Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 108

Wei Zijun's face immediately turned bright red. Couldn't he just not ask?

The feigned calm was shattered instantly, and unable to remain composed any longer, she said awkwardly, "It's hot!"

"Won't it be hot if you take it off?" Li Tianqi continued to stare intently at her flushed cheeks. "Isn't the weather just as hot even if you take it off?"

Wei Zijun was annoyed and turned her head away without saying a word.

Li Tianqi burst into laughter.

After laughing for a while, he asked again, "Why didn't you go to court?"

"I can't get up that early." That's true. I didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky yesterday, and that's when I remembered what he said about going to court.

"Since you can't get up, let your father do it for you."

Wei Zijun suddenly looked up at him, "Your Majesty seems to be acting improperly. Why are you pressing me so hard? I have been back in Dacheng for a few days and need time to consider things. My father is already old and cannot be burdened with this task again!"

"Not tall, in his forties, in the prime of his life, he should be making his mark and fighting for his country on the battlefield."

Even though she knew he was deliberately forcing her, anger still rose within her, mixed with a pang of pain. Her father had nearly died because of her "death," and now, although only over forty, his health was extremely weak. If he dared to let her father suffer again… She raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Tianqi, “Li Tianqi, you try?”

"Let's give it a try." Li Tianqi said casually. "In any case, your father obeys my every command." He turned his head and saw Ji An serving Wei Zijun. He called out, "Go and call your general over. I have something to say to him."

Ji An responded and turned to leave.

"Ji An—" Wei Zijun called out to him, "You're not allowed to go." Does that damned Li Tianqi want to make her father worry about her again?

"Ji An—" Li Tianqi also shouted, "Do you dare to defy the imperial decree?"

Ang Lee hesitated for a moment, glanced at the two men, and finally succumbed to the coercion of power, walking towards the moon gate.

Wei Zijun took a deep breath. "Tell him to come back."

"You agreed?" Li Tianqi looked at her with a smile.

“You are not allowed to use my father as leverage again.” Wei Zijun’s handsome eyes were calm and expressionless, yet they made Li Tianqi’s heart tremble. “Everything must be done voluntarily.”

"In any case, just agree. This way, we can better manage your Western Turks and use the resources of my Great Yu to make your Western Turks stronger. Isn't that good?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun suddenly laughed. "Why lie to a true friend? How could you really let me manage the Western Turks freely? To set up the Anxi Protectorate! Ha—that's not a condition in our agreement." Gazing into the distance, she gave a self-deprecating smile. "The Anxi Protectorate! You station your troops in the Western Turks, yet you want me to govern them? You broke your promise first, yet you force me to come to court. How could I be willing? Besides, I didn't agree to the condition of coming to court in the first place."

Li Tianqi chuckled upon hearing this, "So Ziju has been sulking about this all along. Feeling wronged? Although I established the Anxi Protectorate, it is still under your jurisdiction."

Wei Zijun's clear, handsome eyes locked onto him. "Li Tianqi, do you really think I'm stupid? You set up the Anxi Protectorate, you appointed its officials, and one day, you'll be in charge of deploying troops, won't you?" Did he really think she was a fool? What was the point of her having such a nominal position? Perhaps one day these Dayu troops would suddenly besiege her Western Turkic army, while she could peacefully remain here as his courtier?

Li Tianqi gazed intently at her, thinking to himself: So this was the reason for Ziju's indifference these past few days. Nothing could escape his notice. He had indeed established the Anxi Protectorate in the Western Turkic Khaganate and stationed troops there. Ziju, because of the Western Turkic Khaganate's temporary predicament and for the peace of its people, had endured it all. But he was an emperor, and he couldn't ignore all possibilities. After all, the Western Turkic Ghost Face Army trained by Ziju was worth ten men. If the Western Turkic Khaganate regained its strength, he had to ensure that Dacheng was not threatened. Although he believed that Ziju was compassionate towards the people and wouldn't rebel, he couldn't guarantee that others wouldn't. Therefore, he stationed troops in the Western Turkic Khaganate, but he genuinely entrusted these troops to Ziju's command; he trusted her.

