At the foot of the Yin Mountains in late May, the night wind had shed the chill of early spring. Carrying the woody scent of sprouting vegetation, it blew past the endless stretch of felt tents.
In the center of the right division camp of the Helian Royal Court, inside the largest gold-topped royal tent, a thick sheep-fat torch was burning in a basin.
Who didn't know that the Helian people loved meat.
The tent flap was lifted from the outside, and the night wind poured in, blowing the flames in the fire basin to one side.
Huyan Chi strode into the tent. The gray merchant robe he wore was still stained with the dust from outside Zhenbei City. Without even having the time to take off his felt hat, he walked straight to the center of the tent.
Bending both knees, he knelt heavily on the thick wool carpet, crossed his hands against his forehead, and performed a grand bow.
Ashina Gudu's hand stopped at the tip of his blade. He slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze crossing over the edge of the knife to land on Huyan Chi's empty hands.
Where is the letter? Ashina Gudu's voice was deep, carrying the oppressive weight of someone used to giving orders. The sheepskin letter I had you bring, the imperial envoy of Great Qian did not sign it.
Huyan Chi buried his head even lower. With a voice tinged with dryness and lingering fear, he began to recount everything that had happened in that small courtyard in the West Ward of Zhenbei City.
Reporting to Your Highness, your subordinate acted according to the plan, disguising myself as a merchant to infiltrate that courtyard. I originally intended to present Your Highness's handwritten letter and the treaty terms to the imperial envoy. Who knew that a one-armed guard beside the envoy possessed such supreme martial arts skills. Before I could even see his movements clearly, a heavy mace was already thrust in front of me, forcefully driving back the hand I used to offer the letter.
Huyan Chi swallowed hard. The cold gaze of Xu Zhan and the oppressive feeling of the heavy mace surfaced in his mind once more, causing his body to tremble slightly as he continued.
The envoy sat upright behind the desk and didn't even spare me a proper glance. She stated bluntly that the imperial envoy of Great Qian holds the Emperor's sword and patrols on behalf of Heaven; if she were to accept the Royal Court's secret letter and sign the treaty, it would be the capital crime of treason and colluding with the enemy.
Not only did she refuse to accept the letter, but she also set a rule of a seventy-thirty split, declaring that the trade route would open as usual, but the people stepping forward to conduct the handover with the Royal Court must be the Deputy General of Zhenbei City, He Minghu, and the Supervising Censor, Ma Jin'an.
The air stagnated.
Ashina Gudu tossed the coarse cloth in his hand into the fire basin. The grease met the fire, flaring up into a burst of flames.
He stared at the empty surface of the desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his knee. His mind raced, analyzing the deep meaning behind those words.
Standing to the side, the thousand-man commander Wurigeng listened to Huyan Chi's report. His fleshy face flushed bright red. He suddenly drew the scimitar from his waist, pointing the blade right at the tip of Huyan Chi's nose, and began to curse loudly.
Absurd, this is absolutely absurd! What does that Great Qian woman think she is? She doesn't even dare to leave her name or sign a written pledge, yet she dares to open her mouth and make such demands!
Hah! She is treating our Helian Royal Court like a soft persimmon that anyone can squeeze! Your Highness, give me a thousand iron cavalry, and I will launch a night raid on Zhenbei City tonight to see if I can chop off that woman's head to serve as your wine bowl.
Wurigeng's roaring voice made the felt cloth tremble. He took a step forward, the scimitar in his hand glinting coldly in the firelight, looking as if he would charge out to kill the moment Ashina Gudu gave the order.
Ashina Gudu sat in the seat of honor, looking at the furious Wurigeng. He didn't speak, but merely raised his right hand slowly.
Just as Wurigeng was about to continue his tirade, Ashina Gudu's palm suddenly shot out, his five fingers spread, slapping precisely against the back of Wurigeng's scimitar.
With a crisp clang.
The sound of clashing metal echoed inside the tent. Wurigeng only felt a massive force transmit down the blade to the web of his hand, shocking half of his body numb. His five fingers loosened, and the scimitar flew from his grasp, falling onto the carpet with a muffled thud.
Wurigeng stood stunned in place, looking at his lord with a face full of astonishment, not understanding why His Highness would stop him.
Idiot, Ashina Gudu withdrew his hand, his tone revealing undisguised contempt and reprimand. If you led troops to attack Zhenbei City, before you even touched the city walls, you would be schemed against by that person until not even bone fragments remained. Do you think fighting a war relies solely on the blade in your hand?
Ashina Gudu stood up. His tall frame cast a highly oppressive shadow on the tent fabric. He walked around the low desk and approached Wurigeng, looking down from above at this subordinate who only grew muscles but no brain.
