Late at night, Qin Mubai, who had just gotten married, locked herself up in the study room alone and sat down with a candle in her hand. He raised the pen in his hand, but he hesitated again and again, not knowing how to start.

He was writing a memorial to Emperor Li Shimin. After returning from the Western Expedition, he would report on the details of his conquest of the Western Regions, his diplomacy with the Great Zhaowu Kingdom, and a series of military and livelihood issues that needed to be resolved after the Western Regions were settled.

He didn’t know how many such memorials he had written. Only today, it was impossible to move a pen.

Putting down the pen, Qin Mubai placed her hands on her lower abdomen and sat back. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“The birds are gone, the good bow is hidden; the crafty rabbit is dead, the lackeys are cooking … He’s treating me like a thief to guard against, but I’m still worrying about the aftermath of the Western Regions. Am I loyal or cheap?” Thinking of this, Qin Mubai’s heart fell inch by inch, a trace of coldness.

He reached out his hand to press the bridge of his nose between his eyes to refresh himself. He still picked up the pen and decided to finish the memorial.

“This is probably the last thing I, Qin Mubai, can do for the Great Tang!”

Writing down the memorial, he described in detail the current situation of the Western Regions and the problems faced, suggested that the Imperial Court should divide the reasonable state and county structure in the Western Regions as soon as possible, and assign a number of capable feudal officials to govern. In addition, diplomacy with the Great Zhaowu Kingdom was of utmost importance. In the next few decades, over a hundred years, the two overlords, Great Tang and Great Food, would definitely clash openly or secretly.

The existence of the Great Zhaowu Kingdom not only ensured that the Great Tang could obtain stable and enormous commercial profits from the silk trade route, but also was the intersection point of the Great Tang’s first military defense line to the West and the political, cultural and economic development.

Geographically, Zhaowu Country was located between the Great Tang and Great Food, and was an important military buffer zone and strategic ally for both countries. Therefore, the Great Tang must do its utmost to protect and fight for Zhaowu Country. Otherwise, the difference between one loss, one gain, one loss, one positive and one negative would be a major change in the strength ratio.

On the other hand, Qin Mubai suggested that the imperial court should adopt the ethnic assimilation strategy of “boiling frogs in warm water” on the premise of respect and equality for the small countries and tribes in the Western Regions that had already surrendered. Rather, it was to allow the political culture of the Great Tang to slowly permeate into these tribes and gradually assimilate them with time. In less than 50 years, by the time the two or three generations passed, the entire Western Regions would be completely integrated into the Chinese nation. Only then would the grand plan of “conquering the Western Regions” be truly completed!

Only the Great Tang could truly become the overlord of the East!

…

As the night went deeper, Qin Mubai wrote down a thick stack of memorials. However, he felt that there were still many things that he had not said.

Military commanders under hundreds of thousands of soldiers, feudal officials under the territory of tens of millions of miles, how can three two ink can say? Over the years, Li Shi had thrown the Qin family father and son to Lanzhou, and he had not interfered much in the west. It could be said that from that day onwards, the River Dragon, Tibet, and the entire Western Regions of the Great Tang were all under Qin Mubai’s control.

Now, it was finally the time to change shifts. Qin Mubai felt like she was returning a child she had raised for many years to her biological parents.

Logically speaking, he should do this, but in the end, he felt a little reluctant to part with her. After all, he and his father had worked hard and had feelings for each other for many years.

“I hope that the Emperor and the Imperial Court will treat meritorious soldiers like Guanxi Army and the citizens of the various races who have suffered from the flames of war well …” Qin Mubai put down his pen and sorted out the papers he had written page by page.

At this moment, the door was knocked, “Mubai, are you still awake?”

It’s snow lotus.

“Come in!”

Snow Lotus pushed open the door and entered, holding a soup cup in her hand. She walked to Qin Mubai’s side and put down the soup cup. “Are you tired? You’re still awake at this late hour … Eh, are you writing a memorial for the Imperial Court?” She said.

“Yes.” Qin Mubai took the soup cup. It was a bowl of warm red bean porridge. It was best used to nourish his stomach during the middle of the night.

