Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

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The Huliang brothers returned to Chang'an a month later. At that time, the war between Tang and Tubo had come to a temporary end. The two powerful empires were licking their wounds, panting and staring at each other, looking for flaws. According to the armistice agreement between the two sides, the Tubo people gave up the cities in Hexi that they had originally captured and returned about 3,500 prisoners. In return, the Tang army gave up all the occupied territories west of the Sun and Moon Mountains and returned the Tubo people captured in Shudun City. Both sides knew that this truce was temporary and it was only a matter of time before the next war broke out; but both sides needed time to make up for their weaknesses and digest the spoils they had already won. This was the basis for this truce.

"Huliang, when we return to Chang'an, you will have only one last trouble to deal with!" Yanliang sat on the horse's back, his body rising and falling with the mount, his weather-beaten face filled with a lazy smile.

"There's only one last problem?" Hu Liang frowned. "What do you mean? Will your armistice agreement become a handle for the opposition to attack me and my father?"

"No!" Yan Liang shook his head: "That's not what I'm talking about, and I don't think those who oppose you and father are a problem!"

"And what do you mean—?"

"Reward, or payment!" Yan Liang said with a smile, "When you arrive in Chang'an, your army will be disbanded. These warriors from all over the world have served you with their martial arts, and now it is your turn to repay them. This is not an easy task! When I was in Japan, every time I came back from an expedition, I caused a lot of trouble because of this!"

"So that's it!" Hu Liang sighed: "You're right, this is indeed a troublesome matter!"

"This is a big problem!" Yan Liang said, "In the past, whether we were fighting against rebels or Emiuri, we could confiscate the enemy's land and give it to the warriors who made contributions. But this time we are fighting against the Tibetans. Although we have occupied the Huanghe Valley and recovered the cities in Hexi, it is difficult to enfeoff the warriors who have made contributions. Where can we find land to compensate them?"

Huliang nodded. Just as Yanliang said, although Wang Wenzuo's treasury was very full, the compensation given to the conscripted warriors in the past was mainly land, not money. This is not surprising. With the level of commodity economy in ancient times, even a rich man like Wang Wenzuo could hardly afford to maintain an army that was paid entirely in cash. Moreover, money would always run out, but land could allow the family to thrive on it, and the warriors preferred land to money. It happened that there were large tracts of uncultivated fertile land in the Northeast, Outer Northeast, and the Japanese Archipelago controlled by Wang Wenzuo. If you win, you can become a lord, and if you lose, you don't have to consider these things, so this system runs quite smoothly.

But the war with Tubo was different. Although the war was won and a large area of ​​good land (Huanghe Valley) was expanded, it was too far away from the original territory of these warriors, and these lands were not under the control of Wang Wenzuo and his son, so it was not realistic to divide the land among the meritorious people in the old way. So other methods had to be used to compensate these meritorious people. Wang Wenzuo and his sons were not short of vacant land, but this war was ultimately fought for the Tang Dynasty. It was fine for them to help the Tang emperor conquer the barbarians, but it was a bit unreasonable for them to pay for it out of their own pockets after the war.

"Actually, Huliang, you don't have to worry too much!" Yanliang looked at his half-brother who remained silent and said with a smile, "The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is rich, the most he can do is to let the treasury bleed a little!"

"It's not as simple as you think!" Hu Liang said with a wry smile, "Every penny of the court's expenditure has its purpose, how can it be misappropriated casually?"

"I'm not talking about misappropriating the court's expenses!" Yan Liang said with a smile, "You can use military positions as a reward! You can select a group of meritorious soldiers to stay in Chang'an to guard the emperor. Chang'an is so prosperous, I believe there must be many people willing to stay! And this will also be good for you. Those who are willing to stay will definitely be extremely loyal to you. You will have a lot of helpers, which will be of great benefit to you in the future in Chang'an!"

"That's a good idea!" Hu Liang also reacted: "Brother, have you thought of this a long time ago?"

"Yes!" Yan Liang nodded: "Father is going back to Hebei this time, leaving you in Chang'an. Those guys who obey him may not be so obedient to you. Some things are more considerate if you prepare them yourself!"

