“What?!”
Everyone else in the tent paled at these words, even Ishbara Khagan.
This furious cold wave had placed the empire at risk of extinction. Thus, Jiudu Fuluo had been dispatched to see what was going on. No one had expected that someone of Jiudu Fuluo’s cultivation would fail to penetrate through the cold wave.
And the reason he had sent a messenger was most likely that he had been badly injured during his mission.
A peak Great General had been heavily injured in the cold wave?
How was that possible?
Just how extreme was this cold that would injure a Great General and make it difficult for him to promptly retreat?
This fact left everyone in disbelief.
For a moment, the tent was silent from the shock.
The fate of the empire was at stake, so Great General Jiudu Fuluo would not possibly lie!
Calamity!
A true calamity!
At this moment, everyone recalled the Western Turkic ‘prophecy’ of apocalypse that had been circulating around the Great Steppe for thousands of years. A normal winter would never reach such a terrifying level. This could only be explained by that prophesied calamity.
Everyone’s hearts turned heavy.
After a long daze, Ishbara Khagan finally spoke.
“How are Great General Jiudu Fuluo’s injuries?”
Putting aside the cold wave, Jiudu Fuluo’s situation was of utmost importance. Jiudu Fuluo wasn’t the strongest in the Western Turkic Khaganate, but he was the most loyal. This was why Ishbara Khagan had sent him to the north.
“The Great General’s injuries are not light, and he is still recovering in the north. It will be some time until he can return,” the general Jiudu Fuluo had dispatched respectfully said.
Ishbara Khagan let out a sigh of relief. Though he could not return to Mount Sanmi yet, at least his life was not in danger.
“Given the current situation, how long can we last?” Ishbara Khagan asked.
“The cold wave is continuing to move south. Based on the speed of the blizzard at Lake Baikal, it will take eight days at most until it reaches the northern edge of the Great Steppe, and then for Mount Sanmi… it won’t be much longer!” Jiudu Fuluo’s subordinate firmly said, his eyes scanning the crowd.
The faces in the tent turned even gloomier, and Ishbara Khagan’s eyes started to twitch.
The Western Turks had already suffered devastating losses to this extremely cold weather. Numerous livestock and shepherds had frozen to death, and his scouts were saying that the cold wave was continuing to move southward. If the cold weather over Lake Baikal descended on the Western Turkic Khaganate, their empire had a chance of being wiped off the face of the continent.
This cold wave was far more serious than he had imagined!
A Western Turkic general finally broke the silence and called out, “Your Majesty, we can wait no longer! If this continues, the very existence of the Western Turkic Khaganate will come into question!
“Our first priority should be to quickly ally with An Yaluoshan!
“All of the other countries are in dire straits. Only the Great Tang is calm and peaceful, barely suffering any impact from this cold wave. They’ve also stockpiled large amounts of food. This is the only chance for the rest of us.
“The Great Tang is simply too powerful, and at a time like this, they won’t be coming to help us. Only by joining with Youzhou and the other countries, combining our strength, and then attacking the Great Tang, can we avoid this calamity and preserve our Western Turkic Khaganate!
“This is the only solution!”
Even a Great General like Jiudu Fuluo had been wounded by the cold. Once the cold wave came in earnest, how many people in the Western Turkic Khaganate would survive?
“That’s right! Your Majesty, we can’t delay any longer. Speed is paramount in war, and allying with the other countries is the only way out!
“And think about that prophecy. The south is our only chance at survival!”
The other generals and governors voiced their agreement.
Besides calamity, the prophecy of the Great Steppe had also talked about ‘survival’.
No one knew when this prophecy began to circulate, but it truly did mention that the south was the only chance at survival.
Whoosh!
At this moment, the flapping of wings came from outside. A few moments later, a large gyrfalcon flew through the snowstorm and into the tent.
Everyone immediately turned to the bird.
A general came forward to receive the gyrfalcon, removed the letter, and glanced at it.
“Your Majesty, a letter from Youzhou.”
The mood in the tent instantly turned strange.
Chapter 2125 - A Letter from the Central Plains!
Chapter 2125: A Letter from the Central Plains!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Same as last time, about the alliance?” Ishbara Khagan asked, his expression calm and unperturbed.
“Yes!”
The general nodded. They had already received many such letters, but Ishbara Khagan had suppressed all of them, causing them to vanish like stones into the ocean.
“I see,” Ishbara Khagan indifferently replied, saying no more.
In the tent, First Prince Irbis Shiyun shared a glance of mutual understanding with Wunu Shibi.
Irbis Shiyun stood up, made a hand salute, and firmly said, “Imperial Father, we can’t continue to delay.
“Time will not wait for us. An Yaluoshan and the other countries have invited us again and again, and now is the best moment for us to join. Moreover, the Great Tang is abundant with resources, with far greater stockpiles than ours. Attacking the Great Tang is the best way to get through this trial.”
Next to First Prince Irbis Shiyun, Great General Wunu Shibi came forward. “Your Majesty, though the First Prince is young, this general believes he is right on this matter. To not make a decision when decisiveness is called for is certain to sow chaos. Moreover, the alliance of the countries is now set in stone, making this the best time to deal with the Great Tang. And has Your Majesty forgotten the previous humiliations?”
