Regarding the matter of Five Immortals Mountain, the Emperor and his ministers deliberated for several days.
In the end...
All that came was a long sigh.
With their own worries weighing on them, they hurriedly dispersed.
Until one morning.
A carriage slowly rolled through Chang'an City's southern gate.
The carriage looked unremarkable, and as it traveled along, it attracted no attention.
It stopped only when it reached the entrance to the Demon Suppression General Bureau.
The curtain was lifted.
A man and a woman climbed down, both middle-aged in appearance. Their expressions anxious, they headed straight for the gate as soon as they stepped from the carriage.
"May I ask... is this the Demon Suppression General Bureau?"
The Demon Suppression Guard on gate duty saw that the pair were dressed strangely and was about to scold them.
But when he saw the tallies hanging from their waists, he swallowed the words that had nearly left his mouth.
"It is."
Upon receiving confirmation, a hint of joy appeared on the man's face. He exchanged a look with the woman beside him, then dropped straight to his knees.
"We are envoys from the Kingdom of Gaoluo. A great calamity has befallen our country; demons run rampant. We beg the General Headquarters to send troops to our aid!"
At these words...
The Demon Suppression Guard on duty at the gate froze.
The Great Tang was mighty and prosperous, its authority commanding the lands in every direction. There were indeed several small vassal states nearby that paid tribute every year and came to court each season.
Gaoluo was one of them.
But...
By rights, matters concerning vassal states had to go through the Court of State Ceremonial first, then be submitted to the Secretariat, and finally be decided by His Majesty's vermilion approval.
Though