"Your Highness has too many worries. Now that you've returned from the front lines, you should rest well. If you continue to worry about these things, Your Highness must also take care of your health."
Hearing Cheng Luan's words, Li Xiang looked at his wife strangely. When he just came back yesterday, Li Xiang could clearly feel that this girl should be very happy. After all, the two of them had met. But judging from the sound today, has something happened again?
"What's wrong with you? I'm back now, right? It's normal to worry about official business. I can't just sit here and do nothing. If I just lie here in the sun every day, those people outside will gossip."
Li Xiang looked at the table and found that breakfast was already prepared. Although the living habits in the Western Regions were different from those in the mainland, for someone of Li Xiang's level, even if he wanted to have a Jiangnan breakfast, the people below would prepare it well. How much does a breakfast cost? What's more, the Tang Dynasty was very powerful now. Even if Li Xiang spent his own money, he would not let his stomach go to waste.
Cheng Luan was also hesitant to speak, and Li Xiang understood at a glance that it must be Cheng Chuliang's matter.
Her husband has returned from the front line, which is a very happy thing. The two can be together day and night again, and she doesn't have to worry about her husband's safety. Although she has been staying in the camp at the front line and is surrounded by countless people protecting her, there are still dangers after all.
No matter what those guards say, it is better to keep him by my side and feel at ease. Now I can grab my husband with just one hand, and I feel so at ease in my heart.
This trace of sadness, of course, is because of my brother.
With hundreds of thousands of troops going to war, my brother is also a local leader, so there is no need to worry about his safety. If something still happens under the protection of tens of thousands of troops, it can only be bad luck, after all, the probability of that happening is too small.
Now my brother only has 5,000 people around him, and his opponent is the Arab Empire. Cheng Luan has been in the General Tiance's Mansion for a long time, and he naturally knows how powerful the Arab Empire is. Once he is surrounded, his 5,000 people will not be enough. Cheng Chuliang just had a son, and he hasn't met his father yet. If something like this happens, how can he go back and explain to his parents?
But he couldn't say this. Cheng Chuliang was leading the troops alone because of his own efforts and he was very willing to do so. What man didn't want to make achievements on the battlefield? But it was difficult for his family. In Cheng Luan's view, the Tang Dynasty had plenty of land now, so why did it need these barren lands?
Of course, Cheng Luan didn't dare say this out loud, because it represented Li Xiang's grand ambitions. If you, as his wife, don't support him, how can you expect others to support him? The court ministers must also have many complaints, so Cheng Luan must not reveal any of it, otherwise it might be a reason for others to attack Li Xiang. If your wife doesn't support you, why should we support you?
After Li Xiang figured out these things, he did not blame his wife. Even if she was Cheng Yaojin's daughter, she was still a woman. As long as she was a woman, she could not avoid being short-sighted.
Let alone his wife, even the most prominent officials within the imperial court—do you think they could understand Li Xiang's thinking? Li Xiang attacked the Arab Empire simply for their underground oil. We don't need it now, but will we need it in the future? If we want to escape energy constraints, we must build a vast empire spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa.
"Look, what do you have to worry about? Is your brother just a young brat on the battlefield? He's been with my father-in-law on the battlefield for who knows how many years. Although the Western Regions are more dangerous, the 5,000 men under his command are the elite of our Tang Dynasty. Even if they can't achieve any military merit, they should be able to escape."
Seeing his wife's sad look, Li Xiang understood that this was normal. After all, this was her biological brother, and his life or death was uncertain on the battlefield. If it were him, he would probably be worried too. It was all because of blood.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I..."
According to some traditions of this era, a married girl should devote herself to her husband's family and put her own family matters aside. If her husband is upset because of her own family matters, she may be disliked by her husband's family. Cheng Luan is a little scared now. Li Xiang doesn't have only one woman, and there are many who are more virtuous than herself.
But think about it, what Li Xiang said is right, my brother is not a rookie, but has been training on the battlefield with his father for many years, and has been fighting in the Western Regions, and has won many victories. If he can't even handle such a small matter, then he would be unworthy of the title bestowed by the court.
What's more, after Li Chengyi and Chang Sunze came back, Cheng Luan also heard the complaints from them. They also wanted to make achievements on the battlefield. Since everyone was rushing to do it, it meant that the danger of this matter was not great. It was a little hard, but for the sake of the descendants of the old Cheng family, it was normal to contribute now. After thinking about these things, Cheng Luan's face was no longer so sad.
Breakfast here had just been finished when Xiao Shougui came over with his proposal. Looking at the big dark circles under his eyes, Li Xiang knew that this guy must not have slept and had been thinking about moving the Goguryeo people over all night.
"Mount Tai wasn't built in a day, and neither was Chang'an City. You're already a grown-up, and you can't always let your grandfather worry about your affairs. Some things aren't urgent. Even if you bring it to me tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, do I have to find someone to ask you for it?"
Li Xiang asked the maid to present a bowl of porridge and asked Xiao Shougui to have breakfast with him. Li Xiang did not have so many rules. If it were somewhere else, having breakfast with the prince might become the most glorious highlight moment for the whole family, but for Xiao Shougui, such moments happened frequently, but he just didn't go out to show off.
Of course, it was not because of his status as a son of a noble family, but because Li Xiang was so approachable, especially when facing his subordinates, he treated them almost like brothers.
