Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 140

"Because he instructed you not to lead troops out ahead of time. He said you should wait until the Jiannan Road rebels quell the rebellion, and then advance from both sides. This way, the chances of victory would be much greater. If you lead troops out like this, the chances of victory would be very small. He is worried that you will be in danger. Moreover, if you go, they will all target you because you are the person that Tibet most wants to get rid of."

Wei Zijun nodded knowingly, "Oh, it's alright. I won't send troops if there's no chance of winning at all."

"What are your chances of winning?" Miao Zhou asked, frowning.

Wei Zijun fell silent. Never having suffered a defeat, she wouldn't allow her army to risk their lives. Every battle she waged was meticulously planned to ensure absolute success, especially an attack like this, which required absolute certainty. This time, however, she lacked that certainty. But she had to send troops, or He Lu's army would be annihilated. Since she lacked certainty, she would rely on her self-confidence and her ability to strategize flexibly in the face of the unpredictable battlefield.

Thinking of this, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Miaozhou, "Ninety percent chance of winning." These words were actually a way of encouraging herself.

Seemingly having noticed her earlier hesitation, Miaozhou said coldly, "You still can't go."

After this conversation, Wei Zijun finally understood what kind of surveillance Li Tianqi had Miaozhou keep an eye on her for.

The wind was strong at night, its howling echoing across the snow-covered plains. Perhaps spring was approaching, for the wind had become so fierce. Inside, the candlelight flickered gently, illuminating the peerless figure on the couch, her face, hidden in the shadows, gleaming with a seductive allure.

Wei Zijun leaned back on the couch, lost in thought. With both of them gone, her heart felt as empty as a vast snowfield, desolate and devoid of warmth. The sorrow of parting lingered, growing even heavier in the night. Unconsciously, they had already occupied her heart. She hadn't noticed when they were there, but now, their departure left her feeling as empty as if the world had fallen silent.

She raised her long, slender, and fair hand and gently covered her face.

Another war was about to break out. She didn't want it; the time wasn't right, there was no guarantee of victory, and she couldn't bear to involve those innocent lives. If it was for revenge, she only wanted to take it with her own hands. But Helu had forced her here. She couldn't let his efforts be in vain, so she would bring forward the campaign against Tibet. She would crush Tibet sooner or later.

Rubbing her temples, Wei Zijun sighed softly and turned to look at the man sitting at the table. "Miaozhou, are you planning to sit like this all night?"

"Hmm." Miao Zhou's icy face remained expressionless.

"Why are you doing this? I won't run around. I won't send troops, okay? Go to sleep." She had lost count of how many times she had said this, and this time she almost groaned as she said it.

"I don't believe you." Miao Zhou spoke directly; he didn't believe she would stay obediently in the room.

"So what if you don't believe me? You can't stay here every day. I'm going to sleep." She dismissed him.

"Go to sleep." He seemed not to understand that she meant to sleep.

Wei Zijun's eyes widened in disbelief. "I want to take off my clothes."

"Take it off." Then he turned around.

Wei Zijun felt a pang of despair in her heart, "Is this how he lets you guard my room?" Li Tianqi wouldn't let a man share a room with him, even though he didn't know that Miaozhou already knew his identity.

Miao Zhou coughed. "He said no one is allowed in your room, but you can pretend I don't exist."

How could she treat him as if he didn't exist? How could she treat such a living, breathing person as if he didn't exist?

"Since you're worried, why don't you sleep in the outer room? You can't sit here all night, can you?" He was staring at her so intently that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“If you sleep in the outer room, you will escape through the window.”

Wei Zijun groaned, rubbing her forehead, and then suddenly asked, "What am I supposed to do when I get up at night?"

Miao Zhou's icy expression finally reacted, a blush quickly rising to his face. He coughed, "Then, I'll go out. And then, I'll come back."

Wei Zijun felt dizzy with anger and weakly said, "Whatever, I'm going to take off my clothes and go to sleep." With that, she actually began to unbutton her outer garment and take it off. A rustling sound filled the air, and Miaozhou's face grew increasingly red.

Wei Zijun pulled back the covers and crawled inside, letting out a comfortable sigh. She glanced at Miaozhou, turned around, and overcome with drowsiness, leaving him all alone, and fell asleep.

A moment later, Miaozhou heard her steady and relaxed breathing, and a smile appeared on his lips, a rare tenderness on his face.

