People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1843: Held a military examination and inspected the northwest

On March 23rd, the weather was fine.

In the western suburbs of Chang'an, in the Right Guard Army camp, a tall observation platform was placed high up at the back.

A long and smooth road connects the two sides.

More than thirty young martial artists wearing silver armor walked calmly to the east and west sides.

With a loud bang, the curtain behind them fell, and more than 30 war horses appeared behind everyone, each of which had a 17-foot-long spear hanging on its body.

However, although the spear was an iron spear, the tip was covered with a thick layer of white cloth, and there seemed to be thick lime on the white cloth.

"Everyone, get on your horses. You have two quarters of an hour to get familiar with the horses. After two quarters of an hour, sprint towards each other. Pay attention to the front, back, left, and right. The more people who stay at the end without falling off their horses, the better the score. Combined with the results of the previous military strategy, archery and other tests, the one with the best score will be the champion of this martial arts exam."

Lai Sui rode back and forth on horseback and shouted, and everyone looked solemn: "Yes!"

Lai Sui looked towards the high platform at the back. Li Bi, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, was standing on the left side of the stage, and Su Baotong, the general of the Right Guard, was standing on the right side of the stage. In the center of the main stage were Wang Fangyi, the minister of the Ministry of War, Zhang Da'an, the emperor, and Princess Fuchang.

……

"Father, I thought I could see the competition in the arena." Xia'er stood on tiptoe and looked at the assessment circle below.

"How can there be so many arena competitions? You've really read too many novels." Li Xuan couldn't help laughing, shook his head, and said, "What the emperor wants is a general who can charge into battle, not a show-off."

"Only the generals who survive the fighting on the battlefield are the most qualified generals. Others are not worth mentioning." Wang Fangyi bowed slightly to Li Xuan.

"Uncle, you don't have to be so polite." Li Xuan waved his hand slightly, and then said: "I am just taking the princess to have a look today to see if there are one or two talented people. If so, he will have a place in the vanguard of the future conquest of Silla."

"Your Majesty originally wanted to choose a forward." Zhang Da'an stood aside, his temples graying under his black hat.

Li Xuan smiled and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from Mr. Zhang. By the way, how is Mr. Zhang's health these days?"

"That's right." Zhang Da'an nodded with satisfaction and said, "I also passed the imperial examination. The environment of being an examiner in the imperial examination was terrible. It's not like in the army, where all the warriors are thrown into the military tent and patrolled by soldiers. They are so honest and obedient."

"That's because this is the first year of the martial arts examination, so the methods of cheating in the examination have not been studied thoroughly enough. If you don't believe me, just wait and see, in another two or three years, they will be familiar with the methods of cheating, and there will be so many methods of cheating that you and I will be dazzled." Li Xuan couldn't help shaking his head.

This is the case with many things. There are no problems the first time, but problems start to arise the second time.

It's because everyone is familiar with everything that everyone starts taking shortcuts.

This is the norm.

"Your Majesty, will you hold the martial arts examination next year?" Wang Fangyi asked from the other side.

"Of course." Li Xuan nodded affirmatively, and then said: "As long as the conquest of Silla continues, the military examination will also continue. The military scholars selected in the military examination will be sent to the battlefield of Silla. In this way, those who are really capable of cheating will not be willing to send their children to the battlefield. This way, it will be fair in disguise."

"Your Majesty is right." Wang Fangyi nodded in agreement.

He knew that true noble families would not be willing to send their core children to the battlefield, and that marginal children, without the support of their family, would not be able to stay in such a place for long.

Li Xuan turned sideways to look at Zhang Da'an and said, "Mr. Zhang, I plan to let you and Prime Minister Li stay in Chang'an this year to assist the Crown Prince. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, are you going to tour Hebei this year?" Zhang Da'an keenly grasped Li Xuan's words.

Li Xuan nodded and said, "I have no plans to start a war this year, so this year in Hebei, apart from clearing up a few troubles, there shouldn't be anything major to do, so let others do the running around. I'm still looking forward to being enthroned on Mount Tai with Lord Zhang in a few years."

When Li Xuan said this, Zhang Daan immediately relaxed, smiled and nodded, saying, "Everything will be arranged by your majesty."

Wang Fangyi, who was standing on the side, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He seemed to have heard something different from Li Xuan's words.

"My uncle will also stay in Chang'an this year." Li Xuan turned to look at Wang Fangyi with a serious expression.

"Yes!" Wang Fangyi immediately bowed solemnly.

"I will return from Luoyang in September, so before that, many soldiers will enter Hebei from the northern grasslands, avoiding the spies of the world and Silla, and quietly accumulate troops in Hebei. If nothing unexpected happens, the attack on Silla will be either next year or the year after, so in the next two years, the vanguard troops must be sufficient, and the remaining troops can be transferred from the back." Li Xuan's eyes flashed with calculation.

"I understand." Wang Fangyi nodded slightly. He was the Minister of War and the affairs of the Zhifang Division could not be hidden from him.

"There's nothing left to do." Li Xuan smiled, then hugged Xia'er into his arms, looked at the circle outside, and whispered, "Uncle, it's almost done, let's start."

