Your consort has taken eight provinces. Now the flowers bloom along the paths; Prince of Yan, you may return home at your leisure!

Wang Chong received an "old acquaintance" at Copper Pass: Qian Luoyi, hailed as the new Wolf God.

With a bitter smile, Qian Luoyi said, "I never thought we brothers would meet under circumstances like these."

Wang Chong smiled instead. "War between our countries need not affect our brotherly friendship. Brother Qian Luoyi, have you come on behalf of the Turks, or the Eight Tribes Allied Army?"

Qian Luoyi gave Wang Chong a long look, then said slowly, "The Turks, naturally."

"I hope the Prince of Yan will open Copper Pass and let us go home."

Wang Chong smiled faintly. "For your sake and Brother Fu Qian's, letting the Turkish army leave would be no problem at all."

Qian Luoyi was just about to speak again when Wang Chong added leisurely, "If the Turkish army returns home whole and intact while the other seven tribes remain in the Central Plains, I imagine you can guess what the outcome would be."

Qian Luoyi drew a deep breath. How could he not know what would happen if only the Turks returned? One of the eight tribes had even lost its territory on the Great Grassland to Gao Gun. If its troops returned, they would have to live under another tribe's protection; if they could not return, that tribe would effectively be destroyed.

Most importantly, if the Xianbei failed to return as well, only three of the Four Great Tribes of the Grasslands might remain, and the Turks would have an excellent chance of unifying the Great Grassland.

Qian Luoyi and Wang Chong were both clever men. Much could go unsaid, and each could still guess the other's thoughts. Now that the Eight Tribes Allied Army had absorbed An Dushan's former troops, its strength had grown enormously, and it had occupied Luoyang again. Even