Chapter 27: Plot

What made Mingjiu relieved was that after King Linhuai sent them to the capital of Kucha, he went to the Anxi Protectorate to meet the prince.

His attitude was very clear. Qiandeng now represented Kucha. As a Tang Dynasty native, he would not interfere in the affairs of Kucha and Uighur.

Before the Lingling County Princess, who was wanted by the entire city, reappeared in the palace, not only the guards and court officials at the palace gate, but even the people on the street were stunned and looked on. Some even shouted, "Isn't this the Tang Dynasty County Princess who murdered our Kucha royal family? How dare she show up here!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Yuchi Yiyao covered his wound and shouted at the top of his voice, "It was the Western Fan people who murdered our Kucha royal family. The Tang County Lady was wrongly framed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the originally bustling streets suddenly became quiet. Everyone was confused and looked at each other in bewilderment.

The soldiers behind General Yuchi also said, "Yes! This time, thanks to the Tang County Lady who put aside past grudges and came to the battlefield to rescue us in times of crisis, we were not completely wiped out!"

"If she hadn't saved us from the Xifan army, the main force of our Kucha army, so many brave men, would have been killed in the battle last night!"

After hearing the soldiers' strong evidence, the people suddenly understood: "So, the Princess of Datang County was framed?"

"This is a trap set by the Western Barbarians to sow discord between the Tang Dynasty and our Kucha!"

"But wasn't she the one who stole the three sacred treasures that protect the nation? Now the deaths of the royal family are all related to the sacred treasures. How did the Westerners frame her?"

"Regarding this matter, our Tang Dynasty envoys have already made some discoveries after investigation and have obtained solid physical evidence of the Western Barbarians' murder and frame-up. Moreover, the princess who survived the fire in the shrine also knows the truth and is an irrefutable witness." Qian Deng naturally wouldn't say that she was the one who discovered the clues last time. She stood at the palace gate and spoke loudly to everyone, "The last time the thieves rang the bell, it was the princess's turn to reveal the truth. It's a pity that because they lured the tiger away from the mountain, the princess was killed and unable to reveal the truth. I hope everyone will put the overall situation first and remain patient. I will definitely find the real culprit behind this and avenge the Kucha royal family and my family!"

After saying this, she ignored the chaotic discussions behind her, left all reactions behind, and went straight into the palace.

All I could hear behind me was a commotion, with people talking about all sorts of things.

But in the end, the voice of trust prevailed: "How can someone who can save our main force of Kucha in a critical moment be detrimental to Kucha?"

"Yes, I believe that the descendants of King Changhua will never do anything to shame their ancestors!"

"Princess of Datang County, if you are innocent, you must expose the truth and not let the evildoers go!"

Qiandeng raised his head, took a deep breath, and strode towards the hall where the King of Kucha was.

The king was still lying on the couch. The palace maids had just changed his medicine. His body was covered with a brocade quilt, but his exposed head and neck were also wrapped in bandages. His face, with festering skin and flesh, was also severely injured and showed no signs of improvement.

But as the ruler of a country, even in such a situation, he remained strong-minded. He forced himself to open his eyes and look at them. His gaze fell on Qian Deng, and he asked with difficulty: "You...you still dare to show up? Someone...someone..."

Qiandeng said nothing, but bowed to him.

Yuchi Yiyao hurried forward and reported, "Your Majesty, I was ordered to engage the Western Fan army this time, but unfortunately I was ambushed. If the county lady hadn't arrived in time, the main force I led might have been wiped out!"

Although the King of Kucha was somewhat confused, his lifeless eyes widened when he heard his words: "What..."

Yuchi Yiyao quickly recounted the entire incident in detail: "The county lady was wrongly accused. It was indeed the Western Barbarians who framed her to sow discord between Kucha and the Tang Dynasty. We have all fallen for it!"

Mingjiu was gloating nearby: "Can you guys in Kucha do anything? From top to bottom, there's not a single person who's feeling relieved (awake). They've been completely deceived."

The King of Kucha stared at him for a long time and vaguely recognized him as Mingjiu, the prince of Uighur. He thought angrily in his heart, that's because you didn't witness the situation with your own eyes. What's more, the person in trouble was not your closest relative, so you can naturally make sarcastic remarks.

