Chapter 140: Lu Liaoliao Debates Strategy

The morning sky was filled with enchanting morning clouds, and a gauze-like mist drifted gently among the tree-lined paths. Wisps of golden light made every single dewdrop crystal clear and luminous. A gentle morning breeze blew, causing the sparkling dewdrops to slowly slide down from the branches and leaves. Zhuge Fengxian opened his mouth, greedily inhaling the morning dewdrops into his belly, which finally allowed him to slowly recover his composure.

"Women's powder and wine both have an intoxicating, fragrant allure at night. Why do they become utterly unbearable by morning?" Zhuge Fengxian sniffed the air and looked toward a patch of bushes not far away. Last night, four or five mature barbarian women had surrounded Cang Si with fiery enthusiasm. Zhuge Fengxian firmly believed that at this very moment, Cang Si was still lying there, unable to move a muscle.

Cang Si frowned, suddenly realizing he could not answer Zhuge Fengxian's question. Glancing at the fairyland-like beauty of White Banner Valley, a surreal feeling of being in a dream washed over him.

"I like it here. I don't want to go back to the Great Tang anymore." Cang Si gave an irrelevant answer, his tone tinged with a sense of melancholy.

"Lost in a dream, one forgets one's lodging as a traveler; let us treat this place as our hometown. Since you don't want to go back to the Great Tang, just stay. I've decided: I'm going to marry a few young and tender maidens here and settle down." In the nearby bushes, Wang Qi smacked his lips, wearing an expression of lingering fondness.

"Elder Brother Wang is valiant and mighty, and this younger brother admires you immensely. I, Zhuge Fengxian, also like it here and don't wish to return, but Cang Si and I have special identities. If we want to stay, I'm afraid it might be a bit difficult." Zhuge Fengxian first offered some flattery, fixing his hopeful gaze on the direction where Wang Qi was lying.

"My master is actually a very reasonable person. How about this, I'll go and put in a good word for you two." Wang Qi was in high spirits and took the initiative to offer his help.

"Many thanks, Elder Brother Wang Qi! The rest of Cang Si's and my life will depend entirely on you, Elder Brother Wang." Zhuge Fengxian hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

"Haha! Easy enough, easy enough." Wang Qi laughed proudly.

Lu Lile, who had been drunk the night before, woke up early, his body feeling completely fine. It seemed he had not overindulged in alcohol last night, though his heart had been in turmoil. After practicing a set of sword techniques, he went to soak in the hot springs for a while, which finally allowed him to gradually calm down.

When Fengyao's head guard appeared before him, Lu Lile knew the time had come. He gently patted the tense back of Xiangcao, and together they followed the guard's lead and departed.

"Your Highness Xiangcao, your subject Lu Lile, pay our respects to the King!" Lu Lile and Xiangcao knelt side by side before Geluofeng, who was still partaking in his morning meal.

"So you are the sworn brother Lu Lile whom my wife has been praising for half the day? To hold the rank of an Imperial Guard commander of the Great Tang at such an age makes you barely worthy of my daughter, Xiangcao. However, according to the customs of Nanzhao, you can only wash away your shame by severing Xianyu's head with your own hands. You! Can you do it?"

Geluofeng cast a calm glance at Lu Lile.

At the very mention of the name Xianyu, Xiangcao's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Lu Lile squeezed Xiangcao's hand tightly, raised his head, and said with an expression of resolute determination, "Your subject will surely accomplish it!"

Only then did Geluofeng nod. "I heard from my wife that you brought me a secret letter from Li Linfu, the Chancellor of the Great Tang. Present it here for me to see."

Lu Lile pulled out the secret letter and handed it to the guard beside him.

Taking the letter from the guard, Geluofeng unfolded it while waving his hand. "Rise."

Lu Lile supported the unsteady Xiangcao and stood quietly to one side. Fengyao, standing near Geluofeng, secretly smiled at Lu Lile, but Lu Lile kept his eyes lowered, acting as if he hadn't noticed at all.

"The Great Tang is assembling an army of two hundred thousand, preparing to strike Nanzhao once more? If it were the past, my Nanzhao certainly would not be able to withstand it, but now, what does Nanzhao have to fear?"

Full of confidence, Geluofeng waved the sheet of paper in his hand.

"The Father King has twice defeated the armies of the Great Tang, and now with the support of Tibet, you have begun to underestimate the strength of the Great Tang.

