"Now you understand, right?"
The King of Song gave the old butler a profound glance, knowing that he had also understood. Given the relationship between the Song and Wang Clans and Wang Yan's outstanding talent as a commander, he should have been the best candidate. But now, he was the most unsuitable.
"In addition, the majority of the Qixi Protectorate is made up of Hu, and the Hu are obstinate and difficult to subdue. If Wang Yan were to appear out of nowhere, the Han in the Qixi Protectorate would be fine, but the Hu would definitely not submit to him. Wang Gengzhi has always been harsh and strict in his management of the army, but could he really just kill half of the Qixi Protectorate? His Majesty needs to send people to stabilize Qixi and guard against Ouzan and the Western Turkic Khaganate, not to cripple ourselves and engage in internal strife before we have even begun to deal with Ouzan and the Turkic Khaganate. "
The old butler fell silent. In terms of politics, he was not a very good partner, and he had no say in this matter, so he could not provide much help to the King of Song.
"Old butler, help me write a letter and inform him of the situation here. Ask for his opinion."
The King of Song thought for a few moments before speaking.
"Yes, this old servant will do so."
The old butler's lips moved as he quickly left.
In the entire King of Song's faction, the one who could provide the greatest assistance to the King of Song in every aspect was undoubtedly Wang Chong. Fomonlința was a formidable Protector-General with decades of service in the army, a lofty and dignified existence, yet Wang Chong had managed to slowly drag him down from his high horse.
In the capital, Wang Chong's reputation had unwittingly reached an extremely high level. Even though Wang Chong was far away at the border and had yet to step into the imperial court, he had no right to participate in politics. However, in the eyes of many nobles and aristocratic families, he was already like the sun in the sky. He was probably even more feared than many of the old officials in the imperial court.
Gradually, even the King of Song himself did not realize that he now valued Wang Chong more and more. Unconsciously, whenever he encountered a problem, he would subconsciously think of Wang Chong, hoping to get some advice from him.
…
Several days later, Wushang, City of Steel …
After reading the letter from The King of Song, Wang Chong put down the letter and remained silent for a long time.
"How is it? Have you noticed anything?"
Xu Yi-qin sat at the side. Her clothes were as white as snow, and her beautiful eyes were rippling. She blew at the foam on the tea and opened her cherry lips.
"It's not that easy to choose a candidate for Fomonlința. When it comes to the position of Imperial Protector-General, the Imperial Court has always made the decision. I never thought that The King of Song would ask me about this matter. "
Wang Chong shook his head. He had to admit that the importance that The King of Song placed on him was far greater than he had imagined.
"You were the one who moved Fomonlința away, so you should have a candidate in mind, right?"
Xu Yi-qin said. As she spoke, she stretched out her snow-white fingers, took a piece of pastry from the plate on the table, and lightly placed it in her mouth. She took small bites, her posture elegant and composed. As she spent more and more time in Wushang, she was becoming more and more involved in matters, and her relationship with Wang Chong was also growing closer and closer.
Now, the two of them ate breakfast together. There were some important matters that not only did Wang Chong not avoid, he even consulted with her.
"Of course I did. Originally, the best candidate for Qixi Protector-General was my father. If he could enter Qixi, things would be much more convenient for us. But it seems that The King of Song still doesn't think it's possible and has already eliminated him. "
Wang Chong gave a faint sigh.
The Song and Wang Clans had been on good terms for generations, and there was no need for him to bring up the position of Qixi Protector-General. The King of Song would assuredly think of his father first. But The King of Song had still sent him a letter asking for his opinion. It was clear that The King of Song still felt that his father was not good enough as a candidate for Qixi Protector-General.
The King of Song was an upright person, and although the Song and Wang Clans had been friends for many years, the most important things in The King of Song's heart were still the Tang dynasty and the world. There was nothing that could be done about this. But on the other hand, this was precisely why Wang Chong respected him. In the Imperial Court, there was a reason why The King of Song was able to suppress King Qi and receive the respect of all his subjects.
"… If nothing unexpected happens, the reason why The King of Song has eliminated my father is probably because he commands infantry, not cavalry."
Wang Chong helplessly said.
There was a huge difference between different types of soldiers. In the war of the southwest, his father had not been an expert of the Great General level, but he had been able to resist the attacks of an Ouzan Great General like Huoshu Huizang precisely because of the Mighty Miracle God Formation, which gathered the strength of the army.
But if it had been cavalry, the subordinates he was familiar with, then the Mighty Miracle God Formation would have been impossible to use. And without the Mighty Miracle God Formation, his father would have been no match for an Imperial Great General.
This sort of person was absolutely not suited to become Qixi Protector-General!
As these thoughts flew through his mind, Wang Chong couldn't help but deeply crease his brow.
"Other than Uncle, do you not have any other candidates in mind?"
Xu Yi-qin faintly smiled, somewhat unconvinced. The Wang Chong she knew had always been confident and composed. He would always be confident in everything he did. This was not like the Wang Chong she knew.
"Haha!"
Wang Chong couldn't help but turn his head and laugh.