"I understand!" Hu Liang nodded: "I should be promoted to General of the Auxiliary State when I return this time. I will pay attention to what you said!"

"That's right!" Yan Liang laughed. "When it comes to power, you can only trust it if you hold it yourself. Do you still remember Heba Yong and Yuan Ao Lie? They were our father's life-and-death friends, but what happened in Japan later? I guess my father asked you to lead the expedition to Tibet this time, not only to let you make achievements, but also to let you take this opportunity to build up your own team, so that you can sit safely in Chang'an!"

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Wang Wenzuo's Mansion.

"Here, here, and here, all must be cleaned! And here, wash repeatedly with water, there must not be any stains!" Cui Yunying's fingers swept across the corners of the window, and said to the head maid beside her: "Her Royal Highness the Princess will come in person tomorrow. She is a princess, if there is any mistake, I will not punish you, I will just kick you out!"

"Madam, please rest assured!" the head maid said hurriedly, "I will watch them work one by one, and there will be no mistakes to embarrass you and the master!"

"Well, let's get to work!" Cui Yunying nodded.

Watching the servants disperse to clean up, Cui Yunying let out a long sigh, still feeling depressed and uncomfortable. According to the explanation, Princess Taiping and Huliang, tomorrow's guests, are still her juniors, but one is a hot and powerful court official, and the other is the emperor's sister, a descendant of the imperial family, who can suppress her in any way. When she thought of this, she felt a blockage in her heart.

"Auntie, Auntie!"

Hearing her son's voice, Cui Yunying turned around quickly. Her son Wang Qisheng was growing very fast, his head almost reaching her chest, and his appearance was 60% similar to Wang Wenzuo. Cui Yunying hugged him and asked, "My dear Sheng'er, what's wrong?"

"Brother Mituo has a letter and sent me a gift!" Wang Qisheng waved his hand, and the servants behind him brought a covered iron cage. He lifted the cloth and explained, "It's a big falcon, more majestic than the Saker Falcon in Liaodong. The letter said it was caught in the New World overseas!"

As he was talking, the cloth was lifted to reveal a huge falcon in the cage. Even when crouching in the cage, it was nearly one meter long from head to tail. The feathers on its head were white, and its body was brown. Its light yellow, curved beak and claws were extremely sharp. Under its protruding brows, a pair of eyes flashed with a keen light. This handsome bird looked at the people outside majestically and made sharp cries.

“This, this——” Even though she had never tamed a falcon, Cui Yunying was attracted by the beauty and majesty of the bald eagle in front of her. She took a deep breath and said, “This, this bird is really handsome!” “Of course!” Wang Qisheng said proudly, “Brother Mituo said that this bald eagle is a sacred bird worshipped by the local indigenous people. He took a lot of effort to get one, but it’s a pity that he can’t tame it as a falcon!”

"Why would he bother? They were just captured by his men and given to him!" Cui Yunying curled her lips and said, "Forget it. Have you done your homework today? If not, you'll be running around like a hawk or a lackey all day. Be careful or I'll beat you with a bamboo stick!"

When asked about his homework, Wang Qisheng's face suddenly fell. He forced a smile and said, "Why do you have to be like this, mother? I have already finished my homework!"

"Really?" Cui Yunying didn't believe it. "Then let me test you. I ask you, where did Mr. Baihutong talk about?"

"Ah!" Wang Qisheng was frightened when asked this. He knew that his mother was very knowledgeable and would be exposed immediately if he made up something. He quickly backed away and said, "Mother, I can't remember some of the Baihutong. How about I go back and review it first, and then give you an answer?" After that, he ran back the way he came without looking back.

"This child! He doesn't understand my painstaking efforts at all!" Looking at her son's fleeing back, Cui Yunying shook her head helplessly. She has been paying more and more attention to her son's homework in the past two years, but human power is limited. Although Wang Qisheng has good talent, he is still far from Cui Yunying's expectations, which makes Cui Yunying more and more upset.

After instructing the servants, Cui Yunying returned to the study, only to see Wang Wenzuo leaning on the brocade couch, flipping through a book. She sighed and walked forward and said, "Husband, can you teach Ah Sheng a lesson more often?"

