In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

The extremely long imperial edict, besides bestowing rewards, was also a form of inspection by the monarch over his subjects.

The entire Tuyuhun Kingdom was subservient to the Tang Dynasty; it was not an alliance, but a hierarchical relationship.

However, neither Murong Khan nor his subordinates showed any dissatisfaction; on the contrary, they were excited and overjoyed.

"Your subject kowtows in gratitude for the Khan's boundless grace!"

"We kowtow in gratitude to the Heavenly Khan for his boundless grace!"

Li Yuanchang dismounted and stepped forward to bestow the imperial edict, and accepted some ceremonial objects prepared by the Tuyuhun.

"I have long admired Murong Khan!"

"Your Majesty the valiant King of Han, I have long admired you!" Murong Khan performed the Tang Dynasty greeting.

"Haha, Khan, your Chinese and etiquette are quite good!" Li Yuanchang laughed, displaying the demeanor befitting an envoy of a great king.

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it."

"The Great Tang is a superior celestial dynasty, and its Han language and etiquette are renowned throughout the world. Not only the Tuyuhun are learning it, but the whole world is learning it. I am considered to have poor comprehension, but since the princess arrived, bringing scriptures and farming tools, I believe this process will accelerate." Murong Khan was extremely serious, his eyes full of respect.

Li Yuanchang suddenly realized at that moment that he seemed to be doing something remarkable, as Tuyuhun was the area of ​​Qinghai in later generations.

If we can stabilize the situation in Tuyuhun and gradually educate them, that would be like expanding our territory and securing a larger landmass for future generations!

"The Khan is being modest."

"That's what His Majesty means too. Princess Honghua married into Tuyuhun to spread culture and let all the people of the Tang Dynasty live the best life."

May peace and friendship endure forever.

Murong Khan smiled and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right, Your Highness is absolutely right."

As he spoke, his eyes kept sweeping over the golden-topped carriage, as if he were very curious and expectant.

This was not only a joyous occasion for him personally, but also for his entire faction. The marriage of a Tang princess was tantamount to gaining the approval of Chang'an.

They can have greater security and receive more help.

Li Yuanchang understood his meaning and smiled, "Murong Khan, according to the rules, it is inconvenient for the princess to show her face."

"That will probably have to wait until the wedding day."

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan was slightly disappointed, but immediately laughed and said, "Yes, it was I who was presumptuous."

"Why don't you ask His Highness the King of Han to give this item to the princess? This is the crown of the Khatun of my Tuyuhun Kingdom, symbolizing purity and wisdom."

"From the moment she entered Tuyuhun, she became the most honored woman in Tuyuhun!"

"I will do everything in my power to uphold her dignity."

Li Yuanchang nodded in satisfaction; this consort of Princess Honghua was quite good.

From the perspective of her maternal family, she was much better than those guys like Chai Lingwu, who all died young. But in history, both this Khan and Princess Honghua died peacefully.

"good!"

With that, he took it and got into the carriage.

Princess Honghua looked somewhat nervous: "Seventh Uncle."

"Princess, there's no need for such formalities. This is a gift from Murong Khan; it's the Khatun Crown."

"If there's nothing else, we'll be heading to Fuai City."

Princess Honghua's eyes lit up; she was quite pleased.

"I'll leave everything to Uncle Qi's arrangements."

"Alright, don't be afraid. This Murong Khan speaks quite gently and politely."

"I will stay with you until the end of your wedding before I leave," Li Yuanchang grinned, reassuring her.

"Uh-huh!"

Princess Honghua's eyes reddened as she felt the elder-like care from Li Yuanchang.

Shortly after, the two groups reunited and began their return journey.

The procession was vast, numbering in the thousands.

In addition to a large ceremonial guard, Murong Khan even brought a fully armed guard of three thousand men, a force that the Tuyuhun people were now on high alert for.

Li Yuanchang and Murong Khan rode side by side, admiring the beautiful scenery of Qinghai Lake. Even in the dead of winter, it was as beautiful as a painting.

"Your Highness, I have heard the message you sent. I am furious about this attack and have ordered a secret investigation."

"I will definitely give an explanation to the Tang Dynasty and His Highness!" Murong Khan said apologetically, his brows furrowed.

Li Yuanchang said, "This matter is not the Khan's fault; it was done by someone who wanted to damage the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Khan."

"The invading enemy has been completely annihilated."

"A close call, but no real danger."

"However..." he drawled, looking at Murong.

"Tuyuhun is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. His Majesty is most concerned about the stability of the border. If something happens in Tuyuhun, it will inevitably affect other regions."

"There must be someone supporting this assassination attempt."

"May I ask, Khan, is there some problem within your ranks?" Li Yuanchang asked bluntly.

To put it bluntly, Murong Khan was a pro-Tang regime supported and recognized by the Tang Dynasty.

If he cannot control the overall situation, then this is not the situation that the central government of the Tang Dynasty wants to see.

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan frowned, his young and spirited face filled with worry.

"Your Highness, to be honest, the situation in Tuyuhun has been quite bad in recent years."

"My father was killed in the internal strife back then. It was only thanks to the Tang Dynasty sending troops to suppress the rebellion that I was able to become the new Khan. In recent years, I have eliminated many rebellious forces."

"But the time left for me is too short. There are still some people in Tuyuhun who are outwardly compliant but inwardly resentful. I suspect that this attack was carried out by some people who are hostile to the Tang Dynasty."

"If the marriage procession is attacked, war will surely break out, and countless innocent people will die."

At this point, anger appeared on Murong Khan's face. He did not want war; he only wanted the Tuyuhun people to live in peace and prosperity.

Li Yuanchang also knew about the past of Tuyuhun, and that the Murong regime was actually supported by Li Shimin.

This is almost identical to what happened in later generations.

The pro-Tang regime was not tolerated by some extremist rebel forces.

However, considering its own interests, the Tang Dynasty would certainly not tolerate it. Starting from the eighth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Shimin sent troops to kill many rebellious forces.

The conflict between the two sides is extremely complex.

The combined power of the entire Tuyuhun was no match for the Tang Dynasty, yet their frequent antics never diminished.

"Khan, do you have any guesses about that mysterious general?"

Li Yuanchang lowered his voice, his expression grim.

"He funded and planned the attack on the marriage alliance, which is hostile to the Tang Dynasty. I must give an explanation to His Majesty."

"He must die!"

"This is inevitable. I will not let this person who attacked my wife go unpunished!" Murong Khan also stated firmly.

Then he looked troubled.

"But Your Highness, the title 'General' is a respectful term used in Tuyuhun, and it doesn't specifically refer to any one person."

"Although I have some speculations, there are many tribes within the Tuyuhun territory, and I lack substantial evidence. If I act rashly, I fear it will trigger internal strife among the tribes."

"Then the trouble will be even greater, and neither of us will be able to explain ourselves to His Majesty."

Li Yuanchang nodded: "Who do you suspect it is?"

"Barto!"

Murong Khan blurted out, "He was the most powerful of the Tuyuhun tribes. His grandfather had followed Fuyun Khan and was killed by the Tang army."

"His family later submitted and were granted a special pardon by His Majesty."

"But over the years he has been ambitious and has never submitted to me."