One was the future Khagan and the other was a Great General. Their words combined carried an entirely different weight.
The final comment in particular made Ishbara Khagan’s eyes twitch.
In the border incident, Wang Chong had sent a letter threatening that he would hunt with Ishbara Khagan on Mount Sanmi, forcing Ishbara Khagan to withdraw his million-man army. All of the surrounding countries knew about this incident and joked about it, and Ishbara Khagan had marked it as a lifelong disgrace.
Moreover, even without this incident, the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Great Tang were old foes. Over the course of several hundred years, the two sides had clashed countless times. It was impossible to count the number of Turkic braves who had died to the Tang.
As the sovereign of the Great Steppe, Ishbara Khagan had been born with the ambition to expand his borders, desiring to bring the Western Turkic Khaganate to its apex. But the Tang forever remained an obstacle.
That the Western Turkic Khaganate was still confined to the ‘small region’ that was the Great Steppe was in large part due to the Great Tang.
Deep down in the hearts of Ishbara Khagan and any other Western Turk was a deep loathing for the Great Tang, though it was not a hatred normally brought up.
But the Great Tang…
Ishbara Khagan’s eyes flickered, and he stopped deliberating.
“Your Majesty, you must not!” Another Western Turkic general suddenly spoke up, his eyes filled with worry.
Any Western Turk had thoughts of vanquishing the Great Tang, but that was then and this was now. Everyone had seen how the Arabs had ended up.
“The Arabs gathered an army of two million, six hundred thousand elites, had a powerful expert in Khatabah, and summoned many of their G
overnors, the Ifrit, and the Behemoth Army. But despite all this, they still lost to the Tang, and their capital of Baghdad was taken and their country vanquished.
“Everyone, ask yourselves: can our cavalry compare to Arabia’s cavalry? Is our army as strong? And in this situation, what if we were to fail? Even Arabia was vanquished! What do we have that can oppose the Tang?
“Moreover, if we join the alliance army and attack the Great Tang, we could succeed or fail, but if we fail, we might suffer such devastating losses that our children might be enslaved by the Tang, our people forced into servitude for the rest of time!”
Numerous generals in the tent paled.
The Tang were arrogant, yes, but this arrogance was founded on strength. With examples of the past to look to, they understood that defeat would lead to unimaginable consequences.
“Absurd!”
Wunu Shibi’s voice erupted in the tent, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade.
“The cold wave is imminent. If we don’t join the alliance, must we feign civility with the Great Tang?
“Countless livestock and shepherds in the empire have frozen to death, and you speak on behalf of the enemy? This general must question your intent! Talk! What did you receive from the Tang, that you would speak up for them?”
With a clang, Wunu Shibi drew his saber halfway out of its sheath, causing its bright surface to flash with a savage light.
“Great General!”
Everyone paled in alarm and came up to stop Wunu Shibi. Meanwhile, the Western Turkic general whose words had incited this reaction paled.
Suddenly, from a corner of the tent, behind all the other generals, Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili spoke, his voice cold as ice. “Hmph, Great General, as long as you can say that you simply need to grab your saber and mount your horse to take Wang Chong’s head, I am sure that all the people of the Western Turkic Khaganate, including this Duwu Sili, would support you in joining the alliance.
“I am sure that with Great General’s ability, this should be as easy as lifting a hand, yes?”
Wunu Shibi narrowed his eyes and coldly replied, “Such impudence! Duwu Sili, you defeated general, do you have the right to speak here? In the Battle of Talas, the Celestial Wolf Cavalry were wiped out, and you still have the face to speak here?!”
“Bastard!”
Duwu Sili exploded in rage, his fists clenching.
In the Battle of Talas, he had fallen for Wang Chong’s fake formation phenomena and his army had been routed back to the west. In the Western Turkic Khaganate, his status had also taken a fall into the abyss. This could be seen from how he, a Great General, had been placed at the very back row for such an important meeting.
As the two quarreled, Ishbara Khagan’s impatience grew, and finally, with a roar, he stopped the two of them. “Enough!
“All of you, shut up!”
Whoosh!
Seeing Ishbara Khagan’s rage, the generals in the tent fell silent, fear in their eyes. All of them dropped their heads, Wunu Shibi and Duwu Sili included.
While Wunu Shibi and Duwu Sili’s quarrel seemed to be over the alliance, in reality, everyone knew that it was about the War of the Princes between the Fourth Prince and the First Prince.
Ishbara Khagan massaged his twitching brow and turned to a nearby figure.
“Blackwater Shaman, what is your view on this matter? Have the gods sent down a decree regarding this ice calamity?”
“The gods have not sent down a message.”
Nearby, the Blackwater Shaman was seated cross-legged on the side, unmoved by the ferocity of the arguments taking place around him.
Ishbara Khagan deeply frowned.
The Blackwater Shaman had a transcendent status in the Western Turkic Khaganate, and he had always supported the Fourth Prince. For the Blackwater Shaman to have not sought a message from the gods with this fatal threat of the cold wave approaching was far too abnormal.
