Chapter 89

Prime Minister Xu Chang, Grand Commandant Zhuang Qingzhi, Grand Administrator Han Anguo, and even former Prime Minister Dou Ying, who was living in retirement due to angering Empress Dowager Dou, and former Grand Commandant Tian Fen, all came out of their residences to head to the Weiyang Palace for a meeting. Such a grand assembly caused the people of Chang'an to speculate endlessly about what had happened in the court.

The head of Zhong Xing, the alliance treaty with the Yuezhi, and the maps of the Hexi to the Western Regions that Li You brought back delighted the Han officials who had long suffered from the Xiongnu's harassment. They seemed to see the opportunity for the Han to defeat the Xiongnu and rid themselves of their humiliation! After a night of intense debate, the Hexi region, which had been left vulnerable due to the large number of troops sent to aid the Wusun Kingdom, was chosen as the main target of the Han's offensive.

Liu Che ordered the relevant officials to begin selecting generals, training soldiers, and preparing provisions and horses for this campaign! Li You was also appointed as a core member of the operation by Liu Che, "Minister Zhang has opened the Western Regions, a great service to our Han! I hereby appoint you as Grand Doctor and grant Tangyifu the title of Envoy, allowing him to restore his original name, Gan Fu! Chen Qingzhi will be the Military Secretary, and Pan Feng will be the Cavalry Commander, with all members of the mission receiving rewards. I will also order the relevant departments to provide generous compensation to those who have sacrificed for the country! The envoys from Loulan and the Yuezhi will be handled by the Grand Administrator of the Nine Ministers, who oversees foreign affairs!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generous rewards!" Li You, Tangyifu, and the members of the mission all thanked Liu Che for his rewards!

"The relevant departments will arrange residences for all of you. Rest for a few days, and then prepare with the Prime Minister and Grand Commandant for the campaign against the Xiongnu! If this battle is won, I will not hesitate to grant you the title of marquis!" After the all-night court session, Liu Che was also somewhat tired. After saying this, he dismissed the ministers.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report!" Seeing this, Li You quickly spoke up. There were still important matters he needed to discuss with Liu Che. After receiving permission, Li You said, "Your Majesty, I need the assistance of various departments for many tasks. I would like to request that the Grand Administrator of the Nine Ministers, who oversees horse affairs, the Grand Administrator of Agriculture, who manages the state's economy and oversees the Han's official fields, the Lesser Treasurer, who manages the income from mountains, seas, and lakes and oversees the royal handicrafts, and the Grand Works Commissioner, who oversees the construction of palaces, temples, and mausoleums, send their subordinates to assist me!"

Thinking of the seeds and the Heavenly Horses that Li You had brought back, Liu Che seemed to understand his intentions and nodded in approval, "Minister Zhang has worked tirelessly for the country, truly a fine official of our Han!" He then issued an edict ordering the relevant departments to send suitable subordinates to assist Li You, and to provide him with the necessary materials and venues.

Li You did not hesitate and immediately asked Liu Che for an estate within the Shanglin Park, where he moved in with Chen Qingzhi and Pan Feng. As for Tangyifu and the other members of the mission, the tasks at the estate did not concern them much, so Li You gave them a break to rest at home.

As for the arrangements for Chen Qingzhi and Pan Feng, Li You had his plans. According to the timeline, the Han would likely complete their war preparations by next spring and launch a campaign against the Xiongnu in the Hexi region. By then, he and Chen Qingzhi and Pan Feng would certainly be involved! He would wait for the right moment to have them return.

Following Zhang Qian's memory, Li You visited some relatives and friends in Chang'an and showed Chen Qingzhi and Pan Feng the current splendor of Chang'an. A few days later, they returned to the estate in Shanglin Park!

Upon arriving at the estate, they saw a young general leading over a hundred palace guards waiting at the gate. Seeing Li You approach, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "This humble servant, Attendant Wei Qing, greets Grand Doctor!"

Li You was momentarily dazed! He was speechless for a long time, and Chen Qingzhi behind him also showed a look of surprise. But it was not their fault; who could blame them when the name of the person before them was so illustrious! This was Wei Qing, who would later lead seven campaigns against the Xiongnu, all of which were victorious, and be granted the title of Grand Marshal and Grand General!

After a while, Li You finally came to his senses and hurriedly returned the bow, "Attendant Wei, please rise. Please come in and let us talk!"

Inside the estate, after chatting with Wei Qing for a while, Li You learned that Liu Che had dispatched several promising generals, such as Wei Qing, Gong Sun Ao, Li Guang, Cheng Bushi, and others, to take turns leading their troops to guard the estate and to familiarize themselves with Xiongnu affairs in preparation for the campaign next year.

"Attendant Wei is deeply trusted by His Majesty and will surely achieve great feats in next year's battle!" Li You said politely. Wei Qing might participate in the war next year, but his background and experience made it unlikely that he would become the commander-in-chief. So, who would lead this major campaign?

It would probably be one or more of Li Guang, Gong Sun He, Wang Hui, Li Xi, and Han Anguo. Li You recalled the Battle of Mayi a few years later, where these five men led the troops. With only a few years until the Battle of Mayi, perhaps Liu Che would have them step onto the stage of the war against the Xiongnu earlier?

"Thank you, Grand Doctor, for your kind words!" After some polite conversation, Wei Qing feigned curiosity and asked, "I wonder what Grand Doctor plans to do with so many people and resources in the estate?"

Wei Qing had just toured the estate, and the few extraordinary Heavenly Horses had made him envious, but he could not understand the other things! There were blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, and many other craftsmen busily preparing their work areas in the estate. What did this Grand Doctor plan to do?

"I am going to climb the technology tree!" Although he could not yet produce firearms and cannons, there were many ways to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Han army, and Li You did not want to waste this time! If he could produce results early and start mass production, the Han's chances of victory next spring would increase significantly!

"Our Han people are slightly inferior to the Xiongnu, who grow up on horseback, in horsemanship. Therefore, I plan to create some small devices to make our Han cavalry surpass the Xiongnu!" Li You answered truthfully, "In addition, there are other items beneficial to the war that need these craftsmen to help manufacture! Besides, the seeds brought back from the Western Regions need the subordinates of the Grand Administrator of Agriculture to help plant and cultivate! The Heavenly Horses also need the subordinates of the Grand Administrator of the Nine Ministers to help breed them into a herd!"

"Oh? What exactly does Grand Doctor plan to do?" Wei Qing was immediately interested!

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