The night was cool and still, the candlelight flickering. In the dead of night, she saw Li Tianqi's sorrowful eyes. He no longer lingered under the moonlight outside the window; he went to her bedside, stroked her face, and kissed her. For the first time, she enjoyed his kiss without any restraint, neither running away nor resisting. Wei Zijun felt a little shy, then confused. Hadn't he left? Why was he kissing her here? Was this a dream? How could she have such a shameful dream? In her dream, Li Tianqi murmured, "Zijun, let me do something for you, let me have just one moment, only for you… without any worries, just for you… even if it means giving my life."

Wei Zijun awoke with a start from her dream. The candlelight was burning, crackling softly, bringing a moment of warmth to her heart.

Miao Zhou remained seated there, motionless. Looking at his retreating figure, Wei Zijun suddenly felt a pang of heartache and tenderness. She softly called out, "Miao Zhou, come and sleep."

Miaozhou was taken aback, not understanding what she meant.

“Come and sleep on the couch,” she repeated. “Since you refuse to go out, I can’t just watch you sit here all night.”

Unexpectedly, Miao Zhou hesitated for a moment before getting up and going to the couch, where she actually lay down.

Wei Zijun was somewhat surprised by his reaction. She thought he would politely decline, but he lay down on her without saying a word. She leaned closer and pulled over an extra blanket, tossing it to him.

For a long while, neither of them spoke, but both blinked their eyes, neither of them was asleep.

“Miaozhou, if we don’t go, Helu’s entire army will be wiped out. If I go, I can turn the tide. Your obstruction will only kill them.” Wei Zijun turned to look at him. “You want to make me appear unrighteous and unjust, forcing me to watch them fall into a predicament?”

"I don't care, I only care about you."

“I am truly safe. Helu has lured the enemy away, and we will surely advance with unstoppable momentum. If there is danger, I will simply defend the city and not venture out. I have countless ways to defend a city, and if I defend it, no one can take it,” she boasted, solely to reassure Miaozhou. Miaozhou remained silent for a long while before saying, “Being in a foreign land, danger is inevitable.”

Seeing that his tone was no longer as insistent as before, Wei Zijun suddenly leaned over, pressed down on half of his body, and stared at his face, saying, "Miaozhou, let me go."

Seeing the face suddenly hovering above him so close, Miao Zhou's icy expression twitched slightly. "I'm afraid you'll be in danger."

Miaozhou could no longer resist this tender offensive and finally stammered, "I'll go with you."

Wei Zijun smiled, moved her body, and lay down.

In the third year of the Jiande era of the Dayu reign, at the end of February, Empress Wei Zijun led an army of 200,000 Western Turks to finally begin the war against Tibet. This war lasted for nearly a year; it was brutal and heroic; it rewrote the map of Chinese history, revealing an unprecedentedly powerful empire that had been obscured by Chinese history to the world…

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Note: ① Golden arrows were tokens used to send troops. The ten tribes of the Western Turks each had ten arrows, with one arrow representing one tribe.

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 127 Negotiation

In the third year of the Jiande era of the Dayu Kingdom, the Year of the Snake in the Western Turks, in the third month, Emperor Li Tianqi of Dayu launched a campaign to quell the rebellion of the Jiannan Circuit. Due to the high skill and martial prowess of the rebels, the Dayu army suffered heavy losses. Therefore, Li Tianqi also mobilized his extensive martial arts network throughout the Central Plains and Dayu to participate. Thus, a campaign to suppress the rebels transformed into a life-or-death struggle between two major martial arts factions. Almost the entire martial arts world of Dayu was embroiled in this battle; for a time, the winds of war raged, the grass and trees trembled, the mountains and rivers changed color, and the entire land shook.

Meanwhile, Wei Zijun led the Western Turkic army in a campaign against Tibet. At the same time, the Shiwei and Mohe, located north of Liaodong in Dayu, also broke out into war. Even the restless Goryeo people got involved, taking advantage of the chaos to attack the Mohe.

War broke out on all sides, shaking the world.

It seems that a desperate army is bound to win. He Lu's Nushibi troops are exceptionally brave, and in just over ten days they have captured several cities.

As soon as Wei Zijun's Western Turkic army entered Tibet, news of successive victories arrived. Helu's Nushibi tribe had captured city after city and was already advancing towards Xiangxiong. With Helu leading the way, Wei Zijun entered the Qiangtang region almost without hindrance. The two adopted different routes of attack but coordinated their efforts, constantly keeping track of each other's movements.

