Just when Wu Feng set off for Shuangduiji, Xiao Tang, who was staying in the northwest, also received an official letter from the Imperial Administration of Zhongzhou, the imperial capital.
Frowning and slowly reading the contents of the letter, Xiao Tang calmed down and handed the letter to Su Qin sitting next to him.
Although Su Qin has not yet clearly defined his official position and work, Wu Feng and Xiao Tang have included him in it. Wu Feng firmly believed in his principles, and he did not question those who were suspicious of him. Once he made a decision, he made bold appointments. When he left the northwest for Luzon, he clearly instructed Su Qin to assist Xiao Tang in handling important military and political affairs in the entire northwest. His high position can be seen A spot. Su Qin was also very moved, and even tried his best to assist Xiao Tang in handling northwest affairs without any neglect.
Seeing that Su Qin had finished reading the letter, Xiao Tang turned his gaze to Su Qin's face: "Brother Su, what do you think of this matter?"
After thinking silently for a moment, Su Qin finally spoke: "We received the news from Brother Gu Ji from the imperial capital two days ago. We didn't expect that the efficiency of the imperial administrative department has become so high. In my opinion, your Excellency is going to attack Lu this time. Song's incident must have caused quite a stir in the court."
"Yes, your Excellency is young and promising, with unique words and deeds. He is disliked by many people in the court. In addition, your Excellency has always been friendly with the lower classes, and is even more hated by the conservative nobles in the court. If you have ulterior motives, People are stirring up trouble and adding fuel to the flames. I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble this time." Xiao Tang nodded in agreement and said, "Before setting off to Luzon, I also raised this issue with your Excellency. At that time, Your Excellency also agreed with my opinion. Maybe Your Excellency may have made other arrangements as well.”
"Well, our foundation in the northwest is still shallow now, and we still need to have a good relationship with the Imperial Central Committee. Many issues related to the national economy and people's livelihood have to rely on the Imperial Central Committee. Your Excellency is far-sighted, and I think you should take this into consideration. There are pros and cons to the expedition to Luzon. , but I think overall this time is a good choice, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, even taking some risks is worth it. Maybe if you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to encounter this kind of opportunity again." Su Qin because he didn't In charge of specific affairs, based on the analysis of the expedition alone, he agreed to seize the opportunity to expand his power. He also knew that Xiao Tang was not very in favor of the expedition.
"Brother Su, you don't know something. I'm not a fool. Don't I know that this is an excellent opportunity? I also hope that we can develop and become stronger as soon as possible, not to mention that Northern Luzon is still a treasure land rich in products. But now the northwest's finances have reached a point of difficulty. As the saying goes, before the troops and horses are moved, food and grass go first. The first thing to do when going out for a war is to provide logistical support, and that requires money. What you fight in a war is consumption, and what you fight is money. Of course, adults have also said that it is necessary to fight in order to obtain more benefits, but it will take some time for the benefits to be converted into cash, unless direct monetary compensation can be obtained." Xiao Tang explained with a wry smile, "To be honest with Brother Su, , The current financial resources are only enough to maintain normal operations for three months, and if there is any natural disaster, there is really no way to deal with it. "
"It's really hard for Brother Xiao, but it's already December. As far as the current situation is concerned, the weather in our northwest is pretty normal. Even if there is a big snow disaster, our northwest agriculture is mainly farming, so it won't be big. Loss. I heard from people from the Economic Development Administration that they have asked Qingyang to prepare the herdsmen, including the Yuli people, in the northwest corner of their land for overwintering and disaster prevention. There shouldn't be any big trouble." Su Qin understood. He nodded. After all, the northwest has a weak foundation and no reserves. It also implements tax reduction and exemption policies to stimulate economic development, and there are many wars in the northwest. It takes Xiao Tang a lot of thought to maintain it to this point.
"Well, I hope that your Excellency can make some money from this expedition to make up for the expenses of this expedition. I am grateful to God. By the way, let's not go into these digressions and let's discuss the matter at hand. . We have to report to the Lord immediately and ask him to return immediately. This letter is very urgent." Xiao Tang shook his head and returned to the topic.
"Well, I have to let you know immediately. I don't know the details of the situation in Luzon. The news that came back the day before yesterday said that the entire northern Luzon has been basically controlled. There should be no major problems. But you may still want to After staying there for a while, a lot of work will begin, and I'm afraid it won't work without him there." Su Qin analyzed carefully.
"Although the official documents from the General Administration of Administration are urgent, we still have to consider the actual situation here. Anyway, it is less than two months before the Spring Festival. It is enough to go back and report on the work before the Spring Festival. Northern Luzon The situation has just been settled, and there must be a lot of things going on. Without an adult to take charge, many things will be difficult to finalize in time. Yesterday, Mu Haoran had sent someone in advance to ask me to allocate more manpower to him. The adult intends to ask him to serve as the city guard and management of Vito City. The entire Northeast Luzon region." Xiao Tang also pondered, "We also need to build a central city in Northwest Luzon. I don't know how much financial and material resources it will cost, but if we don't build it, it won't work. I think you will be worried too."
"Mu Haoran is calm and down-to-earth, diligent in style, and good at taking the strengths of others to make up for his own weaknesses. Although he is a little younger, he is fully qualified for this position. Aren't we, Mr. Li, younger than him? As for the Northwest Luzon nation The composition is complex. It borders external forces on three sides in the west, south and north, and it is also too far away from our base in Northwest County. It would be difficult to stabilize the rule without building a city. Even if we spend a lot of financial and material resources, we may have to build it. And it can’t be delayed." Su Qin attaches great importance to the strategic position of Northern Luzon and has a very long-term vision.
