The hot night wind blew across the city, and the fire brazier was covered with quiet burning flames, illuminating the shadows of a team of Pattiya's palace guards patrolling by Youge, walking through the carved pillars. There was a faint softness and comfortable string sound in the distance. The Han Dynasty envoy Gongsun Yue stood in front of the rocky pool, watching the stone statue about two feet high in the middle, wearing a short hair and a king's miracle. He heard the Dayuan merchants who were in Chinese and resting in the team say that the stone statue was Alsaqi, the founding monarch of Parthia.

"How can the resting people put a dignified king outside the palace without knowing respect?" Gongsun Yue held his hands and looked at the statue with his head raised his chest and said, and later, he bowed to the statue where Albian said: "...... No matter which dynasty or which era of founding emperors are all outstanding people. The foreign ministers who have been waiting for us should pay a tribute to show respect."

"What the messenger said makes sense." The businessman who acted as a translator practiced and nodded, stood behind the old man and learned to salute. After a moment, he approached and asked, "Messenger, the emperor of Parthia heard that he was ill in bed. Will he see us?"

"Since we have already entered this palace and meet us, don't worry, just wait with peace of mind." Gongsun Yue stroked his white beard under his chin, looked at the outline of the palace in the darkness around him, and occasionally saw walking figures in the scattered firelight, and sighed in a low voice: "It's a pity that it's not the time to come. If you can see what the Gentile Palace looks like during the day..."

As he spoke, figures walking in the distance came from the arch made of rocks. It was an official who informed the Parthian Emperor that he had met them in the hall. Gongsun Yue nodded and followed the man with several guards and the Dayuan translator. Most of the surroundings were Greek style and there was little wood. This made the ignorant old man feel novel. However, as an envoy of the Western Expedition Army, his expression remained calm.

The gentle sound of the piano gradually became clear. As an arched hall door in front opened, what caught my eye were several women wearing only a loose outer robe sitting on the stone steps under the six hall pillars to stroking the strings in their arms. The middle of the hall was sunken, and there were stone steps on all sides. Most of the palace guards stood on the stone steps and stood side by side with the hall pillar. At the first place in front, a large golden chair was covered with white fur, and a fist-sized ruby ​​was inlaid in the center of the chair. Then a staggering figure walked over from the side with the help of others.

The thin and weak Emperor Parthia sat down in Gongsun Yue and others' eyes wearing a triple crown, trembling slightly.

"...Pathia hasn't seen the Selius people from the far east for a long time... Can you tell me... what is your purpose? The Silk Road is about to open again? Parthia has been looking forward to it for a long time... Cough cough..."

"What did he say?" Gongsun Yue looked at the emperor who was older than him, and turned his head slightly to ask the translator beside him. After the latter told him the truth, the old man nodded and raised his hand: "The Silk Road back then was kind to me, Han Dynasty, Anxi and Daqin. If it could be reopened, I would have been full of expectations, but His Majesty's body should be taken care of."

After hearing the translated words, the emperor above closed his dry and deep eyes slightly, "...I am sick. The Romans occupied the Tessifon and snatched the Euphrates River basin together... The illness has been entangled with my body... The messenger of the East, Parthia still needs me. Have you ever made my weak body in the East again... rejuvenated? Let me pick up the heavy weapons again and step onto the war horse..."

Just as the weak words continued, the servant who stood on the side of the throne turned his head and attacked. A tall and agile young man walked over in an open purple-edged white robe and a olive-woven headband. The old emperor, who was finishing his words, looked at him and smiled and introduced to Gongsun Yue below: "This is my son, Vologis, the future successor of Parthia."

"Dear Selius, the Parthian Empire is very happy to meet you again in a hundred years." Vollogis stood a little below the side of the throne, with a smile on his handsome face.

Gongsun Yue bowed to him: "My man is also very happy to come to rest in peace."

The young man had a smile on his lips and nodded to this sentence. The Parthian Emperor next to him slowly spoke: "Then... the messenger of Selius, what are you going to do to come to my country? You haven't told me yet... the gifts you sent have been received, and the Parthians will not accept your things in vain."

Vollogis was also quietly waiting for the answers of the Selius people below.

"Your Majesty, on the way I came, I heard that Anxi and Daqin were constantly fighting. I just heard that the rivers of Anxi were snatched by the other party. Did Your Majesty never think about taking them back?"

Vologis was stunned for a moment, and the old man on the throne leaned forward slightly, and a trace of emotional fluctuations appeared in his muddy eyes, "... When I was young, I read records about the Selius people in the East... It was a country full of wisdom, the messenger... tell me how to get back the Euphrates River Basin and Tessifon... and what does Parthia need to pay..."

