Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

At Jixian Residence, Li Qingzhao was properly settled, given a private room, and received good treatment.

Not long after Li Qingzhao settled in, she received an imperial decree that Ren Yuan wanted to see her.

"Your Highness wants to see me so soon?"

This surprised Li Qingzhao somewhat.

“Master Yi’an, the prince summoned me immediately after learning your name.”

The visitor was Shi Qian. When Zhu Gui announced Li Qingzhao's name to the palace that day, Ren Yuan immediately told Shi Qian that Li Qingzhao was a talented person.

“Brother, although I know you were born with innate knowledge, Li Qingzhao was, after all, a woman, and one who was already married. You…”

Shi Qian initially thought that Ren Yuan had some feelings for Li Qingzhao.

"Are you asking for a beating?

Ren Yuan rolled his eyes at Shi Qian. Others might not know Li Qingzhao, but he certainly did.

To put it simply, Li Qingzhao was the kind of person who drank, cursed, fought, and gambled, yet still had a good reputation. Ren Yuan had no interest in this type of bossy woman.

However, Ren Yuan had to admit that Li Qingzhao, in addition to her literary talent, also had a certain talent in politics. Her poem "Ode to the Restoration of Wuxi and Two Poems in Response to Zhang Wenqian" was written with great flair, commenting on the rise and fall of dynasties and summarizing the historical lessons of the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty before and after the An Lushan Rebellion.

In particular, the poem satirizes Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, warning him that "the lessons of the Xia and Shang dynasties should serve as a profound warning; the historical records are still there." Keep in mind that she was only 17 years old at the time, a young girl just beginning to experience the world. That she could express such deep concern and anxiety for the nation and its people under such circumstances is truly remarkable!

Therefore, Ren Yuan wanted to meet this extraordinary woman and see if he could make her a female official or something.

“Brother, I’ll go find her then. But don’t worry, brother. With your current status, even if I don’t say anything, your sister-in-law will continue to arrange for women to join your harem.”

After saying this, Shi Qian ran out the window. Anyway, Ren Yuan couldn't catch him, so he decided to slip away first. He then went straight to Jixianju and met Li Qingzhao.

"What is this gentleman's name?"

When Ren Yuan summoned her, Li Qingzhao naturally went. However, judging from Shi Qian's appearance, Li Qingzhao felt that this person was probably an important leader on Liangshan.

"My lord? Please call me Commander Shi, Yi'an Jushi."

Shi Qian shook his head slightly. He didn't like the title "sir" very much and felt that "leader" sounded better.

"Chief Shi? I heard back in Qingzhou that the Prince had a peerless rogue under his command... Could it be Commander Shi?"

Li Qingzhao blushed slightly and lowered her head a little.

"I never thought that Yi'an Jushi would flatter people like this. Hahaha, I didn't have any reputation as a chivalrous thief back then. I was just a thief. You don't need to praise me so much."

Shi Qian teased Li Qingzhao, saying that he could tell she was genuinely trying to show goodwill. However, he didn't tell her that as long as she left her name with her brother, the final result would generally not be too bad, and there was no need to go through all this trouble.

"Thank you, Commander Shi."

Li Qingzhao breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, being an official was not easy. She had seen her father and husband before, and they knew how they could talk to people in a way that suited them. But when it came to her own situation, she still had some concerns.

“Yi’an Jushi, brother is approachable, but now that you’ve come to Jixianju, you must be absolutely loyal. If you have any ill intentions, let me make this clear beforehand, and don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

On the way to the palace, Shi Qian half-jokingly and half-warningly gave Li Qingzhao a piece of advice, after all, this girl was from the previous dynasty, and who knew if she would suddenly act recklessly one day.

"Commander Shi, rest assured, I am not the kind of person who doesn't understand the bigger picture."

Li Qingzhao had no intention of getting close to Ren Yuan and then finding an opportunity to kill him. Firstly, it was unrealistic; if Ren Yuan were so easy to kill, he would have died long ago!

