A Challenge That Could Not Be Refused

The Nanzhao royal palace was filled with tall, lightly armored guards.

Inside the side hall, bronze dragon sculptures coiled around large pillars, each with Shangdu.

Tonight, all the dragon lanterns are lit, using the finest "Fentuo Lihua" lamp oil. There is hardly any smoke; instead, there is a lotus fragrance, illuminating the entire side hall as if it were daytime.

This lamp oil was a gift from the Tubo years ago.

Bathed in the aroma of lamp oil, this would normally be a perfect time to hold prayer beads and silently recite scriptures.

However, Duan Zhong had stopped using the prayer beads in his hand quite some time ago.

He had just heard the news from the king.

A group of Great Tang envoys who had set off early for Nanzhao were ambushed and killed.

This was expected. Presumably, Zheng Hui had disguised himself on the carriages and horses, and the corpses he secretly transported into the city belonged to the Great Tang Dynasty delegation.

Duan Zhong then heard something else.

There were also thirty-seven corpses inside, belonging to the Tubo!

Zheng Hui took out a lump of scrap iron that looked like a gold ingot.

Duan Zhong recognized it clearly; it was indeed the remnant of the Blazing Sun Wheel. With this, it could be considered "ironclad evidence."

The dignified Tubo high priest, along with thirty-six senior monks, were a crucial group of allies in his grand scheme.

They're all dead?!

It was just a matter of sending them to kill an envoy delegation.

Could it be that the envoys sent by the Great Tang now are no longer just civil officials and guards?

Or are they a bunch of carefully selected assassin leaders?!

"This matter is indeed difficult to handle."

Yimouxun spoke slowly. He was not wearing the formal attire of a king, but only a long robe of gold and blue brocade, a gold crown on his head, and gold ornaments under his ears.

The gold ornaments clipped to the earlobes resembled thumb-sized seashells, decorated with unique Bai ethnic patterns.

"We formed an alliance with the Great Tang, yet our delegation was killed within our borders. Although we broke our alliance with Tubo, we ultimately have no intention of going to war with them."

"If we're being honest, and it was the two sides that clashed and attacked each other without our intervention, then both sides need to be able to believe that."

Yimouxun said, "I know that both of you ministers have your own unique skills, so I have asked you two to discuss how Nanzhao should deal with this matter in a way that can both clarify the situation and maintain Nanzhao's dignity."

Zheng Hui said, "I think we can proactively invite the Great Tang Dynasty to send a second batch of envoys, subtly indicating that we will fully cooperate with the second batch to investigate the experiences of the first batch of envoys."

Duan Zhong then spoke up, "Isn't acting in this way just undermining our prestige?"

"The king just said that we must not lose face for Nanzhao."

Duan Zhong's prayer beads started spinning again.

"This old minister believes that the Tubo king need not bring up this matter himself. This old minister can explain it to him in a private letter hidden within the Buddhist scriptures."

"Tubo truly values is the alliance. As long as the king is willing to re-establish the alliance with Tubo, coupled with a private letter from an old minister, this matter should be enough to cover up."

"Then we will face the Great Tang together and show that it was the Great Tang envoys who launched the attack on the Tubo envoys. Although the two countries have fought many times, as envoys, to act in such a way within Nanzhao territory, the fault does not lie with Nanzhao at all."

Zheng Hui smiled and asked, "Does the Righteous King intend to invite the Tubo troops back?"

"No."

Duan Zhong looked at Yimouxun with a sincere expression, "This old minister missed the opportune moment, and is now old; I only wish to devise strategies for the country."

"Back then, we attacked the Great Tang first, and were almost counterattacked by the Tang army to the gates of the capital. We had no choice but to form an alliance with Tubo in exchange for the great victory we later won. Naturally, we had to make many concessions."

"But this time, we, Nanzhao, can remain inactive. Although we have renewed our alliance with Tubo, we can still extend goodwill to the Great Tang."

"Mobilizing a large army will inevitably deplete our national strength, and it's not something that can be decided lightly. As long as we have alliances with both sides and we ourselves remain inactive, neither side will recklessly send a large army to provoke us. On the contrary, they will value us even more."

Yimouxun sensed the sincerity in Duan Zhong's eyes and his expression shifted slightly.

Although he had always been wary of Duan Zhong, his words were perfectly reasonable.

This approach seems to be in the best interest of the Kingdom of Nanzhao.

Although there were rumors circulating among the people about assassinations and the secret entry of Tubo experts, it was suspected that the Duan Family was secretly instigating these events and plotting something sinister.

But as Duan Zhong himself said, his family had already missed their chance.

That's the High Priest!

Having lost such a skilled fighter for no reason, Tubo would no longer be willing to send strong reinforcements to Duan Zhong.

Moreover, if he were willing to re-ally with Tubo, why would Tubo have any reason to continue supporting Duan Zhong?

Upon seeing this, Zheng Hui inwardly cried out in alarm.

Duan Zhong; with just a few words, he has once again stirred the king's interest.

"Your Majesty, your biggest conflict with Tubo is not just about whether or not to send troops, but about your different ideas on governance."

