With negotiations falling apart, the meaningless pretense between Vermillion Bird and Li Boping in the grand hall came to an end. Still, for the sake of maintaining the appearance of a civilized nation, they courteously arranged accommodations for their guests at the embassy.0

Once inside, Zhao Changhe did not bother with disguises anymore. Given the current situation, whether he changed his face or not made no difference. Whether a fight broke out depended solely on when Jiuyou decided to snap. He might as well revert to his true appearance to make things more comfortable for his wives.1

As for his objectives in coming to Chang’an… it was hard to say whether he had succeeded or made things worse.0

The main goal was never to rely on the Li Clan to march troops against the northern barbarians. The real aim was simply to ensure that the Buddhist and Daoist sects did not take Jiuyou’s side. If war broke out with the barbarians, and the Li Clan attempted to send troops from Hangu Pass to strike at his rear, it would be much easier to handle as long as those like Yuxu were not involved. On that front, Cui Wenjing was in charge, and Old Cui was no pushover. Moreover, Li Shentong had agreed to a northern campaign against Hanzhong. As long as the enemy lacked the support of the...0