Qin Mubai drank porridge. Snow Lotus walked behind him and gently rubbed his temples and ears. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, “Mubai, resign and go into seclusion! Shall we go to the grasslands together?”

Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment and said, “Why did you suddenly say this?”

“I saw that you were too tired.” Xue Lian said, “I overheard your conversation with Pang Fei yesterday … Ah, I really didn’t expect it!”

Qin Mubai waved her hand and interrupted her. She chuckled indifferently and said, “Let’s not talk about that. Snowlotus, I am indeed already settling military and administrative matters and preparing to resign and retire. I have already chosen a place to settle down in the future. Unfortunately, it is not the grasslands. Do you mind?”

“Where is that?”

“The capital of the Great Zhaowu Kingdom, Samuel, built a city.”

Snow Lotus was slightly stunned for a moment, then nodded her head. As long as we’re together, it’s the same wherever we live. I said go to the grasslands, because there are not so many things in the Central Plains not fame and fortune of the struggle. But since you already have a better place in your heart, I have no objections. Anyway, you don’t have to be an official anymore. Whether you go out or go home, there’s no one safe. Not to mention your own exhaustion, we have to worry about you as a family, and worry about you all day long. ”

Qin Mubai smiled and handed the arranged memorial to Snowlotus, saying, “You can take a look.”

Xue Lian curiously took it over and looked at it for a while. She asked in surprise, “You want Pang Fei to lead the 300 thousand Kansai main army back to Chang’an?”

“That’s right.” Qin Mubai smiled faintly and said, “Since the Imperial Court is afraid of my army and influence, I will dispel their worries. I don’t want the army anymore. I will return it all to the Imperial Court. Officials, I won’t do it anymore. When Pang Fei leaves, I will ask him to bring my handsome officer and military talisman.”

Xue Lian frowned deeply and said worriedly, “Mubai, are you abandoning yourself, or are you silently protesting?”

“Neither.” Qin Mubai smiled faintly and said, “Actually, the current situation is like chess. All the players are addicted to it and think that they can turn the tide. But in reality, the overall situation is already decided, and no one can change it.”

“Even His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang is unable to change it?”

“If he could change and decide everything because he was the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, why would the current situation evolve into what it is today?” Qin Mubai said, “All the hidden political dangers of the Great Tang originated from the conflict in the Eastern Palace. It has evolved beyond the control of the emperor. Only by constantly trying, probing, and even ruthlessly trying to repair his injuries can he prevent the Great Tang from falling into endless internal strife and chaos.”

“Trying? Testing? Mending your flesh?” Snow Lotus was confused, “I don’t understand!”

Qin Mubai held her hand and placed it on her shoulder, indicating for her to press it for her. Then, she said calmly, “The choice of the future king of the Great Tang Kingdom has always been a headache for His Majesty the Emperor.” In the past, he had tried his best to nurture Li Chengqian, the eldest son of his first wife. Actually, Li Chengqian had performed quite well at the beginning. It could be said that his talent was actually very outstanding, and he had also worked hard to be a good crown prince and emperor. However, the pressure was unbearable. With an extremely outstanding father like the Emperor, Li Chengqian would forever live in the shadow of his father. Especially those old officials who followed the emperor all the way down the river, always compared him to the emperor. This was called’dwarfing by comparison ‘, and Li Chengqian would never satisfy them. Coupled with the Emperor’s strength and impatience, as well as his strict demands on the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian abandoned himself and eventually collapsed.

“I know that.” Xue Lian massaged Qin Mubai and said, “Li Chengqian was demoted in the end because of the plot involving Han King Li Yuanchang …”

“That’s right! That incident dealt a great blow to the emperor. From then on, he changed his mind and felt that the future emperor of the Great Tang did not need to be very outstanding. He could defend it with the help of a group of capable officials.” Qin Mubai said, “Thus, the young Prince of Jin, Li Zhi, was pushed onto the stage by his uncle’s eldest son, Sun Wuji, and became the prince of the Imperial Court.” Although on the surface, it seemed that it was the eldest Sun Wuji who managed to stand out as the king of Jin, it was actually not difficult to ignore. In the dark, there must be the emperor’s approval or even instructions. At that time, the emperor ignored the government on the ground of recuperating from illness and completely handed it over to King Jin and Eldest Sun Wuji. “He just wants to see if this uncle and nephew can govern the Great Tang in case his Long Yu funeral is over.”

