Taiping Inn

When Li Xuandu first met the old Khan, he was accompanied by Yue Libie, and Xiao Yanshi did not show up in person. But this time was different. Xiao Yanshi personally led Li Xuandu to the old Khan's Golden Tent, which shows how tense the situation in the royal court is now.

Although the defense of the Golden Tent is much stricter than before, it does not make much difference to Xiao Yanshi. She is honored as "the mistress of the royal court", which is not a simple flattery, but a true description of her status in the Golden Tent. No matter how those young girls are favored by the old Khan, their status is always humble. The noble big and small Yanshi are the wives of the old Khan, equivalent to the queen of the Central Plains. When Xiao Yanshi asked to enter the Golden Tent, no one except the old Khan could refuse Xiao Yanshi's request. The captain of the Qiexue Army on duty had to ask the old Khan. As for whether to see or not, that was the old Khan's business. But generally speaking, the old Khan would not refuse Xiao Yanshi's request.

This time was no exception. The on-duty captain of the Qiexue Army quickly brought back the old Khan's oral instructions and agreed to Xiao Yanshi's request.

When Xiao Yanshi and Li Xuandu arrived outside the golden palace, the whole palace was brightly lit. Xiao Yanshi said: "It seems that the old Khan has expected it and has been waiting for a long time."

Li Xuandu did not speak, but only signaled Ning Yi and Shi Wuyue to wait outside.

Soon, a eunuch came out to greet Xiao Yanshi, saluted respectfully, and then said: "Yanshi, the Khan is waiting for you and your guests."

Xiao Yanshi raised her chin.

The eunuch understood and led the way in front.

This time, the old Khan did not sit on his throne or on the recliner in the study, but in his bedroom. When Li Xuandu entered the bedroom, he felt a hot fire coming at him, making it seem like a steamer. Compared with the severe cold outside, it seemed like returning to the hot summer here. The old Khan was only wearing a thin silk dress, with his hair loose and bare feet, stepping on the luxurious carpet.

A female slave had already helped Xiao Yanshi take off her cloak, but even so, beads of sweat still oozed from Xiao Yanshi's forehead. Looking at the female slaves, their clothes were very cool, only covering a few important parts.

The female slaves wanted to help Li Xuandu take off his heavy fur coat, but Li Xuandu waved his hand and said, "I'm fine."

The female slaves were a little hesitant and turned their heads to look at the old Khan subconsciously.

The old Khan smiled and said, "The envoy has a profound cultivation and has long been immune to cold and heat. You can leave."

The female slaves then retreated to the shadow of the lights, as if they were wax figures, and there was no movement at all.

The old Khan looked at the young Yanshi, "The relationship between Yanshi and the envoy is really unusual."

The young Yanshi smiled slightly, "The envoy was brought back by Yue Libie. In the words of the Central Plains people, the two of them are closely related. If the envoy has any accident, she is also involved. And she is my daughter. How can I, as a mother, sit idly by and do nothing?"

The old Khan laughed and did not comment on the young Yanshi's statement. He turned to Li Xuandu and said, "I already know that the envoy was attacked. Does the envoy have anything to say to me?"

Li Xuandu said, "I just left the Golden Horde, and Ili Khan has already received the news. It seems that the Khan's side is not a monolithic entity."

The old Khan was not angry or annoyed, and his expression was unusually calm. "I know that because I am old, the people around me have begun to look for a way out in advance to ensure that they can keep their power and wealth after the new Khan takes the throne."

Li Xuandu was silent.

The old Khan continued, "Ili Khan has already met me, but he did not resign, but gave me advice. He explained the pros and cons to me and advised me not to negotiate peace with Liaodong. In his eyes, I am a confused old man, not only with dim eyesight, but also with a muddled mind."

Li Xuandu asked, "Did the old Khan foresee this?"

The old Khan smiled slightly, "There is a saying in the Central Plains, called: 'Before thinking about victory, think about defeat first.' Before doing something, you must think about the various consequences that this thing may bring."

Li Xuandu asked again, "So how does the old Khan plan to deal with this matter? Will you continue the alliance with Liaodong?"

"Of course we must form an alliance." The old Khan laughed out loud, "The enemy opposes you, slanders you, and obstructs you, not because you did something wrong, but because you did something right. If the enemy praises you, then you should be careful. Now that Ili Khan attacks the envoy, it just shows their fear and the correctness of this decision. Since it is correct, how can we give up halfway?"

The old Khan's voice gradually became smaller and a little weak. Xiao Yanshi hurried forward and helped the old Khan sit on the bed. Whenever Xiao Yanshi was present, the female slaves who served the old Khan would consciously step aside and leave the stage for Xiao Yanshi to perform.

Li Xuandu said, "I understand. But I was injured and cannot return to Liaodong immediately. I want to stay in the royal court for a while. I hope the Khan can agree."