But at this moment, what good would it do to offend one more Uighur? He averted his gaze and only looked at Qiandeng, saying with all his might, "My Kucha has suffered such a great disaster that the county lady has been wrongly blamed. It's all... it's all a conspiracy by the Western Fan!"

Qian Deng bowed his head and said, "Now that Beiting has come to Anxi's aid, the Tang Dynasty will certainly help Kucha overcome this disaster. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, and resume your leadership as soon as possible."

Mingjiu quickly took advantage of the opportunity and said, "I, Huihe, will also pay my respects to you (help you with all my strength)!"

"With so many parties helping us, I believe... I believe that Kucha will be able to restore stability." The king stretched out his hand with difficulty, signaling for the Grand Commandant. "The county lady is a descendant of the King of Changhua, and is also connected to the Kucha royal family by blood. I will... I will ask the Grand Commandant to assist you. I also hope that the county lady can mobilize the forces of all parties and work together to help Kucha... to investigate the truth of this case and prevent the Xifan conspiracy from succeeding!"

The King of Kucha personally instructed Qian Deng to do so and asked the Grand Commandant, who was equivalent to the Prime Minister, to assist him. Naturally, Qian Deng's current status was very different from before.

Looking at Qian Deng who was sitting opposite her in the negotiations on behalf of Kucha, and then looking at Cui Fufeng who was sitting next to her representing the Tang Dynasty, Ming Jiu felt even more depressed.

Why hadn't he seized the opportunity sooner? Now, overnight, the initiative had flipped, and he was the one rushing to negotiate with Qiandeng about fighting against Xifan and sharing a share of the spoils, instead of her being trapped internally and externally and having him set the price. It was clear who held the initiative.

What's more, Cui Fufeng was sitting next to him. After several rounds of bargaining, in the end, just like when he helped the Tang Dynasty quell the rebellion before, he didn't get any extra benefits.

"Damn it!" Mingjiu used the excuse of changing clothes to slip out and stood outside to vent the anger in his chest in Uighur language.

Meilu (the Uighur general in charge of the troops), who had come with him, looked around and said in a low voice, "In the final analysis, the Western Region Army is so useless. They were beaten so badly by the temporarily borrowed Shuofang Army. If they didn't collapse so easily in one blow, Qiuci and Anxi would have to think twice!"

"That's right! If I hold on a little longer, won't my princess be settled? And won't my brothers be able to take advantage of this opportunity to make some extra money?" Ming Jiu was filled with anger at the Western Fan Army's incompetence. "I've been negotiating in Chang'an for so long, but I still haven't been able to secure the border town. If I can't get some benefits this time, I'll definitely be laughed at by everyone in the fifteen tribes!"

"Indeed, it would be too embarrassing for us to go back like this." Mei Lu said with a sincere look, patiently coaxing, "But in my opinion, the Xifan army didn't expect the Shuofang army to suddenly join the battle last night, so they were caught off guard. The next time they come back, they won't be so easy to deal with..."

Mingjiu agreed with him: "I also think that the Western Fan army will definitely reorganize their forces before coming back."

"I hope Xifan can be prepared and stronger this time." Meilu said to him meaningfully, "When someone is hanging on the edge of a cliff, as long as someone is willing to lend a hand, any conditions will be met."

"That makes sense..." Mingjiu pondered, "But how can we get Kucha to hang on the edge of the cliff?"

"That depends on whether Xifan can do it. Of course, if he really can't, we'll need help from others..."

Mingjiu slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming. "That's what people who accomplish great things do! Otherwise, how would I have the chance to snatch the girl of destiny for the Huihe people?"

Back at the negotiation table, Mingjiu seemed much more relaxed. He sat cross-legged opposite Qiandeng, looking at her seriously with a smile, without even naming a price.

"I can't speak Chinese well enough, so Meiludai can talk on my behalf."

But now that the situation has come to this point, what can Huihe Meilu negotiate?

"We, the Huihe, have been fighting the Western Fan army for more than a year or two, and we are very familiar with their combat patterns. This time, they have misjudged the situation and will surely strike again. Furthermore, we estimate that the most likely attempt is to cut off our retreat—and in that case, we are willing to take responsibility for that. If they do so, then all the fighting and gains over there will be borne by us, the Huihe. If not, even if we were unlucky and made the wrong bet, all the credit will go to you. We accept defeat."

