When Chang'an received Li Shimin's edict, Li Su imagined what Xizhou would look like, and at that time he was fully mentally prepared to imagine Xizhou as incomparably barren and backward as possible, so as to adjust his body and mind to not be too stimulated after seeing Xizhou.

However, after the real Xizhou fell into Li Su's eyes, Li Su found that he was really too young, there was no most barren in the world, only more barren, just looking at the city wall of Xizhou, his heart was half cold.

"I don't know what the strength and combat power of Xizhou are?"

This is also an issue that Li Su is most concerned about.

Cao Yu stroked his beard, squinted his eyes and smiled, his smile was a little bitter: "The border of Xizhou Prefecture is more than 600 miles, Zhenguan has been nine years, and the three provinces have placed the second Zhichong Mansion, according to the Shangfu, each Zhichong Mansion is full of 1,200 people, one of which guards the Xizhou City, and the other is located in the Gaochang border, and is also responsible for patrolling the border, as for the combat power...... The combat power of my Datang Xiong soldiers is unstoppable, and I dare not say that one enemy is ten, and one enemy is two and three enemies, so in recent years, foreign enemies have frequently entered the army, and Xizhou City is still in the hands of my Datang, and the soldiers of Zhichong Mansion should be the first to make the first contribution. ”

Li Su's expression was also a little bitter.

Xizhou has a radius of more than 600 miles, and there are five subordinate counties, but the imperial court has only set up two Zhechong Mansions, and the total number of people is less than 3,000 people.

However, no matter how brave the combat strength is, it will be less than 3,000 people after all, and a small group of foreign enemies may be able to easily repel it, but what if it is a large-scale foreign invasion? With more than 2,000 people and the low city walls of Xizhou to defend against foreign enemies, can the city hold out for a few days without falling?

Li Suneng had almost asked, but as for the unwelcoming attitude of the officials and people in Xizhou, the lifeless atmosphere in the city, and so on, Li Su didn't ask after all. Some things can only be discovered by themselves, because Li Su doesn't know what role Cao Yu plays in the truth under these appearances.

After Li Su's question was asked, Cao Yu also had a question to ask Li Su.

"Li Bei drove to Xizhou to take office, in addition to the accompanying thousand-man cavalry, I don't know what else he brought?" Cao Yu stared at him. The thin face was full of anticipation.

Li Su was stunned: "What else did you bring?" ”

What else can I bring besides more than a thousand mouths to eat, and my own mouth that must be eaten exquisitely?

Seeing Li Su's stunned appearance, the expectation on Cao Yu's face gradually turned into disappointment, and Suo Ran sighed.

"This official took office in the ninth year of Zhenguan to take up the history of Xizhou, starting from the ninth year of Zhenguan, I have delivered no less than ten ways to Chang'an every year, and asked the imperial court to allocate money and grain to Xizhou to transfer troops......" Cao Yu sighed: "The danger of Xizhou, I am not in it and I don't know it." The ministers of Chang'an only know that His Majesty is now in power all over the world, and the neighboring countries dare not make times, but they don't know that the neighbors' dare not make times is only on the surface. Guilty of a county under the jurisdiction of our state, Guizi. Yanqi, Tubo and other countries are even eyeing each other, in a vain attempt to profit from it......"

"In the past three years, the official has made countless mistakes, explaining the danger of Xizhou, but Xizhou is remote. It costs a lot of money to go out, and in recent years, the courtiers of the three provinces have also talked a lot about Xizhou, saying that Xizhou is a land of chicken ribs, located in the center of the desert, and there is no way to attack. There is no way to retreat, and the most important thing for the imperial court at the moment is Xue Yantuo in the north and Tubo in the west, so after my song is handed into Chang'an, it is like a mud cow entering the sea, and there is no news, and if it is delivered frequently, it will often be reprimanded by Shangshu Province, or allocate hundreds of stones of grain and grass to deal with it......"

Cao Yu sighed bitterly: "The ministers of the court sit in Huatang, looking down on the world, where do you know the pain of guarding Xizhou, the official looks forward to it day and night, hoping that the imperial court can allocate some money and grain to Xizhou, and transfer some soldiers, I thought that Li Beijia would go to the post, how much he could bring some grace over, who knows......"

Li Su's cheeks twitched, what he said seemed to dislike me very much, but in fact, I disliked you even more......

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After the banquet, it is not said that the guests and hosts are happy, after all, it is the first acquaintance, and how deep and turbid the water in Xizhou is, Li Su is not clear, and it can be seen that Cao Yu also has reservations when he speaks, and the two people who are wary of each other drink together, this wine is really boring.

