Since the construction of the general's palace in the city had not yet started, all the members and injured members of General Gayan's Shini tribe were stationed outside the city. Noisy and painful cries often lingered in the camp.
Li Siye dressed lightly and walked along the grassy slope towards the camp. What he saw along the way was a gloomy and bleak scene. From time to time, there were women holding babies that had died violently, humming songs and squatting on the ground to breastfeed.
The broken man was lying on the sheep's felt, dying, and two or three children were crying around him. Even the healthy people were frowning and crying. The prosperous cognition department in the past suddenly fell to the bottom.
.
Whether it is a large country or a small tribe, it is the same. A military disaster is enough to destroy the achievements of civilization and breeding. The only thing that can distinguish them is their ability to withstand it.
Li Siye's heart was very heavy. The person carrying the dead body in front of him moved out of the way for him. The witch doctor from the Department of Knowledge and Hiding hummed and danced strangely around the felt tent, as if this could drive away the pain of the injured.
He walked to Gayancong's big tent, and a maid took the initiative to open the tent. In the tent, Gayancong was wrapped in linen and lying on his side on a felt blanket. His daughter Aranda was waiting in front of the hospital bed, chewing rich green chews.
of herbs and spit them into a bowl.
When Ga Yancong saw Li Siye arriving, he was so happy that he just wanted to stand up, but was hurt by the pain, and lay back down with a grin and an ouch.
Li Siye quickly stepped forward to dissuade him: "General, you must not move until your new injury has healed."
Gayancong laughed, held his hand and said, "I have a fate with you, and we felt close to you from the first moment we met. By the way, let Aranda make you a cup of goat milk tea. She is a member of our Shina tribe.
The most fragrant tea."
Aranda covered her mouth shyly and went out. Later, she brought in a horn cup of white hot tea. Li Siye took a sip and found an unpleasant fishy smell. He looked up at Gayancong and his daughter with encouraging eyes.
He had no choice but to drink it in one gulp.
Gayancong smiled and asked, "How does this goat milk tea taste?"
"Uh, not bad."
"Let Aranda pour you another drink."
Li Siye waved his hand quickly: "No need."
The two exchanged some pleasantries in the tent. Li Siye's expression gradually became serious, and he said seriously to Gayancong: "I have something to say to the general."
"If you have anything to say, just say it."
Li Siye closed his lips tightly and glanced at Aranda hesitantly.
Gayancong smiled and said: "What? Do you want to avoid even my dear daughter Aranda?"
Li Siye nodded, and the girl looked at him displeased, turned around and left the felt tent angrily.
He bowed respectfully to Gayancong and said, "General Gayancong, I just walked all the way and saw that the vitality of the Sanskrit Department was seriously injured, and the losses were heavier than I imagined."
"That's true," Ga Yancong sighed: "Half of our adult men were lost in this battle. To restore this situation, it will take two whole generations to reproduce."
Li Siye pointed to the outside of the tent and said: "This battle killed 600 Tibetan troops and captured 300 prisoners alive. Such feats were enough for the Department of Secretariat to exchange a large number of rewards from the Anxi Protectorate, and then report them to the imperial court at the end of the year.
The rewards he received were even greater. Why did the general put all the credit on someone? Isn’t it going to make the whole family feel chilly?”
Gayancong grabbed Li Siye's hand again and said with emotion: "Brother Li Xian, I'll tell you the truth, when you asked me to lead my three hundred men to stand halfway up the snowy mountain, for a while, I resented you in my heart. But.
Facts have proved that your tactics are right."
"In the early years of Kaiyuan, when the Tang army stationed in Congling, I led the whole clan of the Shini tribe to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, hoping to gain protection from the Anxi Protectorate. I even had a little delusion, hoping that my tribe could be treated like the Zhaowu Nine Kingdoms. It is a pity that the King of Tang only gave the vacant position of General Jinwuwei. Not only did this vacant position not bring any benefits to the tribe, but it attracted the attention of the Tubo people because of its huge tree and attracting wind."
Gayancong waved his arms and said: "The great Tang Dynasty has fifty-five kingdoms in the Western Regions. There are close and close relationships, and it all depends on the preference of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Just like the Sulu Khan of Tuqi Shi, he has iron cavalry under his command. Five hundred thousand, he dominated the Western Regions for several years, but he sent envoys to the Daming Palace to congratulate him, and still had to be second to the Ashina family. In the eyes of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, strong strength is not as good as a prominent surname. You understand me You see, if I want to prosper, I don’t care how powerful I am, I just need someone worthy of my trust.”
"Although I, Gayancong, am incompetent, I do have a pair of wise eyes. Li Shijun, how many times have I dreamed of someone who can give us protection, and that person is you."
Li Siye was shocked when he heard this, and the croissant cup in his hand fell to the ground. He quickly bent down to pick it up, turned around and took a look outside the door curtain, then walked up to Gayan and lowered his voice and said: "I, Li, am not like Li Siye." The Li of the Tang Dynasty is not a Li. How can you be given shelter by the Hidden Division? How can you stake the hope of your Hidden Division on a small guardian?"
Gayancong shook his head and said with a vicissitude of smile: "I don't care if it's Li or not. I want to marry Aranda to you, but you don't agree. I have to get something else to tie you up. You can think of it yourself. Want to see? I am General Jinwuwei. My troops were plundered by the Tibetan army. I have the authority to bypass you and ask for help from the Duhufu, but why didn't I do that? Instead, I listened to your little guard's move? From that moment on, I have bet my money on you."
Li Siye smacked his lips and said like a curse: "You are committing moral kidnapping."
"What kind of kidnapping? I don't care, anyway, I have handed over the future of the Department of Hidden Information to you."
Li Siye turned around and walked outside the tent, but suddenly turned back, leaned over and said to Gayancong who was lying on the sheep felt: "Cotton is a good thing. Is the Sanskrit Department willing to grow it?"
"willing!"
"The wool of the argali can be used to make tapestries and carpets. Are the ladies in the Hidden Department willing to work hard and secretly learn the craft of weaving blankets?"
"certainly!"
"The Department of Hidden Knowledge is on the Silk Road. Can we send a caravan to the Central Plains every year to sell handicrafts, yak horns and other items? We can gain a lot each time."
"Can!"
"Then I have no problem. As long as you follow Congling Shouchuo's method of making money, I can guarantee that your Shiji tribe is not the strongest among the fifty-five tribes in the Western Region, but it will definitely be the richest."
Gayancong sighed and said: "The Sogdians with the nine surnames of Zhaowu control most of the businesses on the ancient Silk Road. No matter how rich I am, can I be richer than them?"
Li Siye thought to himself, the nine surnames of Zhaowu are just feeding unfamiliar white-eyed wolves. When I take charge of the Western Regions one day, I will definitely squeeze these Sogdians out of the trade routes.
"You will be richer than them. In this world, everyone may betray you, but wealth will not. It will be the sharpest tool in your hand... Everyone has a chance to succeed, it depends on whether you give it or not." Your own chance...Today is cruel, tomorrow will be even crueler, and the day after tomorrow will be beautiful, but most people die tomorrow night and cannot see the sun the day after tomorrow..."