"Elder Song worries too much."
Li Junxian waved his hand, his expression relaxed as he strolled forward.
"There are schemes and overt schemes. 'Shady' schemes are easy to dodge, but overt schemes are hard to guard against. This time, we are planning an overt scheme, using no tricks. No matter how clever or resourceful the King of Foreign Lands is, there is nothing he can do. Moreover, everyone is watching. If he dares to move, he will be at a disadvantage. He is no longer fighting against just us, but also all the people of the capital and the hearts of the world.
"The Tang Dynasty has been fighting for so many years, always in the north or the south, with almost no break. The common people have already begun to tire of war, their hearts yearning for peace. No one likes war, and everyone longs for peace. This is the trend of the times. And all we are doing is clearly display all of this to him. This is not a scheme! It is a fact! "
Li Junxian raised his head, his profound eyes seeming to peer into the endless depths.
Everyone silently listened, a look of conviction in their eyes. The Young Master's martial arts, strategy, and intelligence were publicly acknowledged as the most outstanding in the Confucian Sect. No one dared to doubt his plans.
"But a long night is fraught with dreams. The King of Foreign Lands is still an opponent that cannot be underestimated. Elder Song, Junior Sister, let's change the schedule and speed up the plan."
Li Junxian sternly said.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Elder Song and the white-clothed girl bowed, smiles appearing in their eyes.
A few moments later, with everything settled, everyone withdrew from the room, leaving only Li Junxian.
"King of Foreign Lands, the sword is easy to block, but the heart is hard to guard against. Let's see how you deal with it."
Li Junxian raised his head and muttered to himself.
… …
As the debate in the capital of the Tang Dynasty about the destructive effects of war on the economy and the living standards of the common people intensified, the proposals of Annan, Andong, Anxi, Beiting, and the Tang Dynasty on the border to increase the number of trade ports and withdraw the army two hundred li were all carried out. More and more Hu began to enter the trade markets in the interior from the trade ports.
Speaking the half-baked language of the Tang dynasty, more and more barbarians came to the Tang dynasty to do business. Li Junxian had even pushed the Imperial Court to pass a resolution stating that all Hu who were fluent in the Tang language and could use it when purchasing goods would receive a discount of twelve percent, and the Imperial Court would subsidize this discount.
Everything went on in silence. Half a month later, a piece of news shocked the Tang dynasty.
After discussions between the Secretariat of State Affairs and the Six Ministries, the court decided to invite a group of Turks, Mengshe Zhao, Goguryeo, and Ouzan people who were full of respect for the culture of the Tang dynasty and were learning the Tang language to visit the capital. The court would provide them with subsidies so that they could experience the local customs of the Tang dynasty.
At the same time, it would also increase the common people's understanding of the Hu, deepen their mutual understanding, eliminate misunderstandings, and promote peaceful and friendly exchanges between the two countries.
When the appointed time arrived, all the streets of the capital turned out.
"Son, let's go. Father will take you to see the Hu!"
Early in the morning in the capital, a father excitedly rushed to the city gate with his son. Although the capital was the political and commercial center of the Tang dynasty and had quite a few Hu merchants, this time was different. The Imperial Court's announcement had clearly stated that the visitors this time were not those fat and wealthy Hu merchants, but truly ordinary Hu.
They were just like the ordinary people of the Tang dynasty, flesh and blood, living very ordinary lives. They were not the fiendish Hu warriors that people imagined. Moreover, according to the Imperial Court, there were also many Hu girls, elders, and children. These were all people that were rarely seen in the capital.
By the time this father and son arrived at the western gate, they were already surrounded by a sea of people. Countless people had also hurried over, all of them brimming with enthusiasm and excitement as if they were waiting for something.
Bang!
As they were waiting, they heard a massive boom, followed by the clattering of metal. The gate opened, and cheers came from up ahead.
"They're here, they're here!"
"Everyone, look! There really are a lot of Hu!"
The crowd was in an uproar. In just a short moment, under the escort of the imperial soldiers, many figures riding on camels and horses quickly made their way into the city.
"Son, look!"
The father propped up his son and excitedly looked forward. Thousands of Hu were neatly lined up, heading toward the city gate. The father and son opened their eyes, and the first thing they noticed was the wrinkled old man at the very front. Unlike the ferocious, armor-clad, sword-wielding barbarians in their imagination, this was just an ordinary old man.
