Huangfu Sisi's hands were shaking, and Gu Qing saw her hands shaking with his own eyes.

Curious about how she cooked, how she could make such delicious meals in the Tang Dynasty where there was a lack of various condiments, Gu Qing rushed into the kitchen of the inn and observed her cooking techniques. Of course, the main reason was to steal her skills.

Then he saw a special square tripod on the kitchen stove. The bottom of the tripod was square and the sides were sloping. The style was somewhat similar to the iron pots used for cooking in later generations. If the bottom was changed to a round shape, it would be completely different.

It's an iron pot for cooking.

Most of Huangfu Sisi's cooking techniques are today's steaming and cooking methods. She has not learned how to stir-fry, but the seasoning spices are used very appropriately, which enhances the taste of each dish, but just right, without taking away from the original taste of the dish.

Watching Huangfu Sisi take the vegetables out of the pot with a large spoon and prepare to put them on the plate, Gu Qing watched as her hand holding the spoon shook, then shook again.

The scene is very familiar, and it vaguely brings me back to the days when I was cooking in the university cafeteria in my previous life. I was holding the rice bowl and showing a flattering smile, just begging the cafeteria lady’s Parkinson’s disease not to be so serious.

"Stop! If you keep shaking it will stop!" Gu Qing was furious and shouted decisively to stop.

Huangfu Sisi was startled, not only her hands were shaking, but her shoulders were shaking as well.

"You, you... when did you come? Get out quickly, the kitchen is a greasy place, noble people like the Marquis cannot come in." Huangfu Sisi pushed him out.

Gu Qing said angrily: "If I don't come in, how many times are you going to shake? It's too much. Although I don't give you money for meals, you can't be short-changed..."

After saying this, Gu Qing was stunned. This sentence... seemed to have a bit of a bastard flavor.

Huangfu Sisi chuckled, then chuckled.

Giving him a charming look, Huangfu Sisi snorted: "You still know that you don't get paid to eat?"

Gu Qinghan said with a face: "One code means one code. If you don't pay me, you can go to the government to sue me. But if you are short of weight, it is a character problem. Shaking hands is a disease and needs to be treated."

Huangfu Sisi smiled and said: "Master Hou eats and drinks for free without paying me, can I really go to the government to sue you?"

Gu Qing turned his thumb and pointed at his chest and said: "To be honest, I am the government. I have decided that the matter of not paying the money will be discussed later, but it is wrong for your hands to shake. You have obviously cooked a big pot of food."

, what are you shaking about? Who else are you going to feed it to besides me?"

Huangfu Sisi laughed and said, "Your shameless face is simply..."

Sighing, Huangfu Sisi added: "So many of the Marquis's fellow villagers have settled down in Qiuci City. A group of rough men have no place to eat. Naturally, I have to take care of it. I have cooked so many dishes."

In order to send it to them, as for the Marquis...you only have one person, so what if there is less? Can I starve you?"

Gu Qing was stunned. He didn't expect Huangfu Sisi to be so caring about his fellow countryman, and he was suddenly touched.

Immediately, Gu Qing became alert. This woman coveted his beauty and had already reached out to his fellow villagers. He must be vigilant and don't forget that her origins are unknown.

"Girl, you're interested. I misunderstood you. It's not easy to care about the food and drink of dozens of people. I will definitely give you money this time..." Gu Qing smiled, touched his arms, and then emptied his pocket, but he was not embarrassed at all.

He said without changing his expression: "I'll give it to you next time."

Huangfu Sisi was dumbfounded when he saw the smooth operation, and then laughed: "Master Marquis...please use some thought even if it's a show? This is very insincere, and I can't even convince myself that you will really give me the money.

"

Gu Qing turned around and said calmly: "Try to have snacks next time. Let's start eating quickly. I'm hungry."

Huangfu Sisi suddenly stopped him: "I heard that the Marquis is looking for people with the nine surnames of Zhaowu to reuse them. Is it true?"

Gu Qing turned his head: "Not bad."

Huangfu Sisi hesitated for a moment and said: "I personally know a clan member with the ninth surname of Zhaowu. He is quite good in business. He was also very wealthy at that time, but he... hates the Tang Dynasty very deeply. As you know, Tianbao has been in high honor for nine years.

The commander destroyed the Shi Kingdom and wiped out the other eight surnames. The officers and soldiers of the Tang Dynasty had a grudge against him to destroy the country and kill the family, so they were not very willing to serve the Marquis..."

Gu Qing was silent for a moment and said, "Gao Xianzhi and I are different."

Huangfu Sisi looked at him deeply and smiled sweetly: "I know that you are different from him."

"If you don't want to serve and don't force it, you tell him that he can go out and walk openly and openly, and there is no need to hide like a mouse. I will immediately issue a pardon. The people of the nine surnames of Zhaowu will be exempted from all crimes. As long as they do not resist the Tang Dynasty, the world will

It’s so big that you can go anywhere and the government won’t pursue you.”

Huangfu Sisi hesitated and said: "The Marquis said that 'all remaining crimes will be exempted', but they are not guilty. The Marquis knows that the so-called 'losing the courtesy of the Tibetan ministers' when the nine surnames of Zhaowu were destroyed was just an excuse..."

Gu Qing nodded: "It's an excuse, but an excuse is also a fig leaf. I know that the nine surnames of Zhaowu are innocent, but the court cannot lose its authority and this fig leaf cannot be torn off. Gao Xianzhi is still the governor of Anxi, and I can't brush him off either."

