That night, it snowed again. The snowflakes fluttered in the air silently.
Yang Fan, Xue Huaiyi, Hong Yi, and Hong Liu drank to their hearts' content. They simply opened the door and drank while looking at the misty snow in the garden. Sometimes, a gust of wind blew the snowflakes into the room. When it hit their faces, it would turn into a ball of moisture, making them feel very carefree.
Yang Fan and the others talked about the past when they played bowls together and drank together. When they talked about Xue Huaiyi shaving his head on the street and beating up the imperial censor while drunk, they would burst into laughter from time to time. Sometimes, when they talked about sad events, they could not help but sigh and even cry.
Ruoxiang understood Chinese, so she could understand what they were saying. However, she only smiled peacefully and sat quietly in the corner, as gentle as a newly bloomed rose. She did not make a sound and did not say a word. Sometimes, she would go up to Xue Huaiyi to wipe away the wine stains that had spilled on his chest. Sometimes, when she saw that the wine jar was empty, she would quietly fetch another jar.
Even if the four of them were drunk, she would not say a word. She only tried her best to serve them better. Her meekness was very different from the women of the Central Plains. Yang Fan had heard from Xue Huaiyi that this Miss Ruoxiang was not a commoner's daughter. She was the daughter of a small lord in the capital. Yang Fan was happy for his old friend to have such an encounter.
Unknowingly, the snow became heavier and heavier. The four of them drank more and more wine, and the wine jars rolled on the ground. The last scene that Yang Fan remembered was Hong Liu lying on his lap while he rested his head on Hong One's stomach. Xue Huaiyi was sleeping soundly next to him, his snores shaking the heavens.
As Yang Fan's eyes were blurred from drunkenness, he saw Ruoxiang gently walk in with a few blankets in her arms. She covered each of them and gently tucked the corners of Xue Huaiyi's blankets. She then tiptoed out and gently closed the door to block out the heavy snow.
At daybreak, Yang Fan was the first to wake up. He often had to wake up early to attend court, so he was not as free as these three carefree monks. These monks could meditate whenever they wanted, sleep whenever they wanted, and sleep until they woke up naturally. He did not have such good fortune.
Yang Fan sat up and saw that Xue Huaiyi and the other two were still sound asleep. There was a kettle on the small table beside them. Reaching out his hand, he felt that the water was still warm. Presumably, it was Ruo Xiang who had brought it here early in the morning. Yang Fan poured a bowl of water to quench his thirst. Pulling open the door, a cool and refreshing aura assaulted his senses.
The courtyard was covered in silver. It had been snowing for a whole night, and the whole ground was covered in fluffy pink, which was very cute. Yang Fan put on his boots and walked down the corridor. He heard the "ta ta ta" sound of wooden clogs. Turning his head, he saw Ruoxiang walking down the corridor with a basin of hot water. Today, she had changed into a pink kimono with small floral patterns. She looked like a cherry blossom blossoming in the snow.
Seeing Yang Fan, Ruoxiang stopped in her tracks and bowed to greet him. "You're up. Please wash up."
"Uh … Thank you, Mistress."
Yang Fan quickly took the basin of water and returned to his room. After washing up, Yang Fan went to the courtyard and practiced two rounds of martial arts in the snow. Only after his whole body was warmed up did Xue Huaiyi and the other two get up. Xue Huaiyi washed up with Ruo Xiang's help and walked into the courtyard. He looked at Yang Fan, who had just stood still, and said with a smile, "I heard that you're already a Rank 4 Great General. You haven't forgotten your skills yet?"
Yang Fan smiled. "This disciple is a General, so naturally, I can't neglect my martial arts. Does Master Xue still practice martial arts?"
Xue Huaiyi blushed slightly and laughed. "In the past, I was just boasting. Actually, I know in my heart that my martial arts are all showy but impractical. They're street tricks. Hahaha, they can't be taken seriously. They're useless. Why would I practice them?"