He was dressed in coarse sackcloth, and his hands were as thin as twigs. His strength was about the same as that of an ordinary Han elder. Behind him were two Hu youths. Although they were Hu, they were dressed in the clothes of the Han. They appeared refined and courteous, not at all as crude as they had imagined.
Behind them, the father and son saw two Hu girls with flowers in their hair. Their faces were flushed red, and they excitedly looked around. These two had clearly never been to the capital of the Tang dynasty, nor had they seen such a prosperous city. Everything around them gave them a sense of novelty and an unprecedented shock.
"Zayali, look! What a beautiful house! This place is truly beautiful!"
At this moment, the girl on horseback had no idea that someone was watching her. Her eyes were fixed on a nearby restaurant with richly ornamented beams and overhanging eaves. Her eyes were brimming with excitement as she gazed at the corner of the glass roof. Everything before her was even more magnificent than she had imagined, even grander than the descriptions she had heard from her teacher in the academy.
The row upon row of buildings, the fluttering wine flags, the densely packed crowds on the streets, and all kinds of gorgeous and exquisite silks, clothes, shoes, and shoes … Everything here was completely different from what they had seen on the prairie.
"Truly too beautiful! It's like a dream. "
Zayali was even more shocked than the girl.
Swish!
While the two were still speaking, a Hu youth suddenly slid down from his horse and broke away from the group. In just a few steps, he had reached a shop selling meat buns by the side of the street.
This sudden action alarmed the soldiers responsible for maintaining order, but it was too late to stop him. The owner of the bun shop was even more frightened, his face turning pale.
"No, no, don't come over!"
The shop owner's eyes were filled with fear.
"Bun, how much is one bun?"
The Hu youth bashfully asked in the choppy Tang language. As he spoke, he took out a few copper coins from his bosom and handed them over.
！！！
The bun shop owner's jaw dropped, and it took him a while to react.
"You're a guest from afar, so I'll only take one copper coin. One copper coin is enough."
The bun shop owner said as he handed over two steaming hot, big, and round meat buns.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The Hu youth took the two steaming buns and took a big bite. As he expressed his thanks, tears of excitement streamed down his face.
"I ate it! I ate the meat bun that Teacher spoke of!"
The youth raised his arms and shouted to his companions behind him.
Boom!
Behind him, the Hu exploded into thunderous cheers at the sight of the youth's' magnificent feat '. On the two sides of the street, the common people of the capital who had seen this sight, after their initial shock, also began to shout in excitement. Every one of them was overwhelmed with emotion.
The Hu!
They were not the wealthy Hu merchants of the capital, but the ordinary Hu of the steppe. For the first time, the common people of the capital realized that the ordinary Hu were just like them. There were white-haired elders among them, and there were youthful, enchanting, and enchanting young girls who were curious about everything.
Their youths also had a shy, kind, and uneasy side.
All of them were no different from the common people of the Central Plains. This was completely different from what they had imagined.
Boom!
When they realized this, the cheers of the crowd grew even louder. Even the soldiers maintaining order sensed this, and a faint smile appeared on their lips. After a long war and constant slaughter, the Hu and the Tang people had finally welcomed a precious period of peace.
Without the strangeness and estrangement, the common people of both sides were finally able to see the true face of the other side.
"Hahaha, son, look! There's nothing to be afraid of the Hu! Isn't that right? "
At the edge of the crowd, the father holding his son aloft also sensed this joyous and harmonious atmosphere, his face brimming with excitement.
Escorted by the soldiers and cheered by the crowd, the thousands of Hu passed through the city gate, gradually making their way into the depths of the capital and toward the guest house that had been arranged for them.
At this moment, few people noticed that in a restaurant on the street, a pair of eyes were slowly looking away, a hint of worry on their face.
"Milord, if this continues … The common people might make a mistake! They think that these kind and simple Hu are all the Hu. They think that the news on the border was fabricated by our soldiers in order to claim credit! The Confucian Sect is misleading the common people! "
Su Shixuan stood by the window, his face fraught with worry.
He had accompanied his lord to this place before the Imperial Court had announced the start of the event. Although everything before him seemed relaxed and harmonious, and the Hu elders and children did not seem to pose any threat, Su Shixuan found it hard to be happy. It was very easy for people to only see one side and forget the other.
Yes!
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