My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

Dashiman raised his gaze and landed on Ashina's still somewhat incredulous face.

The sunlight streaming through the high window shone directly on his profile, giving the area around his brow bone a warm, honey-colored glow.

The sharp lines of his jaw were hidden in shadow, making his expression seem even more unpredictable than usual.

Several copper bells hanging under the eaves outside the hall were blown by the wind, making a soft and clear tinkling sound. The sound squeezed in through the half-open window and drifted faintly in the empty hall.

Almost the instant he noticed Ashina's gaze shift away from the Javanese elder, Dashiman spoke.

The sound was a beat faster than usual, as if afraid of missing something fleeting, or like a fisherman casting his net before the fish disperse when he sees ripples on the water.

"Your Majesty," his Adam's apple bobbed, his voice low but steady, each word carefully chosen before uttering.

"I am familiar with the language of the grasslands."

As he spoke, his gaze naturally swept over the two elders on his right, lingering on each of their faces for a moment before returning to his own.

After a morning of sunshine, the air inside the hall was no longer damp, and the rain that had accumulated over the past few days had evaporated, making the hall dry and warm.

The water stains left on the floor tiles by the elders who had held their meeting that morning had long since disappeared, leaving only a few very faint white alkaline marks.

Tiny dust particles floated in the air, slowly swirling within the beam of light, like countless golden fragments.

The frankincense from the incense burner in the corner spread even more widely, wafting past the noses of everyone in the hall, bringing a slightly sour and spicy woody aroma.

"Perhaps I should lead the two elders to the grasslands immediately, to meet with the two elders'... um—"

He paused for a very brief moment when it came to the form of address, hesitating for a second about what word would be appropriate, but quickly followed through.

"—Friends and family, let's discuss important matters together!"

Ashina pondered for a moment.

The wind from the Western Regions slipped in through the cracks in the doors and windows, carrying a hint of sand and the scent of grass and trees, causing the curtains at the corners of the palace to sway gently, and the shadows on the floor tiles to ripple like water.

A few braying sounds came from afar, indistinct yet lingering, probably from the street vendors packing up their goods and driving their donkeys home for the midday rest.

You can still faintly hear a woman shouting for her child to come home for dinner. The sound is torn into pieces by the wind, and only a few indistinct syllables remain when it reaches the hall.

He leaned back on the throne, his right hand resting on the armrest, his index finger slowly tapping on the red agate inlaid at the top.

The agate was rubbed by his rough fingertips, feeling warm and smooth to the touch. The slightly cool stone gradually developed a thin layer of warmth under the heat of his body.

Ashina weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

In the Western Regions, very few people understood the language of the grasslands.

The number of people who can understand the grassland language can be counted on one hand, and those who can speak fluently in the grassland language are even rarer, mostly traveling merchants who travel all over the country.

He can't very well ask a businessman to negotiate for him.

This is a matter of national importance, concerning whether the Western Regions can conquer the Great Yan; it is not a simple business deal.

Those two elders should know as well—the younger brother of the Javanese elder is the Khan of the steppe, and Elder Yali had been on good terms with the Khorchin princess for so many years, so their steppe language skills are probably quite good.

But he really couldn't bear to let just the two of them go.

These two people had only recently arrived from the South China Sea, and he had previously ignored them, let alone understood their temperaments and character, and thus had no reason to trust them.

No one can guarantee that they won't have other ideas once they get to the grasslands.

The elder of Java was the twin brother of the steppe Khan.

Those were twin brothers who hadn't seen each other for many years. When the brothers met, they embraced and wept bitterly, and then joined forces to fight against their Western Regions. Such things have happened many times in history.

Elder Yali and Princess Khorchin had a past relationship.

No matter how shrewd and clear-headed a man may be, if he suddenly sees his old flame and that princess says a few sweet words in a coquettish tone, he might be tempted to give her a break.

Elder Yali, momentarily softened by his words, blurted out all the information he knew about the Western Regions—

Then he would truly have lost both his wife and his army.

Although they are just figureheads and probably don't know much important things, just in case, it's still necessary to have one of our own people leading the way.

Dashiman was the person he trusted most. With Dashiman around, he could act as a translator, as well as his eyes and ears, keeping a close eye on the two men from the South China Sea.

Dashiman would remember every word they said, every person they met, and every expression they made, and report it to him upon their return.

Thinking of this, Ashina almost agreed immediately—the word "okay" was already on his lips, but he stopped himself.

The hall suddenly fell silent, so quiet that the faint hissing sound of the candles burning on the candlesticks could be heard.

He glanced at Fujiwara no Shūjin beside him.

Fujiwara no Shujin remained standing at the head of the right side. From the moment Dashiman spoke until now, he had not interrupted, frowned, or even shown any displeasure.

He simply stood there quietly, his hands clasped in front of him, a faint smile on his lips.

After all, it was someone else's idea, and the Javanese elder and the elder of Yali that he brought were the most crucial pieces in this game.

There's no need for me to go too far. This matter should definitely be left to Dashi Man, but I still need to give Fujiwara no Shojin some face.

He lowered his eyes, tapped the red agate again with his finger, and then asked in a gentle tone:

"What does Chancellor Chou Ren think?"

Da Shiman's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

His hands, which had been hanging loosely at his sides, involuntarily tucked all ten fingers into his palms the moment he heard those words.

He quickly tucked his hands into his sleeves so that no one could see his clenched fists.

The knuckles made an extremely faint creaking sound, almost inaudible under the cover of the sleeve, but he could hear it clearly.

He understood that the king was already preparing to use Fujiwara no Tsuruhito's intentions.

The king was about to agree immediately, but in the end he still went to ask Fujiwara no Tsuruhito.

What does this mean? It means that the king is now starting to consider his feelings to some extent!

This shows that in the king's heart, although Fujiwara no Tsuruhito was not yet of equal importance to him, he was no longer someone who could be easily set aside and ignored.

Just a few days ago, when Fujiwara no Tsuruhito had surrendered, the king ignored him and didn't take him seriously.

Although he was allowed to participate in council meetings, the king almost always brushed off his suggestions, either giving a couple of "hmm"s and then falling silent, or simply changing the subject.

His memorials were almost all shelved. I personally witnessed Fujiwara no Shūjin's memorial being buried at the very bottom of a stack of documents, covered in dust for a long time.

And only a few days have passed!?