Chapter 225 Summoning Zhang Chang'an
Chapter 225 Recalling Chang'an
Xue Shixiong felt very sympathetic towards Xiao Xia, but since this was the emperor's intention, there was nothing he could do.
Xiao Xia sighed and said, "Is Yu Sheren going to the city to pick up the princess?"
Yu Shiji shook his head. "I will send someone to deliver the letter. According to the agreement between the two parties, Tuyuhun must send the princess to the Sui army camp before tomorrow morning. If you have anything to do, please arrange it today and come to the camp tomorrow morning!"
Everyone left, leaving only Xue Shixiong and Xiao Xia in the big tent. Xue Shixiong patted Xiao Xia on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Nothing will go smoothly, but I have a hunch that you will return to Hexi sooner or later!"
Xiao Xia said helplessly: "It seems that I will have to step down. Can I recommend a new military commander?"
"you say!"
Xiao Xia said: "I recommend Master Yin Shi to take over the post of the commander of the army!"
Xue Shixiong hesitated. He originally wanted to let his son Xue Wanjun be the deputy military commander, and after Xiao Xia left office, Xue Wanjun would be the military commander. However, since Xiao Xia proposed that Yin Shishi take over, he had to give Xiao Xia this face. Well, it would be the same to let his son be the military commander of Dadouba Valley.
"Sure! Once the general leaves office, I will recommend Master Yin Shi to be the commander of the army."
Xiao Xia didn't care about the appointment of the deputy envoy. The deputy envoy was usually recommended by the chief envoy. That was Yin Shishi's power, and he didn't want to interfere.
Back in his tent, Xiao Xia pondered for a long time. He must leave his legacy in Zhangye, otherwise his stay in Zhangye for the past few months would be meaningless.
He immediately sent someone to fetch Master Yin Shi. After a moment, Master Yin Shi came in, clasped his fists and said, "I pay my respects to you, Your Excellency!"
Xiao Xia said slowly, "The emperor has transferred me back to Chang'an. I will be back tomorrow. I have just recommended you to General Xue as the successor of the military commander. He will give me this face. I will tell my father later and the court will approve it. If nothing unexpected happens, you will be the military commander of Zhangye soon."
Yin Shishi was moved and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency's cultivation will be engraved in my heart!"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "I told you before that you will work in Zhangye for a few years. My father will transfer you out when he needs help. Or one day I will return to Hexi. Since you have made your choice, we are on the same path together."
Yin Shishi nodded, "I will keep my promise and be loyal to His Royal Highness Prince Jin!"
"Also, I'll leave Xu Min and Cao Taiyue to you. Use them well!"
"I will definitely make use of them!"
Xiao Xia gave him a few more instructions on military affairs, and then Master Yin Shi said goodbye and left.
Xiao Xia asked someone to find Xu Min and Cao Taiyue. Xu Min was currently a Lang Jiang. If he succeeded this time, he would be promoted to Zhong Lang Jiang. Cao Taiyue had the merit of being the first to capture Datong City, and combined with his previous merit of defending Zhangye and eliminating horse bandits, he had been appointed as a Lang Jiang by Xiao Xia.
Xiao Xia said to the two of them, "The emperor wants to transfer me back to Chang'an. I want to leave a base in Hexi, so I hope that the two of you will continue to stay in Hexi and follow Master Yin Shi!"
The two were silent for a moment and asked, "Will the envoy come back?"
Xiao Xia nodded, "I will definitely come back. If I really can't come back, I will transfer you away."
The two of them clasped their fists and saluted, "Follow the Lord's instructions!"
Xiao Xia smiled again and said, "The remaining eighteen brothers are left to you. I hope your army can flourish in Hexi."
"Envoy, please take a few people with you!"
Xiao Xia shook his head, "No, I'll leave it to you."
Xu Min and Cao Taiyue bowed and said, "Then I wish you a safe journey!"
The next morning, Princess Guanghua arrived at the Sui army camp and stayed there for a short while. Xiao Xia then led a thousand cavalrymen to escort her back to Chang'an.
The cavalry escorted several carriages slowly, with Princess Gwanghwa sitting in the leading large carriage.
Princess Guanghua was the niece of Emperor Yang Jian. She had been married to Tuyuhun for many years. She gave birth to children here and had developed feelings for this land.
This time the emperor asked her to return to the court, and she also wanted to go back, but the two had different ideas. Emperor Yang Jian wanted her to return to Chang'an to settle down and enjoy the rest of her life.
