As newlyweds, Du Qi stayed at home with Li Yanyun. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was August. Although the weather was hot at this time, it was not as unbearable as the weather in June and July.
In half a month, Du Qi and Li Yanyun were inseparable. At the same time, he also accepted Qianxue.
The two women who had been with him for several years had become his women. But even so, Li Yanyun and Qianxue were not idle. They were still dealing with the business handover.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Du Qi was ready to set off.
When Du Qi was about to set off, the Jeong Clan came.
The Jeong Clan entered the study and sat down. She said, "Erlang, you are ready to set off. I see that Yanyun and Qianxue are both making arrangements. Are they going to the Western Region with you? "
"Yes!"
Du Qi nodded and answered.
This was what they had agreed on before.
The Jeong Clan said, "Erlang, I will tell you the truth. I won't beat around the bush. I won't object to Yanyun and Qianxue going to the Western Region with you. "
"After all, you will not be going to the Western Region for a while. You will be there for a long time."
"You need someone to take care of you."
"The problem is that Liu Zhengxi recently sent back the news that Longyoudao in the Western Region is still in the dark. There is nothing there, and it may even be dangerous."
"You don't even have a place to stay in the Western Region."
The Jeong Clan said, "The current conditions are not ripe. I mean to let your two daughters-in-law stay in Chang 'an for the time being. When you have a foothold in the Western Region and have a place to stay, you can go there. What do you think?"
"Okay!"
Du Qi gave an answer after thinking for a while.
When Du Qi talked with Li Xiaogong, he said that if the conditions were not ripe, the two women would stay for the time being. According to the news from Liu Zhengxi, although arrangements had been made, the situation was not clear. It would take time to establish a foothold in Jiuquan County of Suzhou.
When the members of the Jeong Clan heard Du Qi's words, they immediately smiled. Now he treasured Qianxue and Li Yanyun very much, because the two women had slept with Du Qi. Maybe they were pregnant. It was not suitable for them to travel long distances, so it was better to stay in Chang 'an for observation.
Even if she wasn't pregnant, it wouldn't matter.
After all, the situation in the Western Regions was unclear.
After the Jeong Clan left, Du Qi told Qianxue and Li Yanyun about this matter. Although the two women were reluctant, they still stayed. After all, they would not stay in Chang 'an forever. They would go to Longyou Road later.
August 18th, early in the morning.
Du Qi left the Du Clan and set off for the Western Regions. This time, Du Qi went out with a small team of about two hundred people. Xiao Yuan Qi was in charge of protecting Du Qi's safety.
Du Qi didn't go to Longyou Road with a mission this time. Without the support of the imperial court, he had to rely on himself. Therefore, Du Qi didn't publicize his trip with great fanfare. He just disguised himself as a caravan and went to the Western Regions.
After leaving Chang 'an, they went all the way west.
Because they had devoted themselves to building concrete roads these years, they had built concrete roads around Chang 'an. Everything went smoothly. After leaving Gyeonggi Province and entering Longyou Road, the road changed.
It changed from a concrete road to a mud road.
To some extent, the extension of the concrete road represented the Tang Dynasty's control over the place. Because the Tang Dynasty had not been established for a long time, many places in Longyou Road seemed to have surrendered on the surface, but in fact, they didn't care about the imperial court at all.
That was the reason why the road couldn't be connected.
Or, the imperial court sent officials, but they were temporarily unable to control the place.
It was a nominal surrender.
Especially after entering Longyou Road, the farther west it was, the more remote it was, and the place was extremely desolate and barren.
After all, the Western Regions were not as prosperous as the Central Plains. The more barren these places were, the fiercer the people's customs were. As the saying went, barren hills and turbulent rivers produced unruly people.
Du Qi didn't care about the situation in Longyou Road.
That was the imperial court's business.
Du Qi's mission was to take Suzhou, Guazhou, and Shazhou under his control as a foothold. Then he could expand to the Western Regions and build his strength.
It was September.
In the Western Regions, autumn was cool and refreshing.
The team led by Du Qi had entered Suzhou.
After nightfall, the team set up camp.
Du Qi and Liu Zhengxi sat around the bonfire. Du Qi looked at Liu Zhengxi and asked, "Mr. Liu, have you arranged a place for our people in Jiuquan County to stay?"
Liu Zhengxi said, "It has been arranged."
After a pause, Liu Zhengxi continued, "Your Highness quietly entered Jiuquan as a businessman this time. Because your identity hasn't been exposed, no one knows about it, so you can secretly plan. "
"According to the previous news, the county magistrate of Jiuquan County, Jiang Zhengdao, is a local big family."
