Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Gentlemen, tell me, is Emperor Qian Yuan's summons to Yishan a good thing or a bad thing? Could it be a trap? Back then, the Cen family of Sicheng and the Huang family of Siming broke their alliance and sent troops to attack the Wei army. We all participated in that." Upon receiving the Great Khan's decree, Wei Zhaobi, the prefect of Donglan, hesitated and sought advice from Luo Dezhong, the prefect of Nadi, Wei Shixing, the chief of Yongding, Deng Tianzhu, the chief of Yongshun, Peng Tinggan, the chief of Yong'an, and others.

"I heard that the vanguard of the Guards is Xirimo. It was this old man who led the army to conquer the south. Cen Jilu led us to form an alliance with him. After the rearguard was defeated at Bulong City, Cen Jilu saw that the Qing army was powerful and turned against the alliance, joining forces with the Qing to attack the Guards, thus creating enmity. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a good feast, and we must be careful. Why don't you pretend to be sick and not go, and let us go in your place?" Deng Tianzhu suggested.

"I wonder what the attitude of the Cen family of Sicheng is?" Luo Dezhong asked.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhaobi was indignant. "That old fox Cen Jilu sent someone to deliver a message to me, saying that I don't need to go in person, but only send a member of the clan. Humph! That is the Emperor of the Great Wei Kingdom. If we don't go in person and offend the Emperor, how can we possibly defeat him with our small force? The Cen family clearly has ill intentions!"

“You’re right. A few days ago, the Cen family deliberately instigated a feud between the Cen and Wei families, forcibly seizing three villages under your jurisdiction, and also allowing the Mo family to seize two villages under my jurisdiction. They want to gradually encroach on our territory and eventually annex us, dominating Guangxi. If we anger the Great Wei Kingdom, it will play right into their hands. Moreover, they only sent verbal messages and did not leave any written proof, which also means they want to wipe their hands clean afterward,” Luo Dezhong said.

“Yes, Brother Luo is right!” Wei Zhaopi nodded repeatedly.

“In that case, we should go even more. We were only coerced by the Cen family into breaking the alliance in the past. It was the Cen family, not us, who angered the Kingdom of David. If we don’t go, we will truly offend the Kingdom of David!” Peng Tinggan also advised.

"After you return to your camp, please prepare plenty of supplies to reward the troops. Make sure His Majesty understands our sincerity in submitting to the Kingdom of David!" Wei Zhaopi made the decision.

“I think you should report the Cen and Huang families’ conspiracy to rebel to His Majesty. This way, you can leave an impression of loyalty to the court in front of His Majesty and also reclaim the territory that the Cen family took back,” Wei Shixing, the governor of Yongding, suddenly said.

“Treason is no small matter; how can you speak recklessly without evidence?” Wei Zhaopi curled his lip.

"I heard that His Majesty's army is going to pass through Guixi. Not only are the Cen and Huang families not preparing to welcome him, but they have also gathered a large force in Sicheng Prefecture and sent a message telling us not to come before His Majesty. What is this if not treason?" Wei Shixing chuckled, intentionally portraying the Cen and Huang families' self-preservation by gathering a large force in Sicheng as treason. In matters of treason, since ancient times, emperors have always preferred to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free. Sometimes, even baseless accusations can lead to execution. Moreover, the Cen and Huang families did indeed mobilize troops into Sicheng and did indeed send messages to the various chieftains telling them not to come before His Majesty. Even if it doesn't constitute treason, their intentions are certainly sinister.

"Excellent! Everyone, go back and prepare well, and gather more evidence of the illegal activities of the Cen and Huang families," Wei Zhaopi said with a sudden realization.

Almost simultaneously with the Donglan Wei clan finalizing their grand plan, in the Nandan Tusi (local chieftain) yamen of Qingyuan Prefecture, Tusi Prefect Mo Ziqian was also discussing matters with his fellow clansman, Xincheng Tusi Prefect Mo Jin. Among the various Tusi (local chieftains) of Qingyuan Prefecture, the Wei clan was the most powerful, followed by the Mo clan. Unlike the Wei clan, which rarely listened to the Sicheng Cen clan, the Mo clan followed the Cen clan's lead, helping them bully other Tusi within Qingyuan Prefecture to gain advantages. Not long ago, they even seized two villages formerly belonging to the local Tusi Prefect Luo Dezhong.

