Li Xueyan's hand in pouring tea stopped, and she looked at Qin Mubai with a surprised look on her face, and asked curiously: "How to say?"
"Is this the second question?"
"Xue Yan will just make a new pot of tea for the general. How about asking for advice?"
Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing. How could he refuse such a request
"Okay! Today, Qin has a shameless discussion with the princess."
"Thank you, General Qin!" Li Xueyan immediately took a new tea brick and started grinding it. With a bit of excitement, he said while grinding, "General, sit down for a while and drink the old tea. The new tea will be ready in a moment."
Qin Mubai nodded and took the tea in his hand. He took a sip and couldn't help but look at Li Xueyan.
To be fair, her appearance is not as good as that of Wu Meiniang, and her nobility is not as good as that of Princess Gaoyang. She is not as sharp and flying as Chen Yan, nor is she as gentle as water to Yin and soft like Yao'er.
However, if the advantages of these four women were concentrated into one, it would be too perfect.
That's right, it's the little girl in front of her who is no more than fifteen years old, Li Xueyan.
At first glance, she has no bright spots or flaws, and the impression she gives is probably that of a gentle and generous beauty.
But some people are just like this type. When thrown into a crowd, they don't stand out. Only after getting along with them do they feel that they are different.
Just like an ordinary dish that can be seen on the dining tables of thousands of households, it will not make people feel amazing or vulgar. However, only a chef with extremely high skills can fry it to create an unusual and unique flavor.
Li Xueyan is probably this kind of woman. Her talents and characteristics completely surpass her appearance and family background. Obviously, she is gentle and low-key, and she does not regard her appearance and family background as capital to show off.
If her inner world hadn't been enriched to a certain level, how could she be so weak
For a moment, Qin Mubai was not interested in the little woman in front of him, and he firmly believed that this little woman was definitely not as simple as she seemed.
How could an ordinary woman from the Lin family sit alone with Pinming, a strange man, so calmly and naturally late at night, discussing the troublesome issues of the king and prime ministers
In this way, this little girl Li Xueyan dressed in snow-white clothes is really a wonderful person.
…
Li Xueyan took a brand new earthenware pot and boiled some tea. She pursed her lips with a satisfied smile and said, "I heard from my father that the general loves the bright moon. Such good tea should be simmered in the Huyang Yue Kiln's special spring water clay pot." It’s just that Xue Yan’s skills are crude, so the general should not make fun of him.”
"The princess is too humble." Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing, "Among the teas that Qin drank, only His Highness King Wu's craftsmanship can compare with the princess. The princess's craftsmanship is definitely not inferior to that of the palace Tea Expo.”
"Really? The general needs to drink more." Li Xueyan smiled happily and blushed, then asked, "Where were we talking just now?"
"Should and shouldn't."
"Hehe!" Li Xueyan actually smiled, a bit naughty, and said, "General, please tell me why Xueyan shouldn't go to Tubo to get married?"
Now it was Qin Mubai who was confused.
Could it be that "getting married" is really fun? Is she serious that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, or is she just confused and ignorant
The Tubo people are similar to "barbarians" in the eyes of Tang people today. People in the Tang Dynasty believed that they were uneducated and looked like wild beasts that drank blood. Women were not respected and were allowed to be raped by men like sacrificial cattle and sheep. In a family, it is common for many fathers and sons to share one daughter.
In the eyes of the morally enlightened Han people, this is not just a violation of morals. And for women, it is even more difficult to accept.
Furthermore, the Tubo Plateau is covered with ice and snow for more than half of the year, with snow drifting thousands of miles away. How can it be a paradise on earth like Chang'an? Although she, Li Xueyan, was not an orthodox princess, she was still a pampered princess. How could she survive in the barren land of the Tubo Plateau? Just the pain of homesickness can make people collapse!
Qin Mubai shook his head and asked: "Looking at the situation, the princess is willing to marry far away from Tibet?"
"I took the initiative to ask for permission to marry a Tibetan woman." Li Xueyan's words were shocking, but she was as calm as ever.
Qin Mubai couldn't help being stunned. His hand holding the teacup stopped and he asked naturally: "Why?"
"After a hundred thousand years of fighting, why should we cherish Xueyan's daughter?" Li Xueyan smiled and said, "The general is the one who leads the army. He should know how terrible and cruel war is. How many people have left their homes and lost their loved ones, and how many families have been separated and their families have been separated. Wouldn't it be a good deal if I could use Xueyan to compensate for all this?"
Qin Mubai was silent for a moment, speechless.
"The general has a good strategy and a good plan. He can manage the army and the country without hesitation. He is a hero of the moment. You don't need Xueyan to explain this simple truth to the general." Li Xueyan said, "Xueyan knows very well that he is young and talented. I have little knowledge, so I only hope for advice from the general, but why can’t I go to Tubo?”
Qin Mubai pondered for a long time, and for a moment he really didn't know how to answer this question.
Li Xueyan was not in a hurry, and said with a faint smile: "General, are you wondering why Xueyan acted so great, but deliberately undermined the dignity of a seven-foot man like you? General, please don't misunderstand, Xueyan never meant this. Xueyan Yan just sincerely asks for advice.”
