Chapter 1280: Yeon Gaesomun (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Winds blew across the steppe and over the summit of Mount Sanmi. The black cap on the Blackwater Shaman's head trembled, revealing a strand of gray-white hair. And if one looked carefully, one could see that the Blackwater Shaman's face was covered in wrinkles and he seemed to have aged greatly.
In his frequent attempts to communicate with the gods and see the future, the Blackwater Shaman had not come away without paying a price!
Wunu Shibi said no more, a solemn look in his eyes. The amount of information gathered up on the Great Tang's King of Foreign Lands was already as high as a small mountain. In the first part of his life, he was mediocre and nothing impressive, but after that, it seemed like he had suddenly awakened and began to advance with astonishing speed. Even now, this contrast left many people deeply confused.
”But on this matter, the Khagan has entrusted me with this question for you. Is there not a way to play some deception concerning the disarmament of the two hundred thousand soldiers?” the Blackwater Shaman asked.
”The Khagan believes that since the Great Tang and the Western Turks are separated by a great distance, the Great Tang won't notice if we play some sort of trick while reducing our armies?”
Now they were talking about serious concerns, Wunu Shibi restrained his smile.
The Blackwater Shaman nodded.
”Impossible!” Wunu Shibi lightly said, his answer clean and straightforward. ”All of you are looking down too much on that Great Tang Confucian!”
As Wunu Shibi spoke, he slowly stood up from that round and smooth stone. At that moment, the mountain seemed to sway and there was a metallic clattering from his golden Solar Armor. When Wunu Shibi finally stood straight, it was like a giant had appeared in front of that round stone.
Wunu Shibi was two meters tall, an entire head taller than the Blackwater Shaman next to him, and his body exuded an intensely oppressive aura.
”That Confucian might be too naive, but he is no fool. At the very least, he is not so simple as all of you imagine! This is someone who can suppress the King of Foreign Lands, calling him back to the capital at the height of his reputation, and who can suppress all the militarists. Do you really think that he can be so easily fooled?” Wunu Shibi slowly said.
Wunu Shibi had a much higher evaluation of Li Junxian than many people expected.
The Blackwater Shaman's eyes flashed upon hearing these words.
”The current Great Tang has reached the apex. Any single faction cannot contend against it alone. And if we truly wish to use the Great Tang's conflict between Confucians and militarists to exhaust the Great Tang, we cannot leave anything to chance. At least for now, we must let them see that we are sincerely reducing our armies,” Wunu Shibi said.
”Understood. I will relay your reply to the Khagan!”
The Blackwater Shaman nodded and turned around.
……
At the same time, in the distant Ü-Tsang…
Endless fierce winds blew in from the north and swept all the way to the south.
Ever since the Battle of Talas last year, where the three elite fighting powers of Dalun Ruozan, Dusong Mangpoje, and Huoshu Huicang were lost, the entirety of Ü-Tsang was suffused with an oppressive energy. Even the sky itself seemed to be oppressed. At this moment, several figures were standing on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, gazing at the vast lands down below.
In the blustery winds, the clothes of the man standing at the very front of the group of three snapped in the wind. He exuded an aura of matchless authority, like a high mountain which one could only look up to and admire.
This man was wearing an azure robe, and as he silently looked ahead, his eyes were brimming with endless intelligence.
Flap flap!
As these three were looking down from the plateau at the lands of the Central Plains, an eagle broke through the clouds, flying out from the northwest.
Swoosh!
A moment later, an arm extended to receive this eagle.
”Imperial Minister! The Western Turkic Khaganate of the northwest has sent a letter! It bears the seal of Wunu Shibi!”
A Tibetan soldier by the cliff swiftly strode over to Ü-Tsang's Imperial Minister, Dalon Trinling, and passed the letter to him.
Although Dalon Trinling was not even fifty and still in the prime of his life, his face appeared to have weathered many more years. The deaths of two Great Generals and one Great Minister had dealt an unimaginable blow to the entire empire. Even now, Dalon Trinling had apparently not fully recovered from that beating. Opening the letter, Dalon Trinling gave it a simple glance before putting it away and placing his hands behind his back.
”Wunu Shibi has sent word that the Western Turks have disarmed two hundred thousand soldiers. You should prepare as well!”
Dalon Trinling's indifferent voice resounded in everyone's ears.
”Yes! Imperial Minister!”
The generals of the Yarlung Royal Lineage and Yatse Royal Lineage behind him bowed.