"Merton, wait a minute!"
After the military meeting, Meton was about to leave when three messengers suddenly caught up with Meton and bowed.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Meton looked back and asked in surprise. The three messengers had traveled a total of 14,000 miles. Even Meton had to admire them and call them brave warriors.
The leader of the messengers cupped his hands and reported, "Reporting to Marquis Mo, we are in the city of Chang 'an. An elder of the Mo family has entrusted us to deliver a message to Marquis Mo, stating that Princess Changle is already six months pregnant."
"Is this true?" Meton was overjoyed. He had left Chang 'an City before the New Year. If Princess Changle was pregnant at that time, it would be the exact date.
Thinking of this possibility, he wished that he could immediately fly back to Princess Changle's side. He knew that Princess Changle's body was weak. It had taken a full three years for Princess Changle to conceive again. Six months of pregnancy was precisely the time when she needed someone to accompany her.
"This is absolutely true. My brothers and I have asked around. Everyone in Chang 'an knows that Princess Changle has been pregnant for six months. If Merton goes back now, he may be able to catch up with Princess Changle's delivery. "The three messengers said loudly.
Meton was very excited when he heard that Princess Changle was pregnant. However, he shook his head firmly and said, "How can the national affairs be mixed with personal affairs? Now I am in the Sui Army's western expedition to Gao Chang. Although the war is over, it is far from the time of victory. How can I abandon my comrades and go back alone to accompany my wife and child? Won't I be ridiculed by the world? I believe Princess Changle will understand me. "
The Tang Dynasty Army had just conquered Gao Chang City. If there was no army to suppress it, there would be more trouble in Gao Chang City. Therefore, Meton did not hesitate to reject the proposal of the messengers.
Although he was worried about the safety of Changle and the child, he knew what was important. Besides, he had made sufficient arrangements in Chang 'an City. The women's and children's hospital had been running for several years. The success rate of delivery had been greatly improved. It did not matter whether he went back or not.
Therefore, although Meton was worried, he forced himself to endure it. He gave the three messengers a reward and thanked them heavily.
"Thank you, Merton!" The three messengers not only received benefits but also formed a good relationship with Merton, so they left.
After the three messengers left, Meton excitedly roared, "I'm going to be a father again."
In addition, the news of Princess Changle's pregnancy was not kept strictly confidential. Very quickly, the entire Western Punitive Expedition army learned of Princess Changle's pregnancy. One by one, the generals congratulated Morton. The entire Western Punitive Expedition army was joyous and harmonious.
Ten days later, the people from the Anxi Protectorate sent by the Imperial Court finally arrived. When Meton saw them, he couldn't help but sigh. History was indeed shockingly similar. The first Protector-General of the Western Regions was still the same person, the son-in-law Qiao Shiwang.
But Qiao Shiwang's son-in-law was not the same as Meton's. Qiao Shiwang had married Li Yuan's daughter, Princess Luling, while Meton had married Princess Changle. Thinking about it, Meton should have called Qiao Shiwang his uncle.
But in reality, the situation was reversed. Princess Changle was the eldest princess of the Tang dynasty while Princess Luling was just an unremarkable daughter of Li Yuan. And now, Mo Jiazi was renowned throughout the world, his feat of destroying a city in a single strike shocking the world. Qiao Shiwang, on the other hand, had failed to achieve his ambition, and this time, he had expended a great deal of effort to obtain the position of Protector-General of the Western Regions.
"Many thanks to Merton for your assistance!" Qiao Shiwang sincerely expressed his gratitude.
He had originally believed that the post of Anxi Protector-General would be an arduous one. The land of Gao Chang was known to be extremely hot and cold. Putting aside the vile climate, the surrounding area was also constantly being watched by the Western Turks. The newly established Anxi Protectorate was bound to be in a difficult situation.
Moreover, the Anxi Protectorate was far from the Tang dynasty, separated by two thousand li of the Gobi Desert. It would be difficult to resupply, so he had already prepared himself for hardship.
But when he arrived in Gao Chang, he discovered that Meton had already laid down a good foundation for him. When he saw the raisins in the shady houses and tasted their delicious flavor, his worries were instantly put to rest.
With these raisins and the fact that the Anxi Protectorate had been stationed in Jiaohe City, which was closest to the Tang dynasty, his days were much better. All of this was thanks to Meton.
"Don't mention it, don't mention it. It's just a small matter," Mo Dun said humbly.
Qiao Shiwang sighed and said, "Merton's little effort is a great help to this Qiao. Right, when I was in Luling, I just so happened to run into Princess Changle. I didn't expect Princess Changle to be pregnant for several months. I really have to congratulate Merton."
When Meton heard the news of Princess Changle's pregnancy from the messenger, he still had some doubts. But now that Qiao Shiwang had personally said it, this matter was probably true. Thus, he helplessly said, "This Meton is far away in Gao Chang. I've truly troubled Changle."
"Merton is in a dilemma. I believe that Princess Changle can understand," Qiao Shiwang respectfully said.
