"Oh? What's the good news?"
Seeing Zhang Xiu's mysterious demeanor, Lanzhi couldn't help but ask with great interest.
Zhang Xiu said with a smile, "Godfather is almost here!"
"Godfather?"
Upon hearing this, Lanzhi's face lit up with joy, but she immediately asked doubtfully, "Didn't you say before that Godfather wouldn't arrive for another month? How come he's here now?"
Zhang Xiu gave a wry smile: "I said that before because I thought the affairs of Shanshan, Jingjue and other countries were difficult to handle, and I thought it would take my godfather a lot of time to deal with them."
I never imagined that my adoptive father's political abilities would far exceed my expectations, especially considering his kind and benevolent nature and his status as a member of the royal family.
In a short time, he established considerable prestige, and naturally, he quickly resolved those matters.
"Of course, my godfather's skills are superb!"
Hearing Zhang Xiu's praise and respect for Liu Yu, Lan Zhi's eyes also revealed a hint of admiration.
Seeing Lanzhi suddenly transform from a queen into a little girl, a tender look appeared in Zhang Xiu's eyes.
Zhang Xiu reached out and grabbed Lan Zhi's wrist, saying softly, "Ben Chu and the others are preparing to go and greet us. You should get ready too, and come with us!"
Can I go too?
Upon hearing this, Lanzhi was taken aback.
According to the rules of Gaochang, women did not have a high status. In addition, Gaochang had already recognized the Han Dynasty as its master. Even if she was the queen of the country, she could only manage unimportant matters within the country.
He was not qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with Han generals such as Yuan Shao and Zhang Xiu.
Zhang Xiu smiled and said, "Of course, besides being the Queen of Gaochang, you are also my adoptive father's daughter. What's wrong with a daughter welcoming her father?"
"Okay, I'll go change my clothes!"
Upon hearing Zhang Xiu's words, Lanzhi nodded happily and then turned and ran into the hall.
Soon, Lanzhi took off the clothes that symbolized her status as a queen and put on a dress that was commonly worn by Han women.
After leaving the palace, Lanzhi bowed to Zhang Xiu and said, "Husband, please go first!"
"Please, Madam!"
Zhang Xiu smiled, and then walked out of the palace one after the other with Lanzhi.
After leaving the palace, the couple quickly met up with Yuan Shao and others who had changed into their official robes, and the group then headed east of the city together.
On the official road east of Gaochang City, more than fifty Imperial Guards escorted a carriage bearing the imperial insignia, slowly making its way towards the city.
Behind the carriage followed a procession of tens of thousands of strong and able-bodied men.
These able-bodied men were people who had been relocated from the inner prefectures of the Han Dynasty to Shanshan to cultivate land after the signing of the Treaty of Shanshan.
Almost every able-bodied young man had a cart, loaded with common farm tools and some grains and valuables.
Everyone followed Liu Yu's carriage, chatting and laughing, occasionally looking up in the direction of Gaochang with a hint of anticipation in their eyes.
A tall, robust young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes walked along, turning his head to look at a young man in a long robe beside him, and asked with a smile:
"Sir, do you think we'll get a few wives if we follow Lord Liu to Gaochang?"
The young man in the long robe thought for a moment, then said, "According to General Yuan's battle report, there are 30,000 women in Gaochang who have lost the care of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. Each of you can be assigned at least two of them!"
"real?"
Upon hearing this, the burly man who had asked the question exclaimed in surprise, his teeth appearing exceptionally white against his dark complexion.
The young man in the long robe smiled and said, "Of course. You answered the call and followed Protector Liu here. Would Protector Liu treat you badly?"
"Hehe, Lord Liu is a very good man, so naturally he wouldn't deceive us."
I just can't believe it, that I could marry two women at the same time in my lifetime!
This young man was named Chen San. He was an ordinary villager from Liangzhou. He had three brothers and was the third oldest. He also had elderly parents. He was an honest and hardworking farmer.
Although the powerful clans of Liangzhou were purged after Liu Hong ascended the throne, Chen San's family was allocated land, and their lives gradually improved.
However, after his two older brothers got married, had children, and separated from the family, the original harvest from the land became insufficient.
After all, Liangzhou has barren land and not much land suitable for cultivation. If Chen San were to marry another woman and have children, it would certainly be difficult to raise them.
Therefore, when the imperial court issued a recruitment order for young men to go to the Western Regions, Chen San signed up without hesitation, hoping to make a name for himself in the Western Regions.
Later, under the arrangement of the government, Chen San, along with other young men who responded to the call, arrived in Shanshan.
Although Shanshan had been attacked by the states of Jingjue and Qiemo at that time, there were still many men in the country.
In addition, since Chen San and his group arrived relatively late, the women of Shanshan were given priority to the Han soldiers who were on the expedition.
Therefore, when Chen San and the others first arrived in Shanshan, they were only allocated a 20-mu oasis plot of land each, along with various farming tools and seeds.
Although they did not get the Western Region women they had imagined, Chen San and the others did not feel much disappointment. They continued to work diligently on the land of the Western Regions under the arrangement of the officials, and their lives were stable and prosperous.
It wasn't until last year, when all the men in Shanshan were conscripted by Yuan Shao and sent to the battlefield in Gaochang, never to return, that Chen San and the others saw a glimmer of hope.
Until this year, after Liu Yu was ordered to arrive in Shanshan, he began to assign women to these able-bodied men.
Unfortunately, there were more than 200,000 able-bodied men who arrived in Shanshan at that time, but Chen San and his group did not get their turn until all the women from Shanshan, Jingjue and other countries had been distributed.
Just as Chen San and the others were filled with disappointment and preparing to continue farming alone, Liu Yu suddenly ordered that all the able-bodied men who had not been assigned wives be summoned to migrate to Gaochang.
Therefore, Chen San, who had been single for a long time, immediately handed over his land, took all his belongings, and followed Liu Yu to Gaochang.
In his view, Liu Yu, who represented the imperial court, would certainly not lie to them.
It was all for the sake of marrying a woman from the Western Regions—it was worth it!!
Upon learning that he might be assigned two women from the Western Regions, Chen San was naturally overjoyed. As he walked, he couldn't help but imagine himself embracing two women.
Looking at the outline of the city on the distant horizon, a military officer in the Imperial Guard turned to the carriage and said respectfully, "Protector, we can already see Gaochang City. We should arrive in about two quarters of an hour!"
Inside the car, Liu Yu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them, then lifted the curtain and looked out.
"Phew, we're finally here!"
As he looked at the city drawing ever closer in the distance, and knowing that this would be his last stop, Liu Yu's slightly weary face relaxed, and a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.
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