When the Father King first went to war with the Great Tang and captured Yunnan, you knew very well that those who fought against Nanzhao were merely untrained garrison troops of the city defenses. That was why Xianyu Zhongtong led his troops into Nanzhao and begged bitterly for peace. Who would have thought that at the Battle of the Xi'er River, the Tang army would be almost entirely annihilated? This led the Father King to believe that the Great Tang's military was not so terrifying after all, am I right?"

At this point, Lu Lile fixed his gaze squarely on Geluofeng.

"For generations, Nanzhao has been enfeoffed by the Great Tang and has never once thought of betrayal. The Great Tang raised an unrighteous army to attack Nanzhao, and this defeat was nothing less than what they deserved." Geluofeng's expression was calm, yet it failed to conceal the pride in his words.

"Heh!" Lu Lile let out a cold laugh. "If an unrighteous army were bound to fail, Your Majesty, look at the present states of Tujue and Goguryeo and see what they have become. Nanzhao is small, poor, and weak; how can it compare to those two nations of Tujue and Goguryeo?

Think back to the time when General He Luguang of the Great Tang led an army of thirty thousand to reinforce the Bronze Pillar and pacify Nanzhao, or when General Gao Xianzhi led an army of thirty thousand on a campaign spanning ten thousand miles across the Western Regions. Warfare relies on the generals who lead the troops ahead, and on the formidable national strength behind them.

The reason the Great Tang army suffered defeat at the Xi'er River is not because the soldiers lacked valor or skill in battle, but because the commanding general was utterly incompetent. That Xianyu Zhongtong was merely a wealthy aristocrat from Shu who secured his position as the Jiedushi of Jiannan solely by currying favor with the Yang family. How could such a person lead an army well or direct military operations?

If the Great Tang dispatches a skilled general next time—let alone an army of two hundred thousand, even if it were only one hundred thousand—what would Nanzhao rely on to resist?"

Geluofeng felt a chill in his heart, yet his words remained fiercely stubborn.

"My Nanzhao has already submitted to Tibet. If the Great Tang attacks Nanzhao, Tibet will certainly not sit idly by and will surely dispatch reinforcements."

"Father King! In this present world, the most powerful and wealthiest realm is the Great Tang, not Tibet, which is cornered in a remote region. The reason Tibet can barely resist the Great Tang is not because of overwhelming national strength or an invincible army, but because of the treacherous climate of its land. Look at the Tibetan troops once they step down from the plateau—wherever they go, they are beaten into disarray by the armies of the Great Tang. Tibet cannot be relied upon."

Having said this, Lu Lile shook his head repeatedly.

"If I do not agree to the demands in the secret letter, is what Chancellor Li Linfu stated—that he will dispatch Li Mi as commander to replace Xianyu Zhongtong—truly the case?"

Still harboring a shred of reluctance, Geluofeng stared fixedly at Lu Lile.

"The state affairs of the Great Tang are often not decided by the mere words of the Emperor Xuanzong alone. Just how much power Chancellor Li wields, I believe Your Majesty knows very well. Even if his words are not law, they are not far from it."

Lu Lile's words plunged Geluofeng into silent contemplation with his head bowed.

After a long while, Geluofeng raised his head and looked at Lu Lile. "If I were to do as you say, and it were discovered by Tibet, how would my Nanzhao conduct itself?"

"Both the Great Tang and Tibet are giants that Nanzhao cannot hope to defeat through sheer force. Nanzhao is a small, poor, and weak nation, like a toddler sandwiched between giants. To survive, it can afford to offend neither side. If at odds with Tibet, rely on the power of the Great Tang to resist; if at odds with the Great Tang, conversely borrow the strength of Tibet. Once one clearly submits to one side and offends the other beyond redemption, Nanzhao's day of doom will not be far off.

What the Father King should do at present is to bury those fallen soldiers of the Great Tang who were piled up as a victory monument, treat the prisoners of war with kindness to win moral high ground and popular support, and mend relations with the Great Tang by befriending Chancellor Li Linfu. Only thus can you gain a breathing space to slowly restore and develop the nation's strength."

Prepared long ago, Lu Lile spoke in an orderly and methodical manner.

"Since you have already taken my daughter, Princess Xiangcao, as your wife, you are naturally an imperial son-in-law of the Nanzhao state. Would you be willing to stay in Nanzhao as an official? I will certainly employ you heavily." After pondering for quite a while, Geluofeng looked straight at Lu Lile.

