Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2134 Guests from Gaoyuan, Eight Ministers Discuss Politics

In the history of Earth, the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia took a total of five years.

The Yuanshi Encyclopedia that Wang Yu was going to compile was bound to be superior to the Yongle Encyclopedia, after all, the Tianqi Encyclopedia was far more extensive than the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the time required for its compilation must have been longer than that for the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia.

The compilation of the Yuanshi Grand Canon was not merely a vanity project for Wang Yu, but rather a way to leave behind something truly useful for future generations from the Yuanshi era.

Therefore, Wang Yu could tolerate their other shortcomings in compiling the Yuanshi Dadian, but he could not tolerate its empty rhetoric and grandiose claims.

Just as Wang Yu was planning to compile the Yuanshi Grand Canon, in November of the third year of Yuanshi, an envoy from the Northern Plateau arrived.

The delegation from the Plateau to Han was led by Gar Trichen Tsenpo, also known as Lunqinling, one of the most famous generals in Tibetan history, a Tibetan politician and military strategist during the Tang Dynasty.

Xue Rengui's only defeat in his life was at the hands of Lun Qinling.

The envoy from Qinling to the Han Dynasty had no other purpose than to propose marriage.

About a mile west of Tianjing City, the diplomatic officials sent by the Han Dynasty to contact the Plateau delegation finally appeared.

The officials who received them along the way were only responsible for bringing the highland delegation to Tianjing and ensuring that they could travel smoothly without any obstacles.

Those who are not bound by checkpoints set up by the Han Chinese along the way cannot be considered true diplomatic officials.

Upon meeting, the young official in charge clasped his hands in greeting to Lun Qinling and others from the Gaoyuan delegation, saying, "Welcome, envoys. I am Wang Duojin, the Assistant Director of the Court of State Ceremonial."

Wang Duojin was originally the governor of Shahe County. During his two years in office, his performance was not bad, but at best it was just average.

At least among officials of the same term, he certainly didn't stand out.

Moreover, during his two years as prefect, the people under his jurisdiction did not become richer. On the contrary, he relied on his shrewdness and the use of certain policies to build good relationships with some merchants, which earned him considerable tributes and made his own pockets much fuller.

However, although his own pockets have become quite full, there must have been some irregularities in the process, but it's far from being a major crime; at most, it's just a minor issue.

Therefore, Wang Yu simply demoted him and transferred him back to the central government.

With his shrewd and sophisticated personality, he was indeed more suited to the position of governor than a prefect.

In any case, for Wang Duojin, who was born into the imperial family, the experience in local areas was not as important to his future political prospects as it was to others.

After all, given his royal lineage, it was virtually impossible for him to enter the Six Ministries, let alone become a high-ranking official within them.

In the official system of the Han Dynasty, the Court of State Ceremonies, as one of the Nine Courts, was headed by one Minister (rank 3) and two Junior Ministers (rank 4).

It oversees two offices: the Office of the Receptionist and the Office of the Master of Ceremonies. Under these offices are two Assistants, of the sixth rank; one Registrar, of the seventh rank; and two Recorders, of the ninth rank.

Whenever a foreign envoy came to the capital to pay homage, the Court of State Ceremonies was responsible for determining his or her social status and, based on this, deciding on the appropriate level of hospitality.

If it were an envoy from the Golden Horde or a dynasty, then Kuai Tong, as the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, would naturally receive him personally.

However, if it is a high-altitude mission, at most they would send their subordinate officials to make an appearance.

After all, the plateau is still a symbol of backwardness, just like the southern barbarians of the past.

Moreover, the plateau is currently in a state of internal division.

In this world, the amount of face you want to gain depends on the amount of strength you possess.

The current plateau region is clearly not strong enough.

"Thank you all for welcoming me!"

After meeting the officials sent by the Han Dynasty to greet them, the people of the plateau dared not dismount.

The Han Dynasty today possesses ten provinces, most of which are wealthy and strategically important, making it a standard imperial-level power.

In the Central Plains, like the Great Xiao, it is already ranked among the top-tier powers, second only to the three great dynasties of Chu, Wu, and Wei.

