Chapter 1106 The tacit understanding between the ruler and the minister
Liu Xie smiled slightly. "Don't be impatient, Lieutenant. After a few more years, I will definitely allow you to become an official before you reach your sixties, and you can go home and live your happy life."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Jia Xu immediately stood up and saluted.
Zhang Ji blinked and said nothing.
He knew that Jia Xu had always wanted to become an official, but he didn't know if Jia Xu was acting in front of him by mentioning these things to Liu Xie. He was two years older than Jia Xu. If Jia Xu became an official before sixty, would he also do the same?
?
But he was living a comfortable life and didn't want to quit at all.
Apart from anything else, after returning to Wuwei, how could there be such a rich food and drink, with dozens of types of wine alone?
After spending seven or eight years in Jingzhou, he had long been unable to live without these enjoyments and did not want to return to Liangzhou again.
So he chose to play dumb and ignore Jia Xu's possible hints.
Liu Xie and Jia Xu did not look at him at all, and continued to watch the assessment with a relaxed expression, commenting on the performance of the candidates.
Yuan Tan passed the martial arts test and stood aside waiting, but his heart was not relaxed at all.
He has made sufficient preparations in the past few years. Whether it is the martial arts assessment or the written examination, he is confident enough, but passing these does not mean that he can become a knight.
Judging from the people who participated in the assessment on site, he was one of the older ones. Most of the others were around 20 years old, and almost none were over 30 years old. He was the only one.
His status is also too special. If the emperor used him as an excuse because he was too old, he would have nothing to say.
Although the purpose of participating in the assessment is just to prove that he has such ability, after reaching this point, he naturally hopes to become a member of the Sanqi and eliminate the negative influence brought by Yuan Shao.
The reaction of his aunt Mrs. Yuan made him very uneasy. The letter asking Yuan Mai and her son to leave Ruyang as soon as possible had been sent out, but he was not sure whether they would comply with it.
Mrs. Liu is not an easy person to talk to.
Every time he thinks of Mrs. Liu, Yuan Tan will think of his late mother more and more intensely.
"Excellent martial arts skills with one step." The young man on the side came over and said enthusiastically.
Yuan Tan looked up and saw the young man smiling with warm eyes. He quickly returned the gift and said politely: "Thank you, thank you." He immediately realized the other person's accent. "Are you... from Runan?"
The young man smiled. "Lü Meng, courtesy name Ziming, is from Fupi, Runan. He previously served under the rebel general and was ordered to run for the election of scattered cavalry. I thought that although Ruying had many strange men, it had few warriors. I didn't expect to see this."
Take a step. Dare you ask me your name?"
"Ruyang Yuan Tan, courtesy name Xiansi."
Lu Meng was stunned, looked Yuan Tan up and down, and suddenly realized. "It turns out it's you. I'm really blind, ashamed, ashamed. I should have thought of it earlier." Seeing Yuan Tan's confused look, he immediately said: "The Battle of Lujiang
At that time, I saw your father."
Yuan Tan suddenly realized.
His appearance is indeed somewhat similar to Yuan Shao, and it becomes more and more obvious as he grows older.
He didn't want to discuss this issue anymore, so he took the initiative to ask about Lu Meng's situation.
Lu Meng also knew that it was not appropriate to talk about Yuan Shao's affairs, so he introduced himself and pointed to his companion Dong Yue who was facing off against Zhang Xiu not far away. Dong Yue was the son of Dong Xi, and he came to participate in the selection on the order of Sun Ce.
, it would be better if you can enter the casual riding. If not, then go to the martial arts hall.
Yuan Tan was greatly surprised. "It is the time when we are rebelling against the generals, so how come you brave men like you come to participate in the selection?"
Lu Meng said with a smile: "Brother Shi Xie is just a scholar, not worthy of serving as a rebel general. We have all experienced several years of war and came to participate in the selection. In addition to guarding the emperor, we also want to learn how to use troops, so that we can be of great use in the future.
"
Yuan Tan nodded in understanding.