"Teach Ah Sheng a lesson?" Wang Wenzuo raised his head: "Teach him what? What mistake did he make?"

"I was just outside, and Asheng came over with a cage, saying that Sutuo gave it to him. When he opened it, he saw a big eagle inside. He said it was a magical bird caught from some new world overseas, and Asheng loved it very much. You see, Sutuo is really something. He didn't give him anything else but these birds and eagles. Isn't it a waste of time for him to like these at such a young age? As a father, you should teach him a lesson!"

"You want me to teach Ah Sheng a lesson just for this?" Wang Wenzuo said with a look of confusion: "He is still a child. Who doesn't like to play at this age? Besides, there is nothing wrong with Xu Tuo giving these things? Is he sending a set of Zuo Zhuan so that Ah Sheng can study hard?"

"Then why were you so strict with Yanliang, Huliang and the others, but so indulgent with Ah Sheng?"

"At that time, I really had no one around me, so I was naturally very strict with Yanliang and Huliang. Ah Sheng is lucky now, and he has a good life, so he doesn't have to suffer that. Besides, I also asked you whether you wanted to send him to the island for a few years, but you didn't want to let him go, and now you blame me. How can this make sense?"

Cui Yunying was speechless after being told off by Wang Wenzuo, but she refused to give in: "I don't care. Ah Sheng is also your son. You can't just ignore him!"

"How could I ignore him!" Wang Wenzuo said with a wry smile, "Ah Sheng grew up beside me. Which of his brothers is like this? I take care of the others, so how could I ignore the one closest to me?"

"Well, then you should ask for an official position for Ah Sheng this time!"

"Ask for an official position for Ah Sheng?" Wang Wenzuo was stunned. "Isn't this a bad idea? He is only a few years old this year! What kind of official position can he hold?"

"There are so many officials in the court, why can't A Sheng do it? I don't ask for a high position, a governor of Hebei will be enough!" Cui Yunying said.

"A governor of Hebei? That's easy for you to say. When the emperor's son is young, he can only be a governor of a state. Why does my Ah Sheng have the virtue to be a governor?" Wang Wenzuo shook his head: "Yunying, I know you are doing this for your child, but he is not virtuous enough. Even if he is given a high position, he won't be able to keep it. How about this! A governor of a state is too high, let's just make him a county magistrate! Anyway, it's a remote position, it's just a matter of salary. If Ah Sheng is talented, how can he be short of an official position in the future? Don't worry too much!"

Cui Yunying knew she couldn't persuade her husband, so she could only nod her head and say, "You can be the county magistrate! I'm just afraid that when you're old, his brothers will be strong and he, the youngest brother, will be bullied!"

"You're worrying too much!" Wang Wenzuo sighed, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, how far can you worry? Besides, how can I live for another ten years? If he really has the ability, I won't treat him unfairly!"

Cui Yunying had no choice but to nod. Looking at his wife's departing back, Wang Wenzuo sighed. He could understand his wife's feelings. But the problem is that it is impossible for a child to make the arrogant soldiers and generals obey his orders. The reason why children like Huliang, Yanliang, Xutuo and Yuanbao can get power from Wang Wenzuo is not just because of blood (except Yanliang), but more because of their own efforts and talents. Unless Wang Wenzuo kills all these sons, he will not be able to hand over power directly to Wang Qisheng. Although Wang Qisheng is his legitimate son in terms of etiquette, how much of the cake he can get in the future depends largely on how long Wang Wenzuo can live. This is also a kind of helplessness.

"My lord!" said Sancho, standing at the door.

"Well, come in!" Wang Wenzuo stretched out his right hand and pointed at the brocade beside him: "Sit down and talk, what's going on?"

"As you wish!" Sancho said, smiling as he sat on the brocade stool. "My dear, I have something to ask of you!"

"Beg me?" Wang Wenzuo laughed. "What do you and I need to ask for? Tell me. What is it?"

"That's right!" Sancho said with a smile. "You know my wife was originally a maid of Madam Yun, and they were like sisters."

"Acheng, right? What's wrong? Is there something wrong with her?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile. (End of this chapter)