To be honest, if Zatlk had not seen this letter asking him to be a staff member, he would have jumped up immediately. This is simply looking down on me.
But now, although Zatlk was dissatisfied, he could only clench his fists and had no way to vent his anger, because he had no way out. If it had been a day earlier, this guy might have followed Prime Minister Midu back.
Even if he becomes an idle prince after returning, it is much better than being an aide here. After all, he has been a prince. It is too bad for him to be in such a desperate situation...
"I know you're upset, and I'm not either. But you're also familiar with some of the situations in our Tang Dynasty. Sometimes the imperial court can't make the final decision. Several major families have joined forces to take over some things here, and we can only endure it temporarily."
It was the first time that Li Xiang was able to pour wine for Zatlk. Zatlk was a little bit unbelievable. From the time he and Li Xiang met until now, this guy has always been arrogant and domineering. How could he possibly pour wine for himself?
"The new Protector-General doesn't know much about this place, but you, as his advisor, know it quite well. I'm leaving you with five hundred men. With your intelligence and talent, you should know how to seize power."
Li Xiang saw that Zatlk did not get angry, which meant that his plan was halfway accomplished. As for the subsequent tasks, this guy had no choice unless he didn't want to do it anymore. But he had already rejected Prime Minister Midu. If he followed him back, Li Xiang would not let him go, and he would not lose face.
Zatlk drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. If he had the strength now, he really wanted to beat Li Xiang into a pulp.
This guy made him realize the fickleness of the world. Of course, he also hated his uncle very much. He didn't know how much help he had provided to his uncle, which made the tribe prosper. Unfortunately, when he needed help, this old guy actually abandoned him.
Li Xiang left after drinking two glasses of wine. Zatlk was drunk that night. Perhaps only the alcohol could numb him. Everything was different from what he had imagined. Even as a traitor, life was not easy.
Three days later.
Li Xiang's army was ready to go. They were going to Chang'an with a most important mission, which was to surrender prisoners to Chang'an City.
Li Xiang knew this procedure before. After each foreign war, when we captured enemy soldiers, we needed to select some who could still walk, and then transport these people to the capital so that His Majesty the Emperor could personally accept their surrender.
Firstly, it was to satisfy the vanity of His Majesty the Emperor, and secondly, it was to let the people in the capital and along the way see that our Tang Dynasty had won a victory outside and captured so many enemies at once, to show off its military power.
"All these people belong to you. Don't kill them along the way. Think carefully. If you kill people at will, you will be the one who suffers."
Cheng Yaojin slapped his forehead and said, since Li Xiang was able to return to the capital early, they had nothing much to say. After all, he was the emperor's grandson. Even if we were close to the emperor, we could not be closer than him. We still needed to stay here for a while, and this glorious moment could only be given to Li Xiang.
Even if some young generals were dissatisfied, they could not say it out loud. In terms of merit on the battlefield, can you be better than Li Xiang? Even if he is not the grandson of the emperor, such a glorious moment is his.
"Thank you for your instructions, General. You won't be here for much longer. We will all be able to return to the capital soon. I will then host a banquet in the capital to welcome you all."
Li Xiang also knew that he had gained an advantage this time. After all, everyone had made contributions to this war, but taking the captives to the capital was an extremely honorable thing. Local officials along the way would give him a warm welcome, and the people of the capital would regard Li Xiang as a great hero. To put it bluntly, it was a matter of great benefits and no harm.
"Then it's a deal. We must have the Great Tang Dynasty's Heavenly Brew when the time comes. Don't be stingy, boy. It's getting late now. Hurry up and take your men on the road. Also, when you return to the capital, you must teach your soldiers a good lesson. You must make them change. The capital is our capital. Don't bring back the habits of the grasslands. In the past, there were always a few soldiers who couldn't control themselves and ended up losing their lives..."
General Qin Qiong looked at the sun. These days, they had to set out early. After dark, they had to find a place to rest. Anyway, there was no combat mission, so there was no need to march day and night. For an army, marching day and night would consume too much physical energy.
Li Xiang took the general's words to heart.
Soldiers on the battlefield will have some battlefield syndrome after returning. After all, when they were on the Tuyuhun grassland, they could draw their swords and kill people if they disagreed with them. Although they have returned to the capital, many people cannot think back and still think they are on the grassland. If they have a dispute with others, killings often happen.
What General Qin Qiong said was that the army that had fought outside in the past could not change its mood when it returned. The more people you kill on the battlefield, the better, but if you go to the capital and fight, no matter how brave you are on the battlefield, you must pay for these people's lives.
Li Xiang also didn't want his men to lose their lives when they arrived in the capital, so he ordered the officers under him to teach them well. We will not do anything else on this journey, but just convey this matter to prevent them from losing their lives in the capital.
"Are you coming to see me off too?"
After leaving the city wall of Liangzhou, Li Xiang saw a carriage in front of him. It turned out to be Zatlk. Since the two of them had talked that day, Li Xiang sent 500 guards over, one to assist Zatlk, and the other to monitor this guy.
"Take my sister with you to the capital. She will be yours from now on."
Zatlk's words left Li Xiang completely confused.
"What do you mean?"
As the victor, he does have the right to marry the other party's princess, but the age gap between the two is a bit big, so Li Xiang has no such idea. What is Zatlk's plan?