As the two of them were talking, a skinny man in a kimono came from afar. When he saw Xue Huai Yi, he stopped and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Good morning, Great Monk." Turning his eyes, he saw Ruo Xiang coming out of the room and bowed to her, saying, "Good morning, Sister-in-law Fan."
Xue Huaiyi and Ruoxiang also greeted him. The three of them spoke in Japanese. Yang Fan didn't understand what they were talking about, so he ignored them. Although the man saw Yang Fan, he didn't know his identity. He only bowed to him and left the corridor.
Xue Huaiyi said to Yang Fan, "This person is the Tang envoy from Japan, Soda Zhenren."
Yang Fan thought, "As the envoy, he must be someone with great power. Since he's so respectful to Master Xue, it seems that what Hongliu said was true. Master Xue has really made a name for himself in Japan." Yang Fan asked, "When does Master Xue plan to return to Japan?"
Xue Huaiyi laughed. "What, you're in a hurry to send me away?"
Yang Fan said, "Of course not, it's just that …"
Xue Huaiyi laughed. "I know you mean well. You're worried about my safety. Don't worry, even if it's for Ruoxiang, I won't act recklessly. I won't wait until the envoy leaves. At the beginning of spring, I'll take a boat to the east and sail back to Japan. "
When Yang Fan heard this, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He knew that this envoy was not a tribute envoy. The tribute envoy would leave after paying the tribute. This envoy was a political and cultural exchange envoy. Every time he entered Tang, he would stay for at least a year. He would visit everywhere, buy books and shops, appreciate the customs of China, and learn about China's culture and system. He would only leave after he had gained something.
If Xue Huaiyi wanted to leave with the envoy, he would have to stay in Chang 'an for at least a year. Ever since the incident where he was discovered by Du Wentian while visiting Xingjiao Temple, Yang Fan didn't believe in secrecy anymore. Naturally, he hoped that Xue Huaiyi would leave as soon as possible to ensure his safety.
Yang Fan quickly said, "If that's the case, when Master returns to the east, I'll arrange the boats, carriages, and horses. I'll definitely protect Master all the way."
Xue Huaiyi naturally didn't need to pretend to be polite to him. He readily agreed. Yang Fan, Xue Huaiyi, Hongyi, and Hongliu had breakfast together. They agreed to visit often before they left.
Yang Fan left Dayun Temple and turned onto Zhuque Avenue. He saw that the long street was covered in white. Many servants were clearing the snow in the square under the command of Bōshō. The snow on the long street had not been cleared yet, and there were already many footprints left by early passers-by.
Yang Fan rode his horse with his bodyguards. Because there was no court meeting today, he wanted to return directly to Longqing Square. When he reached an intersection, he suddenly saw a group of soldiers escorting a camel team coming from afar, blocking the entire road. Yang Fan rode his horse to hide under the eaves of a house and watched the huge team pass by.
There were about two hundred people in this team. More than half of them were camels with all kinds of bags and weapons on them. One look and one could tell that they came from afar. From the style of the robes of the people riding on the camels and camels, they should be Turks. Since they were escorted by soldiers, they couldn't be merchants. Therefore, Yang Fan paid extra attention to them.
Icicles hung from the eaves like sharp swords, glimmering in the sunlight. Yang Fan peered through the cluster of icicles and immediately saw a carriage with a banner written in both the Chinese and Turkic languages. When he saw the words on the banner, Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat. The Turks and the personal envoy are finally here.
…
Compared to the Tubo, the Turks were even more shameless. The Tubo were like strong men who relied on their strength to bully others, while the Turks were scoundrels who would do anything. When he was in a disadvantageous position, Moche could thicken his skin and ask to be Wu Zetian's godson. However, once he saw that he could take advantage of something, he would immediately turn hostile. He did not care about the reputation and dignity of a country at all.
Take this time as an example. At the very least, the Tubo first asked for benefits from the marriage. When the marriage proposal failed, they resorted to force. The Turks, on the other hand, decided to fight first. Regardless of victory or defeat, they would shamelessly negotiate for benefits.