But the Great Chu is now facing a talent shortage; in another ten or twenty years, the military won't even have many decent figures left. Coupled with the imbalance between civil and military power, it already has a host of internal problems.

The Great Wei has always been known for its internal court chaos and severe self-depletion; it's uncertain whether it can even exert half of its full strength.

In the Great Wei, it was normal for those fighting on the front lines to be dragged down by those at the rear. It was precisely because of this that the Great Wei's wars had been the most disastrous in recent decades.

Of the three old dynasties, only the Great Wu Dynasty is worth considering now.

The most important members of the delegation dismounted one by one, and the two sides exchanged greetings.

Under Wang Duojin's guidance, the highland delegation, led by Lun Qinling, temporarily stayed at a post station belonging to the Honglu Temple.

The highland delegation led by Lun Qinling, although not backed by a major power, received only a moderate level of hospitality.

However, the proper courtesy should still be shown. Otherwise, it would be the Han people who would lose face.

When a group of servants from the Court of State Ceremonial brought out the fine wine, unique to the Han Dynasty, Lun Qinling felt his heart skip a beat upon smelling its rich aroma.

The high plateau is cold and harsh, especially the snowy plateau where Lun Qinling and his companions live in this alien world of Tianqi. Compared to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where they live on Earth, the living conditions are much more difficult.

It's the same high-altitude region, and like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the average altitude of the snowy plateau is already approaching 400 meters, with a frighteningly large temperature difference between day and night.

The key point is that the snowy plateau of the alternate world of Apocalypse is located in the north of Apocalypse. If converted to Earth, it would be as far as Russia. You can imagine the temperature in this region.

In winter, temperatures dropping to tens of degrees below zero are quite normal.

Their living conditions were even worse than those of the Southern Barbarians. In fact, there wasn't a single place in the entire Tianqi region where the natural living conditions were worse than theirs.

Because of the low temperatures on the plateau, especially in winter, people there love to drink alcohol, especially strong liquor.

Of course, given the other side's grain production, people at the bottom of society couldn't afford to drink any good wine.

Lun Qinling was also a wine lover and a connoisseur.

The aroma of the liquor told him it wasn't a strong liquor, at least not for the plateau.

However, compared to the liquors from the plateau that have no other distinctive features besides their strong flavor, this liquor is quite unique.

It spilled from the exquisite wine jug, the clear liquid droplets splashing onto the gleaming golden floor, leaving a small, dark, irregular stain. As the reception area for foreign envoys, the floor tiles were meticulously polished daily by kneeling palace servants until they were as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting blurry images.

At this moment, the glaring stain seemed particularly irritating, like a piece of white jade covered in dust.

The waiter rushed forward almost reflexively, knelt down next to the wet patch with a thud, took out a spare, crisply starched white cotton handkerchief from his pocket, and pressed it firmly against the wet patch.

“Crude and uncouth…”

The two words rolled around in his throat, but he didn't dare to utter them aloud; he just kept them grinding away in his heart.

Born in the prosperous land of Henan, he looked down on the barbarians from the northern regions from the bottom of his heart.

Just like local residents of first-tier cities naturally have a sense of superiority over rural people from remote mountainous areas.

However, he never forgot his identity; he was just a lowly servant. Even though the other party was a barbarian from a remote region, he still held the status of an envoy.

In front of foreign envoys, he represents not only himself, but also the image of the Han Dynasty. If he does something that tarnishes the image of the country, how can he expect to get away with it?

Ordinary people are one thing, but the Court of State Ceremonial is specifically responsible for receiving guests from outside.

As an attendant of the Court of State Ceremonial, if he did anything that damaged the image of the country in front of foreign envoys, he would truly be punished as a serious crime.

Lun Qinling had no idea what this lowly servant was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care too much.

Because of their vulnerability on the plateau, even if they know something, they don't have the right to take it seriously.

It took him more than half a year to finally travel from the plateau to the Han Dynasty, and it wasn't for a mere waiter.

The journey from the plateau to the Han Dynasty was indeed difficult. For almost four months of the past six months, he was on the road from the plateau to the Eastern Yi.

On the contrary, once they arrived in Dongyi, if they could get on a military transport vehicle and take the fastest route, they could arrive in about a month if they traveled without rest.

