roccoschili Chapter 180 Jiang Liushen learns that the new Japanese Emperor's envoy is going to...
Chapter 180 Jiang Liushen learns that the new Japanese Emperor's envoy is going to...
The atmosphere in the imperial court was heavy and oppressive.
The ministers stood with their hands at their sides, their faces showing a hint of worry.
At this moment, a minister dressed in court robes stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly, breaking the silence of the court: "Your Majesty, according to reliable sources, the new emperor of the Bordered Yellow Banner is about to visit the Nanzhao Kingdom. The purpose of this trip is unclear, but I'm afraid his intentions are not good."
Jiang Liushen, who was focused on reading the memorial in his hand, suddenly stopped upon hearing this. His vermilion brush hovered in mid-air as he slowly raised his head.
His gaze was sharp as he looked directly at the minister, his eyes revealing a hint of wariness and contemplation: "My lord, is this matter true? Is the source of this information reliable?"
The minister immediately bowed and said firmly, "Your Majesty, this news is the result of great difficulty and is absolutely true. The new emperor has always been ambitious. I am worried that he has other plans for this visit to Nanzhao, which may be detrimental to Nanzhao and may even endanger the peace of our Xijing Kingdom's borders."
Jiang Liushen's brows furrowed tightly, forming a deep "川" (river) shape. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze slowly sweeping over the ministers in the court, pondering to himself.
He had long heard of the rise of the new emperor, whose aggressive style and ruthless methods made his visit to Nanzhao highly suspicious. Although Nanzhao and Xijing were neighboring countries, they had always maintained a relatively peaceful relationship. If the situation in Nanzhao changed, Xijing would inevitably be affected.
"My esteemed ministers, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Jiang Liushen's deep and powerful voice echoed throughout the court.
An elderly minister stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the Nanzhao Kingdom and my Xijing Kingdom are as close as lips and teeth. If Nanzhao is in trouble..."
Our Xijing Kingdom is also not immune to this situation. We should immediately contact the Nanzhao Kingdom to understand the circumstances and discuss countermeasures together.
The other ministers nodded in agreement, and the court was abuzz with discussion as everyone realized the seriousness of the matter.
Jiang Liushen nodded slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "What you say is absolutely right. His Majesty Xiao Jingchuan of Nanzhao is a wise ruler, and he must have already realized the impropriety of this matter. I need to contact him as soon as possible and exchange information."
As soon as the morning court session ended, Jiang Liushen hurriedly returned to the imperial study. His steps were quick and heavy, and the worry on his face grew even more pronounced. Upon entering the study, he went straight to his desk, sat down, immediately spread out Xuan paper, picked up a brush, and dipped it heavily in ink.
At this moment, his mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts, worrying about the situation in the Nanzhao Kingdom and contemplating how to deal with the potential crisis. He knew that this letter to Xiao Jingchuan was of paramount importance; every word concerned the safety of both nations.
Jiang Liushen pondered briefly before beginning to write furiously. His brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, leaving neat and elegant lines of characters on the Xuan paper: "Brother-in-law, I have heard that the new Emperor of the Bordered Yellow Banner is about to visit your country. This matter is fraught with doubts, and I am deeply worried. The new Emperor is ambitious and may be detrimental to your country, thereby endangering the border of my Xijing Kingdom. I believe that our two countries should join hands and discuss countermeasures together. I hope you will reply as soon as possible and inform me of the details."
After finishing the letter, Jiang Liushen carefully checked it again to ensure that no important information was missing. He gently blew on the ink to dry it, carefully rolled up the letter, and placed it into a specially made letterbox.
Then, he got up, walked to the window, and gently clapped his hands.
A moment later, a nimble carrier pigeon flew in through the window and landed on the windowsill.
This homing pigeon has snow-white feathers all over its body, except for a ring of black feathers around its eyes, which makes it look particularly spirited.
Jiang Liushen picked up the letter tube, tied it to the carrier pigeon's leg, and then gently stroked the pigeon's feathers, saying, "Little guy, this time we're counting on you. You must deliver the letter safely to His Majesty Xiao Jingchuan of the Nanzhao Kingdom."
The carrier pigeon seemed to understand him, cooed twice, flapped its wings, and flew into the blue sky.
Jiang Liushen stood by the window, gazing in the direction the carrier pigeon had flown away, motionless for a long time. His eyes were filled with anticipation and worry, anticipating Xiao Jingchuan's reply while also worrying about how the situation would develop.
While waiting for a reply, Jiang Liushen's heart was filled with unease.
He spent his days in the Imperial Study handling state affairs and closely monitoring the movements of the Nanzhao Kingdom, but his heart was always preoccupied with the carrier pigeon and Xiao Jingchuan's reply.
Finally, on a bright and sunny morning, the carrier pigeon flew back.
Jiang Liushen was reviewing memorials in the imperial study when he heard the cooing of carrier pigeons outside the window. He immediately put down the memorials in his hand and quickly walked to the window.
He carefully removed the letter tube from the carrier pigeon's leg, opened it, and took out the letter inside.
Unfolding the letter, Xiao Jingchuan's familiar handwriting came into view: "Brother-in-law, I have read your letter. I have also heard about the new Emperor's visit. I am prepared to deal with any possible situation. Please rest assured, brother-in-law, our two countries have a deep friendship and we will surely overcome this difficulty together. We will discuss the details in person. If you have any good ideas, please write to me as soon as possible."
After reading the letter, Jiang Liushen finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his face. He knew that with Xiao Jingchuan's response, the Nanzhao Kingdom must have already begun to take action. And he, too, could not let his guard down; he had to discuss countermeasures with his ministers as soon as possible.
"Someone, summon all the ministers to the Imperial Study for a meeting," Jiang Liushen said, turning to the eunuch beside him.
The eunuch obeyed and left. Soon after, the ministers arrived at the imperial study. Jiang Liushen handed Xiao Jingchuan's reply to the ministers for them to read, then said, "His Majesty Xiao Jingchuan of Nanzhao has made preparations; we cannot lag behind. My esteemed ministers, do you have any countermeasures?"
A young minister stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I believe we should strengthen our border defenses to prevent the new Emperor from resorting to desperate measures and launching an attack on our Xijing Kingdom’s border. At the same time, we can send envoys to the Nanzhao Kingdom to discuss countermeasures and strengthen cooperation between our two countries.”
The other ministers nodded in agreement, and then a lively discussion ensued. Some suggested strengthening intelligence gathering to keep abreast of the new emperor's movements; others proposed forming alliances with neighboring countries to jointly address potential threats; still others suggested stockpiling supplies domestically as a precaution.
Jiang Liushen listened attentively to the ministers' suggestions, nodding occasionally in agreement. He knew that this crisis could not be resolved overnight and required their joint efforts to formulate a comprehensive and effective response strategy.
In the days that followed, correspondence between Xijing Kingdom and Nanzhao Kingdom became frequent. Jiang Liushen and Xiao Jingchuan exchanged information and discussed countermeasures through their letters.
Border defenses between the two countries have also been strengthened, with soldiers patrolling day and night, on high alert.
The new emperor's overseas trip was drawing ever closer. The entire Western Jing Kingdom and the Nanzhao Kingdom were shrouded in an atmosphere of tension.
But Jiang Liushen and Xiao Jingchuan firmly believe that as long as they work together, they will be able to overcome this difficulty and safeguard peace and tranquility between the two countries.