To save face, the pardon order still accuses them of being guilty, but the government has forgiven them."

"Girl, there is no justice in the officialdom. I have done my best to achieve this. It is unfortunate to suffer misfortunes, but some grievances can only be swallowed hard. No one in the world can give them justice unless...

after many years."

Huangfu Sisi looked confused and didn't understand what Gu Qing's last sentence "many years later" meant.

But she has also experienced the ups and downs of human relationships, and she knows that it is not easy for Gu Qing to achieve this step, so she bowed and said: "I take the name of Zhaowu Jiu. Thank you Lord Marquis for your generosity."

Gu Qing stared at her face and said, "Are you also a member of the ninth surname Zhaowu?"

Huangfu Sisi smiled: "The Marquis has overthought it, but I am not. It's just that when the government hunted them down, I felt compassion for them and helped them secretly for a while, so we have some friendship."

Gu Qing said slowly: "He helps those in need and is not afraid of power and bad governance. This girl has the spirit of a chivalrous person. Not bad."

After speaking, Gu Qing turned and left.

Huangfu Sisi stood at the door of the kitchen. When she heard Gu Qing compliment her, she was stunned and then suddenly smiled.

With just a simple "Not bad", her mood seemed to take flight, as if she was in a forest with birds singing and flowers fragrant. In the gloomy life, a butterfly with colorful wings was dancing.

…………

The bandit suppression operations of the Anxi Protectorate shocked all the tribes in the Western Regions. Since the battle between the Anxi Protectorate and the Great Food Empire Talas in the ninth year of Tianbao, the Tang army has shrunk its defenses in the Western Regions in the past few years. There have been few large-scale attacks.

This time, the military operation was carried out in full force, under the banner of suppressing bandits. On the vast plains and deserts of the Western Regions, the Tang army swept across the barbarians, once again showing off its power to the countries in the Western Regions that they did not dare to look at.

The armies were dispatched in batches, and the countries in the Western Regions were in turmoil. They did not believe that the Tang army was really coming out to suppress bandits, and thought that the Tang army was going to destroy another small country. The heads of the countries were frightened, and soon envoys from the small countries in the Western Regions came to Guizhou.

I came to this city and respectfully asked to see Gao Xianzhi, the governor of Anxi.

Gao Xianzhi had made up his mind not to participate in anything in Anxi, and he avoided seeing the envoys. He was ill when he heard the news, so all matters in Anxi were handled by Gu Qing, deputy envoy of Jiedu.

So the envoys had no choice but to go to the camp outside the city to ask for an audience with Gu Qing.

Gu Qing met with the envoys from various countries and told them with a smile that the Tang army had no other intentions. It was really to suppress the bandits and ensure the smooth flow and safety of the trade routes in the Western Regions. There was no other purpose.

The envoys from various countries were half-convinced and did not dare to question him openly, so they had no choice but to laugh and respond.

With a smile on his face, Gu Qing asked the envoys thoughtfully whether the bandits who recently killed people and looted goods on the Western Region trade routes were related to the heads of the countries? If it was discovered that the various countries had colluded with the bandits to wantonly destroy the tranquility of the Western Region trade routes with the intention of intimidation

The merchants who come to Kucha City to do business have committed a heinous crime. If the Tang army gets the information, they will definitely destroy their country and kill their clan. All the people in the country will be sold into slavery, and they will not be able to stand up for generations.

The envoys were shocked and frightened out of their wits by Gu Qing's words. Some were purely afraid, while others had guilty consciences. They pointed to the sky with cold sweat and swore that the bandits had nothing to do with their country, and promised on behalf of the country's leader that if any

If bandits are discovered, they must be annihilated with the whole country's strength without mercy.

Gu Qing smiled with satisfaction and stopped pointing out.

This group of bandits acted rampantly, with vicious methods, and they came and went without a trace. They were clearly organized, premeditated and purposeful in robbing and killing businessmen. If they said they had nothing to do with these small countries, Gu Qing would never believe it.

But now the strategic overall situation of the four towns in Anxi is peace and making money. Gao Xianzhi's high-pressure policy towards the countries in the Western Region has proven to be a failure. Gu Qing cannot follow in his footsteps, so this matter cannot be dug deeper. Just scare them.

Enough is enough. If these small countries dare to make a name for themselves behind their backs, Gu Qing's statement about destroying their countries is not a joke. Those who stabbed them in the back must be destroyed.

In the next one or two years, Anxi must operate like an iron barrel, and no backyard fires must occur.

Military reports came one after another from various armies.

Ten days ago, Chang Zhong's 10,000 cavalry troops left the city and headed west. They found more than 500 bandits near the trade road where Ba Khan's troops were located, and they were wiped out in one fell swoop, leaving no one alive.

Eight days ago, Li Siye and Ma Lin's troops left the city to the north, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and annihilated three groups of bandits, totaling more than a thousand people, in the Beiting Protectorate. They obeyed General Gu Qing's order and left no survivors alive.

Five days ago, five thousand cavalry from Shen Tian's command in the east wiped out thousands of bandits near Yangguan. During this period, they clashed with the soldiers and horses of the Hexi Jiedushi Mansion. Later, Hexi Jiedushi Ge Shuhan came forward and surrendered the bandits to Shen Tian.

One after another military reports were delivered back to the camp outside Kucha City. Gu Qing was quite satisfied with the performance of each department. At the same time, he gradually understood that there were not just one group of bandits active in the Western Regions, but many. They may belong to different forces.
Chapter completed!