"You have a grudge against Rome?" Vollogis couldn't help but ask.

After a few words were whispered in Gongsun Yue's ear, the old man held the scepter and nodded to the first emperor Parthian, which was a different state he had shown over the past decade.

"...In the past, the Silk Road was in peace and was about to rush to the ground, and they gained a lot of benefits in trade. Relatively speaking, we cooperated very well. Three hundred years ago, the Han Dynasty sent an envoy to the eastern border of your country and was even more grandly welcomed. There was no conflict between the two countries, and at present, there was even a common enemy, that is, they had common interests."

"I understand the meaning of the noble envoy. You want to cross the border of Parthia." Emperor Parthia's voice was like thick phlegm stuck in his throat and croaked. His thin and shriveled palms rubbed against the handrail of the throne, and he calmed down: "The Selius in the East has a great grudge against Rome."

"That's right, my great man needs to find their emperor to explain the whole thing clearly."

Vollogis interjected: "Pathia does not allow troops from other countries to enter."

"What the prince said makes sense." Gongsun Yue smiled and tightened the scepter in his hand. "But you must understand that you are mortal enemies with the Qin people, and are weaker than each other. Without external help, you still have a long way to go to get your own city back. When I came, my Han army was already waiting for the battle. Regardless of whether you agree or not, resting in peace must be passed. The commander of our army said that peace cannot be resolved. There is only one way."

The words were also translated at the same time and reached the opposite side. Emperor Parthia narrowed his eyes and slowly stood up: "What's the solution?"

"Calm it right!" His tone fell down with a decisive tone.

"The Parthians are not afraid of any threat, including you! The Selius." Vollogis raised his chin and snorted in his nose.

The guards around him became fierce and held the hilt of the knife in his hand and looked at the Eastern people in the middle. Gongsun Yue was not afraid of their eyes. He pulled away the trembling and trembling Dayuan translator, "Continue to convey my words to them." His expression never changed from beginning to end and stared at the first emperor Parthia standing on the first: "If your Majesty is ready to go to war with my great Han, then are you ready to fight with the great Qin people again? A war broke out in the east. Do you think the bordering great Qin emperor would miss such a good opportunity? There are only two roads, either work hand in hand or attack from the east and the west to destroy the country."

The emperor standing in front of the throne was silent for a while: "The wisdom of the Selius made me feel cold... Does Parthia have any other choice?"

"Only children will choose, adults only look at interests! Moreover, we cannot stay in the West for a long time. The land of the Romans will also be His Majesty's territory sooner or later."

The emperor whispered softly, sat back, thought for a moment, then smiled on his face: "Okay, it is best to have a common enemy between the Selius and the Parthians." He raised a finger: "... But it is impossible to spread through the heartland of our country. All kings allow this to happen. You can go to the border cities, and the Parthians are also hospitalized. They will give you sweet springs, full food, and even provide venting women slaves to your soldiers, but they cannot disturb them and attack any part of Parthian... Otherwise our agreement will be invalid."

"Your Majesty is wise." Gongsun Yue took a breath, "If you and I peacefully resolve this matter, we will have a basis for mutual trust. If we join hands to attack Daqin, everything will go smoothly."

Emperor Parthia smiled and nodded.

Then he discussed the details with Gongsun Yue for a while, and his body couldn't stand it anymore. He sent someone to send the other party out of the palace. After returning to the palace, Vollogis followed behind, "Father, don't believe the words of the Selius people, the Romans still have to defeat ourselves."

The staggering steps stopped, and under the crown of the jewels covered with gems, the white-bearded emperor looked at the stars and moon outside the corridor, his face was solemn and majestic, and his voice slowly opened: "Pathia's soldiers will not attack in front, they only need to pay a small... a small price, let the Selius pave the way forward for us... My son, this is wisdom, and learn more from your younger brother Aldaban."

Watching the old man leave for a while, the young man standing in the corridor clenched his fists, his handsome and fair face became gloomy, and his tall and strong body had a faint ferocious aura that was gathering.

"...Suppose this alliance, let your majesty and reputation collapse, and let all Parthians, governors, nobles think that you are no longer suitable for being emperor. This is the wisdom of being a son...the future new emperor of Parthian."

He looked at the closed hall gate and turned into the night. The soldiers behind him stepped out dull and solemn footsteps. In the further direction, the guards around him saluted him. The dense stars and moon in the sky, the cold light shone down in the dark corners, could not shine in the dark corners. A pair of eyes stared at all this strangely.

Soon, the news came out quietly.8)
Chapter completed!