Zhang Jiuli had never thought that he would have the chance to leave Li Xiang again. Although he had always done an excellent job, he was closely watched by Li Xiang, who would never allow him to hold power alone. This time, he was able to assist Xiao Shougui in establishing official institutions in the Western Regions, which was considered an important task entrusted to him.
So after receiving the order, this guy didn't delay for a minute and immediately rode out of the city on a fast horse. He was not young anymore, but such an opportunity was very rare, so he had to seize the time.
Fortunately, the Tang army's marching speed was not too fast, so Zhang Jiuli took more than ten days to catch up with the later support army, that is, the army led by Qu Tushou.
Although Zhang Jiuli has no official position, is not from a prominent family, and is even a criminal, General Qu is no fool. He is a favorite of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the formulation and implementation of many policies cannot be separated from his assistance. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the think tank of the Tiance General's Mansion.
Therefore, after Zhang Jiuli arrived at the military camp, he was immediately arranged according to the level of deputy general. What's more, he was not cooperating with us, he just followed us to the Western Regions Protectorate.
"General, you don't have to be so polite. I can just ride a horse like you. I've ridden horses before, but I'm no longer an official. If you want to treat me this way, I'll have to go on my own."
When moving forward on the second day, Zhang Jiuli declined the carriage next to him. Such a carriage was definitely not something that someone like him could use. If he were a real official, he could naturally enjoy sitting in such a carriage.
But Zhang Jiuli was very clear about his situation. Although Li Xiang promoted him and let him hold an important position in the Western Regions, the court did not issue a clear order. In other words, as long as people from all over the country give you face, you are an official. If they don’t give you face, you will be the one who will be embarrassed. Therefore, from the beginning, you cannot regard yourself as an official. Only in this way can you work diligently for His Highness and share the worries of the empire.
"Master Zhang is a civil servant after all. This trip to the Western Regions is different from other places, and the journey will be very difficult. I will leave the carriage with Master Zhang. If Master Zhang is willing to ride a horse, I will certainly agree. But if he is tired, please do not force him. After all, unlike us rough men, His Highness still has many things to worry about."
What Qu Tushou said was true. Ever since this guy came, there have been constant letters coming to the General Tiance's Mansion, asking for his opinions on various matters. Li Xiang was used to it before. If there was no Zhang Jiuli's opinion, Li Xiang would have to take the trouble to analyze it himself. Naturally, it would be better to have someone forward it to him and see what Zhang Jiuli thought.
Anyone who has seen this scene and still doesn't know how to behave will probably have lost his position as an official. General Qu also understood this. If his grandfather was still alive, he wouldn't have to care about this. But this position was obtained by his uncle at the cost of his reputation, so he had to learn a lot about officialdom.
"Thank you, General. I am still in good health for now, so I will accompany you on horseback."
After Zhang Jiuli apologized repeatedly, he followed General Qu. Of course, he couldn't follow him forever. After all, so many documents came from Chang'an City, and he had to write his opinions when it was time, otherwise His Highness would be unhappy again.
Of course, Zhang Jiuli didn't feel how tired he was working, which showed that His Highness believed in him. If His Highness didn't believe in him, why would he send people all the way to deliver these letters? The cost of the journey was not a small number.
At the same time, this matter can also make people around him see clearly his position in His Highness's eyes. This trip to the Western Regions to carry out reforms is no small matter. It is equivalent to touching the cakes of many people. Maybe many people will look at his identity and disrespect him. If this happens, it will be difficult to carry out the work.
But if there were these letters from Chang'an every day, many people would understand that they were all officials, and this person was the confidant of His Highness. If you made things difficult for him, you would be making things difficult for His Highness. Although he did not hold any official position, people like him were the most terrifying. If he made a fuss in front of His Highness one day, your whole family would be dead.
"I heard that you have always been by His Highness's side. My future in the Western Regions is uncertain. I wonder if you have any advice for me?"
General Qu has always been very polite to Zhang Jiuli. Zhang Jiuli also knows what this guy is thinking. It's just that he has been with Li Xiang for a long time, and he wants to see if he has anything to say to him.
"General, you come from a distinguished family and are considered one of the highest echelons of the Tang Dynasty bureaucracy. You were previously delayed because you were overwhelmed. But now that His Highness has personally appointed you, as long as you complete your duties flawlessly, you will undoubtedly make a contribution in the future."
Seeing other people's good intentions along the way, Zhang Jiuli couldn't help but say a word, but some things couldn't be said too clearly, so he just said a few words. With Zhang Jiuli's answer, Qu Tushou understood everything.
The two discussed some issues with each other on the way, and the days passed very quickly. You know, although they belonged to different positions, they were both knowledgeable and talented people, so they could talk about everything from the army to the court, as long as it was not taboo, they could still have a good chat. In just a few days, they arrived in Gaochang.
Because Cheng Chumo had already gone to the Western Regions, there were not many troops stationed here. After resting here for two days, nearly 3,000 people were left behind according to the court's order. The rest will continue westward, taking with them 10,000 Gaochang troops.
The imperial court's intentions are very clear. After Gaochang's army is trained, it will immediately take control of the entire Western Regions on behalf of the imperial court. However, your people in your country will not be needed. All your people in your country must be under the imperial court's management. Only in this way can you keep them under control. Otherwise, will the entire Western Region still belong to the Tang Dynasty? It could become yours at any time.
Although the imperial court kept talking about ethnic integration and hoped that all ethnic groups could unite, those who should be controlled still had to be controlled. They had to deal with the villains first and the gentlemen later to avoid any trouble in the future.