On the seventeenth day after the army entered Tibet, news arrived that Helu had captured Xiaoyangtong in Xiangxiong, and the two major and minor Bolu, trapped on the north side and unable to fight, surrendered without a fight. Wei Zijun, on the other hand, advanced swiftly and decisively, directly attacking Qiangtang, which fell in less than three days. According to the planned route, Wei Zijun should have continued from Qiangtang directly to Supi, but unexpectedly she suddenly changed course and headed straight for Dayangtong in Xiangxiong to join forces with Helu.

Then Helu went east and Wei Zijun went west, the two of them attacking Dayangtong from both sides. After six days of fierce fighting, they captured Dayangtong in Xiangxiong. From the day they set out until this point, a month had passed. The two finally met in this ancient kingdom of Xiangxiong and occupied a large area of territory north of the Gangdise Mountains of Tibet.

Zhangzhung, meaning "Land of the Garuda," was a kingdom that rose to prominence on the Tibetan Plateau. This ancient kingdom, which once boasted countless glories and a highly developed civilization, mysteriously vanished into the annals of history. It not only developed its own unique Zhangzhung script but was also the birthplace of the Bon religion in Tibet and the earliest center of civilization on the Tibetan Plateau, profoundly influencing later Tubo and the entire Tibetan culture. However, the Zhangzhung civilization simply disappeared into the annals of history. Standing on the vast grasslands of Zhangzhung, lamenting the passage of time, Wei Zijun could never have imagined that the reason for the Zhangzhung civilization's demise was because of her.

In April in Xiangxiong, the weather is still chilly despite the warming temperatures, and the vast Ali grassland is already lush and green. As the sun sets and the sky is ablaze with red clouds, two magnificent horses gallop across the high slope of the grassland. One of them is exceptionally dazzling, its snow-white coat shimmering with a dazzling golden luster under the slanting sunlight.

Two horses, necks intertwined and hooves raised, frolicked on the grassland, snorting incessantly. The green grass beneath their hooves and the vast grassland made them leap and bound with joy.

Ali Grassland, this rich and vast grassland, is the birthplace of the ancient Zhangzhung Kingdom. Here, there are countless sacred mountains and lakes, and rivers flowing in all directions. Along the Shiquan River, Xiangquan River, Maquan River, and Kongque River, forests are abundant and farmlands are everywhere. It is hard to imagine that more than a thousand years later, Ali is filled with empty, barren mountains, desolate uninhabited areas, and desolate Gobi Desert. Who can imagine that this place was once so prosperous and glorious? Who can believe that there was a Zhangzhung era that flourished here for thousands of years?

As the sun began to set and the colorful clouds faded, a deep blue descended upon the sky. He Lu lay on Wei Zijun's lap, his hand gently stroking her cheek. She looked down at him, stroking his hair. The wind blew across the Ali grassland, passing over the two people gazing at each other, and the grass on the ground trembled slightly.

"Tomorrow, I will go to see Queen Supi," Wei Zijun said softly. "Be careful on your own."

"Why?" He Lu stared at her intently, his large, calloused hands stroking her delicate cheeks again and again.

The rough texture brushed against her skin, and her delicate skin could no longer withstand his constant rubbing, causing a burning sensation. Wei Zijun smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, if you keep touching me, my skin will be raw."

He Lu withdrew his hand somewhat embarrassedly, but still couldn't resist touching her, so he began to smooth her slightly disheveled hair. "Are you planning to negotiate an alliance with Su Pi?"

“Hmm. The Supi came to our Turkic Khaganate to request a marriage alliance. Since they wish to form an alliance with a foreign country, it shows that they have always refused to accept the rule of Tibet. Recently, a large number of Supi people, unable to endure the suffering of Tibetan enslavement, have gone to seek refuge with Dayu. The Supi are the largest of the four tribes of Tibet. If we take this opportunity to win over the Supi and jointly attack Tibet, then the destruction of Tibet will not be far off.” After saying this, Wei Zijun looked at him amusedly as he kept fixing the strands of hair that were blowing in the wind, making her eyes blurry. She said helplessly, “Even if you fix it, it will still be blown away. There’s no need to fix it.”

He Lu put his hand down and started straightening her collar again. Wei Zijun groaned and leaned against the tree behind her.

He Lu frowned. "Then it should be an envoy who goes. How can I trust you to go?"

“We are all rough and tumble men who lead troops, and none of us have the eloquence to persuade Supi. Only I can make the trip. Moreover, time is of the essence. The Tibetan army is already on its way and should arrive in less than five days. We need to rush to Supi. If we can persuade Supi, then Supi’s army can directly block the Tibetan army’s northward advance, and our captured Xiangxiong will be safe.”

