Chapter 30: When One Plan Fails, Another Is Hatched

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Li Tai was thoroughly frustrated. After going to such lengths to argue shamelessly for credit, he had never expected Li Chengqian to have another trick up his sleeve.

This alpaca actually had other names? Wasn’t that asking the impossible?

Even identifying the alpaca itself had taken him half the day. As for its other names, there was no way he could possibly guess them.

By now, Li Tai’s face was flushed crimson, and he could not utter a word.

The Turkic envoys seemed to have found a lifeline. They stood quietly behind the two brothers, watching them fight over credit as though enjoying a spectacle.

“Other names... Its other name is still alpaca. What other name could it have?” Li Tai hurriedly spoke up. He refused to believe that the alpaca had any other names.

Surely this was a joke. How could such a small animal have so many names?

“Of course it has other names—and more than one.” Li Chengqian smiled at Li Tai and spoke calmly.

“Then say them. I refuse to believe you know its other names.” After hesitating for a moment, Li Tai finally spoke.

“Envoy of the Turks, listen carefully. This alpaca is also called the humpless camel and the camel sheep. Is that correct?”

As he spoke, Li Chengqian quietly watched the Turkic envoy.

At that moment, Li Chengqian knew very well that even the Turkic envoys might not know all these answers.

Sure enough, the Turkic envoy was once again stunned. He could not imagine how the Crown Prince before him, who never left his residence, could possibly know so much.

It was impossible—utterly impossible!

“This...” The envoy’s mouth fell open, but for a long while he could not produce a single word.

“Am I right or not?” Li Chengqian continued pressing him relentlessly.

“You are... Your Highness, Crown Prince, we admit defeat. We are truly convinced.” The leader of the Turkic delegation was now sincerely awed.

He could not believe that Li Chengqian had guessed the alpaca’s name correctly.

Not only that, he had even named its alternate titles. It was simply miraculous.

“Then will you honor your wager with me?” Li Chengqian stared coldly at the Turkic envoy and continued questioning him.

Li Chengqian knew perfectly well that he held the advantage, and he had no intention of letting such an excellent opportunity slip away.

Since he had seized the spotlight, he would shine in it completely. He would let every civil and military official in the court see him clearly—and come to know Li Chengqian anew.

“Of course. The wager stands. Once I return, I will report everything to the khan. We will immediately withdraw three hundred miles, acknowledge our vassalage, and double our tribute.” The Turkic envoy’s face had grown long, and he had nearly lost all hope for the future.

He could never have imagined that what should have been a fine opportunity would turn out this way.

The Crown Prince of the Great Tang, Li Chengqian, not only knew what an alpaca was, but could even name its alternate titles.

Wait—he had also mentioned the alpaca’s habits and place of origin. Perhaps he could keep questioning the Crown Prince. If Li Chengqian failed to answer, they might still be able to claw back a victory.

With that thought, the Turkic envoy decided to raise the matter again later.

“Good. Since the wager is valid, take this document back with you and report to your khan. Tell him to hurry and send this year’s additional tribute—the extra portion—to the Great Tang.” Li Chengqian looked coldly at the Turkic envoy, leaving them not the slightest bit of consideration.

“This...”

The Turkic envoy hesitated. He bit his lip fiercely, then slowly raised his head.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, I remember that you just said you also knew about the alpaca’s habits and place of origin. We are ignorant in these matters. Please explain them to us in detail.”

In truth, the victor had already been decided, and there was essentially no need to continue the contest.

But the envoys refused to give up. They had to seize this final opportunity and make one last attempt.

One had to have dreams. What if they came true?

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The Turkic envoys had begun acting shamelessly. Though they knew in their hearts that their behavior was dishonorable, they understood even more clearly that they could not admit defeat so easily. Otherwise, they would have no way to explain themselves upon their return.

Especially when they thought of the Great Khan’s violent temper—if they did not fight for some chance of success and simply surrendered so many benefits, they would inevitably face a vicious beating when they returned, and might even die at the khan’s hands.

At the thought, the Turkic envoys trembled with fear.

Li Chengqian naturally understood exactly what was going through their minds.

They were merely making a last, desperate stand. But before overwhelming strength, such resistance was utterly futile. They would fail in the end—and fail miserably.

They were trying to dress up something that could never succeed, hoping to muddle through by deception. It was like being blinded by a single leaf and failing to see the mountain before them.

With that thought, Li Chengqian decided to teach them a proper lesson and make them understand that mountains were not piled up by wishful thinking. One had to trust science and nature.

“Since you wish to know, this Crown Prince will satisfy your curiosity.”

Li Chengqian turned and cupped his hands toward Li Shimin.

“Imperial Father, may I explain it to them in detail?”

“Granted!” Li Shimin waved his hand and agreed readily.

“Yes, Imperial Father!”

Li Chengqian turned back toward the Turkic envoys and began speaking at length.

