Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 233: Anxi Protectorate

Pingkangfang, Youxiang Mansion.

Li Linfu was sitting alone behind the desk, twirling his beard, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the letter recommending Qin Huai to be the Protector General of Anxi, feeling as disgusted as if it were stained with dog feces.

He knew very well that if he allowed Qinhuai to control the northwest and control Zhaowu, he would have the opportunity to become more powerful. Those enemies in the court who regarded him as a thorn in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh, and those aristocratic families represented by the Five Surnames and Seven Families, would seize on his past weaknesses and flaws and attack him frantically.

In fact, he was not afraid of those who claimed to be upright. People like Zhang Jiuling, Pei Yaoqing, and Li Shizhi were gentlemen, and gentlemen can be deceived. He had eliminated too many of them.

However, the reward Qin Huai requested posed the most direct and fatal threat to him.

"The real purpose of this little boy is to become the king of the Western Regions."

The murderous intent towards Qin Huai in his heart resurfaced, lingering around him vaguely, but he remembered the relationship between Tianqi and Tianruisi, as well as the ambiguous attitude of neutrality between Da Ci'en Temple and Tianque.

Li Linfu could only sigh and personally write in the memorial to list Qin Huai's qualifications, achievements, and benefits in protecting the country and the people.

At this moment, he became a loyal minister who cared about the people and had a keen eye for people.

People only know how to scold him for demanding fighting cocks and meat waist knives, but they don't know that under the appearance of heavy taxes and jealousy of talented people, he is actually a wise minister who is dedicated to discovering talents and expanding the territory for the Tang Dynasty.

Haven’t you seen how much arable land and frontier land the Hu generals promoted by him, such as Geshu Han and An Lushan, opened up for the prosperous Tang Dynasty?

Suddenly, Jiao Nu came hurriedly and handed a letter to Li Linfu.

He had looked at it, and his already frowned brows deepened.

"Call Jiwen."

"Here."

After a long time, Ji Wen still hadn't arrived. Instead, his confidant, the third-rank official Jingzhao Yin Xiao Jiong, came first to ask for a meeting.

Li Linfu spoke very simply to Xiao Jiong and only asked one question.

"The indictments from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice have come out. Have you heard about it?"

"Reporting to the Right Prime Minister, I have heard of it."

Xiao Jiong nodded respectfully and said, "No matter what the truth is, I think Ji Wen has made too much trouble. If he had enough means, this matter would not have fallen into a dilemma."

"Zeng Tai must die, Ji Wen must be demoted, and Master Huo can use the method of using someone else's body as a substitute."

"Here."

Afterwards, Ji Wen's somewhat panicked voice was heard from the other side of the screen.

"Ji Wen has met the Right Prime Minister. May the Right Prime Minister be well."

"You are becoming more and more useless."

Li Linfu put down his pen and angrily shouted, "I asked you to cover up the matter, but you just told me everything!"

"It's unfair! Please believe me, I didn't reveal the key points at all!"

Ji Wen bowed down immediately and shouted, "Right Prime Minister, you know me well. Over the years, whenever I made accounts and embezzled funds, I always colluded with the six ministries, fabricated and concealed information, and made increases and decreases out of thin air. How could the Dali Temple ever find anything wrong?!"

Li Linfu said nothing, just stared coldly at the chicken tongue plague.

Ji Wen knelt forward, kowtowed, and cried, "Since I was promoted from a mere lawyer to a doctor by the Right Prime Minister, my life has been at the disposal of the Right Prime Minister. How dare I ignore my family in order to reduce my guilt?"

Li Linfu believed these words.

Since he became prime minister, countless chess pieces have been sacrificed, but no matter whether they were forced to death in the six departments or the countless innocent souls who were used to take the blame, no one has ever dared to go against his will.

As the prime minister of a country, he doesn't need any coercion or inducement. As long as he doesn't want his entire family to be executed, these pawns can only be willing to be killed.

"Right Prime Minister."

Ji Wen said again: "I beg the Right Prime Minister to plead for me!"

"Why do you think you can stand here?"

Li Linfu picked up the news on the table and read it, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

"If I hadn't protected you, the Heavenly Cavalry would have confiscated your entire family's property and thrown you into prison, awaiting execution. Now, you have no choice but to be exiled for a few years until Qin Huai stops talking about this matter."

"Right Prime Minister." Ji Wen cried, "If the Right Prime Minister didn't have someone as loyal as me by his side, he would be in trouble."

"Go down."

Li Linfu had no need for a doctor from the Ministry of Revenue like Ji Wen.

The more urgent matter at the moment is that he has to exchange steam machinery technology from the Western Barbarians for the saint, so that more Tang men can use mobile armor that is no less powerful than the Fu Jia.

The candlelight flickered, and before I knew it, it was dusk.

"Ah Lang, Qin Huai asked to see you the day before yesterday. His vacation was over and he just returned from the Divine Capital to serve."

"Only him?"

"There are also the Palace Supervisor Zhang Jiugao and the Palace Censor Yan Zhenqing."

"Bring them in."

