"Mu'er should be fourteen years old this year. You've met Jiang Shilang before, do you know what he looks like? How tall is he?" Qin Qiong asked with some anticipation.

"Brother Huaidao is a head shorter than you, Duke, but he's handsome and has a scholarly air about him; he's clearly a man who has read a lot of books." Qin Mu's appearance was only average; after all, life in a remote mountain village couldn't be that good. Li Chunfeng naturally praised him.

As parents, they all enjoy hearing others praise their children. Qin Qiong said happily, "Mu'er has always been like his mother. By the way, you just said he has become a Confucian scholar?"

"That's right! On the very night he stayed there, Brother Huaidao resolved to succeed and cultivate his noble spirit."

"Haha! I never imagined that my Qin family would produce a scholar." Qin Qiong laughed heartily.

"Master! A letter has arrived from the Prince of Yan's residence in Youzhou." Just then, the steward rushed over and handed over a letter.

"What!" Qin Qiong guessed it immediately, stood up abruptly, strode forward, grabbed the letter, and opened it to read. The more he read, the wider his smile became.

After Qin Qiong read the letter twice and put it in his pocket, Li Chunfeng smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "This should be news about Brother Huaidao, right? Congratulations to Duke Yi, father and son will soon be reunited."

"It is indeed news from my son. The Prince of Yan said that Mu'er is with him and wrote a poem that moved Tianci!" Qin Qiong, like an ordinary person, showed off his son in front of others.

"A divine gift! Brother Huaidao is indeed extraordinary. I wonder what poem he wrote?" Li Chunfeng asked in surprise. Although he knew that Qin Mu was somewhat extraordinary, he never expected that he would cause such a big incident after only a short separation.

Qin Qiong didn't pay any attention, took out the letter from his pocket, and handed it to Li Chunfeng.

"I see no ancients before me, nor any successors after me."

"Contemplating the vastness of heaven and earth, I am overwhelmed with sorrow and tears stream down my face. What a fine poem! What a fine poem!" Li Chunfeng exclaimed repeatedly after reading it once.

"I think the second one is better!" Qin Qiong said, stroking his beard.

In his letter, Luo Yi provided a detailed account of Qin Mu's affairs, including two poems. Qin Qiong, being a military general, naturally found the summer quatrains more to his liking.

The letter consisted of four pages. The first page was merely a formality, the second page explained the reason for the letter's contents, and Li Chunfeng skipped directly to the third page. Of course, he wouldn't deliberately look at the last page. After all, Qin Qiong didn't mind, and he had to follow the rules. Unsolicitedly reading someone else's letter was inherently impolite.

"To live, be a hero; to die, be a ghost of valor."

"Even now, I think of Xiang Yu, who refused to cross the Yangtze River to the east. Excellent! Excellent!" Li Chunfeng turned to the last page, read it, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"I also think the second one is better." Qin Qiong smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Could there be a mistake? This second song sounds more like a gift from heaven!"

"Hehe! Jiang Shilang didn't finish reading it, did he? It is said that after Mu'er received the gift from heaven, she was still not satisfied and wanted to receive it again, so she picked up her pen and wrote this poem." Qin Qiong said with pride, grinning from ear to ear.

"Heh! This works too?" Li Chunfeng was both amused and exasperated. He looked down at the words on the back of the letter and, sure enough, that's what it said.

"It's not surprising that this happened to Brother Huaidao, after all, he knows nothing about cultivation. But in such a short time, he wrote two such outstanding poems, his talent is truly unparalleled!" Li Chunfeng clicked his tongue in admiration.

As they talked, food and wine were served, and the two men drank heartily. The meal didn't end until Qin Qiong became drunk.

The next day! Qin Qiong woke up early in the morning without any of the aftereffects of being drunk. This is the benefit of a warrior having abundant qi and blood, making him excellent in both spirit and stamina.

After washing up, Qin Qiong couldn't wait to go to the palace.

Li Shimin, who was drinking red date porridge, was quite surprised, since today was not the court session held every three days. However, he was sure to receive his trusted general, especially since it was so early. Therefore, Li Shimin didn't even bother to finish his porridge and quickly had someone invite him in.

"What? You want to take leave?" Li Shimin asked, blinking his eyes.

Li Shimin knew Qin Qiong's background better than anyone else. Since his mother's death, all his relatives were in Chang'an. Where did he want to go by suddenly asking for leave?

However, Qin Qiong didn't let him guess and gave the answer directly.

"I have just learned that my son, who has been separated from me for many years, is now in Youzhou. I wish to go there in person to bring him home."

"Youzhou? How did you know? Could it be that the Prince of Yan sent you a letter?" Li Shimin frowned and asked seriously.

Others may not know about the relationship between Qin Qiong and Luo Cheng, but those in the former Qin Prince's Mansion know something about it, and Li Shimin knows it very well, which is why he asked this question.

"Your Majesty need not doubt! This matter is absolutely true." Understanding Li Shimin's concerns, Qin Qiong said with certainty, then took out the letter, handed it to Li Shimin, and explained it to him.

"Congratulations, Uncle Bao, you've finally found your son." Li Shimin knew that Qin Qiong had sent people to search for his wife and children a few years ago, and he had even sent people to help with the search. After reading the letter, he relaxed and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"I will not stop Uncle Bao from going to Youzhou to pick up his son, but I would like you to do something for him," Li Shimin said after a moment of contemplation.

"Please give your orders, Your Majesty," Qin Qiong said, his expression turning serious as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"The Khitans wanted to submit to the Tang Dynasty, but Goguryeo threatened them," Li Shimin explained.

"The Khitans are to the north of Goguryeo. With them blocking the way, the orcs have no way to directly attack Goguryeo's homeland. Of course, they don't want the Khitans to submit to the Tang Dynasty," Qin Qiong nodded knowingly.

The Central Plains court's customary policy towards surrendered tribes was to relocate them inland. These tribes were also willing to submit, but finding themselves in a precarious situation, they struggled to survive. Even powerful states like Goguryeo were beyond their ability to contend with.

Not only are there beast tribes on the grasslands, but the wolf tribe on the grasslands is the largest beast tribe. In the Black Mountains and White Waters of Liaodong, there is also a pig tribe called Mohe.

Turkic wolves, Mohe boars, Shiwei foxes, and Tiele bears were the main beastly enemies faced by the Central Plains.

“That’s right. That’s why I need Uncle Bao to go to the Khitan to show my regard and to boost their confidence,” Li Shimin nodded.

"Your subject is willing to go to the Khitan," Qin Qiong replied without hesitation.

No matter how dangerous the journey was, that was not even on Qin Qiong's mind. He would carry out Li Shimin's orders without question.

"In addition, Uncle Bao, you will represent me to offer birthday greetings to the head of the Qin family."

"The Qin family is guarded by three passes!"

"Exactly!"

"I obey the order."