Li Hong was dumbfounded. He originally thought that Quan Yi was a country bumpkin who had never seen the world and would scream and shout when he saw some gold, silver and jewelry.

But he didn't expect that he would be rude first. He was almost scared to death by the treasures in a box he opened randomly among the many boxes in the room.

"This is an emerald watermelon! Damn, what is this? A night-shining pearl as big as a goose egg?" Li Hong held an emerald watermelon in one hand and a night-shining pearl in the other. The night-shining pearl was shining brightly and slowly blooming under the light of a torch. His eyes were so wide that they were about to fall to the ground.

"I... I'm fine. What is this?" Li Hong carefully put down the emerald watermelon and the night pearl, picked up a huge jade pillow, and almost shouted "OMG" again.

The jade pillow was so round and smooth, and it looked so natural. The whole piece of jade seemed to have no flaws at all, and it was so white and flawless that it was hard to believe.

The various gems that looked like sugar cubes not only stunned Li Hong. Xia Zhi and Xiao Xue behind him seemed to have lost their souls, staring blankly at the various jewels in the box, wondering what they were thinking.

Opening any other box at random, the room suddenly seemed to be filled with bright light, so dazzling that people could not look directly at it: piles of neatly arranged gold bricks, as if people were proudly showing how precious they were.

Li Hong murmured as he finished looking at this basement, and ran into another basement. He had seen countless treasures since he was a child, but this was the first time he felt like he was buried in a treasure trove, as he did today.

The walls were also inlaid with luminous pearls that were beginning to glow. Cat-eye-like gems were actually inlaid around the luminous pearls, making Li Hong want to slap Zhe Luo twice immediately. It was such a waste of resources.

...

...

There is even a golden embroidered dress. How can there be so many of these things? In the last basement, Li Hong flipped through them lazily.

Quan Yi was standing nearby, looking very proud, holding a piece of horseshoe gold in his hand, and said with a grin, "Grand Protector, can I take a piece?"

Li Hong immediately gave up, looked at him with contempt, and said, "You are now guarding a famous rich woman in Chang'an City, why do you want a piece of horseshoe gold? As the saying goes: gold in troubled times, antiques in prosperous times. Look at those... Forget about the colored glaze. When this thing is taken to the White-robed Arabs, we will sell it for whatever money we can. It is even worse than our glass."

"It's not that I'm greedy for money, I just... hehe, just want to hang out with my brothers in the tavern in Qiuci City... hehe." Although Li Hong was talking about him, it seemed that he had no intention of putting down the horseshoe gold in his hand.

"Can't you use your salary to treat my brothers to drinks?" Li Hong said as he opened the other boxes. He looked at a box of calligraphy and paintings and flipped through them casually. Most of them were Buddha statues. He didn't know why they were kept here. It would be better to worship them.

"My salary..." Quan Yi felt a little embarrassed.

Li Hong turned back curiously, looked at Quan Yi, and asked, "You didn't raise a child in Qiuci City, did you? Do you believe that I can turn you into Hua Meng right now?"

"No, no, no, Grand Protector, you misunderstood." Quan Yi waved his hands hastily, and then his face turned red, and he said, "My salary has to be sent back through the bank in Qiuci City, so... so I don't have money to treat my brothers to a drink."

"Your uncle, your family is also a prominent family. Are you short of your salary?" Li Hong's eyes widened, even wider than when he looked at the jewelry just now.

"No, no one in my family wants me. It's... Her Royal Highness the Princess confiscated my salary, saying that men become bad when they have money, and men cannot have money outside." Quan Yi picked up another piece of horseshoe gold and held it in his hand, saying pitifully.

Li Hong touched his nose uncomfortably. These words were taught by Chunchun to Yiyang in Chang'an. He didn't expect Yiyang to use them so soon. He said after getting married, not now.

"Grand Protector, are you okay?" Quan Yi looked at Li Hong's somewhat embarrassed expression and asked with concern.

"It's okay, take them if you want. These things need to be shipped back to Chang'an. Call Yao Chong and Huan Yanfan over tomorrow, have them estimate their prices, and sell them to my father at a discount. Now that we are going on an expedition to the Western Regions, we are in urgent need of money, and it's time for his treasury to give us some money." Li Hong said as a matter of course.

Quan Yi and Pei Xingjian and others who were standing at the door as if they were facing a great enemy, felt a chill down their spine when they heard this. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was too fearless. He actually wanted to make a deal with His Majesty!

If it were anyone else who dared to do this, they would have probably lost their head long ago.

However, this also indirectly shows how stable the Crown Prince's position in the Eastern Palace is now, and that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is now in the Emperor's favor. As the crown prince, if everything goes as expected, it is probably a foregone conclusion.

Thinking of this, Pei Xingjian and the others looked at each other, and they all read some vague information from each other's eyes, more or less.

