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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Zhen sat in the court, feeling both amused and exasperated. She had been inexplicably brought before the court as a suspect in an arson case, while the ministers and various Lords gathered around her seemed to ignore her presence. The assembly quickly divided into two factions: one advocating for war and the other for peace, leading to mutual accusations and questioning.
Qizong Nongsan sat high above, silent with his eyes slightly closed, coldly observing the quarrel before him. Lu Dongzan attempted to mediate, but his efforts were largely ineffective.
Qiang Bang Se, representing the pro-war faction, shifted the blame for the arson incident onto their own camp, suggesting that it was a deliberate act by the pro-war faction to frame the Tang envoy in a public disturbance, burning temples to incite conflict between the two nations for their own gain.
Though Qiang Bang Se appeared just and righteous, the pro-war faction soon turned their accusations back on him, claiming this was a conspiracy by the Pro-War Faction to tarnish their reputation.
Xu Zhen couldn't help but sneer; Qiang Bang Se seemed noble but was actually fanning the flames of discord. Such lowly tactics were brazenly obvious, and he was clearly trying to provoke Qizong Nongsan!
When strength is lacking, people resort to schemes; when power is balanced, they use open strategies. When one side's strength overwhelms the other, no cunning is needed—this is the principle of brute force overcoming wisdom.
Clearly, Qiang Bang Se felt confident that his influence was sufficient for open strategies. His seemingly clumsy methods were effective enough to achieve his goals; he was testing Qizong Nongsan's stance!
Qizong Nongsan slowly opened his eyes and raised a hand, instantly silencing both sides of the heated argument. They angrily shook their sleeves; had it not been for Zanpu's presence, they might have come to blows.
"Since you cannot reach an agreement, let us do this: Lu Dongzan and Qiang Bang Se will investigate together while the rest of you will supervise. As for General Xu, it would be best for him to rest at the Post House for now and avoid going out."
With Lu Dongzan advocating for peace and Qiang Bang Se pushing for war, Qizong Nongsan's decision seemed fair. However, Xu Zhen was not pleased.
This situation arose from someone deliberately stirring trouble; she could only blame her status as a Tang envoy for being caught up in it. While Qizong Nongsan spoke eloquently, he was effectively placing Xu Zhen under house arrest at the Post House, preventing her from going out. If it were just about her personally, such a decision might be acceptable; however, as an envoy representing Tang's dignity, how could she allow herself to be so easily doubted?
Moreover, these individuals thought they could treat Xu Zhen like a fool to manipulate at will—how ridiculous! Who was she? They should ask Azuna, the king of Central India!
With a cold smile in her heart, Xu Zhen slowly stood up and addressed Qizong Nongsan: “Your Majesty, investigating the true culprit is an internal matter of Tuguhun. Logically speaking, I should not overstep my bounds; however, as it concerns my reputation and the relations between our two nations, I must boldly request permission to join the investigation!”
Xu Zhen Once these words were spoken, the pro-war faction was displeased. Everyone knew that this Tang envoy had close ties with Lu Dongzan, having just attended a banquet at Lu Dongzan's residence a few days ago. Lu Dongzan had also previously served as an envoy to the Tang dynasty. With such interactions, Lu Dongzan could easily be seen as a cowardly supporter of the pro-Tang faction. Now that Xu Zhen wanted to join the investigation, it was clear she intended to assist Lu Dongzan!
Qiang Bang Se noticed the discontent on the faces of his side's Lord and ministers and quickly snorted, reporting to Qizong Nongsan: “King, at the time of the incident, General Xu was in the Fire Temple, and he had just ignited the Holy Fire. After numerous reports from the public, we brought him back for questioning. Although I trust Xu Zhen's character, legally speaking, she has not cleared her suspicions. To put it bluntly, how can a suspect have the right to investigate?!”
Qiang Bang Se smiled insincerely, and his remark about suspects drew loud laughter from the pro-war faction.
Xu Zhen did not take offense and calmly addressed Qizong Nongsan: “King, I have been wrongfully accused. While my personal honor may not matter much, as an envoy representing our great nation, I must clear my name and punish those who slander me. I hope for your support!”
Nodding in acknowledgment, Xu Zhen maintained her composure while invoking her status as an envoy. Qizong Nongsan indeed raised an eyebrow; he had just accepted titles from the Tang dynasty as Duke of the Right Guard and from Xihai as Prince. Just a few days after such events, if he were to confine Xu Zhen, it would imply treating her as a suspect. However, due to her status as an envoy, he had refrained from arresting her.
Although aware that domestic forces were secretly causing trouble and that Xu Zhen was merely being used as a pawn, it was still necessary to keep her under watch.
Since Xu Zhen had already spoken up, there was no reason for him to refuse her request. After all, she was not foolish; if he treated her as a suspect, it would show blatant disrespect towards the Tang dynasty.
With this in mind, Qizong Nongsan lightly coughed and then decided: “Since General Xu has expressed this intention, I cannot force it. Given that you are not fully acquainted with our country's situation, I will assign someone to assist you. Qinsuo Luo, you will take charge of this matter and assist General Xu in the investigation.”
This Qinsuo Luo is one of Qizong Nongsan's avatars, thirty years old, handsome and dignified, and is the grandson of the late Grand Chancellor Polak. He typically leans towards the pro-war faction.
