In the evening, Qin Mubai held a banquet in the Dadu Governor's Mansion to meet the father and daughter of the King of Jiangxia. The officials from top to bottom of Lanzhou attended together, and it was very lively.

The frontier places are not as good as the capital, and naturally there is no such luxury and extravagance. In the spacious hall, the large board banquet in the army is lined up, the wine urn and the barbecue have to be lifted, and the generous military dance of "King Qin's Breaking Array Music" is played, the silver knife is shaking and cutting the barbecue, and the cups are dripping and drinking endlessly.

The rugged and heroic military atmosphere of the border fortress is vividly and vividly displayed.

Qin Mubai and Li Daozong had long been accustomed to such a scene and loved this kind of atmosphere, and Princess Wencheng and Wu Meiniang, who participated in this kind of gathering for the first time, were deeply affected and shocked. In the middle of such a group of bloody men, even a slender woman will be contaminated with a touch of dry cloud pride.

So, Wu Meiniang was drunk, and Princess Wencheng was also half drunk.

Wu Meiniang opened a restaurant, and the amount of alcohol has always been excellent. It's rare to get drunk once, at this moment her steps are faltering and her eyes are hazy, her red face seems to be able to pinch out water, and her smile is extremely graceful, like a magical temptation.

There is no man in the world who is not tempted by such a woman.

Li Daozong stared at Wu Meiniang a few times, shook his head and said, "Mu Bai, you are so blessed." Such a beautiful world...... Gee! ”

"There's more to her charm than just her looks." Qin Mubai smiled, and said without modesty in front of Li Daozong, "Her wisdom, talent, bottom-of-the-line and aura are far superior to the outside. ”

"This kind of woman is rare in a hundred years." Li Daozong squinted his eyes slightly and said, "She is beautiful but not talented; has her ability to do it, but she doesn't lose her insight and assertiveness that doesn't lose to men; What's even more obtainable is her unique spiritual aura, which should be the best among people. If this woman is born as a man, Mu Bai will not lose half a point with you and me. ”

"That's it." Qin Mubai smiled and said secretly, if it weren't for me, a bastard, to stir up the situation, Wu Meiniang would still be your emperor!

"When will you get married?" Li Daozong asked suddenly.

"It's still early." Qin Mubai replied casually.

Li Daozong smiled and said, "Then you have to watch closely." There is no woman like her that a man doesn't want. It seems that you snatched her from His Majesty the Emperor at the beginning, right? You're a little capable, Mu Bai! ”

Qin Mubai grinned awkwardly and quipped, "Doesn't the prince also want to intervene?" ”

"If it weren't for His Majesty giving you a marriage contract, I would have really wanted to!" Li Daozong laughed unscrupulously, "If such a woman is not wanted by a man, she is either a eunuch or a hypocrisy." But since she's already your woman, that's it. Come to think of it, this king can't do such a dirty thing. ”

"Haha, the prince is really temperamental, this is also Qin's favorite place to intersect with you." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Come, please cheers, prince!" ”

"Please! - After the feast, come to my lodgings. I have something to ask you privately. ”

"Do your bidding."

In the evening, the banquet in the Governor's Mansion dispersed, and Qin Mubai sent Li Daozong's father and daughter back to Xingyuan as promised. Wu Meiniang, who was drunk, was served by her henchmen and maids, and first went back to the governor's mansion to sober up and rest.

Qin Mubai knew what Li Daozong wanted to ask.

Sure enough, not long after sitting down, Li Daozong said: "Mu Bai, when you were outside Lanzhou City, you told me that your position as the governor of Lanzhou was personally awarded to you by the eldest grandson Wuji. What did he mean by this, this king was puzzled. ”

"If the prince understands the situation in Lanzhou and the western region of Helong, he will naturally understand." Qin Mubai said, "The imperial court issued an order to promote my father to be the chief of the march of the Guanxi Road and the protector of the capital of Anxi, and the chief regent of Helong and all the military and political powers in the Western Regions, and directly handed over this half of the country to his old man's family. On the surface, my father is a feudal official who is a great minister above 10,000 people under one person, but in fact, it is not. ”

