The Mourning Hall

Logically, after the delegation enters the capital, they should rest for a period of time.

This period wasn't really about how long the delegation needed to rest, but rather about when the monarch had the intention and time to receive them.

However, today, as soon as the second batch of envoys from the Great Tang entered the city, the Kingdom of Nanzhao had already issued an edict ordering his officials to prepare for an audience at the royal palace.

Inside the palace, the shadow of the sundial shifted by an hour.

The cordial meeting in the royal palace had come to an end, and most of the delegation members who had received the banquet returned to their lodgings to rest.

Several members of the delegation who had not participated in the banquet earlier were now slowly entering the palace.

"Guan Changling, Commander of the Inner Guard Left Division of the Great Tang Dynasty, pays his respects to the King of Nanzhao."

Guan Changling was in his forties or fifties. His face had a slightly rounded bone structure, smile lines around his eyes, and fleshy cheeks, but his beard was neatly trimmed.

His black gauze hat, purple robe with auspicious beast patterns, and gold and jade belt gave him a amiable yet solemn air.

After bowing respectfully, Guan Changling got straight to the point.

"I have already had men examine the bodies of the Great Tang Dynasty envoys, and indeed, all of them bear the marks of being attacked by the Tubo."

"We are willing to believe that this was an attempt by the Tubo to sow discord between the Nanzhao and the Great Tang."

Yimouxun's expression softened slightly, and he smiled, "I also believe that the alliance between our two countries will not be easily shaken by this outsider's attempt to frame us."

"Your Majesty's judgment is wise."

Guan Changling remained with his hands clasped in a gesture of respect, a hint of sorrow on his face. "Now that we have examined the remains of the previous envoy, we request that the King of Nanzhao send people to prepare their remains for burial."

"Remove the old clothes and put on new ones. Set up a mourning hall in Nanzhao first. In the future, we will bring the old clothes back to the Great Tang and build a cenotaph for them."

The climate of Nanzhao was hot and humid.

After the corpses were transported to the capital, they were placed in a cellar, and a large amount of ice was placed in the cellar to prevent them from decomposing too quickly.

However, it is still unlikely that it will be properly transported back to the Great Tang in the future.

Now that someone from the Great Tang Dynasty has examined the body, it should be collected and buried as soon as possible for peace.

The suggestion to build a tomb in Nanzhao and a mound in the Tang Dynasty is also a good one.

Yimouxun agreed on the spot.

"Now that things have been discussed openly, there's no need to hide the news any longer. The mourning hall will be set up in the Nanzhao Temple of National Protection. I have personally ordered that everything be arranged as quickly as possible."

Guan Changling expressed his gratitude loudly.

The corpses were all badly damaged and died tragically, but the Kingdom of Nanzhao personally ordered that all the morticians in the city be summoned to stitch up the bodies and tidy their appearance.

For some corpses, paper craftsmen had to be asked to use bamboo bones instead of skeletons, boil pig skin to extract glue, repair the entire body, and then dress the body in robes.

The work was completed by evening, and the remains were transported to Temple of National Protection in the southwest of the royal city.

After entering the mountain gate, there are three main halls along the central axis of the Nanzhao Temple of National Protection: the Dharma Protector Hall, the Maitreya Hall, and the Mahavira Hall.

Between the three main halls are spacious squares, and in the surrounding area are halls and courtyards such as the Ancestral Master Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Stele Forest, Arhat Hall, and Incense-Seeking Hall.

The main mourning halls are located in the Maitreya Hall and the square in front of it.

However, to make it seem grand, white banners were erected everywhere in the vast Temple of National Protection.

The following day, hundreds of white banners fluttered in the wind as the monks performed religious rites.

Some were ringing bells and chanting sutras, some were striking wooden fish drums, and others were holding bowls of nectar and sprinkling water everywhere with willow branches.

Because the Kingdom of Nanzhao personally sent people to offer sacrifices, Zheng Hui came again, and many Tang People who served as officials in Nanzhao came to offer incense.

Even Tang People serving in Nanzhao went there, let alone officials who were originally from the Great Tang.

Someone asked if Hai Donglai, who is currently in the royal city, would come to pay his respects.

The delegation replied: As fellow subjects of the Great Tang, Lord Hai will certainly come to offer incense to the victims as soon as he receives the news.

This day was March 14th.

The news of the mourning hall at Temple of National Protection spread with astonishing speed, inevitably leading people to connect the setting up of the mourning hall with the duel scheduled for tomorrow.

Many people believe that this was a deliberate act by the delegation.

Helping Hai Donglai win is also a matter of upholding righteousness.

The Blood Refinement Weapon Method, is closely related to one's emotions.

In a contest between top masters, besides individual strength, the ability to gain a dominant advantage is also crucial.

At the time, Hai Donglai attacked the Righteous King in order to challenge him to a duel. Many people felt that he was too arrogant and made a foolish move.

