"It's almost dark, Brother Su Chen, can we still enter Binzhou City?"
Si'er got out of the car and stretched out a bit, then looked at the sunset and asked after the sunset.
“I’m not going, I’ll just stay here for one night at Binzhou Station and continue my journey tomorrow!”
Su Chen helped Sun Rong walk slowly to stretch her body, while Chang Le held Si'er to prevent her from running around.
We have our own maids and guards to arrange accommodation and guard against issues.
It takes two days to go from Binzhou to Chang'an by carriage.
Su Chen and Rong Sun returned to Sujiazhuang on the evening of the third day.
When Changle passed by Chang'an City, he had to send Si'er back first and pay his respects to Li Er and Empress Changsun.
After not seeing each other for several months, I was warmly welcomed back home by the butler and servants who stayed behind.
Su Chen rested at home for a day and went to Chang'an to meet Li Er early on the third day.
When we arrived at the palace, the morning court had already dispersed, and Li Er was waiting for Su Chen in the Ganlu Hall.
"Well, not bad!"
Li Er looked at Su Chen carefully and said with a smile:
"Changle complained to me yesterday that you were too busy in Guanzhou and made you look haggard. Isn't this very energetic?"
Su Chen smiled: "You don't have to go anywhere else to view Zhouzhou. There are also railways and trains. It's normal to be busy, but many beauties are neglected."
"I know you're working hard, sit down!"
Li Er asked someone to serve tea to Su Chen, chatted for a few words and then got down to business.
"Guanzhou, we can talk about the railway in detail later when Xuanling and the auxiliary engines arrive."
"You said in your letter that you wanted to leave early for a big meal?"
Su Chen nodded: "It's early to leave. Now that this matter is over, I can have a good rest!"
Li Er sighed and said, "If it hadn't been for the defection of the Linghu family in Hexi, you wouldn't have to be in such a hurry."
Su Chen shook his head and said: "The reason for those traitors is that I didn't expect Dashi to annex Persia so easily!"
Li Er frowned: "Persia was already subjugated at the end of last year. We only found out about this in March!"
"Now many Persians have fled to our country, the Tang Dynasty. Most of them are followers of Zoroastrianism, and there are also many Persian nobles."
"I sent people to collect some information about Dashi, including their battle with Persia. Take it back and take a look!"
Li Er said and asked the eunuch to take a wooden box and place it in front of Su Chen.
"The matter in the Northwest has almost been cleared up."
Li Er continued: "This Dashi is really ambitious!"
"It turns out that they colluded with the Hexi Linghu clan last summer, and the locust incident was also planned at that time."
"Originally, the locust plague, the Turks' westward migration and the Linghu family's defection were all a long-term plan,"
"It's just that they didn't expect that the locust plague would be extinguished by you so quickly, and they didn't expect that Keming would personally go to Hexi."
"So Linghu became anxious and took the risk to ambush Keming in Weizhou,"
"After the ambush failed, we had no choice but to start the attack in advance!"
Li Er told Su Chen the truth about the recent investigation.
"No wonder the Turks and Xue Yantuo rebelled when they were at their weakest. It turned out that he saw that his plan was about to be exposed, so he was forced to advance it."
"But the Hexi Linghu clan is so afraid of Prime Minister Du?
Or did you know in advance that Prime Minister Du was going for them?"
"They are quite adventurous. If they assassinate the Prime Minister of the dynasty, the court will investigate them strictly no matter what!"
Li Er said angrily: "It's the letter reported by Linghu Fen! They know that Keming is going after them."
"We actually missed the mark this time, otherwise the losses would be even greater!"
Su Chen finally understood what happened in the Northwest.
"Now the Western Turks and Xue Yantuo are migrating to the Hezhong Land, and the Turks in Mobei are also migrating further to the northwest."
"It seems that they are planning to break away from our military front in the Tang Dynasty and recuperate in a distant place."
Su Chen smiled and said: "Then let them go. Without them harassing us on the border, it will be a good thing for us, Datang!"
Li Er said worriedly: "I'm just afraid that they will cultivate themselves for a few years and then come back to kill them!"
Su Chen said indifferently: "Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty is getting stronger day by day, are you afraid that he will come back one day?
He has no chance."
"Besides, we can't control places that far away now anyway."
Li Er nodded, "Yes! The Tang Dynasty's soldiers have reached their limit when they reach the Western Regions."
"Back then, the Han Dynasty vigorously planned the Western Regions, but did not make much good progress. I don't want to issue a Luntai order to sin against myself!"
"Unless the railway can be built to the Western Regions!"
Su Chen's eyes widened: "Your Majesty, don't even think about this in the past few years. It's impossible!"
"Just saying that, can I still not understand the importance?"
Li Er glared at Su Chen.
"By the way, I haven't found any information about the Prime Minister."
"The two major food merchants Jia Zhen sent people to interrogate him several times, but there was no progress. I guess they only know so much."
"As for the Persians who fled to the Tang Dynasty, you don't know much about them!"
"And since the locust plague last year, no big food merchants have come to Datang again."
Li Er took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then asked: "Is it dangerous for you to go to Dashi this time?
Dashi should be capable of naval combat now."
Su Chen shook his head: "The Great Eater's naval combat ability should not be strong. At most, it is similar to that of a pirate coalition composed of a group of aristocratic families. Naval combat will definitely be no problem."
"I am worried that after landing, the cannibal cavalry does not need to be weak because they are familiar with the terrain and climate!"
"Besides, I will definitely not be able to bring many people with me this time, and there will be some trouble on land."
Li Er said to Su Chen: "Don't be brave, come back as soon as you can't do anything!!"
"Anyway, Dashi doesn't pose much of a threat to the Tang Dynasty. They don't have the strength to attack the Tang Dynasty yet!"
Su Chen nodded: "When I arrive, I will first take a look around the Dashi Peninsula. If it doesn't work, I will come back and take care of Tianzhu first."
"With Tianzhu as the frontline, we can advance, attack, retreat or defend!"
Li Er praised: "This is a good idea!"
After chatting with Li Er for a while about the plan to go to the feast, Wei Zheng and Changsun Wuji came to Ganlu Hall.
"The Lord Protector, I haven't seen you for many days, and he has performed extraordinary feats!"
Su Chen waved his hand to Wei Zheng: "It's not a miracle, and trains and railways have just started. How much help it can bring to the Tang Dynasty in the future depends on your Majesty and everyone."
Looking at Changsun Wuji again, Su Chen said: "By then, Duke Zhao has been in Guanzhou for more than half a month, acting like a spy every day. He must have said a lot of bad things after returning to Chang'an!"
Changsun Wuji glared at Su Chen: "Don't you know a good heart! Your Guanzhou is different from other states in every way. If I don't look carefully, how can I come back to explain to His Majesty and the courtiers?"
"If I hadn't come back and reported in detail to the ministers of the DPRK and China, so that everyone could have some understanding of the current situation in Guanzhou, there would have been even more people questioning you!"
"And even if I don't go, others will go, but they are not as easy to talk to as I am!"