"Jiang Zhengdao has surrendered to the imperial court, but in Jiuquan County, Jiang Zhengdao has the final say. Even the village elders and county magistrates are directly or indirectly promoted by the Jiang family. It won't be easy to break the situation in Jiuquan County. "
"The Jiang family also has enough power, so it won't be easy to move against Jiang Zhengdao in Jiuquan County."
Liu Zhengxi talked about the situation in Jiuquan County.
Du Qi thought for a while and said with a smile, "No matter what the situation in Jiuquan County is, we have to find a breakthrough."
Liu Zhengxi nodded.
Although the situation in Jiuquan County is difficult, it is not an iron bucket. It can be manipulated.
"Report!"
At this moment, a soldier came to Du Qi and reported, "Ping Xiwang, there is a person outside our camp. His clothes are shabby, and he said he wants to seek refuge with you."
Du Qi raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.
Someone came to seek refuge with him.
That's strange.
Du Qi thought for a while and ordered, "Bring him here."
"Yes!"
The soldier immediately went to pass the order.
Not long after, a skinny young man with a big spear on his back, about 175 cm tall, wearing shabby clothes, and with a dark yellow face walked over.
The young man's face was full of hardships, and he looked quite tired. He walked to Du Qi's side, clasped his fist and saluted, "Xue Rengui greets Ping Xiwang."
Du Qi heard Xue Rengui's name, and immediately said, "You are Xue Rengui from Longmen County of Jiang Province?"
"Yes!"
Xue Rengui immediately replied.
He was even more surprised. How did Du Qi know his hometown? Xue Rengui didn't ask, because he didn't dare to casually ask. He just had some doubts.
Du Qi's face showed a smile. The person who came was indeed the historical Xue Rengui. Xue Rengui's ancestors were also from a rich and powerful family, but his family declined. He came to Du Qi's place to make a living by farming, but he never fell behind in martial arts and his own studies.
Later, Xue Rengui joined the army and became Zhang Shigui's subordinate, and was able to rise to the top.
Now, he came to Du Qi's place.
Du Qi opened his mouth and said, "Xue Rengui, right? Looking at you, you must have eaten and slept in the wind, and traveled a long way. What business do you have with this King? "
Xue Rengui clasped his fist and said, "Reporting to Ping Xiwang, I came to seek refuge with Ping Xiwang."
"Seek refuge with me?"
Du Qi's expression was even more surprised.
He had already arrived in Suzhou, not far from Jiuquan County, and Xue Rengui suddenly appeared to seek refuge. Xue Rengui's allegiance was originally a good thing, but Du Qi had to clarify this matter.
Xue Rengui explained, "Reporting to Ping Xiwang, I really came to seek refuge with Ping Xiwang. This year, I came to Chang 'an to make a living and prepared to seek refuge with you. Later, I learned that Ping Xiwang went to the Western Regions, and especially heard that Ping Xiwang wanted to open the Silk Road. I thought that you needed people, so I came to seek refuge. "
After a pause, Xue Rengui continued, "It's just that Ping Xiwang's speed was fast. Even if I quickly caught up, it was very strenuous. I only caught up now. I earnestly ask Ping Xiwang to take me in."
Hearing this, Du Qi looked at Xue Rengui's appearance again. He indeed looked tired from eating and sleeping in the wind.
On this journey, Du Qi was indeed not slow at all.
Du Qi looked at Xue Rengui, who was carrying a big spear on his back. His eyes moved down and fell on Xue Rengui's feet. The weather was gradually turning cold, but Xue Rengui was only wearing a pair of straw sandals. These straw sandals looked like they were about to fall apart.
Especially Xue Rengui's clothes, which were also very shabby. If Du Qi did not know Xue Rengui, just by looking at his current appearance, perhaps no one who saw Xue Rengui would think that Xue Rengui had a great future.
Instead, they would think that Xue Rengui was a beggar.
Du Qi suddenly said, "You chased all the way here, did you run on foot?"
"Yes!"
Xue Rengui blushed and said, "This commoner was born poor. My family is poor, and I don't have money to buy a horse. Therefore, I could only run all the way here. "
Du Qi said, "You, Xue Rengui, want to work for this King. Tell me, what are you good at?"
When Xue Rengui heard Du Qi's words, his eyes lit up.
Ping Xiwang asked him what he was good at.
This was his opportunity.
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