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With the unprecedented expansion of the empire's territory, foreign relations (including those with vassal states, tributary states, equal diplomatic partners, uncivilized regions, and maritime powers) became increasingly frequent and complex, and the old Ministry of Rites' "Ministerial Affairs Department" system could no longer meet the needs.

In the third reform in the twenty-first year of the reign, Yi Huawei specially established the "Xuanwei Envoy Office" as the highest institution dedicated to all foreign affairs.

Its primary function is to represent the emperor and the empire, showcasing the supreme power, civilization, prosperity, and unchallengeable majesty of the Chinese empire in any external context.

All diplomatic activities are based on the empire’s actual interests (security, trade, resources, strategic layout), and empty formalities and unnecessary appeasement are rejected.

Diplomats are also the most advanced intelligence officers, responsible for systematically collecting political, military, economic, geographical, and cultural intelligence. They strictly enforce the empire's hierarchical order, defining and maintaining the hierarchical relationships between various countries, tribes, and the empire in foreign relations, such as vassal states, tribute missions, tributary states, trade relations, and enemy states.

General diplomatic actions need to be closely coordinated with the strategies of the "Colonial Expansion Division" and the "Maritime Expansion Division" to pave the way for the consolidation of the empire's borders and overseas expansion.

The head of the Xuanwei Envoy Office was the Xuanwei Ambassador (a third-rank official, appointed by the emperor's trusted confidant, fluent in multiple languages ​​and customs, and well-versed in imperial strategy, who could directly report to the emperor). The deputy was the Xuanwei Deputy Envoy (a third-rank official or a fourth-rank official).

The main internal department is Sifangguan, which is responsible for specific areas.

The Dongying Haiyiguan was responsible for matters related to the islands in the East China Sea and the Pacific shipping routes.

The Nanyang Foreign Affairs Office was responsible for affairs in Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and countries along the Indian Ocean coast.

The Western Regions Military Commission was responsible for political and economic affairs along the Silk Road, including Central Asia, Persia, Arabia, and even Byzantium.

The Northern Desert Garrison Office was responsible for the affairs of nomadic and hunting tribes in the northern grasslands and Siberia (coordinating with the Governor's Office and the Colonization Office).

In addition, the Bureau of Ceremonies and Trade Certificates was responsible for drafting diplomatic etiquette, regulating tribute procedures, and managing the format and authenticity of "Kanhe" (official trade documents) and "Gongbiao" (tribute documents). This ensured that ceremonies at any diplomatic occasion reflected imperial majesty.

The Office of Interpretation and Documentation was responsible for training and managing interpreters (with ranks) proficient in various languages, who were responsible for document translation, drafting diplomatic language, and formulating treaty texts. It was the core of diplomatic expertise.

The Intelligence Compilation and Analysis Office (externally known as the "Rumor Bureau"): In close cooperation with the Imperial City Guard's Outer Offices, it analyzes the intelligence transmitted back by various envoys stationed abroad and compiles the "Records of Rumors from All Directions" for the emperor and the central government to refer to in decision-making.

Internal Affairs Inspection Office: Responsible for internal discipline, confidentiality, and anti-infiltration review of the Xuanwei Envoy's Office. Most of its personnel are transferred from the Imperial City Office or under dual management.

Envoys stationed abroad were also divided into several ranks. The first-class Pacification Commissioner (or "pacification commissioner") was sent to important vassal states or strategically important powers. His rank was as high as the third or fourth grade, and he possessed considerable autonomy, equipped with a small ceremonial guard ("Xuanwei Yiwei"). He was responsible for supervising vassal states, coordinating strategies, and leading bilateral affairs.

Second-class imperial envoys were stationed in tributary states or important trading partners. Their rank ranged from the fifth grade to the fifth grade. Their main responsibilities included maintaining tributary relations, expanding trade, and gathering intelligence.

Third-class envoys are dispatched to newly contacted, undetermined, or relatively weak regimes and city-states. They hold ranks between the sixth and seventh grade. Their missions focus on initial exploration, alliance building, and intelligence gathering.

There were also special envoys: Imperial Envoy and Pacification Ambassador.

