Tuyuhun Royal Court
Two letters from the court were also delivered at the same time, one was to the Protectorate and the other was to Midu Khan. They both talked about the same thing, that is, King Wei Li Tai was going to Tuyuhun for an inspection.
For Midu Khan, he was extremely depressed. Originally, this was our own place, and there was no one else in charge. Now, he had done well in the exam, and there were emperors one after another above him. He originally thought that there was only one protector-general, but who knew that Li Xiang also came, and later General Qin Qiong came, and now there is the King of Wei.
For Midu Khan, these people are people he cannot afford to offend. Any one of them has a higher status than him. Who made us live under someone else's roof now? What's more, if the Tang Dynasty had not extended a helping hand, Tuyuhun might have been destroyed by Tubo. So no matter how many emperors came, he had to welcome them with a smile, otherwise the Tang Dynasty might turn against him. The monarchs of small countries are so sad. Although they are also called monarchs, they are almost the same as local officials of the Tang Dynasty.
Although he didn't think so much, Lord Protector Zeng thought a lot.
In his opinion, what was the court doing?
It was actually a very normal thing for the imperial court to send royal children to inspect vassal states. It had happened in all dynasties. On the one hand, it strengthened the connection between the imperial court and vassal states. On the other hand, it also trained the royal children so that they would not become useless in the capital.
But does Tuyuhun need so many royal children to conduct inspections? There is already a crown prince here. Li Xiang is the third most important person in the royal family, second only to Li Shimin and Li Chengqian. He is already here. If other royal children are sent here, does that mean that they do not trust Li Xiang?
Another thing is that it is not good for the royal family members who are sent here. Li Xiang is the third person in the royal family. Although the person who comes is his uncle, according to the court legislation, King Wei Li Tai ranks behind Li Xiang. When the uncle faces his nephew alone, how should he perform the ceremony?
So when he received this letter, Zeng's face was full of surprise. He didn't understand what was going on. Could it be that he had been negligent in his work? But even if that was the case, the court would not do such a thing, right?
"General, I know very little about the Emperor. We have a close relationship, so..."
In desperation, Lord Zeng could only go to Qin Qiong's tent. Fortunately, Qin Qiong had not returned to Liangzhou City yet. If he had returned, even if Lord Zeng wanted to find someone to answer his questions, he would not be able to find anyone. How many people on the grassland were familiar with Li Shimin? He couldn't just go to Li Xiang to ask.
"Your Excellency, I admire and respect the Emperor. How can I possibly know what he's thinking? It's only two weeks, after all. You can accompany him on a tour and see what His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei likes. Then you can make the arrangements. Isn't that all? There might not be as much as you think."
Qin Qiong gave a wry smile. "You're so careless asking me this question. If I say I have a good relationship with the Emperor, I'll be implicated by the Censorate when I return. Do you think this is a small matter?" Perhaps it could lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire family, so he couldn't say it directly. However, Lord Zeng also had a good relationship with him, so he could only hint at it in this way.
Lord Zeng has always been a very smart official in the court. He was just a little confused when he first received this letter. Now, after listening to Qin Qiong's advice, he immediately knew what to do. He was really desperate and said things he shouldn't have said. Fortunately, this is the Tuyuhun grassland. If it were in Chang'an City, you would have run to the home of an important official and said these words so carelessly that people would think you were going to harm him.
"I was reckless, I hope the general will forgive me."
After Lord Zeng understood this, he quickly saluted General Qin Qiong. Although the two had a good relationship, such misunderstandings could not occur, otherwise they would become political enemies in the court in the future.
"What are you doing, Lord Protector? We've known each other for so many years, how could I not know what's going on in your mind? I was just a little anxious just now, that's not a big deal, but next time you encounter something like this, it's best to go around a few more times."
Hearing what Qin Qiong said, Lord Zeng was so moved that tears came out. Fortunately, the other party did not take this matter seriously. If he had remembered it, the two sides would have been enemies now. Although Qin Qiong did not ask much about the affairs of the court in recent years and was devoted to teaching his son at home, if he really remembered it, he had many good friends and brothers in the army. Wouldn't it be easy to put some blame on Lord Zeng?
"Are you two going out for some exercise? Why do you have to run two laps?"
Li Xiang strode in from outside. He didn't know what was happening in the court yet. He was going to get ready and leave today.
Tubo still needs him, so he has to go in to maintain the balance. Although Xiao Liuzi sends two letters a day, the transmission between the two places also takes time, which is far less safe than Li Xiang staying in the official residence of Maggie Tusi.
"Just now I was joking with the Protector-General. Today there is news from the court. Take a look."
Qin Qiong knew what Li Xiang had been up to. He was definitely unaware of the news from the court, so he handed the envelope to Li Xiang. Li Xiang knew what was going on. It must be his grandfather's pettiness acting up again. But it didn't matter. If Li Tai wanted to stroll around the grassland, he could do so. It was a good opportunity to inspect his own grassland. They were going to the plateau today anyway, so they wouldn't run into each other.
"My second uncle is coming. If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed here and had a drink with him. However, the military situation is urgent. Since I have already confirmed my itinerary for today, I better hurry up and hit the road. I'll leave this to Lord Zeng."
Li Xiang's answer was perfectly acceptable, without a single flaw. Qin Qiong, standing beside him, gave him a thumbs-up. How could this be a sixteen-year-old? He hadn't had such a mindset when he was sixteen. By the time Li Xiang was sixteen, he had already been expanding territory for the Tang Dynasty. Whether it was his uncle or his brothers, no one could be stronger than him. Perhaps this was the true nature of a wise ruler of the Tang Dynasty.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. All the supplies are ready. We are just waiting for your order."
Mr. Zeng is very reliable in his work and never compromises on the tasks assigned by Li Xiang...