Wei Qingping fell silent at those words.
Ashilan Han continued, "Since I am the King of Gaochang, I must think of Gaochang's people and plan for my royal house for a hundred generations, a thousand autumns!"
"If we help the Great Song take the Western Regions again, only for them to flee when they cannot defeat the Black Khanate..."
"Then hundreds of thousands of my people in the Gaochang Kingdom will see their kingdom shattered and their homes destroyed. Surely that would not do? Protector-General Wei, what do you think?"
"It would not."
Wei Qingping shook his head in agreement.
But before Ashilan Han could say anything more, Wei Qingping raised his head to look at him and said gravely, "But things are different now! The Heavenly Mountain Saintess has returned. She has built Saintess City in the Heavenly Mountain Kingdom and summoned the Defender of the State Grand Princess of the Great Song imperial family to guard it in person!"
"With her there, the Western Regions will never be lost again."
"..."
After Wei Qingping finished speaking, Ashilan Han fell silent.
Only after a long while did he shake his head.
"My answer remains the same. I trust the Heavenly Mountain Saintess."
"But..."
"I do not trust the Great Song."
Young though Ashilan Han was, he was still a man who had ascended a throne.
With the situation as it stood, he could not afford the slightest carelessness!
The Black Khanate had fought a war with the Khotan Kingdom a few years earlier. They would surely come rolling back again.
The troops of the Islamic Doctrine were truly terrifying. He had to think of the Gaochang Kingdom.
"..."
Wei Qingping fell silent.
Yue Qiu immediately stepped forward and said solemnly, "Great King! Please trust the Great Song."
"To avenge