"Left Worthy King, please do not lose your composure any further!" the Right Worthy King reminded helplessly.
The Left Worthy King blinked, then nodded solemnly, "With the aid of the Tianri Tribe, perhaps we can still turn the tide!"
Only then did the Right Worthy King relax and send for the envoys.
The envoys from the three kingdoms entered the tent together, Ito Masamune being the last. The one at the front was tall and robust, with golden hair and blue eyes. The one in the middle had red hair and blue eyes.
"Envoy of the Tianri Tribe, Valentine (Envoy of the Great Yue Empire, Harmukji) (Envoy of Izumo, Ito Masamune), pay respects to the two Great Kings!"
The demeanor of the three envoys varied greatly. Ito Masamune performed a kneeling bow, while Harmukji, the envoy from the Great Yue Empire, bowed respectfully. Valentine, the envoy from the Tianri Tribe, merely spoke, his body remaining still.
The Left and Right Worthy Kings greeted them with smiles, inviting the envoys from the Tianri Tribe and the Great Yue Empire to sit on their respective sides. Ito Masamune, however, was seated at the end of the barren warriors.
Valentine looked displeased and asked, "We heard that seventeen thousand of you barbarians were beheaded by the Marquis of An of the Great Gan. Do you not possess the weapons and some of the armor provided by our tribe? What happened?"
The Left Worthy King, full of shame, explained the reasons.
"Heh heh, the Great Gan Empire is not what it used to be..." Harmukji merely sneered, but sweat beaded on his forehead. Not long ago, their Great Yue Empire's marshal, full of ambition, had decisively abandoned the invasion of the Western Regions after the Great Gan beheaded seventeen thousand, fearing ambush by the Great Gan soldiers and thus losing face for the Great Yue Empire...
Valentine stared at the Left Worthy King, his face full of shock, "In the past, you, the Left Worthy King, could fight us on equal footing. Now you've become this? Pathetic??"
The Left Worthy King was enraged but speechless.
The Great Gan Empire was unaware that the barbarians had been expanding their territory, fighting all the way to the west and southwest. However, in the southwest, they encountered the Great Yue Empire and the increasingly powerful Kingdom of Guizi. In the west, they met the army of the Tianri Tribe. Especially in the battles against the Tianri Tribe, they were eventually blocked on all fronts, and some battle lines directly collapsed. The barbarians had no choice but to cease hostilities and seek peace with the Tianri Tribe.
Later, the Tianri Tribe, the Great Yue Empire, and the barbarians reached an agreement to divide the world and establish trade between the three nations! The refined fodder required for the barbarian warhorses, the armor needed by the soldiers, and the daily salt were partially imported from the territory of the Tianri Tribe. These were items the Great Gan Empire had strictly forbidden trade of with the barbarians, fearing to nurture a future threat. However, a portion of greedy traitors still managed to smuggle them. But relying solely on these supplies provided by the Great Gan insiders was not enough to support so many cavalry. The Tianri Tribe and the Great Yue Empire had made significant contributions.
Having witnessed the power of the Tianri Tribe, the barbarians finally curbed their arrogance in front of them and ultimately turned their forces southward to invade the Great Gan. In the eyes of the barbarians, the Tianri Tribe was invincible, even more formidable than the legendary Marquis of Dingguo of the Great Gan or the King of the East Sea of the Great Heng!
"Now the Great Gan soldiers are stationed at the northern border, claiming to retake Helan Mountain. Do you two envoys have any wise counsel?" the Right Worthy King inquired tentatively, selectively ignoring Ito Masamune, who was far across the sea.
Valentine frowned, then smiled, "Our Tianri Tribe will support you. We will sell you more weapons, armor, and warhorses at low prices, even grain. But there is one condition!"
The barbarians listened attentively, their hearts filled with eagerness. If the Great Gan soldiers attacked Helan Mountain at all costs, with dangerous individuals like Liang Xiao present, the outcome was unpredictable. Even if they could hold Helan Mountain, they would likely suffer heavy losses, thereby losing their capital to stand on equal footing with the Tianri Tribe!
