banquet and went to the tent to rest temporarily.
"Erlang, the people I brought you to see today are all elders you can trust." Shao Shude asked his soldiers to bring him tea, and while sipping, he said: "If my father is unfortunately defeated and dies in the army one day, I will ask these elders to
I’ll help you along until you can stand on your own feet.”
Most of the power successions in vassal towns these days were bloody, but some were relatively smooth.
Chengde Jiedushi Wang Rong succeeded to the throne at the age of ten. The town was in order and no one rebelled. However, the Uighur Wang family has controlled the people of Chengde Town for four generations, and the interest structure is quite stable. This is incomparable to Shuofang Town.
.
"Grandpa, what does it mean to be defeated and dead?" Chengjie asked.
this……
"Swords and guns have no eyes, and war is unpredictable. For example, you have seen hunting wolves. If you miss, you may be taken advantage of by the wolf."
"Did he get bitten to death by a wolf?"
"Yes."
"Then you can't escape?"
Shao Shude was silent for a while and then said: "My father made an appointment with the soldiers of the Tielin Army. I will use my head as a guarantee. The soldiers will not fail me. I will not fail the soldiers. I cannot escape."
"What will happen if you escape?"
"Worse than dying in battle."
Cheng Jie seemed to understand.
"Erlang, you have to remember. Don't make promises easily. Once you make a promise, you must keep it. When I was a small army, in order to boost morale, I won over the sergeants and made an appointment with the soldiers to live and die together, advance and retreat together. The sergeant fled and killed the sergeant.
, the general will run away, the general will be killed, the general will flee, and the general will be killed. But now we can’t break our promise. Remember, you must do what you promised to the soldiers. Also, don’t make random promises or excessive rewards, lest you fail to fulfill them.”
"What does excessive reward mean?"
Shao Shude: "..."
Shao Chengjie looked at his father longingly.
"For example, you have always wanted a small pony, and grandpa rewarded you. Next time you want a big horse, and grandpa cannot give it to you. Are you disappointed? This is an excessive reward."
"Master, you can reward the foal first, I won't be disappointed."
"It's good that you're not disappointed, but there are many people in this world who have insatiable desires." Shao Shude said patiently: "It's getting late today, so go to the tent and rest first. Put on your military uniform tomorrow and follow my grandfather.
View the military appearance."
The maids Cao and Hun took Chengjie to his tent. Before leaving, Hun gave Shao Shude a resentful look.
Shao Shude was startled, and then he remembered that he had favored the Hun family by leaning against the pillars out of curiosity, and almost forgot about it.
I don’t know what Mr. Pei is doing? Shao Shude’s heart began to grow.
Well, Mr. Pei has now encountered an "enemy".
Tonight Shao Shude had a banquet with the generals and staff, and Zhe Fangxiao also dined with the wives of the military officers and generals.
If Jian Guo proclaimed himself emperor, these women would be the wives of fate, and the queen would naturally entertain them.
Pei Zhenyi walked around casually and found that not only the generals and their wives were coming, but also the juniors.
Xiao Mao, the judge of the Construction Department of the shogunate, brought his niece Xiao with him. Pei Zhen froze as soon as she saw Xiao. She almost smelled the same kind of scent.
The Xiao family is so shameless! I don’t know how much it cost to train the daughter of a serious family since she was a child. What is the purpose of bringing her here? Could it be that she is looking for a son-in-law?
However, she soon had no time to continue thinking. Zheng Yong, the tenth general of the personal army, sent people over and took him to Tiejin City.
Shao Shude is staying in the city tonight and calls Pei Zhenyi to sleep with him, but there is still something to do now.
"An envoy is coming and wants to promote me as King of Xia. From what you can tell, who came up with this idea?" Shao Shude sat on the bed, his face expressionless and very calm.
"This must be the advice of the prime minister and the saint when they are alone." Mrs. Pei stepped forward and knelt down to help Shao Shude take off his boots.
"Which Prime Minister?"
Mrs. Pei hesitated for a moment and said: "When I left the capital, Du Xiangxuan had already thought of protecting himself wisely. Prime Minister Cui has always had a bad reputation, and everyone said he was treacherous, but he is good at observing words and expressions. He doesn't look like Prime Minister Liu.
The handwriting may be Kong Wei or Xu Yanruo’s plan.”
"Write a dictionary." Shao Shude ordered.
"Yes." Mrs. Pei helped Shao Shude take off his military uniform, then took off his own clothes with a blushing face.
"Look at this again." Shao Shude placed a letter in front of Pei.
"The nests of bees and ants are still hiding from evil; the troops of bears and scorpions are not destroyed...Fuwang sent soldiers to help pacify Shatuo, and he got five thousand of the noble vassal's elite cavalry, which defeated the 100,000 of the Taoist warriors...
Fu Wei will always be there, can you tell me early..." Mrs. Pei tugged her hair around her ears and looked at it carefully.
The letter was written by Helianduo.
Li Keyong ignored the busy spring sowing and farm work, mobilized a large army, and sent Confucius to go north to Yunzhou. He first defeated Helianduo in a field battle, and then laid siege to Yunzhou. It has been more than two months now.
Helianduo probably felt unsure, so he sent envoys to break out of the encirclement and ran to Lingxia to ask for help. If nothing else happened, there must have been envoys heading to Youzhou.
"The commander-in-chief wants to..." Pei asked uncertainly.
"Write an ultimatum to Xinquan Army Envoy Yang Yue and ask him to move to Tunshuozhou, store more grain and grass, and guard the city."
After Bai Yicheng became the governor of Shuozhou, the Xinquan Army moved to Ningwu County.
Shuozhou is also a big city. If there is sufficient food and grass, it will be difficult to capture it in a hurry.
Over in Yunzhou, Helianduo received 200,000 husks of corn and wheat last year. Shao Shude didn't believe that he had finished all the food. There must be quite a bit left.
Li Keyong wanted to fight, so he let him finish the fight. He didn't know how many elite soldiers and generals he would use in the east and west cities of Yunzhou. When there was no more blood to be shed, he would naturally stop.
Helian Duo has the ability to get manpower from the grasslands, so there is no big problem with the supply of troops.
His Achilles heel is lack of food, which is not a problem for Shao Shude.
The city of Yunzhou is very large and strong, and the foundation of the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty is not that easy to defeat. As long as Li Keyong cannot withstand the withdrawal of troops, Shengzhou will deliver supplies such as grain, grass, arrows, and wound medicine to Helianduo, so that you can
Fighting in vain.
If you have the ability to wait for a year, I will obey you.
Mr. Pei quickly finished it with a wave of his hand.
Shao Shude looked at it and saw that there was no problem, so he asked his soldiers to take it away and send it out.
Mr. Pei was relatively familiar with Nanya Beisi and Shengren, and Shao Shude found that he could not do without her even more.
There must be checks and balances, there must be competition!