Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1275 Princess Xian'an's Scheme

"A descendant of an old friend? Related to the Uyghur royal court?" Lin Hao couldn't figure out who it was for a moment, so he simply stopped thinking about it and just called the person over to ask.

"Go, bring him here. I want to see what kind of old friend he is," Lin Hao ordered.

A moment later, a man dressed as an ordinary merchant, but whose brows revealed an air of competence, was led into the study.

Kang Huaien tactfully withdrew and closed the door, leaving only Lin Hao and the stranger in the study.

The man's sharp gaze swept around the room, as if he were confirming that it was safe.

He then straightened his robes, clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Lin Hao, and said in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant:
"I am Du Wenguang, paying my respects to Governor Lin!" He did not use an alias, but directly stated the surname "Du," a prominent family name in Guanzhong.

Upon hearing the other person's surname, Lin Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought that the other person might be related to the nobles of Guanzhong.

Judging from his appearance, he didn't look like a soldier from the Western Regions. He even claimed to be surnamed Du, so he was most likely from the Du family, a local gentry family in Guanzhong.

Without showing any emotion, he raised his hand in a gesture of acknowledgment and said, "Mr. Du, please have a seat. May I ask what brings you here from afar?"

Du Wenguang did not sit down, but took out a piece of jade pendant from his bosom. The material was warm and smooth, and it was carved with exquisite phoenix patterns. It was definitely not an item from the common people.

He then presented the jade pendant, saying, "I am Du Wenguang, the deputy commander of the guards of Princess Xian'an of the Great Tang Dynasty. This is a token of the princess's favor. Please examine it, Grand Commander."

Lin Hao took the jade pendant. It felt slightly cool to the touch, and the patterns were clear. The other part should obviously be in the princess's hands.

Recalling the history of the Tang Dynasty, it suddenly dawned on me that I immediately recognized Princess Xian'an.

However, Lin Hao's face remained calm. Princess Xian'an was the daughter of Emperor Dezong. Three years ago, she was married off to the Uyghurs and is now the "wise, upright, long-lived, and filial Khatun" of the Uyghurs.

I never expected that she would send her trusted envoy, who even came specifically to find me!

Lin Hao handed the jade pendant back, his tone rather solemn as he said:
"So it is Commander Du. Her Highness the Princess is of noble birth and has married far away to the border. I have always held her in high esteem. Last time I passed by the royal tent, I was unable to pay my respects, which I deeply regret."

"I wonder what brings Your Highness the Princess to send this commander?" Lin Hao asked humbly, but his mind was racing as he tried to figure out the princess's intentions.

The Uyghur Khanate had just undergone a power transition, with the sudden death of the loyal Khan and the usurpation of the throne by his brother, creating a delicate situation.

Princess Xian'an is at the center of the storm, and her secret dispatch of an envoy to meet with me, the military commander of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty, must have something big on her mind.

If Lin Hao's guess is correct, it is most likely about the succession of the Uyghur royal court.

Seeing that Lin Hao had confirmed the token and was behaving respectfully, Du Wenguang breathed a slight sigh of relief and lowered his voice, saying:
"Your Highness does indeed have a matter of great importance concerning the future situation between the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs, which she wishes to discuss with the Commander-in-Chief. This matter is of great significance, and we shall discuss it here!"

He cautiously looked around, trying to make sure it was safe. Seeing this, Lin Hao said directly, "Don't worry, there are only the two of us here!"

"Commander Du has come from afar. Is Your Highness well?" Lin Hao asked, his voice steady and devoid of much emotion.

He felt sympathy for this Tang princess who was married off to the Uyghurs. She had first married the old Khan, and then, according to Uyghur custom, married his son. Now, with the Uyghurs in turmoil, one can imagine how difficult her situation was.

He guessed that Du Wenguang's visit was probably because the princess could no longer bear the suffering and wanted to find an opportunity to return to the Tang Dynasty.

Lin Hao was pleased to see this happen, as helping a Tang Dynasty princess escape her suffering was a righteous act both publicly and privately.

"Thank you for inquiring, Commander. Her Highness the Princess is well!" Du Wenguang cupped his hands, hesitated for a moment, and said with a hint of bitterness in his voice:

"However, I have come here on His Highness's secret orders to request assistance from the Commander-in-Chief."

As expected, Lin Hao thought to himself that he had guessed correctly, so he took the initiative to speak:
"Commander Du need not worry. If Her Highness the Princess wishes to take advantage of the Uyghur civil war to return to the Tang Dynasty, this Governor will do his utmost to help her."

"To be honest, Commander Du, as far as I know, Prime Minister Jieyugas has led his victorious army and is on his way back to the royal tent."

