Seeing the expression on Li Xiang's face, Niu Jinda knew what was going on. Almost half of the people in Chang'an City knew about the antics of Prince Li You of Qi. It seemed that our Highness wanted to bring him in, but this was related to the overall situation in the northwest. If he went too far, we would have to clean up his mess.
"Your Highness, should we reconsider this?"
Lord Zhao also frowned. Although what we are going to do now is to find fault, there must be a limit. Anything is fine within the controllable range. However, there is no limit to the degree of mischief of King Qi Li You.
Lord Zhao was originally an upright civil servant, and he hated Li You's behavior. So even if he was in someone else's territory, Lord Zhao didn't want such a person to get involved. He still followed the previous established policy and found a place for him to eat, drink and have fun, and then he could return to Chang'an to claim the credit.
"We really didn't need him before, but now General Kang Ying and those people are scared by us. If we ask them to sign an agreement, they won't listen to us because they have never suffered any loss. But if we want to make them suffer a loss, we have to have a reason. Everyone in the world is watching. General Niu can't find such a reason, and neither can I, so it has to be him."
Li Xiang didn't say it so clearly, but Lord Zhao understood. If we go looking for trouble everywhere, we'll probably ruin our own reputation. What kind of reputation does this guy Li You have? His reputation is already rotten to the core, how could it get any worse?
"Since Your Highness has made the decision, when you send His Highness the Prince of Qi, please allow Lord Xiao to accompany him."
Lord Zhao thought for a moment and said, "It's indeed not appropriate for others to do this. Who doesn't cherish their reputation?" Li Xiang didn't care about this before, but as he grew older and more powerful, he now had to take it into consideration.
Li You has no bottom line in doing things, but Xiao Shougui is a man of rules. When the time comes, as long as this line is planned for Xiao Shougui, he himself is Li You's follower, so everyone can rest assured with him around.
"With old man Handesi watching over us, there's no need for Xiao Shougui to follow us. Wadahan is not a simple man. He wanted to cooperate with us back then, and now he's the king of Gaochang. If there's someone else who's more suitable, I won't let him be the king. It's better for Xiao Shougui to stay with Wadahan."
Li Xiang thought of the old eunuch. Although he didn't know much about diplomatic matters, he knew very well what kind of thread could touch the old guy.
Lord Zhao scoffed at Li Xiang's arrangement. In his opinion, those eunuchs had no right to touch the national policy. But now there are not enough people. Lord Zhao has also seen Wadahan. He is indeed not a master who is under others. If there is no one watching over him, it will not work.
"Don't worry, old man. Although my uncle is mischievous, his mother is not, and the people he brought are not fools. We just need to build this framework, and there won't be much trouble."
Li Xiang knew what Lord Zhao was worried about. This represented the face of the Tang Dynasty. As long as the people around him were properly assigned, this was not Chang'an, and not many people would indulge Li You.
"The person I, Old Niu, disliked the most in Chang'an was the Fifth Prince. But now that we've arrived in the northwest, my men have to support His Highness."
Niu Jinda said with a smile, we have put a lot of thought into getting involved in the Western Regions, so His Highness must not let us down and use all his abilities to cause trouble in Chang'an City.
"It is imperative to ensure the safety of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi."
Although Li You was incompetent, he was Li Shimin's son after all, and he came with the emperor's order. If something happened in the northwest, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After Lord Zhao left, Niu Jinda pondered what he had just said. If something really happened in the northwest, wouldn't that be an opportunity for us? The court officials opposed sending troops to the northwest, saying there wasn't enough money, and all sorts of other reasons. But if the emperor's son was in trouble in the northwest, would you still dare to say that?
"Don't even think about it until you get to that point."
Niu Jinda has been following Li Xiang for quite some time. This guy is a straightforward person. When he fell into deep thought, Li Xiang immediately understood what he was thinking. Even if Li You did not bring any good things to the people, he was on a business trip this time. If something really happened in the northwest, none of them would be able to escape responsibility.
Li Xiang also felt it when he returned to Chang'an this time. Li Shimin had shifted the target of the struggle from Li Xiang to Li Xiang's subordinates. If Niu Jinda really did this, Li Shimin would be furious and Niu Jinda would probably not have a good ending. Even though you have made many contributions in the past, a prince died in front of you, and you will still be punished even if it has nothing to do with you.
Niu Jinda smiled embarrassedly. In front of these smart people, he couldn't hide any of his thoughts from them.
"Pack everything properly and send someone to fetch my fifth uncle. Also, write a letter to General Kang Ying, telling him that our Prince Qi has just arrived in the northwest and doesn't know much about the situation there. He wants to visit their country and have a good time."
After Li Xiang finished speaking, he immediately buried his head in the map. He needed to study some routes for marching to the northwest. As for small matters like finding faults, he could only leave it to Li You.
Li You set out earlier than any of them, but arrived more than two months late. This guy has been dragging on the road all the time, and now he can't drag on any longer. It has been three months since he set out from Chang'an City, and it will be four months in just a dozen days. In these four months, you have not arrived at the front line, and Li Shimin is also a question mark every three days. If Li You has not come yet, he will probably be punished.
Eunuch Han was waiting for Li You to come out of confinement. The old man was so anxious that his hair turned white, but he was just a servant. Although he had a handwritten letter from Concubine Yin, which was equivalent to an imperial sword, would Li You be afraid of his mother?
When this guy was in the capital, his mother couldn't control him. Now he relies on a letter. If he could be controlled, he wouldn't have done so many ridiculous things in the capital. So the person who has been most worried along the way is Old Man Han, and his hair has really turned a lot whiter.
I felt relieved after arriving in the Western Regions, but after hearing what Niu Jinda said, I became nervous again...