King Luo Xionghai of Zhennan was already very careful, but he didn't expect his elder brother to act so quickly. The meal hadn't even started yet, and since the other party had come from afar, he had to let them finish their meal before talking about business. Who knew that he would say this on the way to the meal.
Li Xiang didn't know how to answer at this moment. If he didn't know the specific situation of Nanzhao on the way, and the king had said so, and he was also the king's eldest son, Li Xiang would have no reason to refuse. But if he agreed now, how could he waver in the middle? Only by wavering could he gain the greatest benefits for himself and the Tang Dynasty.
"Your Highness has come a long way and must be exhausted. Brother, please don't talk about court matters. Let's talk more about the customs and practices of the southwest. I think Your Highness is also very interested in this."
Luo Xionghai is not an ordinary person. When he saw that Li Xiang did not answer this question, he knew that his elder brother's question was not what Li Xiang expected. As long as Li Xiang did not answer in public, it meant that he still had a chance. No matter how his elder brother arranged it, as long as people did not go to Chang'an City, then the matter would not be settled.
Luo Sheng glanced at his younger brother with some displeasure. He had accidentally allowed his younger brother to develop too fast over the years, to the point where the king could no longer curb him. If he continued to develop like this, even if his son returned from Chang'an City, he would probably not be able to succeed to the throne smoothly.
Of course, there is no way around it. In addition to his younger brother's age advantage, the Queen Mother is also a great help.
The Queen Mother loved her youngest son the most and put all the family's strength on him, especially some military positions in Nanzhao, almost all of which were under the control of the Zhennan Palace. King Luo Sheng had been feeling frustrated over the years.
"Your Majesty, I'm truly sorry. You've traveled so long. Regarding these important matters, we should hold the discussion on a more important occasion. If I give a casual answer, and it doesn't agree with the court later, it will be embarrassing for both of us. Aren't we going to have a formal meeting tomorrow? One more day won't make any difference."
Li Xiang's words made the Prince of Zhennan burst into joy. "Did you hear that?" "It's not that we're trying to stop you. It's that the Emperor's Grandson of the Tang Dynasty doesn't want to discuss this matter either. That means there are so many variables involved. If you understand what I'm saying, there's no need to continue discussing this matter. If you anger the Emperor's Grandson of the Tang Dynasty, I'm afraid you'll end up in trouble."
"Your Highness is right. I was not thoughtful enough."
What could he do as the ruler of a country? When he was talking to the grandson of the Tang Emperor, they were clearly discussing serious matters, but because the other party was unwilling to discuss it, he had to step forward and take the blame. In addition to Li Xiang's illustrious reputation, he had recently received news that the four chieftains in their north had also been dealt with.
Speaking of the four great chieftains in the north, others may not know how powerful they are, but Luo Sheng has been dealing with them for a long time. Whenever the Central Plains Dynasty bullied this side, Nanzhao would also provide them with certain support. They were like a barrier for Nanzhao in the north. If they were broken through by the Central Plains Dynasty, then Nanzhao would not have a good life.
It was originally believed that the four chieftains were powerful, and even if the Central Plains dynasty sent a large army, the four chieftains would have enough strength to stop it. Now it seems that this is far from the case. The four chieftains have now stopped their activities and have gone to Chang'an to pay homage. After they returned from Chang'an, the situation in the whole Sichuan was different again.
This is also one of the reasons why Luo Sheng is anxious. Only when his son is can be can their position be stabilized. Today's society is different from before. If it were in the past, as long as you knew the vassal states of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would never cause trouble for you.
But now the Tang Dynasty seems to have little trust in vassal states and is instead thinking of directly occupying this area. Just think about Gaochang. If the Tang Dynasty also directly occupied Nanzhao, would these Nanzhao royal family have a good outcome? It's ridiculous that my second brother still doesn't understand this and is still opposing me everywhere. If Li Xiang agrees, I can let the prince accompany him when he returns to the capital. As long as Li Shimin has promised it personally, no matter how powerful the Tang army is, they will not go against the emperor's promise.
The banquet was held in the palace hall, which was already the largest palace in the entire Nanzhao, but it was similar to a royal palace in the capital. Although the food was very delicious and Li Xiang and his followers ate with relish, no one from the Nanzhao Kingdom was just there to accompany them and did not pay much attention to it.
They actually had the same idea as His Majesty the King. As long as Li Xiang promised what happened just now, even if the Prince of Zhennan could get that promise now, they would be happy to accompany Li Xiang to eat, drink and have fun. But Li Xiang avoided talking about that issue, and this matter was not simple.
The four great chieftains in the north all knew that if we were the same as them, then even the royal family would be like this, let alone people like us. So they were all pretending to be worried while eating. Li Xiang could see it clearly after taking a look around, but Li Xiang deliberately did not mention this matter, letting you guys worry for a while. If you all sit back and do nothing, then how are we going to proceed with our business?
Because Li Xiang and his entourage were exhausted from the long journey, officials from the Lifanyuan came out when they were halfway through their meal and before the singing and dancing performance could finish. They hoped to end the banquet and let Li Xiang and his entourage go back and have a good rest. After all, they had been on the road for more than half a month and there would be a formal meeting between the two sides tomorrow.
The officials of the Lifanyuan had legitimate requests, and they also noticed Li Xiang's gaze, so the officials of Nanzhao did not dare to stop them and could only send Li Xiang and others back to their residence.
This time, except for 300 guards, all other personnel are stationed outside the city, and all supplies are provided by the Nanzhao Kingdom. Perhaps they heard about what happened in Gaochang, so they separated Li Xiang from the army. But will it be useful to separate them with just this low city wall?
