Chapter 97

At the morning assembly, the foremost thing troubling Xia Hongsheng was the assembly itself.

The young aristocrats at the Hongwen Pavilion were merely the children of nobles, without any official ranks. They would only be eligible to stand in the imperial court once they had achieved military merit or inherited their fathers' titles. Therefore, Xia Hongsheng's ability to attend the morning assembly was greatly envied by these people. After all, to be ennobled at the age of thirteen was something that would make anyone envious.

However, at the moment, Xia Hongsheng envied them even more. They didn't have to worry about food or drink, and their family affairs were not yet their concern. They could study at the Hongwen Pavilion and play various games after school. Most importantly, they didn't have to wake up so early in the morning!

He had to get up at the fourth watch of the night and be present at the fifth watch, which meant he had to start preparing for the assembly at around three in the morning. Just thinking about it made him feel bitter.

When others came to greet him, Xia Hongsheng responded drowsily, yawning continuously, his eyes barely open, looking as if he were sleepwalking. Seeing this, the others smiled and began chatting with each other.

To be honest, being young had its advantages. If someone else had treated those who greeted them like this, they would have been disliked and isolated, and their reputation would have suffered.

Finally, the roll call was completed, and the civil and military officials lined up and entered the palace. After the inner attendants announced, they slowly entered the Taiji Hall. After three prostrations and the declaration of "Long live the Emperor," they each took their positions on either side.

The reporting of matters was left to the high-ranking officials, while those with lower ranks were merely there to accompany. Xia Hongsheng knew he was just there to fill a spot, so he didn't pay attention to their discussions or arguments. He quietly leaned back, resting against the pillar behind him, taking a moment to relax. He wondered if anyone would report him. Looking around, he saw that the person on his left seemed to be lost in thought, while the other person was standing with his head slightly bowed, looking as if he were meditating. Upon closer inspection, he was actually dozing off with his eyes closed! It seemed everyone had their own way of dealing with the morning assembly.

Thus, Xia Hongsheng no longer held back and leaned against the pillar, dozing off.

However, he couldn't sleep soundly. After some time, he heard someone calling, "Lord Xia? Lord Xia?"

Xia Hongsheng opened his eyes groggily and saw an official standing next to him, tugging at his clothes and calling out. Looking around, he saw that everyone was looking at him. He suddenly woke up, and all his sleepiness vanished.

"Ridiculous! How dare you sleep so soundly in the imperial court, disregarding the dignity of the court! Your Majesty, I request that he be punished for his disrespect and contempt of the court!" As he suddenly woke up, he heard someone jump up, pointing at him indignantly.

Xia Hongsheng rubbed his forehead, wondering how a brief nap had led to this situation.

However, Emperor Li Er raised his hand and said slowly, "Minister Xia, why are you so drowsy in the imperial court? If you cannot give a good reason today, you will be punished."

Xia Hongsheng hurriedly stepped out of the line and stood in the middle. "Your Majesty, since receiving your grace, I have deeply felt your kindness and have no way to repay it. I can only serve you wholeheartedly and contribute to the country. Although our Tang Dynasty is now at peace, there are still many problems. Internally, we have the threat of Liang Shidu, and externally, we face the troubles of the Turks. Due to continuous wars, our population has decreased, and the fertile land in Guannei is limited. This year, the weather has been dry, and I heard an old man on the street say that there might not be enough food next year. In Lingnan, there are many fertile lands that have not been developed... Alas, I have grown so old without making any contributions to Your Majesty, the country, or the people. Every time I think about this, I am heartbroken and cannot sleep at night, pondering how to make our Tang Dynasty even more prosperous and a place where all nations come to pay homage..."

"So, Minister Xia, you are so exhausted from worrying about the Tang Dynasty that you fell asleep in the imperial court?" Li Shimin's face was expressionless, his lips twitching, barely restraining the urge to kick him.

"Your Majesty, I beg for your understanding... I have sinned, please forgive me!" Xia Hongsheng detected the sarcasm in Li Er's words and, after some thought, decided to admit his fault honestly.

However, Li Er was not willing to let him off so easily. He said, "Since you have such a sincere heart for the country, there is something that has been troubling us today. Why don't you share your thoughts on it?"

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback. What was it? He had been dozing and hadn't heard anything!

"Ha ha, just now, we were discussing with His Majesty about who should be in charge of the psychological warfare against Liang Shidu. This method was proposed by you, Lord Xia, so you should be more familiar with it," said an elderly official with a kind face, stroking his beard and smiling at him.

