Datang: My father is the head bodyguard

Yuchi Baoqi said without even turning his head: "I know, I told you that Chang'an City has to be expanded. Now we can't even find a place to live that meets the diplomatic standards. It's really unbelievable!"

After taking a shower, Yuchi Baoqi changed into a short-sleeved shirt and shorts and was very sporty. He was sitting in the yard holding a watermelon to enjoy the cool air.

"This year's winter melons are much sweeter. Are they a better variety?"

Li Lizhi also fed Yuchi Canglan a small piece: "It's much sweeter, and the middle is not hollow, did you notice? The whole melon is solid, and it looks sweet."

Princess Chengyang was very pleased holding a piece of watermelon: "Aquan has been very busy recently, I haven't seen him for a long time, brother-in-law, do you know when he will be back?"

Yuchi Baoqi scooped a spoonful of watermelon and stuffed it into his mouth: "I have seen him. He is busy with the reconstruction and renovation of West City. Moreover, he needs to build bridges and pave roads everywhere. I think he will be busy for a while."

"Why don't we go shopping and head to the West City construction site. Maybe we can run into him."

Princess Chengyang waved her hand and said, "Forget it. The ash is so big. Why not go to the night market snack street? I heard there are many new and delicious foods."

Li Lizhi's foodie antenna stood up immediately: "Me, you, Canglan, Xiao Taoer, two safety seats, husband, you just sit in the back and look after the child."

Yuchi Baoqi didn't want to go any more. "It's only a few steps away. Just walk there. Let the maid push the cart. It will be much easier."

Before the debate could come to a conclusion, the gatekeeper sent someone to report that the Sogdian envoys came to visit with the Sogdian king.

The Sogdian envoys and the Sogdian king were very curious when they saw Yuchi Baoqi in short-sleeved shirt and shorts: "Your Highness, what is this outfit? It looks very cool."

Yuchi Baoqi asked the two to sit down in the main hall. Did the Sogdian envoy and the Sogdian king go out without attendants? They didn't bring security personnel either. They were really careless.

"Short-sleeved shirts and shorts, you might get sunburned if you wear them like that over there. It's just hot here, but the sun isn't that scorching."

"Tell me, what do you want to see me about?"

The Sogdian King was very humble: "I heard that the mansion we are staying in was previously occupied by His Majesty the King of England. Although we can only use half of the guest rooms, we are very grateful for His Majesty the King of England's kindness."

"I have come here to thank His Majesty the King of England."

Yuchi Baoqi was a little surprised: "You speak Chinese quite well."

The Sogdian King smiled and nodded: "In today's world, if you can't speak Chinese, you are no different from barbarians. Your Majesty, thank you for your praise."

Yuchi Baoqi gave a thumbs up and said, "You can speak both barbarians and Chinese. I really learned authentic Chinese from you."

The Sogdian envoy spread out a roll of documents and pushed it in front of Yuchi Baoqi: "Your Majesty, please take a look at it."

Yuchi Baoqi frowned. He didn't understand what the Sogdian meant. "You want Tang Dynasty's prospectors to go to Sogdia to explore for mineral resources, and you also promise to sell your mineral resources to Tang Dynasty first at a low price..."

The Sogdian envoy glanced at the Sogdian king and said, "We deeply understand the gap between us and the Tang Dynasty. Whether it is culture, technology, industry, agriculture, or even our proud animal husbandry, we are still no match for the Tang Dynasty."

"We hope to use our resources in exchange for the Tang Dynasty's assistance."

The Sogdian envoy paused, visibly choking up: "Before the war between Sogdians and Michel, the people in our country could barely get enough food, and people occasionally starved to death. Since the war, even the families of soldiers have volunteered to save food for their children to fight..."

"So, we wanted to buy Tang's weapons before, but...we just wanted Tang to send the Heavenly Army to Sogdia for guidance. As long as the Heavenly Army is there, Michelle will not dare to attack Sogdia."

Yuchi Baoqi sighed. Sogdia was poor and weak, and the trauma brought by the war made it even more shaky.

"The most important thing for a country to seek development is stability. Only stability can bring development. Social unrest and people's uncertainty will not only lead to external wars, but even internal unrest."

The Sogdian king shook his head: "No, my people would not do that. They are all brave warriors. They can put down their shepherd's whip and fight for Sogdia, but they have never questioned my leadership."

Tears flowed from the deep eye sockets of the Sogdian king: "But I can only watch them go to the battlefield with only enough dry food for a few days, and even only half a bag of water."

"Please, Your Majesty, save my country."

Yuchi Baoqi took out a pen from his bosom and signed directly on the document: "I have received your request, don't worry."

The Sogdian envoy stood up, covered his chest with his hands, bowed and saluted, his tone unable to conceal his excitement: "I knew you would not give up on us!"

Yuchi Baoqi gave the signed pen to the Sogdian envoy as a gift, stood up and patted the Sogdian king on the shoulder: "Wait for Michelle's envoy and king to arrive, and you will start the consultation meeting. Your Majesty and I will assist you."

"Unconditionally cease fire and let the Tang Dynasty's exploration and rescue teams go in first."

"No matter what, the Tang Dynasty will remember what you Sogdians have done for our Tang Dynasty."

After seeing off the Sogdian envoys and the Sogdian king, Yuchi Baoqi stood at the door and murmured to himself: "You seem like a friend of mine, the friend who has been through thick and thin for a hundred years."

Upon learning that Li Lizhi and Princess Chengyang had taken their children out shopping, Yuchi Baoqi was bored at home, so he went to the engineering department to see if they had started designing bridge-building equipment.

Who knew that as soon as Yuchi Baoqi entered the room, he heard Mo Qi yelling at him, slamming the blackboard loudly, and the technicians sitting below all had masks of pain on their faces.

"So, if we want to build a bridge, we first need to solve the problem of bridge piles. Let me tell you..."

"An arch bridge does not require piles, so why not just give up the pile design altogether?"

Before Mo Qi could say anything, the technicians had already started discussing: "Let you... Nonsense! The arch bridge is OK for ox carts, horse carriages, and pedestrians, but why don't you try to pass a hundred-ton king?"

"Since it is a large bridge, it must have corresponding load-bearing standards. How can it bear the load if we abandon the bridge piles?"

Yuchi Baoqi walked in and everyone was stunned. Yuchi Baoqi picked up a piece of chalk and casually drew two bridges on the blackboard, one was a cable bridge and the other was a beam bridge.

"In the future, we will have to build a lot of bridges. Bridge piles and piers are necessary. What are the advantages of cable bridges?"

Mo Qi touched his chin and said, "This is more like a bridge tower than a bridge pile or pier. The bridge deck is lifted up by cables pulled by reinforced concrete. It's amazing!"

"This way, we don't need too many bridge piles, so more ships can travel along it, which is suitable for the Grand Canal!"