Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Gao Yang looked at Baikal County City, whose city walls, though not very high, were already on the scale of cities in the Central Plains, and nodded in satisfaction.

The situation was much better than she had imagined.

She stepped forward and personally made Wei Zheng and Cheng Yaojin submit to her.

"Lord Wei, Duke of Lu, there's no need for such formalities. You are both my elders, and you have rendered great service in defending the borders of our Great Tang over the years."

Wei Zheng stood up and gestured to invite Gao Yang into the city.

However, his eyes remained fixed on the large convoy behind Gao Yang, and he kept swallowing hard.

Although Princess Gaoyang's additional 6,000 cavalrymen would be a significant burden to deal with in the upcoming Baikal region, it was still manageable compared to the consumption of some grain and meat.

The convoy in front of us has brought personnel, machinery, and a small amount of food. With the vast expanse of Lake Baikal, how could anyone go hungry?

Gao Yang could see that Wei Zheng was anxious.

"Hehe, it seems that Baikal County is indeed in dire need of a talented young man to join us, isn't it? I remember that when Lord Wei left Taiyuan Prefecture and came to Baikal County, his temples were still black, but now they are mostly gray."

Wei Zheng was brought back to his senses by these words, and awkwardly bowed with his hands clasped.

"It was my rudeness, Your Highness. Please come in. I have already ordered preparations to be made at the Princess's residence, but..."

Gao Yang smiled faintly: "Don't worry, Lord Wei. Although Baikal County will be my fiefdom in the future, I am not here to enjoy myself."

These words seemed to make Cheng Yaojin, who was standing to the side, sense something.

They exchanged a glance and both saw the worry in each other's eyes.

Now that Baikal County has acquired this group of elite talents from Chang'an and Taiyuan, it should embark on the next phase of construction and development. This little rascal dares not act recklessly...

The large convoy drove into Baikal County.

Those helping to unload the goods were all members of the Production and Construction Corps who had been stationed in the area for five or six years. These soldiers included both Turks and Han Chinese, and the generals also included members of both ethnicities.

However, seeing the people who came this time, they were all treated with the same enthusiasm as if they were comrades-in-arms.

"This thing is precious, everyone carry it slowly. One more person over here, yes... one! two! three! lift!"

"Whoever has the roster here, go over there and register and summarize it."

"Come, come, fresh fish soup! Have a bowl of fresh fish soup to warm yourself up..."

The entire city of Baikal was deserted, with everyone packed to capacity.

Princess Gaoyang's Mansion.

After Gao Yang took a look around, he had the items moved in.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Lord Wei. Although this princess's residence cannot compare with those in Chang'an and Taiyuan, it is already excellent for Baikal County at present. I imagine that Baikal County must have spent a lot of manpower and resources to build this princess's residence."

The princess's residence is not very large.

But it has all the vital organs.

From the outer guards' quarters, protective walls, and patrol roads, to the inner residence of Gao Yang, her bedroom and inner chambers, and the living quarters for her maids, everything was arranged perfectly.

They even thoughtfully transplanted a lot of local vegetation and flowers from other places.

Upon hearing this, both Wei Zheng and Cheng Yaojin breathed a sigh of relief.

They were worried too!

They knew all too well what kind of temperament Princess Gaoyang had when she was in Chang'an; if anything displeased her, she was truly capable of overturning the table and taking action.

Most importantly, he happens to have several beloved older brothers.

"I'm glad Your Highness is satisfied. After Baikal County has developed for a few more years, I will expand and renovate the land for Your Highness..."

Gao Yang waved his hand, his expression turning serious.

"No need, the current regulations are fine. Let's talk about business instead!"

Wei Zheng cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please speak!"

"My imperial brother keeps the Xueyantuo alive, but ignores them and forbids trade with them. Is this to balance the Tiele tribe?"

Wei Zheng's pupils contracted, and Cheng Yaojin, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but gasp.

"Your Highness, has His Highness the Crown Prince spoken to you?"

