When the court heard this, many people frowned. A mere Military Marquis with a salary of six hundred shi had suddenly become a Commandant of two thousand shi.
Although he had performed great deeds, he was still just a Military Marquis. In the eyes of these high-ranking officials in the court, no matter how much he was promoted, it was impossible to jump ranks like this, otherwise, it would break the rules.
Yuan Wei, the leader of the aristocratic families, immediately stood up and objected!
“Your Majesty, although Liu Jin has performed many meritorious deeds, he has always followed Wen Shu’s command. He has already been ennobled as a marquis for his contributions. To promote another person to a two-thousand-shi position would be too much.”
“Furthermore, Liu Jin’s own official position is only Military Marquis. Promoting him to Commandant might cause dissatisfaction among the generals in the army.”
“It would be better to first promote him to Thousand-Stone Sima Xu, and then if he performs more meritorious deeds, it would not be too late to promote him further.”
As soon as these words were spoken, many aristocratic officials stood up and echoed them.
Even the Grand General in the crowd nodded, expressing his approval, stating that the promotion should not be too excessive, as it could easily cause discontent in the army, which would then be difficult for him to manage.
Liu Hong, sitting on the dragon throne, saw so many people objecting and simply agreed to the matter. However, he still planned to take care of him.
After all, he was a descendant of the imperial clan, and now that he had shown his capabilities, as the current Emperor, if he couldn't take care of him, it would easily affect his standing among the imperial clan.
He lightly coughed and slowly said!
“Since that is the case, I shall heed the words of the Situ and appoint Liu Jin as Biebu Sima, leading his troops south to follow Lu Zhi’s command and suppress the Yellow Turban.”
Yuan Wei paused slightly upon hearing this and could only reluctantly agree.
If he continued to object, it would likely cause Liu Hong’s displeasure.
Although a Biebu Sima and a Military Sima both held a thousand-shi rank, there was a significant difference in their status.
A Biebu Sima could independently command troops in battle, possessing great autonomy, and could be promoted at any time after performing meritorious deeds.
A Military Sima, however, could only follow the army's orders. Even if he performed meritorious deeds, the main credit would go to the commanding general, and only then would it be their turn.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Liu Hong loudly declared!
“Convey the rewards as soon as possible to boost the morale of the frontline soldiers and quell the unrest early.”
“Since there are no more matters to discuss, let us adjourn the court.”
After saying this, Liu Hong stood up and, surrounded by several Little Yellow Gates, slowly left Chenming Hall.
The civil and military officials in the great hall whispered among themselves, leaving the hall in twos and threes, returning to their homes.
Liu Jin’s promotion was just a small interlude.
In the eyes of these high-ranking officials, he was merely a commoner, not an important figure.
That he could be mentioned by His Majesty was thanks to him being a member of the Han Dynasty imperial clan, and the Emperor's appreciation for talent. Otherwise, with the rank of Military Marquis, even if he quelled the Yellow Turban, his name would not have been qualified to appear in the court.
Now, the thoughts of everyone in the court were focused on quelling the Yellow Turban and appeasing the people of the world.
It wasn't that they were so noble, acting for the sake of the common people; it was just that the unrest had escalated beyond their imagination, already damaging their family's foundations, so they had to find a way to quell it.
Furthermore, once stability was restored in various regions, the political situation would gradually stabilize, allowing them to contend for power and seek opportunities for promotion.
Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, having received the tiger tally, began to mobilize the elite soldiers of the Three Rivers and Five Schools, dividing their forces into two routes to suppress the Yellow Turban.
Mid-May, Guanghe Year Seven!
Outside Zhuo Commandery city, in the military camp, the sounds of soldiers training echoed loudly.
Fifteen hundred soldiers formed several formations in the army, training in an orderly manner under the command of various officers.
It had been almost a month since the Yellow Turban in Zhuo Commandery was quelled.
Liu Jin lay on a grand-master chair he had made himself, with his legs crossed, basking in the sun, reading a military treatise, looking utterly bored.
The main reason was that the court's rewards had not yet arrived, and he could not actively lead his army to leave Zhuo Commandery to suppress the Yellow Turban.
The county troops in various regions had restrictions; without orders, they could not leave the county without cause, otherwise, it would be a charge of rebellion.
After a yawn, Liu Jin stood up from the rocking chair and stretched.
Looking at the monotonous training in the army, if it continued at high intensity, the soldiers would probably also feel annoyed.
Any activity, once it becomes a work routine, will gradually change its nature over time.
After some thought, Liu Jin decided to organize tug-of-war or cuju in the army, with rewards for the winners.
This would not only exercise the soldiers' physical strength but also make them feel happy; it was truly a win-win situation.
He immediately ordered his personal guards to summon Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Han Dang, and others for a discussion.
A moment later, the few men appeared before him. Upon arriving, they bowed!
“Big Brother, Ming Gong.”
Liu Jin nodded slightly and said with a smile!
“I see that the long hours of training in the army are too monotonous and boring. I plan to organize some tug-of-war and cuju activities, with rewards for those who win.”
“This will not only exercise the soldiers’ physical strength but also make them feel happy.”
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others nodded upon hearing this, their eyes showing anticipation. Their Big Brother’s idea was indeed feasible.
After seeing that the others agreed, Liu Jin instructed them to gradually implement these activities in the army, starting with some simple tug-of-war competitions.
Afterward, they would let everyone play cuju, and the other soldiers could watch from the sidelines.
Sometimes, when a cuju player stumbled, bursts of laughter would occasionally erupt, or when the ball was kicked into the opponent’s goal, enthusiastic cheers would follow.
After a few days of implementation, the atmosphere in the military camp had significantly improved compared to before.
Previously, constant training had left even the toughest soldiers dispirited over time. Now, with a balance of work and rest, they were filled with joy, their faces smiling, and their spirits full.
Liu Jin sat in the grand-master chair, watching the cuju activity on the training ground before him.
When someone kicked the ball into the goal, his heart would also fill with excitement, and he would stand up and applaud.
A smile appeared on his face. He hadn't expected watching this cuju match to be more exciting than watching the national football team.
If the national football team could have these soldiers, playing with such effort, there wouldn't be so many 'refund brothers.'
Just then, Zhao Ergou, with an excited smile on his face, approached the area. Before he even arrived, his voice carried ahead!
“Big Brother, good news!”
“A Little Yellow Gate has arrived in the city. I just saw their carriage entering the Prefect's Mansion. They are clearly here to announce an imperial decree.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin quickly stood up, a smile appearing on his face.
After waiting for so long, the Little Yellow Gate had finally arrived.
He was somewhat anxious, though, wondering what official position the court had actually given him.
After all, he was just a Military Marquis. No matter how many meritorious deeds he performed, the county's nobles would be arranged first, and then it would be his turn. He didn't even have the qualification to appear in the court.
Logically speaking, if these meritorious deeds had been performed by a scion of an aristocratic family, he would have at least received the rank of Commandant of two thousand shi.
