We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Spring comes late to Tibet, and the chill still lingers among the stone walls of the palace.

Since the day she revealed the truth to the king, Droma locked herself in the palace, refusing all visitors, and even had her daily meals placed outside her door.

She no longer inquired about state affairs, nor did she visit her younger brother.

Occasionally, one could hear the young king and his ministers arguing passionately in the palace. Their voices drifted through the heavy curtains, becoming distant and indistinct, but they had nothing to do with her anymore.

The emperor visited her many times, but Droma avoided him with various excuses. Over time, the emperor understood what she meant.

From the moment she learned the truth, she was already the imperial concubine of Daqing, not the princess of Tubo.

Meanwhile, Li Che was living a very comfortable life at the Qing army camp.

Every day consisted of nothing more than inspecting drills, handling military affairs, and teasing Xiaoqing.

Unfortunately, the environment here was too harsh, so Yelü Xian and the little panda were left behind.

Occasionally, he would hear reports from Lu Dongzan or Xu Jiezi about the progress of their tug-of-war with the Tibetan envoys, but he would not delve into it and let the two do as they pleased.

As the sunlight on the plateau intensifies day by day and the temperature continues to rise, half a month has quietly passed.

On this day, Lu Dongzan and Xu Jiezi jointly requested an audience.

Inside the tent, the charcoal fire had been removed, and the early spring weather was still quite pleasant.

Lu Dongzan changed into a set of Qing Kingdom civil official's everyday clothes, a dark blue satin set, which was a gift from Li Che.

Although it made his white hair more noticeable, it also made him look less down-and-out and more capable.

"Your Majesty," Lu Dongzan said, bowing. "The final rounds of negotiations with the Tibetan side are nearing their end. After repeated discussions with you, we believe that the Tibetan side has reached its limit."

Xu Jiezi continued, "Just as Lord Lu said, the terms of opening the borders, allowing people to move east, reducing the army and limiting fortifications, free trade for merchants and travelers, and stationing troops in the embassy... although they are extremely unwilling, they have basically agreed to them."

"However, we still want to bargain on the specific details, such as whether the number of troops stationed can be reduced further, whether the commercial tax rate can be lowered, and the specific number of years the military equipment can be restricted."

Lu Dongzan added: "In addition, they insisted on clearly defining the status of 'brotherly country' in the treaty, reducing the annual tribute by another 20%, and demanding that Daqing promise never to take the initiative to use force against Tibet."

"Furthermore, regarding the aid clauses such as allowing Daqing to survey mineral veins and assisting in the establishment of schools and medical clinics, they resolutely refused to include them in the formal treaty, only willing to reach a preliminary agreement in private, and the implementation method needs to be discussed separately, and Tibetan officials need to accompany them throughout the process."

Li Che listened quietly, and only after the two finished speaking did he slowly ask, "What do you think?"

Lu Dongzan pondered and said, "I believe that the promise of 'never taking the initiative to use force' should never be made. This would be tying our own hands and feet and causing endless trouble. Perhaps we could rephrase it as 'we will not start a war unless Tibet breaks the agreement.'"

“A further reduction of 10% in annual tribute is the limit; otherwise, it will be difficult to demonstrate the responsibilities of a vassal state. As for those aid clauses…” He paused, then looked up at Li Che, “The Tibetan nobles are extremely wary of this. If it is forcibly written into the treaty, it may provoke them to act rashly.”

"It would be more prudent to proceed gradually in the form of an intention, after all, once the treaty is signed, the door is opened a crack, and it is up to us to decide when to come in."

Li Che looked at Lu Dongzan with great satisfaction.

It seems that in recent days, this great scholar has fully adapted to his new identity and has begun to think about issues from Daqing's perspective.

Of course, he might be putting on a show for himself, but it doesn't matter; all Li Che wants is this attitude.

Xu Jiezi, who was standing to the side, nodded and said, "Lord Lu is right. I have observed that the Tibetan envoys were already at their wits' end when they came to talk last few times. They struggled most fiercely on these matters."

"Your Majesty, water overflows when it is full, and the moon wanes when it is full. If we push it too far, I fear unforeseen events may occur."

"This draft law is enough to put Tibet in a cage."

Li Che pondered in silence for a moment, then finally nodded: "I will follow your suggestion."

Upon hearing this, Lu Dongzan silently breathed a sigh of relief.

The two weeks of negotiations not only caused headaches for the Tibetan side, but also left Gar Tongtsen feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Especially since the people he was debating with were his former colleagues, the way they looked at him made him very uncomfortable; it was a truly unpleasant feeling.

On the contrary, Xu Jiezi has always had a detached attitude and did not feel much pressure.

Li Che pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are they interested in a location for the signing?"

Lu Dongzan said, "The Tibetan king proposed that there is a flat area called 'White Stone Beach' ten miles outside his city of Lhasa, where he wishes to meet with Your Majesty and sign a treaty of lasting friendship."

Li Che nodded: "He has chosen a place that is neither too far nor too near... Well then, let's go with it. As for the timing?"

"They hope to set it for ten days from now, on an auspicious day in the Tibetan calendar."

"Approved."

Li Che has always been very generous when it comes to such small details.

Even outside Lhasa, Tibet was unable to launch an attack on the Qing army.

In the following days, the two sides engaged in final bargaining.

The Tibetan envoys came and went, their faces growing more haggard with each passing day.

Lu Dongzan and Xu Jiezi, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, firmly upheld the bottom line set by Li Che.

Finally, two days before the signing, all the terms and details were finalized and the final document was formed.

Two copies were made, one in Daqing script and the other in Tubo script.

On the eve of the signing, the city of Lhasa was brightly lit.

The young king locked himself in the palace, staring blankly at the thick treaty text until dawn.

Princess Zhuoma's palace, however, remained dark and silent, like a deep pool that swallowed all light.

White Stone Beach.

This is a wide gravel beach formed by river alluvium. The ground is relatively flat, and the vague outline of the city of Lhasa can be seen in the distance, backed by continuous green mountains.

The Tibetan side had cleared the area in advance and erected a tall, colorful tent decorated with patterns and flags unique to the Tibetan royal family.

In the open space in front of the tent, brand-new felt carpets were laid out, extending all the way to the junction of the road.

In the early morning, the sky over the plateau was a clear, deep blue, and the sunlight poured down without any obstruction.

Li Che did not mobilize a large force, but led only a thousand elite cavalrymen, setting off from the main camp and proceeding slowly towards Baishitan.

Lu Dongzan, Xu Jiezi, Wang Sanchun, Yu Daliang, Ma Zhong and other important civil and military officials accompanied him.

On the Tibetan side, the Zanpu (king) led hundreds of members of the royal family, major nobles, and civil and military officials, who were already waiting in front of the colorful tent.

They were dressed in their most formal attire, vibrant in color, but against the backdrop of the Qing army's somber black uniforms, they inexplicably appeared lacking in confidence.

Many nobles glanced furtively at the approaching Qing army, especially at the black banner with a golden dragon on a dark background fluttering in the wind, and the young figure riding a magnificent black horse beneath it.

Li Che was not wearing full armor today, but only a black casual robe embroidered with gold, with a matching cloak over it, and a goose-feather knife at his waist.

He stood tall and straight, skillfully controlling his horse. His gaze calmly swept over the Tibetan people who were waiting in formation ahead, finally landing on the young Zanpu, who was surrounded by the crowd in the center, wearing a jeweled crown and a magnificent brocade robe.

The Zanpu was also watching him.

This was the first formal meeting between the two.