Chapter 68

With a loud cry, Pan Feng threw the head of the Xiongnu man at the guards of the Loulan royal palace. Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, he dashed through the gap and grabbed the second prince by the neck, pulling him back into the encirclement. These moves were as swift as a rabbit springing and a hawk swooping, and before anyone could react, the second prince of Loulan had become Li You's captive.

Killing the Xiongnu envoy to break the Xiongnu's intimidation over Loulan, causing Loulan's stance to waver, and then seizing a key figure of Loulan as a hostage was the strategy Li You and Chen Qingzhi had discussed the previous night! This tactic was learned from the later Han envoys Ban Chao and Fu Jiezi, and it worked surprisingly well.

Fu Jiezi was once sent by the Grand General Huo Guang to Loulan. At that time, the Loulan king An Gui was under the control of the Xiongnu and planned to intercept and kill the Han envoy. Fu Jiezi first lured the Loulan king into a secret meeting with promises of gold and silver, then killed the king during the meeting and warned the Loulan ministers, "The Loulan king has sinned against the Han, and the Son of Heaven has sent me to execute him. We should install the crown prince, who has been a hostage in Han, as the new king. The Han army has just arrived; do not make any rash moves, or your country will be destroyed!"

Fu Jiezi then installed Wei Tujuan as the new king and changed the country's name to Shanshan. He returned to the capital with the head of the Loulan king An Gui, which was hung on the northern city gate of Chang'an to intimidate the Western Regions. For his efforts, Fu Jiezi was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yiyang.

A century later, Ban Chao also reenacted Fu Jiezi's legend. After giving up his pen for the sword, Ban Chao earned the admiration of the Commander of the Chariots and Cavalry, Dou Gu, and was sent with thirty-six men to Shanshan. The Shanshan king, like his ancestor, made the same mistake and had ties with the Xiongnu.

Upon learning this, Ban Chao decisively gathered his thirty-six men and said, "One cannot get the cub without entering the tiger's den. Our only option now is to attack the Xiongnu by fire at night, so they won't know our numbers and will be greatly frightened, allowing us to eliminate them."

He then led the thirty-six men in a night attack on the Xiongnu envoy's camp. Ban Chao personally killed three Xiongnu men, and his men killed over thirty more, with the rest perishing in the flames. The Shanshan king was greatly surprised and immediately pledged allegiance to the Han court, sending his prince as a hostage. Ban Chao was praised by Dou Gu and Emperor Ming of Han, leaving behind the famous saying, "One cannot get the cub without entering the tiger's den."

Li You knew that a small country like Loulan would never dare to provoke a powerful nation like Han without the support of the Xiongnu. Therefore, he first imitated Ban Chao by killing the Xiongnu envoy and then captured the second prince of Loulan as a hostage, ensuring that the Loulan king would not dare to attack them, thus gaining the upper hand.

"What is the meaning of this, noble envoy? Our king kindly invited you to a banquet, but you humiliate us like this. Could it be... Could it be a misunderstanding?" The Loulan chancellor (who, according to historical records, should have been the Auxiliary State Marquis) initially spoke with a firm tone but ended with a pleading note, "Please release the second prince, and we can discuss everything else!"

He knew that the Loulan king had always favored the second prince and had intentions of making him the successor, but the first prince's maternal clan was too powerful to change the situation. The king showed concern, and the first prince feigned worry, though the smile at the corner of his mouth betrayed his true feelings. The ministers below were divided into two factions, indicating that the struggle for succession had been ongoing for a long time.

Seeing this, Li You felt more confident and said with a smile, "What do you mean, noble chancellor? I am kindly inviting the second prince to study in Chang'an to learn the principles of governance! Our Han is a wealthy and powerful nation, far surpassing others in governance. This is a rare opportunity that princes of other countries would envy! I am sure that after the second prince returns from Chang'an, he will be able to make Loulan even stronger!"

Upon hearing this, the first prince was both shocked and delighted. He was shocked that if the second prince had the support of Han, his own claim to the throne would be in jeopardy. But he was delighted because the journey to Chang'an was long and dangerous, and the second prince might not return, making the throne his for the taking.

"Thank you for your kindness, noble envoy, but the second prince is still young and has never traveled far. He will need some time to prepare before he can go to Chang'an!" The Loulan king, concerned for his son, began to think of a delaying tactic, "Besides, aren't you going to the Western Regions? Why not let the second prince stay in Loulan and take him to Chang'an when you return?"

"Why wait? My envoy has everything needed to ensure the second prince's comfort along the way!" How could he let go of a hostage he had already captured? "Our Han ancestors said, 'Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books.' I will use this opportunity to teach the second prince the principles of governance, which is far better than studying in a room! Besides, we may not return to Loulan when we head back to Chang'an. If we leave the second prince behind, we might miss the chance, wouldn't that be a pity?"

After several rounds of verbal sparring, Li You refused to budge, and the Loulan royal guards found no opportunity to act. To save his son's life, the Loulan king had no choice but to comply with Li You's demands, preparing a mount and guards for the second prince and allowing them to take him away.

Before leaving, Li You did not forget to extort some supplies for the journey from Loulan. That afternoon, he set out with the second prince, heading northwest toward the state of Yanqi.

"The enemy from Loulan has retreated as they couldn't find a good opportunity to attack," Chen Qingzhi reported after they had traveled a hundred miles.

"Thank you, General Ziyun!" Given Loulan's strength, it was almost impossible for them to find a weakness in Chen Qingzhi's defense, and Li You was not surprised. "It's getting late, so let Tang Yifu find a place to set up camp."

As they traveled, Li You finally had the chance to speak with the second prince of Loulan. "May I ask the second prince's name? How are you finding the journey so far?"

"My name is Xiumi Tuo," the second prince replied curtly.

"I am somewhat familiar with the internal affairs of your country," Li You said, unperturbed. "If the Loulan king were to pass away, the second prince might not even be able to ensure his own safety, let alone succeed to the throne!"

The second prince's face fell. His mother's background was not good, and her influence in the court was far less than that of the first prince's.

"However, the second prince need not worry. With the support of Han, it will be a simple matter for you to succeed to the throne!" Li You continued, knowing that bringing him to Chang'an would be a significant achievement.

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