On the last day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Chao returned to the capital.

As soon as he passed Wuguan, the emperor knew that the emperor's envoys traveled between Li Chao and Xiangyang every day. When Li Chao's team arrived at the Xiangyang Wharf, the emperor personally left the city and brought all the officials there to greet him.

At the edge of the dock, countless people also came to greet this triumphant hero.

Li Shimin held Li Chao's hand and looked him up and down. Today, Li Chao wore a Qilin bright light armor and a phoenix winged crocodile. In fact, Li Chao didn't like to wear this outfit. After all, he had returned to Xiangyang and had no war, so there was no need. It was cold weather, wearing a suit of armor was both heavy and cold.

However, Li Xiuning insisted that she felt that Li Chao had to triumphantly as a war hero, so of course he had to wear armor.

"You are becoming more and more powerful. The name of the Tang Dynasty military god is unshakable and deserves it."

"I just have good luck."

"In addition to being a general who wants to become a famous general, luck is also the most indispensable in addition to being smart, brave, etc.." Li Shimin smiled and took Li Chao's hand and walked towards the dock.

Many cheers sounded on both sides, and countless people were shouting Li Chao's name.

At this moment, Li Chao did feel like he was returning with glory.

On the dock, Li Shimin prepared a large carriage with gold and jade inlaid, and eight white horses pulled the carriage. This is a four-wheeled carriage. It can be seen that it is a new product made by the Li family's four-wheeled carriage workshop. It is luxuriously made of materials and unique shapes. The roof of the carriage can be taken down and become an open one, or the wall of the carriage can be removed and it can be removed to become a semi-concabinet.

Now the carriage is a cabriolet.

Li Shimin took Li Chao's hand and got on the carriage directly.

Li Chao refused that affection.

Standing on the golden chariot, Li Shimin took out another golden cloak and tied it to Li Chao himself.

In this way, Li Chao and Li Shimin stood hand in hand on the golden carriage, wearing the golden cloak that Li Shimin personally sent him.

"Teacher, you're ready to take the seat and the car is about to move."

The driver in front turned his head and Li Chao was surprised to find that the driver who was driving the bus was actually His Royal Highness the Prince.

The wheels rolled and the carriage drove slowly. The generals of the guards of the imperial court were all riding horses around the carriage.

This glory is no two for a moment.

This situation is so big that Li Chao doesn't know how to speak.

Thinking of the imperial edict received on the way, the emperor appointed him as the Grand Marshal of the Three Dukes, Li Chao felt a little shocked.

This way, I can't bear it.

The generals who followed Li Chao back to Beijing also followed the team.

The convoy set out from the west pier of Xiangyang City, passed through Xiangyang City, left the east gate, and finally entered Yuliangzhou.

On the way back to the city, Li Chao kept smiling in the carriage and did not speak. Li Shimin held his hand throughout the whole process and waved to the people watching the roadside with his other hand from time to time.

Li Chao doesn't like the current scenery, it's too high-profile.

But if the emperor wants to do this, he cannot refuse. He has made great contributions, so it is natural for the emperor to repay his contributions in this way.

Li Shimin often said that rewards and punishments are clear, and rewards must be rewarded if they make merits. Once they make merits, the court will not be stingy with rewards. They will be promoted to be promoted and granted land. This system inspires the soldiers to fight bravely against the enemy.

However, Li Chao has made some achievements so hard to reward. Moreover, Li Chao has already had many official positions, and they are all important positions.

When Li Chao made great contributions again, how could the emperor reward him?

He was already the first rank of official position, and was the chief minister of Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Shangzhuguo, or Pingzhangshi of the Central Secretariat. He also prosecuted the Central Secretariat, served as the Minister of Personnel, the Crown Prince Zhan Shi, the Crown Prince Grand Tutor, the Left Guard of the Eastern Palace, the Xiangzhou Prefecture and the Prefecture of Dengzhou, the Grand Governor of Shannan Road, the Xuanfu Envoy of Shannan Road and other a series of official positions.

Regardless of grade, lord, ministry, or dispatch, they are all top-notch. One person has multiple important positions, how should Li Shimin be promoted to reward?

