Chapter 177: |
Inside the grand hall, the father-in-law and son-in-law exchanged glances. Su Li’s gaze remained composed as if merely stating a fact. Li Er wore an extremely serious expression. Li Er might have taken it as a threat if anyone else had spoken those words. But coming from Su Li, he believed it to be a statement of fact.
Subconsciously, Li Er began to ponder the potential repercussions of letting Su Li handle things independently. However, he quickly dismissed those thoughts. Su Li had taken countless lives on the battlefield, and if he acted alone, Gao Yang would likely meet a grim fate.
In truth, Li Er didn’t care about Gao Yang’s life, but he was deeply concerned about the royal family’s reputation. He had ascended the throne by eliminating his own brothers, and the thought of his children turning against each other and causing discord troubled him.
If Su Li were to kill Gao Yang directly, the truth would undoubtedly come to light, and people would accuse Li Er of sowing discord within his family. If he had killed his own brothers, his children might not have escaped the same fate.
However, preventing Su Li and erasing this incident from history was also impossible. Trying to persuade Su Li at this moment seemed futile, and even if Su Li took action against Gao Yang directly, Li Er had limited recourse. After all, Gao Yang was a non-mainline princess and not particularly astute. In Li Er’s eyes, her life held little value compared to Su Li, a renowned general throughout history.
But if Li Er were to handle the situation himself, what should he do? He found himself in a dilemma. Should he simply order Gao Yang’s execution? Even then, her past plot against Changle would still come to light.
While Li Er pondered his options, Su Li suddenly broached a different topic. “Your Majesty, I’ve heard that envoys from various foreign countries have gathered in the Tang Dynasty recently, intending to recognize you as the Heavenly Khan,” Su Li inquired.
Li Er was initially puzzled and asked, “What does this matter have to do with your question?”
“Changle values sisterly affection and doesn’t want to see Gao Yang meet a tragic end. However, she can never forget what happened in the past. I suggest, Your Majesty, that you ensure Gao Yang never appears before Changle for the rest of her life,” Su Li calmly suggested.
Since Su Li’s three decisive victories in the northwest, the neighboring minor foreign nations were cautious and on edge. The Tang Dynasty’s sudden and ruthless actions had caught them off guard. With each successive battle, their fierceness escalated, and their approach differed from the past, bypassing customary diplomatic gestures for confrontation and displaying overwhelming military strength.
As part of the East Asian Monster Room, the Western Regions and their various countries held significant power. Gathering millions of soldiers to resist the Tang Dynasty, they were ultimately defeated. Currently, the Tang army was hunting down and slaughtering the people of the Western Regions with unprecedented brutality, causing neighboring small countries to tremble in fear.
Almost simultaneously upon hearing the news, these nations dispatched envoys to the Tang Dynasty. Their motives were straightforward, to demonstrate submission and possibly gauge Li Er’s interest in their modest territories. It was reasonable for one or two nations to act in this manner since the central dynasty of the Xia lands indeed held authority over the entire region, and this was not mere self-praise.
However, when a group of nations simultaneously visited the Tang Dynasty with such intentions, Li Er’s elation hardly waned. He instructed the officers of the Honglu Temple to meticulously guide these foreign envoys in etiquette.
Half a month later, another grand imperial court assembly was convened, primarily to receive the envoys of various countries. The spectacle was unprecedentedly grand, with insufficient room for all the foreign envoys to kneel in the grand hall. Many envoys from more distant regions, like Great Tambor and Cambodia, had to kneel outside.
During the assembly, Li Er announced that several nations were exempt from tribute. He graciously accepted gifts from the envoys, and after presenting their gifts, they pledged to regularly pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty and vowed to maintain these ties. Traditionally, Li Er should have reciprocated with more valuable gifts, but this time, he took an unexpected turn. His gifts consisted entirely of sun-dried potatoes and sweet potatoes.
The reason was clear—the Western Regions had not been fully pacified, and remnants of the Western Regions’ nations continued to cause trouble. Li Er invested heavily in these cleanup operations, depleting the Tang Dynasty’s resources. Lacking surplus funds, he rewarded these smaller countries with sun-dried potatoes and sweet potatoes, still considered precious by common people and served as his show-off props.
Upon seeing the list of gifts in return, many foreign envoys were disappointed. Their journey to the central dynasty was supposed to be a path to wealth and prosperity. A tradition passed down through generations. They couldn’t understand why Li Er would offer them these items, especially envoys from nations with abundant crops like Cambodia. However, fearing provoking the Tang Dynasty, they dared not express any discontent.
Despite their disappointment, many envoys praised Li Er’s cultural and martial achievements while discreetly inquiring about Su Li. Su Li’s remarkable accomplishments left a lasting impression even on nations with more primitive reverence. Li Er could sense that these envoys feared Su Li more than they feared him.
Li Er had carefully orchestrated this scene to flaunt his achievements, but it put Su Li in the spotlight. This irked Li Er, who was accustomed to pride. Petty thoughts that he had buried deep within himself resurfaced once more.