Thinking of this, Sanjar was overjoyed.
In those days, the powerful cavalry of the Abbasid Caliphate defeated the army of the Eastern Tang Dynasty at Talas, pushing the glory of the gods west of the Pamir Mountains.
This is an unprecedented peak.
It is also what countless people have dreamed of since then.
Sanjar gradually recovered from the trauma of the Battle of Kavant. His previously tired eyes became sharp again, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
If what Istali said is true, he would be the greatest sultan in history.
That night, Mustali led his men into the prison.
"An envoy from the East."
When Xue Donglai saw Mustali arrive, he knew that things might take a turn for the better.
Xue Donglai's connection with Seljuk was that of Mustali's mistress's younger sister, named Mufilia.
It took Xue Donglai several years and a considerable amount of money and valuable resources from the Song Dynasty to establish this relationship.
It must have been something Mufilia said privately afterward that prompted Mustali to take action.
Xue Donglai bowed and said, "Your Excellency Governor Mustali."
“You know the envoy from the East. After all, your emperor killed our people, so Sultan Sanjar will be very angry.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Donglai knew that the other party was trying to intimidate him. He said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Governor Mustali, as I have already said, it was Aliben who violated the laws of the Great Song Dynasty and deserved to die."
“Emissary from the East, you had better give Sultan Sanjar an explanation on this matter, otherwise it will be difficult for the cooperation between the two sides to continue.”
hehe……
Xue Donglai sneered inwardly.
If the collaboration is difficult to move forward, why did you come all the way here to see me?
"Then may I ask Governor Mustali, what kind of explanation does Sultan Sanjar want?"
“Sultan Sanjar’s request is not excessive: 50,000 chests of silk and 100,000 pieces of ceramics.”
Xue Donglai quickly replied, "That's easy. Our Great Song Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, so this is a reasonable request."
That's a load of rubbish!
What do you take my Song Dynasty for?
Seeing Xue Donglai agree so readily, Mustali knew he had asked for too little.
He quickly continued, "It's not over yet. We also need 1,000 chests of gold, jade pieces, and 2,000 carriages of tea."
Xue Donglai feigned reluctance and said, "It is a bit too much, but I can persuade His Majesty the Emperor when I get back."
"Is your emperor really willing to give it?"
"Governor Mustali, if you have time, you are welcome to visit our Great Song Dynasty. Our Great Song Dynasty is the richest in the world, and this reputation is well-deserved."
"Very well! I will convey your message to Sultan Sanjar. I hope we can cooperate smoothly."
"It's a pleasure to work with you."
Xue Donglai smiled as he watched Mustali leave.
The following day, Xue Donglai was released from prison and then received the highest level of hospitality as a state guest.
After a round of drinks and pleasantries, the group quickly drafted an alliance agreement.
Xue Donglai signed the treaty on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty.
Sanjar was overjoyed, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.
He assured Xue Donglai that he would definitely send 500,000 troops eastward to completely annihilate Yelü Dashi.
Not only that, he also specially sent people to escort Xue Donglai all the way back east.
The governor of Sistan, Habibullah, said to Sanjar with great concern, “Great Sultan Sanjar, the Easterners may betray you at any time. You should not believe that man’s words.”
Sanjar laughed and said, “Lord Habibula, I know your concerns, but we have not paid any price. If the Easterners do not keep their promise, the army of God will arrive in the East and, in the name of God, judge these treacherous people.”
“Sultan Sanjar, sending 500,000 troops to aid the Easterners is not a good thing; this is the price we are paying.”
“Lord Habibula, I only agreed to send 500,000 troops eastward, but I did not say that I would participate in the war. Even if I did participate in the war, I did not agree on when to attack Yelü Dashi.”
Habibula then seemed to wake up from his dream.
Xue Donglai traveled eastward, knowing that his mission was complete.
His task was to get Sanjar to send troops; whether Sanjar was actually willing to fight was not his concern.
In the emperor's words, as long as Sanjar was willing to send troops, it would already have a great deterrent effect on Khwarazm, Ghaznavid, Gurkha, and other countries.
This could put immense pressure on the Liao Dynasty's rear.
The scenery in the Western Regions was magnificent. Xue Donglai traveled quickly eastward along the ancient Silk Road.
Sanjar's guards left a few days later.
Xue Donglai led the Song Dynasty's guards across the Syr Darya River and quickly entered the Seven Rivers region.
The June wind blew across the wide plain, causing waves of grass to ripple and the air to be filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
After traveling for another half a day, Xue Dong arrived at the city of Talas.
The number of merchants and travelers in Talas has decreased significantly.
Xue Donglai entered Talas and went into a small tavern.
The tavern owner was a Han Chinese named Zhang Huai'an.
"Five catties of beef and two catties of Daughter's Red wine."
In the Western Regions, there aren't many places that sell Han-style wine, and this little tavern is one of them.
After finishing the drink and the meat, Xue Donglai stayed there.
It was past midnight when Zhang Huai'an finally arrived at Xue Donglai's room.
It has now ceased operations.
Xue Donglai recounted his entire experience, and Zhang Huai'an sent twenty copies to twenty Imperial City Guards.
He ordered these men to be delivered to the emperor's camp by fast horses via different routes.
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