The old Khan raised his hand, and Xiao Yanshi understood. She stood up and walked to the cabinet beside her. She took out a delicate crystal bottle with bright red wine, which seemed to be wine shipped from the Western Regions. Xiao Yanshi took out two luminous cups, placed them on a small table, unplugged the crystal corks, filled a cup with wine, and handed it to Li Xuandu.

Li Xuandu took it with both hands.

Lao Khan looked at the slim back of Xiao Yan and said, "Grape wine is luminous, and the pipa is urging immediately. Don't laugh at me when you lie drunk on the battlefield. How many people have returned from war since ancient times? This is your poem from the Central Plains, it is so beautiful. I often listen to the national teacher’s lectures and discussions, and I understand a little bit, and I like this poem the most. Messenger, I drank this glass of wine first."

Li Xuan held the cup with both hands, but did not drink it immediately, but looked at Lao Sang.

"Don't worry, the wine is not poisonous." Lao Khan smiled and asked Xiao Yan to fill him with a glass of wine. "You should use a luminous cup to drink wine, and the Western Regions merchants once offered me a set. According to them, the luminous cup should be in Under the night fire, the bright red wine is set against the blood of virginity, the most beautiful and exciting. "

After saying that, Lao Khan took the wine glass from the hands of Xiao Yan, drank it all in one gulp, and then took the bottom of the glass to signal that he had not made any fakes.

Li Xuandu still didn't drink. He looked at Lao Han and said, "Da Khan agreed to stay in the royal court?"

"Yes." Lao Khan said, "Some people are willing to die on women, some are willing to die in wine glasses, and some are willing to die under swords, all are OK."

Li Xuan heard the implication of Lao Khan's words, and did not refute it, but just raised the wine glass in his hand and drank it all.

Lao Khan handed the wine glass back to Xiao Yan's hand and said, "For nearly four hundred years, the golden blood has ruled the grassland and passed down from generation to generation. During this period, two dynasties have been added to the Central Plains. From the Great Jin to the Great Wei, from the Zhao family to the Xu family, did the envoy know why this is?”

Li Xuandu shook his head and said, "Please give me advice."

Lao Khan laughed and said, "The ancestor of the Golden Tent established a powerful empire that was wider than the Central Plains. In order to manage the empire with a vast territory, he enfeoffed the four sons as kings and called himself the 'golden bloodline', and at the same time stipulated that only gold was Only the descendants of bloodlines are qualified to become the great sweat of the Golden Entrance. However, so many years have passed, there are too many people with golden Entrances, and one out of a hundred people has golden Entrances. So in the history of the Golden Entrances , the great sweat may not be the orthodox golden bloodline, or in other words, it is not because of the orthodox golden bloodline that can become the great sweat, but because of the orthodox golden bloodline that becomes the orthodox golden bloodline. This has led to the extremely cruel competition for the golden hanger sweat position, and it can be reached. Those who take the throne of the Khanate will not be mediocre people. They ensure that there will be no young emperors, fool emperors, etc. in the Golden Horde, and there will be no eunuchs or harems interfering in politics. This is the advantage of the Golden Horde. As for the drawbacks, You have seen that this is an extremely cruel thing. Winners get everything, losers lose everything, and none of the people involved can be spared."

After saying that, Lao Khan had not waited for Li Xuan to speak, and had already lie down and ordered, "I am tired, and the clan and the envoy can take his leave."

Xiao Yan handed the wine bottle and glass in his hand to the female slave next to him and bowed to Lao Han.

Then the two of them left Lao Khan's bedroom together.

Li Xuan couldn't help asking, "Has Lao Khan made a promise?"

Xiao Yan nodded and said, "Old Khan has warned Yili Khan that in a short period of time, Yili Khan will not attack the envoy again. However, Lao Khan is also warning the envoy that if the envoy is deeply involved in the battle between the kings, then There is no other way to go except to rely on Lao Khan."

Li Xuandu also knew this and asked, "I wonder what the Yan family thinks?"

Xiao Yan covered her mouth and smiled, "What do I think? Of course, I acted according to Lao Khan's instructions."

Li Xuan was keenly aware that there was something wrong. He had an intuition that Xiao Yan had made some decision, which was definitely not what she said, as she said, acting according to Lao Khan's instructions, because it was tantamount to sitting and waiting for death. Thinking about the only possibility that Xiao Yan said in the palace that Yao Mu Hu Khan could master the Qiexue Army, as well as the "women", "good wine", and "swords" that Lao Khan said, Li Xuan had a vague guess. , Perhaps Irikhan's attack was just the beginning. He broke the tacit understanding and balance between the kings, and the next was the battle between life and death with swords and soldiers.

Then Li Xuan thought a little deeper, and Lao Han gave him a glass of wine. If this glass of wine corresponds to what Lao Han called "good wine", what is the purpose? Who is the "woman" in Lao Shan's mouth? Is it the little man? Or the Great Man? Or someone else? Who is the "sword"? Iri Khan? Is it a stinging sweat? Or refers to the Qiexue army in the royal court?