"Okay, let's just chat and talk casually. You don't have to take it seriously." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "It's private, needless to say. Your background is far away from home and you are married to the barren land of Tubo. Life and death are a blessing. Unexpectedly, separation is like death. This is only one of the reasons. Secondly, even a strong man from the Han and Tang Dynasties cannot adapt to the harsh natural environment of Tubo, let alone you. Therefore, you will face everything when you go to Tubo. The fear of the unknown and the pain you can imagine.”
"Of course Xueyan knows this." Li Xueyan chuckled nonchalantly and said, "Please tell me the underlying reason, general."
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said: "That is about state affairs and the nation. Qin is not allowed to talk nonsense. I just want to say in general terms, if marriage can bring real peace, what is the use of the army? Through the ages, there has been Where is the war?”
"If the marriage is successful, Xueyan boasted that it would bring at least thirty years of peace between Tang and Tibet." Li Xueyan said, "Isn't this a good deal?"
Qin Mubai smiled slightly: "What about thirty years later? Send another princess, isn't it better to continue the war?"
"Xueyan is incompetent and can only take on the tasks in front of him. If he goes to the plateau, he will do his best to educate the Tubo people with civilization and minimize friction and war." Li Xueyan said, "Without civilization, there is no way to educate; without education, there is no way to cultivate. Virtue; unless you cultivate virtue, you can't avoid war."
After hearing this, Qin Mubai had a smile on his face. In the smile, there is appreciation, touch, and a hint of sadness.
Li Xueyan is indeed an unusual woman.
If you use a rather vulgar but shocking word to describe her, she is great.
Women are worthy of the title of hero!
"General, did Xue Yan make a mistake?"
"You are right. If you can really do this, and you sacrifice your own body to save thousands of people from fire and water, a monument will be erected for you in future generations. Whether it is the Han people or the Tubo people, you will definitely respect and remember you, and pass it down as a good story. . Your name will be passed down from generation to generation." Qin Mubai said.
"So, what can the general do to prevent Xueyan from going to Tubo to get married?" Li Xueyan asked, confused and with a hint of questioning.
Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile and said, "I didn't let you go, I just think you don't need to go."
"Please give me some advice, General."
"It's not a matter of giving advice, it's just my own foolish opinion." Qin Mubai said, "At this time, or even thirty years from now, it is reasonable and cost-effective for the princess to marry Tubo. You are the only one who has been sacrificed. , hurting the reunion of a family, and saving the bloodshed of tens of thousands of people, and the sorrow of thousands of families, from the perspective of a country, this is certainly much more cost-effective than the bloodshed of a million-strong army, but... from the perspective of a hundred years, a thousand years, or even history. , From a national perspective, it doesn’t make much sense if you do this.”
"How to say?"
"Because the contradictions and antagonisms between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo are almost innate. They are like two tigers in one mountain. Sooner or later, they will be divided into life and death." Qin Mubai said, "Marrying you to Tubo is like a tiger dividing himself." He gave a piece of prey to Tiger Yi to temporarily ease the conflict and prevent the other party from fighting. However, the situation between the two tigers has not changed at all. Sooner or later, they will still have to fight to the death. Giving prey to the other party at this time will only make the other party stronger and more troublesome. Tiger nature is hard to change. Tomorrow, he will not remember that you gave him prey on a certain day. He will only remember that he will still want it. More prey, and you want to occupy this mountain. Whether you give it prey or not, it will only treat you as an enemy."
"Xueyan disagrees with the general's words." Li Xueyan said softly, but her words were very insistent. She said, "The metaphor of two tigers is appropriate, but when Xueyan marries Tubo, he is not giving away prey."
"Why not?" Qin Mubai smiled lightly and said, "The Central Plains has always given marriages to the Hu people, and they always took away a large amount of gold and silver wealth as well as farming, mulberry weaving, astronomy, geography and other civilized technologies. The Hu people learned from our Han masters Eat ours, wear ours, learn ours, and use these things to teach us teachers. If you say you are not prey, then how can you tell me how much preparation the court has made for you? "
Li Xueyan's expression suddenly paused for a moment, and the color on his face became a little gloomy, and he said: "Your Majesty is going to accept me as your adopted daughter and give me the title of Princess Wencheng. My father will serve as the marriage envoy and send me to the Tubo Plateau. The other party abandoned the clan and became a slave." Zan personally welcomed her. The dowry given to her was relatively rich, but I don’t remember exactly what it was. It contained nearly 10,000 pieces of gold, silver, and jade, several gold statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, numerous treasures, and hundreds of gold and jade bookcases.” In addition, thousands of musicians, technicians, and craftsmen accompanied them, and they also provided a variety of cooking foods, brocade quilts with various patterns, hundreds of divination classics, clear guides for identifying good and evil, and dozens of works on construction and craftsmanship. There are many medical classics and doctors' prescriptions, as well as many seeds of cattle, sheep, horses and grains and turnips. I vaguely heard from people in the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Affairs that the queue of people and cars was about a hundred miles long. "
"Ha!" Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile, "I am a generous person in the Tang Dynasty. If I marry a daughter, I would like to empty out my family's wealth. I am afraid that I will not be able to show the great potential of the Tang Dynasty, and I am afraid that others will say that we are stingy."