He naturally knew that although the emperor was young, his reputation for being good at using troops had spread throughout the world.
Just as he was talking, Dong Yue had finished the assessment. After more than ten rounds of hard work, he barely passed. He came to Yuan Tan and Lu Meng, took off his helmet, held it under his arm, and said while wiping his sweat: "You really don't do anything.
I don’t know how deep it is. When I saw you taking the exam, I thought you were just mediocre. But when I took the test myself, I realized that this general’s spear was so heavy that half of my body was numb.”
Lu Meng laughed, patted Dong Yue's shoulder and said: "That's how fighting is on the battlefield. It's best to kill with one hit. There are not so many rounds. If you can pass the assessment, it means that the hard work of these six months has not been in vain. Let's go.
, let’s go prepare.”
With that said, Lu Meng bowed his hands to Yuan Tan and said goodbye, and led Dong Yue away.
Yuan Tan smiled bitterly to himself.
Knowing who he was, Lu Meng consciously kept his distance. Although it was not obvious, it could not be hidden from his eyes.
——
After the written examination was over, the list of qualified candidates was sent to Liu Xie, a total of seventeen people.
Yuan Tan's name appeared on the list as expected, and ranked second.
The first one is Lu Meng, named Ziming, from Fubei, Runan, and a junior general under Sun Ce.
The third place is Huang Quan, named Gongheng, a native of Langzhong, Bajun.
The fourth place is Huo Jun, named Zhongmiao, from Zhijiang, Nanjun.
Liu Xie looked at Yuan Tan's name for a long time, and finally drew a circle, to be determined.
The others all joined the scattered cavalry and were divided into three parts: left, middle and right.
Later, Liu Xie ordered someone to get Yuan Tan's answer sheet and read it carefully.
It should be said that Yuan Tan's written test scores were excellent, even better than the first place, Lu Meng. The reason why he ranked second was that his martial arts skills were slightly inferior, and his overall score was slightly lower.
After all, he is almost forty years old, his explosive power is not as good as that of young people, and he is slightly less experienced in fighting enemies.
Liu Xie ordered people to invite Situ Yang Biao and let him read Yuan Tan's answer sheet.
Yang Biao read it again and said: "I don't understand the art of war, but I believe in the Taiwei's vision."
Liu Xie said with a smile: "I don't doubt that the Taiwei is acting selfishly, I just want to ask your opinion. Yuan Xi and others are overseas, and Yuan Tan is the only one of Yuan Shao's descendants who is still in the Central Plains. If he follows me in the Western Expedition, Qingming
Who will visit Yuan Shao's grave?"
Yang Biao understood it as soon as he heard it.
When Liu Xie goes on the Western Expedition in the future, he will leave some talents for the prince, but he will never include Yuan Tan.
If Yuan Tan joins Sanqi, Liu Xie will definitely take him away to prevent the power of the Yuan family, especially Yuan Shao, from resurrecting in the Central Plains.
According to this principle, even if Yuan Tan wants to settle for the second best and go to the martial arts hall, the result will be the same.
This is a tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers that does not need to be expressed.
Yang Biao agreed to ask Yuan Tan's opinion in person, and it would be best if he gave up on his own initiative.
He didn't think too much.
In his opinion, Yuan Tan does not necessarily want to become a Sanqiu, but more to prove that he has the strength. By being able to get second place in the exam, his goal has been achieved, and there is no need to persist.
After returning to Situ's Mansion, Yang Biao first told his wife about the incident.
After reading Yuan Tan's answer sheet and learning that Yuan Tan scored second overall, Mrs. Yuan smiled bitterly. "This kid has really worked hard in the past few years."
"I know he has put his best efforts into it, but it is really not suitable for him to join the army. If he really goes to the Western Regions with the emperor, who will protect his homeland?"
Mrs. Yuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Yes, he can't go, let me tell him."
Yang Biao's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.
They have been married for many years and know each other very well. Mrs. Yuan's momentary hesitation could not escape his eyes.