This is an envoy specially dispatched by the emperor to handle major diplomatic events, crises, negotiations, or attend important ceremonies. They wield great power, are temporary in nature, and their rank depends on the task. They are often concurrently held by ambassadors, deputy envoys, or important court officials.

The Border Patrol and Propagation Commissioner regularly inspected the civilized border areas and neighboring tributary regions to "propagate" the imperial authority to the local tribes, coordinate border affairs, and monitor their movements. They were jointly dispatched by the Propagation and Propagation Commissioner's Office, the Governor-General's Office, and the Colonial Expansion Office.

The envoy's residence was called the "Chinese Embassy" or "Xuanwei Residence." It served multiple functions, including office, residence, and small-scale defense. The architectural style had to reflect Chinese grandeur and authority, symbolizing the empire in the region. The envoy had full authority to represent the Chinese Emperor and court in formal exchanges with the host country (or region) government.

In summary, the Xuanwei Envoy system was a sophisticated tentacle extending the Hua Empire into the outside world. Its officials were not merely diplomats, but also extensions of the empire's will, guardians of its interests, and defenders of the hierarchical order. Their activities closely served the world order centered on the Hua Empire, constructed by Yi Huawei.

...............

Khorasan, the city of Merv.

Mulu, this ancient oasis city on the Silk Road, is now immersed in an eerie silence and undercurrents of impending doom.

The former prosperity of the Eastern Protectorate of the Sasanian Empire is long gone. Few pedestrians walk the streets, their faces filled with anxiety. Arab scouts occasionally appear on the distant horizon, like vultures that have caught the scent of blood.

The Persian nobles in the city had either already fled west or kept their doors tightly shut, secretly weighing whether to resist, surrender, or seek refuge in the Celestial Empire further east.

Southeast corner of Mulu City, the Xuanwei Headquarters of the Hua Empire.

The headquarters occupied a large area, with high walls built of locally fired, yellowish-brown bricks. However, key sections were inlaid with dark blue stone slabs from the Central Plains, mixed with a special adhesive, making it exceptionally sturdy. The walls were topped with crenellations and watchtowers, guarded day and night by Chinese soldiers dressed in black armor and red battle robes, their flags bright and their vigilance tight.

The main gate of the headquarters was a heavy iron-clad wooden door, with a black plaque with gold characters hanging above it. The four large characters, "Xuanwei Zhenfu," were written in both Chinese and Persian, with strong and powerful strokes, exuding an imposing aura.

The front yard was a spacious training ground, made of rammed earth, with weapon racks, targets, stone weights, wooden stakes, and other martial arts equipment along the edges. The training ground faced the tall main hall, with its flying eaves and brackets in a distinctly Chinese style, but the roof was covered with locally made glazed tiles, which reflected a bluish-gold light under the dry sunlight.

Behind the main hall were several courtyards, which served as the offices and residences of the garrison commander and his subordinates, as well as ancillary facilities such as warehouses, stables, and workshops. The entire compound was meticulously laid out, with clean and tidy roads paved with stone slabs, a stark contrast to the messy and dusty streets of Persia outside the city. In the courtyards, several drought-resistant pines and poplars had even been transplanted, standing stubbornly upright.

At 3:45 AM, the darkest hour before dawn,...
In the center of the training ground, a tall figure began his daily, unwavering study. It was Xue Rengui, the Hua Empire's envoy to the Sassanid Empire.

Xue Rengui was only thirty-seven years old, yet he already held this crucial position concerning the empire's western strategy. He was granted the title of Duke of Pingyang, and held the official rank of Xuanwei Zhenfu Envoy of the third grade, while actually holding the title of Deputy Protector-General of Anxi Protectorate. He was enjoying the emperor's favor and had a bright future ahead of him.

This is not only because he comes from the Xue family of Hedong, a military clan, but also because he has made outstanding contributions in various campaigns in the Northwest and Western Regions since he joined the army as a young man. In addition, he is exceptionally gifted and has superb martial arts skills. He is one of the few young generals in the Hua Empire who has been promoted exceptionally based on both his military achievements and administrative talents.