The ruthless action, however, gave the true culprit ample time, allowing the Righteous King to cultivate an even more formidable momentum after his grief and indignation.

It now appears that the Great Tang Dynasty delegation wanted to help Hai Donglai make up for this disadvantage.

But that's just what outsiders think.

Outsiders were unaware that there was a treacherous individual among the high-ranking officials of the Inner Guard Bureau.

For the few people in the know, the delegation's actions—clearly intending for Hai Donglai the funeral parlor—were highly suspicious.

"Among the delegation Guan Changling, the commander of the Inner Guard Left Division."

At dusk, Zheng Hui said in the Locust Tree Courtyard, "Now it seems that the conspirator among the Inner Guard is most likely Guan Changling."

The Inner Guard organization has a large and complex structure, and even if outsiders know that there are problems within the Inner Guard, there are too many suspects.

But in the mind of Hai Donglai, the commander of the Inner Guard, only two people remained who were most worthy of suspicion.

It's either the Left Bureau -in-Chief or the President-General.

Guan Changling, the Left Bureau, joined the Inner Guard as a swordsman and made many contributions, earning him repeated promotions.

The Presidential Commander was regarded as a true confidant of the Emperor, and this position was concurrently held by a General of the Imperial Guard.

Of these two, only one should be a traitor. If both are, then the Inner Guard would probably be in serious trouble long before today.

Hai Donglai already become even more suspicious of Guan Changling.

Looking at it now, the answer is obvious.

"Oh!"

Today, Chu Tianshu supported himself on the ground with his left index finger, smiled, then broke out of his training state and landed cross-legged.

"I can roughly guess what they're thinking."

"If Hai Daren goes, you'll most likely be ganged up on by Duan Zhong and his allies."

"They will make sure you can't keep your appointment tomorrow. Duan Zhong will win without a fight. Even if you manage to escape and still dare to keep your appointment, you won't be a match for Duan Zhong in that situation."

Zheng Hui nodded and said, "They probably only think that Master Hai is exceptionally strong, but they underestimate his wisdom."

"Now that it's been seen through that Guan Changling has a problem, Lord Hai certainly won't go."

Hai Donglai, holding a red cloud-patterned black umbrella, stood by the wall with a cold expression.

He was originally reciting the word "kill" for Chu Tianshu.

As soon as Zheng Hui, he and Blind Cheng stopped talking.

But after Blind Cheng stopped eating, he rummaged through the food box for a small bottle of wine and drank it to moisten his throat.

After Hai Donglai stopped talking, he remained silent, but his murderous aura grew stronger.

The Weapon Soul sensed his murderous aura, causing the red spot on the black umbrella to resemble a relentless cloud.

It swelled and turned reddish, then diminished and thinned.

This process is repeated, and the red color deepens.

"Using the mourning hall of my Great Tang envoy to set a trap... Guan Changling, Guan Changling!"

Hai Donglai suddenly spoke up, saying, "If I don't go, are those scheming bastards supposed to stay comfortably next to the mourning hall for the dead all night?"

Zheng Hui was startled. "This..."

"Old Zheng, think about it. With their style of doing things, if they fail to besiege us today, they're bound to cause trouble when they challenge us to a duel tomorrow."

"We cannot expect that after luring out the conspirators, everything can proceed as planned, with a decisive battle at Emerald Rock first to break their reputation, and then you can slowly deploy troops to deal with them one by one."

Chu Tianshu stood up. "They're willing to lie in ambush in the mourning hall."

"Then tonight, we will sprinkle their blood in the mourning hall to honor their heroic souls!"

Chu Tianshu thought of that battlefield again.

That place where the entire Great Tang Dynasty delegation perished.

Whether they held civil or military positions, those who came to reclaim their homeland and to make contact with Nanzhao fought valiantly to their deaths.

For such a group of people, simply using a funeral hall to commemorate them is not enough.

The most fitting way to worship is with the blood of the conspirators!

"It's been a long time since I've used blood to make wine to honor my fallen comrades."

The Blind Cheng shook the wine bottle. "Those envoys deserve this respect; count me in."

Zheng Hui also replied decisively, "Alright, I'll mobilize the guards to go with us."

Chu Tianshu hesitated, then grunted, "Your guards... I'm afraid they'll only cause more casualties."

"Then I myself am still of some use, isn't I?"

Zheng Hui glanced at the locust tree, then looked away and said resolutely, "If this matter fails, I will not escape Duan Zhong and his men's retribution in the future. Rather than waiting in vain with gray hair, I might as well take the plunge and fight."

The Blind Cheng asked, "When do we set off?"

"Now that things have come to this, of course..."

Chu Tianshu tilted his head back, interlaced his fingers, and stretched his palms forward, his expression thoughtful.

Let's have dinner first.

"Old Zheng is quite familiar with Temple of National Protection; he even went there during the day. He can tell you about the specific layout of Temple of National Protection."

(End of this chapter)