Just as Sambik predicted, they stayed here for a day and a night with good food and drink, and finally got summoned by Atez.
After weighing the pros and cons, the old man finally figured out his decision. What good was the Arab Empire? Now the empire has drawn a line, forbidding you from returning. You're like abandoned people, forced to stay in the north, like the refugees before you. No one cares whether you live or die.
The reason why Atez and the others were able to survive was not because of that damn god, but because they had killed countless people. As long as the old men in the north could survive, they must have blood on their hands. Laf and the others also agreed with this point. They had killed countless people directly or indirectly along the way.
At the beginning, the two may feel a little sad, after all, these are living lives, but after waiting for a while, this will not be a problem. Although this life is very important, but then again, if we only care about other people's lives, then who will be responsible for our own lives?
The world has become so chaotic that your right to survive has been affected. If you still want to control others, it may be inappropriate. You must first protect yourself. Only by saving your own life can you speak out many situations later. If you can't speak out, then you can only wait to be eliminated by this world.
Atez understood this all too well. This crappy official position meant nothing, nothing more than a piece of paper. They wouldn't keep you in office forever. When the blockade is lifted, or when the danger in the north is over, do you think the court will still let you hold this position? They might find a random excuse to dismiss you. There are many children of officials in the capital waiting to be appointed officials here.
Many official positions near the northern oasis are extremely expensive. Do you think you can be given an official position just because you want one? That's simply impossible. It depends on your family background and how much money you can afford. If you can't afford even that, then there's no point in pretending. You can figure out the outcome yourself and find a place to work. Don't expect them to be too good to be true.
Now Atez also understood this very well, so when making his choice, he also took all these factors into consideration. Perhaps the court really wanted him to stay here, but what use was this official? Just look at the people around him and you will know that all the temporary salaries received by the soldiers were taken out of their own families.
The imperial court will not give you a penny, but instead ask you to maintain the size of a yamen. Although it is possible that you can maintain it, you have to grit your teeth and persevere. After this blockade is over, the imperial court will compensate you with everything, or it will compensate you from next year's taxes.
Normally, this is how it is calculated, but now there is a variable. The north is in turmoil again. In addition to the original Tang army, there is a new variable this time. His Royal Highness the Prince has already defected and has become a running dog of the Tang Dynasty.
When he thought of this, he wished he could kill his second son. If His Royal Highness the Prince had not sent someone to deliver the letter, then he could have been like other local officials and honestly pretended that he didn't know about this matter. Anyway, you can't blame us for this, we are just a little out of touch with the news.
But now the letter has been sent to you, and you already know what is happening outside, so you must now express your position. Either you can follow His Royal Highness the Prince to start an army, or you can honestly follow the original Arab Empire. In fact, he doesn't want to choose either of these two paths. This old guy is very shrewd and just wants to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the tigers.
But he knew that after the letter was delivered, his original wish would be impossible to realize. Either you kill these two people and show your loyalty to the court, or you let these two people return the letter, and from this moment on, you belong to His Royal Highness the Prince.
The outcome is now black and white. If you keep emphasizing a bunch of useless things, you won't be able to live like this. No one is stupid, and you're not the only one with a brain. So he made his choice. He will bring all his men to join His Royal Highness's side, and the city will also join the prince's side. As for the Arab Empire's court, we can only say sorry now. Who made you abandon us first? Although you didn't say it explicitly, it's the fact.
The court of the Arab Empire must have thought about many things, especially what they should do next, so they did not issue a clear decree, but asked these local officials in the north to continue to persevere. Some of them were very powerful and had several family warehouses alone. Anyway, the court said that no matter how much they borrowed from your family now, they would return it double after stability next year.
So these people are very willing to take things out, and similar things have happened before, basically making their families rich. But then again, do you have a brain?
In the past, the Arab Empire was on the rise, and any promise they made could basically become a reality. But now the Arab Empire can no longer hold on, and their decline is unstoppable. If you still believe what they say at this time, then are you mentally ill?
Of course, this judgment is different for everyone, mainly because the information obtained by each person is different. Take Atez for example. If no one comes to deliver the letter, he will be happy to play dumb. You two can just fight. Whoever is the winner in the end, I will definitely bring my men to join you.
But now he had to express his position. Compared with other local officials, it was because his son and His Royal Highness the Prince had studied together that he was able to know whether the letter was written by His Royal Highness the Prince himself. He originally wanted to let his son meet the powerful and wealthy, but he didn't expect that it would bring him so much trouble. It was too late to say this now, and he had to ask someone to take the letter back.
