Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 300

Chapter 300 At the Time of Use of Troops
At night, the sound of diao dou came from the barracks and the army slept peacefully.

In the room, there was a pot of tea. Qin Mubai stared straight at the steaming kettle in a daze.

“Sanlang!” Qin Shubao suddenly shouted loudly, scaring Qin Mubai into a daze, “Ah?”

“Looks like you’ve lost your mind. Could it be a demonic barrier?” Father was clearly still a little angry, “Go, run around the school grounds and come back with sweat all over your body!”

“No need, Father?” Qin Mubai laughed dryly, “Aren’t we … talking about business!”

“How are you going to get down to business with your appearance?–Go!” Qin Shubao’s sword-like eyebrows stood upright, clearly a little angry.

Qin Mubai smiled bitterly helplessly, so he could only jump up and go to the school grounds to run.

“It’s all because of those little demons that made my legs go soft. My brain is a little slow to react even if I want to lie down and sleep now. I don’t want to move at all …”

After running around and wiping his face, Qin Mubai sat down in high spirits and said, “Father, I’m finished!”

“That’s more like it.” Qin Shubao said calmly, “Men, don’t be addicted to alcohol-well, let’s get down to business! You said just now that you were preparing to enter Dafeichuan, what’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s like this.” Qin Mubai told his father about the emperor’s orders.

After Qin Shubao heard this, he pondered for a moment and nodded, “Your guess should be correct. Although His Majesty is the ruler of the world, he is not the only one who can control the public opinion and wind evaluation of the court. Eldest Sun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and the others represent the will of the majority of the officials. They raise questions together and constantly exert pressure. His Majesty’s life is indeed not easy.”

“Ignoring the direction of the court’s winds, I also feel that taking down Da Feichuan is also useful for Lanzhou’s overall strategy.” Qin Mubai said.

Qin Shubao frowned slightly, “Tell me what you think.”

“Father, it has been more than half a year since my child came to Lanzhou. For the past half year, Lanzhou has been devoting itself to production and development.” Qin Mubai said, “But have you noticed a phenomenon? Although Lanzhou’s irrigation and water conservancy has made rapid progress and the move of people to Lanzhou has brought stability and population growth to Lanzhou, there has been no sign of any increase in taxes.”

“That’s true.” Qin Shubao nodded. “The population has increased, so has the water conservancy farmland. At the same time, didn’t you promulgate the policy of benefiting the people and raising their breath, and exempt the new arrivals from taxes? Lanzhou’s population is already small, so it’s normal that the taxes haven’t increased.”

“Abnormal, Father!” Qin Mubai said, “This means that Lanzhou’s business has not developed!”

“Business?” Qin Shubao frowned in confusion. Obviously, this kind of thing was unfamiliar to him. In fact, from the bottom of his heart, he disliked merchants, disliked merchants.

“Business is the source of taxes. Lanzhou to increase taxes, the development of business is the road to prosperity. Moreover, the population of Lanzhou has increased, and the demand for all kinds of daily necessities, such as clothes, dishes, bedding, and so on, is increasing. There were very few workshops of this kind in Lanzhou, and it was far from enough to rely solely on one’s own resources. At the same time, Lanzhou opened many remote pastures, besides raising warhorses, there were also many cattle and sheep. “We can’t use up all the milk, meat, fur and other things we produce ourselves,” Qin Mubai said. “So there’s an urgent need for merchants to interact with each other. They can bring all kinds of specialties from the Western Regions, along with tea, oil and silk from the Central Plains. They can also take away our rich cattle and wool hides, and at the same time, they can also generate taxes. Moreover, with so many new people, most of them were idle now, only settling here as the families of the soldiers, doing nothing. They are also laborers, so they can play a role! Even if they didn’t have to do this heavy work, it was still possible to open a shop and run a business trip, right? This could accommodate these idle people, enrich the families of the soldiers, and create taxes at the same time. Kill more than you can chew, father! ”

“I understand what you mean.” Qin Shubao nodded, “Are you saying that the presence of the Tibetan army in Dafeichuan has hindered businessmen’s exchanges? They are afraid of the chaos of war and have no confidence in Lanzhou’s military strength, so they do not dare to go through Lanzhou?”

“Yes, that’s it!” Qin Mubai nodded decisively. “Originally, Lanzhou was a key town on the Silk Road and the only way to pass through it. It was a transit point between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. It had a great advantage in obtaining taxes and profits. However, because the threat of Tibet was imminent, the war in Lanzhou had been raging ever since the founding of the Great Tang Empire. Therefore, the merchants would rather take a detour around Gan Liang than take a shortcut to Lanzhou. As a result, Lanzhou became poorer and more desolate, and what it needed was the assistance of the Imperial Court, thus it developed a habit of not thinking about self-sufficiency and relying solely on transshipment, and gradually formed a vicious circle of getting poorer and poorer, and the Imperial Court paid more and more to Lanzhou. “Actually, as long as our army takes down Da Feichuan and forcefully consolidates security and frontier defense in Lanzhou, the businessmen will have confidence in Lanzhou-they will definitely be willing to come!”