"His purpose in this trip was to settle accounts with the usurpers who poisoned the loyal Khan and to uphold the rightful ruler. Now is the perfect time for him to return to the Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Du Wenguang's expression changed drastically, his body tensed instantly, and he urgently asked:
"Is the Governor's statement true? Great Minister, does Jieyugas truly intend to carry out this great undertaking?"

This news was like a thunderbolt to the Xian'an Princess Group, which was at the center of the storm, as it directly affected their survival and subsequent plans.

Lin Hao noticed something was off about the other person's expression and subconsciously checked their memories.

To Lin Hao's surprise, the other party did not want to return to the Tang Dynasty. After learning the purpose of Princess Xian'an sending the envoy, Lin Hao's mind raced.

However, he quickly made up his mind and then calmly nodded and said:

"The Loyal Khan was appointed Khan by our Great Tang Dynasty, yet he was murdered. Such a rebellious act is arousing the indignation of the whole world."

"The Grand Minister Jieyugas is loyal and righteous and wants to restore order. When Lin and General Yang Xigu heard this, they also expressed their deep agreement."

His words were half true and half false. The internal strife among the Uyghurs was objectively beneficial to relieving the pressure on the Tang Dynasty, which he was happy to see. As for who became Khan, he didn't care as long as they were pro-Tang.

"If the princess wishes to return, I, Lin, may be able to mediate, and I'm sure Prime Minister Jieyugas will give me some face."

Thinking of the problems the princess was about to face, the awkward situation of marrying a nominal grandchild, he was even more determined to help, but he still had to wait for Du Wenguang to speak up.

However, after his initial shock, Du Wenguang's expression shifted several times before finally settling into a long sigh. He stood up, bowed solemnly to Lin Hao, and then spoke frankly:
"Your Highness and I are deeply grateful for the Grand Commander's righteousness. But... the Grand Commander has misunderstood!"

"Misunderstanding?" Lin Hao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Exactly!" Du Wenguang straightened his back, a mixture of pride and determination on his face, and said:

"Before her departure, Her Highness the Princess repeatedly instructed me that since she had been appointed by the Tang Dynasty to marry the Uyghurs, she was entrusted with the important task of maintaining the friendship between the Tang and the Uyghurs and stabilizing the border."

"Personal honor and disgrace are insignificant compared to matters of state. Even with countless difficulties, we should do our utmost to fulfill the mission entrusted to us by His Majesty and the court. How can we turn back lightly because of personal selfishness?"

The hall was silent. Lin Hao looked at Du Wenguang with unusual calm in his eyes, because he had already learned the true intentions of Princess Xian'an, who was far away in the Uyghur royal tent, by examining Du Wenguang's memories.

After a moment, Lin Hao slowly stood up, straightened his clothes, faced the direction of the Uyghur royal tent, and bowed deeply.

"Your Highness is so wise and righteous, I admire you!" Lin Hao said sincerely.

Then, the image of Princess Yicheng, who served four Turkic Khans during the late Sui Dynasty and never forgot to protect the interests of the Sui Dynasty, flashed through his mind.

Unexpectedly, more than a hundred years later, the Tang Dynasty produced a princess with such political responsibility and spirit of sacrifice!

“Then,” Lin Hao sat back down and said solemnly, “what does Your Highness need me to do?”

Lin Hao understood that with the precedent set by Wu Zhou, the princess's intentions were not hard to comprehend.

A Tang princess determined to stay in the Uyghur Khaganate and make a difference is far more valuable than a mere fugitive.

Supporting her is like driving the strongest wedge between the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs.

Seeing this, Du Wenguang knew he had won Lin Hao's genuine respect and support, so he stopped beating around the bush and immediately said:

"I have heard that the Governor has built workshops in the Western Regions, and the iron armor produced there is exceptionally strong and sharp, far surpassing ordinary armor!"

"That's true!" Lin Hao nodded. This must have been news from a long time ago.

There's no way around it; in this era where communication relies mainly on shouting and transportation relies mainly on walking, information delays are a normal phenomenon.

At the same time, by reviewing the other party's memories, it was also understood that the Uyghurs lacked iron, and high-quality iron armor was even more scarce.

Sure enough, Du Wenguang continued, "When Her Highness the Princess married, His Majesty bestowed upon her a team of elite guards."

“Over the years, Your Highness has also carefully cultivated your forces, and you have no shortage of loyal and brave men under your command. However, the Uyghurs are short of ironware, and high-quality iron armor is even more difficult to obtain.” “If we transport it from Chang’an, not only will the journey be long, but it will also be too conspicuous and easily attract attention.”