It is no wonder that at his age, with one foot in the grave, he could still firmly grasp imperial power; one must admit that he has mastered the art of balance quite well.
Because of Xu Zhen's close relationship with Lu Dongzan, her involvement in the investigation would inevitably create some imbalance between Qiang Bang Se and Lu Dongzan. Thus, bringing in a pro-war figure like Qinsuo Luo would help restore that balance.
Moreover, since Qinsuo Luo comes from a military background and possesses exceptional skills, he could monitor every move of Xu Zhen. As an avatar of Qizong Nongsan, he also held significant influence which would effectively limit any overly reckless actions by Xu Zhen.
The matter was settled just like that. Qizong Nongsan was feeling exhausted, and Li Wushuang, seeing that Xu Zhen was unharmed, helped Qizong Nongsan back to the palace to rest. However, she still felt some concern, believing that Xu Zhen should not be involved in the investigation of this matter any further.
Li Wushuang had been in Tuguhun for quite some time and was well aware of the domestic situation. Regardless of the final outcome of the investigation, there would inevitably be a conflict between Qiang Bang Se and Lu Dongzan. Xu Zhen truly should not get entangled in Tuguhun's disputes. Moreover, this conflict might even involve Sovereign Qizong Nongsan himself.
A few days prior, Xu Zhen had a detailed conversation with Lu Dongzan; how could she not know the intricacies involved? Initially, Lu Dongzan had even warned Xu Zhen, otherwise he would not have secretly sent Zhou Cang back to Tang Territory. He just did not expect things to unfold so suddenly and in such a manner.
After the court session, many ministers and Lords indeed gathered together, clearly divided. There were hardly any fence-sitters left; the Tuguhun aristocracy was not as easy to maneuver as that of the Tang Dynasty. It had a distinctly black-and-white nature: either pro-war or pro-peace. The middle ground was seen as weak and indecisive, and those who tried to please both sides would quickly be eliminated by both factions.
Qinsuo Luo appeared to be a very amiable person, smiling warmly and treating Xu Zhen with courtesy. However, Qiang Bang Se looked at Xu Zhen with pity and secretly laughed to himself: "Running into this smiling tiger is indeed bad luck for you, Xu Zhen..."
Anqiao, also an embodiment of Qizong Nongsan, had always been on good terms with Qinsuo Luo. Upon hearing that Qinsuo Luo had received this assignment, he happily went to visit him and embellished the story about Li Wushuang treating Xu Zhen well.
Like Anqiao, Qinsuo Luo was infatuated with Li Wushuang. This Tang Princess, in terms of appearance and demeanor, resembled a celestial being and was incomparable to any Tuguhun woman.
Hearing Anqiao describe Xu Zhen as if she were Li Wushuang's guest of honor brought a sinister smile to his lips while his fists clenched tightly in secret.
The two conspired together and devised a plan. The next morning, Qinsuo Luo appeared at Post House with a beaming smile. However, when he entered Post House, his smile instantly froze.
He was informed that the Tang envoy General Xu Zhen had already left early!
He did not expect that Xu Zhen would dare to leave him behind and go out alone for an investigation. Did she not fear that he would report her to King?
Qinsuo Luo and Anqiao had devised numerous strategies to deal with Xu Zhen countless times, but now they could not even see her face; she clearly did not regard him as her supervisor at all!
The feeling of hitting nothing but air was truly infuriating. Qinsuo Luo immediately thought about entering the palace to report the situation to Qizong Nongsan, accusing Xu Zhen of escaping surveillance and being a major suspect!
However, he was after all the incarnation of Qizong Nongsan and had been by Qizong Nongsan's side for a long time. He understood Qizong Nongsan's personality and temperament well. If he were to report back every time he faced a setback, it would be like a child who loses a fight and runs back to their parents. How could he possibly take on important responsibilities?
Although he was the grandson of the Grand Chancellor, by his generation, the family's popularity had waned. His family only held a few fiefs and did not control a large military force like other Lords. He needed to build connections and reputation, relying solely on his identity as an incarnation.
In his heart, he always felt that one day, through his own efforts, he would make this incarnation of Zanpu into a true Zanpu!
Though this dream seemed somewhat unrealistic, it was his constant goal. It was precisely because of this that he gravitated towards Qiang Bang Se, believing that conservatives like Lu Dongzan were too stagnant to stir up any significant change. In chaos, heroes emerge; Tuguhun remains undisturbed. They had no chance at all to reach the pinnacle!
With this thought in mind, Qinsuo Luo suppressed his anger and asked the Steward of the Post House for directions regarding Xu Zhen's departure before leaving the Post House. He instructed his attendants to return and gather people, activating their informants to uncover Xu Zhen's whereabouts.
"Hmph! Once I find you, you'll definitely pay!" Qinsuo Luo thought.
At that moment, Xu Zhen was wandering around the burned Buddhist Temple. She had changed clothes with Li Mingda and donned a hood. Under Zhang Suling's skilled hands, she disguised herself as a Tubo person in search of the Temple Master of the Zoroastrian Temple!
"Achoo!" Xu Zhen sneezed unexpectedly, rubbing her sore nose and muttering angrily, "Which bastard is trying to scheme against me again!"
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