Chapter 551: Your Majesty, Tu Sui voluntarily lowers his title! Lower his rank by two ranks!
"Han Xin?"
A man in general's armor suddenly opened the tent curtain and asked with a confident expression.
"That's me."
Han Xin slowly stood up from his seat, responded in a deep and solemn manner, and prepared to take action.
Don't be fooled by his appearance of being calm and composed even when faced with a huge crisis. In fact, his heart is beating harder and harder.
The boss just said some big words in front of the Second Emperor, which were not big words at all, and showed contempt for the generals of the Qin Dynasty.
I had just returned to the tent and sat down, and my cup of tea was not even cold when the general came to my door. No matter how you look at it, it was obvious that he was up to no good.
He felt a little regretful.
The reason why he could be proud in Qi was that Qi was badly defeated by Wang Jian at that time and urgently needed a strong general to regroup and save it from danger.
He did not support Zhang Chu or Chu, but only Qi.
The most important point was that Qi State was in desperate need of a magic needle to stabilize the East China Sea at that time, and he was just waiting for a good price to sell it.
The Qin State is not like that. The Qin State has no shortage of generals.
After contacting the second emperor and taking a brief look at the military camp.
Han Xin discovered that most people in Qin State did not see the resurgence of the six kingdoms as a crisis but an opportunity.
It was the emperor, not the Qin State, who gave him great affirmation. The Qin State did not need him, and the Qin generals would not look up to him like the Qi generals did, and would most likely beat him.
"Brother, you are really brave!"
The person who came was not what Han Xin expected.
When he heard Han Xin admit his identity, he immediately gave him a thumbs up, with a look of admiration on his face, and patted his chest heavily, saying:
"My name is Liu Bang. I heard that your majesty has just recruited a rare general, so I came to meet him. If you don't give up, you and I will be brothers in the future!"
Han Xin was confused for a moment.
After Li Xin was defeated, he treated him well, did not bear grudges, and taught him etiquette and rules.
Liu Bang, a general whom he had never met before, praised him as soon as they met and wanted to become brothers with this surrendered general.
[The teacher said that the Qin generals were arrogant and overbearing, and they were trustworthy and felt good...]
Blinking his eyes twice, General Han, who knew how to act when necessary, clasped his fists and shook them twice, and said to Liu Bang, who looked obviously older than him, with deep affection and loyalty:
"Brother Bang!"
Even though Liu Bang looked younger than him, he would still call him brother. It is a good thing for a newcomer to be sensible, and someone is willing to take him with him.
He is not the big brother cultivate his qi. He has to deal with people in the world and cannot be too aloof.
"Brother Xin!"
Liu Bang burst into tears and hugged Han Xin's hands, as if he had seen his long-lost brother, with full emotional value.
"To be honest, my brother, we hit it off right away. From the moment we met, we felt like we were connected by blood! From now on, you are my brother, Liu Bang! Anyone who finds fault with you is finding fault with me, Liu Bang!"
Han Xin: “…”
He was very glad to have witnessed the Second Emperor's enthusiasm in advance. Although he was still not used to it mentally, his body was not stiff at all.
[Is this really the general? He looks more like one of those busybodies in the village.]
Through active observation, Han Xin knew that the Qin army had strict discipline, but Liu Bang's behavior still made him somewhat worried, as he had never seen such a general.
Every general's daily performance is a continuation of his fighting style, and vice versa. This is the application of psychological warfare.
Han Xin couldn't imagine how a general like Liu Bang, who was so outgoing, could fight a war. How could he make friends with the enemy's commander and become sworn brothers with him on the battlefield?
He showed and said:
"Brother is really a man of character."
Liu Bang laughed, much more naturally than Han Xin.
Meng Tian, Li Xin, Tu Sui, Ren Xiong and other generals were born and raised in Qin, but he was an outsider. He was not well-known, but he was promoted to general after participating in the war against the Xiongnu.
He wanted to gain a foothold in the Qin State, but he did not want to be inferior to the Qin generals of Meng Tian. Liu Bang also had principles. Although he licked, he only licked one person.
In order to match the "Da Feng Ge" given by His Majesty, he had to unite all foreign forces to compete with the local generals of Qin.
The Han Empire was gone, but the founding heroes of the Han Dynasty still gathered around Liu Bang and grew into a faction independent of the native military generals of the Qin State.
His power seems to be far inferior to that of the local generals. He only occupies one of the four great generals, with Han Xin ranked last.
But in fact, Liu Bang, who was good at networking, had a harmonious relationship with civil officials. For some unknown reason, the second emperor privately called this group of foreign generals the Han faction, and their influence was not much different.
Liu Bang knew that Han Xin did not trust him and was just doing things for show, so he hugged Han Xin and whispered in his ear:
"I will give you a gift to show my sincerity. You should go southeast, not north."
April 1, the first year of the Second Emperor.
Outside the city of Daliang, the second emperor summoned all the generals to discuss matters.
Liu Bang was the first general to arrive, and Han Xin was the second. They were the only generals who did not live in Daliang City.