During the banquet, I talked a lot with Cao Yu, Li Su asked about the customs and products of Xizhou, Cao Yu asked the Chang'an court, everyone had questions that they were interested in but could not solve, until the end of the banquet, Li Su said goodbye and left the house, Cao Yu was also warm and comforting, the two seemed to have forgotten one thing, as the newly appointed Xizhou don't drive, Cao Yu did not arrange any duties for Li Su, and Li Su did not take the initiative to inquire, everyone seemed to have some kind of tacit understanding.

The biggest gain is that Li Su roughly understands the current situation in Xizhou, the situation is not very optimistic, he didn't expect that he was sent by Li Shimin to be an official in such a border city surrounded by wolves, Li Su couldn't help but really doubt whether Li Shimin wanted to kill himself.

It was already evening when I walked out of the Thorn Mansion, and a cold wind blew in my face, the wind was wrapped in yellow sand, and my plain face was soon covered with a layer of dust.

Li Su wiped his face, looked at the sinking desert sun, and exhaled a breath of turbid breath in his chest.

When I left Chang'an, it was still spring, and after walking on the road for three months, it seemed that it was about to enter summer, but the night in the desert was still so cold.

After going out of the city and returning to the camp, the soldiers had begun to bury the pot and make rice, and after entering the tent, Xu Mingzhu stepped forward, first patted Li Su covered in dust, and then took off his boots for him, replaced him with clogs, and then brought a basin of water to clean the noodles, and made Li Su's waiter thoughtful.

After three months of long-distance travel, Xu Mingzhu's face was covered with haggardness, and her once rosy cheeks were now red spots everywhere from the sun, and her skin was much rougher than before.

Li Su felt a little distressed in his heart.

People are not plants and trees, who can be ruthless? Xu Mingzhu did this for him, what could Li Su do? Can you still harden your heart and continue to push her away?

However, the position in the bottom of her heart is slowly occupied by Dongyang after all, Xu Mingzhu is working hard, she is trying to do her duty as a wife, trying to get Li Su's favor, Li Su is also working hard, trying to make some space in her heart, let Xu Mingzhu occupy it, a little bit, a little bit, all of it is an explanation.

The husband and wife get along like a silent spring rain, whether they resist or agree, their attitude is not important, unconsciously, they are integrated into each other, run-in, and irreversible like the laws of nature.

"Husband, don't eat roast lamb shank tonight, okay?" Xu Mingzhu looked a little happy: "Today, the concubine made oily noodles for her husband, and the cook in the family said that the husband liked this thing the most, and the concubine also learned it." ”

"Good ......" Li Su pondered about the affairs of Xizhou in his mind, and responded absentmindedly, then came back to his senses and said suspiciously: "Oily noodles?" Where did the noodles come from? Didn't we run out of pasta on the way? ”

Xu Mingzhu said with a smile: "It was sent by the merchant Na Yan of Qiuzi, today Na Yan came to the camp to visit the husband, the husband entered the city to see the history of the assassination, and the Yan didn't see you, so he sent someone to leave two bags of noodles ......"

Li Su smacked his lips and rolled his eyes in disgust: "This guy is becoming less and less particular, he used to send a few big gems every once in a while, but now he has changed his face...... Tut! ”

"Husband-" Xu Mingzhu also rolled her eyes at him.

Li Sule is happy, the little girl is out now, she used to be as honest as a quail, but now she dares to roll her eyes at him.

"I heard Na Yan say, there is a slave market in the east of Xizhou City, specializing in selling some bearded girls from neighboring countries, tomorrow I will ask Wang Zhu and Zheng Xiaolou to go into the city to pick up a few female slaves who are on time, and buy them back to serve us, you are the lady of the command, it is enough to wronged you to accompany me to the desert for thousands of miles, you don't have to do the housework yourself in the future, let the next person do it, you enjoy the happiness and raise your body well."

Xu Mingzhu blinked and shook his head quickly: "No need, the husband has his own concubine to serve the marquis, and he doesn't need others, when the concubine was in Taiping Village, he listened to the subordinates in the family and said that there was a strange smell on the Hu girl, and the husband loved cleanliness so much, I am afraid that it would be ......."

Li Su's eyelids jumped, hesitated, and said: "Then forget it, when I find out the situation in Xizhou, let's move into the city to live, find stones and craftsmen, let's build a big house by ourselves and buy a few cleaner people, it's not a matter to live in a camp tent outside......"

"Well, listen to my husband."

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PS: Excuse me...... Suddenly sleepy in the middle of the night, I was quite surprised, how long has it been since I slept at night, quickly went to bed and fell asleep, I woke up in the morning, it seems that the work and rest are normal again, not only belong to the beautiful man at night, but also to be a beautiful man during the day...... (To be continued......)