Just as Lun Qinling entered the residence prepared for them at Hongqing Temple, in the Imperial Study of the Great Han Palace, Wang Yu once again convened a small meeting with several key ministers.

Inside the Imperial Study, Wang Yu sat on the throne in the center, turning his body to the side every now and then.

The emperor's throne is perfect in every way, except that it can be a bit uncomfortable to sit on for too long.

Beside him was Zhao Gao, who was always at his side.

On the other side was Secretary Lang Zhangliang, holding paper and pen, ready to take notes at any moment.

Below, on the left and right sides, sit eight ministers: Zhao Anling, Kuai Liang, Zhuge Liang, Guan Zhong, Zhang Bin, Yao Guangxiao, Kuai Tong, and Wang Yingkan.

Kuai Tong was rarely called to such small meetings under normal circumstances, but today's topic involved diplomatic matters.

Therefore, they also brought him over, as did Wang Yingkan, who had only returned to the Han Dynasty a few months earlier.

Wang Yingkan spent more than a year wreaking havoc in the Northern Di, forcing the three families, who were originally going to give up, to fight for another year or so. Now, those three families are truly and utterly exhausted.

These three companies have been fighting each other for the past few years, and they are almost exhausted.

Given the current situation of those three families, even if the Han dynasty were to abandon them, the Tianlang Pass in the north would not face any problems for at least three years.

Moreover, this was based on the premise that those three families had devoted themselves to recuperation during those three years.

In other words, for at least three years, any problems that arise north of Tianlang Pass will at most be minor and symbolic.

There will never again be a situation like the Battle of Tianlang Pass, where an entire clan marches in to attack.

If it's just a minor skirmish, it won't affect the stability of the northern part of Tianlang Pass at all.

Furthermore, if these three companies continue to cause trouble within these three years, there shouldn't be any problems in the north within five years.

Of course, the consequence is that the original three-way balance of power has been completely overtaken by the other two.

After all, Subonian was the family with the weakest foundation and the least resources. It was two families that joined forces to deal with him, and they fought a war of attrition until now. Although he was not destroyed, he was the most miserable one.

If it weren't for the support of the powerful Tuoba tribe behind Subon, Subon wouldn't have been able to hold on for more than a year while Wang Yingkan was causing trouble on the grasslands.

With the support of such a powerful patron, even though Wang Yingkan had been causing trouble for over a year and the three families had fought for another year or two, Su Bolian was still barely clinging to life.

Wang Yingkan's initial purpose in going to the grasslands to stir up trouble was simply to create favorable external conditions for the war in Henan.

But now, basically, whether it's the war against the Zhao Song or the war against the Great Yan, the external environment can be reduced by one factor.

"Those people on the plateau really have big ambitions!"

"Simultaneously seeking marriage with six families!"

As he spoke, Wang Yu was completely amazed by Gao Yuan's actions. How come he never thought that such a thing could be done before?
Lun Qinling did not send just his family; he also sent the Eastern Yi, the Sun Kingdom, and the three people north of Tianlang Pass.

Anyway, there are only a few forces near the plateau, and they have sent people to each of them.

This is understandable for a powerful country, but how dare they do this to a weak country?

"Anyone who could come up with such a method is either a madman or a genius!"

"Clearly, judging from the trajectory of these people on the plateau, they are not crazy!"

As Zhao Anling glanced at the thick stack of papers in his hand, he spoke thoughtfully.

Each of the eight ministers—Zhao Anling, Kuai Liang, Zhuge Liang, Guan Zhong, Zhang Bin, Yao Guangxiao, Kuai Tong, and Wang Yingkan—now has a large stack of papers in their hands, covered with densely written text.

All the content is related to these highland envoys.

This also includes information they gathered from various sources about the situation on the northern plateau.

There are no members of their network on the northern plateau. That place is not a place that ordinary people can go up.

If ten people go to the plateau without a local guide, seven or eight of them might die along the way.

However, once the other side leaves the plateau, the Eastern Yi, the Northern Di, and their own Han homeland are the regions where the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) has the strongest power. The Luo Wang basically records every move of these plateau envoys in these territories.

Of the six envoys, the Han Chinese contingent was the last to arrive. After all, their route was the furthest from the plateau.