On the fifteenth day after leaving Chang'an City, Li Xiang arrived at the territory of Gaochang Kingdom. After seeing how Cheng Chumo responded, Li Xiang also laughed. This guy must have consulted an expert, otherwise he would not have been able to do it so easily.
Thinking about Cheng Chumo's friends, it seems that no one can give him this idea. Cheng Yaojin is also willing to train his son and would never take the initiative to give him advice. It should be these generals in the Western Regions.
Xiao Shougui and Zhang Jiuli were the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Their brains were much quicker than those of ordinary people. If they were to come up with ideas, they should be at the forefront. It was just unknown who came up with them.
"Your humble servant, Xiao Shougui, pays respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
From here on, you have actually entered the Western Regions. As the Protector General of Anxi Protectorate, Xiao Shougui had been waiting here with his men. When Li Xiang set out from Chang'an City, he set out from the Protectorate. The two sides were heading towards each other, and it took more than a month. If it weren't for the good roads, it would have taken two or three months. You can imagine how vast the area of the West is and how vast its territory is.
"You've grown a beard in recent years. If your voice hadn't changed, I would have thought you were almost the same age as the old man in your family. From Sichuan to now, you've probably changed the most. At least the rest of us still look young, but you already look like a middle-aged man."
Li Xiang waved his hand and asked Xiao Shougui to stand up. They were all from the same camp, so there was no need to be so reserved when speaking. Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, they felt very cordial when they met. After hearing Li Xiang's voice, Xiao Shougui smiled embarrassedly.
The reason why he changed his appearance was because of the letter written to him by Lord Xiao. Now he is the Protector-General of the court, which is completely different from before. According to the current court system, the Protector-Generals in various places are all second-rank officials, in charge of such a large piece of land. If he does not grow a beard, won't others say that you are not reliable because you have no beard?
After hearing what Xiao Shougui said, Li Xiang also laughed out loud. However, with a beard, he did look much more stable, but Li Xiang was still a little uncomfortable with it, so he still acted like a young emperor. People around him were also used to Li Xiang's appearance. If he really grew a beard, these people would probably not be used to it.
"When I was in Chang'an, I visited your grandfather. His health is still okay, but not as good as it was in the past. If there's nothing going on in the Western Regions, I'll give you a month or two off. You can go back to Chang'an and take a look. You don't have to follow me back to the Protectorate first, but the time can't be too long."
When Li Xiang said this, Xiao Shougui was also very excited. He had not been home for two years since he came to the Western Regions. When Cheng Chumo brought people back to Chang'an, Xiao Shougui was so envious, but his position was here, to look after various places in the Western Regions for the court. This was his responsibility. If he went back rashly, the court would punish him immediately.
But now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has granted leave, it’s different. This is allowed by the court.
It took two months to go back and forth, which was a bit rushed, but if I had ridden a fast horse, I would probably have been able to stay at home for half a month.
"Thank you, Your Highness. However, many things are at a critical juncture in the Western Regions. Your Highness has brought so many troops from the interior, and we need to properly accommodate them. Although I miss home, I dare not abandon state affairs. Let's talk about it later."
Xiao Shougui sighed helplessly. What he was thinking was one thing, and the current situation was another. If he left the affairs of the court and went home to see his grandfather, he would be scolded when he returned. His grandfather was the one who understood the importance of putting the country first.
Moreover, at this moment, no one knew what would happen in the Western Regions. If a fight broke out without warning, what would happen if Xiao Shougui, the Anxi Protectorate, was not present? Even if Li Xiang allowed it, others in the court would accuse him of not distinguishing the important from the unimportant.
"Don't worry, there aren't that many things going on. You've been out for quite some time now, so go and have a look. Besides, I'm watching over you in the Western Regions, so what are you afraid of? So many troops have come from the inland recently, so they won't start a war so soon. We need time to prepare."
Li Xiang also noticed that this guy's eyes lit up when he mentioned the word Chang'an. Apart from his grandfather at home, everyone else missed him very much.
"Then I will go back?"
When Xiao Shougui asked this question, he and Li Xiang laughed together. He couldn't hide the fact that he wanted to go home, so he shouldn't pretend in front of Li Xiang. They were not strangers.
"If you wish, you can head towards Chang'an City now. Just leave your subordinates behind. I will go west with them."
Li Xiang did this for a reason. Before the war breaks out, those who need to go home should go home. When the war really breaks out, some things may not be so simple, especially at this stage. The war between the people of the Arab Empire and us cannot be ended so easily. This is a protracted war.
After hearing what Li Xiang said, Xiao Shougui jumped for joy and immediately handed over the work to his subordinates. Many of his subordinates had not expected that they had come here to welcome His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but who knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had approved a two-month leave. If they could go back with our chief officer, they would be so excited.
Unfortunately, only one-third of the people were able to go back with them. Xiao Shougui also knew that he could not bring all of them back, and he had to leave some useful talents for Li Xiang, especially since most of the officials of the Protectorate were here. If they were all brought back, the entire Protectorate would probably be paralyzed. No matter how capable Li Xiang was, he would not be able to run the Protectorate in the end.
The next morning, Xiao Shougui had already set out with over twenty cavalrymen. Traveling light and with a small following, he headed towards Chang'an City at top speed. He was so eager to return home that nothing could stop him...