"My most urgent task is to take the Father King's reply back to the Great Tang to prevent them from raising an army to attack Nanzhao, rather than staying in Nanzhao to serve as an official. Your Majesty's kind intentions are appreciated, but I must decline." Lu Lile bowed respectfully, refusing Geluofeng's invitation.

Geluofeng gave a slight sigh, waved his hand, and dismissed Lu Lile.

At noon, Fengyao found Lu Lile drinking tea under the shade of the trees in the courtyard.

"The King has already left. It seems he attaches great importance to this matter, and there will likely be a definitive response soon. As the secret envoy representing Chancellor Li Linfu, your mission should be considered quite successful, shouldn't it?"

Fengyao sat down across from Lu Lile, looking at him with a smile.

"Hmm!" Lu Lile's expression was gloomy as he uttered a low grunt of assent.

"What? It seems you are very unhappy that the King stayed in my chambers last night. You must understand that I am the Yuanzhen Consort of Nanzhao King Geluofeng, not your wife or concubine, Lu Lile. The one who truly ought to be angry is the King, not you."

Fengyao gave Lu Lile's forehead a sharp poke and said with annoyance.

"Yet it just doesn't feel right in my heart!" Although Lu Lile understood the logic of it, he still felt extremely suffocated.

"Last month, my monthly flow did not arrive. Do you think you want the King to know that without him ever touching me, I have conceived a child?"

Fengyao's expression grew somewhat desolate.

"Really?" Lu Lile leaped straight to his feet.

"Would I lie about something like that after being tormented so mercilessly by a wicked man like you? If it weren't for this, do you think your older sister would be shameless enough to go and serve the man who abandoned her once again?" Fengyao's expression was sorrowful as she shook her head in helplessness.

"Sister Fengyao, I have wronged you." Lu Lile looked at Fengyao with deep remorse.

"You men are always preoccupied with affairs of state and grand matters; when have you ever cared about a maiden's thoughts?" Fengyao sighed softly and shook her head.

Lu Lile was left speechless.

A few days later, news spread. The Nanzhao King had dug a mass grave to bury the fallen soldiers of the Great Tang and released the prisoners of war. He had a stele engraved at the national border, declaring that he had been forced to rebel against the Tang out of absolute necessity, stating: "For generations we have served the Tang and received their honors and rewards. If future generations wish to return to the Tang, let them point to this stele to show the envoys of the Tang that my rebellion was against my true will."

Having received the state letter from Nanzhao King Geluofeng, Lu Lile prepared to lead his retinue back to Chang'an. Unexpectedly, however, Princess Xiangcao and his residence were surrounded completely by troops dispatched by the Nanzhao King.

"By order of the King, the Prince Consort may leave Nanzhao, but Her Royal Highness the Princess must remain behind." The Nanzhao commander leading the troops looked at Lu Lile expressionlessly.

A chill swept through Lu Lile's heart; he realized that Princess Xiangcao and the child in her womb had both been taken hostage by Nanzhao King Geluofeng.

"Master! I won't be returning to the Great Tang for the time being either. The chamber of commerce has many affairs in Nanzhao that require attention." Wang Qi, accompanied by Cang Si and Zhuge Fengxian, found Lu Lile pacing back and forth anxiously in Fengyao's courtyard.

"Fine, fine, fine! If you wish to stay, then stay." Lu Lile waved his hand impatiently.

"General, since Cang Si and I can no longer stay in the Great Tang anyway, the two of us also wish to remain here. Would that be permitted?" Zhuge Fengxian asked, looking rather timidly at Lu Lile.

Lu Lile was momentarily stunned. If these two hadn't appeared before him, he would have almost forgotten their existence. However, that Cang Si possessed decent martial prowess, and Zhuge Fengxian had some wits about him. Thinking of this, he looked at the two of them with a stern expression.

"Your lives were saved by Princess Xiangcao to begin with. If you wish to stay in Nanzhao, you shall serve as the Princess's guards and protect her safety with your lives; otherwise, I will not spare you."

With that, he turned his gaze to Wang Qi. "You remain in Nanzhao, search everywhere for the scattered soldiers of the Great Tang left behind here, and recruit them. The Princess will also need a dedicated unit of secret royal guards."