He Lu leaned closer to her lower abdomen and chuckled, "You want to use Supi to block the Tibetan reinforcements? I'll go with you."

Wei Zijun rolled her eyes at him. "It's not about using him, it's about cooperating. You shouldn't go either; you're a burden."

"You...who are you calling a burden?" He Lu glared angrily with his deep brown eyes at Wei Zijun. After a moment, he suddenly reached out and attacked her armpits. "Tell me! Who's a burden!?"

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Wei Zijun burst into laughter from the ticklish sensation. She struggled to lift her head and try to escape, but He Lu caught her by the waist with his long arms.

Taking this opportunity, Wei Zijun launched a counterattack, lunging towards his armpit. But He Lu remained motionless, simply lying on her lap, holding her waist tightly, and burying his head deep into her waist and abdomen.

Noticing something was wrong with him, Wei Zijun stopped.

After a long pause, he asked, "You love him, don't you?"

Wei Zijun was taken aback by his words. After a moment of silence, a hint of confusion appeared in her clear eyes. She looked up at the vast grassland and said softly, "Don't ask these questions."

"Do you like me?" He Lu asked again.

Wei Zijun sighed, "I like it."

"Do you love me?" He Lu's head was inside her body, his voice muffled.

She paused, taken aback. She had never considered this question before. Why did they all like to ask such questions? She really didn't know how to answer. "I don't know," she said softly, feeling a little guilty.

"You found out in front of him, didn't you?" The jealousy was palpable.

"He Lu, don't be like that. Look at you, you're like a little child."

“I’m not a child, I’m two years older than you.” He Lu got angry and sat up abruptly, about to get up. Wei Zijun reached out and hooked her arm around his neck from behind. She chuckled, “Are you angry?” Her warm breath brushed against the back of He Lu’s neck, and he immediately went limp, sitting obediently without moving. Then, he leaned back against her chest.

Wei Zijun sighed, pouted her red lips, and gently pecked the skin behind his ear.

He Lu's body trembled slightly as he asked, "Is this considered an apology?"

Wei Zijun chuckled softly, "It was somewhat irresistible. Anyone would want to take a bite of such a fair and tender beauty in front of them."

He Lu suddenly turned around and hugged Wei Zijun, then pushed her down onto the grass and accurately captured her lips in his mouth.

Wei Zijun, who had not expected this move, stared wide-eyed with a "hmm" and began to breathe slightly as He Lu's lips and teeth became more intertwined.

He Lu unceremoniously reached into Wei Zijun's robe, covered her smooth abdominal skin, rubbed it vigorously, and then slid it upwards along her skin, directly grasping her breasts.

"He Lu—" Wei Zijun called out softly, her voice trembling slightly, then gently pulled his arm away, "Don't do this."

He Lu stopped what he was doing and tucked his head into her neck.

A gust of wind swept across the grassland, lifting the clothes of the two people who were intertwined, and the sky gradually darkened...

The endless expanse of loess walls bears the marks of time, and the city, a mix of buildings and cave dwellings, clearly exhibits the characteristics of an ancient plateau city. The former palace of Supi, a nine-story building, can no longer be called a palace; a kingdom subject to foreign rule, it has lost its former glory.

The current Queen of Supi is Tangpang, who succeeded Qibangsun. Due to her fondness for men and neglect of state affairs, she became a ruler of a fallen kingdom, clinging to life as a vassal of another. It would be difficult to imagine such a person, lacking ambition, taking up arms in rebellion. However, it is said that after the fall of her kingdom, she could not bear the humiliation and, despite her lack of ambition, she was a person with some self-respect.

When Wei Zijun and He Lu entered the main hall, Tang Pangshi was already seated in the main seat.

She wore a light blue silk skirt, a low-cut top, and a light blue robe with sleeves that trailed on the ground. She was adorned with brocade, her hair styled in a small bun, and her head was covered in gold ornaments, with earrings swaying with her movements. To Wei Zijun's surprise, this woman, who was about forty years old, was still stunningly beautiful, showing no signs of aging what one would expect at forty.

When Tang Pang first saw Wei Zijun, her eyes lit up. Before Wei Zijun could speak, Tang Pang greeted her with a smile: "Is this the renowned Western Turkic Khan, whose fame resounds throughout the world, whose battle record is outstanding, and whose elegance is unparalleled?" Her voice was somewhat hoarse, unlike her beautiful appearance.