Children of Loulan

Chapter 252: The Shangshu comes every year

Although there were no sumptuous dishes or fine wines prepared for the banquet, everyone still talked happily and laughed throughout the banquet. Aidil looked at General Elikuti sitting opposite him, and suddenly remembered a letter he received from Xilin when he left the capital. In the letter, Xilin had specifically mentioned General Elikuti.

General Alikuti is not only the nephew of the Shangshu, but also a man of integrity and integrity. He disdains those conspiracies and flatterers, and always handles things in an open and aboveboard manner. For such a person, if you treat him sincerely, you will definitely be able to win his sincere treatment. Thinking of this, Aidil has made a decision in his heart: if he can pull Alikuti into his camp, then he will become his first force!

The atmosphere at the banquet was relaxed and cheerful, and everyone was talking and laughing. As the last glass of wine was finished, the banquet finally ended. Aidil smiled at General Elikuti, who was not drunk at all, and asked politely: "I wonder if the general is free? Can you walk with me to clear your head?"

Hearing the prince's invitation, Alikuti dared not refuse. He smiled and said, "It's rare that Your Majesty is in such a good mood, so I will accompany You for a walk!" So the two of them began to walk slowly on the streets of Liancheng.

At this moment, there were very few pedestrians on the street, and there were almost no other people around. As Aidil walked, he carefully observed the surroundings to make sure that no one was following them. Then, he lowered his voice and said to Alikuti: "General, do you know what is the purpose of my coming to Liancheng this time?"

Ali Kuti replied in surprise: "Your Highness, you are joking. How could I possibly know your schedule?"

Aidier looked at Elikuti with a serious expression and said, "This time I came to Liancheng because I have something important to ask the general!"

Alikuti asked nervously, "I wonder what is so important that His Majesty needs to make this trip in person?"

Aidil looked up at the sky, sighed deeply, and said in a heavy tone: "General, do you know that the stones and wood sent to West City a month ago were all fake!"

At this word, Eli Kuti was shocked. He asked in surprise: "What? Fake?"

While observing his expression, Aidil said calmly, "Yes, it is absolutely true. Now my father has ordered that this matter must be thoroughly investigated."

Alikuti stared at Aidil with eyes wide open in disbelief. "How is this possible? These stones and woods have all been strictly inspected!"

Aidil sneered, "Humph, but that's the fact. If someone didn't do it on purpose, how could such a thing happen?"

Alikuti said anxiously: "If this is true, the consequences will be disastrous! Once the city wall is built, it will not only be unable to resist foreign enemies, but if it collapses, everyone in the city will be in danger."

Aidier nodded, "That's why my father is so angry. General, this is the first stop for transporting materials from the Tang Dynasty, so I want to ask you!"

Alikuti took a deep breath to calm himself down, then looked at Aidil and said, "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Aidil frowned slightly and asked, "How often does the Tang Dynasty deliver supplies? Does the general personally check the goods every time they are delivered? If so, does he just take a general look or does he check each item carefully one by one?"

Ali Kuti answered without hesitation: "The Tang Dynasty will basically send a batch of goods every half a month. After the goods arrive, I will store them all in the warehouse and conduct detailed inspections one by one to ensure that there are no problems before reloading them and transporting them to the capital."

Aidil nodded to show his understanding, and then asked: "Then, will the general personally inspect every stone and every piece of wood?"

Elikuti answered firmly: "Yes, I will personally check every detail to ensure there are no problems or omissions."

Aidil continued to ask: "So, how often does the general usually deliver supplies to the capital?"

After thinking for a moment, Elikuti said, "This time is not fixed, because I still have to deal with the affairs in the city. Sometimes, I will inspect a part first and transport it away, and the rest will be inspected after I finish dealing with the affairs in the city."

Aidil frowned: "Won't this increase the transportation cost?"

Ali Kuti quickly explained: "Your Highness, you don't know that the road from the Tang Dynasty to our Liancheng is mostly mountainous and forested, so it is most suitable to use a horse-drawn carriage. But our country of Loulan is mostly desert, so transportation depends on the pulling power of camels, and because there can't be wheels on sand, camels can't use wheels to gain leverage. So in order to reduce the burden on the camels, I transported the goods sent by the Tang Dynasty to the capital in two batches!"

Aidier nodded slightly, showing his understanding: "I see. Has the Shangshu ever been to Liancheng since he signed the purchase agreement with the Tang Dynasty?"

Alikuti replied: "The Minister meets with the Tang merchants once a year."

Aidil asked curiously, "Every year? Why do the generals meet each other?"

Alikuti: "It is said that it is to pay off the balance of the first year and the deposit of the second year." He said firmly!

Aidil frowned, with a hint of doubt in his tone: "Didn't you go with him?"

Alikuti shook his head and replied with a serious expression: "As the defender of a city, how can I easily leave my post? However, I will send a small team of soldiers to follow him to ensure his safety!"

Aidil nodded to show his understanding, but then asked: "Then did the general ask those soldiers if they knew anything else besides paying?"

Ali Kuti sighed and said helplessly: "Of course I asked, but those soldiers didn't know either. They are usually only responsible for patrolling outside and can't even get close to the room where they are talking!"

Aidier pondered for a moment, then looked at Prince Xin, frowning thoughtfully. Seeing this, Alikuti asked cautiously, "Does the prince suspect the minister?"

Aidil nodded slightly, and said with a deep look in his eyes: "This king just wants to know all the details and see if he can unravel them and find the person who is harming our country's interests!"

Elikuti nodded, knowing that he should not ask more questions about this matter. After all, the Shangshu was his uncle, and he had always had a close relationship with the Prime Minister. And the Prince Xin in front of him was the Prime Minister's grandson, so it was better to be cautious.

Aidil asked again with a serious face: "So, does the general have any stones and wood in his warehouse that have not been delivered yet?"

Alikuti replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty. A batch of them was just delivered from the Tang Dynasty yesterday, and I haven't had time to check them yet. Do you want to go and take a look?"

Aidil raised his head and looked at the dark night sky. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's too late today. Let's wait until tomorrow morning!"

Elikuti nodded to show his understanding: "Okay, Your Majesty. I will take you to the warehouse to check it out tomorrow."