Zheng Hui quickly said, "Tubo is also in a critical situation now. What they need is not an ally who will remain inactive, but a comrade-in-arms with similar ideals who will jointly invade and seize the Great Tang, and they should put this comrade-in-arms in the lead."

"They've already tasted that bitterness, and their greed is burning. Do you think they'll be satisfied with just a peace treaty from their current ruler?"

He was practically implying that even if Yimouxun goodwill, Tubo would still support someone to usurp the throne.

Duan Zhong chuckled, his prayer beads spinning even more smoothly.

"A nation has tens of millions of people, and its policies and orders come from millions of sources. How can a nation possibly have any unchanging principles that last for decades?"

"Zheng Gong's words are rather unrealistic and unrealistic; he's too eager to benefit the Great Tang."

When Duan Zhong turned to Zheng Hui, his gaze held a slightly sharp edge.

"The Great Tang wants to recover its lost territories. Isn't sending envoys this time also to get my Nanzhao to send troops to attack Tubo, so that we can coordinate with each other?"

This is the truth.

Yimouxun's eyes flickered, and his gaze lowered slightly.

This seemingly small change clearly indicated a more pronounced wavering in their resolve.

Zheng Hui felt a growing anxiety.

He knew all along that Yimouxun might not be so determined to submit to the Great Tang.

However, at least, after Yimouxun's defeat in those years, the governing philosophy he gradually developed was no longer the same as constantly plundering the Tang People to bolster the country's strength.

This person, as the Kingdom of Nanzhao, is a good thing for both the Tang People within Kingdom of Nanzhao and Tang People on the borders of the Great Tang Dynasty.

If a mistake is made at this point, and Duan Zhong rises to power in the future...

Zheng Hui suddenly remembered the plans of the guests in the mansion, which, in Hai Donglai's view, were already quite intricate, but in his own opinion, were still too barbaric and crude.

Although he was involved in the scheme, he felt somewhat helpless.

Now, however, they were anxious to hear news that someone had come to inform them of the incident at the Righteous King.

Zheng Hui hadn't seen anyone yet, but he heard a voice.

A sound drifted from afar.

"King Duan Zhong, from Chang'an, has come to Nanzhao specifically to seek a battle with you!"

That booming voice has probably traveled for miles.

Even though everyone was in the palace, they could still hear the words clearly.

"March 15th, at Emerald Rock south of the city, a life-or-death invitation awaits; do not break your promise!!!"

Yi Yimouxun's expression changed.

Zheng Hui immediately said, "Righteous King, this sound seems to be coming from your house?"

He was only halfway through his sentence when Duan Zhong was already gone from the hall.

Yimouxun at the fleeting afterimage, narrowed his eyes, and turned his gaze to Zheng Hui.

"Lord Zheng, what's going on?"

Zheng Hui looked deep in thought.

"Your Majesty, I have spoken with you. Those Tubo monks were very likely killed by Hai Donglai."

"But I don't know why he would be in the royal city, and even directly attack the Righteous King..."

Zheng Hui suddenly realized, "Could it be that their Inner Guard have already discovered that those top Tubo experts have close ties with the Righteous King?!"

Yimouxun's heart trembled slightly. "The Great Tang Inner Guard are indeed terrifying."

The Kingdom of Nanzhao couldn't help but reminisce about the era of his predecessors.

At that time, the internal strife within the Great Tang was so fierce that even the most skilled individuals were quickly used to kill their own people.

The sheer number of deaths among the princes, princesses, and emperors, along with countless skilled diners, was a testament to the fierce competition.

The intensity of internal strife in the Great Tang is much lower now than it was back then.

In just a few decades, times have changed dramatically.

Yimouxun couldn't help but ask, "My dear minister, do you think Duan Zhong will accept this challenge?"

"In our Nanzhao, the custom of swordsmen dueling is almost as prevalent as in Chang'an."

Zheng Hui said, "If it were an ordinary swordsman provoking a general, we could simply refuse to engage, let alone someone provoking the Righteous King."

"However, Hai Donglai himself held a high position of power, serving as the commander of the Inner Guard and known as the number one martial artist in the Great Tang."

"Given his status, such a public invitation likely inspires the entire nation to hope that Righteous King will accept this battle honorably."

Yimouxun nodded and said, "This is for official reasons. Duan Zhong's high reputation is largely due to his reputation as the number one expert in Nanzhao. He must be protected."

Zheng Hui continued, "Personally speaking, Hai Donglai cruel and ruthless, with an extremely bad reputation. It is said that wherever he goes, there are seas of blood, and even his clothes are stained with blood."

"He went to the Righteous King. The Duan Family must have suffered losses. Although the Righteous King is resolute, there are still some things he cannot tolerate."

Yimouxun showed an expression of agreement.

He left the throne, strolled through the hall, and headed towards the door.

The light inside the hall, reaching the doorway, was still stronger than the moonlight, casting his shadow outside the hall.

With such light behind him, Yimouxun seemed to feel a little relieved after pondering.

"In that case, I, the King, might as well issue a public decree instructing Duan Zhong to prepare for battle on the fifteenth of the third month!"

(End of this chapter)