Chapter 38: Tianfang (I)

Ashilanda took a deep breath and waved her hand, saying, “Please invite the respected Mr. Nasir to the palace’s reception hall. I’ll join them shortly!”
Though deeply annoyed, Ashilanda had no better choice. This preacher, Nasir, was the eyes planted by the Arabs in the city of Bakhna. If she wanted to continue ruling Bakhna peacefully, she had to obey Nasir and treat him with utmost respect.
This was difficult even for an ordinary person, let alone Ashilanda—the king of Bakhna!
The pain was beyond description, and the torment beyond what ordinary people could endure.
“As you command, my king!”
Alvis’s voice sounded so obedient, which provided Ashilanda with some comfort.
After all, here, he was the king! Every subject of Bakhna, including his own son, had to kneel at his feet!
Like Ashibar, Bakhna was also a mountain city. But compared to Ashibar, Bakhna was built more systematically.
The palace was located in the northern part of Bakhna, with exquisite gardens winding down the hillsides along numerous terraces, leading straight to the Pearl River. On one side of the garden were the new palaces built by Ashilanda to marry the daughter of the governor of Khorasan, while on the other side was the old palace where the royal family of Bakhna had always lived. By now, it was already very dark, and the winding corridors were as disorienting as those of the temple of the fire god Ahura Mazda. (Note 1) Since the Arabs took control of this region, Ashilanda had stopped living in the old palace and moved to the new one. Such a move was naturally seen as a gesture of goodwill—a break from the Tang Dynasty and an alliance with the Arabs.
Perhaps because of the poor impression he had left on the Arabs before, the label of being pro-Tang never left him.
Occasionally, a few lacquered brackets holding torches appeared on the side walls of the palace, providing some light, but it wasn’t enough—the darkness here was too thick!
“Huh!”
Suddenly, two dark figures appeared in a distant corner of the palace. They walked backward, bent over, holding dark red trays with tall candles.
In the city of Bakhna, only the noble king Ashilanda and the royal family could enjoy such respect.
“Great King, may your life be long!”
The two figures stopped in front of an oak door, knelt down, and shouted. If it weren’t for the trays in their hands, they would have kissed Ashilanda’s feet without hesitation.

In their eyes, the great King was the earthly representative of the Fire God, and it was the greatest honor of their lives to be able to kiss the King’s toes.
At least here, in the palace of Bakhna, Ashishanda could still feel the reverence due to a king.
He waved his hand in satisfaction, signaling them to open the wooden door. This reception room had been built specifically for him to summon his confidants, with special switches on the door that could only be opened by using the matching tool.
However, the switch on the door was clearly already turned on.
The two kings’ servants placed the trays on the ground and stood up, pushing hard at the oak door. Even though the switch was already turned on, it still took them a lot of effort to push the door open.
“Huff!”
“Huff!”
The two of them carried the wooden trays and entered respectfully, standing at either end of the couch without saying another word. This was King Ashishanda’s private council chamber—any unnecessary words could invite death.
Ashishanda was already old and increasingly obese. If it weren’t for the strange pointed hat on his head and the flesh-white trousers paired with a scarlet tunic, one might almost mistake him for a lump of flesh.
His body was covered in jewels, perhaps to conceal his bulky figure, but this only made things worse. The exaggerated frills and ruffled skirts made his body appear even wider, while the small woolen balls and tassels added to an air of laziness. The most striking was the amulet hanging around his neck—a crescent-shaped rhinoceros horn that made his complexion appear even sicker and made him look twenty years older.
After all, he hadn’t given off such an impression when wearing a Hetian jade pendant and a silk tunic!
Of course, Ashishanda would never hear such things in his lifetime, unless someone wanted to try out the cruelest torture methods in Bakhna’s prisons.
Here, anyone who defied his will could only die!
At that moment, Prince Alvis and the preacher Nasir were already in the reception room. The difference was that Nasir was sitting in a jewel-encrusted high-backed chair sipping tea, while Prince Alvis stood respectfully at his side, ready to serve.
Ashishanda’s lips twitched slightly for a moment before being concealed by a sincere smile.
“My friends from the Islamic world, Mr. Nasir from the distant holy lands, bearer of Allah’s message—what sacred matters do you have to share with me today?”