Valentine said coldly, "Our tribe has learned about the legends of your ancient Xiongnu King, Herov. The treasure must be hidden deep within your desert, therefore, your barbarians must not prevent our Tianri Tribe from seeking this treasure!"
The barbarians were taken aback.
"From where did the Holy Envoy hear this?" the Right Worthy King asked, puzzled.
"You do not need to ask. Just say whether you agree or not!" Valentine said calmly.
The Right and Left Worthy Kings exchanged glances, their doubts growing. The treasure was merely a legend, and even the barbarians themselves did not care about it. Why was the Tianri Tribe so intent on finding it? However, they were more inclined to believe that the Tianri Tribe was using this as an excuse to understand the environment of northern barbarian territory, facilitating future invasion...
"As long as your country can provide our country with satisfactory aid, it is entirely possible. But if the treasure is not found, you cannot blame us!" the Right Worthy King finally nodded in agreement.
"There is an old saying in the Great Gan: 'Sincerity can move mountains and metal.' The Tianri Tribe is the most intelligent race under heaven, so they will naturally be able to find the treasure," Valentine laughed heartily.
Facing such an audacious envoy from the Tianri Tribe, the two barbarian Great Kings could only offer forced smiles.
"What about the Great Yue Empire?" the Right Worthy King then looked at Harmukji.
Harmukji said solemnly, "The Great Yue Empire will also sell you minerals and grain at low prices. However, you must not obstruct our country from seeking the treasure, and you must unite with our country soon to defeat the Great Gan!"
The Right Worthy King was overjoyed and agreed with the same terms. He then looked at Ito Masamune and frowned, "Ito Masamune, the intelligence provided by your Sasaki Jiro to the Left Worthy King was that Liang Xiao intended to ambush. Now Sasaki is missing. How do you explain this?"
Ito Masamune was shocked and exclaimed, "Sasaki is my loyal retainer! It is impossible that he would collude with the enemy! He has probably been ambushed and killed!"
"Regardless, I hope you understand that even though our barbarian lands have suffered a crushing defeat, our scale is not comparable to that of Izumo. If Izumo wishes to enter the Central Plains, you should demonstrate more sincerity!" the Right Worthy King said sternly.
Ito Masamune hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Please, Right Worthy King, speak directly!"
The Right Worthy King then smiled amiably, "You know that the weather in our barbarian lands is cold. I hear that your Izumo, despite its small land area, is rich in natural sulfur? Send ten thousand taels of silver, and then send some sulfur! Send as much silver and sulfur as you have sincerity! Oh, and send a few hundred beauties from Izumo too!"
Ito Masamune finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Sulfur... This should not be difficult. I will certainly report back to my country, and the Emperor will handle it as soon as possible!"
After sending off the three envoys, the Right Worthy King dismissed his generals, leaving only the Left Worthy King. "Left Worthy King, you are my and the Chanyu's own uncle, you raised me, and you gave up the position of Chanyu back then, so only you and the Chanyu obey me. Tell me, why do the Tianri Tribe and the Great Yue Empire seek a mythical treasure?"
The Left Worthy King calmed down, his eyes narrowing, "Perhaps the treasure truly exists. After all, the Great Gan Empire lacks gold, and it's possible that it was all plundered by that ancient king!"
The Right Worthy King's heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth, "Then we must search for it too..."
The legend of the treasure in the depths of the desert had finally attracted the covetousness of three nations.
Meanwhile, the soldiers in Yun Province were intensifying their training with longbows and divine arm crossbows, familiarizing themselves with the operation of ballistae, striving to meet at Shuofang as soon as possible. Liang Xiao and Lu Yi personally supervised the training almost every day, eager to recapture Helan Mountain and even march into the desert. Only they knew why they yearned day and night to water their horses in the vast sea. Besides displaying the might of the Great Gan Empire, there was also the treasure of the ancient Xiongnu King!