Ta da~
The sound of footsteps came into the hall. Through the screen, one could vaguely see Qin Huai's majestic body like a tiger and a dragon and the upright scholar in purple and green official robes.

"It's great to be young."

Li Linfu thought, after all, he is the descendant of Duke Hu Qin Qiong. His physique should be comparable to that of the ancient overlord, right?

Unfortunately, they are enemies rather than friends.

"I've met the right prime minister."

Qin Huai lifted his visor and saluted: "Tianqi has something to ask you."

A sense of oppression like a tide swept over him. Li Linfu looked at Qin Huai, who was respectful but arrogant. He felt angry but helpless.

"The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have submitted the petition to the Heavenly Cavalry. I have carefully examined it and feel that it is somewhat biased. I wonder what the Right Prime Minister thinks?"

Having said that, Qin Huai raised his hand to move the screen away, and ignoring Jiao Nu's murderous gaze, he sat down opposite Li Linfu's desk.

"I think the judgment is fair and reasonable, so let's do it."

Li Linfu snorted coldly and threw the letter of recommendation in front of Qin Huai.

"Since the Right Prime Minister has said so, Huai naturally has no objection."

Qin Huai opened the letter and took a look at it. Seeing the seal of the Right Prime Minister's Office, he no longer pursued the superficial statement.

Li Linfu remained silent.

Zhang Jiugao, a third-rank official who was the Palace Supervisor at the time, looked at the treacherous prime minister who had driven his own brother out of the court, lowered his head, and spoke slowly.

"You are nearly 70 years old, and your political affairs are becoming increasingly complicated. I see that your complexion is not as good as before, so you should take good care of yourself."

Li Linfu's face turned stern. He was not much different from Li Longji, and he hated it most when someone said he was old.

What's more, he is now in the court, facing a dangerous situation with powerful opponents. Even if power is really poisonous, he has no other way to go except to quench his thirst with poison and seek survival.

"As the palace supervisor, you should remember your duty and put the Saint's dragon body first!"

Seeing Li Linfu showing his timidity, Qin Huai slightly curled the corners of his mouth, pulled Yan Zhenqing beside him, and spoke slowly.

"After the corruption case in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households, Ji Wen was demoted and the position of Langzhong was vacant. Qingchen was a Jinshi in the 22nd year of Kaiyuan. He is self-reliant and can handle things properly. However, Tianqi wants to ask the Right Prime Minister to draft another memorial."

"Go down."

"Did the Right Prime Minister agree?" "There are many people eyeing this position, you should deal with them first."

Qin Huai didn't care even though he could tell there was something else in Li Linfu's words. Although the Qin family was a family of generals for generations, they were also the banner of the aristocratic families. The Five Surnames and Seven Families would not even give them this face.

"The Right Prime Minister won't have to worry about that."

Seeing that the matter had been discussed, Qin Huai immediately got up and left without saying another word to Suo Douji.

Looking at Qin Huai's back, Li Linfu's eyes became more thoughtful.

After a long time, he called Runnu and spoke indifferently.

"Go to Lingyun Peak of Mount Lushan and ask Shiqi Niang to come back."

"Here."

Runnu took his leave. Li Linfu thought back to what happened today. He knew that it was no good to go against Tianqi, so he had some intention of winning them over.

But if this plan fails, we can only.
He then called Li Xiu (his son) over and took out a black gold talisman.

"The Western Barbarians' delegation has arrived. Go and meet them."
-
Pingkangfang is close to both the East Market and the Imperial City, and has the music of stringed instruments. It is one of the most prosperous places in Chang'an. The road to Xingqing Palace is crowded with people.

Although it was winter, there were still women in gorgeous clothes going out with their snow-white necks exposed. Qin Huai drove a steam ceremonial carriage, but Zhang Jiugao and Yan Zhenqing behind him felt a little uneasy.

This was the first time for them to ride in a steam carriage, and listening to the rumbling sound of the boiler, they couldn't help but worry about the risk of explosion.

"Deng~Deng~"

Arriving at the north gate of the East Market, Qin Huai closed the diversion valve, parked the ceremonial carriage, and said to Zhang and Yan with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, Brother Yan, are you used to riding in this steam carriage?"

"It's more comfortable than a carriage, but a little noisy."

Zhang Jiugao nodded slightly and led the two of them into the north gate.

There is a bustling and lively scene before my eyes.

The wide and straight street seems to have no end. All you can see are neatly lined shops on both sides, with eaves, terraces, wine flags, and lanterns. The street is crowded with people and there is a wide variety of goods.

"It's getting late, let's go eat first."

Qin Huai lowered his head and glanced at his two brothers who were almost as tall as his waist, then led the way, ignoring the surprised looks of passers-by.

The three of them walked for a while and heard the sound of drums and music getting louder. When they got closer, they could see a stage in front of them. More than a dozen beautiful girls were dancing on it, which was really beautiful.

Qin Huai looked around and saw no one was carrying plates and collecting money, so he couldn't help but ask, "What is this for?"

Zhang Jiugao was knowledgeable and experienced. He looked closely at the dot patterns and embroidered lapels on the dancer's clothes and had the answer in his mind.

"Zoroastrian dancers from Sassanid Persia. They are probably preaching their doctrines here."