Banmei and the other four girls, led by Xiazhi, also rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, looking here and there. They took out some valuable jewelry and put them on their heads, or wore them on their wrists and necks, and laughed like silver bells from time to time.

After looking through it, Li Hong picked up a jade pendant, which was about the size of a palm. It was also crystal clear and flawless white. There was nothing carved on it. It was just a piece of plain jade. He turned it over and over in his hand.

Then he looked at the people and said, "Each of you can take one piece. As for the colored glaze, General Pei will have someone take it to Baiyi Dashi and other places tomorrow and sell it for a good price. The money from the sale... will be used to supplement the military pay of the Anxi Protectorate."

"This... this is against the rules, isn't it, Grand Protector?" Pei Xingjian was a little embarrassed. It was shocking enough that you used it to trade with His Majesty, but you didn't even send all of it back to Chang'an, and you wanted to trade the colored glaze with foreign countries such as the White Arabs. If His Majesty knew about this, how could he not be furious? Wouldn't he issue an order to kill you?

"What's inappropriate about this?" Li Hong rolled his eyes, thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry, I have the final say here now. If there is any problem, I will take the blame. You have nothing to do with it. Besides, we have sent him so much, he will understand if we embezzle a little."

Pei Xingjian, Ma Zai and Li Jingxuan were sweating profusely after hearing this. Why should they speak so bluntly about corruption? According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, they should be sentenced to death.

The three of them even doubted in their hearts that if they made up their minds to follow such a master, their future political careers would be inexplicably disturbed.

However, the three of them admired Li Hong's indifference, including his maids. Although they looked greedy as if they wanted to take them all for themselves, when they actually took them, each of them chose one according to Li Hong's wishes, and did not even look at the others.

Pei Xingjian and his companions have been in the imperial court for many years, so they cannot say that they are 90% accurate in judging people. However, looking at the bright and indifferent eyes of Xia Zhi and others, they cannot help but admire His Royal Highness the Crown Prince from the bottom of their hearts for his good teaching.

After everyone took an item they liked, they followed Li Hong out. Suddenly, Li Hong stopped, patted his forehead, thought for a moment and said, "By the way, General Pei, I remember you seem to have a daughter, right? Her name is Pei Wanying, right?"

"Ah? How do you know?" Pei Xingjian was shocked. When did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince pay attention to these things?

"My mother said so. By the way, you can help her pick one and give it to her when you return to Chang'an." Li Hong made up an excuse.

Are you kidding? How could I not know? You are my future father-in-law. Although Helan Minzhi is dead now, Yang Sijian's daughter will not let him choose a new Crown Princess because of being defiled by Helan Minzhi, but who can say for sure, what if the Queen Mother arranges another one for him?

Pei Xingjian was a little embarrassed and didn't know what to do. Everyone took one piece, except for the idiot Quan Yi, who took two pieces, but they were two pieces of the least valuable horseshoe gold here.

Even the Crown Prince's maids each had one, so if I took another one, wouldn't it seem a bit abrupt?

Just when he was about to refuse, Xiaoxue came over with a smile on her face and handed Pei Xingjian a pendant. She said sweetly, "General Pei, I heard that Miss Pei is as beautiful as a fairy, so I took the liberty to help you choose this jade pendant for Miss Pei. I hope General Pei will not despise it."

"How dare I? Since the Grand Protector has given the order, I will respectfully obey. Thank you, Grand Protector, and thank you, Xiaoxue." Pei Xingjian felt a little embarrassed, and at this time his pedantic nature came up.

Several people walked out of the basement contentedly, breathing the cold and fresh air of the cold night again, and couldn't help but feel refreshed in their chests.

The cold air also made the few people who had just walked out of the basement instantly sober up.

Pei Xingjian asked with some worry: "Grand Protector, now that Zeluo has been captured, although the real prestige of the Kucha people is gone, they still have their subordinates in other places. Now they are governing the people in our Great Tang. I am worried that this will cause unrest."

"Does this have anything to do with me?" Li Hong gave up and hung the jade around the little wolf Bai Qi's neck. The little wolf was not used to it. He lowered his head and shook his neck, trying to bite off the jade. It was too awkward to wear it around his neck.

"This..." Pei Xingjian did not expect Li Hong to answer like this. He originally thought that Li Hong already had something in mind.

Li Hong rode on the horse and said cheerfully: "Ma Zai, Li Jingxuan, who do you think should be held responsible for this matter? This kind of small matter actually tests the governance experience of the parents and officials the most. I dare not say anything casually in this regard. Governance by human beings is related to the welfare of the people and the stability of the country. I hate my lack of experience."

Pei Xingjian and Ma Zai are known as Pei and Ma. In history, they have carried out very efficient reforms in the selection and appointment of officials. If I get involved in these things again now, the Pei-Ma combination may disappear in the long river of history. Therefore, it is better for me to leave it to the right person.