"If my brother had already told me, would I have needed to ask you?" Gao Yang glared at him with her phoenix eyes.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng stroked his beard and nodded.

Then he let out another long sigh.

"These are all measures taken out of necessity. Your Highness has seen this on your journey north. The vastness of the grasslands cannot be stabilized by a single city or town. However, if we follow the old strategy of pacifying the Central Plains in the north and introduce a grassland leader who is loyal to our Great Tang, it will eventually return to the way it was before, and may even threaten the Central Plains."

"Although His Highness the Crown Prince destroyed the Eastern Turks and gained the loyalty of the lower-level Turkic herders and small tribes of the Tang Dynasty, it was still not enough to occupy the entire grassland, hence the need for this desperate measure."

As if he had thought of something, Wei Zheng frowned slightly and shook his head gently with a hint of worry.

"Over the years, I have worked diligently to stabilize Baikal County and, as Your Highness has instructed, to reclaim wasteland, cultivate land, and develop fisheries, all in order to transform Baikal County into a northern stronghold of our Great Tang Dynasty. When Your Highness takes action against the Tiele tribes, we can send troops south to launch a pincer attack from both the north and south!"

Gao Yang nodded, pondered for a moment, and then gently raised his eyes.

"In that case, I will handle the Tiele tribe's affairs. Lord Wei can continue to focus on developing Baikal County!"

Wei Zheng and Cheng Yaojin felt a sudden unease.

"No, Your Highness! Although the Tiele tribes may have internal discord, they are ultimately not of our kind and cannot be compared with the Turks who have already been assimilated!"

Seeing how nervous the two were, Gao Yang knew that they didn't trust her, and she couldn't argue with that.

Ultimately, the outcome of such matters will determine the outcome.

She waved her hand dismissively.

"Alright, we'll discuss this matter later. Duke Wei, Duke Lu, please arrange the development plan for Baikal County as soon as possible. This time, I not only brought many professional talents from the Imperial University, but also a lot of supplies."

"My elder brother said that Baikal County is permitted to build its own steam engines and convert its factories..."

The city of Baikal, though late at night, was brightly lit and filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

The aroma of meat and wine permeated the air throughout the city.

Princess Gaoyang was in her study in her princess residence, standing still in front of a blackboard, her gaze absent as if she were deep in thought, staring at a few lines of words on the blackboard.

"Economy...Military...Culture..."

She kept recalling the words her elder brother had taught her and her other brothers and sisters when he was handling state affairs.

"When the enemy has nowhere to retreat, simply resorting to force may make them more cohesive and powerful, but using economic means can make them fragile and divided internally."

"As long as one is human, the desire for a prosperous life can never be eliminated..."

Gao Yang slowly came to his senses, raised the chalk in his hand, and was about to write something under the "Economy" column when he suddenly stopped.

"No, before suppressing the enemy, we must first win over the enemy's enemy..."

Gao Yang thought of the Tiele tribal leaders he had encountered along the way, such as Mo Tu Luo, the leader of the Hun tribe.

These people were filled with awe and longing for the Tang Dynasty, but they were quite dissatisfied and jealous of the Xueyantuo, who were also from the Tiele tribe.

It's like they can't stand seeing their peers, who used to be just as poor as them, suddenly become rich and powerful.

A cold smile appeared on Gao Yang's lips.

Half a month.

The swift horses of the Beihai Dragon Cavalry charged out of Baikal County, carrying Gaoyang's invitation, and headed towards the Tiele tribes.

On the Xueyantuo side, Yinan, whose tribe's affairs were ruined because of his foolish son, is under significantly more pressure lately.

He tried every means to repair relations with the Tang Dynasty, and even sent a batch of cattle and sheep to Baikal County to apologize to Gao Yang.

However, no good news arrived.

A piece of news that came today made Yinan feel dizzy and disoriented.

Princess Gaoyang hosted a banquet, inviting the leaders of all the Tiele tribes (except the Xueyantuo tribe) to Baikal County to discuss a grand plan for common prosperity in the northern desert!