The old man was truly noble! Xia Hongsheng gave him a grateful look and cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, I am new to the court and not familiar with the other officials, so it is difficult for me to recommend someone. However, I can provide some analysis for Your Majesty and the other officials to consider. The key to psychological warfare is to create and spread public opinion. The public opinion must be well-crafted to resonate with people's hearts. Spreading the public opinion is much more dangerous, as it is detrimental to Liang Shidu, who will not ignore it. Therefore, the people spreading the public opinion must be extraordinary. They need to infiltrate the core of Liang Shidu's forces, spread the public opinion, and mislead the people while avoiding capture and handling various unexpected situations. Thus, the task of spreading the public opinion can only be carried out by spies in the military. This task cannot be accomplished unilaterally. Your Majesty should send a military official to manage the spies and spread the public opinion in Liang Shidu's territory, and appoint a civil official to teach these spies what to spread and how to make it more believable, making the people under Liang Shidu's control yearn for a better life. Both roles are essential and must work together to be effective."

"According to what you said, one person would be responsible for creating the public opinion and guiding the people under Liang Shidu, while another would be responsible for training the spies to infiltrate Liang Shidu's territory and spread the public opinion?" Li Er said thoughtfully.

"Your Majesty is wise, summarizing my thoughts succinctly!" Xia Hongsheng quickly flattered.

"In my view, there is no need for two people. Our officials are all outstanding, so can't we find someone who is both civil and military?" Li Er leaned back, a sinister smile on his face as he stared directly at Xia Hongsheng.

Seeing Li Er's expression, Xia Hongsheng felt a sense of foreboding.

"Your Majesty, I believe there is someone in our court who can take on this responsibility," said a chubby official, stepping forward. "I recommend Lord Xia Hongsheng of Jingyang County. He is famous in Luoyang, known for his talent. His 'Full River Red' repelled the Turks, and his 'Loyalty to the Country' shows his sincere heart, which is his civil side. His horseshoe method revitalized our cavalry, making them truly formidable, and the new sabers make them even more effective in battle, which is his military side. Both civil and military, isn't he exactly the kind of person Your Majesty is looking for? Moreover, the psychological warfare method was proposed by him, so no one in the court understands it better than he does. Therefore, I believe Lord Xia Hongsheng of Jingyang County is the best candidate."

"Minister Changsun is right, I agree," said another official with a dark complexion, stepping forward.

"Your Majesty, I also agree," said an elderly official from the military side.

Xia Hongsheng was stunned. How did this end up being about him? Finally, he reacted and said, "Your Majesty, I am of low rank and young, and I fear I cannot command the respect of others. The spies might not listen to me..."

"Exactly! Your Majesty, a mere child can do nothing. Why not send Old Cheng? With just ten thousand iron cavalry, he can crush Liang Shidu and bring his head to Your Majesty as a night pot!" A larger version of Cheng Chumeng suddenly appeared, pounding his chest and shouting loudly.

Li Er's face turned dark, and the court was filled with suppressed laughter. Xia Hongsheng was also stunned, thinking this guy was too outrageous.

"General Cheng, the best strategy is to win through planning, followed by diplomacy, then military force, and lastly, siege. Since we have a plan that doesn't require bloodshed, why should we trouble General Cheng?" The official with the dark complexion retorted, and the tension between them was palpable.

"Hmm... In my view, Minister Xia is indeed the best choice. He proposed this method and is most familiar with it. Minister Xia, are you willing to take on this responsibility?" Li Er asked from his seat.

"Um..." Xia Hongsheng was still dazed. This plot twist was unexpected. How did it end up being him?

Seeing Xia Hongsheng's hesitation, Li Er raised an eyebrow. "What, is the sincere heart for the country you spoke of just a lie? Or are you afraid?"

With the situation at this point, how could he say anything more? Xia Hongsheng pretended to be unable to resist the challenge, slapped his chest, and shouted loudly, "I am not afraid! Your Majesty, don't underestimate me. I will take on this task and ensure that Liang Shidu's subordinates bring his head to Your Majesty in surrender!"

"Ha ha, good! Minister Xia, with such spirit, you are indeed a young talent!" Li Er, seeing his provocation had worked, laughed. "In that case, draft an edict, promote Lord Xia Hongsheng of Jingyang County to the rank of Zhechong Duwei, and allow him to select spies from the Right Yulin Army to carry out this task!"