Xue Rengui was not wearing official robes, but only a black, narrow-sleeved, close-fitting outfit, with a leather belt around his waist and thin-soled boots on his feet. He was over eight feet tall (about 1.9 meters), with long arms and a slender waist, broad shoulders and a thick back. Even when he stood still, he was as imposing as a deep pool and a towering mountain. His muscles bulged and rippled under his thin clothes, containing explosive power.

His face wasn't particularly handsome, but his features were sharp and defined, with a high nose bridge and tightly pursed lips. What was most striking about him were his eyes, which, even in the dim light before dawn, were as bright and piercing as cold stars, radiating a sharp light when they opened and closed, and exuding an air of authority when he looked around.

Xue Rengui stood quietly in the center of the training ground, eyes closed, regulating his breathing. His aura gradually solidified, as if merging with the earth beneath his feet and the surrounding cool air. The internal energy he cultivated was one of the superior internal energy techniques only high-ranking generals of the Huadi Imperial Guard were qualified to access—the "Primordial Unity Qi Technique." This technique emphasizes embracing all things and achieving a unified whole. While its initial progress might not be as rapid as some extreme methods, its foundation is incredibly solid, its power enduring, and it excels at maintaining combat effectiveness in prolonged battles and harsh environments.

As Xue Rengui's internal energy flowed slowly, a faint white mist rose from his mouth and nose with each breath, condensing and remaining in the cold morning air, demonstrating his extremely profound internal energy cultivation.

About an incense stick's time later, Xue Rengui suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and intense. Without moving, his right palm slowly pushed forward, the movement seemingly slow, yet generating a powerful, unstoppable palm wind that silently pushed aside a clear fan shape of dust several feet away. Then, he moved with lightning speed!

In an instant, several afterimages of Xue Rengui seemed to appear in the training ground.

He was practicing a high-level military boxing style called "Bajizhenyuequan" (Eight Extremes Mountain-Suppressing Fist). This style originated from battlefield combat, refining its essence and simplifying its techniques. The moves are concise and ruthless, with powerful and explosive force. It emphasizes "breaking, shaking, and striking, pressing, squeezing, and leaning," turning every part of the body into a weapon. His footwork was as solid as the roots of an old tree, and his movements were as swift as a rabbit. Every part of his body—fist, palm, elbow, knee, shoulder, hip—contained the immense power to shatter stone and split rocks.

His punches whistled through the air, carrying the faint sounds of wind and thunder, stirring up dust that swirled around him. Occasionally, a punch would strike a specially placed iron-clad wooden stake, producing a dull, resounding thud like striking leather; the stake would tremble violently, and the iron would dent.

As he practiced his fist techniques with great enthusiasm, Xue Rengui suddenly let out a long roar that shook the roof tiles and startled the birds that were sleeping soundly in the camp. With the roar, he soared up like a roc, twisted in mid-air, and landed beside the weapon rack.

His gaze fell on a halberd.

This was not a standard halberd used by ordinary generals, but a specially made heavy weapon. The shaft was made with a core of century-old cold ironwood, wrapped with exotic gold thread, and then lacquered layer by layer using a secret method. It was exceptionally heavy to the touch, and only those with superhuman strength could wield it freely. The halberd was twelve feet long, with a crescent-shaped blade on one side of the head, its cold light gleaming; the other side had an armor-piercing spike shaped like a spearhead; and the top was a sharp halberd tip. The entire halberd emitted a dark, gloomy sheen, except for a line of bright white light at the blade edge, as if thirsting for fresh blood.

This halberd is named "Zhenyue" (镇岳), and it was bestowed upon him by Emperor Hua when he was promoted to the rank of Zhenfu Shi (镇抚使). It is said that a small amount of meteorite iron from outer space was incorporated into the shaft, which has a miraculous effect on the transmission of internal force.

Xue Rengui grabbed the "Zhenyue Halberd" with one hand. The massive halberd, weighing eighty-one jin, seemed as light as a feather in his hands. With a flick of his wrist, the halberd emitted a deep hum, as if a sleeping beast had been awakened.

When the halberd technique is unleashed, it presents a completely different scene.