"In truth, the reason I want to move Fomonlința away is very simple. With him around, I have no way of carrying out any operations. Incidents like Damang Mangban's night raids will happen again and again. Moreover, he will find a way to ruin all my plans. For example, if I build a City of Steel at the triangular gap, he'll immediately move to it. Thus, as long as Fomonlința isn't overseeing Qixi, it's fine. In addition, if Father isn't too suitable, I can consider Xianyu Zhongtong or one of the other Han generals. As long as it's not someone from King Qi's faction, it's fine …
"But no matter who it is, as long as it's someone from King Qi's faction, The King of Song will never agree."
Before Wang Chong could say anything, Xu Yi-qin interrupted.
"Smart!"
Wang Chong turned to glance at Xu Yi-qin and heartily praised her.
"Whether the Imperial Court chooses Fomonlința's successor or not, I have nothing to worry about. Compared to what The King of Song said, I'm actually more worried about something else. "
The moment Wang Chong finished speaking, the two people in the room fell silent.
With Fomonlința imprisoned for the War of the Princes, Wang Chong's greatest foe and threat in Qixi had been smoothly resolved. However, this matter had inadvertently triggered an even greater conflict. At least half of the people in the Qixi Protectorate were Hu vassals, and the Hu revered strength. To put it simply, whoever had the greatest strength was the master.
It was fine when Fomonlința was around, as everything could still be suppressed. But now that Fomonlința had left, Qixi was like a group of dragons without a leader, and all the problems were immediately exposed. In an instant, ten-some factions appeared in Qixi, each of them vying for control of the Qixi Protectorate.
According to the rules of the Imperial Court, only the Imperial Court could appoint the next Qixi Protector-General. But to the Hu, who revered strength and whose brains were determined by their fists, this rule was of no use.
This was also why Wang Chong had objected to the Regional Commanders system and the excessive use of Hu. If it had been a group of Han, this sort of situation would have never occurred.
In the current situation, these ten-some Hu commanders were vying for power, and there was a high chance that an internal conflict would erupt in the Qixi Protectorate.
"Li Siye, what's the situation like in Qixi?"
Wang Chong suddenly turned his head to the door.
"Replying to Marquis, we've been monitoring the situation day and night. Just as you expected, Fomonlința's trusted aide, Guduli, is wantonly trying to recruit the other Hu in the Qixi Protectorate. He's extremely strong, and he was originally Fomonlința's personal guard. His voice in the army has already surpassed Heba Ye's, and more importantly, even the Qixi Protectorate on the eastern Turkic steppe has begun to support him. If I'm not mistaken, if the Qixi Protectorate were to choose someone to replace Fomonlința, it would probably be him. In addition, I've received word that Guduli will probably use his words to suppress Heba Ye. "
Li Siye, dressed in martial attire, was standing guard at the door.
"In addition, according to the intelligence we've gathered, Guduli has a serious tendency to rebel. Recently, he's made several statements, saying that 'Hu shouldn't fight Hu, that we're all one family.' He's even said that he wants to bring all the Hu in the Qixi Protectorate to join the Western Turkic Khaganate. "
The two men in the room frowned at Li Siye's words.
"Wang Chong, don't be impulsive. We have no jurisdiction over the Qixi Protectorate, and we can't recklessly violate the laws of the Tang dynasty. Otherwise, there will be serious problems, and we might even lose everything. Moreover, there hasn't been a large-scale war in the Qixi Protectorate. Interfering at this time and killing a general of the Qixi Protectorate is a crime punishable by death. "
Xu Qiqin, who was observing from the side, immediately sensed something and quickly warned him.
Haaa, I can only put this matter aside for now!
Wang Chong mentally sighed. The affairs of the Qixi Protectorate were currently a complete mess. They could only wait for a new Qixi Protector-General to take office before they could be completely resolved.
"Li Siye, I'll leave the matters of the Qixi Protectorate to you. Keep a close watch on them and pay attention to their movements. If there's any internal strife, no matter what, you have to get involved and stop them."
"Yes, Marquis."
Li Siye deferentially said.
After leaving everything to Li Siye, Wang Chong took a short nap in his room. After enjoying his breakfast with Xu Yi-qin, he quickly left the room. The events in the Qixi Protectorate truly were worrying, but to Wang Chong, they were nothing more than a minor itch. There was another matter far more important than this.
"Venerable Masters, long time no see."
In the City of Steel, in the main hall of the lord's residence, Wang Chong met with Arloja and Ablonodan. After more than a year, although the two were still thin, their complexions were much better.
"Young Master Chong pays his respects."
"I didn't think that Young Master would already be made a king and a marquis after more than a year. Young Master is so young and promising. We truly did not misjudge you. "
Upon seeing Wang Chong, the two Sindhi monks immediately stood up from their seats, pressed their palms together, and gave a deep bow. When Sindhu was suffering from a famine, Wang Chong had delivered a large number of cattle, sheep, and provisions to them, alleviating their immediate need. All of Sindhu viewed him as their most important benefactor and honored guest.
Moreover, when Wang Chong purchased the Hyderabad ore, he had paid an extremely high price, on a completely different level from the other countries. For this reason, even the High Priest of Sindhu viewed him as an honored guest.
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