Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 105 An Unrefusable Challenge

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

Inside the side hall, bronze dragon sculptures are coiled on large pillars, with eighteen lamps on the back of each dragon.

Tonight, all the dragon lanterns are lit up, 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 Tibetans back then.

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 for quite some time.

He had just heard the news from the king.

A group of Tang Dynasty envoys who had set off early and arrived in Nanzhao were robbed and killed.

This was expected. Presumably, Zheng Hui disguised himself on the carriage and secretly transported the corpses into the city to be those of the Tang Dynasty delegation.

Duan Zhong then heard something else.

There were also thirty-seven corpses inside, belonging to the Tubo (Tibetan) people!
Zheng Hui took out a lump of scrap iron that looked like a gold ingot.

Duan Zhong recognized it clearly; it was the remains of the Blazing Sun Wheel, and its presence served as irrefutable evidence.

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

They're all dead?!
It was just about sending them to kill a delegation.

Could it be that the envoys sent by the Tang Dynasty 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."

Yi Mouxun 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 Tang Dynasty, but our delegation was killed within our borders. Although we broke our alliance with Tibet, we still have no intention of going to war with them.”

"If we tell the truth, it was the two sides that encountered each other and attacked each other without our intervention, then both sides would have to believe that."

Yi Mouxun said, "I know that you two ministers each have your own unique skills, so I have asked you two to discuss how Nanzhao should deal with this matter so that we can clarify things without losing face for Nanzhao."

Zheng Hui said, "I think we can take the initiative to ask the Tang Dynasty to send a second batch of envoys, and subtly express that we will fully cooperate with the second batch of envoys to investigate the experiences of the first batch of envoys."

Duan Zhong then spoke up: "Wouldn't acting in this way diminish our prestige?"

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

Duan Zhong's prayer beads started spinning again.

"I think that the Tibetan king need not bring up this matter on his own initiative. I will explain it to him in a private letter hidden in the Buddhist scriptures."

“What Tibet truly values ​​is the alliance. As long as the king is willing to re-establish the alliance with Tibet, coupled with a private letter from the old minister, it should be enough to cover up this matter.”

"Then we will face the Tang Dynasty together and show that it was the Tang envoys who took the initiative to attack the Tibetan envoys. Although the two countries have fought many times, as envoys, they actually acted in such a way within the territory of Nanzhao. The fault does not lie with us, Nanzhao."

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

"No."

Duan Zhongzhi looked at Yi Mouxun with a sincere expression, "This old minister has missed the opportune time and is now old. I only wish to devise plans for the country."

"Back then, we attacked the Tang Dynasty first and almost had the Tang army counterattack to the capital. We had to form an alliance with Tibet in order to achieve a great victory later. Naturally, we had to make many concessions."

"But this time, we Nanzhao can remain inactive. Although we have re-allyed with Tibet, we can still show goodwill to the Tang Dynasty."

“Mobilizing a large army will inevitably deplete the nation’s strength. It’s not something that can be decided easily. As long as we have alliances with both sides and we do not move, neither side will dare to send a large army to provoke us. On the contrary, they will value us even more.”

Yi Mouxun 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 Nanzhao Kingdom.

Although there were rumors circulating among the people about assassinations and the secret entry of Tibetan experts, it was suspected that the Duan family was secretly instigating them 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, Tibet would no longer be willing to send strong reinforcements to Duan Zhong.

Moreover, if he were willing to re-ally with Tibet, why would Tibet need to continue supporting Duan Zhong?
Upon seeing this scene, Zheng Hui inwardly cried out in alarm.

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

"Your Majesty, your biggest conflict with Tibet is not just about whether or not to send troops, but about the difference in your ideas on governance."

Zheng Hui quickly said, "Tibet is also in a critical situation now. What it needs is not an ally who will remain inactive, but a comrade-in-arms with similar ideals who will jointly invade and seize the Tang Dynasty, and to put this comrade-in-arms in the lead."

"They have already tasted that bitterness back then, and their greed is burning. Do you think they will be satisfied with a mere alliance where the current king holds back his troops?"

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

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

"A country has more than ten million people, and its policies and orders come from millions of sources. So how can a country have any unchanging ideas that last for decades?"

"Zheng Gong's words seem rather unrealistic and too eager to benefit the Tang Dynasty." Duan Zhong's gaze turned slightly sharp as he turned to Zheng Hui.

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

This is the truth.

Yi Mouxun's eyes moved slightly, and his gaze lowered.

This small change clearly indicates that her resolve has wavered more significantly.

Zheng Hui felt a growing anxiety.

He knew all along that Yi Mouxun might not be so determined to submit to the Tang Dynasty.

However, at least, after Yi Mouxun's defeat in the past, the governing philosophy he gradually developed over the years was no longer the same as constantly plundering the Tang people to bolster the country's strength.

This person, as the ruler of Nanzhao, is a good thing for both the Tang people within Nanzhao and those on the borders of the Tang Dynasty.

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

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

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

Now, however, they are eager to hear news that someone has come to inform them of the incident at the Prince Yi's residence.

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

A sound drifted over 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.

"On the fifteenth of March, at Cuiyan Rock south of the city, we'll meet a life-or-death pact; do not break your promise!!!"

Yi Mouxun's expression changed.

Zheng Hui immediately said, "Prince Yi, this sound seems to be coming from your home?"

When he was halfway through his sentence, Duan Zhong had already disappeared from the hall.

Yi Mouxun glanced 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 told you that those Tibetan monks were very likely killed by Hai Donglai."

"But I don't know why he would be in the royal city and directly attack the Prince Yi's mansion..."

Zheng Hui suddenly realized, "Could it be that their inner guards have already discovered that those top Tibetan experts have close ties with the Righteous Prince?!"

Yi Mouxun's heart trembled slightly: "The Tang Dynasty's inner guards are indeed terrifying."

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

At that time, the internal strife in the Tang Dynasty was so fierce that even the most skilled fighters were quickly used to kill their own people.

The fighting between princes, princesses, and emperors alone resulted in the deaths of countless skilled diners.

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

In just a few decades, times have changed dramatically.

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

"In our Nanzhao Kingdom, 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 who is provoking the Prince of Yi."

"However, Hai Donglai himself was also a high-ranking and powerful figure, the commander of the inner guard, and known as the number one expert in the Tang Dynasty."

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

Yi Mouxun 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 is cruel and ruthless, with an extremely bad reputation. It is said that wherever he goes, there is a sea of ​​blood, and even his clothes are stained with blood."

"He went to the Prince Yi's residence, and the Duan family must have suffered some losses. Although the Prince Yi has composure, he still cannot tolerate certain things."

Yi Mouxun showed an expression of agreement.

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

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

With his back to such light, Yi Mouxun pondered for a while and seemed to feel somewhat moved.

"In that case, I shall issue a public decree instructing Duan Zhong to prepare for the battle on the fifteenth of March!"

(End of this chapter)