Chapter 105: An Unrefusable Appointment

In the Nanzhao Wang Gong, there were tall, lightly armored guards everywhere.

In the side hall, dragon-shaped sculptures cast from brass coiled around large pillars, and on the back of each dragon were eighteen lamp trays.

Tonight, all the dragon lamps were lit, using the highest quality "Pundarika" lamp oil; one could not smell much smoke, but rather a lotus fragrance, illuminating the entire side hall as bright as day.

This lamp oil had been a gift from Tubo back in the day.

Immersed in the fragrance of this lamp oil, it was a good time to hold prayer beads and silently recite scriptures.

However, the prayer beads in Zhong Jinqiu's hands had stopped for quite a while.

He had just heard the news given by the monarch.

A group of Tang envoys who had set off early and arrived in Nanzhao had been robbed and killed.

This was within expectations; presumably, the corpses that Zheng Hui had disguised in the carriages and secretly transported into the city were those of the Tang envoy group.

Zhong Jinqiu then heard something else.

Inside, there were also thirty-seven corpses belonging to Tubo!

Zheng Hui brought out a lump of scrap iron like a gold cake.

Zhong Jinqiu recognized it clearly; it was the wreckage of the Blazing Sun Wheel. With this present, it could be called "ironclad proof."

A dignified Tubo High Priest, plus thirty-six great monks, were an important batch of reinforcements in his plot for a major event this time.

They had all died just like that?!

It was just letting them go to kill an envoy group.

Could it be that the envoy group sent by Great Tang now was no longer civil officials plus guards?

But a bunch of carefully selected assassin leaders?!

"This matter is indeed difficult to handle."

Yi Mouxun spoke slowly; he was not wearing the monarch's formal attire, but just a set of golden-blue brocade robes, wearing a golden crown, with gold hanging beneath his ears.

The gold ornament clipped to his earlobe was like a thumb-sized seashell, painted with the unique patterns of the Bai people.

"We are allied with Great Tang, yet the envoy group was killed within our borders; although we have broken the alliance with Tubo, we ultimately did not want to go to war with them."

"If we tell the truth, that the two sides met and attacked each other, and we did not intervene, we would still need both sides to be able to believe it."

Yi Mouxun said, "I know that both of you ministers have your own clever methods, so I let you both come to discuss how Nanzhao should respond this time, so that we can both explain this matter clearly and not lose the dignity of Nanzhao."

Zheng Hui said: "I think we can take the initiative to invite Great Tang to send a second batch of envoys, and tactfully express that we will fully cooperate with the second batch of envoys to verify the encounter of the first batch."

Zhong Jinqiu spoke at this time: "To act like this, isn't it destroying our own prestige?"

"The monarch just said that we must not lose the dignity of Nanzhao."

Zhong Jinqiu's prayer beads began to rotate again.

"This old minister thinks that regarding Tubo, the monarch does not need to take the initiative to mention this matter; I will explain it on your behalf with a private letter tucked into Buddhist scriptures."

"What Tubo truly values is the alliance; as long as the monarch is willing to re-ally with Tubo, plus my private letter, it should be enough to cover up this matter."

"Then, facing Great Tang together, we will state that the Tang envoys took the initiative to attack the Tubo envoys; although the two countries have had many battles, as envoys, to have such conduct within Nanzhao territory, the fault is definitely not on our Nanzhao."

Zheng Hui smiled: "Is the Yi Prince trying to invite the Tubo garrison back?"

"Not so."

Zhong Jinqiu looked directly at Yi Mouxun, his face showing sincerity. "This old minister missed the timing, and I am already old; I only wish to plan for the country."

"When we first took the initiative to attack Great Tang, we were almost counter-attacked by the Tang army to the foot of the royal city, and we had to ally with Tubo to exchange for the later great victory; naturally, we had to make many concessions."

"But this time, we Nanzhao can sit still; although we re-ally with Tubo, we still show goodwill to Great Tang."

"Mobilizing a large army inevitably consumes national strength; how can it be decided easily? As long as we have alliances with both sides, and we ourselves do not move, neither side will rashly move their armies to provoke us, and instead will value us even more."

Yi Mouxun felt the sincerity in Zhong Jinqiu's gaze and could not help but have his expression shift slightly.

Although he had always been on guard against Zhong Jinqiu, just based on these words, it was truly reasonable.

Such an approach seemed to be truly in the best interest of the Nanzhao state.

Although previously, there were rumors among the people about assassinations and such, plus Tubo experts secretly entering the country, there was suspicion that the Duan family was secretly directing it and plotting something.

But as Zhong Jinqiu himself said, his family had already missed the opportunity.

That was the High Priest!

Tubo had lost such an expert for nothing, and it was impossible for them to be willing to send strong reinforcements to Zhong Jinqiu again.

Moreover, if he was willing to re-ally with Tubo, what need did Tubo have to continue supporting Zhong Jinqiu?

Zheng Hui saw this scene and secretly called it bad in his heart.

What a Zhong Jinqiu, in a few words, he had moved the monarch's mind again.