Han Xin knew his own limitations and knew that surrendered generals had no say.
Liu Bang, the ruffian general, said that it would be more convenient for him to be closer to His Majesty so that he could listen to His Majesty's words.
The meeting started at the hour of Chen, with the two emperors asking questions and the generals answering them, all of which were trivial matters after the war, the attitude of the Wei people towards the Qin soldiers, etc. As for people's livelihood , the two emperors did not ask a single question, and the generals only cared about fighting and not civil affairs.
With Xunzi's disciples following him and implementing Huang-Lao's strategy, the Second Emperor, who personally appointed the magistrate of every county, was not worried about this.
Near noon, the interrogation came to an end and the second emperor began to distribute rewards.
"Zhao Tuo."
The Second Emperor smiled at the youngest general.
"I am here."
The young general didn't know what was going on, so he responded seriously.
"For your meritorious service in this battle, your rank will be raised by one rank, and you will be ranked as the right rank of the fourteenth rank. You will also receive three hundred gold pieces, a pair of bi, and ten fine horses."
"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Tuo was overjoyed and bowed.
Most of the generals were delighted. They were very happy to share the credit. Isn't this the purpose of fighting a war?
"Don't thank me, this is what you deserve. You just need to accept it later. The Qin Dynasty will not treat anyone unfairly."
Ying Chengjiao said seriously, calling out the names one by one.
Ren Xiao was promoted one rank to the fifteenth rank, and was awarded 200 gold pieces, a jade ring, and four fine horses.
Meng Tian was not promoted or rewarded for his merits.
Li Xin was not promoted or rewarded for his meritorious service.
The Qin army had strict standards for military merit, and more merit was required in later periods. In this campaign against Wei, Meng Tian and Li Xin's military merits were similar to those of Zhao Tuo and Ren Xiong.
But Meng Tian was only the Grand Lord of the 18th rank, and Li Xin was the Marquis of Guannei, the 19th rank. They were far from being able to be promoted with such little military merit.
As for rewards, this is an unspoken rule of the Qin State that is not written in the "Qin Law". If the military achievements are not enough, no promotion will be given. The reward will be recorded and the promotion will be given out together. The reason for this is that "one is born in adversity and dies in comfort".
Giving rewards when the title is promoted is a recognition from the king, while not giving rewards when the title is not promoted is a means of paralyzing one's will.
Liu Bang was promoted to the seventh rank, the eighth rank was Gongcheng, and Xupei County was exempted from taxes for one year.
Fan Kuai was promoted to the eighth rank, the ninth rank, the fifth senior official, and was given seven hundred gold coins and fifty hectares of fertile land.
These two people were listed as generals based on their battle record in the battle against the Xiongnu, but the battle against the Xiongnu was not recognized by the Qin State, so they had the title of general but only the rank of first-class duke.
He proved himself in this battle. Although his title still did not match his rank of general, it was at least not so shabby anymore.
Liu Bang looked at Fan Kuai, who couldn't help grinning, and felt no jealousy at all because his title was lower than his younger brother.
Because he knew that Fan Kuai's military achievements were earned at the cost of his life. He was the only general present who had won the first place in the battle, and he had won it seven times! Fan Kuai was the general with the greatest military achievements in the war to liberate the State of Wei.
Lian Po was promoted to the sixth rank, the seventh rank of duke and official, and was entitled to 100 kilograms of meat per month.
The old general was promoted from a retainer of the Chang'an Junfu to a national lieutenant, and he was in the same situation as Liu Bang and Fan Kuai, without any achievements. Although he had a great reputation in the past, he had to start from the first rank after entering the Qin State.
In this battle, the veteran general performed mediocrely and was far less conspicuous than Fan Kuai who took the lead seven times.
"Tu Sui."
The Second Emperor's voice was somewhat cold.
"I am here!"
Being put last, Tu Sui became impatient and responded loudly and excitedly, without noticing the slight change in the Second Emperor's tone.
"The rank is reduced by one level, to the fourteenth rank, and there is no reward."
"……ah?"
Tu Sui was puzzled. His military achievements could not compare with Fan Kuai, but at least he could be compared with Zhao Tuo and Ren Xiong. Why was he not promoted but punished?
"You killed too many people. You didn't give them a chance to surrender."
The Second Emperor looked into Tu Sui's eyes.
The general, who was even more murderous than the butcher general Fan Kuai, frowned.
"Your Majesty, Sui is acting in accordance with military orders."
Tu Sui killed many people along the way, but he did not kill a single surrendered soldier or civilian. It was just that when other generals broke into the city, they stopped the attack and asked all the messengers to shout for a long time, "Those who surrender will not be killed."
General Tu Sui did not. He continued his attack and only shouted once, which did not violate the military orders issued by the Second Emperor.
The second emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the generals with a smile.
"What do you think?"
None of the generals said anything, even Liu Bang lowered his head and said nothing. Silence meant opposition.
Military merit is military merit, and it must be done strictly in accordance with the system and cannot be based on the emperor's will. This matter is closely related to every military general and concerns their personal interests.