After exchanging some pleasantries with Meton, Qiao Shiwang finally left. As he walked out of the Firearms Bureau, Qiao Shiwang suddenly had an idea. Meton could be said to have indirectly helped him several times, so why wouldn't he help Meton this once? After thinking for a while, Qiao Shiwang suddenly turned around and headed toward Hou Junji's tent.
After Qiao Shiwang left, Meton immediately welcomed another familiar guest.
"Brother Kong!" Meton was meeting an old friend in a foreign land, so he didn't expect to see Kong Huisuo in Gao Chang's territory. Naturally, he was exceptionally happy.
"Brother Mo." Kong Huisuo cupped his fist. As he gazed at the tanned Meton, he couldn't help but sigh. The two of them had once had similar beginnings, but now, Mo Jiazi was renowned throughout the world while he was still a nobody. It seemed like he would have to work hard to catch up.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Meton got straight to the point. "Brother Kong was not willing to travel several thousand miles to come here. I presume that it was because of the matter of speaking the same words."
Kong Huisuo nodded. "Although there are different accents in the Guanzhong region, they can still be understood, so it's not too obvious when it comes to practicing speaking the same words. And Gao Chang's territory is a newly conquered land of the Imperial Court, making it the best place to experiment with speaking the same words."
Ever since he learned that the Imperial Court had established the Anxi Protectorate, Kong Huisuo understood that the Imperial Court was certain to imitate the Eastern and Western Han and govern the Western Regions. And if they wanted the Western Regions to completely submit to them, the importance of speaking the same words would only increase with each passing day. Moreover, as a descendant of the Kong Family, he had traveled several thousand li to come to the Anxi Protectorate and would assuredly be put in an important position. This was the stage on which he could display his abilities, and this wasn't even mentioning the fact that the Confucians had the backing of the Tang Dynasty.
Meton nodded. "Your decision is correct. The Tang dynasty will never give up on the Silk Road. In the future, the Western Regions will become a battleground."
Hearing Meton's affirmation, Kong Huisuo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. If even Meton believed this, then he had made the right choice.
"But this Kong is still confused as to how to start," Kong Huisuo said in vexation.
Meton laughed. "What's so difficult about that? Who do you think needs to learn the Han language the most in the Western Regions? It's naturally those Hu merchants who need to do business in the Tang dynasty."
"Hu merchants?" Kong Huisuo's eyes couldn't help but light up. If these Hu merchants wanted to do business in the interior, they would need to interact with Han people, so naturally, they would need to speak the Han language.
"Besides this, there are also quite a few Han descendants in the Western Regions. I believe that these people won't be against speaking the Han language. …"
With Meton's explanation, Kong Huisuo was suddenly enlightened. The Anxi Protectorate had just been established, so it was impossible for them to use private schools to spread the Mandarin language. Thus, Meton's suggestion was the best method.
"Many thanks!" Kong Huisuo said solemnly. The Mandarin language was the work of the Confucian school, but Meton didn't avoid arousing suspicion and took the initiative to offer advice. This friendship moved him.
Meton candidly said, "You and I are brothers, so there's no need to be so polite. Right now, we're both in Gao Chang. If there's time, let's get together more often."
Kong Huisuo silently nodded, but in his heart, he said, "Brother Mo, I'm sorry. This little brother also wants to get together more often, but I'm afraid that sister-in-law can't wait any longer. Letting you return to Chang 'an City as soon as possible can be considered this little brother's repayment to you."
… … …
Bongbongbong!
After many days, the drums in the command tent began to beat once more. In the Firearms Supervisor's tent, Meton raised his head and looked in the direction of the command tent in confusion. Why would there be drums at a time like this? Without any hesitation, he hurried to the command tent.
By the time Meton arrived at the command tent, several generals had already arrived. With the beating of the drums, all the generals were present, not a single one missing.
Hou Junji sat on the main seat and coldly looked at the generals. Suddenly, he slapped the table and stood up. "This old man has spent his entire life in the military. Ever since the King of Qin's Residence, I've followed His Majesty to conquer the world, all the way until the Tang dynasty unified the world. I've fought countless battles and killed countless enemies. None of the soldiers under my command disobeyed my orders, risking their lives and bleeding. But recently, something strange happened in my command tent.
"Strange!" The generals couldn't help but frown. They didn't know what had made Hou Junji so angry that he beat the drums directly.
Hou Junji looked around and coldly said, "During this period of time, a man with great influence in Gao Chang sent someone thousands of miles away to my command tent to plead for mercy. He asked me to take care of him and let him return to Chang 'an City in advance. Everyone, do you think I should agree …?"
The generals couldn't help but fall silent. How could a man who could send a message to the command tent be a simple man? The generals thought of a recent rumor and couldn't help but think of a suitable person. Immediately, they avoided mentioning it again.
"If it were in normal times, I would definitely send him to the battlefield as a scout to attack cities." Hou Junji looked around and suddenly changed the topic. He laughed and said, "But now that the battle with Gao Chang is over, how can I not fulfill his wish?"
