Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 172 Murong Tuyuhun

Murong Fu laughed and said, "Alright, let's have some wine and food first, then have someone boil some hot water and prepare some new clothes. We can take a bath after the meal."

He then led everyone to the flower hall, where they took their seats as guests and hosts.

A'Zhu and A'Bi often dine with Murong Fu in private, but they naturally have to follow the rules when they are guests. However, A'Zi holds one of them by the hand and won't let go, while Duan Yu also chimes in from the side.

Murong Fu glanced at them and said generously, "We're all family, no need for formalities. Since Princess Azi has invited you to sit, please sit down."

Azhu and Abi had no choice but to sit down. Abi clapped her hands, and the gauze curtain was rolled up, revealing two rows of beautiful maids who brought out a variety of delicacies.

Azhu picked up the ivory chopsticks and served the dishes to Azi, saying in a low voice, "Sister, although today's dishes were prepared in a bit of a rush, several of them are unique to Jiangnan. Try this steamed perch, which is made with four-gilled perch from Songjiang, and it has the freshest flavor."

Upon hearing this, Duan Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, I read in Ge Hong's 'Biographies of Immortals' that 'Songjiang produces excellent perch, with a taste unlike any other place.' I suppose this must be the four-gilled perch?"

I picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. After chewing it slightly, I exclaimed how delicious it was.

Kumārajīva laughed and said, "I have long admired the name of this fish. It is recorded in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty that when Cao Cao hosted a banquet during the Three Kingdoms period, he said, 'Today's gathering is grand, and the delicacies are almost all prepared, but the only thing missing is the Songjiang perch.' Hehe, this is a delicacy that even Cao Mengde (Cao Cao) can't forget."

Although Murong Fu was dressed as a scholar, he was actually illiterate and usually took pride in it. Today, when he was socializing with others, he first saw Jiang Mingzhe compose poems on the spot, and then he saw Duan Yu and Kumārajīva quoting classical texts so fluently. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself.

He thought to himself, “I consider myself a descendant of the Xianbei and refuse to read Han books. Yet these people are either the prince of Dali or the national teacher of Tibet, and they are all so learned. Could it be that my lack of reading is due to my limited knowledge?”

Regarding this sea bass, one person says it's from a legend, the other from the Book of the Later Han Dynasty. If you asked me to say something, what would I say? I can only say: It's so delicious, there's nothing more to say! (It's so delicious, I won't say anything more.)
He forced a smile and said, "Since you have long admired this flavor, why not give it a try?"

Kumārajīva waved his hand and said, "I have lived in Tibet for a long time. Vegetables are scarce there, and the climate is cold. Therefore, it is inevitable that I eat beef and ghee. Now that I have come to Song, there is plenty of food available. Why should I eat meat again?"

After saying that, he scooped up some tofu, added some dried bean curd strips, and ate with great relish.

Murong Fu was taken aback and said, "Yes, I forgot that Tibet has always been a bitterly cold place..."

He subconsciously looked at Jiang Mingzhe, who said calmly, "Since ancient times, cold and harsh lands have produced elite soldiers. How could you forget that, brother? Just like this Jiangnan region, with its gentle breezes, soft sunshine, birdsong, and fragrant flowers, how many heroes can it produce? Therefore, since ancient times, the unification of the world has mostly been achieved from north to south, with few instances of unification from south to north."

Murong Fu nodded.

Jiang Mingzhe, however, became interested in talking. He clenched his fist, raised it high, and shook it, saying, "Look at my fist. It represents Tibet, located on a plateau. If you go south, you will reach the Ganges River basin. The Ganges River is five thousand miles long, with fertile soil and a warm climate on both banks. If you can take it, it will be a natural granary."

Murong Fu frowned and asked, "Then why didn't the Tibetan Empire conquer this place when it was at its peak?"

Kumārajīva was puzzled as to why the two had suddenly started talking about military strategy, but as the national advisor, he was knowledgeable and naturally chimed in, "Who says we haven't had any strategies? In the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong sent Wang Xuance as an envoy to India. India was in turmoil, and a rebel seized power, plundering the Tang envoy's caravan. Wang Xuance bravely went to Tibet, borrowed a powerful army, and attacked India, capturing the queen and prince, countless treasures, and seizing 580 cities!"

He got excited and stood up, continuing, "A hundred years later, Trisong Detsen became king and ordered India to present Buddha's relics. India refused, so Tibet sent troops again, watered their horses in the Ganges, and demanded the relics. They erected an iron pillar on the banks of the Ganges to commemorate their achievement and occupied the land for decades! But, hehe..."

