Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

As the wheels rolled over the last stretch of grassy slope, the grass had completely changed color. The wheat fields and green grass on Xuan Shuo's side were no longer visible; in front of us was a vast expanse of gray-green plain, with grass stems thicker and stiffer than those on Xuan Shuo's side.

The road conditions changed, from a dirt road to tire tracks, and then to compacted turf. Lin Yanzhou slowed down and drove along a route that was clearly frequently used.

After walking for about half an hour, a cluster of gray tents appeared in the distance. People were moving between the tents; some were squatting at the tent entrances, whittling wooden sticks with knives, while others were putting dried strips of meat into cloth bags.

When the dark gray pickup truck appeared, some people stood up first, and then those around them followed suit. No one shouted, but the entire tent area was visibly shifting from stillness to agitation.

The first person to ride up was a young warrior, his leather saddle gleaming. He reined in his horse about twenty paces from the carriage, glanced at the iron carriage, and then turned his horse and galloped toward the tent area.

A moment later, three riders came out from the center of the tent area. They were not fast, and their horses were more steady than ordinary galloping horses, as if demonstrating a calm and composed control: they recognized who the person sitting in the carriage was.

The middle horse was black, and the rider wore an old leather robe with the collar open, revealing a dark lining underneath. When he reined in the horse, it stamped its feet twice before stopping. He dismounted, his boots making short, muffled thuds on the grass, and walked to the front of the carriage, stopping there. Two men behind him also dismounted and stood on either side of him.

Huyan Lie stood at the front, glancing at the outline of the vehicle and the reflective texture of its surface, then at Lin Yanzhou. He stood still, neither retreating nor moving forward. "The master has arrived. This...this lump of iron is really impressive." He turned his head to look at Ashina Gule on his left, then at Yuwen Tuo on his right. "We all still remember what happened last time."

Lin Yanzhou turned off the stove: "That's good. I brought some things with me this time, let's sit down and talk."

Hu Yanlie did not refuse and turned to the side: "Come with me." Lin Yanzhou followed behind him through the central passage of the tent area.

The herders passing by stopped what they were doing. Some bent down to lift the tent flaps and look out, while others squatted by the fire, turning over pieces of meat that were shrinking on the fire. They didn't linger, letting their eyes follow the moving dark gray silhouette, before continuing what they were doing.

The tent was much smaller than Xuan Shuo's court, but it was arranged very neatly. The ground was covered with old felt, and a few stones were placed at the corners.

The fire pit was in the very center, the firewood burning brightly. Huyan Lie sat in the main seat, Ashina Gule to his right, and Yuwen Tuo to his left, with a distance between them. Lin Yanzhou sat opposite them. Xiaolan and Xiaoyu did not enter the tent, but stood on either side of the entrance, turned to the side, their backs to the tent curtain, observing the people and horses outside the tent area who were readjusting their positions.

The firewood in the fire pit crackled and popped as it burned, and the flames danced on the inner walls of the tent, illuminating the outlines of the leaders and shifting their shadows as the flames moved.

Lin Yanzhou sat and waited for a while. Hu Yanlie spoke first: "The people from Xuan Shuo said that the Great God was coming. We thought you wouldn't arrive for another half month."

"We stopped in Jizhou on the way, which delayed us by a day; otherwise, we would have arrived yesterday."

Hu Yanlie didn't ask any further questions. He reached into the tray next to the fire pit, took out a piece of roasted meat, and handed it to him: "Great God, please eat first. Don't be disgusted. Although it can't compare to the delicacies of your immortal realm, this meat was killed this morning."

Several wooden bowls were brought in from outside the tent, filled with cooled milk tea, along with a plate of sliced ​​meat. An old cloth was spread on the ground next to the fire pit, with flatbread and some dried fruit on it.

Lin Yanzhou took the piece of roasted meat, took a bite, chewed it, and swallowed it: "Hmm, it tastes alright. This immortal didn't come here just to eat."

Huyan Lie also took a piece of meat for himself, but did not eat it immediately: "Please speak, Great God."

"I can provide you with some of our celestial realm's farming tools, seeds, fertilizers, and cattle and sheep breeding techniques. The seeds are improved varieties, more drought-resistant than what you currently grow. I can send someone to teach you how to use fertilizers. We also have new methods for preventing and controlling diseases in cattle and sheep." Lin Yanzhou paused here, putting the meat back on the tray. "There is only one condition: the Northern Barbarians must submit to Xuan Shuo. They must pay homage every year, offer tribute annually, and advance and retreat together militarily."

The flame inside the tent flickered for a moment, then settled down. Huyan Lie didn't speak, but first turned his head to glance at Yuwen Tuo.

Yuwentuo sat on the left side of the fire pit. He lifted his gaze from the edge of the pit, but it was directed towards Ashina Gule, a subtle way of indicating that he didn't need to make a statement for the time being. Ashina Gule was eating a piece of meat, and after finishing, he placed the bone on the edge of the tray, then looked up at Lin Yanzhou: "After you surrender, how many of your people will come?"

"I won't be staying here permanently."

Hu Yanlie's fingers rested on his knees, neither tapping nor gripping. Before speaking, he exhaled, as if calmly settling the end of a thought: "Then when will those farm tools you mentioned arrive?"

"Once the surrender agreement is signed, I can deliver on my promise to you at any time."

A moment of silence fell over the tent. The flames in the fire pit continued to rise along the grain of the firewood, gradually sending new waves of heat out of the unlit parts.

A tribal warrior sitting opposite the fire pit suddenly stood up. He was about thirty years old, with an old scar on his chin and two knives hanging from his waist, one long and one short.

His voice was much louder than Huyan Lie's: "We Northern Di have fought against Xuan Shuo, and we've fought against other tribes. After those battles, our people died, and yours died just as many. Now you've come, bringing new things, and you want us to put down our swords? If something happens later, will Xuan Shuo take responsibility?" As he spoke, his hand wasn't on the hilt of his sword, but his position in front of the fire pit blocked the line of sight between Lin Yanzhou and Huyan Lie.

Lin Yanzhou didn't look at him. He first turned his head to look at Huyan Lie, and after confirming that Huyan Lie didn't say anything to stop him, he looked away: "Of course this immortal will take care of it. If anything happens, Xuan Shuo will send troops to help."

He paused for a moment, then said, "After the surrender agreement is signed, the border defenses of the Northern Barbarians will be under the unified command of Xuan Shuo. From now on, if the Northern Barbarian herders are robbed, their pastures are occupied, or conflicts arise between tribes, Xuan Shuo will be the one to mediate. You just asked if Xuan Shuo would take care of it? Of course they would. And if they do take care of it, they can't do it for nothing."

The samurai's gaze lingered briefly above the fire pit before he pointed at Lin Yanzhou: "You're here to persuade us, not to order us around. At least not yet. Don't be so arrogant and push your luck. If we don't submit, we'll settle this on the battlefield!" He spoke faster than before, a typical belligerent hawk.

Lin Yanzhou did not stand up. He turned to the side, took something from the side of his belt, gripped it with his right thumb, adjusted the grip downwards, and steadily supported the gun's center of gravity with his palm before pulling the trigger.