"Not bad." Li Daozong's expression became a little solemn, and he said, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne for more than ten years, it has not been easy to sweep Mobei and conquer the Turks. But in the area of Helong and the Western Regions, the power of my Datang is still very weak. Not to mention, as early as a few years ago, Lanzhou was also in a state of precariousness, and it could change hands at any time. Finally, Lanzhou is run by your father and son, and Datang has a place to stand in Helong. Immediately, you made a great contribution to recover the Dafei Sichuan attack and Tuyuhun, and the strength of the Tang Dynasty on the Western Front increased sharply. However, this is only limited to the Tuyuhun and Lanzhou areas, and even Yumen Pass and Yangguan are still in the hands of the Tubo people. This time, Lord Lingzun attacked the enemy for thousands of miles and fought eighteen victories in a row, and finally subdued Gaochang Kingdom...... At this time, my Datang was in the Western Regions, and it was considered to have the first inch of strength and territory, and it was still quite unstable. What is the general manager of the Kansai Provincial March, the capital of Anxi, the official position is big enough, but the power in his hands is small enough, and it is very dangerous and the pressure is huge. To put it bluntly, the eldest grandson Wuji just released your Qin father and son like kites and threw them into the Helong Western Regions, leaving you to fend for yourself. ”

"The prince is wise and hits the nail on the head." Qin Mubai took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it, and said, "There are a total of 100,000 soldiers and horses in the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion, which is a lot, but our defense line is quite long. From Tuyuhun Dafeichuan to Lanzhou, then extend to Qishan Lianyi to Yu, Yang Erguan, to the north to Ganliang Erzhou, to the west into Loulan Gaochang...... Thousands of miles of territory, 100,000 troops, in fact, is a drop in the bucket. Moreover, my father is in Gaochang, and only more than 10,000 soldiers and horses stand alone, and they are like eggs. Hugh said that he would establish the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate, and I was worried that if the four surnamed Gaochang played any tricks under the instigation of the Western Turks and Tibetans, how would my father resist these enemies from all directions? Thousands of miles to attack the enemy's lone army deeply, it is easy to win, but it is difficult to defend. Don't look at Lanzhou is now as stable as a rock and its morale is high, this thousand-mile defense line is like a majestic buffalo, but the Tibetan Turks are like iron nails. Although the buffalo is strong, the iron nail can penetrate the cowhide at will, and even kill it with one blow. So...... I actually felt like I was walking on thin ice, and I was under a lot of pressure. ”

Li Daozong's eyes narrowed, he looked at Qin Mubai intently, nodded slowly, and said, "It seems that His Majesty the Emperor's vision is always unique." What you just said, Your Majesty has already thought of it in the deep palace, and said that I have heard it. Otherwise, even if I have always been the only one who looks to him, I will not compromise with the Lord and the faction and agree to send my daughter to marry Tibet. Lanzhou is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and its foundation is weak. After Ling Zun went deep into Gaochang, he was even more critical. At this time, it is no longer possible to fight with Tubo, and it is necessary to make peace with it to relieve the pressure in the area of Dafeichuan and Tuyuhun. Then, Lanzhou can focus on the line between Loulan and Gaochang until it penetrates deep into the Western Regions. At this time, we are only left with the enemies of the Western Turks and the small states of the Western Regions, and there is one less strong enemy of Tibet. Moreover, if the Tubo people agree to talk about and accept the marriage, they are my sons-in-law of the Tang Dynasty, and it is reasonable to ask them to help me. For the Tang Society to eliminate a strong enemy and have one more ally, this daughter of my Li Daozong is worth the loss! ”

"The prince's mind and generosity, Qin is far beyond his reach." Qin Mubai clenched his fists and said with emotion, "The prince used to be the most determined main battle faction, but he would rather take the flesh off his heart than take care of the overall situation...... Datang has loyal ministers and good deeds like you, why can't you be subdued from all over the world! ”

"It's overrated." Li Daozong smiled slightly and said, "This king has followed His Majesty to fight in the south and north since he was young, and this life has long been sacrificed. It is a great satisfaction to live to live on the throne and have children today. Yan'er, she is not only the daughter of this king, but also the daughter of the Tang Dynasty. This king does not hesitate to die, why should Yan'er marry? …… Hehe! Far from it. I think it is imperative to send an envoy to Tibet as soon as possible to talk about the negotiation and marriage and to praise the renunciation. Whether he agrees or not, he can always win a chance for Lanzhou to breathe. I see that you have recently focused on the change of defense in Liangzhou, so I know that you are very worried about Ling Zun's safety in Gaochang. Your strategy is correct. Loulan and Gaochang were initially decided, the foundation was unstable and there were many crises, and the main force of Lanzhou should take over as soon as possible to lay the first foundation of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. ”