After a long silence, Wei Zijun said, "Do you know why I've tolerated you for so many days?"

"Why?" Actually, he knew; he understood.

"Because I see that you have governed Dacheng fairly well. As long as you can guarantee that the people of my Western Turkic Khaganate can live and work in peace and contentment, I can tolerate you. However, if you have other ideas, don't think that just because I am in Dacheng, I can't do anything to you. I personally trained the army of my Western Turkic Khaganate. They only recognize me, but they will never recognize you."

Li Tianqi looked directly into her eyes. "Believe me, Zijun, everything I did was not directed at you or your army. I was just worried about something happening to you. It was truly out of self-preservation."

Wei Zijun glanced at his face but remained silent.

Seeing that she remained silent, Li Tianqi spoke again: "He went to find me."

Upon hearing this, she gently turned her head, "He Lu?"

"Who else?" He laughed self-deprecatingly. "He wants to stay by your side."

Wei Zijun suddenly looked up at him, "You agreed?"

He gave that same bitter smile. "No! But I'm closer to you now." Seeing her questioning look, he continued, "He's going to guard Shu County because it's not peaceful there right now. The Tibetans are stirring, and there might be war. Plus, there's no suitable candidate..."

I don't know what I'm feeling. A little bitter, a little painful, a little tinged with sadness, a little helpless, a little guilty.

Why did he have to do that?

The waning sunlight cast long shadows, making people's steps seem heavy.

As he slowly stepped into He Lu's room, he saw the figure sitting quietly by the couch. Seeing her enter, he snapped out of his reverie and continued unpacking his luggage.

She walked gently to his side. "He Lu, are you leaving?"

"Hmm." He continued packing his belongings.

"Why do you listen to him? You can refuse him." He pulled his clothes aside.

“He said, if I don’t go, you can go.” He Lu finally turned around and looked at her directly.

“He Lu, that’s just a trick he used to deceive you.” Wei Zijun said helplessly. Li Tianqi seemed to be using this trick a lot lately, but it was indeed effective.

“I know, but I’m still worried he might actually do that.” He glanced at her. “Shu County belongs to Jiannan Circuit and is under your jurisdiction. I will help you guard that place well.” He turned around and began to organize the clothes again.

"Don't be silly." Wei Zijun's throat tightened a little.

He Lu paused for a moment. "I'm not stupid."

A moment of silence.

"He Lu." Wei Zijun took He Lu's hand and stroked the thick calluses on his palm. After a long while, she said, "He Lu's martial arts have improved greatly."

He Lu looked at her lowered eyelids, unable to discern her emotions. "Practice some self-defense techniques, so you won't bully me anymore."

"Hehe—" she chuckled, "I don't really want to bully you, it's just that you're always the one scolding me."

Looking at her smile, He Lu's heart melted like a pool of spring water. "I haven't had enough of cursing yet, I want to keep cursing."

"He Lu." His eyes welled up with tears. "Go ahead and curse me if you want. I won't bully you this time."

"Fairy—" He Lu pulled her into his arms and bit her shoulder.

A slight pain seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes…

Ascending the long, white marble steps and stepping onto the majestic nine-tiered palace, the winds of history rush towards you. The grand palace complex, upholding the robust and imposing style of Qin and Han architecture, is both rigorous and simple, magnificent and splendid. The green glazed tile roof ridges gleam with a soft light, while the black roof tiles exude solemnity and grandeur. The expansive, flat roof ridges, with their slanted eaves, and the simple, unadorned doors and windows, are dignified and harmonious. The clean and bright color scheme embodies the unity of strength and beauty, showcasing the powerful spirit of the great Chinese nation.