Ashilanda kept his voice low, striving to sound calm. He didn’t want Nasir to suddenly pick out a single, abrupt syllable in his words and accuse him of disrespecting the Great Allah.

Nasir, however, didn’t rush to reply. He took a slow sip of his green tea and shook his head.

To be fair, he was quite handsome. A pure white turban covered his full forehead, and his well-proportioned body perfectly fitted the loose robe made of coarse linen. The curved sword in its ivory scabbard at his side only added to his imposing appearance.

Of course, all of this was ruined by his heavily hunched back.

Nasir was already in his fifties, and years of preaching had taken a toll on his health. Whether it was because Allah hadn’t heard his prayers or not, Nasir had begun to hunch from the age of forty. If he removed that troublesome robe, people would see it even more clearly.

Of course, none of this would affect his iron will. As a warrior and a messenger of Allah’s will, Nasir knew how to use his authority to make those backward barbarians submit.

“Your Majesty, the King, though I am extremely reluctant to bring this up at this time, for the sake of ensuring that Allah’s followers can eat their fill, I believe it is necessary to change our tax system.”

Like a spring in the desert, Nasir’s voice was sweet and melodious.

Yet, despite the polite words directed at the king, Ashilanda sensed not the slightest room for negotiation. It seemed Nasir had come to him merely to convey something that had already been decided.

Even though all the inhabitants of Bahanna had converted to the faith of Tianfang, it didn’t mean they had forgotten the great Fire God, Ahura Mazda. Proposing an increase in the zakat tax at this time was rather untimely.

“As a great poet once said, to extinguish the flames of impulsive desire, we should go to the springs of reason to draw nourishment from them. While I also agree that Bahanna’s current tax system is not ideal, we should at least make changes gradually. I hope you can understand my difficulties, Mr. Nasir.”

Ashilanda had used every humble phrase he could think of, his tone extremely gentle. If the courtiers who often accompanied the king had seen this, they would surely have exclaimed in shock.

How could the most noble king speak to others in such a humble manner? It was simply unbelievable!

But when it came to Nasir, such things were entirely normal.

“No, no, Your Majesty. I think you still haven’t fully understood Allah’s intentions. Allah teaches us to entrust the rich with fulfilling His mercy toward the poor. In this way, the rich can receive reward for their generosity, while the poor can be relieved of their hardships. The people of Bahana are all believers in Allah and deserve equal and fair treatment. I believe this matter is urgent, don’t you agree, Your Majesty?”
Ashilanda swallowed hard, forcing down his dissatisfaction. “It’s just that the taxes are already very heavy. I’m afraid if more taxes are imposed…”
Perhaps impatient, Nasir interrupted before the king could finish. “I think Your Majesty has misunderstood Allah’s will. This zakat tax is mainly aimed at the rich and will not greatly affect the poor. Even if the taxes double from where they are now, I doubt these rich people will go hungry.”
This was outright coercion! Ashilanda clenched his fists and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, Prince Alvis broke the awkward silence. “My dear father, Allah is pleased to grant its kings prudence and careful consideration, but He also expects His representatives on earth to make bold changes. For the poor and the rich to live happily under Bahana’s skies, I hope you, the noble king of Bahana, will agree to sign this new tax system.”
Ashilanda’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. His son had already paved the way for him. If he persisted further, it would likely harm both sides. Yet, his name would be on the newly enacted tax system, meaning he would ultimately bear the blame. He truly resented it…
“Haha, dear Mr. Nasir, as you say, I too hope that the poor and the rich of Bahana can enjoy Allah’s blessings happily. Very well, I agree to this new tax system.”
After a brief pause, Ashilanda turned to Prince Alvis and ordered, “Leave this matter to you. Do not disappoint Allah, my favorite son.”
“Your Majesty, I will carry out your orders immediately!”
Alvis bowed to Ashilanda and stepped back out of the luxurious reception room.
Note 1: Pearl River: Located south of the modern Kyrgyz Mountains.