It wasn’t the Turkic army that ca, but ssengers.
ssengers asking for surrender.
In the past month or so, after several battles, the Turkic forces have been repeatedly defeated.
It is estimated that Ashina Duoduo’s remaining troops should not exceed twenty thousand.
For them, surrender is the most sensible choice at the mont.
But...
How should I put it?
In the past fifteen years, just one Turkic tribe has already rebelled and surrendered three tis.
Their words cannot be trusted, which is evident.
Surrendering now is just a delaying tactic.
Tang Xiaobai personally doesn’t want to accept the surrender at all.
But this matter is not up to her to decide.
The one receiving the Turkic ssengers is the nominal commander-in-chief, Prince Jin, Li Shu. Of course, Li Mu and Li Xingyuan are also present.
Tang Xiaobai does not have the qualifications to be present, but she is also very concerned, so she wanders nearby, waiting for her little ancestor and the others to co out so she can be the first to inquire about the situation.
Less than half an hour after the Turkic ssengers entered the Central Army Tent, a ssage ca from inside: "Prince Jin has ordered a banquet to entertain the Turkic envoys!"
Tang Xiaobai’s heart sank.
Hosting a banquet is not a good sign.
With a banquet, who knows how long it will take to end? She doesn’t want to wait until midnight in the dead of winter.
She was about to leave but saw the flap of the Central Army Tent lift, and a familiar figure walked out.
Wearing a dark battle outfit, a leather belt at the waist, tall and upright like a pine.
Underneath the green jade mask, his eyes were cold, exuding authority without anger.
Tang Xiaobai was surprised for a mont.
She rarely saw her little ancestor in this manner.
Even when she was listening in on his discussions with the generals, she was mostly hidden behind a screen and didn’t see his face.
So this is how he looks in formal occasions...
Tang Xiaobai was a bit entranced.
He seed to notice her gaze and turned his head to look her way.
Perhaps because of a change in angle, a warm orange firelight reflected in his eyes, transforming him into the familiar figure she knew.
Tang Xiaobai unconsciously squinted her eyes, looking a bit dazed as he approached.
He didn’t ask why she was there, just pulled her cloak tighter and softly asked, "Are you cold? Let take you back."
Tang Xiaobai was a bit surprised, "Aren’t you going to host the banquet? Why did you co out?"
Li Xingyuan and Qin Rong didn’t co out either!
"I don’t drink." Li Mu said.
He said it in a perfectly natural way.
Tang Xiaobai was montarily speechless.
Although she always taught her little ancestor that minors shouldn’t drink, but in this kind of occasion...
Leaving like this is a bit too willful, right?
"Hosting the banquet is only Li Shu’s decision. We don’t have to cooperate with him. Prince Li and the others stayed behind just to prevent Li Shu from making any moves." Li Mu said nonchalantly.
Tang Xiaobai felt a little puzzled.
Although her little ancestor works for the Crown Prince, representing him to so extent, but...
Isn’t he too imposing?
Even when Li Xingyuan ca, they still vaguely followed her little ancestor as the leader.
Do they trust him that much?
Li Mu saw her standing there stunned, smiled gently, took her by the sleeve, and while slowly walking away, began to recount what happened in the Central Army Tent: "The Turkic ssengers submitted a letter of surrender, and tomorrow morning, Li Shu will send soone to escort the ssengers to the Capital City."
"That’s it? So soon to make peace?" Tang Xiaobai frowned.
"Of course—" he deliberately drew out the tone, "not!" A playful smile flashed in his eyes.
Tang Xiaobai chuckled, pulling him closer with a soft voice, "So what are we doing now?"
The winter night was bitterly cold, and the north wind cut like a knife.
Yet beside him was soft words and fragrance.
Li Mu couldn’t help but feel a ripple in his heart, and softly said, "First inform the emperor, if the court prefers war, that would be best, but if they prefer peace," he paused slightly, with a colder tone, "then it won’t be up to them!"
After saying this, he noticed Tang Xiaobai staring at him intently.
"What?" Li Mu asked uncomfortably.
Her eyes were so bright they were almost scorching.
Tang Xiaobai blinked, tiptoed close to his ear, and whispered, "Ah Xiao looks especially handso today..."
...
Due to the Turkic request for peace, the war was temporarily on hold, and the army stationed near Fuyun Heap took the opportunity to rest and resupply.
Tang Xiaobai found ti to resu her old hobby, riding a horse around.
One day, she returned from the Yellow River and looked north towards Fuyun Heap.
In the setting sun, the temple stood tall, its glazed tiles reflecting golden light as if bathed in Buddha light.
Sacred, magnificent.
But, that belonged to the Turkic people.
"Have you ever heard of a poem?" Tang Xiaobai suddenly asked.
Li Mu and Gu Hui were beside her, while Tao Fen was a bit farther away, turning his head to look when he heard her, "What poem?"
"The Chanyu looks north towards Fuyun Heap, slaughtering horses for ritual—" she suddenly stopped.
Li Mu frowned.
Why didn’t he know this poem? Why did the Second Miss know a poem he didn’t? Who did she learn it from?
"And then?" Tao Fen asked.
He also frowned.
These two lines of the poem were not very pleasant.
Historically, before the northern nomadic tribes invaded the south, they would sacrifice horses at Fuyun Heap.
"I forgot the rest." Tang Xiaobai said awkwardly.
Not really forgotten, just realizing it wasn’t quite appropriate.
Even these two lines weren’t fitting.
Tao Fen didn’t notice, but Gu Hui did: "Why look north?"
In the past, the Xiongnu, and now the Turkic, should be looking south towards Fuyun Heap.
Looking north towards Fuyun Heap suggests being south of the Yellow River.
It implies the Turkic people have occupied the southern banks of the Yellow River, gazing north as victors.
"Who sarcastically turned the poem around?!" Tao Fen exploded in anger.
Tang Xiaobai: ...
"Once captured, one can look north towards Fuyun Heap." Li Mu said indifferently.
Tang Xiaobai: ...
You all have quite an imagination.
But the poem doesn’t an that.
"Last ti I ntioned that Zhaojun passed through Fuyun Heap," Tang Xiaobai slightly raised her head, gazing at the splendor on Fuyun Heap, "It’s recorded in the history books that Huhanye Chanyu had already pledged allegiance to the Forr Han, and when he entered the capital to pay tribute, he voluntarily offered to be a son-in-law. The Han Emperor gladly accepted—"
"Do you think, when the Turkic ssengers enter the Capital City, will they also offer to marry their Khan into the Han court?"
Marriage alliances are an effective political ans.
They serve as both appeasent and submission.
The Xiongnu used it in the past, and now the Turkic people could certainly use it too.
According to precedent, the court is likely to agree.
"Whether or not they offer is the sa to ." Li Mu said without concern.
No matter what decision the court makes, it’s all the sa when it cos to him.
Forget about marriage alliances, he won’t concede an inch.
"But it’s a bit different," Li Xingyuan smiled and said, "If the marriage alliance really succeeds, it could make Ashina Duoduo giddy and disoriented. Then we could follow along with the marriage procession—"
He gestured with his hand across his neck.
"How wonderful!" he said with a leisurely and contented air.
However, ten days later, news ca from the Capital City that made Li Xingyuan unable to smile. In front of the courier, he directly cursed: "Whose damned idea was this!"
On their side, they could treat the peace talks lightly, determined to fight.
But in the Capital City, they were genuinely sincere about peace.
The peace of marriage alliance.
Reviews
All reviews (0)