Do you think she didn't leave a written pledge out of fear? Do you think she had He Minghu and Ma Jin'an step forward because she was backing down? This head growing on your neck, aside from wearing a helmet, can't it be used to hold some brains?!
Use your brain properly and think about why she would do this.
Ashina Gudu turned his head and looked at Huyan Chi, who was still kneeling on the ground, a flash of appreciation in his eyes.
Huyan Chi, you tell me. Why did that person surnamed Xu refuse to accept my letter, and why did she specifically designate He Minghu and Ma Jin'an to handle this deal?
Huyan Chi straightened up, took a deep breath, and organized his thoughts before answering.
Replying to Your Highness, if that imperial envoy had accepted our letter and signed a written pledge, that would be the capital crime of treason. Once this leverage fell into our hands,
she would be entirely at our mercy. She saw through Your Highness's test, so she outright refused. As for designating He Minghu and Ma Jin'an, this subordinate believes she is looking for scapegoats!
Ashina Gudu nodded in satisfaction, pacing inside the tent with his hands behind his back. The firelight stretched his shadow long.
Exactly. Not only did she see through my test, but she also turned the tables and checkmated me. She takes the lion's share, yet makes He Minghu and Ma Jin'an from the Deputy General's office handle the handover. As long as the trade route is peaceful, she sits back and collects gold and silver.
The moment something goes wrong on the trade route, the charge of treason will fall entirely on the Deputy General's office. As the imperial envoy, she would likely remain completely clean, without a single leaf touching her.
Ashina Gudu stopped in his tracks, looking profoundly at the night sky outside the tent, his voice tinged with a bit of emotion.
Leaving no written pledge is what is truly brilliant. She is telling me that she has enough confidence to control Zhenbei City and doesn't need to be bound by a paper treaty. What she wants are tangible benefits, and completely risk-free ones at that.
Such methods, such calculation, even those old foxes who have been rolling around in the imperial court of Great Qian for decades might not be able to do it so flawlessly.
Wurigeng listened in a daze. Although he still didn't quite understand the twisting intricacies, seeing His Highness's solemn expression, he knew his earlier actions had been somewhat reckless.
He could only sheepishly pick up the scimitar from the ground and retreat to the side, not daring to speak further.
Ashina Gudu turned around and walked back to the seat of honor to sit down, calculating his next countermeasures in his mind.
Since Xu Qinghuan had laid out the terms, this business deal could be considered settled. Even though he had to yield seventy percent of the profits, as long as the trade route opened, the Helian Royal Court would steadily receive the ironware, tea leaves, and fabric they so desperately needed.
This was more important than anything else. With these supplies, the strength of the right division would rapidly expand, and overpowering the Left Luli King would be just around the corner.
As for the seventy percent profit, he would just consider it a toll. As long as it could strengthen the power of the Right Division, this small price was something he, Ashina Gudu, could easily afford.
Huyan Chi, Ashina Gudu spoke, breaking the silence within the tent. Go to the treasury. Bring out those top-grade snow marten pelts we hunted last winter, and pick out ten of our finest sweat-blood horses.
You will personally lead a team to deliver them just outside Zhenbei City. Hand them over to He Minghu under the guise of border market merchants, and have him pass them on to the Imperial Envoy.
Huyan Chi was startled. He looked up at Ashina Gudu, his eyes filled with confusion.
Your Highness, these snow marten pelts are tribute items of extreme rarity, and the sweat-blood horses are priceless treasures. Isn't such a lavish gift giving too much face to the Imperial Envoy of Great Qian?
Just do as you are told, Ashina Gudu interrupted him, his tone stern. Since we are entering a partnership, we must show our sincerity. That person is someone who won't loose the falcon until she sees the hare; empty words won't sway her. Only real gold, silver, and rare treasures will prove the true strength of our Helian Royal Court to her. Go now, and get it done.
Huyan Chi dared not say another word. He kowtowed deeply, accepted the order, and withdrew.
Seeing this, Wurigeng also tactfully bowed and took his leave, exiting the royal tent.
The tent flap fell, and tranquility returned to the royal tent once more.
A cold smile curled the corners of Ashina Gudu's lips, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.
Imperial Envoy of Great Qian, Xu Qinghuan. This king truly wants to see just how vast a game of chess you are capable of playing, and whether you have the appetite to swallow the financial power of the Northern Frontier.
Outside, Huyan Chi stepped away from the royal tent. As the late May night breeze brushed against him, he suddenly realized that his back was drenched in cold sweat. He let out a long breath and glanced back at the massive royal tent, a profound sense of awe swelling in his heart.
He revered his lord's far-reaching foresight, but he felt an even deeper awe for that Imperial Envoy, the one far away in Zhenbei City, who had never even met the Helian face-to-face, yet had somehow managed to draw the Prince into her calculations.
