After capturing Wufen City in one fell swoop, the Tang army halted its advance. Except for the White-Eyed Wolf Clan, the rest of the army rested on the spot.
The cities in the monkey tribe's territory were not only filthy and chaotic, with narrow streets and low houses, but also far worse than the worst slums in Chang'an back then. The best place wasn't the city lord's mansion, but rather a temple. The temple was built of massive stones, grand and spacious, with many strange images carved on the stones, mostly scenes of the monkeys hunting their prey. The temple, once adorned with jewels, gold, and silver, was now pitted and uneven, a job Qin Mu had his personal guards do—after all, it was best not to let the good stuff go to outsiders.
From the top of the temple, the entire city is laid out before you. Standing there, the night wind blows, making your hair flutter.
"After I retire, I will live out my days in the south. The winters in Guanzhong are too cold!" Li Shenfu sighed.
"Uncle, it's too early for you to retire! His Majesty still needs your help to suppress the four directions."
"With you guys here, the burden on us old folks is much lighter. The future of this world will depend on you." Looking at Qin Mu's face, which only had a few wisps of beard, Li Shenfu felt even more old.
"You flatter me. Young people lack experience and have much to learn from you."
"After this battle, the Jiangnan aristocratic families have revealed their trump cards, and they will no longer pose a threat to the court. I have been working on this for several years without success, but you have accomplished it in just over a year. The strength of Lingnan has greatly increased, and the security of the south no longer requires the court's concern. This has greatly reduced the burden on the court. His Majesty can finally concentrate his energy on the north," Li Shenfu exclaimed.
Previously, the imperial court needed to subsidize Lingnan and the wealthy Jiangnan region every year, with annual tax revenue being spent on the areas surrounding Jiangnan. Now that Lingnan, once the poorest region, has become wealthy, the imperial court is arguably the happiest. With the manpower and resources of Jiangnan now available, they can expand northwards, using the Yellow River and Yangtze River as a guide to control the surrounding areas, clearing out the high mountains and dense forests, thus eliminating danger to the entire Central Plains. This is something every dynasty has tried to do, but due to various reasons, progress has always been limited. Furthermore, the powerful reproductive capabilities of wild beasts mean that even in the heart of the Tang Dynasty, those large mountain ranges are still the domain of wild beasts, separating prefectures and counties.
Under the moonlight, the two raised their cups and drank together, both in good spirits. Li Shenfu, who had been suppressing various regions for many years, was very knowledgeable about the country and revealed many secrets. Qin Mu's governance, with its many novel ideas and methods, also impressed Li Shenfu with his quick thinking.
"Last time in Chang'an, His Majesty sighed that we should promote more young people. You young people are quick-witted and not bound by worldly thinking. You always do things that are refreshing."
"An elder in the family is a treasure. The lack of experience of young people is also a disadvantage. They still cannot do without a mature and prudent superior. It is best to cooperate with an old prefect and a young county magistrate. This kind of mentorship makes it easier to cultivate talents and achieve results."
"That's good, but many people are too self-serving, making it too difficult to actually implement," Li Shenfu shook his head and sighed.
"This is something His Majesty needs to worry about; we don't need to concern ourselves with it," Qin Mu said with a smile.
“I can avoid worrying, but it will be difficult for you to avoid worrying,” Li Shenfu suddenly laughed.
"Why?" Qin Mu asked, puzzled.
“Alas, it all comes down to age. Among the imperial clan, I am considered young. As for those useless ones behind me, let’s not even talk about them. You are also a member of the imperial clan. At your age, you have at least several decades of political life ahead of you. The next emperor will certainly rely on you, and you should certainly consider these matters carefully.” Li Shenfu sighed. He was very disappointed with the young people in the imperial clan. Even though his two families had more than ten sons, they were far inferior to Qin Mu and the others who were younger.
"Uncle, you flatter me. The court is full of talented people, so there's no need for me to think about such things. Once things are more peaceful, I'll travel the world with Ruoxi, or stay home and take care of the children." Qin Mu quickly shook his head and said. He didn't think much of being stationed in a foreign land, but staying in Chang'an, attending court every day, and listening to a bunch of people arguing would be too boring.
“The imperial court will always rely on the imperial family the most. Among the next generation, only you and the crown prince are the closest in age. His Majesty will definitely entrust you with important responsibilities,” Li Shenfu said, patting Qin Mu on the shoulder.
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life; it's too early to say such things. I just need to focus on doing my job well," Qin Mu said, shaking his head.
Li Shenfu was a member of the imperial clan, so naturally his thoughts leaned more towards the imperial clan. Qin Mu neither agreed nor disagreed on this point. As for Crown Prince Li Chengqian, he was even less certain. In another world, Li Chengqian would not be the one to succeed to the throne. Although this world was completely different, who knew how it would end?
"Yes. Your idea is correct. Whether you are stationed in a region or leading troops in the field, you only need to be loyal to His Majesty. As for the future, His Majesty will make his own arrangements." Seemingly seeing through Qin Mu's thoughts, Li Shenfu agreed. At the same time, he valued Qin Mu even more and secretly thought that he would have a few sons in the future to befriend Qin Mu, since he and Li Shentong were getting old.
As a member of the royal family, Qin Mu wields considerable power but also bears the greatest risks. Often, he is forced to choose sides. The Qin family has good relations with the military, and this relationship is growing stronger. Given Qin Mu's trajectory, those who owe him favors will increasingly benefit from them. This way, he won't need to choose sides, and His Majesty will consider him a pillar of the next emperor. Perhaps he will even become a regent in the future; cultivating a good relationship with him can't hurt.
Thinking of all this, Li Shenfu smiled even more warmly, and changed the subject, explaining to Qin Mu the relationships and origins of the aristocratic families in various regions.
"Hmm!" Qin Mu's expression suddenly changed, and he stood up, looking down at the temple.
"What's wrong?"
"An assassin!" Without answering Li Shenfu, Qin Mu's eyes narrowed, and he shouted in a deep voice, simultaneously striking downwards with his palm.
This is the benefit of becoming a great Confucian scholar. In the past, although his sword qi and palm wind could also attack from a distance, they were only lethal within a few feet. But now, the range of his divine sense has greatly increased. As long as the enemy is within his divine sense, his righteous qi can be combined internally and externally to attack them.
With a loud "bang!", the spiritual energy collided and traveled far in the darkness.
With Qin Mu's warning, the guards swarmed around, some room doors burst open, and large groups of resting guards rushed out, swords drawn. Others quickly drew their crossbows, took up high positions, and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings. Torches illuminated the darkness around the temple.
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