Chapter 148 I swear to the Eternal Heaven

Three days later, flags were flying on a temporary platform outside Baishui Pass. To everyone's surprise, not only Kumo came, but also leaders of northern tribes such as the Uighur and Kyrgyz were present. Apparently, Helian Bo's defeat and capture made these tribes reconsider their positions.

Ashina stood beside Kumo with a relaxed smile on his face. The Tiele leader was as big as a bear, wearing black armor and an iron helmet, but he was very kind to Ashina and even patted him on the shoulder and laughed several times.

Pei Yan, dressed in formal court clothes, climbed onto the high platform surrounded by generals. The guards brought up the captured Helian Bo. The former leader of the Wuhuan was now dishevelled and his one eye was full of resentment.

"Helian Bo," Pei Yan announced loudly, "you provoked war and murdered the people. Your crimes are unforgivable. According to the laws of the Wei Dynasty, you should be sentenced to death!"

Helian Bo laughed wildly: "Kill me if you want! The eagle on the grassland is not afraid of death!"

Pei Yan changed the subject: "But today is a peace ceremony, I don't want to see blood, so I will spare your life and exile you to a deserted island in the South China Sea instead, and you will never be allowed to return!"

Helian Bo stood there in a daze, as if he couldn't believe his ears. The leaders of various tribes below the stage also looked at each other in bewilderment. They didn't expect Pei Yan to be so magnanimous.

Then, Pei Yan ordered his men to carry up a dozen large boxes. When they were opened, they were filled with exquisite silk, porcelain and...seeds.

"These are gifts from the Wei Dynasty to the tribes," Pei Yan picked up a packet of seeds, "These are the best wheat seeds from the Wei Dynasty, drought-resistant and cold-resistant. If trade goes smoothly, there will be more next year."

The eyes of the leaders of each tribe suddenly lit up with desire. The grassland is barren and there is never enough food. These seeds are more precious than gold.

The alliance ceremony lasted a whole day. The locations of the five trade markets were determined, the transaction details were negotiated, and the non-battlefield areas were demarcated... When the last leader pressed his handprint on the sheepskin agreement, the sunset was setting, dyeing the entire platform golden.

"From today on," Pei Yan raised his glass high, "Great Wei and the tribes of the grassland will forever form an alliance and share peace!"

"Let's have an eternal alliance!" Everyone cheered in unison, even the usually serious Kumo smiled.

The celebration lasted until late at night. Beside the bonfire, warriors of all ethnic groups put down their weapons, drank and chatted happily. The Wei soldiers taught the grassland people how to use chopsticks, and the grassland people performed their riding and archery skills, and everyone was having a great time.

Mo Yuan walked up to Pei Yan and whispered, "Your Majesty, I just received news that border trade has started spontaneously. Western merchants brought iron tools, grassland herders drove sheep, and our farmers brought grain... No one organized them, so they started trading on their own."

Pei Yan's lips curled up into a smile.

Ashina came over with a wine glass in hand, his face slightly flushed with drunkenness: "Your Majesty, my father has agreed to let me serve as the representative of the Tuoba tribe and stay in Baishui Pass to supervise the trade."

"Very good." Pei Yan clinked his glasses together. "But you have to be prepared. It will be very busy. With five trade fairs and tens of thousands of people involved, disputes are bound to occur."

Ashina laughed and said, "I would rather mediate disputes like whose sheep ate whose vegetables every day than fight a war!"

The three of them smiled at each other, and their wine glasses clinked in the firelight, making crisp sounds.

A month later, the trade outside Baishui Pass had begun to take shape. In the market surrounded by wooden fences, hundreds of tents were arranged in an orderly manner. Merchants from the Wei Dynasty were hawking iron pots, salt and cloth; herdsmen from the grasslands displayed their fat cattle, sheep and horses; and merchants from the Western Regions brought exquisite jewelry and spices. The sounds of hawking, bargaining and laughter mixed together, making the place extremely lively.

In the center of the market, a stone tablet had just been erected, with the three big characters "Yonghe City" engraved on it in both Wei and grassland scripts. Pei Yan and Ashina jointly unveiled the stone tablet, announcing the official start of the trade.

The crowd burst into warm cheers, and a little girl from the grassland timidly walked up to Pei Yan and presented him with a bouquet of wild flowers. Pei Yan bent down, took it, and gently touched her head. This scene was forever captured on the scroll by the accompanying painter.

In the evening, Pei Yan and Ashina rode to Sunset Plain on horseback. Six years ago, this place was a battlefield where rivers of blood flowed; now, there is green grass and wild flowers everywhere, and smoke rises from the herdsmen’s tents in the distance.

"What a huge change," Ashina sighed. "Your Majesty, how long do you think this peace can last?"

Pei Yan looked at the sunset in the distance and said: "As long as we are alive, we will keep it going. When we are old, we will pass it on to the next generation to continue to protect it."

Ashina nodded solemnly: "I swear to the Eternal Heaven that as long as I, Ashina Tuoba, am still alive, I will never let the flames of war reignite on this grassland!"