A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Two months after the mission departed for the Western Regions, the first letter was sent back from Yangguan.

"The mission has replied!"

When the secret agent from the Embroidered Uniform Guard delivered the confidential letter to the Imperial Study, Wei Zhao was looking at the account books of the Quanzhou Shipyard.

He pushed the ledger aside, took the letter, opened it, glanced at it twice, and then his finger stopped on the paper.

"The delegation has arrived at the former territory of the White Wolf tribe, and the original map of mountains and rivers has been returned. The leader of the remnants of the White Wolf tribe, the younger brother of the Golden Crown Man, has not expressed his opinion after receiving the map, but only allowed the delegation to stay for three days."

Fang Fuyao sat to the side and reached out to take the secret letter.

She didn't speak immediately after reading it.

Wei Zhao leaned back in his chair and tapped his knuckles on the table.

"Not expressing an opinion is more troublesome than refusing."

Refusal means denial. Either continue fighting or continue negotiating; the path will become clearer.

The fact that they didn't express their opinion shows that the leader of the White Wolf tribe is still calculating.

He needed to determine whether the map was real or fake, what Xinwu really wanted, and whether the remaining men under his command could withstand a battle against Xinwu.

To make matters worse, his brother had just died.

With the Golden Crown Man dead outside Yangguan Pass, the White Wolf Tribe has already lost half its face.

Now that the map of mountains and rivers has been returned, the path home is in his hands. If he bows his head, his clansmen will say that he traded his brother's life for a way to live.

If he doesn't back down, even if he gets the map back, he'll just have to wait to die in the desert.

Wei Zhao did not believe that the White Wolf leader would easily admit defeat.

The person who could catch the tribe after the death of the Golden Crown Man could not have been just a fool who was filled with hatred and wanted to fight.

"His Majesty."

Fang Fuyao placed the letter back on the table: "He's probably waiting for you to speak first."

"What does he want me to say?"

"They said the Golden Crown Man deserved to die, that the White Wolf Tribe should accept their fate, and that the map was a gift from me."

Wei Zhao smiled.

"He's dreaming."

The landscape painting is not a gift, but a return.

If the White Wolf tribe is willing to submit, it's a matter of exchanging a path of submission for returning home.

If they are unwilling, I will not chase after them, say a few nice words, and then stuff the map back into their hands.

Wei Zhao looked at the secret letter on the table, but felt no relief whatsoever.

The leader of the White Wolf tribe kept the delegation for three days, neither dismissing them nor immediately accepting the imperial edict, indicating that he was already considering it.

As long as there is action, there is still a chance to talk.

But this opportunity cannot be delayed for too long.

Three days later, the second letter arrived.

This time, it was Hua Jieyu who brought it personally.

When she entered, Wei Zhao was discussing matters with Li Huai.

Upon seeing her place the letter on the imperial desk, Li Huai immediately stopped speaking.

Wei Zhao opened the package, read it once, and looked up, saying, "The leader of the White Wolf tribe wishes to see me."

"He said he could go to the capital in person, but he would have to bring a team of guards with him."

Hua Jieyu added, "He said they were guards; the Embroidered Uniform Guard estimates there are over two hundred of them."

Li Huai's brows immediately furrowed.

"Two hundred people entered the capital; the word 'guards' is too simplistic."

Hua Jieyu glanced at him.

"So what do you think it is?"

"Protest"

"It could also be to keep an eye on us."

"Then we absolutely cannot let them into the city."

Li Huai placed his hand on the map: "Two hundred White Wolf cavalrymen, even without heavy armor, just by walking around the capital, the people will know that they are the ones who fought at Yangguan. If any of them cause trouble, the city gates will be closed, and we'll be in big trouble."

Wei Zhao did not respond.

This is indeed a problem.

The leader of the White Wolf tribe did not come to the capital for sightseeing.

He brought two hundred men to show everyone that he wasn't alone in begging for mercy.

If he wasn't given that face, he would have no choice but to lead his people back into the desert.

Allowing two hundred guards into the city is tantamount to placing a small army on the outskirts of the capital.

We must not allow them to bring heavy armor and long weapons, and we must not allow them to live in the city.

Li Huai looked at Wei Zhao.

