Heaven is the shore of mortal dust - Chapter 71
This was indeed something she liked. She used to drink a glass of wine before bed every night. Since wine is very beneficial to people, she accepted it without hesitation and took a sip.
“Feng, your drinking posture is truly elegant. Alas, you should really be sent to teach those women some manners; if their posture and demeanor were even half as good as yours, it would be wonderful.” Ashina Yugu thought for a moment and decided, “How about we do that?”
Wei Zijun was taken aback upon hearing this. "Your Majesty is joking. Wei Feng is a man. How can he approach the concubines in the harem? This is against propriety."
“Why not? Our Turks are not like the Great Yu, we don’t have so many formalities. Among the concubines, apart from the Khatun, if you like any of them, feel free to choose.”
"Ugh...cough cough..." Wei Zijun choked on a mouthful of wine.
Even though the Turks still practiced slavery, they couldn't just give away their women so easily. This shows how shameless the king's love was.
Just as Ashina Yugu patted Wei Zijun on the back, a messenger came to report: "Khan, Nifushabolo Yabghu has come to inquire after you and is currently outside the tent."
"Let him in." Ashina Yugu, without turning his head, still looked at Wei Zijun. "Feng, are you feeling better? You don't need to be so surprised. I've said this before, I'm worried about you without a woman to take care of you. Those servants must be neglecting their duties..."
Before Ashina Yugu could finish speaking, Helu, dressed in pure white, walked in. "Helu greets the Khan. How is the Khan feeling?"
"Hmm, I'm much better now. Can't you see I've gained weight? Come and sit down." Ashina Yugu patted the seat next to him, gesturing for Helu to sit down.
He Lu lifted his robe and sat down elegantly. He glanced at Wei Zijun with his beautiful eyes, his long, slender, white fingers fiddling with the milk tea on the table. He pursed his thin lips and said calmly, "The Juyun Tower of the Left Wise King has all kinds of delicacies. Isn't it too much of a waste to eat this lamb leg here?"
Ashina Yugu felt very sad upon hearing this, "Feng, I'm sorry to have wronged you."
Wei Zijun glanced at Ashina Yugu, feeling a pang of pity. She gave a slight smirk and turned to Helu, coldly saying, "Yehu, what are you saying? Wei Feng thoroughly enjoys the hearty drinking and eating of meat from large bowls. How could he feel aggrieved?"
"Ha—ha—" He Luhan's clear, jade-like face twitched slightly, and he chuckled dryly twice. His satin-black hair slid gracefully over his shoulders. "It seems that our Great General of Dayu is indeed a great hero who can bend and stretch. Only by enduring grievances can one achieve great things!"
"Yagu, you are mistaken. I, Wei Feng, am in the Western Turkic Khaganate, and I am the Left Wise King of the Western Turkic Khaganate. I am a general of the Western Turkic Khaganate. How can I be called the General of Dayu? Which of the Dayu rulers and ministers would acknowledge me? Furthermore, Wei Feng is second only to the Khan and above ten thousand others. I am just as noble as you, Yagu. How can I feel wronged? And this food is what the Khan eats. I am fortunate to eat it. How can I feel wronged?"
"Good! Well said!" Ashina Yugu laughed at Helu, "Your mouth is always so sharp. Even if you're wrong, he'll make a lot of sense about it. You should save your energy."
He Lu was unperturbed. He curled his lips slightly, waved his hand, and his jade-like aura dissipated as he elegantly chuckled, "Khan, words don't count as real skills. Today, He Lu would like to test his fist skills with the Left Wise King and give the Khan a good show."
“Good, very good, Feng, what do you think?” Ashina Yugu turned to ask Wei Zijun.
Wei Zijun gently tugged at her snow-white collar, her expression indifferent, "Since Lord Ye is in the mood, Wei Feng will keep you company."
The group arrived at the spacious open space outside the tent. He Lu clasped his hands on his chest and bowed, to which Wei Zijun returned the bow. "Please!"
Before Wei Zijun could even finish her request, He Lu had already spread his arms and leaped forward like a white crane, flapping his wings and bringing a fierce gust of wind with him.
Wei Zijun swayed slightly, skillfully dodging the attack. Two white shadows, like streaks of lightning, danced in the air, creating a dazzling white light.
With wide, sweeping movements, Wei Zijun rolled up her long sleeve with her left hand and swept her right palm at an uncanny angle. The sharp, fine palm wind pierced through the dense defenses like lightning, instantly breaking through He Lu's tight defenses. Before He Lu could even see what was happening, he had already staggered a few steps and fallen to the ground.
"Good!" Not only Ashina Yugu, but even the guards around the tent stared wide-eyed, no one had seen how that move came about.
Unexpectedly, he was defeated in less than a few rounds. He Lu's usually aloof and handsome face finally showed a hint of shame and anger. He immediately sprang up, drew a short sword from his waist, and pounced in a dazzling white light. The speed, the power, and the density of his moves made the onlookers gasp. No one expected that he would actually use a killing move.