It’s not that the master is very powerful, but it is indeed a bit difficult to reward. Li Chao was originally given a high position due to the Xuanwu Sect Incident, and has made great contributions in the past two years.

Especially the merits of repelling the Turks and killing 100,000 Turkic troops are not just about the prime minister's merits in governing the country, but about military merits.

Although the Tang Dynasty had unified the world, it still valued military achievements.

Military merits have always been so.

But Li Chao had long been Duke of Zhao and was still a Duke of the Real Territory. Li Shimin could not let go of the restrictions he had just set and let Li Chao be granted the title of King.

Li Shimin will not give in easily this step.

Li Chao understood that Li Shimin was in a difficult situation now.

It is also a mistake to make it difficult for the emperor to reward him if a minister has made too many contributions.

On the way back, he had already submitted several memorials to Li Shimin.

All are memorials for resignation.

How could he hold so many important positions alone?

Li Chao successively submitted a petition to resign from the Grand Governor of Shannan Road, the Xuanfu Envoy of Shannan Road, the Salt and Iron Envoy of Shanyan Road, the Transport Envoy, and the Xiang Deng Prefecture Order.

He even resigned the position of Prince Zuowei, Prince Zhan Shi, Prosecutor of the Central Secretary, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, etc. As for the head instructor of the martial arts lecture hall and the dean of the Hanlin Bachelor's Dean, he also resigned.

However, Li Shimin did not reply to these remarks posted by Li Chao at all.

In fact, when Li Chao first resigned, he was a little earlier than Li Shimin's title of Grand Marshal.

"I have prepared a celebration banquet for you, welcome you and celebrate the triumph."

When they arrived at Yuliangzhou, Li Shimin took Li Chao's hands and got out of the car.

"Mr. Rong washes and changes his clothes."

"Well, I'll take a shower with you."

Li Chao was speechless. He just entered the city and was just talking about it. After all, it was possible to let the people see it when they were in the palace, but when they arrived at the palace, they had to take a shower together, and no one could see it.

It's very cold.

However, there are hot springs and artificial hot water pools in the palace. However, in such weather, taking a hot bath can indeed relieve travel fatigue.

The king and his minister took off their hair and soaked in the pool naked. Li Shimin also asked someone to make a pot of tea, and the large wooden pallet floated on the pool, drinking tea while taking a bath.

"Thank you so much for you to defeat Tong Ye Hu this time."

"I am just doing my duty."

Li Shimin shook his head, "I am unable to sleep or eat when I go south. At the critical moment, you should turn the tide. If you change to someone else, I am not sure, and you will not let my trust."

Li Chao enjoyed the heat of hot water and did not speak.

"I have read your memorials."

Li Chao nodded, which was considered an answer.

"You are now in multiple positions, and it is really too hard. You have great talents, but I can't get you tired. I have considered it carefully and appropriately reduce the burden."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Shimin smiled bitterly, "You didn't even listen to me that I would be exempted from any position, so you thanked me in advance. Are you not worried that I will give you all?"

"That's better. If you don't have any official positions, you can go to your fiefdom with peace of mind and manage the Duke of Zhao well."

"You, if others hear this, they will definitely not believe it, and think it is just a false statement. But I believe that you can really do such a thing. I also think of it as such a free and elegant person. But I am the king of a country, carrying the sun and the moon, and caring about the universe, how can I leave this country and country? You are my humerus, and I can't let you go and be free and easy. I have to stay alone, you have to accompany me."

"I have left you a position, you can't refuse, you have to take on it for me."

Li Shimin stared at Li Chao, "I am going to let you serve as the Minister of State."

Li Chao's smile froze on his face.

Shangshu Ling, is this a joke?

During the Sui Dynasty, after determining the central core of the three provinces and six ministries, although the Shangshu Province was ranked alongside the Central Secretariat, in fact, the Shangshu Province was the center of the central center, and the most core decision-making body of the court, the Shangshu Province was in the Shangshu Province.

The core of the court was presided over by the Shangshu Province, and the Shangshu Ling, the chief of the Shangshu Province, was therefore considered the real prime minister. It was precisely because the Shangshu Province had great power and the Shangshu Ling had greater power that the Shangshu Ling later vacant. The second-rank official of the Shangshu Ling, the Shangshu Ling, came to be actually responsible for the Shangshu Province.