The Great Zhou Imperial Court hated the Turks even more than the Tibetans. However, due to the current situation, they had no choice but to receive the Turks' Peace Marriage Envoy. Wu Zetian could only use the Ministry of Rites as an excuse to delay them for three days. In the end, she still invited them to the Golden Palace to deliver the letter.
Interestingly, this time, no matter which faction it was, all of them strongly opposed the marriage with the Turks. The moment the Turks' personal envoy handed over the letter, stating the purpose of their visit and the intention of the marriage, the entire court of civil and military officials attacked them.
After Wu Zetian moved the capital to Chang 'an, Zhang Jianzhi, who had just been appointed as the Assistant Minister of the Autumn Palace, was the first to step out. He raised his scepter and said loudly, "I object! Since ancient times, there has never been a prince of China who married the daughter of Nayidi as his wife, let alone the Emperor's grandson. How can the future mother of the country be a barbarian? Your Majesty must not agree. This is a great humiliation! "
Towards Zhang Jianzhi's words, Wu Zetian did not like it from the bottom of her heart. What great humiliation? Since the Han dynasty, how many princesses of the Central Plains have been defiled by the barbarians? Why didn't anyone say it was a great humiliation? When the Tang dynasty sent Princess Wencheng to the marriage, why didn't he jump out and say it was a national humiliation?
So it became a great humiliation for us to marry their daughter to us. This old man's idea of men being superior to women is quite serious. Besides, the daughter of the barbarians, what daughter of the barbarians? Is the bloodline of the Li Tang Imperial Family very pure? Then why would the seven sects and five families, who considered themselves orthodox Han people, look down on the imperial family?
However, Wu Zetian also knew that the Turks were even less dignified than the Tibetans. Going back on their word was like farting. Making peace with the Turks would not help ease the tension between the two countries. As long as there was an opportunity, Moche would definitely take a bite at the fastest speed possible. Moreover, last time she asked her nephew Wu Yanxiu to make peace with the Turks, but Moche detained her until now. She still has not vented her anger.
Although she did not agree with Zhang Jianzhi's reasoning, Zhang Jianzhi's attitude was exactly her attitude. Therefore, Wu Zetian did not say anything. Immediately Wei Yuanzhong came out with his scepter, his beard and hair standing on end. He said in a stern voice and countenance, "The Turks are ambitious and capricious. How can they be betrothed to the Turks?
Moche wants to betroth his daughter but arrogantly insists that she must marry our dynasty's Imperial Grandson. How preposterous. The Imperial Grandson is the heir to the throne, the future Son of Heaven. If he marries the daughter of a barbarian as his wife, then the future Son of Heaven will have the blood of a barbarian, disrupting the bloodline of our imperial family. Your Majesty must not agree. "
Zhou Yong said in a strange tone, "Previously Moche groveled and claimed to be Your Majesty's adopted son and proposed a betrothal to Your Majesty. In consideration of his sincerity, Your Majesty sent the Prince of Huaiyang, Wu Yanxiu, to the Turks to escort the bride. Since ancient times, when a woman was betrothed, she would take the initiative to send the bride to the other country. There is no such thing as a prince coming to the Khan's court to receive the bride. Your Majesty's courtesy is enough to show his benevolence. In the end, the Turks detained the Prince of Huaiyang and broke the betrothal. To this day, they have not released the Prince of Huaiyang. How can our dynasty make peace with the Turks? "
The Turk envoy's name was Mo Hegan. He had a pair of sharp eyes, a hooked nose, and a moustache above his lips that looked like two scimitars. He had the temperament of a sinister vulture.
Mo Hegan was neither angry nor annoyed by the repeated accusations from the ministers. He only calmly stood there with a faint smile on his face. When these people finished speaking, Mo Hegan lightly coughed and said in a clear voice, "Our dynasty's Khan has always recognized only Li Tang as a member of the imperial family. In the previous betrothal request, he clearly stated that he wished to marry Li Tang as a member of the imperial family.