Wei Zijun remained calm and composed, easily dodging the blades with a slight shift in her body. She had diligently practiced the illusionary teleportation technique to surpass Li Tianqi, and now, with a small demonstration, she had already completely outmaneuvered He Lu.
He Lu's anger grew, and he attacked her vital points even more fiercely. Wei Zijun really didn't want to get entangled, so she let out a soft shout, leaped into the air, and danced with a sky full of white light, like a phoenix dancing in the sky. With a strike that broke through the air, the white light flashed and her toes lightly touched He Lu's ear. Taking advantage of his momentary daze, she reached out and grabbed his wrist pulse point. He Lu lost his strength, and the short sword fell to the ground with a thud.
"Good!" The followers were so engrossed in watching that they forgot their status and cheered in front of their Khan. Only after the words left their mouths did they realize their mistake, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to say a word.
"Hahahaha... Feng! It's been half a year since we last met, and your martial arts have improved a lot. Amazing!" Ashina Yugu laughed as he walked towards Wei Zijun, picked up the short knife from the ground, and faced the still weak and powerless Helu. "You! You actually broke the rules. Why are you so fierce when it's a fight between family members?"
He Lu snorted, his handsome, jade-like face turning bluish-purple. "Who told him to use such a strange and unorthodox technique!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Kung Fu is Kung Fu, how can it be considered supernatural? The world is vast, and Kung Fu is profound and extensive. There are many extraordinary people with unique skills everywhere. The road to learning is long and arduous. I have only learned the basics. If Ye Hu were to encounter someone with superb martial arts skills, wouldn't he be amazed as if they were a ghost or a god?"
He Lu was speechless, his handsome face turning red with embarrassment. But then he suddenly smiled and said coldly, "Don't be so smug. Let's have another horsemanship and archery contest! I'll make you admit defeat!"
A horsemanship and archery contest! She had heard from her subordinates that day that she was no match for him in horsemanship and archery! But her competitive spirit had been ignited, and there was nothing she couldn't do if she set her mind to it.
Thinking of this, Wei Zijun smiled and said, "Lord Yehu, I'm afraid you don't have the stamina to draw the bow right now! And I'm also afraid my riding skills are not up to par. How about we agree to a contest in ten days?"
"Ten days? You still won't be a match for me in ten days!" He Lu glanced at him coldly and scoffed.
"I may not be able to defeat you today, but it's hard to say what will happen in ten days. Perhaps you won't be able to defeat me!" Wei Zijun said with a light laugh.
"Whether it takes ten days or a hundred days, I bet you'll lose to my arrows." He Lu said with disdain.
"Would you dare to bet?" Wei Zijun asked He Lu, leaning closer.
“Fine, let’s bet! Tell me what you want to bet on!” He Lu retorted defiantly.
"Since you want to gamble, then you can name the stakes," Wei Zijun said lazily, fiddling with her nails as she looked down.
“Fine!” He Lu stared at Wei Zijun’s face. “If you lose, you will be my slave for ten days, serving me as I wash and change clothes, including washing my feet. In short, you will do whatever I tell you to do!” A hint of pleasure flashed across his face.
"Hehe—" Wei Zijun chuckled softly. He was really ruthless. "Alright, I agree. If you lose, I won't bother you with washing and changing. You... will just have to eat grass for ten days!"
"Hahahaha—" Ashina Yugu burst into laughter, "Eating grass! Hahahaha—eating grass like a horse? Hahahaha—"
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Note: ① The term "economy" was already in use during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the early 4th century AD. So please, everyone, don't criticize me! At that time, it meant "to govern the world and benefit the people" or "to manage the country and benefit all things," which is to say, to govern the country and bring peace to the world.
②Khedun: The principal wife of the Turkic Khan. Equivalent to the empress in Han Chinese society.
③Fuli: Turkic word, guard.
Volume Two, Turkic Chapter Sixty-Three: Winning and Losing
The reason Wei Zijun made the bet with He Lu was to set a goal for herself. Once she sets a goal, she will persevere and go all out. Moreover, if she boasts about something, she will do it even if it costs her her life.
She summoned her vassal leader, Geshufa, who was most loyal to her, and ordered him to find someone skilled in riding and archery to have a match with.
Having mastered the secrets of archery, she no longer needed anyone's company, devoting herself to rigorous practice alone without a moment's rest. She slept only two hours a day, only resting in the latter half of the night. Even under the moonlight, one could see her slender figure riding a steed, drawing her bow and arrow. Her tall and graceful figure was bathed in the clear moonlight, exuding a haughty and untamed charm, yet also possessing an extraordinary allure.
Ashina Yugu would silently watch that figure outside the training ground every day, silently watching and waiting, watching her graceful figure, watching her stubborn arrow after arrow, his heart sinking and his body becoming infatuated. He insisted on waiting for her to rest together, simply because he couldn't bear to look away from her. Her pleading was useless, and she could only let him be.
On the first day of practice, Ashina Yugu noticed that her hands were trembling so much that she could no longer hold the mare's milk. When he took her hands, he was shocked to see the blisters on them and her arms, which were covered in bruises from being shot with a bow. Ashina Yugu felt so sorry for her that he shed tears.