“This creature is not native to this region. It was brought here from a distant land across the seas. That place is thousands upon thousands of miles away. Some merchants came here to conduct business and happened to bring it along with them. And if this Crown Prince is not mistaken, there are not many of these creatures in your Turkic lands either.”

Boom!

The leader of the Turkic delegation instantly felt dizzy and light-headed.

What kind of person was this? How could he know everything so clearly? It was as though he had witnessed these events with his own eyes.

Otherwise, he could never have arrived at such an accurate conclusion.

“Your Highness, are you a man or a god? You are truly extraordinary. We are completely convinced.”

As they spoke, the Turkic envoys bowed together toward Li Chengqian.

The Turks generally did not practice kneeling, so bowing was the greatest respect they could offer.

“Honored envoys, there is no need for such ceremony. There are many things this Crown Prince knows. In fact, this animal has yet another name. Do you know what it is?”

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, then suddenly wiped the smile from his face and continued questioning them with a solemn expression.

At that moment, every Turkic envoy froze.

For all this time, they had known only the few names the Crown Prince had already mentioned.

What could this other name possibly be?

“Your Highness, it truly has another name?” All the envoys spoke almost in unison.

Clearly, they knew nothing about any further names.

That was perfectly natural. The alpaca’s other alias would only become known in later ages. The name had not yet appeared in their time, so how could they possibly know it?

“It has another name,” Li Chengqian said unhurriedly. “It is called the grass-mud horse.”

Silence was followed by an uproar.

The three words were simply too—

The civil and military officials did not dare pursue the thought any further. The military officers might perhaps stomach such language, given their rougher manners.

But the civil officials immediately lost their composure. Was this truly the animal’s name, or was it an insult?

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“Your Highness... You are going too far!” The leader of the Turkic delegation was so enraged that his eyes widened, and his hands clenched into fists of their own accord.

Clearly, they were furious. This was the greatest insult that could have been inflicted upon them.

“How have I gone too far? I merely stated the alpaca’s alternate name.”

“Your Highness, those three words are deeply disrespectful to the Great Turks! We are the most honored envoys of the Turkic people. We have traveled thousands upon thousands of miles to the Great Tang in sincere pursuit of peace, and this is how the Great Tang treats us?”

The Turkic envoy leaped to his feet, openly indignant.

The Turkic envoys were truly angry now.

Though they lived upon the vast grasslands, they still understood such vulgar language perfectly well.

“Honored envoy, you may have misunderstood. The alpaca truly is called the grass-mud horse.” As he spoke, Li Chengqian waved toward the guards. “Bring me paper and brush. I will write it down for the Turkic envoys to see.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The guard hurriedly complied, turned around, fetched paper and brush, and placed them before Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian picked up the brush and wrote the three words—grass-mud horse—on the paper.

“There. Take it and show them.”

When he finished writing, Li Chengqian calmly set down the brush.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The guard picked up the sheet and carried it over to the Turkic envoys.

The envoys were so furious that their beards stood on end. They were utterly unwilling to accept this. It was an outrageous insult.

How could they possibly tolerate such treatment? The Crown Prince was clearly targeting them deliberately today.

Yet when they saw the three written words, they suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“Your Highness, we are familiar with the other alternate names you mentioned. But how did this particular name come about? Could you explain it?” The leader of the Turkic delegation looked at Li Chengqian, his attitude considerably gentler.

Out of the corner of his eye, Li Chengqian saw that the Turkic envoy now genuinely appeared eager to learn, his expression earnest.

“These alpacas primarily live in mountainous regions and feed mainly on grass and other fodder. That fodder contains a great deal of earth, so in the course of eating grass, alpacas naturally swallow quite a bit of soil as well.”

“There is another reason. They resemble miniature horses, and so the alternate name ‘grass-mud horse’ eventually came into being.”

Li Chengqian explained with great patience. He did not mock them; his attitude was entirely sincere.

Besides, he had already gained complete control of the situation. Why would he need to ridicule them?

“Your Highness, your learning is truly vast. We have been enlightened.”

The Turkic envoys once again bowed to Li Chengqian, their faces filled with gratitude.

They had never expected that although they had brought the alpaca, the final authority to explain it would belong to the Great Tang’s Crown Prince, Li Chengqian.

“There is no need for thanks, honored envoys.”

Li Chengqian smiled faintly. As he spoke, he turned toward Li Shimin.

“Imperial Father, give them the document. We shall await their double tribute this year.”

“Granted!”

Li Shimin’s voice rang out loudly, and his unmistakable excitement was impossible to conceal.

Now it was the Turkic envoys’ turn to feel miserable. They had originally hoped to gain some advantage, but instead they had lost both the lady and the dowry.

Not only had they gained nothing, they had also lost several hundred miles of grassland and been forced to pay double tribute.

At the thought, resentment surged within the Turkic envoys, and they prepared to make things difficult for the officials of the Great Tang once more.

“Sage Ruler of the Great Tang, we have actually brought another treasure with us this time. We wonder whether you might be interested?”

The leader of the Turkic delegation spoke with a sinister, sly smile.

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