Secondly, Li Qingzhao discovered that Ren Yuan was still very popular, and the policies he implemented were indeed beneficial to the people.

Thirdly, Ren Yuan's current achievements already surpass those of the emperors of the Song Dynasty. So why kill Ren Yuan for the sake of those people from the Song Dynasty? That's unwise! It would be better to find a job with Ren Yuan and do a good job. The new dynasty has just been established; this is the more promising approach.

"I have long admired the name of Yi'an Jushi."

When Ren Yuan met Li Qingzhao in the palace, there was another person with him, Hu Sanniang.

Hua Yun and Li Shishi are now both in the imperial harem, and according to custom, the imperial harem is not allowed to interfere in politics.

However, the sudden summons of a woman, especially a married one, inevitably raises some questions. This is where Hu Sanniang comes in handy. She is currently the head of the female officials (civil and military) of Dayi, and it would be perfect for her to assist Ren Yuan in assessing Li Qingzhao!

"This humble woman, Li Qingzhao, greets Your Highness."

Li Qingzhao bowed to Ren Yuan.

“Master Yi’an, I have long heard of your talent and reputation. I won’t mince words; I’ll give you a few options.”

Ren Yuan waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for such formalities.

"First, you will be my female secretary in the palace, working together with Xiao Rang, my original secretary in Dayi, to be responsible for drafting and issuing documents. What do you think?"

Ren Yuan's choice is similar to how Emperor Xuanzong of Tang used Li Bai: if someone is talented, then help polish their superior's drafts.

Are there any other options?

But Li Qingzhao wasn't the type to obediently write articles for you. Seeing that Ren Yuan was indeed quite easy to talk to, she simply asked for the second option.

"Be bold!"

This attitude made Hu Sanniang feel uncomfortable. Who do you think you are? Why are you asking for an official position?

"Third Sister, it's alright."

Ren Yuan indicated that it was fine; if Li Qingzhao had chosen the first option, he would have looked down on her.

"Second, you can be appointed as an official outside the capital. Our Dayi Prefecture and its counties are in dire need of county magistrates. You are capable, so how about we let you be a pioneering female county magistrate?"

"A female county magistrate?"

This choice made Li Qingzhao ponder for a moment. To be honest, she was indeed tempted just now. After meeting those county magistrates in the Song Dynasty, Li Qingzhao did have the idea that if those good-for-nothings were good, she could be good too.

"Brother, are you going straight to being a county magistrate?"

Hu Sanniang frowned slightly. She only knew that Li Qingzhao was a good poet, but which of the magistrates of Dayi County was not good at government affairs? Moreover, Hu Sanniang remembered that some of those who passed the imperial examinations were not even magistrates.

Was Li Qingzhao's luck a little too good?

"Let's see what she chooses first."

Ren Yuan gestured to Hu Sanniang not to rush, because in his opinion, Li Qingzhao might not actually choose this one.

"Your Highness, although the female county magistrate sounds very tempting, Yi'an still chooses to give up."

Sure enough, after thinking about it for a while, Li Qingzhao gave up the idea.

"why?"

"Firstly, Yi'an is new here. If she were to become the county magistrate, especially a female one, it would inevitably attract criticism. Although she is upright and has nothing to fear, there would still be some trouble."

Li Qingzhao said that she did not want to cause trouble for others as soon as she arrived.

"I'm not afraid of trouble."

Ren Yuan said he didn't care.

“Yi’an understands Your Highness’s magnanimity, but after all, I have not yet achieved anything, and if I were to become the magistrate of Yi State now, it might not be very suitable. It would be better for me to gain more experience.”

Li Qingzhao expressed her thoughts.

"Okay, then there's another option."

Ren Yuan looked at Li Qingzhao, a knowing expression on his face.

"Would you be willing to stay in the capital to study, so that the imperial examinations can be greatly improved in the future, and women can also take the exams to become officials? And you will be the first female examiner to help me select female officials. Are you willing?"

……