"Your Majesty, I believe we can let him come, but the number of guards must be halved."

"no."

Wei Zhao answered quickly.

Li Huai was stunned for a moment.

Wei Zhao folded the letter and placed it on the corner of the table.

"What he cares about is his reputation. If I cut his numbers in half, the first thing he'll ask me when he gets to the capital is whether the White Wolf tribe can't even afford to support two hundred people."

"But two hundred guards..."

"You can enter the capital, but you cannot bring heavy armor and long weapons."

Wei Zhao looked up at him: "After they enter the city, settle them in the post station outside the city. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will keep an eye on them, and the Imperial Guard will block the surrounding roads. As long as they don't make a move, I will give them the proper courtesy."

Li Huai hesitated for a moment, still somewhat uneasy.

"What if they use their trip to the capital as an excuse to cause trouble?"

"Then let them see if Xinwu's city walls can stop them."

Wei Zhao's tone wasn't harsh, but Li Huai sensed the underlying firmness in his words.

He wasn't afraid of the two hundred guards.

He didn't want to turn this negotiation into an interrogation where Xinwu forced the White Wolf tribe to submit.

If the White Wolf tribe leader is willing to come in person, it at least shows that he doesn't intend to hide behind the tribe and continue firing arrows.

Since he's willing to take this step, Xinwu has to give him a place to stay.

"Li Huai".

"Your subject is here."

"You'll be in charge of making the contact."

Li Huai looked up.

Wei Zhao looked at him and said, word by word, "It's not a liaison for war, it's a liaison for neighbors to come to the door."

Li Huai understood.

When neighbors come to visit, you have to offer them tea and a seat, and also let them know where the courtyard wall is.

"Your subject understands."

He cupped his hands and said, "He cares about his reputation, and I will give him that. But I will not compromise on my bottom line."

Wei Zhao nodded.

"Let's do it this way."

After the matter was settled, Li Huai left with the imperial edict.

Hua Jieyu did not leave.

She stood by the table, her fingertips pressing against her cuffs, the smile on her face gone.

Seeing her like this, Wei Zhao knew there was more to say.

"Speak."

"The leader of the White Wolf tribe is called Bai Tu Kui."

"I've heard of that name before."

It was mentioned several times in the Yangguan Military Daily.

Bai Tu Kui is the second-in-command of the White Wolf tribe. He has been handling tribal affairs for the Golden Crown people for many years. Unlike his older brother, he is not flamboyant and does not like to send all his troops into battle.

Hua Jieyu said in a low voice, "Before he set off, he went to pay respects at his elder brother's cenotaph."

Wei Zhao stopped writing.

"A cenotaph?"

"The body of the man with the golden crown was not brought back, so only a cenotaph was erected for him."

Hua Jieyu said, "Bai Tukui stood in front of the grave all night, and no one knows what he said. The first thing he said to his people at dawn was..."

She paused.

Wei Zhao looked up at her.

"What is it?"

Hua Jieyu looked at him, her voice even lower.

"I'm going to the capital to see what kind of emperor the one who killed my brother is like."

No one spoke in the imperial study.

Wei Zhao leaned back in his chair, his mind already going through all the possible scenarios after Bai Tu Kui entered the capital.

If he wanted to kill someone, he wouldn't have traveled this far with two hundred guards.

Yangguan is too far from the capital, with countless checkpoints along the way. Bai Tukui couldn't possibly be unaware that once he made his move, the White Wolf Tribe would have no way back.

If he wanted to talk about it, he wouldn't have let his brother's death go so easily.

Therefore, Bai Tu Kui was most likely not there to beg for mercy or to seek death.

He wanted to see for himself what kind of person could bring the White Wolf Clan's three-hundred-year-old obsession back to their attention and personally kill his most respected elder brother.

This is a bigger problem than bringing a knife into the capital.

A knife can be placed on a table, but hatred cannot.

"Did he bring a knife?" Wei Zhao asked.

Hua Jieyu shook her head.

"That's the key point."

She took out another small note from her sleeve:

"Bai Tu Kui set off without a sword, and his guards did not carry his usual longbow. The people from the Embroidered Uniform Guard saw with their own eyes that he set off empty-handed."

Wei Zhao stared at the small note for a long time without saying a word.