Chapter 361 "The general thinks highly of me, and I will serve him with all my heart until my dying breath!"
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Li Shiyue still invited Ma San to a nearby restaurant for a meal. There were only the two of them in the private room, and no one else was invited.
However, the two soldiers that Ma San brought were arranged by Li Shiyue to have a meal in the next room.
Inside the private room, Li Shiyue and Ma San huddled together and whispered some heartfelt words.
There were four wine jars on the table. Although they were all small jars, each containing only one jin (500ml), they still got Ma San completely drunk, and the words he spoke were already somewhat slurred.
Li Shiyue herself, apart from having a slightly flushed face, seemed completely unaffected.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Li Shiyue looked at Ma San, who was staring blankly across from him, and said with a heartfelt expression, "Third Brother, don't worry!"
I will definitely keep what you said in mind!
It is my honor, Li Shiyue, to serve the general!
If the general thinks highly of me, I will serve him with utmost loyalty and devotion until my dying breath!
Isn't it just the Turks?
I will definitely handle this task perfectly this time!
After watching the soldier who had come with Ma San help Ma San onto the carriage, Li Shiyue then bowed to the soldier sitting on the carriage shaft.
Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, Li Shiyue watched the carriage drive away and disappear from sight after it turned into the next intersection. She stomped her foot in place and then went back into the restaurant.
She went back to pack up the leftovers.
There was a sweet and sour fish dish on the table where she and Ma San ate at the restaurant, which she thought Shi Tou and Li's mother would like to eat;
There is also a spicy roasted mutton dish that is now rare, which should be Li Qiutian's favorite flavor.
After packing the two dishes, Li Shiyue carried the food box back to the paper shop.
As for why Ma San came today?
Hehe, it's Liu Tan who sent Ma San to give Li Shiyue a task!
Doesn't Li Shiyue still possess the sixth-rank military officer title of Zhaowu Xiaowei that he obtained from the Prince of Zhenbei during the trade fair years ago?
For the next three years, although Li Shiyue did receive some benefits from the official position, such as salary and land, and because she was at least an official, she had some influence in Lijiatun and Sanshan County, she was not actually assigned any serious tasks.
This honorary military rank was essentially just that—an honorary title with no real power.
That was the only time she used her official power to send a memorial to the Prince of Zhenbei through Liu Tan, requesting that he purchase wool from the Turks.
With Liu Tan serving as the acting Protector-General of Andong, and already holding the title of Grand General and real military power, who in Andong would object to his proposal to recognize Li Shiyue as a military officer?
Moreover, the task that Ma Sanlai gave to Li Shiyue this time was unrelated to military power, nor was it to ask Li Shiyue to do anything involving military affairs.
On the contrary, this task is actually the one that soldiers dislike doing the most.
Liu Tan wanted Li Shiyue to take people and Zhou Yiran to the Turks again for three reasons. The first reason was that the Turkic civil war had ended and a new Turkic Khan had emerged.
Li Shiyue was there to escort Zhou Yiran, while Zhou Yiran was there to witness the new Khan ascending the throne.
This also represents the goodwill between Andong and the Turks, since both sides now have new kings.
Although Liu Tan has not yet received the title of "Prince", he is already a de facto "King".
The second thing is still the "buying wool" thing that Li Shiyue mentioned.
Over the past three years, although the scale of the trade market has shrunk year by year, the Turks have indeed increased their grazing efforts, just as Li Shiyue wrote in his previous report, because of the wool trade. With more sheep raised, fewer warhorses will be raised!
As a result, the number of Turkic cavalry would naturally decrease.
The difference isn't very noticeable after one or two years, but it becomes quite significant after three, five, eight, or ten years.
Moreover, for the Turks, they could exchange wool and other livestock for large quantities of grain and various food items needed on the grasslands from Andong, so who would want to fight?
War means death!
Even if the Turkic Khan wanted to wage war, the tribal chiefs under his command might not necessarily be willing.
This is also one of the main reasons why Lijiatun, which is closest to the Turkic people, has been able to develop steadily in recent years.
That is, the Turks have not fought with Andong for more than three years, and even minor skirmishes are rare.
Therefore, Li Shiyue's plan to "buy wool" was still inherited when Liu Tan took charge.
The second thing Zhou Yiran needed to do was to increase the volume of wool trade with the Turks once again.
Therefore, in addition to protecting Zhou Yiran and the others, Li Shiyue also had to escort a considerable amount of gold and silver to the Turkic Khaganate on this trip.
The third thing about this mission, while seemingly a family matter, is also related to national affairs.
The Prince of Zhenbei is dead, and Yan Jiuniang has also run away from her arranged marriage and temporarily left Andong. But the sixth sister born to Consort Zhou in the Prince's mansion has really been married off to the Turks!
The Turks were a nomadic tribe, and their marriage custom was that the son succeeded the father!
Back then, in order to obtain the elixir of immortality, the Prince of Zhenbei directly arranged for Yan Jiuniang to marry the Turkic prince She'er, and for his sixth sister to marry the old Khan!
Yan Jiuniang escaped, but what about Sixth Sister?
How is she doing in the Turks now?
Is he dead or alive?
Has he really made contact with the old Khan? Or what happened?
This matter was also entrusted to Li Shiyue and Zhou Yiran by Liu Tan.
Ma San also made Liu Tan's meaning clear.
"...If Sixth Sister wants to come back, then she should discuss it with the Turkic Khan and bring her back."
After all, the proposal for this marriage alliance was made while the prince was still alive.
Regardless, she is the general's sister; it would be best to protect her if possible.
But if Sixth Sister doesn't want to come back, or if the Turks just won't let her go, you and Zhou Canjun will have to have a good talk in October about how to make Sixth Sister's life better in the Turks' country.
"At least the general has thought of a way for Sixth Lady; if nothing else works, then there's nothing we can do."
When Li Shiyue returned to the paper shop, Ma San's carriage had already stopped at the entrance of the General's Mansion.
Ma San, who got off the carriage, no longer looked drunk.
Once inside, he easily found his way to the outer study, where Zhao Da was standing at the door.
After announcing their arrival and receiving permission, Ma San and Zhao Da went into the study together.
Inside the room, two charcoal braziers were burning on either side of a tall table.
To be honest, the charcoal in this brazier was delivered from Lijiatun at the end of last year.
Liu Tan, who was not wearing armor but only dressed in a black casual outfit, put down the brush he was writing with when he saw Ma San enter, and sat down at the round table to the side.
"General!"
Liu Tan gestured for Zhao Da and Ma San to sit down and talk. The two had been by Liu Tan's side for more than ten years, and their friendship had been forged in the army since they were young.
So Zhao Da and Ma San didn't hesitate, bowed their heads, clasped their hands, and said "Yes" before sitting down.
Zhao Da poured tea for Liu Tan first, and then poured tea for Ma San and himself.
The tea was warm, not too hot to scald, and Liu Tan, who had been writing at the table for a while, was indeed a little thirsty.
After drinking most of his tea, Liu Tan turned to Ma San and asked, "Well? Has Li Shiyue agreed?"
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