“But … Shan City has just been defeated, so it’s not appropriate to use force. Don’t you know?” Qin Shubao said, “Killing a thousand enemies costs 800. We have to bear more losses than the Tibetans. It’s not worth it.”

“The two armies are facing each other head-on. Indeed, this is the case.” Qin Mubai said, “In war, what we fight is money. Our Great Tang is used to living in cities. As long as there is war, we will generally suffer greater losses than the Hu people.” However, if we locate the battlefield in a foreign land, keep our cities away from the flames of war, and use the Arcane Weapons Arcane Battle Technique to quickly attack and destroy them, we will be able to minimize the losses! After taking down Dafei Chuan, we will set up camp in Dafei Chuan step by step, and it is not impossible for us to open up wasteland. “There is no lack of fertile land on the banks of Qinghai Lake. Although the cold weather is not particularly suitable for crops to grow, there are plateau warhorses from Tibet and their unique plateau boat-yaks!”

“Yak?” Qin Shubao’s eyes lit up, “Could it be that you want to … prepare for the future conquest of Tibet?”

“It’s not impossible, father! Everything depends on people!” Qin Mubai said.

“But we Tang people are not accustomed to Tibet plateau life at all.” Qin Shubao shook his head. “I heard my Tibetan comrades come back and say that it is difficult to breathe on the plateau. Why are you talking about slaughtering and fighting? Obviously, Tibetans were born and raised here, so they are used to it.”

“Not necessarily!” Qin Mubai said, “Actually, it’s also a process of adaptation. From Dafeichuan to Qinghai Lake, the terrain gradually rose. We can let the soldiers base and train in this area and slowly adapt. “If that day comes, I, the Great Tang, will have the strength to step onto the plateau and attack Tibet’s mainland, using the step-by-step training and offensive techniques that the terrain has gradually adapted to, there will be a chance of victory!”

“Very bold and innovative!” Qin Shubao was instantly refreshed. “Although there is no need to be too ambitious, from many aspects, it seems that taking down Da Feichuan is imperative?”

“Indeed!”

Qin Shubao nodded slowly, “That’s good. Actually, I want to send troops to battle more than anyone else. Since you’ve already made up your mind, why don’t you start the deployment immediately and invite the Xue brothers over to discuss the invasion plan?”

“Alright. Tomorrow, I will send a letter inviting the Xue brothers to Lanzhou to discuss the strategy for advancing!”

Early the next morning, Qin Mubai wrote a letter and sent a messenger to the frontlines of Shan City. Then, he continued to train in the rear camp.

Princess Gaoyang’s mansion was close to the Governor-General’s Mansion, and the backyard was only a street away from the walls of the military camp. She was woken up early by the sound of military training. Originally, she was a little annoyed and wanted to curse, but suddenly, she jumped out of bed excitedly and hurriedly put on her clothes.

“Quick, prepare the ladder. I want to see Mubai train, hehe!”

With a group of maids, Princess Gaoyang came to the backyard excitedly. The servants and soldiers had already prepared the flip-flop ladder for Princess Gaoyang to ascend.

On the field, thousands of cavalry were practicing riding and shooting, and the sound of smoke and dust roiling and killing shook the heavens. A bright red flag of the Tang character fluttered in the middle of the school grounds. The army was sweating like rain, and Princess Gaoyang’s eyes were wide open.

“So majestic!!! This is the scene of the army. Even a woman like me feels her blood boil when she sees it!” She was extremely excited, and her eyes widened as she searched around for Qin Mubai. However, it was not easy to find a person with thousands of troops. After searching for a long time, she did not see anyone, which made her somewhat annoyed.

“Princess, consort-in-law is a great general, he should be very eye-catching and easy to find, right? Either watch from the dianjiang platform, or wave a flag on the ladder to command, or the fresh-clothed, bright-armored and tall horse will guide the patrol in the army!” The maids under the ladder said.

“Yes, that makes sense!” Hearing this, Princess Gaoyang began to search for it with a purpose. Sure enough, he saw a fluttering banner that was exceptionally eye-catching as it leisurely streaked across the crowd. Like a noble leader, he walked among the flocks of sheep with his head held high.

Beneath the flag was the golden-armored apricot-yellow-robed Qin Mubai!

“Haha, I found it!-Mubai is so impressive!” Princess Gaoyang shouted excitedly.

Suddenly, a few soldiers ran over from the wall and shouted, “Who is here to make a noise and peep at the army drill? This is a big crime!”

“Eh? How dare you!” Princess Gaoyang said angrily, “Which brigade or squad are you from? Be careful that I tell my Mubai to take care of you, humph!”