"You have a nice figure, and it's a good thing to let the people have fun watching you."

Going further south, we still couldn't see the restaurant, but instead turned into a street selling food.

A burst of fragrance wafted over.

Steamers were placed in various steamed food shops, with clouds of steam rising and the aroma spreading far away; the oil pans in the fried food shops were crackling, frying the mixed meatballs until golden; there were also a variety of pastries; roasted lamb and camel humps sprinkled with spices;
Qin Huai looked at the many four-wheeled carts and smiling vendors that were not much different from those at the Tianjiu Night Market, and took out two or three strings of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins from his side pocket.

He is a person who loves to eat and also likes to eat good food. Although part of the reason is that he has a huge appetite, it is more because he is willing to try different flavors.

"My Lords, is there anything you would like to eat?"

"There's a restaurant here that sells good mutton. Why don't you go there and moisten your throat first?"

Zhang Jiugao nodded. He was old and had loose teeth, so it was just right for him to drink some soup to warm himself up.

Seeing that the two had no objection, Yan Zhenqing smiled and led the way for them.

The mutton noodle soup at Chongjia Restaurant is said to be a craft from Weinan, and is quite famous in Chang'an. That afternoon, Qin Huai ordered three bowls of it and drank them all up.

Zhang Jiugao and Yan Zhenqing's official uniforms were covered by their cloaks and did not attract anyone's attention for a while.

"The soup is as clear as water, and the meat is so fresh that it really has a unique flavor."

Qin Huai put down the bowl and looked out through the railing. The scene of the prosperous Tang Dynasty that he had seen in the past few days seemed to appear before his eyes.

Rolls of fine silk were moved into the Imperial Treasury, piles of brocade; bags of grain were placed in the warehouses, rice was juicy; ships sailed to the Guangyuntan wharf, loaded with tribute from the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers; tens of thousands of kilograms of Tianrui were transported from Beihai, Nanzhao, and Fusang to the twenty prefectures of the prosperous Tang Dynasty; countless steam machines used for farming, water conservancy, silk reeling, metallurgy and other livelihood industries were skillfully operated by the Tang people, bursting with vigorous vitality.
The city of Chang'an was extremely magnificent. The twelve streets dividing the market were as neatly arranged as vegetable plots, and hundreds of thousands of households were scattered around like a chessboard.

Amid the sound of evening drums, merchants leading camels, pedestrians on horseback, women riding in carriages, and common people walking on foot walked along the long street, with their wheels clattering, their shoulders rubbing, their clothes sitting like curtains, their sleeves raised like a curtain, and the scene was extremely lively.

“What a magnificent era.”

Qin Huai stood up to pay the bill, then led the two of them through the East Market to Cuihua Tower at the north gate of Daozhengfang.

Cuihua Tower is only one street away from Xingqing Palace. Across Chunlinmen Street is the most famous tower in the world - Hua'e Xianghui Tower.

When Qin Huai arrived, many diners had already left. After greeting the shopkeeper in front of the hall, the three of them went to the private room that had been booked earlier.

Sitting in the antique wooden room were a handsome young man with purple eyes and white hair, and a tall and thin middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes.

Rundstedt, and the head of the delegation, Raphael Medici.

Behind Raphael Medici, there was a mixed-race person with both Eastern and Western features, who seemed to be a translator.

Qin Huai stepped into the room and after looking at Ge Shujing who had been guarding here earlier, the three of them took their seats.

Raphael looked at the culprit who had caused the cardinal's plan to fail, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Mr. Raphael came from Florence. Did you see General Xianzhi when you passed through Chachi?"

"Yes, General Xianzhi said he couldn't make the decision, so we came here, to the eastern capital, Chang'an."

Raphael listened to the translation, stood up and made a not-so-standard cross-arm salute to Qin Huai, then nodded and began to answer the question.

"Have you brought the Messiah's credentials? Let me see it."

Qin Huai took a bite of roasted lamb and looked up at Raphael who was a little hesitant.

"Letters from European countries should be delivered to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Although you are very powerful, you should also observe etiquette."

"Jingbo, you are overstepping your authority."

Zhang Jiugao frowned and reminded in a low voice.

"Western Yi are a foreign nation. The war just ended a month ago. If they use the credible letter to assassinate the saint and disturb the saint, the Heavenly Cavalry will surely be blamed. For many reasons, I should take the lead and investigate carefully first."

Qin Huai's words were righteous and well-reasoned. Zhang Jiugao thought about it and said nothing more.

While the translator was telling Raphael this, Qin Huai pulled Geshu Jing over and spoke a few words in a low voice.

"The Ministry of Justice has issued a complaint. Bring a few brothers and clean up the mess left over from the case."

"What if someone trips me up?"

"If someone doesn't want to be decent, then you help him be decent."

"Here."

Geshu Jing nodded, understood the situation, and went out. Soon, the unique heavy hoofbeats of the Kuilong horse were heard downstairs.

Qin Huai turned around and looked at Raphael, who looked like a businessman, leisurely, with black ripples flickering in his eyes.

This is the best of times.

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(End of this chapter)