Translator: Mr Voltaire Editor: Modlawls123 The land was vast and boundless, with mountains rising and falling like the waves of the sea. This was a vast plateau. The sky was high and the clouds were deep. The terrain was far higher than any of the surrounding lands, any of the countries.
From here, one could see the world!
In the Tang dynasty, this place was known as the Ouzan.
"Huoshu, you see it. Over here, over those mountains, the Tang dynasty is in the distance! "
The wind howled. At this moment, at the highest point of the mountains, at the edge of the plateau, a middle-aged man dressed in black stood against the wind. His aura was majestic, like a mountain range. Using the goose feather fan in his hand, he pointed to the end of the horizon, exuding the aura of a ruler.
The man had a scholarly demeanor, and his eyes were filled with wisdom. He looked like a person from the Central Plains. However, the slightly rough yellow skin under his sleeves revealed his identity.
The people here couldn't be any more authentic than the people of the Ouzan.
"Milord, you see it!"
Beside the middle-aged man was a valiant general. His feet were apart, and a long saber hung from his waist. He stood there like a spear stabbed into the ground, giving off the feeling of an immovable mountain.
His body wasn't very tall, but the aura he exuded was as vast and boundless as the ocean.
And that sharp aura he exuded seemed to be able to split apart a mountain in front of him with a single slash.
"But so what if you see it? That land isn't suitable for grazing horses or sheep. Your subordinate doesn't understand. Why is Milord always thinking about that place? "
Huoshu Huizang said indifferently. There wasn't the slightest change in his eyes.
He knew what his superior wanted to say. But as a general, he had no interest in such things.
"Hahaha, Huoshu, you're wrong."
Hearing the words of his subordinate, Dalun Ruozan retracted his goose feather fan and chuckled.
"Although the Tang dynasty isn't suitable for grazing horses or sheep, it produces the most beautiful silk in the world. It has the most grain and the most cities in the world. The people of the highlands should rule over the people of the lowlands. Huoshu, don't you think so? "
"Milord, please think about it. Your subordinate is a crude man who only knows how to fight."
Huoshu Huizang said lightly.
His expression was firm as he stood there motionlessly. Even his eyelashes did not tremble.
"… Moreover, the Tang people may not be as easy to deal with as you think."
Huoshu Huizang said indifferently.
As General Ouzan, Huoshu Huizang never looked down on others, but he would never underestimate his opponents either. If Ouzan wanted to expand, the Tang dynasty was the best direction.
However, even to this day, the Ouzan Empire had never succeeded. Not because he was benevolent, but because he was too stubborn.
The Ouzan Empire was divided by the Royal Family. Chi Dezuzan, who resided in the capital city of Luo Sa, had a supreme position. Under Chi Dezuzan's jurisdiction, there were four Royal Lineages, which were ruled by Chi Dezuzan's four younger brothers. They were the Alisa Royal Lineage, the Lhasa Royal Lineage, the Yaze Royal Lineage, and the Yarlung Royal Lineage.
Huoshu Huizang and Dalun Ruozan belonged to the Alisa Royal Lineage that ruled over the southeast.
Here, they were bordered by the Tang Dynasty's Jiannan, and they weren't too far away from Erhai's Mengshe Zhao. In these two years, the Tang Dynasty's Southern Protector-General Zhangchou Jianqiong and Mengshe Zhao's King Gelofeng were their main enemies.
The 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty's Southern Protectorate Manor were like a nail hammered into their hearts, exerting immense pressure on them.
"Hahaha, Huoshu, have you heard? Your nemesis Zhangchou Jianqiong is going to be transferred to the capital. He intends to become the Minister of War of the Tang Dynasty. That's not an insignificant position. "
Dalun Ruozan suddenly chuckled.
"Is the news reliable?"
Huoshu Huizang was taken aback for a moment before a hint of interest appeared on his face.
"It hasn't been confirmed yet. However, according to our informants, there's at least an eighty percent chance of it happening. "
Dalun Ruozan replied confidently.
"Hehe, without Zhangchou Jianqiong around, the Tang Dynasty's Jiannan is a void. Huoshu Huizang, this is a great opportunity for us. "
As he spoke, he turned to look at Great General Ouzan beside him with an indiscernible smile.
Huoshu Huizang's lips twitched slightly, but he soon regained his composure.
"It's useless. Zhangchou Jianqiong's military might is a mix of truth and falsehood, and the news that you received might not be true. Perhaps, he was the one who intentionally leaked the news. Besides, even if he were to leave, he would surely have made preparations beforehand. "
"He and I have been rivals for a long time. He won't be an easy opponent to deal with! "
"Hehe, Zhangchou Jianqiong isn't an easy opponent. However, the same can't be said for his successor, Xianyu Zhongtong. If Zhangchou Jianqiong is transferred to the Tang Dynasty's capital, Huoshu, you'll have to prepare yourself. We'll be waging war against the Tang Dynasty soon! "
Dalun Ruozan complimented with deep meaning in his eyes.
