No one dared move.
Ashilan Han looked grim, his chest heaving.
Yue Qiu's gaze settled on Ashilan Han. Only after a moment did he apologize.
"Please forgive me, Great King."
"For Han Family Under Heaven, we have no choice but to do this!"
"You understand how prosperous the Western Regions have been whenever a Han Protector-General governed them over the years."
"Take Gaochang, for instance. Without the Han, Gaochang would not be what it is today, would it?"
"This is an opportunity for the Western Regions, and for Gaochang!"
"You..."
Ashilan Han shifted slightly.
Yue Qiu immediately said, "Don't move! Be careful, Great King."
"The last head I cut off belonged to the Uyghur khagan. I'd rather not cut yours off this time."
Insolence!
What outrageous audacity!
How dare he say such a thing outright?
Still, Ashilan Han truly did not dare move again.
With a blade pressed against their necks, the only difference between a king and a commoner seemed to be the finer clothes on the king's back.
Could he die a heroic death?
No, it felt far more likely that he would die a humiliating one.
"Marquis of Lantian, calm down!"
Ashilan Han spoke in a low voice.
Yue Qiu replied, "I am perfectly calm, Great King! I simply wonder whether you have calmly thought this through."
Ashilan Han looked awkward at those words.
"Thought it through..."
"I have considered..."
"..."
He drew a deep breath, his gaze returning to the report on the desk before him.
Between the report's contents and Yue Qiu's threats, Ashilan Han had already made his decision.
"Marquis of Lantian..."
"I agree to cooperate with Great Song."
"Can you put that away now?"
Yet Yue Qiu did not immediately withdraw his dagger. "Please put it in an official letter, Great King."
*An