Whoosh!
As Ishbara Khagan was deep in thought, the flapping of wings came from nearby. A few moments later, a warrior entered the tent with a muscular messenger bird.
The warrior got down on one knee and said, “Khagan, a letter from the Central Plains.”
His one sentence caused everyone to pale.
The Central Plains!
Truly, when speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao would arrive!
They had just received An Yaluoshan’s letter urging them to join the alliance, and now, they had received a letter from the Great Tang!
It would be different if the letter had arrived at any other time, but it happened to arrive just as they were discussing whether to join the alliance.
The faces of everyone in the tent turned strange, with the pro-alliance First Prince and Wunu Shibi deeply frowning.
“This bastard!”
Wunu Shibi clenched his fists, hatred in his eyes.
Even now, he could not forget the humiliation he had received from Wang Chong at the feast of all countries.
The timing of this letter’s arrival was far too coincidental. He didn’t need to think very long to know that this was undoubtedly Wang Chong’s handiwork. But no matter how shocked and surprised he was, anything concerning Wang Chong had to be considered rationally.
“Read it!” Ishbara Khagan coldly ordered.
“This…”
The general looked at the letter and hesitated.
In the Western Turkic Khaganate, any letter from the Great Tang concerning Wang Chong would not contain pleasant contents. This letter would naturally be no different.
“The Khagan ordered you to read, so read. You can simply summarize the main contents. There’s no need to read it word for word,” the Blackwater Shaman suddenly said.
“Yes!”
The Western Turkic general felt as if he had been pardoned, and let out a long sigh of relief.
“The letter from the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands says that they already know about what has happened on the Western Turkic steppe and are willing to offer assistance. The Western Turks and the Great Tang have a history of friendship, and so both sides should continue this tradition.
“The Great Tang is willing to allocate a region for the shepherds of the steppe to move into to avoid the blizzard. The Great Tang is also willing to offer food supplies to aid the Western Turks.”
At this point, the general snuck a glance at the crowd.
The tent had fallen silent, and he could clearly see the strange expressions on everyone’s faces.
The Western Turks and the Great Tang had a history of friendship?
Was that King of Foreign Lands serious?
Over the course of several hundred years, the Western Turks had engaged in hundreds of conflicts with the Great Tang, if not thousands. Who was Wang Chong trying to fool here?!
But at a time like this, nobody openly stated this fact. As for the second part, regarding the Great Tang allowing the Western Turks to move into the interior and their willingness to provide supplies, the generals had to admit that they were surprised.
Anyone who had the slightest understanding of the King of Foreign Lands understood that this was completely out of line with his style.
This was like food raining down from the heavens, and for some reason, it made everyone feel extremely uneasy.
Chapter 2126 - A Clash of Princely Factions Amongst the Western Turks!
Chapter 2126: A Clash of Princely Factions Amongst the Western Turks!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Just what is this bastard thinking?”
Ishbara Khagan’s brow twitched. He was somewhat unable to fathom Wang Chong’s thoughts.
For some reason, he felt that this matter could not be as simple as it seemed.
As expected, a few moments later, the Western Turkic general read off the other part of the letter.
“…But he has heard that there are some rebels causing trouble in Youzhou on the northeastern b
order, and he says that as the Western Turks and the Great Tang are brotherly countries, he is certain that the Western Turks will not refuse assisting its brother in eliminating this problem!”
As the general spoke, the tent became deathly still, the faces of everyone else in the tent a sight to behold.
As expected!
They knew that there was no such thing as food raining down from the heavens! Everything had its price.
An Yaluoshan hoped to recruit the Western Turks to attack the Great Tang, while Wang Chong hoped to recruit the Western Turks and have them assist him in dealing with the alliance army!
Truly, there is no such thing as an oil-conserving lamp! Ishbara Khagan said to himself, an indescribable feeling in his heart.
But regardless, the attitude of Wang Chong and the Great Tang had greatly softened. In this way, the Western Turks could derive benefits from both the Great Tang and the countries of the northeast, a surprising harvest.
At the very least, the Western Turkic Khaganate had the initiative in these negotiations.
“Are you done reading?” Ishbara Khagan asked, his expression relaxing.
“This…”
The general glanced at the letter again and hesitated.
“What? Is there still something else?”
Ishbara Khagan raised an eyebrow, immediately sensing that something was wrong, that there was something different from what he was expecting.
“This… That man from the Great Tang has also said that if Khagan feels that there are some things that are hard to convey in words, he is willing to come personally to Mount Sanmi to discuss the matter with Khagan,” the general said as he turned the letter over to show it to the crowd.
At that moment, everyone could see ‘Meet at Mount Sanmi’ written clearly on the letter, written several times larger than the other words.
Whoosh!
Those strongly emphasized words caused all of them to understand, and as they turned their heads, they saw that Ishbara Khagan had a nasty scowl on his face.
After all this time, that bastard from the Great Tang hadn’t changed one bit!
He had found it strange that this scoundrel had suddenly had a change of heart, offering such good conditions to the Western Turks, but in the end, if they didn’t accept his conditions, this scoundrel planned to attack Mount Sanmi!
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