“What’s the result?”

Qin Mubai smiled. “As a result, King Jin sat on the dragon chair all day, panicking and panicking, almost peeing his pants.” He even came to ask me for help because he was afraid that he would anger King Wei. At the same time, Changsun Wuji took over the royal platform, and the Tang court became his hall. Along with Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang, and Wei Zheng, they could only stand aside. However, it was at this moment that Changsun Wuji made a mistake. He had violated the Emperor’s original intention and decided to make peace with Tibet. At that time, the Emperor saw that if this pair of nephews were allowed to take over the rivers and mountains of the Great Tang, then the future that the Emperor had painted for the Great Tang would have to change, and it would become what his eldest grandson, Wuji, wanted. “Let’s put it bluntly. Once the emperor dies, it’s hard to say whether the surname of this Great Tang is Li or Changsun.”

Snow Lotus nodded in agreement, “In such a situation, would His Majesty the Emperor definitely reject King Jin?”

“That’s right. From then on, King Jin could be said to have been abandoned by His Majesty the Emperor and faded out of the competition for the throne.” Qin Mubai said, “Then, the Emperor only has one direct son left. That is the King of Wei!”

“Everyone says that King Wei is the most likely to become the Crown Prince?” Xue Lian said, “I heard that he has a good mind and has always been loved by the emperor. Back when Li Chengqian was the crown prince, there were rumors that the emperor of the Great Tang would abolish the crown prince and make King Wei the crown prince, right?”

“Yes.” Qin Mubai nodded and said, “To be honest, King Wei’s mental skills, manor, knowledge, and background are all the best candidates for the Crown Prince. However, he has committed a big taboo!”

“What taboo?”

“You’re wrong, brother!” Qin Mubai narrowed his eyes and said, “This is actually a violation of a major taboo in the heart of His Majesty the Emperor! You know about the change in the Black Warrior Sect, right?”

“Of course …”

Qin Mubai heaved a sigh of relief. “The Emperor is most worried that his sons will fight for the throne like him. This worry has nothing to do with his status as Emperor. It is only out of the selfishness of a father. However, the Emperor is also a human being. His selfishness is also a national matter!”

“Then what did King Wei do that violated the Emperor’s taboo?” Xue Lian asked.

“A lot.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “For so many years, King Wei has never given up on harming the former Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Prince Li Ke in secret.” Although what he has done is sufficiently secret, I believe that it cannot be concealed from the eyes of the Emperor. Once or twice, the Emperor could continue to observe without hesitation. Three times four times … King Wei’s future was ruined just like that! “But the one who really ruined King Wei, I think it must be the assassination of King Wu this time!”

“Didn’t you say that day that King Wei and Eldest Sun Wuji definitely didn’t do the King Wu case?” Xue Lian was puzzled, “Why did you … ruin King Wei now?”

“Yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean that King Wei has nothing to do with this case.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Actually, I have verified that the Emperor has given up on King Wei by pushing back!”

“Reverse? What do you mean? The more I listen, the more confused I become!” Snow Lotus said.

Qin Mubai chuckled, “It was because of Butler Lu’s sudden arrival and Pang Fei’s various performances that helped me confirm that the Emperor has made up his mind to abandon King Wei and establish King Wu.” Thus, I deduce that the Emperor must have done this because he learned that the assassination of the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Wu was related to each other, thus ruining his last fantasy about the Duke of Wei. Moreover, Li Ke must still be alive in the mortal world, which gave the emperor a choice. In other words, the position of the Eastern Palace was already in the hands of Prince Wu, so there was no need for anyone to fight for him anymore! This was because all of his opponents had been abandoned by His Majesty the Emperor. That ‘s what I said just now–to heal the wounds of the flesh. ”

“How do I know?” Xue Lian asked in surprise.

