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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 170: The Dance of Power
Shibi Khan's regard for Li Jian Cheng was not merely out of old friendship; after all, their relationship was only one of casual acquaintance. What truly mattered were Li Jian Cheng's reputation and status, as well as the troops he commanded in Liaodong City. Each of these factors alone would warrant Shibi Khan's favor, let alone when combined.
Without Li Jian Cheng, Shibi Khan would only have managed to secure the regions of Shuofang, Wuyuan, and Yulin. While this would represent some expansion, these areas were not particularly wealthy. With Li Jian Cheng by his side, however, he might even be able to claim dominion over the Central Plains, not only as Prairie Khan but also as the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains.
Yet at that moment, he did not voice such ambitions. Instead, he promised, "Yang Guang is foolish and tyrannical; he is certainly no wise ruler. In my opinion, you should govern the Central Plains!"
Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "How could I dare entertain such thoughts? I only hope to live safely on the grasslands."
Shibi Khan sympathetically replied, "I know this matter has caused you great harm. Very well, let us not speak of it for now. Let us return to the royal city first. I will grant you a portion of the grassland herds. Although I intend to marry my sister to you, you must still follow our Turkic customs and bring several thousand sheep to claim her hand, ha ha ha!"
A Turkic noble interjected, "Originally, I brought thirty thousand sheep and a hundred pure white steeds to win your favor, Khan, yet you refused to give me your beautiful princess. Now this noble from the Central Plains can take her with just a few thousand sheep? This is utterly unfair! Khan, you must compensate me with ten tents full of fine wine!"
Shibi Khan laughed heartily and pointed at Li Jian Cheng without hesitation. "Then you should ask him for it."
Li Jian Cheng chuckled in response, "Ten tents? That won't do! I want enough fine wine to fill a hundred tents so everyone can drink to their heart's content."
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Fine wine was relatively scarce on the grasslands; even though they held high status and had countless cattle and sheep, true fine wine was rare and usually conserved for special occasions.
A more boisterous noble swallowed hard and said, "You've already been sold to us by your emperor! Even if you were once wealthy, do you really think you can procure fine wine now?"
This man clearly did not understand the situation in the Central Plains; such individuals were common on the grasslands. Even within the Central Plains itself, there were many who only knew their own small towns and counties.
Li Jian Cheng took a bite of mutton and declared, "In ten days' time, I will host a banquet for all of you in Dali City. If there is no wine and we cannot enjoy ourselves fully, then it will be my failure and I should leave the grasslands."
The man stood up excitedly. "Good! Then I will prepare cattle and sheep for your grand feast!"
Shibi Khan was very pleased because he sensed that Li Jian Cheng was genuinely preparing to stay on the grasslands. This was indeed a joyous occasion that would strengthen their alliance.
Moreover, Li Jian Cheng's words not only showcased his generosity but also demonstrated that he was not merely an individual without power; despite losing his official position under the Sui Dynasty, he still possessed significant influence and could arrange for such a vast quantity of wine within ten days.
A few days later, everyone arrived at Dali City, where a grand and lively banquet had long been prepared. Princess Yicheng personally led the Turkic princes to welcome them. At Shibi Khan's gesture, Li Jian Cheng was the second to drink from the Golden Cup.
Princess Yicheng, just over thirty, was not exceptionally beautiful, but her bright eyes conveyed a resilient spirit. She raised her cup to Li Jian Cheng and said, "I have heard about the situation; it is our Yang Family that has wronged you."
After drinking, Li Jian Cheng replied, "It is only right to repay your kindness. However, if Your Majesty does not rally, the Sui Dynasty will be in danger."
Princess Yicheng understood this better than anyone. As a princess of the Sui Dynasty, her power grew with the strength of her family; if her family was weak, her authority would be undermined.
Though it was somewhat ungracious, she had been eagerly anticipating Li Jian Cheng's arrival ever since receiving the news. She desperately needed an ally.
As outsiders to the Turkic realm, they were natural allies despite any family conflicts; their relationship was stronger than that of the Turks.
Shibi Khan brought mostly confidants southward, but the situation in Dali City was more complicated. The Turkic customs dictated a survival of the fittest; the position of Prairie Khan was not as stable as that of the Central Plains Emperor.
Thus, Li Jian Cheng received not only a warm welcome but also faced various challenges. Fortunately, he excelled at managing relationships. Throughout several days of feasting, his horsemanship and singing became the center of attention. Even those who initially approached him with malice ended up embracing him as a brother by the end.
After just a few days, he received an impressive array of gifts: twenty-three fine swords, thirty exquisite whips, fifty carts of furs, one hundred fine horses, and three thousand cattle and sheep.
Compared to the Central Plains people, the Turks were simpler in their dealings. Li Jian Cheng had managed to please many in Chang'an River, where he interacted with aristocratic officials who were well-versed in worldly matters.
Moreover, there was the foundation laid by Changsun Sheng. Although he had passed away, he had once won over a generation of Turks. Li Jian Cheng shared a deep friendship with Changsun Sheng and had even arranged a family alliance.
This connection naturally eased any neutral Turkic resentment towards him. Aside from a small number of Turkic nobles with conflicting interests, most Turks held a favorable view of Li Jian Cheng.
When the agreed day arrived, a long caravan flowed into Dali City. Many exquisite items that Turkic nobles had either seen or heard about were unloaded and generously gifted by Li Jian Cheng, further enhancing his reputation.
All this had been meticulously prepared by Li Jian Cheng. He would never forget the Yanmen Siege; before the emperor was besieged, he had led troops out from Liaodong and secretly entered Zhuojun to arrange various matters.
The demand made by Shibi Khan was also something he had orchestrated himself; Shibi Khan's trusted advisor Kang Tan was someone he had elevated with substantial rewards.
Kang Tan and Shibi Khan's previous advisors were all Sogdians, a people engaged in trade who traveled east to the Sui Dynasty and west to Eastern Rome.
With their broad horizons and sharp minds, they had long earned the trust of Turkic nobles. Not only did they manage trade caravans, but the most outstanding among them were also absorbed into the upper echelons as advisors.
After Pei Yun orchestrated the assassination of Shu Hu Xi, Li Jian Cheng immediately selected Kang Tan as his partner, allowing his caravan to travel freely to the Central Plains without obstruction, and promised to send people to protect them.
Thus, Kang Tan's caravan could traverse between the Central Plains, Turkic lands, and Eastern Rome, naturally reaping substantial profits. Such a mutually beneficial relationship was the most secure.
For Kang Tan, Li Jian Cheng was far more important than Shibi Khan. Trade with the steppes had never been difficult; the Turks would not refuse him because their resources were too scarce.
However, the situation was different in the Central Plains. With its immense wealth and abundance of resources, anyone lacking a strong backing had no qualification to stake a claim. Even if one forced their way in, the numerous checkpoints along the way could easily lead to ruin.
But with the support of the Li Family, everything changed; it was smooth sailing. Anyone who heard of it would tread carefully around him. As Kang Tan grew richer, he had more financial power to open up trade routes, leading to even greater wealth.
He had plenty of gold and silver to offer to the nobles of Eastern Rome and enough treasures for Shibi Khan. Yet only with Li Jian Cheng did he find himself in a predicament—nothing was lacking for him, but he constantly worried about not having a place to turn for help from his most crucial ally.
It wasn't until just before the Yanmen Siege that he received a secret letter and finally felt some relief from his lingering anxiety.
………
(End of Chapter)
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