But Princess Guanghua returned to the court to persuade the emperor to release her and her son Murong Shun back to Tuyuhun. If she and her son were not in Tuyuhun, another prince of Tuyuhun, Dayan Mangjiebo, would have been the king. Xiao Xia saw that Princess Guanghua was worried, so she smiled and comforted her: "Everything has its pros and cons. Princess, why don't you think about the bright side?"
Princess Guanghua smiled bitterly for a while and said, "If everything in the world were as simple as you say, there would be no worries in the world."
"Many things cannot be forced, just let them happen naturally. For example, I have only been the military commander of Zhangye for a few months. I have just sorted out my responsibilities and am ready to make great efforts, but the emperor wants to take me back to Chang'an. No matter how unwilling I am, I have to accept it. Who knows whether the next step will be a good thing or a bad thing? The same goes for the princess. Staying in Chang'an may not be a bad thing."
"You are so young, but you have a bit of Taoism in your heart. I heard that you are also the grandson of the emperor. Why is your last name Xiao?"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "I take my mother's last name!"
"Really? Your mother isn't the concubine of the King of Jin!"
"No!" Xiao Xia said frankly.
"So that's how it is. So all the other grandchildren of the emperor are enjoying the romantic life in Chang'an, but you are the only one who came to this bitter cold place to fight and sacrifice your life. Your grandfather really treats you well?"
"Princess, are you mocking me?" Xiao Xia asked calmly.
Princess Guanghua shook her head. "I'm not mocking you. I'm criticizing the emperor for being unfair. He never gave his own daughters to foreign marriages, but only married daughters from other clans. He treated his own grandsons like treasures, but sent his grandsons of lower status to fight in the border areas."
Princess Guanghua's tone was full of resentment towards the emperor, and Xiao Xia had no way to explain it, so he could only smile and urge his horse to the front.
Princess Guanghua looked at Xiao Xia's back, shook her head for a while and said, "He is a very capable young man, but it's a pity that he was born in the royal family and is destined to have a bad ending!"
A few days later, Xiao Xia and his party arrived at the camp on the east coast of the West Sea. This was the camp of the Western Expedition Marshal, where tens of thousands of troops and countless food and supplies were stationed.
Prince of Jin Yang Guang met with Princess Guanghua, comforted her with a few words and then let her go down to rest.
Yang Guang then met with his son Xiao Xia.
Inside the big tent, Yang Guang said slowly, "It was indeed my idea to transfer you back to Chang'an. I begged your grandfather repeatedly before he agreed. As for the reason, I think you should understand."
"Father thinks Hexi is too remote?"
Yang Guang nodded, "Think about it yourself! If something happens to your royal grandfather, and the crown prince ascends the throne, he will first attack us, and you are far away in Hexi, out of reach. Even if you have an army, how can you protect your family? Only if you have the army in the capital, can you protect your family and leave Chang'an at the most critical moment. Do you think I am right?"
Xiao Xia nodded silently, and then asked, "How is Grandfather Huang's health?"
Yang Guang sighed and said, "He indulges himself too much and wants to make up for the losses he suffered in his youth, but he is already old and I am worried about him!"
Xiao Xia added: "This war is progressing too fast, which is not conducive to father's control of the military power. I suggest that father ask the emperor's grandfather to change the plan and simply destroy Tuyuhun and Dangxiang. This way, we can at least continue for a year."
Yang Guang shook his head. "You don't know my grandfather well enough. He asked me to take charge of the army just to warn the crown prince, but also to test me. If I show any sign of greed for military power, he will immediately replace me. Do you understand?"
Xiao Xia finally understood the inside story of his father's appointment as the Marshal of the Western Expedition. He nodded slightly, "I understand!"
Yang Guang then told him, "There is one more important thing you must do immediately after you return."
"Father, please speak!"
"Your eldest aunt told me that she gave you 40% of the property, including half of the money she kept in the shop. Go back and get 100,000 strings of cash and give it to your eldest brother. He needs it urgently."
Even his own son refused to tell him the reason, so it must be a top secret!
Xiao Xia didn't want to ask any more questions, so he nodded and said, "I'll get it for Big Brother when I get back!"
The next morning, the team set out again in a mighty procession towards the distant Chang'an.
[After the second volume, please read the third volume, Five Dragons Fight for Succession]
(End of this chapter)