Chapter 634

As soon as the Great King's dangerous remark was spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

The Wusun envoy's face was beyond description—it had turned black then white. "Your Majesty, this year Wusun also suffered a disaster year, making things difficult, so the tribute to the Northern Border was delayed a little. But we did manage to pay it in full after exhausting ourselves. Now Wusun faces a crisis, Your Majesty—you cannot ignore it!"

His point was that whether you only paid after three or four urgings, or delayed the payment, in the end you still paid.

The Great King looked troubled. "Does Wusun misunderstand that tribute? I also issued a formal document at the time. You paid for the stability expenses in the Western Regions, understand? You paid this silver, and I guarantee the Northern Border cavalry will not advance westward, while also preserving peace and stability in the regions that paid the tribute."

When the Great King had said that much, looking closely, Baili Meng's face had turned a little pale; it seemed the Wusun envoy still didn't understand. The Great King was disgusted—how could they have sent such unintelligent people this time!

He didn't even consider his reputation in Wusun; this time Wusun even sent back the princess. The two groups who had attended the late Emperor Ningde's longevity festival and those who had come to the Northern Border parade all refused to come again.

The Great King spoke circuitously; Wei Shen had nothing to add.

He said bluntly: "I think the Wusun envoys have a misunderstanding; let me explain further. The silver you paid merely bought a promise from the Black Armor Cavalry not to attack Wusun. Also, we will protect the other states that, like Wusun, pay the stability tribute, so they won't attack Wusun. Let me put it this way: if another Western Regions tributary state such as Jushi or Qiemo were to attack Wusun, our sovereign would certainly intervene. The Kushan Empire you speak of—we've never heard of it before; we don't even know whether it truly exists or whether the conflict is real. Frankly, your conflict with the Kushan is none of our business."

The king was extremely pleased; his cousin explained it perfectly—how clear that is!

Every single member of the Wusun envoy flushed red, furious.

"Your Majesty, you… this will cost us Wusun's friendship," they said. They weren't unwilling to speak harshly and cause a scene, but the hall was lined with burly generals who looked like the famed Black Armor Cavalry. This presence made the Wusun's harsh words feel stuck in their throats, their hearts turned ice‑cold; even Baili Meng, who hadn't yet spoken, felt a chill.

After Wei Chen had finished speaking, the king opened his mouth again.

"I'm not completely uninvolved; I am Wusun's eternal backing. In the conflict between Wusun and the Kushan, I unconditionally side with Wusun. If negotiations are needed, I can even help mediate."

Wei Chen chimed in: "Your Majesty is benevolent."

Wusun envoy: "…"

The king felt delighted inside, but put on a pained expression and pressed on: "I know Wusun lacks copper and iron ore; if you need weapons, I can supply them at ally prices. You know my armory still has a knack for crafting weapons. I truly sympathize with Wusun's plight—let's do this: I'll sell you the weapons at ally prices, then give an additional 20 % discount."

His cousin under the table silently gave a thumbs‑up—this guy is really something, even now he doesn't forget to seize an opportunity to profit.

The Wusun delegates looked at each other, unsure what to do, while the king had already turned to Baili Meng.

"The matter of Wusun is settled; I will certainly do my utmost to support Wusun."

"The Crown Prince of Hengshan requests an audience—what does he want this time?"

Baili Meng: "…"

To be frank, seeing Wusun's plight, I suddenly don't know whether my father's choice was right or wrong.

The king had already named him, and wouldn't allow him to waver any longer. Baili Meng gritted his teeth and spoke.

"Your Majesty, Hengshan is in imminent danger! The rebel King of Hanshu, who founded Great Chu, keeps invading from the east—please save the people of Hengshan."

The king recalled Hengshan's geography: "The lands occupied by the Rebel King of Hanshu are two major commanderies away from Hengshan, and even in between lies his uncle's Jiangxia Commandery. Jiangxia Commandery has already been taken over by the court—are you saying it has fallen to the rebel? Why haven't I received any news?"

Baili Meng hastily handed over a sealed letter: "… The Rebel King of Hanshu says the court will soon abolish the fiefdoms; the letter says my father agreed with him to jointly attack Jiangxia. Our Hengshan is utterly loyal to Great Jin; my father ordered us to pack up overnight, bring our families, and head north to seek Your Majesty's protection."

The king examined the letter: "They agreed to attack Jin together on the third day of the third month? That rebel is…" Everyone listened attentively, and then heard him drawl: "Naive and romantic."

Baili Meng: "…"

Wei Chen: "…"

After reading the whole letter, the king thought Baili Qi was truly a tough character, bluntly warning the King of Hengshan that if he didn't cooperate in the attack on Jin, Hengshan would be the next Wuling.

What happened to Wuling? The city was slaughtered and the Wuling king's head hung on the city wall.

Seeing this, the king flew into a rage; regardless of whether the letter was genuine, its content was enough to make him furious.

He struggled to calm himself, then said: "If I understand correctly, the crown prince being here means Hengshan has already chosen the court?"

"Hengshan will forever stand with Your Majesty."

With such eloquence, the king was very pleased; he then gave the Wusun entourage a disdainful glance. Look at their awareness—knowing to bring troops and belongings when defecting.

"I am gratified. However, the crown prince's hasty northward move with his family—might the Rebel King of Jiangxia, upon hearing the news, react excessively or advance his plans?"

At last the king got to the point!

Baili Meng hurriedly said: "… We are leaving the city in batches through the four gates, but we can't guarantee no news will leak; my father and mother are still in Hengshan—please, Your Majesty, save them!"

"Crown Prince, rest assured; I will immediately issue an edict using the excuse that the King of Hengshan did not attend the enthronement ceremony, specially summoning him to Youzhou to participate in the New Year ancestral rites."

"The King and Crown Prince of Hengshan stand firm against threats, and I will not shortchange Hengshan. I grant the grand residence at East Ward, Chaoyang Street No. 7 as the Hengshan mansion."

Baili Meng thanked him in a daze, followed Zhao Bao out of the LanTai Hall, only then realizing something was off—this young emperor seemed to have promised him nothing! He stood frozen on the steps, about to turn back to argue with Baili Jing, but Zhao Bao grabbed him.

"Crown Prince, just relax—since he dares mention Wuling, His Majesty will certainly not let the Rebel King of Hanshu off the hook! Go home in peace and wait to reunite with the King of Hengshan. His Majesty will send cavalry to meet you personally; just relax."