“Your Mubai?” The soldiers couldn’t help but be dumbfounded, and immediately regained their senses-could it be Princess Gaoyang opposite them?

Immediately, the soldiers exchanged glances, as if nothing had happened. They rode their horses and ran away.

“Haha! This is so fun!” Princess Gaoyang shouted excitedly, “I’ll scare them by naming Mubai!”

The maids under the ladder laughed and said embarrassedly, “Your Highness, is your name not as useful as the name of the prince’s son-in-law?”

“I want you to take care of me, slut!” Princess Gao Yang’s mouth twitched, “I just like to say his name to scare people, how about it?”

The riders rode their horses back and quietly told Qin Mubai, who was patrolling the army.

Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh secretly as he flapped his horse and ran towards the fence.

“Haha, Mubai! I can see you training here!” Princess Gaoyang shouted excitedly.

“Quickly stop messing around. Get down. Climbing so high, I can’t beat you.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “How can you peek at the army training? If this is an ordinary citizen, you can capture it and slash it down.”

“Wow, so serious?” Princess Gaoyang cried out in surprise.

“Of course.” Qin Mubai said, “You are not allowed to make such nonsense in the future. If you encounter a few bad-tempered soldiers today, shoot an arrow first. I’ll see who you can complain to.”

“Huh?” Immediately, Princess Gaoyang was a little scared. Although he had hundreds of ways to kill those soldiers, if he suffered a loss in front of him and was killed by someone else, it would be useless no matter how he avenged himself!

“Then I’ll go down!” Princess Gao Yang answered anxiously and with lingering fear, she hurriedly climbed down the ladder. Just as she climbed down a few squares, she immediately climbed up and shouted, “Mubai, come over and have dinner with me at noon!”

Qin Mubai’s heart went cold. I don’t want to stop encircling and annihilating him! …

“It’s better for you to come over! Father said that he wants to have dinner with you.” Qin Mubai said.

“I’m not going!” Princess Gao Yang’s mouth twitched as she climbed down the stairs. She said angrily, “Bastard, you actually dared to shy away from calling him over? Who wants to eat with his old master? You’re too reserved!”

“Hehe!” The group of maids laughed strangely, “Your Highness, is the son-in-law … afraid?”

Princess Gaoyang was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed. Her face was immediately filled with anger, “Bitch, it’s all your fault! See if I don’t slap you!”

“Woo! Princess, spare me! We did what you said! Hehe!” A group of maids started to flee.

At noon, Princess Gaoyang still went to the Governor’s Mansion and had lunch with the Qin father and son. After dinner, Qin Mubai accompanied her around the outskirts of the barracks to broaden her horizons.

“Hehe, I really want to ride a horse!” Princess Gaoyang looked at the horses and said excitedly, “Mubai, once you come to Lanzhou, you won’t be restrained in Chang’an. It’s really comfortable! Do whatever you want, teach me how to ride a horse, right?”

“Sure, just tell me which horse you like.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “The Helong area is rich in good horses. This place is almost all the best horses in Lanzhou. There are few places in the Great Tang Empire that can compare to this place. Of course, the Imperial Court’s Garden Supervisor is an exception.”

“Hehe! Help me choose, I like what you choose!” Princess Gao Yang smiled happily and said, “Pick it out. Go to my Xingyuan and teach me how to ride a horse yourself!”

Qin Mubai felt a chill run down his spine. “Do you have to go to your side?” But that’s true. It’s not good for you to be seen here by the soldiers. ”

“Eh? You don’t seem to like going to my place anymore?” Princess Gaoyang’s expression changed as she angrily said, “Why?”

Qin Mubai laughed dryly, “Aren’t you afraid of those few of you … cough!”

“Hmph, if you get a bargain, you can still act obediently. I’ll hit you!” Princess Gaoyang blushed and raised her embroidered fist to greet him.

“Stop! Near the barracks, pay attention to the impact!” Qin Mubai grabbed her fist and laughed, “Let’s go, pick a horse for you!”

“Alright!” Princess Gaoyang cheered like a child.

Qin Mubai smiled. His heart swept through the depression and dullness of the past six months. He felt that the entire world had become brighter, and his state of mind had become much more relaxed and peaceful.

Gao Yang was still like a child, easy to be satisfied, easy to be happy; And her happiness … brought Qin Mubai even greater happiness.

Two days later, the Xue brothers and their most important lieutenant generals came to Lanzhou. Although Xue Wanjun had not fully recovered from his serious injuries, he was still injured. He was more excited and excited than anyone else when he heard that they were discussing a strategy for advancing.

The generals gathered in the Governor’s Mansion’s meeting hall, faced with the Great Feichuan Sand Table made by Qin Mubai’s Hundred Cavalry, they began to discuss the strategy of advancing into Great Feichuan!