"I have heard that the Governor's office can mass-produce iron armor, so His Highness specially ordered me to come here in the hope of obtaining the Governor's assistance."

Lin Hao knew that these nomadic peoples, including the Uyghur "Qadun" (Queen), were not mere figureheads; they often possessed their own followers and property, forming independent political forces.

It is both a tradition for a new Khan to marry the former Qatun upon ascending to the throne and a necessity for consolidating political power.

Princess Xian'an intends to leverage the upcoming change of Khanate to strengthen her own military power, thereby gaining sufficient leverage to ensure that the Uyghur political situation develops in a direction of aligning with the Tang Dynasty.

She didn't passively wait for fate to take its course; instead, she wanted to actively intervene, take control of the situation, and learn from Wu Zetian!
However, being Wu Zetian is not easy; it requires not only courage but also strength. Clearly, iron armor is the most crucial strength at present.

Having understood this, Lin Hao didn't hesitate at all and said decisively:

"Please inform Her Highness, Commander Du, that I, Lin, have agreed to this matter. Just tell me how many suits of armor you need, and I will prioritize procuring them for you and secretly deliver them to the royal tent as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Du Wenguang's tense face finally broke into a relieved smile, and he bowed deeply again, saying:

"General, how about a thousand and a hundred suits of armor!"

Actually, Du Wenguang was a little uneasy. After thinking for a while, he finally came up with a number that he himself thought was a bit excessive.

"If His Highness could obtain a thousand suits of armor, he would be able to initially stabilize the situation!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was inappropriate, and then added, changing his tone:

"If the treasury is temporarily inconvenient, five hundred or three hundred sets can solve the immediate problem!"

He stared intently at Lin Hao, bracing himself for a counter-offer or a troubled expression.

After all, even in the central government of the Tang Dynasty, it would be a huge expense and a matter of goodwill to allocate even five hundred sets of armor, let alone a thousand sets.

Upon hearing this, Lin Hao's lips curled up into a barely perceptible smile.

He could almost see Du Wenguang calculating costs in his mind, based on the efficiency of the Chang'an Imperial Workshop.

"Three hundred sets?" Lin Hao's tone was calm, even casual. "If it's just three to five hundred sets, I can arrange manpower right now to prepare for transportation as soon as possible."

Du Wenguang was initially delighted, but then his heart tightened as he thought of the terrifying price of the armor.

He then forced himself to say, "Your Highness is also short of funds in the Uyghur Khaganate. Could you perhaps grant me some time to request the necessary funds, or allow me to report back to Your Highness before proceeding?"

His words were interrupted by Lin Hao, who raised his hand and said, "Commander Du, this is just a mere thousand suits of armor, so there's no need to discuss the price."

"Consider this a small gift from our Western Regions Grand General's Office to Her Highness the Princess. Helping her stabilize the Uyghurs is helping our Great Tang stabilize its western borders."

"What? Governor! You... are you sure?" Du Wenguang could hardly believe his ears.

He quickly calculated in his mind: In the Tang Dynasty, a pair of fine Mingguang armor was worth thousands of strings of cash, and a thousand pairs would be a huge sum of money worth millions of strings of cash!
Even if the armor produced in Beiting was slightly inferior, it would still be an astronomical figure of over a million strings of cash by the lowest standard. And this Grand Commander Lin just casually gave it away?

Seeing Du Wenguang's astonished expression, Lin Hao knew that he was still judging by old ideas, so he decided to let him see for himself.

"Commander Du, words are not enough. Please come with me to Luntai City, and you will see for yourself."

Having said that, before Du Wenguang could think further, Lin Hao ordered his men to prepare horses, and led a group of personal guards, galloping off with Du Wenguang straight to the industrial zone closest to Tingzhou.

Before even getting close, Du Wenguang was awestruck by the sight in the distance: several towering earthen kilns (blast furnaces) spewed thick smoke and flames, turning the sky gray and black, and the air was filled with the scorching smell of coal smoke and metal.

Lin Hao reined in his horse and pointed to the bustling area, saying, "Commander Du, look at this place. It produces about 30,000 shi of iron annually." (Note: In the Tang Dynasty, one shi was approximately 60 kilograms, so 30,000 shi was nearly 2,000 tons.)

Du Wenguang gasped, exclaiming, "Over 30,000 shi?! Governor, the annual iron ore revenue of our Great Tang Dynasty is only about 10 million jin (approximately 83,000 shi, or about 2500 tons)!"

This means that the amount of iron produced in this one place alone was close to one-third of the total iron production of the Tang Dynasty, which is simply unbelievable.

Lin Hao remained noncommittal and led him into the core area of ​​the workshop, just as a batch of molten iron was being produced.