Qiandeng looked at Cui Fufeng and the Grand Commandant, and seeing that they had no objection, he knew in his heart that it was actually more difficult to gain benefits from the rear route than from the vanguard and the central army. Moreover, this was discovered and proposed by the Uighurs, so there was no need to compete with them for this gain or loss.

"Don't worry, Xianzhu. Our Huihe soldiers are very brave and eager to go into battle. It would be a waste if they don't fight for a day. Besides, we and the Xifan army are also old enemies. We can kill them easily!" Mingjiu patted his chest loudly. "We will help you. We will never pay more. Just the same as when the Tang Dynasty borrowed troops from us. We guarantee our reputation. It will be safe!"

Looking at Mingjiu's departing figure, Qiandeng felt uneasy and asked Cui Fufeng, "Do you think the Huihe's actions are problematic?"

Cui Fufeng said, "The Huihe and Xifan have had a long-standing feud, so they wouldn't collude. However, they have always relied on their bravery and ferocity to gain military advantages. If they were to resort to tactics for something greater than military merit, it's not impossible..."

Qian Deng was still pondering what benefits would be worth the Huihe's actions. Next to him, Ji Linyou pondered Cui Fufeng's words, then looked at Qian Deng, as if he had realized something: "He wouldn't want to take advantage of this opportunity to attack the county lady, would he?"

"With the Shuofang Army protecting him, he has no chance to make a move." Cui Fufeng knew that no one could snatch Li Yingshang from his grasp. After a moment's thought, he added, "But there's a possibility of covert action. We must be on guard."

"I'll do it!" Ji Linyou volunteered. "The veterans who came with me have gradually returned to their units. I'll lead them to keep a close eye on the Huihe people and ensure they don't miss any signs of trouble!"

The current relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Kucha, as well as the results of the three-party negotiations with the Uighurs, would naturally be reported to the prince as soon as possible so that he would be informed.

After Qiandeng reported the situation in detail, the Crown Prince was quite pleased. "Thankfully, Lingling, you are resolute and intelligent. You have finally helped Kucha overcome its misunderstanding of you and even entrusted you with important tasks. Now you shoulder the hopes of your ancestral country. If you need anything, feel free to contact me. The Tang Dynasty will do its utmost to assist you and plan the best path for you and Kucha."

From what he said, it was actually still based on the previous proposal, and he wanted to help Qiandeng take control of Kucha.

She pretended not to hear the hidden meaning and only solemnly thanked the court. She added, "In fact, this turnaround in the situation was entirely due to the help of the Beiting. I heard that after learning of the movements of the Western Fan army, Prince Linhuai was worried that the Crown Prince would be disturbed in Anxi. He didn't even bother to answer the border orders and rushed here. That's how he saved me and Qiuci."

The Crown Prince naturally understood her intention and said, "Indeed, the King of Linhuai has made a great contribution this time. He came to see me before and explained the matter clearly. I also know that there are reasons why he failed to respond to the imperial edict in time. This shows that the court will never listen to the slander of villains and misunderstand his loyalty."

Qiandeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to the prince, and prepared to leave.

The Crown Prince suddenly spoke, looking thoughtful, "Come to think of it, Prince Linhuai not only helped me, but also saved you, right?"

"Yes, Lingling has been rescued many times by the Prince of Linhuai. From the palace coup four years ago, to the subsequent Jingyuan mutiny, and now it's the Shuofang Army that has helped me and Kucha escape..." As for what happened while he was in Chang'an under the alias Ling Tianshui, she naturally wouldn't reveal it. "In short, he has been very kind to me. If I have the chance, I will do my best to repay him."

The prince nodded slowly, but as he watched her retreat, the moment when she rushed over from the farm to the military camp outside Chang'an City and encouraged him to enter the Daming Palace and stabilize the political situation appeared in his mind again.

At that time, she was just like him, cautiously guarding against the powerful and domineering King Linhuai, but now when she mentioned him, her emotions were completely different.

Did anything happen between them?

In that dark room, when Prince Linhuai mistook her for an assassin and entered to capture her, why did she hide there and never show up again?

At that time, he had heard a brief low groan and a crashing sound from inside, but because of his confused mind, he had not investigated it further. But now thinking about it, it seemed very wrong...