Chapter 27: Close the City Gates—Come In If You Dare!

At the massive gates of Chang'an, aside from the commoners coming and going, only Bai Muge and his retinue of court officials lingered, waiting, a peculiar sight against the city’s bustle. As long as Bai Muge remained motionless, Chen Duolong and the others stood just as still, each one resembling a bodyguard, plastering a smile on their faces as they loitered behind him.

Bai Muge: “……”

Just then, a mischievous autumn wind swept past, cold and biting. Bai Muge couldn’t help but think, in such a setting, if only the background music were playing—“Snowflakes flutter, the north wind whistles; the world is a vast expanse…”—the scene would be almost too poetic to bear.

A sudden shiver ran through Bai Muge’s body. He glanced up at the sky; thankfully, there was no snow.

What a bunch of blockheads, he thought to himself. I need to keep my distance, lest their idiocy rub off on me.

With a gloomy sigh, Bai Muge walked over to a nearby tavern and took a seat.

“Young Master Bai!” The tavern’s server saw him approach and quickly hurried over with a sycophantic grin. “Would you like a pot of warm wine?”

“No need,” Bai Muge waved him off. “Just bring me some tea.”

“At once, Young Master Bai. Please wait a moment—the tea will be right up!” The server responded promptly, soon returning with a steaming pot of tea. Sensing Bai Muge’s desire for peace, he tactfully withdrew to busy himself elsewhere.

Witnessing this, Chen Duolong and the other officials exchanged knowing smiles. “Let’s wait over there and take our time,” Chen instructed.

“Yes, sir,” the officials replied, promptly seating themselves at the next table.

Chen Duolong, however, strode over to Bai Muge’s table, sat down uninvited, and greeted him with a smile.

“Sir.”

Bai Muge’s mouth twitched at the corners.

Get lost! he thought. Don’t infect me with your low intelligence!

But Chen Duolong, oblivious to Bai Muge’s irritation, took a sip of tea and, without waiting for Bai Muge to speak, began fawning over him with lavish praise:

“Sir, it’s still early—we may need to wait another hour. I never imagined you would take the reception of the Zhou envoys so seriously! No wonder His Majesty trusts you so deeply! My admiration for you is like the surging Yangtze, unending; like the Yellow River in flood, uncontrollable…”

Bai Muge could only roll his eyes, utterly unwilling to respond.

But the more Chen Duolong spoke, the more animated he became, his praise flowing endlessly.

Bai Muge was nearly dumbfounded, unable to listen any longer. He raised a hand to interrupt, exasperated. “Lord Duolong, with your gift of gab, it’s a shame you’re not a comedian!”

“Comedian?” Chen Duolong paused, puzzled. “Sir, what is a comedian?”

“Just shut up!” Bai Muge snapped, nearly tempted to fling his tea in Chen Duolong’s face.

“I understand, sir! I understand, heh heh…” Unperturbed by Bai Muge’s temper, Chen Duolong grinned. “Sir, you’ve always preferred to keep a low profile. But please, rest assured, I know full well how loyal you are to His Majesty!”

Bai Muge was speechless.

You know? You know nothing!

He glanced at Chen Duolong’s smiling face, then up at the sky—there was still nearly half an hour before the Zhou envoys would arrive.

What did I do to deserve this? he thought. This is unbearable…

After Bai Muge’s rebuke, Chen Duolong finally fell silent, quietly sipping his tea as he waited. At last, Bai Muge enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

More than half an hour passed. Cao Zhengchun had already returned from the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. Meanwhile, Master Liu of the Tianlong Guild arrived at the city gate with his followers—a formidable security presence.

Before long, a grand procession appeared outside the city gates, bearing black banners emblazoned with the character for Zhou.

“Sir, the Zhou envoy delegation has arrived,” Chen Duolong reported to Bai Muge.

“I see,” Bai Muge replied, rising and gesturing for the officials of the Ministry of Rites to assemble in proper formation.

Soon, the delegations from both nations faced each other at the city gate.

Just as Chen Duolong suggested stepping forward, and Bai Muge prepared to greet the envoys, a Zhou official frowned at the welcoming party and snorted coldly:

“So this is the sincerity with which your Tang Dynasty receives foreign envoys? Barely seven or eight officials—can you not even muster ten?”

“Is this how your emperor regards our Zhou nation?”

Bai Muge paused, narrowing his eyes.

They haven’t even reached the palace, and already the Zhou envoys are so aggressive?

Behind him, Chen Duolong leaned in and whispered, troubled, “Sir, it is customary to have more than ten officials to receive foreign envoys—it’s basic etiquette. But with the new regime, many Ministry of Rites officials have been dismissed. If the Zhou envoys use this as a pretext to stir up trouble, might we botch the whole affair?”

He was genuinely worried. After all, the Tang Dynasty was newly established, the treasury far from full. If relations soured now, disaster could follow.

But Bai Muge already knew: the Zhou envoys had not come to forge ties but to break off the engagement. This crisis from Zhou was inevitable—it was only a matter of time.

Yet for the Zhou delegation to be so forceful even in withdrawing from the betrothal—did they really take Tang for a pushover?

After a moment’s thought, Bai Muge swept his sleeves and turned away.

“Enter if you like. If not, then return to whence you came!”

With those words, he strode back toward the city, ordering the soldiers at the gate, “Close the gates!”

The Zhou envoys were stunned, left gaping at the scene. The gate guards, too, were bewildered—but Bai Muge was the chief official in charge. His orders were as good as the emperor’s; they dared not disobey.

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded, immediately moving to close the gates.

The Ministry of Rites officials were equally flabbergasted, but Chen Duolong was first to gather his wits.

Brilliant! he thought. This tactic—feigned retreat to lure the enemy—could not only defuse Tang’s crisis, but also leave the Zhou delegation with the impression that Tang remained strong and unyielding.

Sir, you truly are a master of strategy!

With a flourish, Chen Duolong called out, “Let’s return to the city. Let them enter or not as they please!”

The officials of the Ministry of Rites, still confused, followed his lead.

With a resounding bang, the capital’s gates shut, leaving the Zhou envoys rooted in place, dumbstruck.