The scorching hot iron flowed out like magma and poured into the sand mold. Under the red light, Du Wenguang felt a wave of heat hit his face, and his hair and beard were scorched.

The scene before him surpassed all his knowledge of "iron smelting". After the iron ingot cooled down a bit, he couldn't help but step forward and touch the still warm metal block.

He even used his sword to chop it fiercely until the blade chipped and only a white mark remained on the iron ingot. Only then did he truly believe that it was not an illusion, but a real, high-quality iron ingot.

"Having so much iron is already astonishing, but forging armor would be time-consuming and laborious, requiring a large number of skilled craftsmen!" Du Wenguang's shock had not yet subsided when he raised a new concern.

Lin Hao remained silent, but instead led him to the other side of the workshop, closer to a river brought in by a canal.

Before we even got close, a rhythmic and heavy rumbling sound reached our ears, making the ground tremble slightly.

Putting on the earmuffs Lin Hao handed him, Du Wenguang went closer to take a look. He saw that the huge waterwheel was driving the connecting rod, lifting and smashing the heavy forging hammer again and again in a cycle.

The red-hot iron plate is quickly transformed into a uniformly thick sheet of iron under the forging hammer. Then the sheet of iron is placed in front of the punching hammer and is pressed into a uniformly shaped armor plate with a clang.

The manufacturing efficiency of the armor plates was astonishing. He stared blankly at the armor plates forming at an almost visible speed on the assembly line, muttering to himself:

"One, two, three... Wow, in just a short while, so many nail plates have been made!"

Lin Hao frowned slightly and said, "It's a pity that it's winter now. The meltwater from the Tianshan Mountains is less, and the water flow is not as abundant as in summer. Otherwise, the speed could be several times faster."

"Now that the river is frozen, we can only rely on animal or human power, which greatly reduces efficiency."

His tone carried a hint of regret, as if he were talking about a trivial little trouble.

Standing beside the roaring forging hammer, Du Wenguang watched the immense productivity created by the intertwining of iron and fire, and all his previous doubts and anxieties were crushed.

An unprecedentedly crazy idea ignited in his mind. He turned around abruptly, grabbed Lin Hao's arm, and his voice trembled with excitement:
"Governor! If... if we could have three thousand suits of armor, Her Highness the Princess would be absolutely certain that she could not only protect herself, but also completely control the pro-Tang forces within the royal court, ensuring that the Uyghurs would no longer have to worry about betraying the Tang Dynasty!"

Three thousand suits of iron armor, arming an elite force completely loyal to Princess Xian'an, will be a decisive force on this grassland.

Seeing the burning light in Du Wenguang's eyes, Lin Hao knew that the strength of the industry had completely won over this confidante of the princess.

Without any hesitation, he said decisively, "Alright! Three thousand sets it is! Still no charge! I will order the workshop to prioritize production and gather them as soon as possible."

He paused, his gaze drifting towards the direction of the Uyghur royal tent in the north, and his tone grew somewhat somber as he said:

"This matter is of utmost importance and cannot be compromised. Once the first batch of armor is ready, I will personally accompany you to the royal tent."

"We must not only send armor, but also ensure that this batch of armor can be used on the most critical blades."

Upon hearing this, Du Wenguang was overwhelmed with emotion and bowed deeply to the ground: "Your Excellency is truly righteous! If His Highness knew of Your Excellency's great assistance, he would surely be deeply grateful! On behalf of His Highness, I thank Your Excellency!"

Lin Hao helped him up, a sharp glint appearing on his cold face: "No need for formalities. Your Highness guards the northern gate of the Great Tang, while I guard the western border of the Great Tang. We are comrades."

The matter of the Uyghurs is no longer just a matter for the princess alone; it also concerns the survival of Anxi and Beiting. This time, I will go and see what's going on in the Uyghur royal court.

"The Grand Commander has a heavy responsibility; can he leave?" Although Princess Xian'an has some manpower, there are not many qualified generals.

So when Du Wenguang heard that Lin Hao was going, he was naturally happy. However, Lin Hao was now the Grand Commander of the Western Regions, and he had great responsibilities. Moreover, the matter was very dangerous, so he was still somewhat hesitant.

"It's alright. The Tubo have just suffered a defeat and are temporarily unable to launch an attack. In addition, with Protector-General Yang guarding Tingzhou, I can leave for a while without any problems."

It's unlikely that foreign enemies will attack now. We have veteran soldiers to train, and the workshops and farms are already on track. All we need to do now is proceed step by step.

As for the Hanhai Army, it has been initially established, and with Yang Xigu in Tingzhou to temporarily take care of it, Lin Hao has nothing to worry about.