Although Wu Yanxiu is a Prince, she is not a member of Li Tang's imperial family. In this matter, your noble country is in the wrong. Our Princess was dressed to the nines and was happily waiting to be married. In the end, your noble country used a fake member of the imperial family to deceive the marriage. Our Princess wept bitterly and did not smile for a long time. Detaining Wu Yanxiu is actually to seek justice.
Our Turkic Princess is the Khan's beloved daughter and he has always doted on her. Your noble country's ministers belittled her as a barbarian and disdained her. Is this how a country of propriety treats its guests? In the past, your country's Emperor Taizong once said, 'Since ancient times, China has always been valued and barbarians are the only ones I love'. You ministers keep saying that there is a difference between the Chinese and the barbarians. What is the logic behind this? "
Mo Hegan took two steps forward and cupped his hands proudly to Wu Zetian, saying, "Your Majesty, when I came here, my Khan personally told me that if your noble country agrees to the marriage, the Duke of Huaiyang, Wu Yanxiu, will be released. Once Your Majesty agrees to the marriage, there is no need for your country's Crown Prince to personally escort the bride. My Khan will personally escort my beloved daughter to the border. Is this not enough to show our sincerity? "
"Today, Mo Hegan has come here on imperial orders to represent the Turkic Khaganate, but your noble country's ministers are mocking and belittling me in the royal court. The one being humiliated is not me, Mo Hegan, but the Turkic Khaganate that I, Mo Hegan, represent!"
Mo Hegan waved his hand down like a saber and arrogantly declared, "My Turkic Khaganate has a territory of tens of thousands of li, and the barbarians of the northwest are all vying to submit to us. Furthermore, Khan Moche is a wise ruler with countless capable generals under his command. If we are to be humiliated today, my Khan will definitely mobilize the entire country to avenge this humiliation. When the time comes, the two countries will fall out of harmony and the flames of war will rise from all directions. Who will bear the blame then? "
A commotion broke out in the golden hall. Some people were stunned by the words' 800,000 soldiers'. In truth, Mo Hegan's words were a bit of an exaggeration. The Turks only had around three hundred thousand soldiers at most, and their vast territory meant that they needed to be guarded everywhere. The strategic locations in the territory and the central command of the king's tent required elite soldiers, and all of these required a certain number of soldiers. Moreover, they also had to guard against the ten tribes of the Western Turks. Thus, Moche's so-called 'entire country's soldiers' could not exceed two hundred thousand at most.
But not every minister understood the situation of the Turks. Many civil officials were only skilled in internal affairs, and some were only skilled in the ways of officials. They did not know how many soldiers the Turks had, but they knew that their country only had around four hundred thousand soldiers, so they were naturally stunned to hear that the Turks had eight hundred thousand soldiers.
Although Wu Zetian was an old woman who had lived in the palace for a long time, she had a good understanding of her powerful neighbor and was not intimidated by Mo Hegan's words. But even though they did not have eight hundred thousand soldiers, just a hundred-thousand-some Turkic soldiers were enough to ignite the fires of war in the Great Zhou, and they also had the support of the Tubo Empire.
Wu Zetian indifferently said, "Is this the style of your noble country's envoy to flaunt his military might in peace? My Great Zhou has three times the number of Turks! My Great Zhou has fifty million people. Even if the army is wiped out, We can still summon another army at any time. No one can use military might to intimidate We! Noble Envoy has come from afar with a mission of peace, but all you talk about is fighting and killing. Is this your idea, or is it Mozhi's? "
Wu Zetian was indifferent at first, but her tone became more and more solemn, eventually becoming harsh. Mo Hegan hurriedly put his hand to his chest and apologized, "This foreign subject knows his mistake. This foreign subject was only angry at the repeated humiliation of your noble country's ministers, causing me to speak such nonsense. I ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
Wu Zetian coldly snorted. "Peace is not something that can be settled in a moment. Withdraw for now. We will discuss this matter later."
