inspire-indiana Chapter 1167 She is indeed a beauty.
Chapter 1167 She is indeed a beauty.
Chisang Yangdun left carrying a heavy set of terms and a heart full of worries.
With the peace talks ending like this, I'm afraid I'll have to face the wrath of the Zanpu when I get back.
But Chisang Yangdun had come to terms with it; he figured the king would be too busy with other things to care about him in the days to come.
But it was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Li Che spoke a few words of comfort to Lu Dongzan, and then instructed Qiu Bai to arrange a separate tent, with all necessities provided according to the standards for senior military officers.
Lu Dongzan thanked the emperor and took his leave.
The changes that day were so great that even a capable person like Lu Dongzan was caught off guard and needed time to adapt to the change in his status.
Within two days, a group of Tibetan cavalry escorted several felt-covered carriages to the Qing army camp.
Those who got off the car were Lu Dongzan's wives, concubines, children, and several close relatives, about twenty people of all ages and genders.
They all looked terrified, and had almost nothing but a small bundle with them.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Dongzan rushed to the camp gate and wept bitterly upon seeing his family, experiencing the bittersweet emotions of surviving a calamity.
Upon receiving the report, Li Che merely glanced at the scene from a distance without approaching to disturb them.
His appearance now carries a hint of seeking repayment for a favor. Lu Dongzan is a smart man; his own show of putting on such a display would only make him look foolish.
However, this young Tibetan king was indeed decisive in his actions.
Lu Dongzan served as prime minister for more than ten years, wielding immense power in the court. The wealth his family accumulated was no small sum.
Now that the person has been returned, there is no mention of their property, which has clearly been divided up by the victors in the city of Lhasa.
To be so heartless and ungrateful at such a young age saves me the trouble of doing anything.
Lu Dongzan devoted himself to Tibet, but ended up penniless. The last bit of affection he had for his former master probably vanished along with his wealth.
Very well, in this way I have gained a capable minister who is fully devoted to me.
In the days that followed, Tibetan envoys occasionally came and went outside the Qing army camp, and the wording of their official letters became more and more earnest and humble with each passing day.
There was already much discussion within Tibet, and the Tibetan king had no choice but to plead with Emperor Daqing to extend the deadline.
After reading the official letter twice, Li Che grew tired of it and simply delegated the task of receiving the envoys entirely to Gar Tongtsen.
He also ordered Xu Jiezi to assist him from the side, both to supervise and to provide supplementary assistance.
Lu Dongzan was already familiar with the inner workings of Tibet and the temperament of its nobles, while Xu Jiezi possessed the ability to see through people's hearts.
The two men worked together to make the Tibetan envoys who came to argue and persuade them look foolish and embarrassed. Often, they were sent back before they could even get a proper look at Gar Tongtsen.
However, the wording of the terms and conditions remained unchanged.
Li Che was happy to have some free time and began to focus his energy on the military.
After the start of spring, the cold air on the plateau subsides slightly, but the air remains thin.
He ordered the entire army to continue training, with particular emphasis on high-altitude acclimatization training.
After being selected and adapted to during the spring and winter seasons, most of the soldiers who are still able to remain in the camp to perform their duties have been able to overcome the discomfort of altitude sickness and move around normally on the plateau.
Li Che looked at these dark-skinned soldiers and felt quite satisfied.
In time, they will become the most reliable cornerstone of the future plateau defense line, and also a sword hanging over the heads of the Tibetans.
Once more soldiers adapt to the high-altitude climate, Lhasa will no longer be an inaccessible place for the Qing army.
Therefore, Li Che was happy for the conflict between the two countries to continue, because time was on his side.
The weather was fine that day, and Li Che, on a whim, didn't bring many attendants. He simply wandered around the camp at will, inspecting the various fortifications.
In the distance, another group of Tibetan envoys slowly approached the camp gate.
The soldiers in the camp were already used to it, and after the routine check, they were allowed to enter the camp.
The procession stopped, and the messenger dismounted.
When they saw Li Che's figure in the distance, they quickly bowed and paid their respects, but dared not approach him rashly.
The tyranny of the Daqing Emperor had spread throughout Lhasa, casting a shadow over the hearts of these envoys.
Everyone knows that the Emperor of Daqing is even more dangerous than the Zanpu (Tibetan king).
Offending the Zanpu might at most result in beheading, but offending the Daqing Emperor could lead to the Zanpu beheading your entire family in order to negotiate peace.
Li Che glanced at it but didn't pay it any mind.
Suddenly, a faint sense of being watched made him feel uneasy, causing a slight stirring in his heart.
Li Che did not stop walking. He casually glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the guards accompanying the Tibetan envoy.
Suddenly, he noticed a gaze that was unusually persistent, fixed on him.
He was a soldier dressed in ordinary Tibetan leather armor, with a slightly thin build, standing at the back of the envoy's procession, his hat brim pulled low.
But Li Che's keen senses and the vigilance he had developed over many years of military service told him that this gaze was different from the curiosity and fear of ordinary soldiers; it contained something more complex.
Could it be an assassin?
Li Che sneered inwardly.
Could there still be hardliners within Tibet who are unwilling to give up and want to assassinate the emperor in order to escalate the conflict?
As an emperor, he never hesitated to assume the worst about any potential threat.
He continued walking without making a sound, and only when he reached a corner of a camp did he whisper a few words to Qiu Bai.
Qiu Bai's eyes sharpened, and he accepted the order and left.