"I'm not afraid of war, but lord, there's no turning back. Are we really prepared for it? "
Huoshu Huizang gripped the hilt of his saber tightly as he replied.
The Tang people were no pushovers. This had been proven countless times in the past. In the past thousand years, the Tang Dynasty was the only territory that Ouzan had yet to conquer.
Similarly, the Ouzan Empire was also a territory that the Tang Dynasty had yet to conquer.
Every single war, once started, was difficult to end.
As one of Ouzan's generals, Huoshu Huizang knew this all too well.
As a warrior, Huoshu Huizang lived for war. War was his calling. But as one of Ouzan's generals, Huoshu Huizang had to consider the empire behind him.
"Hehe, it's different this time!"
Dalun Ruozan chuckled as he fanned himself. There was an indescribable glint in his eyes.
"This time, it's the will of the gods. The Maguspriests have asked three times, and all three times, the same prophecy was given. The crisis comes from the east. This is a crisis that concerns the survival of our Ouzan Empire. If we can't nip this crisis in the bud, then our Ouzan Empire will be beyond redemption! "
"Huoshu, you should know when was the last time the same prophecy was given three times, right?"
Dalun Ruozan nodded with a serious expression.
On this lonely plateau, there wasn't just one civilization or one dynasty. Thousands of years ago, there was another powerful dynasty on this plateau.
However, this powerful dynasty suddenly perished overnight, and all traces of it were erased.
Now, people only knew its name:
Zhangzhung Dynasty!
That was the Duzang Dynasty, which was even older than the Seven Crimson Sky Kings.
Almost no one knew about this ancient Ouzan Empire. Only the higher-ups of Ouzan Empire knew about it.
— — That was the last time the same prophecy was given three times.
All these years, the prophecy had successfully prophesied the rise of Mount Goddess, the appearance of the Great Snow Mountain Temple, and the era of the Seven Crimson Sky Kings.
In the Ouzan Empire, the prophecy was a higher existence than the Great Snow Mountain Temple. Even the holy monks of the Great Snow Mountain Temple didn't dare to disobey it.
"Hehe, but I want to tell you that although the Maguspriests say there are three prophecies, there are actually four. The last one was hidden by Zhangpu. "
Dalun Ruozan said.
Huoshu Huizang's expression suddenly changed.
"Hehe, what does four identical prophecies mean? I don't think I need to explain it to you anymore. In the history of our Ouzan Empire, this has never happened before. There is only one Tang dynasty in the east of our Ouzan Empire. Without a doubt, the crisis comes from the Tang dynasty. "
"Only the Tang dynasty has the strength to topple our Ouzan Empire. Right now, Dusong Mangpoje has already brought the First Prince to the capital of the Tang dynasty to investigate the situation. I heard that the monarch of the Tang dynasty has suddenly become muddle-headed. I don't know if this is true or not, but I believe that Dusong Mangpoje and the others will soon return with news. "
Dalun Ruozan said, his gaze turning to the northeast, piercing through the void to look in the direction of the capital of the Tang dynasty.
Standing behind him, Huoshu Huizang also looked in the same direction.
The mountain was quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing in the distance. It was the sound of countless Ouzan warriors training …
… …
Rumble!
Dust flew in the air. In the northwest of the capital of the Tang dynasty, ten-some elite horsemen galloped along the wide road. It was only ten-some horsemen, but they exuded the aura of an army of thousands. Even the earth seemed to tremble beneath their feet.
"Hahaha, this is the Tang dynasty! It's filled with farmers, cloth sellers, and silk sellers. How can such people compare to our Ouzan? What right do they have to compete with our Ouzan? "
In front of this group of elite soldiers, an Ouzan youth with sword-like eyebrows sat on the back of a horse and heartily laughed in Tibetan.
"First Prince, this is a good thing!"
A brawny Ouzan man exuding a majestic aura like a storm chased up from the rear. His face was yellow, as if he had been exposed to the sun. Although he wasn't very tall, his aura was as unshakable as a mountain.
And what was most striking was his palm. It was especially wide and seemed especially powerful.
This person was one of the great generals of the Ouzan, Dusong Mangpoje.
Dusong was the name of the clan.
Mangpoje meant 'eagle'!
Only the most outstanding disciples of the plateau would be bestowed the name of Mangpoje by the clan. Every great clan of the Ouzan would have one, and only one, 'Mangpoje'.
"The current Tang dynasty is no longer the Tang dynasty of the past. Right now, they like profit, business, and comfort. This is a good thing. A mountain cannot hold two tigers. On this continent, there shouldn't be two equally powerful empires. The weakening of the Tang dynasty is a good thing for us! "
Dusong Mangpoje said. He wore a leather hat on his head and wore ordinary clothes to hide his identity.
Although this wasn't a particularly brilliant method, the Tang dynasty lacked understanding of the Ouzan. Even if they knew of Dusong Mangpoje's name, they might not have seen him in person.
"But First Prince, don't forget the mission we shoulder. Thus, on this trip to the Tang dynasty, we should do our best to keep a low profile."
As Dusong Mangpoje spoke, he stroked his beard.
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