"Emperor Qian Yuan led his army into western Guangxi and ordered me to go to Yishan to meet him. However, Cen Gong told me not to go in person, but to send a member of my clan instead. The Wei army is very powerful, and if I do so, I may anger them and bring trouble upon myself. What should I do?" Mo Ziqian said to Mo Jin.

Mo Jin chuckled, “Although the Wei army is powerful, it will eventually leave Guangxi. The Cen family is the true power in Guangxi! So, you still have to listen to Lord Cen. As for the matter of going to Yishan to meet the emperor, you might as well let your son handle it and prepare more supplies for the army, so that we can make an explanation.”

Mo Zigan thought for a moment and said, "My son is dull-witted and cannot handle this task alone. Mo Shiying is experienced and prudent, and can accompany him."

The arrival of the true dragon emperor brought extraordinary activity to the small city of Yishan. To display the majesty of the imperial court, the Great Khan of Lotus specially selected the most elite soldiers, with guards every three steps and sentries every five. These battle-hardened warriors, wielding sharp blades and exuding a strong aura of killing intent, terrified the court officials led by Prefect Cui Jun and the various chieftains, large and small.

Looking at the crowd, who dared not raise their heads under the oppressive imperial might, the Great Khan revealed a kind and amiable smile, greeting them one by one. He first praised Prefect Cui for his excellent work in procuring military supplies; then he praised the local officials Wei Zhaopi, Luo Dezhong, Wei Shixing, Deng Tianzhu, Peng Tinggan, and Mo Jin for their understanding of the bigger picture and their loyalty to the country; when it came to the Mo family of Nandan Prefecture, he looked at Mo Ziqian's son, Mo Yulong, and asked leisurely, "Why is your father not here?"

The short question instantly made Mo Yulong feel as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him, and he stammered, unable to speak for a moment. Seeing this, Mo Shiying, the local official of Nandan, hurriedly replied, "The prefect was overjoyed to hear that His Majesty had summoned him and originally wanted to come to Yishan to pay homage to the Emperor, but he has been bedridden for many days and is unable to go. Therefore, he sent his son to pay homage on his behalf."

"Is Governor Mo seriously ill? Is it serious?" the Great Khan asked with concern.

"After taking the medicine prepared by the doctor, my condition has improved considerably, but I still cannot get out of bed," Mo Yulong replied.

"Have someone prepare two century-old ginseng roots and send them to Prefect Mo," the Great Khan instructed his attendants. He then addressed the local officials, saying, "The mountains in the southwest are high and the roads are steep. Although my troops are numerous, they are unfamiliar with the terrain. Your brave warriors are skilled in mountain warfare. Would you be willing to send troops to help me destroy Zhou?"

"Your subject is willing! The Wei clan of Donglan is willing to send three thousand soldiers. We will serve David without hesitation!" Wei Zhaopi was the first to respond upon hearing this.

"The Wei family of Yongding is willing to send 1,000 soldiers," Wei Shixing quickly followed up with his statement.

The others contributed one thousand, eight hundred, and soon gathered more than six thousand soldiers. When it was the turn of the Mo family of Nandan Prefecture and the Mo family of Xincheng, they each only contributed one hundred men.

The Great Khan was not annoyed. He ordered a banquet to be held in the camp to entertain everyone. The banquet was very enjoyable, and the guests and hosts were all happy and harmonious. After the banquet, Sultan was a little tired and prepared to return to his tent to rest when he suddenly received a report that Wei Zhaobi, the prefect of Donglan, requested an audience.

“Wei Zhaobi? Summon him inside,” Sultan suddenly perked up.

"Your subject, Wei Zhaobi, the prefect of Donglan, has a confidential matter to report," Wei Zhaobi said as soon as he entered the tent, and then knelt down for a long time.

"What is it, sir?" Sultan's brow twitched slightly.

"The Cen clan of Sicheng and the Huang clan of Siming have gathered over 100,000 troops in Sicheng, intending to rebel. Your Majesty summoned us to Yishan, but Cen Jilu actually sent someone to deliver a message to me, telling me not to go in person, but only to send a member of my clan. The great duty between ruler and subject cannot be taken lightly. I did not listen to his instigation and insisted on seeing Your Majesty. Mo Ziqian's absence is most likely due to the instigation of the Cen clan," Wei Zhaopi said with great conviction.

Upon hearing this, Sultan pondered for a long time, then slowly walked to Wei Zhaobi, helped him up, and patted his shoulder, saying, "I know of Wei's loyalty. You can rest assured that the court will never mistreat a loyal minister!" (End of Chapter)