Duan Zhengming shook his head. "This matter is of great importance. I dare not make a hasty decision. I declined for the time being, saying I needed to discuss it with the senior ministers at court and consider it for a few days. The Mongol delegation is still staying at the diplomatic residence, pressing me for an answer every day."
"What does Your Majesty truly intend to do?" Lin Xuan pressed.
Duan Zhengming stopped and looked at Lin Xuan, his eyes filled with helplessness and gravity. He spoke bluntly. "If there truly is no other way... for the sake of preserving the Dali Duan Clan's ancestral temples and realm, for the sake of sparing Dali's people from slaughter, I... can only agree to the Mongols' demand."
This was the sorrow of a monarch from a weak nation.
Before absolute power, everything seemed pale and powerless.
Lin Xuan said, "Your Majesty, the Mongols' greed knows no bounds. Today, they ask to borrow passage; tomorrow, they will demand territory; the day after, they will destroy your state. If Dali helps the Mongols destroy Song, it will be no different from seeking a tiger's skin. Once Great Song falls, how could the Mongols possibly spare Dali, this piece of meat?"
"May I ask Your Majesty: what if Great Song were willing to form a brotherly alliance with Dali, supporting one another and resisting the Mongols together? What would Your Majesty think of that?"
A flicker of hope flashed through Duan Zhengming's eyes, but it soon dimmed again.
He gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Young Master Lin, I appreciate your goodwill. But... an arm cannot twist a thigh. The strength of the Mongols is beyond anything you or I can imagine. Even if Song and Dali joined forces, I fear we