Mo Hegan wanted to say something, but when he saw Wu Zetian's cold expression, he ultimately chose to say nothing. The moment Mo Hegan left, Zhang Jianzhi, Wei Sili, Wei Yuanzhong, Yao Chong, Zhou Yong, and the others all rushed forward to speak up. "Your Majesty …"
With a wave of her sleeve, Wu Zetian said wearily, "We know. There is no need for you to say anything more. Delay this matter until the situation on the battlefield takes a turn for the better. "
The news of the Turks' marriage proposal quickly spread through Chang 'an. The girls in the Prince of Xiang's residence did not need to ask around to hear about it. Xi Cheng anxiously said, "I didn't expect the Turks to take advantage of the situation. They even threatened that if our court did not agree to the marriage, they would immediately send troops to invade."
Li Huawan said, "The Crown Prince's grandson, Zhongjun, has already been caned to death by Imperial Grandmother. The Crown Prince now only has three sons: Prince Zhongfu of Pingen, Prince Zhongjun of Yixing, and Prince Zhongmao of Beihai. They are all bastards, so the position of the Crown Prince has not been decided for a long time. If the imperial court wants to agree to the marriage, it must first decide on the Crown Prince. Imperial Grandmother will definitely not be willing to hastily decide on the position of the Crown Prince's grandson. In this case, we can only agree to the Tubo's marriage proposal and defeat a strong enemy first. "
Huo Guo pouted and said, "I already said that Yang Fan is not reliable. Shiniang asked him for help, but the more he helped, the more trouble he would cause."
"Oh! You're capable now, aren't you? " Li Chiying pinched her fleshy nose and said, "Is it because you heard from your mother that no matter who gets married, it won't be your turn? You're no longer anxious, so you don't flatter me anymore, huh? I'll go find him right now! "
Qing Yang sighed and said, "Forget it, Shiniang. What's the use of looking for him? I already said that he can't do anything about this."
Li Chiying said angrily, "I … Can't I go find him to settle the score? If he can't do anything about it, then he should just admit it. Why did he lie to us and say that he will find a way? Since he has promised someone, he should do it. A promise is worth a thousand gold, and it will not change even if he is killed! How can he not understand something that even a little girl like me can understand? "
Li Chiying angrily turned around and left. At this time, she had already returned to her residence in the Prince of Xiang's residence. She immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and go straight to Longqing Square. The Prince of Xiang's children were very close and they often visited each other. The Prince of Xiang only thought that she was going to find his royal brothers, so he did not ask any questions. Li Chiying rushed to Longqing Square and asked to see Yang Fan.
Mo Xuanfei had already received Yang Fan's orders. Seeing that Li Shiniang had come again, he hurriedly said, "Our Ah Lang is not here. He has gone to the palace to be on duty."
Li Chiying frowned and turned to leave. Suddenly, she saw a few guards from the General's Mansion standing by the door. They looked like they were about to go out. One of them was leading two horses. One of them was' Snowstorm Cloud '. This horse's head and tail were as black as lacquer. Only its four legs were as white as snow below its knees.
Li Chiying had seen Yang Fan riding this horse in the palace. Of course, the owner's mount would not be changed at will. Li Chiying immediately became suspicious. But on second thought, she suddenly remembered that there was no court meeting today. This loyal general probably did not attend court. Li Chiying was immediately filled with anger. She put her hands on her hips and posed like a big teapot.
Yang Fan hid behind the screen wall and secretly rejoiced. He was just about to go out to Dayun Temple to visit Xue Huaiyi. When he looked up, he saw the little devil getting off the carriage. Fortunately, he dodged quickly and was not seen by her. Yang Fan was secretly rejoicing when he heard a crisp girl's voice outside, "Yang Fan! Come out! Yang Fan, come out … "
The main door of Princess An Le's Mansion was opened. More than ten servants escorted a car out of the door and moved along the Long Qing Pool. A shout came from the front door of the Yang's Mansion. A crisp and sweet voice suddenly ordered, "Stop the car!"
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