Today, the second emperor refused to award Tu Sui military merit on the grounds that he killed too many people. Tomorrow he may refuse to award merit to other generals on other grounds. This precedent cannot be allowed.
Even though they were quite resentful of Tu Sui's ugly eating habits, would you be the only one who would take advantage of it?
A large proportion of Qin's military achievements were based on the number of enemies killed.
"I understand."
Ying Chengjiao laughed.
"It's my fault. I was wrong, Tu Sui."
Tu Sui was no longer excited. Although he knew he was right, his heart was still pounding. He could only bite the bullet and say:
"I am here."
The Second Emperor said calmly:
"The rank is raised by one level, and the sixteenth level is a great superior creation, but there is no reward."
The title was awarded based on military merit, which had a fixed pattern and could not be changed. However, the award was based on the emperor's own will and there were no regulations.
"……promise."
Tu Sui responded.
Although he had clearly obtained the military merits he deserved, he did not feel happy at all. He suddenly had the urge to return the military merits and demote himself by one rank.
When a general is promoted, it is necessary to have strict military achievements, but when he is demoted, it is mostly based on the emperor's will.
If he goes up today, will he go down tomorrow because his left foot moves first?
The generals' originally stiff expressions all became natural. They did not have high demands, just wanted to reward according to merit.
Ying Chengjiao walked up to Tu Sui, squinted his eyes and smiled:
"Don't worry, I won't touch your title. I'm not that mean."
The bloodthirsty general, whose little tricks were seen through, shook his head hurriedly.
"I dare not!"
"According to the Qin Law, I am no exception. The emperor is subject to the same punishment as the common people if he breaks the law!"
Ying Chengjiao's smile faded and his voice turned cold.
"The Qin Law stipulates that military merit cannot be withheld, but it does not specifically ask you to fight in the war, right?"
Tu Sui's face turned pale and he opened his mouth to argue but nothing happened.
The Second Emperor did not give him a chance. He pointed at the curtain, a cold light flashing from his narrowed eyes, and said:
"Pack up your belongings and return to Xianyang."
The Wei Kingdom had just been liberated and there were still many wars to be fought. It was a time when people were needed. Being transferred back to Xianyang at this time was undoubtedly a sign of being abandoned by the second emperor.
The rebellion of the six states was a rare war. This time, the nobles were annihilated and the firewood was cut off. There would be no recurrence. If a general stayed away from this major battle, where would there be such a big battle in the future? It would be difficult to get promoted again.
Tu Sui regretted it too late, and tried to make up for his loss. He begged:
"Your Majesty, Tu Sui voluntarily lowers his title! Two ranks lower!"
There will be many more big battles to come, and the military merits gained will be enough to make up for what we lost today.
The second emperor spoke in a sharp voice.
"roll!"
Tu Sui stayed where he was, and slowly walked out under the Second Emperor's undisguised look of disgust, like an old man on his deathbed.
He walked very slowly, hoping that one of the generals would speak up for him, hoping that the Second Emperor would stop him.
He looked for help at Ren Xiong, with whom he had the best relationship. The mature and prudent Ren Xiong shook his head slightly, indicating that he could not be saved.
This general, who was second only to Lian Po in age, was afraid of being implicated, and also wanted to thank the Second Emperor for his military achievements. What he did at this moment was completely in line with the rules. It was indeed Tu Sui who was the first to scheme for personal gain.
Tu Sui was desperate.
Standing at the door of the big tent, holding the curtain with his hands, his feet seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
"If I were you, I would beg for my bones."
The long-awaited voice of the Second Emperor finally came, but it was not the language that Tu Sui wanted.
"As long as I am in power, I will not use you as a general, and I will also force Qin III to not use you as a general. Do you want to wait for Qin IV?"
The curtains fluttered like the wings of a mosquito or fly. Tu Sui turned around and faced the Second Emperor, who seemed to disdain to look at him straight in the face. He said with regret:
"I will not beg for my bones, nor will I wait for four generations. I will only wait for Your Majesty. When Your Majesty's anger subsides a little, give me a chance."
After saying this, the general who killed the most people in the battle to liberate Wei waited for a moment, walked out of the tent with a dejected look on his face, and walked out of the ranks of generals going to the expedition.
Throughout his life, Tu Sui never fought in a battle again. He was awarded the 16th rank of noble title, Da Shangzao, and died in depression.
The silence was so great that one could hear a pin drop in the tent.
The surrendered general Han Xin looked at his nose with his eyes, and his heart with his nose, and breathed out very slowly. It was the first time he saw the second emperor like this, and he was a little scared.
"I will not deduct your military merits. I abide by the Qin Law. This is your bottom line at all times. I respect it.
"But you must also respect me. I believe that each of you knows what I want to do. I don't want something like the massacre of Sui to happen again.
"You can take advantage of loopholes, but I can take advantage of loopholes even better than you. Whoever does not act according to my wishes, I will make sure that he will never be able to fight again!"