"Monarch, the biggest contradiction between you and Tubo is not just whether to send troops, but the difference in ideas of governance."

Zheng Hui hurriedly said, "Tubo's situation is urgent now; what they want is not an ally who sits still, but a comrade-in-arms with similar ideas to jointly invade Great Tang, and to push this comrade-in-arms to the front."

"They have already tasted that flavor back then, and their greed is already burning; would they be satisfied just because of an alliance of sitting still from the monarch now?"

He was almost explicitly stating that even if Yi Mouxun showed goodwill, Tubo would still support certain people to usurp the throne.

Zhong Jinqiu chuckled, the prayer beads in his hand rotating more smoothly.

"The people of a country number more than ten million, and political decrees number in the millions, not coming from one hole; for the country, where do ideas that don't change for decades come from?"

"Zheng Gong's words are somewhat ethereal, too eager to seek profit for Great Tang."

When Zhong Jinqiu turned to Zheng Hui, his gaze showed a hint of sharpness.

"Great Tang wants to recover lost territory; isn't the envoy they sent this time also wanting our Nanzhao to send troops to attack Tubo, to echo each other?"

These words were another truth.

Yi Mouxun's eyes moved, his gaze drooping slightly.

Such a small change was clearly a more obvious wavering of his mind.

Zheng Hui was secretly anxious.

He had long known that Yi Mouxun might not be very firm about submitting to Great Tang.

But at least, after Yi Mouxun was defeated back then, the governance ideas he had gradually developed over these years were no longer the set of constantly plundering Tang people to strengthen national power.

As the Nanzhao monarch, this person was a good thing for both the Tang people within Nanzhao and the Tang people on the Great Tang border.

If he made a mistake at this time, and Zhong Jinqiu took the throne in the future...

Zheng Hui suddenly remembered the few guests in the mansion, that plan which, in Haidong Lai's view, was already considered tortuous, but in his own view, was still too barbaric and crude.

Originally, although he participated in this plan, he still had some helplessness in his heart.

Now, he was anxious to hear someone come to report the news that something had happened to the Yi Prince's Mansion.

Zheng Hui had not waited for anyone, but he waited for a sound.

A sound that drifted over from afar.

"Yi Prince Zhong Jinqiu, Haidong Lai of Chang'an, specifically came to Nanzhao to seek a battle with you!"

This resonant voice had probably spread for ten miles.

Everyone was in the royal palace, yet they could hear the words clearly.

"March 15th, Emerald Cliff in the south of the city, a life-and-death invitation, do not fail to appear!!!"

Yi Mouxun's face changed.

Zheng Hui immediately said: "Yi Prince, this sound seems to be coming from your side?"

By the time he finished half his sentence, Zhong Jinqiu's figure was no longer in the hall.

Yi Mouxun looked at the afterimage that flashed away, narrowed his eyes, and turned his gaze to Zheng Hui.

"Zheng Gong, what is going on?"

Zheng Hui showed a look of bitter thought.

"This minister told the King that those Tubo monks were very likely killed by Haidong Lai."

"But I also don't know why he would be in the royal city and directly attack the Yi Prince's Mansion..."

Zheng Hui suddenly realized, "Could it be that their internal guards have already found out that those great Tubo experts were in close contact with the Yi Prince?!"

Yi Mouxun's heart shook slightly: "The Great Tang internal guards are indeed terrifying."

This Nanzhao monarch could not help but miss the era of the late king.

At that time, Great Tang's internal strife was so fierce that any experts were quickly used to kill their own people first.

Just from the princes, princesses, and emperors fighting each other, countless guest experts had died.

The intensity of Great Tang's internal strife now was much lower than at that time.

In just a few decades, time has truly changed.

Yi Mouxun could not help but ask: "Minister, do you think Zhong Jinqiu will accept this duel?"

"In our Nanzhao, the trend of dueling between swordsmen is almost no less than in Chang'an."

Zheng Hui said, "If it were an ordinary swordsman provoking a general, he could refuse, let alone provoking the Yi Prince."

"However, Haidong Lai himself is also a person of high position and great power, the commander of the internal guards, known as the number one expert of Great Tang."

"With his status, making such a public invitation, I am afraid that the whole country hopes the Yi Prince will accept this battle openly and honestly."

Yi Mouxun nodded and said: "This is for the public; a large part of Zhong Jinqiu's high reputation is also because he is known as the number one expert of Nanzhao, and he must maintain it."

Zheng Hui continued: "For private reasons, Haidong Lai is brutal and ruthless, with a very bad reputation, known as having a sea of blood wherever he passes, and even the clothes on his body are stained with blood."

"He went to the Yi Prince's Mansion, and the Duan family must have suffered damage; although the Yi Prince has composure, he still cannot tolerate certain things."

Yi Mouxun showed a look of agreement.

He left the throne, paced across the hall, and walked toward the door.

The light in the hall reached the door, still stronger than the moonlight, casting his shadow outside the hall.

Backed by such light, Yi Mouxun, after deep thought, also seemed to be somewhat moved.

"Since that is the case, I will simply issue a public decree, letting Zhong Jinqiu prepare well for March 15th!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 106 =====