"Fulfill his wish?" The generals couldn't help but be in an uproar. They didn't expect Hou Junji to agree. This wasn't Hou Junji's style.
Suddenly, the generals turned their attention to Mo Jiazi. Perhaps only Mo Jiazi had such means and the motive to return to Chang 'an City. Now that Princess Changle was about to give birth, Mo Jiazi was probably anxious to return. It was reasonable for him to ask someone to plead for mercy.
"This is great news. Her Royal Highness is about to give birth, and the battle with Gao Chang is over. Mo Jiu returning to Chang 'an City in advance is no big deal." Hou Junji laughed. Suddenly, the solemn atmosphere in the command tent disappeared.
"Yes! In the battle with Gao Chang, Mo Jiu broke the city with one strike. His military merit is the first. This is not a big deal. "Xue Wanjun also echoed.
The first and second leaders of the Tang Army had already voted. Naturally, the generals echoed and congratulated Merton.
However, Modun suddenly stepped forward and saluted the generals. "Thank you for your kind intentions. I appreciate it, but military law is not child's play. Our army is on an expedition to the west. If I abandon my comrades and return to Chang 'an to accompany my wife in childbirth, what would the soldiers think of me? What would my comrades think of me? I am willing to return to the capital with the army. I will never return to Chang' an alone."
The generals were stunned. They did not expect that Mo Jiazi would reject Hou Junji's kindness and take the initiative to refuse to return to Chang 'an City.
Hou Junji frowned. If Princess Changle was not Li Shimin's eldest daughter and had a special status, he would not want to meddle in this matter. He sighed and said, "Mo Jiu is indeed open and aboveboard. But I'm afraid you don't know that our army is about to return to the capital. Otherwise, why do you think I am beating the drums?"
"Return to the capital?" Meton was stunned. The generals were also stunned. They did not expect Hou Junji to order the army to return to the capital at this time.
Hou Junji nodded and said, "Mo Jiu is right. A small Gao Chang cannot feed a hundred thousand troops. Now that our army is stationed here, we can only transfer food from Jade Gate Pass. Otherwise, we will only eat Gao Chang. So, I have decided to return to the capital in advance. However, we still need to guard against the Western Turks' sneak attack on Gao Chang. So, we can only withdraw the army in batches to Jade Gate Pass to reduce the pressure on food.
"Withdraw to Jade Gate Pass in batches." Meton frowned.
Hou Junji nodded and said, "When we went west to conquer Gao Chang, all of you experienced the problem of water shortage. The vast Gobi Desert does not allow large numbers of troops to march, not to mention the hot summer. I'm afraid the water shortage will be even worse. We can only withdraw in batches. You, the Firearms Supervisor, will be the first batch."
Meton thought about the hardships of the Gobi Desert and immediately understood the necessity of Hou Junji's decision. However, he shook his head firmly and said, "I appreciate the general's kindness. Merton and the Firearms Supervisor are willing to delay the withdrawal to Chang 'an City. Let the other armies be the first batch!"
"Avoid suspicion!"
Everyone knew the reason Meton did this, but they also knew that in Meton's situation, it was not easy to refuse such a good thing.
Hou Junji said seriously, "I asked the Firearms Supervisor to withdraw the first batch to the Tang dynasty not to take care of you. First, there is no war in Gao Chang City. Even if there is a war with the Western Turks in the future, it will be a confrontation of cavalry. The Firearms Supervisor will have no place to fight. Also, as you said, the Firearms Supervisor is about to run out of gunpowder. I'm afraid the remaining gunpowder won't be able to last for long and won't be able to fight again."
Meton was silent. Just as Hou Junji said, the Firearms Supervisor's role in Gao Chang was minimal.
"Not to mention, gunpowder is the most important thing. It will be easy for others to covet it if it stays in Gao Chang. Therefore, the Firearms Supervisor should be the first to withdraw to the Tang dynasty. No matter for public or private reasons, there is no dispute," Hou Junji said.
"That's right. We have no objection."
"Moreover, Merton has broken the city in one strike and made outstanding military contributions. He deserves to be the first batch to return."
"Merton, don't value undeserved fame. Princess Changle is about to give birth. If you miss it because of fame, I'm afraid it will be a lifelong regret."
… … …
The generals persuaded him one after another.
Seeing this, Meton proudly cupped his hands and said to the generals, "Thank you. I am grateful for your help."
Niu Jinda laughed loudly and said, "Mo Jiu, you are too polite. We are comrades on the battlefield. We can even live and die together, let alone this small matter."
Meton silently cupped his hands and thanked everyone.
Soon after, Hou Junji announced the plan to withdraw the army. Meton's Firearms Supervisor would be the first batch, followed by the second and third. Hou Junji's troops would be the last batch, and they would return to the capital during the winter.
After all, during the winter, the snow would seal off the capital. Even if the Western Turks wanted to attack Gao Chang, they could do nothing. They could only wait until the autumn of next year to make their plans.
After a year of operation, the Anxi Protectorate should have already gained a firm foothold in Gao Chang and no longer feared any enemy.
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