Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 304 Breaking up

Wei Yuan left in a hurry. The post station was already under control, and now that the emperor had given his order, who cared about the identities of those few northern barbarian envoys?

The northern barbarian envoys had been locked up in the post station for some time, and they were incredibly annoyed. The chief envoy, meanwhile, was drinking heavily.

Inside, a table was laden with fine food and wine, and the northern barbarian envoys were enjoying themselves immensely. Before a clear stance was taken, the Great Jing would not mistreat foreign envoys, regardless of whether they came from the grasslands. To be honest, the past two weeks in the capital had been better than their decades-long stay on the grasslands. With such a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, delicious food, and comfortable accommodations, it was no wonder their ancestors had always told them how wonderful and fertile the Great Jing was. What was that saying among the Han people?

I'm so happy here, I don't miss home at all.

"This old emperor has us locked up here and hasn't said what to do. It's really worrying. He won't kill us, but he won't release us either. How can such a wishy-washy person be an emperor? If he were on our grasslands, he would have starved to death long ago."

"Come on, I've seen you enjoying eating meat and drinking alcohol quite a bit lately."

"That's true. The people of Dajing really live a life of luxury. If this vast land belonged to the grasslands, our people wouldn't have to go hungry, and they wouldn't freeze to death in the cold winter. I wonder how my father and mother are doing now. Judging from the weather, they should be working hard to graze the livestock and fatten them up, right?"

"What's wrong? Missing home?"

"Bah, I'm a real man, how could I possibly miss home? That's something only women do! I just feel that we've been away from the grasslands for so long, I wonder if our families are adjusting well. But thankfully, before we left, the Khan gave our families quite a few cattle and sheep, so even if we die here, it'll be enough for them to have a good winter."

"Look at you, so stubborn. What can't you just say? I miss home, I miss my woman and my child. Tsk, but I'm not worried. Before I left, I told my wife that if I don't make it back this time, she should find a good man to marry as soon as possible. Marrying my brother would be good enough; he can take good care of my child."

When this topic came up, there was a moment of silence among them. Although they had known before leaving home that this journey would be fraught with difficulties, and that they might not even be able to return, they never expected that they would be trapped in the capital city of Dajing because of smallpox.

Who wouldn't be terrified of smallpox? The Great Jing Dynasty might be torn apart by this epidemic, making it even easier for them to fight. They've had enough to eat and drink at the post station lately, though they occasionally hear cries and wails outside. They just hope the capital falls into chaos. If the capital is in chaos, won't the old emperor holed up in the palace also be thrown into disarray? He just added fuel to the fire for his only son not long ago; won't that fire only burn brighter now?

As the group was lost in thought, they suddenly heard orderly footsteps outside. Their expressions changed instantly, and they rolled to the ground, pulling out daggers and other weapons from under the table. They hid under the window and other spots, listening alertly to the sounds outside.

A moment later, a cold voice came from outside.

"Guests from the Northern Barbarians, please come out and meet me. I have some questions for you all."

Anaki spat and shouted.

“We are legitimate envoys. Even in war, envoys are not to be killed. What are the intentions of our grasslands and the Great Jing in discussing this matter? Yet you suddenly attack. Are you trying to provoke a war? It is said that the Great Jing values ​​peace above all else. We came with sincerity, but we never expected to be insulted like this. When we return, we will definitely report this to the Khan.” Anaqi was not only physically strong and possessed exceptional martial prowess to have risen to the position of chief envoy. Before coming, he had specifically studied the Central Plains dialect and could now speak a few polite phrases.

However, upon hearing his words, the military officer outside let out a cold, enigmatic laugh. Anaki immediately sensed something was amiss, as if something had slipped out of his control. Even though these people of Dajing hated them with a vengeance, they always maintained a facade of harmony; they had never before expressed such blatant disgust.
Sure enough, they soon heard some shocking news.

"Don't you all know? Your Khan has already amassed a large army and is about to wage war against my Great Jing. It's pitiful that you've been used as pawns. You've all been so loyal, and everything you've said and done has been for the sake of the grasslands, yet you've already been abandoned by your Khan. We in Great Jing have an old saying: 'If you treat me like grass, I will treat you like an enemy!' With the grassland Khan treating you like this, why should you still regard him as your master?"

"Bah! Stop trying to sow discord! Even if the Khan sends troops now, he must have a reason. Even if we die here, we'll have done our part for the Khan. Our parents, brothers, wives, sisters, and children will be proud of us! Our names will live on forever!"

Anaki shouted these words out loud, and the surrounding grassland people were also filled with indignation, shouting several times in response.

It sounded quite inspiring, but Wei Yuan scoffed at it.

"It seems you've chosen to suffer the consequences rather than accept a polite offer. No wonder you were capable of bringing smallpox into our Great Jing territory; you've always been inherently wicked!"

"Wait a minute! What do you mean we brought smallpox to Dajing? Isn't it Dajing's own bad luck? What does it have to do with our grasslands?"

Anaki was, of course, a staunch supporter of his Khan, but he wasn't the kind of person to let others throw mud at him and then ignore it. Hearing this made him uncomfortable, and he repeatedly denied it.

Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and a voice of grief and indignation came from his expressionless mouth, which looked rather eerie. It was a pity that the few grassland people inside could not see it.

"Are you still trying to deny it? Ever since you marched south, smallpox has spread rapidly throughout my Great Jing territory. Moreover, your Khan Saqi even sent smallpox patients to the front lines and spilled large amounts of their blood into my army, attempting to infect all my soldiers with smallpox. Do you think my Great Jing could have come up with such a vicious scheme? But don't be so smug. With so many of us infected with smallpox, your grasslands won't be spared either. Saqi has mobilized a full 30 soldiers; the grasslands are probably deserted by now. You lowly envoys, how could Khan Saqi, with his grand ambitions at hand, possibly have imagined you?"

"...Mu Wenqiao!"

The deputy envoy from the grasslands trembled slightly. When he met Annaqi's ugly face, his own face turned ashen. Although he said nothing, it was as if he had said everything.

The people of the grasslands are fearless by nature. Even if they were to invade Dajing now, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities, they wouldn't bat an eye. Because it's in their nature. The grasslands are a harsh environment; only the fittest survive, and the weak have no reason to live.

But this does not mean that we should resort to insidious and deadly tactics like smallpox!

(End of this chapter)