"Yes!" Wang Fangyi bowed seriously. He raised his hand slightly towards Li Bi on the side, and Li Bi immediately looked at Lai Sui.

With a "dong" sound, the heavy gong sound immediately rang out throughout the circle.

The next moment, the wooden fence was lowered, and the martial arts candidates on both sides immediately began a fierce charge.

This time, no one chose to attack their companions at the beginning.

Although the rule is that the last person who is still on the horse will get the final score, once they choose to attack their companions, the opponent will eliminate them all at once and then decide the winner among themselves. Many things are not included in the list of assessments, but there are many times when people's hearts are one of the criteria for assessment.

On the battlefield, no one is willing to leave his back to someone who has betrayed him.

Not even simulation.

……

After a long time, a young man wearing armor but with white spots all over his body sat on his horse tiredly, but deep in his eyes, there was excitement.

"Huangfu Zhong." Li Xuan frowned and said, "Another person from the Huangfu family."

"The Anding Huangfu family is the descendant of Huangfu Song." Wang Fangyi bowed slightly and said, "The family has a long history of learning. In addition, the inscription on the tombstone of his grandfather Huangfu Dan was written by Yu Zhining and then by the late Duke of Tan, Ouyang Xueshi. Your Majesty should know this."

"The Monument to Huangfu Dan." Li Xuan nodded and said, "I learned this inscription many times when I was a child, and I can still recite it easily now. I didn't expect that there is such a source. Very good, I will commemorate Huangfu Zhong as the first place in the martial arts examination in the fifth year of Kaiyuan."

"Yes!" Wang Fangyi bowed solemnly.

Li Xuan nodded and said, "There is Huangfu Xi, the doctor of the Ministry of Works, Huangfu Gongyi, the junior minister of the Ministry of Rites, Huangfu Rixiu, the number one scholar in the civil examination, and now we have Huangfu Zhong, the number one scholar in the military examination. The Huangfu family is really full of talented people. It is auspicious to stabilize the Huangfu family!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" Wang Fangyi and Zhang Da'an bowed together.

"Pass the imperial decree. Three days later, all military scholars are ordered to come to the Liangyi Hall for an audience." Li Xuan spoke directly.

"I obey your order." Wang Fangyi and Zhang Da'an bowed again.

"Let's go, Princess Fuchang." Li Xuan pulled Xia'er, then turned and walked towards the bottom of the platform.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully bid farewell to you!" Wang Fangyi, Zhang Da'an, Su Baotong, Li Bi, and Lai Sui all bowed solemnly.

The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of the other side, and soon there was an uproar over there. Only then did they realize that the emperor had actually come today.

The military examination is different from the civil examination. Although the Tang Dynasty attached great importance to military merit, the military examination was still not as good as the civil examination.

Over the years, the Tang Dynasty had gradually entered a period of prosperity, but the military examinations had only been held a few times.

In addition, generals in the army can be transferred to local posts through lateral transfer, but if they serve in the court, they need to be demoted one level and return to their posts, just like local governors.

For example, Wang Jishan, the General of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard, was a third-rank official. He was transferred to a civil position and became the Minister of the Dali Temple, a third-rank official.

Therefore, these military candidates never thought that the emperor would come today.

And there is Princess Fuchang.

……

In the Taiji Hall, Lu Yuanfang bowed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, the results of the civil, civil service, and military examinations have been recorded."

"Send it to all the prefectures, counties and cities across the country, and ask them to copy the list and post it at the city gates." Li Xuan waved his hand slightly, and Lu Yuanfang immediately bowed solemnly.

In the fifth year of Kaiyuan, the three categories of civil examination, provincial examination, and military examination, totaled 60 people admitted. Even though their destinations were different, this number was already astonishing.

"Your Majesty, the person has arrived." Xu Lu reminded gently from the side.

Li Xuan raised his head slightly, and then looked at the group of military scholars who walked into the hall, including the top scorer Huangfu Zhong, the second place Gao Sheji, the third place Ge Tian, ​​and the others, a total of thirteen.

"Your Majesty, we are here to pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live forever." All the military scholars knelt down.

Li Xuan raised his hand and said, "Stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Everyone stood up.

"You are all good at both civil and military affairs, and you should not neglect them at all." Li Xuan looked at Wang Fangyi and said, "Duke of Jin, tomorrow I will arrange for you to join the Right Guard and live with the 1,000 elite soldiers selected from the army. One month later, you will accompany the military officer to Sui to inspect the military affairs in the northwest, starting from Changzhou, to Fanzhou, and finally from Fanzhou to the Western Region Governor's Office, where you will meet the Left Guard General Yan Tao, and finally return from the four towns of Anxi, cross the desert, enter Ganliang, and finally return to Chang'an."

After Li Xuan finished speaking, everyone was stunned.

Having just passed the military imperial examination, he is now going to travel around the northwest.

"Go and make preparations. Ask the old soldiers who have been marching in the Western Regions for many years. They will tell you what to do." Li Xuan lowered his eyes slightly.

"We obey your orders. I will take my leave." Everyone bowed.

After a moment, Li Xuan raised his head and looked at Lu Yuanfang, saying, "Left Prime Minister, can I select enough talents this time?"

(End of this chapter)