The monk chuckled awkwardly, shook his head, and held up two fingers: "Firstly, the climate in India is hot, and the Tibetan army, accustomed to the snowy region, cannot stay for long. Secondly, with the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, our Tibet seized the opportunity to conquer Longyou and capture Chang'an. How could we have time to care about India? And then..." Kumārajīva sighed regretfully: "The king mistakenly believed in the Black Sect, which greatly increased its power. It oppressed the common people and assassinated the king, causing the country's strength to decline rapidly. Infighting among the nobles was constant. King LS, King Ali, King Yaze, and King Yalongjue'a each ruled their own territories and attacked each other. Currently, apart from our Qinghai-Tibet Tibet, which is the legitimate dynasty, the snowy plateau is divided into more than ten kingdoms. Let's not talk about it."

Murong Fu couldn't help but laugh, "The king was assassinated? He must have been an incompetent ruler."

Kumārajīva was immediately displeased and glared at him, saying, "Young Master Murong, do you know that when my Tubo was at its peak, it suppressed the Tang Dynasty in the east, conquered India in the south, and attacked the Abbasid Caliphate in the north? We destroyed countless kingdoms, large and small, in the Western Regions. Oh, right, there was another country that was related to your Murong family. Tuyuhun was a powerful kingdom that lasted for more than 300 years, but it was destroyed by my Tubo."

Murong Fu was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "Tuyuhun?"

Duan Yu laughed and said, "Brother Murong, don't you know? In the past, there were three major surnames of Xianbei, all of which established states. The first was the Western Wei established by the Yuwen clan, the second was the Dai state and the Northern Wei established by the Tuoba clan, and the third was the four Yan states in the southwest established by your Murong clan, as well as the Tuyuhun."

Murong Fu forced a smile and said, "Of course I know, it's just that his branch and my branch..."

“It’s very relevant!” Duan Yu interjected. “According to the ‘Biography of Murong Hui’ in the Book of Jin, when the Xianbei Chanyu Tuhe Shegui led his people to migrate to Liaodong, Tuhe Shegui had two sons, the eldest son Tuyuhun and the legitimate son Ruoluo Hui. The two sons fought each other, and Tuyuhun led 1,700 households to Yinshan, and later to Longyou.”

Murong Fu felt ashamed when he heard Duan Yu recount his family history in great detail.

Kumārajīva interjected, “That’s right. The name that Prince Duan mentioned is a Xianbei name. Ruoluowei’s Han name was Murongwei. Later, he had a son named Murong Huang, who established his capital in Longcheng and founded the Former Yan dynasty. He honored his father as Emperor Taizong.”

"As for Tuyuhun, his Han name was Murong Tuyuhun. After his grandson Yeyan ascended the throne, he used his grandfather's name as the surname and the name of the state. By the thirteenth ruler, the surname was changed back to Murong. From Murong Tuyuhun onwards, the state lasted for 350 years and 19 generations. The last ruler was, quite coincidentally..."

Kumārajīva smiled slightly and looked at Murong Fu, saying, "This last person of the last generation was granted the title of Governor of Changle Prefecture and King of Qinghai by the Tang Dynasty, and inherited the title of Khan of Udi Yebaqindou. After his death, the hereditary succession ceased. This person is called Murong Fu!"

Murong Fu shuddered, as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind, and countless thoughts rushed through his head: That person was also named Murong Fu! Yes, yes, at that time, Tuyuhun was probably in dire straits, so his father also wanted him to restore the glory of his ancestors?
Then he thought: So this Tuyuhun is indeed of the same origin as my branch, both of us are descendants of the Xianbei Chanyu Murong Hui. I, I not only bear the responsibility of the Great Yan, but also the responsibility of the Tuyuhun lineage.

After much thought, his fists clenched: The Liao and Song dynasties were powerful, and Qinghai and Tibet were also my homeland. It seems that the great strategy offered by Jiang Mingzhe was the path to revival ordained by heaven. Otherwise, why would I also be called Murong Fu?

"Hahahaha!" Murong Fu laughed, looking up at everyone and said, "What a fine Tibetan national teacher, what a fine prince of Dali! You are indeed truly talented. I thought these trivial stories of my family had long been forgotten by the world, but I didn't expect that you two would remember them so clearly!"

His eyes gleamed as he turned to Jiang Mingzhe: "Brother, I'm afraid you already knew this, which is why you said those things earlier."

Jiang Mingzhe thought to himself, "What are you pretending for? I can tell at a glance that you didn't know this before, just like I didn't know it either."

He nodded and smiled, "As expected, I couldn't hide it from you, brother!"

Kumārajīva's eyes darted around, and he said with a grin, "I wonder what words you spoke to Young Master Murong earlier, Minister Jiang?"

Jiang Mingzhe shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I just heard that your princess is beautiful and dignified, and I want to arrange a marriage for my brother."

Princess? Azi blinked, suddenly remembering that she had intercepted a group of lamas escorting a bride and even stolen Princess Qingtang's dagger.

(End of this chapter)