Chapter 35: Gathering Hearts

  。

  Qin Mubai didn't waste any words with Li Junxian and arrived at his own Hundred Riders' Commandery.

  The Imperial Guard of the Great Tang Dynasty is under the command of the 'North Camp', and the garrison headquarters are all located outside the Chentian Gate of the Taiji Palace. Only the Hundred Riders, this specially established unit, has a special military force 'Garrison' within the palace.

  The yamen is not large, but the structure is very strict. The four houses in sequence are the offices of three deputy envoys. The main envoy's institute is at the end, with a conference hall, an office study, and a bedroom. Several clerks, eunuchs, and miscellaneous servants are specially served. The offices of officials such as the long history and Sima are also nearby.

  The hall is spacious, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a green carpet underfoot. The wooden walls are polished to a shine, and the tables are spotless. What catches the eye most is the large screen painting behind the main seat - a gigantic golden qilin carved on an iron plate!

  The Twelve Guards Army, each with its own beast symbol, some are tigers, some are lions, or eagles and hawks. And the Hundred Riders' beast symbol is actually the Qilin, a auspicious beast on par with the dragon and phoenix.

  That golden, majestic and powerful auspicious beast added a lot of dignified and solemn atmosphere to the main hall. It makes people feel a sense of reverence as soon as they enter the room.

  The small imperial guard, everywhere reveals the solemn and majestic royal aura. It can be seen that Li Shimin indeed attaches great importance to this hundred riders, and every detail is not neglected.

  The study of the hundred riders, is a quiet place for waiting guests and discussing matters, it is also where Qin Mubai handles official business and reads books in his daily life. The room is not large, decorated similarly to Li Shimin's study - simple and clean.

  The most in the room are books, except for a few simple tables and chairs. This forms a sharp contrast with the grandeur and luxury of the main hall. Qin Mubai could understand the emperor's intention in arranging it this way - a study is a place for learning and self-cultivation, where one should focus on being diligent and rigorous, without needing to be fancy or decorative.

  After roughly flipping through, the books in the study room, except for some Confucian classics and historical records, were not lacking in military tactics and official documents. Among them, there were many that Qin Mubai had been searching for but couldn't find, which were rare editions.

  "Not bad. In the future, there will be a good place for quiet reading."

  Qin Mubai was very satisfied with all of this. After a brief visit, Qin Mubai sat down in the study and called out loudly: "Come in."

  "Your subordinate Bai Qi, recorder of the cavalry, Tong Wenhai, has seen General Qin. What are your orders?" A man in his forties replied as he entered the study.

  Tong Wenhai is one of the clerks in this hundred riding government office, appointed by the emperor, specifically responsible for managing Qin Mubai's documents. Although he is a small eighth-rank official, his role and function are enormous, equivalent to Qin Mubai's left and right arms in handling documents.

  "Mr. Tong, I need detailed information on every single one of the hundred riders at present. Would you mind taking some time to help me sort it out? I'll be looking at it later." Qin Mubai also didn't bother with pleasantries and directly gave the order.

  "As for General's words, these materials have been prepared long ago, just waiting for the general to use. Tong Wenhai cupped his hands and replied slowly, 'In addition, all records of weapons, armor, horses, grain, and money among the hundred riders are also on file, ready for the general to inspect at any time.'"

  "Oh?" Qin Mubai couldn't help but feel a little surprised. The selection of the hundred riders was only tentatively confirmed yesterday, and Tong Wenhai had already organized everything today... Not bad, efficient and proactive. If this were in a 21st-century company, he would be a qualified and promising good employee.

  "May I ask, General, what questions do you have?" Tong Wenhai asked calmly with his hands clasped together. Although he was only a minor eighth-rank official, he carried himself with an air of refinement and elegance that was quite impressive.

  "Your ability to handle matters is indeed excellent, no wonder His Majesty appointed you as the commander of the Hundred Riders." Qin Mu Bai said.

  "This... General, please don't joke about it. These are just things that a humble official like myself should do, and to say they're outstanding is something I dare not claim. Otherwise, I wouldn't still be just a small eighth-grade clerk now." Tong Wenhai said with a smile, half-jokingly and half-self-deprecatingly.

  Qin Mubai nodded, thinking to himself: The officials of the Zhenguan era were indeed different from the others... even a small eighth-grade official had such a sense of mission and responsibility.

  Soon, the soldiers' information was taken out, each piece of information was very detailed, from age and height to birth experience, nothing was missing, even some people had what living habits, or what they were good at, what shortcomings, all had records.

  Tong Wenhai told Qin Mubai that most of the information was recorded when the soldiers were selected, and the hundred riders only took charge of statistics and collection.

  This is to say that the officials in charge of selecting soldiers had done their job well from the start, so the subsequent work was so easy. Qin Mubai couldn't help but secretly sigh: Guan Zhong's observation of a leopard can see a spot, and the prosperity and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenyuan period were indeed not accidental!

  In such an environment, everyone will unconsciously take out their positivity to do things. The national machine of the Tang Dynasty runs well and efficiently as a result.

  A hundred riders are attached to the mansion, and food and clothing are not lacking. Now even the basic training does not need to be taken care of by oneself. Qin Mubai spent three days in the study room, closing the door and handling three things. First, he browsed through all the information about the generals, getting a general impression; second, he memorized the military rules set by the emperor; third, he formulated a detailed training plan.