The grand and solemn investiture ceremony was elaborate and lengthy, with all the officials and concubines gathered together. The unprecedented scale of the ceremony caused the officials to murmur incessantly.

Dressed in imperial robes and wearing a crown, Li Tianqi gazed silently at the pale purple figure, his crown tassels swaying in front of him, obscuring his eyes.

Among the women, there was a pair of almond-shaped eyes that gazed at that figure with love and surprise.

Wei Zijun's parents and family all came, including her two older brothers who had traveled from out of town.

Wei Zijun was quite surprised by her two older brothers. Her eldest brother, Wei Xun (Wei Ziyan), was exactly like her biological brother, and their personalities were identical – both were fond of drinking and playing, and neglected their duties. Her second brother, Wei Heng (Wei Zizhuo), however, took her by surprise. He looked exactly like his older sister, and his personality was just as ambitious and strong-willed. This left her speechless for a long time, and she almost rushed up to call him "sister." Fortunately, her second brother resembled a woman, and since the Left Valiant Guard General had two sons who also resembled women, it wasn't so surprising to everyone.

The investiture ceremony continued with its elaborate rituals. Wei Zijun, dressed in a purple royal robe and wearing a jeweled crown, possessed a jade-like complexion and exuded composure. As the words "Long live the Wind King!" rang out, all her subordinates prostrated themselves on the ground.

"The Wind King is really petite!" A murmur of suppressed snickers rang out from among the guards that Li Tianqi had forced upon her.

Wei Zijun looked over and, seeing the imposing figures around her, suddenly felt ashamed. The saying that ancient people were twelve feet tall wasn't just a joke; although it was a bit exaggerated, each of them was a head taller than her. How did these men grow so tall?

These northern generals were all tall men. Her own physique, which she was proud of in modern times, made her seem like a second-class cripple in their presence. Her former sense of looking down on everyone else had been reduced to looking up at everyone else as a dwarf. This was a real blow to her, who valued her appearance quite a bit.

As time passed and the ceremony drew to a close, the tense nerves of the officials finally relaxed, and Wei Zijun also stretched her arms and relaxed her body to gaze into the distance.

Just as she looked up, a strange silver light suddenly entered her field of vision.

Several thin, silvery rays shot down from the side of Anren Hall, heading straight for Li Tianqi's seat. Due to the tilt, the high altitude, and the fact that the silvery rays were almost invisible in the air, not a single one of the nearly ten thousand people present noticed them.

Wei Zijun was startled. Before she could think further, she had already leaped into the air from her high seat. Her long sleeves billowed as she soared upwards, dancing across the vast sky, leaving streaks of purple light in her wake, catching the astonished gazes of the crowd, and heading towards the cluster of silver lines. Her purple robes fluttered, swirling with purple iridescence, her wide sleeves billowing, enveloping the clusters of silver light. She drew an extremely beautiful figure in the azure sky, the hem of her robe, sprinkled with purple cherry blossoms, slowly spreading out, blooming in the air like a pure and beautiful demon queen flower.

The silver light that shot towards them was incredibly powerful, carrying the flying figure forward until it reached the sky above the platform, where it finally lost its momentum and drifted down with the figure.

That fleeting, breathtaking moment, that perfect aerial dance, left the officials speechless for a long time. They had heard of Wei Feng's martial prowess, but their impression of him was limited to the exchanges of blows on the battlefield. They never imagined it to be so extraordinary and captivating. The guards who had just mocked their King Feng's petite stature were completely stunned. Did this King Feng even need their protection? They could only hope they wouldn't become a burden to him.

Her body, falling from the sky, landed in someone's arms. "Zijun, are you hurt?" Her voice trembled with anxiety. Li Tianqi had barely finished speaking when he ripped open her sleeve, and a dozen tiny silver arrows fluttered down. Only when he found her arm unharmed did his heart relax. He ignored the commotion, ignored the Imperial Guards surrounding Anren Hall, and simply held the person in his arms tightly.

