Li Anlan did not object to the suggestion, because he did need a reliable person to go to Xiliang.
Ordinary people would likely find it difficult to guarantee their lives if they entered Xiliang. After all, Lin Yi wasn't stupid; he knew this was a spy he had planted in Xiliang, so naturally he wouldn't be completely unprepared.
Princess Shenle was perfectly positioned; no matter how arrogant Lin Yi was, he wouldn't dare to actually kill the princess, especially since she was his nominal fiancée, making it even more impossible.
Tan Cheng looked completely bewildered and whispered, "Your Majesty, what about Ran Zijin...?"
Holy crap, Ran Zijin just died for nothing?
This was a prince's prime minister, and a member of the Ran Clan. How could we just let it go like this? How could we explain this to the people of the All Under Heaven?
Li Anlan glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "I am also deeply saddened by the death of Minister Ran in Xiliang. However, without evidence, I cannot pin the blame on Lin Yi. Therefore, further investigation is necessary!"
"Tsk tsk, Ran Zijin died for nothing!"
Lu Yafu rolled his eyes, feeling a little wistful.
Given the current situation, even Princess Shenle is being sent over, which clearly shows she doesn't want to provoke Lin Yi. As for the so-called investigation, it's probably just empty talk.
At this point, anyone with a brain would understand that this matter is definitely related to Lin Yi; it's just that the Emperor doesn't want to escalate the conflict and wants to maintain peace for the time being.
After all, Tuoba Wanli was still causing trouble at Mountain and River Pass, so the Emperor naturally had to deal with Tuoba Wanli first.
Boom!
Upon Tan Cheng this, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning and instantly deflated.
Li Anlan glanced at him, then turned his gaze to Lu Yafu and asked, "Minister Lu, what do you think of the Prince of Shu?"
Prince of Shu!
Upon hearing this, Lu Yafu instantly understood. This was probably the reason why the Emperor had specifically summoned him to the palace; otherwise, the Emperor would not have paid any attention to him, the former prime minister.
Now that the Prince of Shu is making trouble, the Emperor has even sent the Grand Commandant there, clearly showing that he doesn't trust the Prince of Shu.
"This..."
"Please speak freely, Minister Lu. I was merely asking," Li Anlan said with a smile.
Hearing his words, Lu Yafu sighed and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, Prince of Shu Highness the Prince of Shu is one of the three great princes of Great Ning and a member of the royal family. He shouldn't be so ignorant of the bigger picture. There are probably some external factors involved!"
External factors!
A cold glint flashed in Li Anlan's eyes. This external factor was probably that old bastard Lin Rusong. Neither of them, father and son, were easy to deal with.
The Grand Commandant had already uncovered some problems. Although Li Zhengdao did seem to be making some moves, the shadow of the Prince of Northern Liang was present among the southern chieftains.
He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, " Lin Rusong, be smug now. Wait until I start dealing with your Northern Liang, then you'll know what true cruelty is!"
Instigating trouble among the southern chieftains is clearly a way to reduce the pressure on Northern Liang and his son; this guy is just dreaming.
He looked at Tan Cheng and smiled, "Minister Tan, what do you think?"
Forehead!
That look sent a shiver down Tan Cheng. He instantly understood: His Majesty was about to take action himself.
"Your Majesty, I am not sure if there are external factors involved, but the existence of these three powerful vassal states has indeed affected the rule of our Great Ning. I believe it is necessary to reduce their power." Tan Cheng Li Anlan's staunch follower, Tan Cheng naturally knew what Li Anlan was worried about, so he directly put forward his opinion.
Cut off the vassal!
Lu Yafu shuddered, and instantly understood something: the emperor was preparing to reduce the power of the princes, and this meant targeting the three major vassal states.
No, now there are four major warlords.
Good heavens, the Emperor is about to do something big!
He wisely kept his mouth shut; he absolutely could not bring this up himself, otherwise the Lu Clan would likely be wiped out, and the four great vassal kings would certainly not let him off the hook.
Li Anlan, however, had no intention of letting him off the hook. He gave him a meaningful look and smiled, "Minister Lu, do you think we should reduce the power of the regional military governors?"
"Your Majesty, I have already retired from the military and returned to my hometown. I dare not speak presumptuously about such matters!" Lu Yafu said with a dry laugh.
"Hahaha, I was just joking!"
Li Anlan laughed heartily, but did not mention it again. Even if the power of the feudal lords were to be reduced, now would not be the time; now was not a good time.
He looked at Tan Cheng and solemnly said, " Tan Cheng, draft the decree!"
"I have decided to betroth Princess Shenle to Lin Yi, the King of Xiliang, as a sign of my favor to him. In addition, I will bestow upon him a hundred palace maids, ten thousand taels of gold, and countless gold and silver ornaments!"
Holy crap!
Tan Cheng's face stiffened. He was being sent to Ningchuan Commandery again. Was the Emperor going to summon him again this time? That would be too terrible.
"Your subject obeys!" he replied with a forced laugh.
The Empress and the Crown Prince's eyes lit up. They hadn't expected that this would actually be accomplished. This was definitely good news for the Princess Shenle was his own sister. Once she became the King of Prince of Xiliang wife, he would instantly gain the support of the North.
There's great potential for the future.
Xiliang Commandery!
As Lin Yi's old territory, this place has now become a vital commercial route to the West, connecting the Western Regions and Northern Liang, and also linking Ningchuan Commandery.
What was once a chaotic place has now become a perfect transit point.
Throughout the entire Xiliang Commandery, merchant caravans could be seen coming and going everywhere, becoming a beautiful sight in the whole Xiliang region.
At the city gate, a group of outsiders appeared—none other than Wang Zijin and her brother, who had come to Xiliang to test Lin Yi.
The two men, accompanied only by a few guards, entered Xiliang Commandery, a place that was considered extremely poor by the locals.
However, what they saw before them made the group question the meaning of life.
These neatly arranged houses, completely different from the architectural style of Northern Liang, give people a feeling of Mount Tai, and the tall city walls are even higher than those of the Northern Liang Royal City.
Is this the poorest Xiliang Commandery?
Wang Zitao was dumbfounded. He looked at the steward beside him and whispered, " Uncle Zhang, wasn't it said that Xiliang Commandery was so poor that even birds wouldn't shit on it? How come this is different from what others are saying?"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, the butler, Zhang Jinyi, chuckled wryly and explained, "I have indeed been here before. This used to be a godforsaken place. I never imagined that in just two years, it would develop to such a state. Is this all thanks to Old Master Bai?"
He came here to do business two years ago, but he never came back because he was robbed five times as soon as he arrived, and in the end, he was the only one left and hurriedly returned to Northern Liang.
So he never came back, and the Wang Clan gave up on that business.
To his utter surprise, the place had undergone tremendous changes in just two years, to the point that he could hardly believe this was still Xiliang Commandery.