Anxi Protectorate
Although the environment here is relatively dry and not suitable for raising various things, in order to help Li Xiang relieve his boredom, Xiao Shougui still had people dig a pond in the back garden of the Protectorate and moved a group of goldfish there so that Li Xiang could come and feed the fish every day.
Of course, feeding the fish is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to think about problems while feeding the fish. Li Xiang had already developed this habit when he was in other places, and naturally he could not change it here in Anxi Protectorate.
Of course, this habit is very expensive. If an ordinary person has this habit, then you can only bear it yourself. No one will pay for your habit. But Li Xiang is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. Although this habit is very expensive, there are people who pay for it.
"I originally thought these fish would not survive, after all, the wind and sand here are quite strong. Under your care, these fish finally survived."
Xiao Shougui came over with some official documents. He didn't want to disturb Li Xiang, but these documents were too important and involved policy changes in the Arab Empire, so he had no choice but to speak.
"How long can I take care of it in a day? It's all done well by the servants. Your flattery skills don't seem to be improving. Think carefully next time. This flattery makes me feel uncomfortable."
Li Xiang pointed to the pavilion in the distance, which had also been transformed into a waterside pavilion.
The northwest region is windy and dry, and the situation here is even worse. However, in order to make Li Xiang live comfortably, the Protectorate spent a lot of money to almost turn the back garden into a garden in the south of the Yangtze River. Of course, in this day and age, as long as you are willing to spend money, everything is possible. The Qingliang Palace has been built, so what else is missing from a back garden?
The most important thing is that Li Xiang knows how to make ice with brine, so there is no shortage of ice here. Many fruits are really delicious after being frozen.
"These things are still too expensive. Although the place is well-built, it's just me now. Don't you think it's too extravagant?"
Because Cheng Luan came here with Li Xiang, Xiao Shougui was worried that he would not be able to adapt to the environment here, so he spent some money to build this back garden. Of course, the money was not from the court, but all collected from the surrounding areas, and it was all the money from those restless tribal leaders.
Xiao Shougui didn't go out of his way to search, but simply told them that the Crown Prince's woman wasn't used to this place, so why not show some affection? If they did, they would be connected to this line in the future.
Those people live in fear every day, their heads could be in danger at any moment. Of course, we didn't force them to do this; it's purely your own fault. If you had been able to behave yourself, would the court still bother you? You're constantly switching sides, constantly dreaming of restoring your country. If that's the case, then it's only natural that we constantly criticize you.
"I know Your Highness prefers simplicity, but then again, isn't royal dignity important? Look at the many tribal leaders around you; they all live more luxurious lives than you do. So, Your Highness, you should just go with the flow on this matter. If you don't teach them a lesson, I won't be able to handle them alone the next time you lead your army out. They've already driven me a bit crazy."
Speaking of the tribal leaders around him, Xiao Shougui was furious. This time, Li Chengyi gave them a good beating, which was considered to have suppressed their arrogance. However, Xiao Shougui also understood that as long as the court suffered a defeat on the front line, or if we made any mistakes, these people would definitely be the first to stand up and rebel. Xiao Shougui was quite familiar with these people.
"This is all perfectly normal. We're here as occupiers, after all, so it's normal for them to rebel in various ways. But there's no need to rush things. Just slowly change them. When you have time, you should get to know them better. You can't just rely on coercion. If you try to find out what these people value, that would be like holding their lifeblood. Besides, the second wave of immigrants is coming soon. You need to make these immigrants hostile to each other so you can maintain your position."
According to Li Xiang's strategy, immigrants from Goguryeo and Fuso will be arriving soon, and the second batch of immigrants will include immigrants from Annan. These people are all unstable factors. If they are all thrown into this big dye vat, if you want to survive, it will depend on your individual strength.
If you are strong enough, this place will naturally be a place where you can live and work in peace and contentment, but if you are not strong enough, then you can only wait to be killed here. So in this case, how sharp is the steel knife in your hand? It directly determines the quality of your life.
Originally in their hometown, these people naturally wanted to cause trouble everywhere. Now that they have run to a place where they have no roots, these people can only regard the Tang Dynasty as their biological father. If they don't hold on tightly, I'm afraid their future will be difficult.
"Goguryeo is slightly less wild, so they are the ones who suffer the most. The Fuso people have already demonstrated their dominance in the local area. Aside from us Tang immigrants, they are not afraid of anyone. However, the Fuso people have one good point, and that is that they truly treat us as their masters."
When Xiao Shougui talked about the various immigrants under his command, he was most satisfied with the Fuso people. The Goguryeo people also regarded us as their masters, but the problem was that their fighting power was too poor. They were no match for other countries at all. They were beaten so badly that they could not raise their heads, and their losses were the most serious.
"No matter how good the Fuso people are to us, you must remember what I said before: we can't give them too much power, or even no power at all. If these people start to get cocky, we'll kill them immediately as a warning to the rest. We don't lack these dogs and slaves."
What Li Xiang feared most was letting down their guard against the Fuso people, so whenever someone praised the Fuso people, Li Xiang would pour a basin of cold water on their heads. No matter whether it was Xiao Shougui or Li Chengyi, they had to understand one thing, that is, in our eyes, the Fuso people are at most slightly better than dogs. Throwing them a bone is fine, but if you give them meat, they will probably come and bite you after they have eaten enough. If you don't even have this vigilance, then there is no need for you to serve here.