Before long, a group of Qing soldiers carrying flintlock muskets jogged over and silently surrounded the Tibetan delegation that was still waiting outside the camp gate for an announcement.
The dark muzzles of guns were all pointed at them, which terrified the members of the delegation.
The leading envoy was terrified, his face turning ashen, and he cried out repeatedly, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We, your humble servants, have come here on the orders of the Zanpu to discuss matters, and we have absolutely no other intentions! Absolutely no other intentions!"
The entourage also knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, creating a chaotic scene.
Qiu Bai has returned to Li Che's side and is now guarding him with his hand on his sword.
Wang Sanchun, Ma Zhong, and other generals who were not far away also gathered around.
Li Che then slowly walked over, his gaze sweeping over the Tibetans kneeling on the ground, finally settling on the soldier who had previously caught his attention.
Although that person was also kneeling, he did not tremble like the others.
"You," Li Che pointed at the man, "raise your head."
The soldier's body trembled slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally slowly raised his face.
Beneath the brim of the hat was a rather handsome face.
His skin was not as rough and dark as that of ordinary Tibetan soldiers; he had long, slender eyebrows and eyes, and a straight nose.
Although she tried her best to imitate a man's posture, her overly soft facial features and her undeniably lively eyes still betrayed her true gender.
Li Che was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "A woman?"
When the soldier realized his identity had been exposed, he bit his lower lip and nodded in admission.
Li Che felt helpless.
He had complained about it before when watching period dramas, saying that it was impossible for ancient makeup to be indistinguishable between men and women.
This thing is obvious at a glance, okay?
Li Che stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly realized something and burst out laughing.
"Alright." Li Che waved his hand and said to the Qing soldiers around him, "It was all a misunderstanding, let's all disperse."
The muskets were put away, and the soldiers retreated in an orderly fashion.
The members of the delegation breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, still shaken.
Li Che stopped looking at them, turned and walked towards the commander's tent, leaving Qiu Bai with only one sentence: "Bring her here."
He added, "Please be polite."
Qiu Bai was incredibly astute; from His Majesty's changed attitude and the woman's extraordinary appearance and demeanor, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.
He quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the woman, and said in a respectful but firm tone, "This... esteemed lady, His Majesty requests your presence. Please follow me."
The woman stood up, dusted off her knees, and glanced at Li Che's departing figure.
He addressed Qiu Bai with neither servility nor arrogance, "General, may I change my clothes?"
Qiu Bai was taken aback.
The woman pointed to her Tibetan soldier's uniform and said, "I do not wish to wear this to meet His Majesty. Please grant my request, General."
Qiu Bai was now certain that this woman must be a Tibetan princess.
She is indeed very intelligent; it seems she will definitely have a place in the harem in the future.
Although he was a confidant of Li Che, he did not want to offend a future imperial concubine, since there was no way to ward off the influence of a woman's pillow talk.
So he said with difficulty, "But... there are no women's clothes in the camp."
The woman smiled slightly and pointed to the package on her back: "It's alright, I brought it myself."
Qiu Bai was taken aback again. This princess was indeed well-prepared; it seemed she had long been prepared to be discovered.
That's impressive!
In Li Che's harem, Chang Ningxue holds great power, Yang Xuan has not yet entered the palace, and even if she does, she probably has no intention of vying for favor. Consort Yan is timid and cautious, and Yelü Xian, although favored, is frighteningly naive.
The arrival of this clever Tibetan princess will likely change the dynamics of the harem.
Thinking of this, Qiu Bai dared not delay and found a clean, empty barracks as instructed, personally guarding the door.
Before long, the curtain was lifted, and Princess Zhuoma stepped out gracefully, now dressed in the fine attire of a Tibetan noblewoman, replacing her drab gray leather armor.
The brocade robe was deep red with intricate gold thread patterns embroidered on the collar, sleeves, and neckline. A wide belt inlaid with turquoise and amber was tied around the waist, which accentuated the slender waist.
Her full head of black hair was styled into a multi-strand braid, a common style for Tibetan noblewomen, and adorned with delicate strings of red coral beads. She wore a teardrop-shaped lapis lazuli headband on her forehead.
A light application of powder on her face further accentuated the delicate features of her face.
Her eyebrows were long and thin like a crescent moon, her eyes were bright like a high-altitude lake, her nose was high and straight, and her lips were naturally red.
Although their skin tone is not as fair as that of women from the Central Plains due to the high altitude and sunshine, it has a healthy and radiant glow.
She was a stunningly beautiful Tibetan princess!
Qiu Bai quickly lowered his eyes, not daring to look closely, and respectfully stepped aside to lead the way: "Honorable one, please."
Inside the command tent, Li Che leaned against a low couch to the side, holding a small piece of fresh meat and teasing a pure white bird of prey perched on his wrist guard.
The eagle was not large, but it possessed a majestic and awe-inspiring presence, and its entire body was pure white without any stray feathers.
Zhuoma stepped into the tent, her gaze first drawn to the white eagle, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
Upon seeing Li Che's appearance, his eyes shone even brighter.
Following the etiquette of Tibetan audiences, she bowed slightly: "In ancient Tibetan legends, the pure white eagle is the most beloved messenger of the snow mountain gods, and the embodiment of auspiciousness and power."
"Today, seeing Your Majesty holding a white eagle in your arms, I realize that Your Majesty is indeed the chosen one of Heaven's mandate and has received the favor of Heaven."
Li Che raised his head, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then he couldn't look away.
Just as Lu Dongzan said, she is a beauty.