"yes!" Qin Mubai said, "It has been nearly a month since I came to Lanzhou, I first stabilized the situation in the state city, and then inspected the defense, for fear that Lanzhou itself would be in turmoil again or Yuyang and Loulan would fall, so that my father would really become a kite with a broken line in Gaochang." The change of guard from Liangzhou to Yuyang is almost over, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Now, it's time to train your soldiers and horses and prepare to go west to pick up my father. But this time, the money and food allocated to me by the imperial court were really stingy. If it weren't for Mei Niang's private delivery of 300,000 stone grain and grass, I really don't know what the situation would be. ”、

"Mu Bai, this king knows about this matter. You...... Hugh blames His Majesty the Emperor. Li Daozong looked at Qin Mubai with meaningful eyes and said, "He has his thoughts and his difficulties. Do you understand? ”

"I understand...... Not only do I not blame His Majesty the Emperor, but I don't even blame the eldest grandson Wuji, who allocated soldiers, horses, money and food. Qin Mubai sighed and said, "If I were them, I would not fight with the strength of the country and the fortune of the Tang Dynasty to fight a war of unknown victories and years." In fact, from the time I left Chang'an, I knew very well...... When I walked, I was like a kite that had been released by Datang. Where it flew or when it landed, I don't know. Because the person who pulls the string just releases it, and doesn't think about taking it back. To put it mildly, my father and I, as well as the 100,000 troops in Lanzhou, are all abandoned pawns of the imperial court. If we win, it's an extra surprise; If we are defeated, the imperial court will lose a Lanzhou and 100,000 soldiers and horses, and it will not make the Sheji Dynasty break its muscles and bones. ”

"It's cruel, but it's true." Li Daozong nodded and said, "Being able to think of this proves that you are very wise and calm." But don't complain about the heavens and others, often those who become great things are put to death and reborn. If there is no Jedi counterattack and the domineering spirit of breaking the cauldron, what great things can be accomplished? If it is a battle that must be won, there is nothing to boast about if it is won; If you can use the power of Lanzhou, one state and one county, fight in the Western Regions of Helong, and win against the Turks of Western Tibet and the ten small countries in the Western Regions, you will be a true hero! ”

"Huh!"

Qin Mubai smiled.

He held the teacup and played lightly, the smile on his face was very playful, and he said easily: "I never wanted to be a big hero." I just think that there are always some things that men should do in their lives, whether they succeed or fail. ”

Li Daozong didn't say much, he never liked to say anything grandiose, just nodded and smiled lightly, changed the conversation, and said: "At today's banquet, I saw a familiar figure, sitting alone in an inconspicuous small corner drinking stuffy wine. ”

"The prince is talking about Hou Junji?"

"Hmm." Li Daozong nodded and said, "I knew that as soon as you came to Lanzhou, you would find him." But I also know that he won't let you do it easily. What do you have plans for him, or do you have any solutions? ”

"I'm not in a hurry." Qin Mubai smiled, untied his saber from his waist, and put it flat on the table and chair.

Li Daozong glanced at it and said, "This is not the Guiyi Knife given to you by this king. It's beautiful and suits your identity. ”

"In a place like Lanzhou, not to mention the generals, they are martial arts merchants, and they usually keep their swords on their bodies." Qin Mubai said, "The prince is right, this is an ordinary general's saber, it has followed me for a while, and it has almost never been unsheathed, let alone bloody. For decoration only. ”

"What do you want to say?" Li Daozong furrowed his brows and asked.

"Hou Junji, it's like a knife." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "He is unpretentious, and he looks a little obscure and gloomy. It's like a knife of righteousness given to me by the prince. ”

Li Daozong raised his eyebrows, "Have you ever used the Guiyi knife to go into battle and killed the enemy?" ”

"Of course. Not only did he use it to command the Xiangzhou Water Battle and the Dafei War to recover the battle, but also personally wiped the enemy's neck. Qin Mubai said, "The murder knife is not out of the sheath without blood." When it comes out of the sheath, you will see blood. Hou Junji, now it's like shrinking in a scabbard, and I won't take it out to show off or show off when I'm idle. He will only be unsheathed when he goes into battle to kill. ”

Li Daozong stared at the handle on the table with a pair of eagle eyes, and said slowly: "A murder knife can kill people and hurt yourself." ”

"But that's never going to be a reason for me to give up the knife." Qin Mubai smiled easily and said, "It's like, the Guiyi knife that the prince gave me, is it because it is too sharp and fierce, so I will abandon it?" If this is the case, Qin, why bother with the sword? ”

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[Recently, there have been some bottlenecks, mainly because of the problem of pushing and reversing Xiaomei and Xiaobai...... It's tangled. Why don't you give me a red ticket? ］