He knew that in order to stop the arrow, she had poured all her inner strength into her sleeves, blocking its advance, but she herself had lost her strength and fallen. Therefore, he ignored the surprised looks of the ministers and still held her tightly in his arms, continuously channeling his true energy into her.

Having regained her strength, Wei Zijun subtly pushed Li Tianqi away, saying, "Your Majesty, Wei Feng has already repaid your father's life-saving grace on his behalf. From now on, please do not use this to threaten my father again."

“You…” Li Tianqi’s gentle expression suddenly darkened, “…This is utterly unreasonable!”

He suddenly turned around and angrily shouted at the dark mass of guards, "Quickly capture the assassin!" After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and left in a huff.

The ministers below the stage exchanged bewildered glances. They had just seen Wei Feng save the emperor's life, and the two had been embracing tightly just moments before, leaving everyone wondering how the emperor's expression could change so suddenly.

With His Majesty gone, the ceremony concluded, and the officials gradually dispersed. Some approached Wei Zijun, exchanging pleasantries.

Wei Zijun responded to each question with a faint smile. Seeing her parents not far away, she gave them a reassuring look.

Seeing this, Li Hongyi swayed over as well, "Fourth brother's skills have improved a lot!" He tugged at her sleeve and shook it. "Fourth brother, this dress looks good on you."

Wei Zijun rolled her eyes at him.

Just as Li Hongyi was about to make another joke, he saw a woman walking by and turned to her, saying, "Oh, Seventh Sister is back? Perfect timing, let me introduce you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the woman interrupted him, "Second brother, there's no need. I've already met the Wind King once."

Seeing the strange look on Li Hongyi's face, he explained, "The Wind King once saved my life." After saying that, his bright eyes looked straight at Wei Zijun.

Wei Zijun smiled faintly: "It's nothing, Princess, please don't worry about it."

“From now on, you can just call me Siyi, Feng Wang.” Li Siyi stared blankly at Wei Zijun’s smile for a moment.

Wei Zijun felt a little embarrassed by the stares and coughed lightly.

Just then, a eunuch suddenly came to summon him.

"Wind King - His Majesty invites the Wind King to the Hall of Martial Virtue for a discussion."

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter, Chapter 97: A Furious Kiss

The rising steam slowly dissipates into the air, and the tender green buds gently unfurl, swaying up and down as the water in the cup is stirred.

Upon entering the Wude Hall, Lianwu went straight to the dragon desk where Li Tianqi was reviewing memorials and looked at the cup of tea. After seeing the color of the tea, she frowned. "Your Majesty," she said, "I heard that Your Majesty sent all the top-grade Mengding tea that was presented as tribute to the Left Valiant Guard General's residence. I never imagined it was true. It's surprising that Your Majesty's habit of only drinking top-grade Mengding tea could be broken."

Having removed his imperial robes, Li Tianqi looked up from the pile of memorials. "Is Lianwu so eager to see me just for this matter?"

"Your Majesty, I heard that Your Majesty gave the first-grade bird's nest to the Wind King, while you yourself are eating second-grade bird's nest, is that right?" Lianwu continued to ask.

"Well... Lianwu, I don't think there's anything wrong with the second rank either. In short, they're pretty much the same in practice." Li Tianqi continued to tidy his hair and began to review the memorials.

"Since they are almost the same, why did His Majesty specially select the first-class item for the Prince of Feng? And I heard that His Majesty sends the finest silk to the General's Mansion for the toilet, while he uses coarse silk for himself!"

Li Tianqi was slightly annoyed. "Who dares to be so gossipy!"

"Your Majesty, it is not wrong for you to love your subjects, but you don't need to be so concerned about even the things they use to relieve themselves."

Li Tianqi's expression gradually turned cold. "Lianwu... why do you say that? He is also your fourth brother."