Now, Li Shimin has directly reorganized the central core from the Shangshu Province to the Zhongshu Province, and the Shangshu Province has also become a subordinate of the Zhongshu. Not only is the Shangshu Ling vacant and not given, but even the left and right servants were vacant and not given. Now the prime minister is headed by the Zhongshu Ling and the Shizhong is second, and the rest are added to the Tongshu Zongshu.

During the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang once served as the Minister of the Shangshu. Later, he became emperor and rewarded Yang Su for helping him seize the throne and promoted him to the Shangshu. However, Yang Su, who had too much power, was suspicious of Yang Guang.

When the Tang Dynasty was established, Li Shimin served as the Shangshu Ling, but no one else had ever served as the other.

Now Li Chao has just been granted the title of Taiwei, which is also an official position that Li Shimin held when he was King of Qin. Now Li Shimin wants to grant him the title of Shangshu Ling, which really makes Li Chao unable to understand.

"I have been thinking for a long time. After the last time I moved the central government from the Shangshu Province to the Shangshu Province, the Shangshu Province even left and right servants were vacant and were responsible for the left and right ministers. But the Shangshu Province was responsible for the administrative plans of the court, and its status was too low, which was not good. Wei Zheng was the left minister of the Shangshu Province and was responsible for the Shangshu Province, which was not very suitable." He shook his head.

It’s not that Wei Zheng is incompetent, but his abilities are not suitable for the Shangshu Province.

"I am going to transfer Wei Zheng to the position of Censor and the Minister of State to restore the positions of Shangshu Ling and the left and right vashe. You come to serve as Shangshu Ling and arrest the Shangshu Ling again."

"Your Majesty, since the court has changed the central core of the Secretariat, it is not wrong to have the vacant Shangshu Order, and Shangshu's left and right Pushe."

Li Shimin shook his head.

Since the reform, the subordinates of the Zhongshu Ling, headed by the Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong have indeed made the power of the three provinces of the court more balanced, avoiding the Shangshu Provincial Department being dominant. However, there are also too many things for the Shangshu Provincial Department and the less they are. Now the Shangshu Provincial Department is under the leadership of the left and right ministers, and its ability to do business has been greatly reduced.

"The court will not change with the Minister of the Central Secretariat as its core. The Secretary of the Central Secretariat is the central decision-making body, but the Secretary of the Shangshu is also very important. I thought the Secretary of the Central Secretariat was still the leader of all officials, then the Secretary of the Shangshu, and then the Secretary of the Shangshu. Both the Secretary of the Shangshu and the left and right servants must add the Secretary of the Zhongshu to the Pingzhang affairs and enter the Secretary of the Zhongshu to discuss politics and participate in politics."

Li Chao understood this after saying this.

Li Shimin did not want to restore the system that was headed by the Secretariat in the past, but just felt that the previous suppression of the Secretariat was over, and now he has recovered a little.

Even if the court gave the Minister of Shangshu and the Left and Pushe, it would no longer be above the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Shizhong. Even after the Secretary of the Shangshu and the Shizhong, it could only be ranked behind the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Shizhong.

The power of the Shangshu Province has been restored a little, but the new system led by the Secretary of the Central Committee will not shake.

It was not surprising that Li Chao was appointed as the Minister of State at this time.

Li Shimin made Li Chao the Minister of State, but only made him the Minister of State, not the head of the court officials.

Shangzhu Kingdom, Kaifu Yitongsong, Taiwei, Shangshu Ling, Prince Zhan Shi, and Pingzhang Shi, Duke of Zhao Li Chao.

This is the official title and title reserved by Li Shimin for Li Chao, and all other part-time jobs were exempted.

"I have waived you those part-time jobs and only gave you one task, which is to concentrate on the Shangshu Province. In addition, when you come back and have time, you will also give lectures to the prince."

Li Chao did not reply immediately, let alone take the initiative.

He was still a little hesitant. After taking over this official position, he would be the Minister of the Shangshu, one of the three provinces, and the third prime minister in the court. However, he didn't really want to be the Secretary of the Shangshu.
Chapter completed!