"General, I also know that this dowry is extraordinarily rich. The gold and silver utensils are second only, but mainly the classics, medicines and seeds and agricultural tools, which are enough to enable the Tubo people to accept civilized education within twenty years. Isn't this a good thing? ? Although the Tubo people are enemies of us, they are still human beings!" Li Xueyan said.
"Education and enlightenment are naturally a good thing. I have never denied it. Although you are a woman, you are very broad-minded. Even if you are an enemy country, you can treat everyone equally. This is something I, Qin, can't compare to. "Qin Mubai said, "But if you educate them in this way, it is like telling the enemy about our army's formation and deployment when two armies are facing each other. You are compassionate and worried about the enemy's heavy casualties, but you are not afraid that your own army will be destroyed as a result. Will the body's blood float in the air after defeat?"
"Ah!... This!" Li Xueyan screamed, her face turned pale and she said in shock, "Xueyan, you never meant this!"
"The princess was frightened. It's my fault." Qin Mubai hurriedly raised his hand and said, "My metaphor was a bit too much and my words were a bit harsh, but that's the truth. The princess has the kindness of the princess and is great. And his innocence is admirable. Qin is a warrior and a soldier, but soldiers also have the kindness of soldiers."
"The benevolence of a soldier? How do you say this?" Li Xueyan asked in surprise.
Qin Mubai opened his mouth and was about to say something when footsteps came from the door, and at the same time there was a sound as loud as a bell: "The kindness of a soldier is to stop killing with killing, and it is okay to kill!"
"Father!"
"Your Majesty!"
The two stood up in a hurry, and Li Daozong walked in proudly, laughing loudly: "Yan'er, you are so rude! You asked so many naughty questions, which angered General Qin and threw you into the pond. "
"The prince has spoken." Qin Mubai hurriedly smiled and said, "Princess Bingxue is extremely smart, kind, innocent and loyal. Qin is ashamed of himself."
"Okay, everyone, sit down." Li Daozong smiled and pulled the two of them to sit down by the stove, and said, "I woke up after a long sleep and asked for tea, but I didn't see the always well-behaved Yan'er waiting on my bedside. . When I asked someone, it turned out that he was pestering Qin Sanlang here to say some irrelevant things. "
"Father, you prefer to make fun of your daughter in front of others." Li Xueyan smiled sweetly and made tea for her father.
Li Daozong chuckled, his affection was palpable, and said: "Mu Bai, you are not an outsider. I have something I have wanted to talk to you about for a long time. Yan'er can be regarded as righteous and exterminating. I heard that His Majesty is choosing among the clan. My beloved daughter is marrying to Tubo, and she actually takes the initiative to go. This makes me feel sad. Fortunately, the marriage has been put on hold for the time being, but I don't know what to think about it. I couldn't get out, but it was a matter of national importance, so I had no choice but to obey His Majesty's call and rush from Youzhou with Yan'er to discuss the marriage to Tibet. More than 70% of the people in the court supported the marriage. There are not many, most of them are generals who lead troops. I heard that you have always opposed marriage. Moreover, your opinions have a great influence on His Majesty, both in public and private matters. I don't know whether I should be grateful to you. Yeah, hehe!"
"Why do you need to be like this, Your Majesty? Qin is only interested in the matter and not the person. When it comes to Tubo, Qin's opinions have always been clear and firm. The two are like two tigers on the same mountain. Unless one of them falls, the war will never be extinguished." Qin Mubai said, "The princess's idea of wanting the Tubo people to accept civilized education is not wrong at all. However, I can say very responsibly that they will only accept our civilization, but they will not receive any education. They will never be educated. They will only treat our Central Plains Tang Dynasty with hostility. Therefore, we can only think of a fundamental solution to the problem, which is to conquer the Tibetans on the plateau, incorporate them into our Han nation, and completely conquer them. Assimilation and integration. This is the only way to cure the symptoms. Who has ever seen such a thing happen? It is nothing more than endless wars, marriages, and wars, and the dignity and soldiers of a big country are lost. How can honor and disgrace be maintained by giving away a daughter? How can we, the warriors, and the men be so embarrassed? How will future generations comment on this? When we are alive, there are no wars and no bloodshed and death. How can we live without any sense of sorrow and throw troublesome problems and wars that we must face sooner or later to our descendants? Isn't this a great irresponsibility? ? - We, the ministers who seek to run the country and run the army, are like little cowards, how should we remain in the history to see future generations!"
As soon as the sonorous words fell, the room fell silent for an instant. Li Xueyan's face turned red and she stared at Qin Mubai with wide eyes, holding her breath.
"Brilliant." Li Daozong seemed unmoved and only raised his eyebrows slightly. He aimed a torch at Qin Mubai's face. The words seemed to be an understatement, but they were like sharp arrows piercing Qin Mubai's heart. —
"Remember what you said, Qin Mubai. With these words, you will either be a great hero or a great liar in the history of history."