Chapter 604: White Mountain

Both brothers were stunned.

Bai Buluo leaned against the chair back, his large hand gently patting Tuan Tuan in his arms.

"In this Western Regions, you've been here for some days now; what have you observed?"

Xiao Ningxun thought for a moment and said, "A multitude of small states, constant conflicts."

"Exactly." Bai Buluo nodded, "but do you know why the Western Regions have remained like this for so many years?"

Xiao Ningyuan shook his head, "Please, Your Majesty, enlighten us."

Bai Buluo extended one hand, spreading all five fingers.

"Guizi, Yutian, and Shule are the three largest nations in the Western Regions; together with the myriad tribes attached to their royal houses, they account for half the population."

He folded three fingers, leaving only his thumb and forefinger.

Xiao Ningxun pressed further, "What about the remaining fifty percent?"

"The other fifty percent," Bai Buluo opened his hand, "one tenth consists of those tiny states with only one or two cities, and a full forty percent are the scattered tribes."

"Some guard salt lakes, others roam nomadically with the pastures; today they are here, tomorrow they cross the mountains to another land."

"Those who guard salt lakes generally do not move arbitrarily."

"But those who guard pastures rely solely on heaven's bounty, so they go anywhere, unbound by any borders."

"When pastures are good, they thrive; if heaven withholds its favor this year, with drought and withered grass, they can only turn to raiding caravans."

"Although they only seek survival and do not harm people."

"But when a caravan is robbed, whose account is it charged to? Guizi's? Yutian's? Or Shule's?"

He shook his head, "It's impossible to tally."

"No one knows when they will appear, or on which nation's territory they will attack which caravan."

"Even if Guizi allies with Yutian, when such an incident occurs and their caravan is robbed, whom should Yutian hold accountable? Me? Or Shule?"

He patted Tuan Tuan's small back, helplessly, "Thus, for over a hundred years, the Western Regions have remained as they are, unable to be like your Zhongyuan."

Scattered tribes!

Xiao Ningxun felt a great weight lift from his heart and smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, this is easy to resolve."

Bai Buluo looked up, staring at him, "Easy? The problem we've failed to solve for so many years, you call easy?"

Xiao Ningyuan also laughed, "Tuan Tuan, quickly tell Da Da."

Tuan Tuan lifted her small face and looked at Bai Buluo, "Da Da, I am now the leader of those scattered tribes!"

Bai Buluo was shocked, "You? How could that be? You're so young! How could they let you be leader?"

Tuan Tuan lowered her head, opened the sachet, took out the salt crystal stone, and held it up, "Really! Da Da, look! Grandfather gave it to me!"

"He said, as long as I hold this, I am the leader; all those scattered tribes will obey me!"

Bai Buluo sat upright, took the salt crystal stone into his hand and examined it closely, "This is… a salt crystal stone?"

"Yes!" Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously, "It's a salt crystal stone, Da Da, you know it too?"

"Of course I know!" Bai Buluo replied, "Which grandfather gave it to you? Why would he give this to you?"

Tuan Tuan chattered, recounting what happened in the Wusun tribe, "So, now I'm their leader!"

She suddenly remembered, "Da Da, you must not let anyone seize their salt springs!"

"Otherwise, I won't call you Da Da! They are so pitiful, only trying to live a good life!"

"However, Grandfather didn't tell me there are also those who live off the pastures; I thought they all lived by the salt lakes."

Bai Buluo understood, "That's because within Guizi, most scattered tribes guard salt lakes; few are nomadic."

He placed the salt crystal stone into Tuan Tuan's small sachet, "What are you worrying about for no reason?"

"Da Da, you have plenty of salt mines; let them keep their salt springs themselves, I have no use for them."

"Tomorrow I will issue a royal decree forbidding all officials from scheming against the salt springs."

"Since they are in Guizi, they are naturally my subjects; if they can live peacefully, Guizi will grow stronger, and I am delighted beyond words."

He lifted Tuan Tuan high, "Alright, little Tuan Tuan, you've only been here a few days and already became leader, and even captured a Sharden!"

He leaned in, rubbing his large face vigorously against Tuan Tuan's small cheek.

Tuan Tuan felt the tickle and giggled loudly.

After Tuan Tuan had laughed enough, Bai Buluo finally embraced her, looked at the two brothers, "Since Tuan Tuan is the leader, we shall handle it as you suggested."

"Wei Chi Ming and I have harbored mutual suspicion for so many years; with you and Tuan Tuan, we can finally sit down and discuss the future of the Western Regions."

"If Guizi and Yutian ally smoothly, Shule will be isolated and can only join."

"Then we can discuss how to jointly dispatch troops to support your father."

Xiao Ningxun rejoiced, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Tuan Tuan clutched Bai Buluo's neck, "Da Da, dad must be well, and you as well."

"No one should keep fighting each other; only then can everyone live good lives, right?"

Bai Buluo nodded, "You are absolutely right; that's the principle."

"Only when the world is free of war can the people be stable."

"I also hope that your father's war with Jingcheng will be the last."

"From now on, the world will be at peace, with no more wars."

Everyone, upon hearing this, wore solemn faces, "Your Majesty cares for the world; we admire you!"

Bai Buluo asked, "When do you plan to set out for Yutian?"

"Before we go we still have one matter to handle," Xiao Ningxun raised his hand and pointed at Kang An.

"His parents are both deceased, but there are still clan members; we must escort him to Guizi's White Mountain."

Kang An lifted his head, looking at him with a grateful expression.

Tuan Tuan played with Bai Buluo's hair: "Yeah! Xiao An'an still has to go find his family!"

"White Mountain?" Bai Buluo frowned, "How come I didn't know, Guīzī has a mountain called White Mountain?"