  Within three days, Qin Mubai met with Tong Wenhai several times to ask about the situation of the Hundred Riders. Tong Wenhai replied that everything was normal. The current Hundred Riders, apart from their daily training, were all competing with each other to memorize the military rules, fearing that they would not pass the examination and be removed from their posts.

  Three days later, the military examination was conducted in a tense and solemn atmosphere. It was supervised by part-time historian Li Junxian and was very formal. Everyone had to write out the entire military regulations within the specified time. The result of the exam made Qin Mubai extremely satisfied - all passed.

  The exam itself is not difficult, and passing it is within reason. What truly satisfies Qin Mu Bai is not their exam results, but the first order he gave, which was thoroughly implemented and carried out. In other words, among these proud sons of aristocratic families, he has at least established some authority for himself, and no one dares to ignore or provoke him for now.

  The camp was jubilant after the exam ended. The soldiers were as triumphant as if they had won a battle, feeling relieved and at ease.

  At this time, Qin Mubai was not stingy with his praise, and he lavishly praised the brothers under his command. He even deliberately mentioned some people's names to give them special recognition, either praising their exceptional archery skills or their superb horsemanship, which he had learned from the data. Some people were even directly praised as "tall, strong, and heroic" or "outstanding talents".

  Everyone knows that Qin Mubai himself is a brilliant and outstanding figure who has won the title of Baiji Messenger, with a high gold content in his martial arts. Moreover, he is handsome in appearance. Being praised by an expert for his excellent martial arts skills is naturally more pleasant than being flattered by an amateur. Similarly, being complimented on one's looks by a handsome guy is far more enjoyable than being admired by an ugly person.

  Politics is everywhere, and getting along with people is a skill. Qin Mubai obviously understands this well. As a result, these typical good students who were praised in public have a sense of superiority, and at the same time, they also develop some goodwill and closeness to Qin Mubai.

  Witnessing this scene, Li Junxian could only secretly shake his head and click his tongue: Qin Mubai's ability to win people over was extraordinary, he seemed to have read the minds of these soldiers. From a small spark, a few typical examples slowly influenced more people... Given time, the number of people with good impressions of Qin Mubai would grow - I've led troops for many years, but I'm far inferior to him!

  Then, Qin Mubai handed over the training plan he had formulated to Li Junxian. Li Junxian only read a few lines and shook his head: "This is not good? The Hundred Riders are the emperor's personal knights, they should be trained hard. You changed the seven-time training time to five times, which is less than that of ordinary troops, how can this be done?"

  "General Li, the strength of an army lies not in its numbers but in its quality; similarly, the effectiveness of training lies not in its length but in its results," said Qin Mubai. "Take a look at my detailed training objectives and plans before making your assessment!"

  Li Junxuan looked at him with a puzzled expression for a while, his face gradually becoming astonished, and finally he clicked his tongue: "What kind of strange training method is this? The most important horse riding, archery, and martial arts have become secondary, mainly training in flying knives, cross-country, wilderness survival, one move to defeat the enemy, emergency self-rescue, courage and endurance... I, I don't even understand what I'm looking at!"

  "Haha, these people's archery and martial arts skills are already outstanding, is it necessary to practice hard in these areas? Strengthening weaknesses and filling gaps is the most meaningful. " Qin Mubai shook his head and didn't mention the 'wooden barrel effect' to him, smiling and saying, "Results determine everything, I will let the results prove it."

  Li Junxuan raised an eyebrow and shook his head skeptically: "Do you think the Emperor will agree to your strange training methods?"

  "I didn't plan to go ask Your Majesty for permission, asking if you agree." Qin Mu Bai smiled and said, "The Emperor told me that as long as I train the Hundred Riders into a truly elite force, he didn't require how I trained them. I only need to let Your Majesty see the results. With Your Majesty handling countless matters, do you have time to ask for instructions on every trivial matter?"

  "This... isn't right, is it?" Li Junxian was somewhat astonished.

  "General Li, if you are not at ease, you can go and ask the Emperor yourself. I will reserve my opinion." Qin Mu Bai smiled, but his attitude was firm and affirmative. The implication being that he did not intend to listen to Li Jun Xuan's objections to the training plan, and if he was not satisfied, he could go and ask the Emperor himself.

  "That's it. This is a serious matter, I'll report to Your Majesty myself." Li Junxian gritted his teeth and went to find the Emperor with a lingering anger in his heart.

  Qin Mubai looked at Li Jun's background and smiled calmly: "Li Junxiang, you are asking for trouble by going to the emperor. Believe me, no matter which dynasty or generation, those who successfully ascend to power care more about results than form. Li Shimin is a practical emperor, otherwise how could there be a prosperous era of Zhenguan? If the emperor doesn't even follow my training plan, can he still be considered a wise and enlightened ruler? Moreover, I am the commander of the Hundred Riders, my prestige far outweighs your face as a long history. So, even if Li Shimin has doubts about this training plan, he will definitely support me!"

  "It seems like it's on the new book chart, thank you everyone! I didn't know about this kind of thing before, it's a bit embarrassing... Please continue to support me and vote with red tickets!!"

  .??，！