Qin Mubai smiled and replied, “Think about it, Pang Fei is the Emperor’s hidden line. He doesn’t dare to make any provocations to test me.” Otherwise, if I really rebelled, would he be able to afford it? Therefore, I suspect that he must have obtained the emperor’s decree to test my loyalty. “Have you ever wondered why the Emperor spies on me and tries to test my loyalty at this critical moment?”

“I don’t understand” Snow Lotus shook her head in confusion. “To be honest, the thoughts of the Han people are too exquisite and strange. I really don’t understand at all. Perhaps the Emperor was worried that you would arise to avenge Li Ke after hearing the news of his assassination, right?”

“Of course not!” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Even if Li Ke is really assassinated, what name should I use to arise and avenge him?” Even if we arise, who am I going to beat? Strike the emperor, the imperial court, or the king of Wei? This was all pointless! The prince was murdered by the emperor and the law, so it’s not my turn to act beyond my authority. Moreover, the Emperor is knowledgeable. He knows very well that I, Qin Mubai, am not someone who has a brain that revolts against the bones. Therefore, even if rumors of my rebellion spread all over the world, he would still turn a deaf ear to them. This is the so-called “rumors stop at the wise!”

Snow Lotus said angrily, “Then he still tries to test you again and again, provoking you?”

Qin Mubai chuckled and said, “In fact, the emperor called King Wu back to the capital at first. It is very likely that he wanted to make him his reserve.” However, he hadn’t expected that something really went wrong halfway. But later on, the Emperor must have known that King Wu was safe and sound. “So he planned to provoke me by putting on a posture of fire prevention, burglar prevention, and thief prevention in Chang’an, and even let Pang Fei incessantly provoke and test me at this time. He just wanted to know if I, Qin Mubai, am loyal enough, calm enough, and qualified to assist the new king, Li Ke, in the future.”

“Heavens, how could there be such a scheming person in this world?” After Xue Lian heard this, she was stunned and shook her head. “Mubai, if you don’t do anything unusual or say something inappropriate in front of Pang Fei, wouldn’t it be a catastrophe? Since your power is so powerful and not loyal enough, the Emperor will definitely eliminate you and quickly eliminate future troubles!”

“Almost! Therefore, accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger. I’m not just saying that.” Qin Mubai smiled indifferently. “No, in order to let the old man rest assured, I, someone Qin, have completely given up! You have also seen the memorial. I have handed over the important military and political tasks, surrendered my military power to the military, and then resigned to retirement!”

“What a wise move, I support you!” Snow Lotus nodded seriously, “Mubai, seriously … I’m really not worth it for you! You set up an unparalleled feat for the Great Tang, but in the end, you suffered such suspicion and danger of killing yourself! Even if you really rebelled, it would still be justified!”

“Haha, why bother?” Qin Mubai smiled lightly. “Actually, the Emperor only wanted to entrust me with an important task in the future, so he kept monitoring and probing me.” This was only out of caution, or rather, even a king had such a trick. Although his methods seem a little despicable and despicable, his starting point is that he thinks highly of me. Unfortunately, someone Qin was tired of playing! The Great Tang has never lacked talent. Without me, Qin, the sky can’t fall. Those fame and power, just let them fight for their lives. Someone Qin doesn’t want them, so he won’t accompany them. Today, I, Qin Mubai, don’t owe anything to the Great Tang. If I want to leave, I understand clearly and justifiably. “Even if the Emperor of the Great Tang had ruled over all the people of the Four Seas and could determine the life and death of anyone, he would still not be able to change the will of the people!”

“Let’s go, let’s go resolutely!” Snow Lotus said resolutely, “If you stay here, who can guarantee that something like this will not happen again? Who can guarantee that one day, you, who are invincible, will die by the saber of your own people?”

Qin Mubai scooped up the last spoonful of porridge in the Soup Gu and drank it. She smacked her lips and nodded with a smile, then said,

“Madam is wise!”