Chapter 138 Conditions

"Lord Bonica, our honorable Queen remains as beautiful and charming as ever."

"She is nothing more than a used-up whore. If you are interested, I can make arrangements, noble Xidongzan."

Bonica offered a faint smile, his expression returning to normal. He walked over to pour himself a cup of wine, lifted it, and said, "I still prefer butter tea; I've never quite acquired a taste for things from your side of Tianzhu."

Xidongzan chuckled heartily, tossing the contents of his cup straight into his mouth. "What now? She said exactly what you anticipated. The Tang people intend to negotiate with me, and perhaps they will offer terms that are hard to resist."

"Negotiate? Why not negotiate? The Tang people are in power right now. The mob they support has stained the valley of Kathmandu red. Every wealthy man has had his head chopped off and hung from the city walls. Those lowly commoners are reveling in their homes, holding their women, and defiling them at will. Your Queen—heaven knows how many hands she has passed through. Oh, and right, that pretty niece of mine, I remember she was already betrothed to someone. She belonged to one of our powerful families, the most loyal servants of the Tsenpo. What a pity."

Despite speaking of pity, Xidongzan's expression remained virtually unchanged. The status of the Nepalese was not much higher than that of the Lesser Bolur people. If not for their advantageous geographical location, which would demand too high a price to conquer, they would have ceased to exist long ago.

What interested him was the fact that the Tang could stir up such a massive commotion. After all, Nepal was located far in the interior, separated even by Zhangzhung in the middle. Yet, who could have foreseen that things would turn out this way? Kathmandu was already in complete chaos, and the Tang people seemed entirely unconcerned, allowing the mob to overrun the entire Kathmandu Valley.

This was certainly not the style of the Celestial Empire!

Upon receiving the news, Xidongzan's curiosity was instantly piqued. Of course, more importantly, he needed to see whether the Tang had the capability to control Nepal. Although a small country, it still boasted a population of several hundred thousand; scraping together an army of ten thousand was more than feasible.

Today's Tubo was already on the verge of collapse. Although the Tang army in Anxi had stopped at Lesser Bolur, they showed no intention of retreating. This created an invisible pressure, forcing him to maintain round-the-clock vigilance in Bazaduo City. However, an incident in Nepal was equivalent to a fire breaking out in his own backyard. How could he remain in Zhangzhung without figuring out the cause and effect?

He might as well make the trip. The two places were not far apart; as long as he crossed a few mountain passes, he could still rush back in time should any drastic changes occur.

The number of Tubo troops stationed in this city was small, serving mostly a symbolic, surveillance role. Whether the Tang would attack, how they would attack, whether Kapilavastu would hold out, and for how long—these were things he desperately needed to know.

True to expectation, the Tang had arrived, bringing with them a highly influential figure: the Queen of Nepal. Her lineage was rooted right here, and most of the wealthy families who had fled from Kathmandu recognized her. The person was real, but what were her intentions?

For a woman who had lost everything to throw in her lot with the Tang was not difficult to understand. Xidongzan could more or less guess what the Tang could offer: wipe out the original ruling elites, cultivate an obedient puppet, and turn the entire country into a vassal of the Tang, thereby driving a thorn into the northern flank of Tubo. How venomous!

And the city of Kapilavastu beneath their feet was perhaps the reward offered by the woman. Yet, such wishful thinking might not pan out as smoothly as hoped. As long as the Tang refused to stop supporting the mob, the people here would never know a moment of peace. Even if the woman was willing, would those wealthy families who had barely escaped with their lives be willing as well?

Would Bonica forsake everything he currently owned and recklessly plunge into the embrace of the Tang just for a taste of a woman?

If he were truly that foolish, he wouldn't be worth the trip. Imperceptibly, Xidongzan's cup had emptied to the bottom.

The designated meeting place was a hillside. Bonica did not bring many men, but it was clear they were carefully selected guards. As he led them upward, a tall Sogdian man came forward to meet them.

"I am Bonica, Lord of Kapilavastu, Guardian of Western Nepal. Who are you?"

The opponent spoke in the Tubo language. Kang Laosì did not answer immediately, instead glancing at the two soldiers who had followed the woman into the city. They nodded, confirming the other party's identity.

"I am Kang Huaishun, an envoy of the Great Tang, representing the supreme commander of our army. I have the authority to make decisions on any matter. You have already seen our sincerity; I wonder if this is enough." Kang Huaishun made an inviting gesture. The two men walked side by side, their respective guards matching their pace behind them. Walking alongside Liu Ji was a Nepalese man of similar impressive stature, barefoot, with a hunting knife tucked into his waist, staring at him with fierce eyes.

Putting Kang Laosì forward was part of Liu Ji's deliberate calculations. The future outlook of the situation was still unclear, and his young age made it difficult to inspire trust—an unvarnished flaw. Standing behind the scenes made it much easier to control everything.

"Thank you for releasing my sister and doing her no harm. I suppose this forms the foundation of our meeting."

"Naturally. The Great Tang means no harm to the Nepalese people; everything that happened was the work of those mountain tribesmen." Kang Huaishun went along with the flow. Bonica cast a glance at him and smiled faintly.

"In that case, can you release her daughter as well?"

"Release? I think you are mistaken. Princess Elsie Leia was personally handed over to us by the Queen—who is, after all, your sister. It is impossible for her to marry a Tubo man as she might have before. Perhaps a Tang man is a reliable pillar to lean on. You are considered part of her family, too. How does such an arrangement sound?"

Bonica shook his head. "She is the most beautiful woman in Nepal. I wonder which Tang man is so fortunate."

"Isn't the most beautiful woman in Nepal already inside your castle?"

Kang Huaishun's remark caught him off guard. The two men exchanged a knowing look, understanding each other implicitly as they smoothly brought that topic to a close.

"Pardon my frankness, but whether the Tang can gain a firm foothold in Nepal remains to be seen. However, if a day comes when the mob appears in the Peacock River Valley, there will be nothing left for us to discuss." Having spoken thus far, Bonica discarded all pretense.

Kang Huaishun nodded. "I believe that if we negotiate properly, everything can turn out as desired. Am I right, Lord Bonica?"

"Then I'll speak plainly. First, you must no longer support the actions of the mob. The events that took place in Kathmandu must be thoroughly accounted for; the wealth and women they plundered must be returned. Without this condition, I cannot persuade the other families."

"And what else?" Kang Huaishun said neutrally.

"Furthermore, you will need many people to manage the entire country. I can help with these matters. If there are any surviving descendants of the Vira family, we must find them; if not, we will need to nominate a new one. Do you already have a candidate in mind?"

"As far as I know, during the mountain tribesmen's raid that day, none of the heirs managed to escape, not even infants in swaddling clothes. Your royal family presumably has no male-line descendants left. As for who comes next, the Vira family has only been around for a hundred-odd years anyway. What difference does it make if we change dynasties?"

"May I take this as some sort of commitment?" A glint flashed in Bonica's eyes.

"Consider it a tacit understanding. We have heard your conditions; now let us state ours." Kang Huaishun's tone remained utterly calm, revealing nothing substantive.

"Please go ahead."

"It's very simple. Round up all the Tubo people in the city and hand them over to us to deal with."

Indeed, it was very simple—just a single sentence. Yet, that sentence plunged Bonica into silence.

A prolonged silence.