"Yes, once Northern Luzon develops, it can become our bridgehead into the Central Continent. Its rich products can also be continuously imported into the empire. The benefits it brings cannot be calculated in terms of money, so no matter how much money is spent, it will have to be spent." . However, I think the local people of all ethnic groups also have a strong desire to develop the local economy. As long as they plan properly and are good at guiding, they should be able to raise a lot of construction funds. Of course, our investment here is also essential, but there is nothing we can do in the northwest right now. , we just have to see if your visit to the imperial capital to report on your work can achieve good results, so that we can get some financial support for us, even if it is a loan." Xiao Tang still knew the importance of Northern Luzon very clearly, and he knew what to do Don't be stingy with the money you spend, because the benefits you get will far exceed your investment.
"Brother Xiao, do you think there will be any danger when I return to the imperial capital to report my duties this time?" After a while of silence, Su Qin suddenly asked a question.
"Danger? Which aspect do you mean?" Xiao Tang was stunned for a moment, and then he became serious when he saw Su Qin's face was very solemn.
"There are various aspects, but I am mainly worried that His Majesty the Emperor will feel that the rapid expansion of your power will endanger the rule of the central empire. This means that it will endanger the rule of His Majesty and his successors, and it will not be beneficial to Your Excellency. ." Su Qin said carefully, knowing that these words could be punished as treason.
Xiao Tang didn't say anything for a long time, obviously considering the possibility of this situation. For a moment, the room was silent except for the crackling sound of the charcoal in the charcoal basin in the center of the room.
After a long time, Xiao Tangcai said faintly: "Although it is said that the best thing to do is to hide the rabbit and kill the dog, but according to the current situation, it should not have developed to that point yet. Your current prestige is also obvious to all in the government and the public, not to mention the expedition to Luzon this time. Opening up territory for the empire and increasing its prestige, even if there are some outrageous things, they are nothing compared to these achievements. You have to have an excuse to punish others."
"I hope so. My main concern is that His Majesty the Emperor is old. If some people close to him slander him too much, and if the Emperor gets dizzy, it will be too late to regret it."
"Although I am older, I am not confused in my mind. Just look at the many princes forming cliques, and who of them can hold back the real person in charge? The big purges that happen every few years are enough to make anyone stand. Stand firm, do you think he is confused?" Xiao Tang's words were very certain.
"But when it really threatens the royal family's own interests, the principle that blood is thicker than water is put first, and everything else will be put aside. I have a sinister character, which is known both inside and outside the court. Your Majesty's tree is a big draw, and it has already been It has aroused the jealousy and hatred of many people. I have heard about this in the imperial capital, and there are many royal people among them." Su Qin's words were still full of doubts.
Xiao Tang let out a long sigh, "What you said does make sense, but I think it is imperative that you return to the capital to report on your duties this time. Your personality will never give up returning to the capital to report on your duties for this reason. I think It’s better to report the situation to your Excellency first, and then we can put forward our opinions to him after your Excellency comes back.”
The Empire's Double Dragon Playing Pearl Flag and the Northwest Army's Jinpeng Flag were fluttering in the wind as the troops advanced. Wu Feng and his party, with his Guards Regiment as the core, and the Third Division's First Regiment as the vanguard, quickly gathered towards the double stack to the west. Go ahead. Vito City is about 200 kilometers away from Shuangduiji, and the entire trip only takes four days. However, the Guards Regiment is the most elite unit under Wu Feng, and the Third Division is a pure infantry division composed of Gaoyue tribesmen. Its marching speed is faster than other mixed divisions, and it only took three days to reach Shuangzhou. Stack.
The army also passed through many towns and villages along the way, but the local people did not seem to be hostile to these outsiders and seemed a little indifferent. In their eyes, whoever rules them seems to be the same. After all, the central government of Luzon has not paid much attention to this area. Many managements are just formalities, and real management is mainly limited to cities and larger market towns. Of course, there are also some well-informed people who have heard some rumors. They only know that the governance of this area has changed hands, but the specific situation is not clear, so the journey seems particularly calm.
When Wu Feng and the others arrived at the double stack, it was another story. In addition to the army led by Liang Chongxin and the officials headed by Lu Man, the director of northwest war preparations who arrived later, came to greet Wu on the road outside the town, almost all important people from all ethnic groups in Northwest Luzon also came to the road intersection outside the town early to greet Wu. In their view, the arrival of the enemy may leave a good impression on the future de facto master of the region, and may win more control over interests for the nation or group.
Accompanied by Liang Chongxin, Wu Feng had cordial conversations with people from all ethnic groups and walks of life. Wu Feng's approachable and sometimes regal demeanor left an excellent impression on them. Then Wu Feng, military officials and these gentry and celebrities reviewed The first division's drill and the powerful strength shown by the first division made these local celebrities stunned, and the third division that followed made them even more frightened. Seeing these Gaoyue barbarians in vain Feng's men waved like arms, and they were completely subdued.
The people who formed the northwest county, headed by Lu Man, have exchanged opinions many times on the formation of the Shuangdui local self-government and the construction of Shuangdui City. The candidates for important government officials, urban construction planning, and the preparation of the local police force have also been basically finalized. We are just waiting for Wu Feng arrives to review the decision. Due to the solid progress in the preliminary work, Lu Man quickly became familiar with people from all walks of life. In particular, Lu Man's businessman style suited the appetite of the local big businessmen of all races. The work progressed very smoothly. Now Wu Feng's The arrival made the establishment of Shuangdui Autonomous Government and the start of construction of urban facilities in Shuangdui City a matter of course. People throughout Shuangduiji were immersed in excitement.