Unlike the close-quarters combat of boxing, the halberd style is characterized by its expansive and majestic movements. Xue Rengui unleashed the "Thirty-Six Styles of the Heavenly Gang Halberd Technique," and the shadow of the halberd was like a mountain, its cold light like a ribbon, covering an area of ​​three zhang around him. Chopping, slashing, striking, hooking, thrusting, parrying, wiping, and carrying... all kinds of techniques were used with ease, and the transitions were seamless.

The heavy halberd seemed to come alive in his hands, sometimes like a dragon emerging from the sea, roaring and surging; sometimes like a whirlwind sweeping across the land; and sometimes like Mount Tai pressing down, heavy and imposing. The halberd's fierce wind even scraped shallow marks on the training ground, and the dust and gravel it stirred up were carried by the wind, forming gray tornadoes that danced with the halberd.

What was particularly terrifying was that, as he poured his inner strength into the blade of the "Zhenyue Halberd," a foot-long, condensed, pale golden aura faintly emerged! Wherever the aura passed, the air hissed as it was cut, and although the distant targets were not directly hit, they were still left with deep marks by the halberd's aura.

This was Xue Rengui's signature skill that allowed him to dominate the Western Regions. Not only was he incredibly strong and a master of halberd techniques, but more remarkably, he perfectly combined the pure internal energy cultivated through the *Hun Yuan Yi Qi Jue* with this weapon of war, creating a terrifying fighting force that was both fierce and powerful, possessing the ability to penetrate and inflict damage. Years ago in the Western Regions, he used this halberd to charge into enemy lines single-handedly, breaking through three lines of Turkic defense and killing the enemy chieftain, earning him the reputation of "the fierce tiger of the army."

After completing a set of halberd techniques, Xue Rengui was slightly out of breath, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes shone even brighter. Without pausing, he thrust the halberd into the ground with a backhand motion, where it remained firmly planted more than a foot deep. He then took down a jet-black, menacingly shaped iron bow from beside the weapon rack and drew a specially made wolf-tooth arrow.

He took a deep breath, strained his arms, and easily drew the powerful bow, which required the strength of five stones to draw, to its fullest extent. The bowstring was taut, emitting a teeth-grinding creak. His gaze passed over the walls of the camp, landing on the increasingly distinct pale light of dawn on the eastern horizon.

"Whoosh-!"

The arrow left the bowstring so fast that only a blurry black line could be seen. The sharp, piercing sound, like a ghostly howl, instantly tore apart the silence of dawn. A hundred paces away, at the edge of the training ground, a heavy wooden target, covered with three layers of cowhide and used to test the penetrating power of arrows, shuddered violently. The wolf-tooth arrow had already sunk deep into the target, leaving only the fletching still vibrating violently, emitting a lingering buzzing sound. Behind the target, in the rammed earth wall, a dent the size of a bowl and several inches deep appeared, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards. The power of this arrow was truly astounding!

Xue Rengui slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his breathing gradually calming down. He walked to the target, grasped the arrow's fletching, and pulled it back with a strong pull. Then he took out a plain white handkerchief from his bosom and gently wiped the dust and sweat off the "Zhenyue Halberd" and the iron-rimmed bow.

As dawn broke, the morning light outlined his tall, spear-like figure and resolute profile. The training ground was filled with the scent of dust and sweat from his practice, as well as the incomparably sharp martial will he exuded.

"grown ups."

A steady voice sounded from behind. It was his deputy, Wang Yan, a captain who had been by his side since he joined the army, an equally capable middle-aged man.

Xue Rengui did not turn around, continuing to wipe his halberd, and said calmly, "Speak."

"We have just received an urgent report from within the city, as well as a messenger from the direction of Sistan."

Wang Yan stepped forward and lowered his voice: "The Persian Emperor Yszt... has been confirmed to have been assassinated by a local miller in collusion with remnants of the Western Turks while fleeing to Merv. His son, Prince Peroz, with a remnant force of less than a hundred men, has arrived at an abandoned post station thirty miles outside Merv. He... has sent a messenger with a blood-written plea for help, imploring our Celestial Empire to send troops to Persia to assist him in restoring his kingdom and reviving its extinction." (End of Chapter)