Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 148

Whether she's genuinely helping him or not is something he can't tell for now, so how could he be completely at ease? But everything she does is under his control, so what can she possibly do?

Volume 4, Chapter 136: Delivering a Letter

Climbing the zigzagging stone steps, passing through the Pengcuoduo Gate, the winding corridor, the wide Deyangxia, and the Songge Corridor covered with murals, one arrives at the Tubo's council hall—Tsoqingxia Sixi Pingcuo.

Her long, silky hair was tied up, and the hem of her white shirt flowed at her feet. She exuded a refined and elegant air, as pure as if untouched by dust. She gently turned her head, her clear eyes piercing through the long corridor. At the end of the corridor was the unreachable blue sky. She lowered her eyes slightly, concealing the unattainable longing in her gaze.

Before stepping through the palace gates, Wei Zijun touched her cheek. Gongsong Gongzan's disguise skills were indeed superb; this face could only be described as pretty. She had gone to great lengths to secure the opportunity to show her face, but that old fox Songtsen Gampo had given her a fake face; now, no one would recognize her.

To gain Songtsen Gampo's trust, Wei Zijun did indeed make contributions to Tibet. She first spent ten days memorizing all the Tibetan characters. These characters, created based on Sanskrit, had strange shapes, but she still managed to memorize them. If one wanted to understand Tibet more deeply, it was impossible without understanding its script.

Within a month, she distributed royal lands and a portion of livestock to impoverished herders, showing compassion for all people, including those of Tibet. She further suggested reclaiming wasteland, dividing fertile fields and pastures, developing agriculture and animal husbandry according to local conditions, and registering the households and cultivated land areas of commoners, fixing taxes based on land ownership. The implementation of this system temporarily eased the conflict between nobles and commoners and greatly promoted economic development. Songtsen Gampo deeply appreciated the establishment of these systems.

She also restarted border trade, encouraging caravans to travel to various countries and promoting economic development. Furthermore, she established a rigorous military system based on the Dayu military system and incorporating the characteristics of the Tubo region.

Wei Zijun then suggested that Songtsen Gampo select a thousand households from Meiru to form the Imperial Guard, protecting the Zanpu's (Tibetan king's) headquarters. This Imperial Guard, capable of dealing with local military forces, would be personally commanded by Songtsen Gampo. This prevented the abuses of nobles, territories, and tribal chiefs wielding excessive military power. Songtsen Gampo greatly appreciated Wei Zijun's suggestion, believing that the strict military system she established ensured his effective control and command of the army. However, Wei Zijun's true intention was to undermine Songtsen Gampo's complete trust in his subordinates. His constant vigilance would create internal conflicts of mutual suspicion between him and the tribes, thereby weakening the long-standing strong cohesion of Tibet.

Because of these achievements that seemed to greatly help the Tibetan government, Wei Zijun quickly entered politics. Songtsen Gampo gave her the title of Xiao Lun and made her the deputy minister of Da Lun Lu Dongzan.

As she slowly stepped into the main hall, a gust of wind swept through the corridor, causing the hem of her snow-white robe to flutter gently. Passing through the gazes of the crowd, Wei Zijun walked slowly to her seat. Although her face was unremarkable, the elegance she exuded made her face radiant, impossible to ignore, and making this ordinary face the focus of everyone's attention.

Originally, the ministers were unconvinced that such a Han Chinese had become a minor official in Tibet. However, after witnessing her swift and decisive actions over the course of a month, which almost transformed Tibet, they realized that her talent was not to be underestimated. It was just that her frail physique made these martial Tibetan ministers scoff at her.

Once Wei Zijun was seated, everyone turned around. Lu Dongzan also withdrew his gaze from Wei Zijun and turned to Songtsen Gampo. "Your Majesty," he said, "recently, Goryeo in the northeast of Dayu has been waging a large-scale military campaign. Li Tianqi has already dispatched a large number of troops to Hebei Province to defend against the enemy. In addition, Dayu has only recently quelled its internal strife and then fought a long-distance battle with our Tubo. At that time, they relied on high morale, but now they have relaxed their guard and are exhausted. This is the best time for our army to counterattack."

Songtsen Gampo nodded. "What do you, my beloved ministers, think?"

All the ministers praised it.

"Your Majesty, our Tibetan forces in Nepal are eager to fight. Furthermore, our herdsmen have been continuously training in martial arts, and they are now all highly skilled. They can easily take on ten men each. We have prepared for this for so long; now is the opportune time to launch our attack," said Qinling, the son of Gar Tongtsen.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun was startled. It turned out that they had already hidden troops in Nepal. No wonder, since one of Songtsen Gampo's most valued concubines was Princess Bhrikuti, who was sent by Nepal for a marriage alliance. Nepal had always been respectful and fearful of Tibet, so it would naturally provide great assistance to Tibet.

Songtsen Gampo nodded and smiled, "Great Master, tell me your brilliant plan."

Lu Dongzan nodded and said, "My plan is to lure the enemy deep into our territory. We will join forces with Nepal and have their army feign an attack on us. Then, our army will go to Dayu to request reinforcements, asking Dayu to send troops to help us. We will then join forces with Nepal to encircle and annihilate the Dayu army that has ventured deep into our territory to provide reinforcements, at the border of Nepal. Afterward, we will launch a major offensive into the Central Plains. The Dayu army will suffer heavy losses, and its main force will have moved to Goryeo. With its forces outnumbered, it will surely be no match for us."

What a vicious scheme! Wei Zijun clenched her fist quietly.

"Great strategy indeed, but will Dayu send troops to aid us?" someone asked.

“Da Yu will definitely send troops,” Qin Ling replied. “Firstly, since Tibet has submitted to Da Yu, Da Yu has an obligation to protect Tibet’s safety. Secondly, Da Yu requires that Tibet’s military strength not exceed 50,000. Such a small force of 50,000 will surely be unable to defend itself. Although Da Yu has its difficulties, it will definitely send troops in order to maintain the demeanor of a great power.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“So it is settled then. Send an envoy to Nepal immediately.” Songtsen Gampo glanced at Wei Zijun.

Wei Zijun's expression remained unchanged as she glanced back at him. Her mind, however, was in turmoil. She had to inform her second brother of this news, but how? She thought of Lianbi—that woman, since she could become the queen of the Eastern Women's Kingdom, her affection for Songtsen Gampo must be feigned. But would she be willing to help her?

With a heavy heart, Wei Zijun left Cuoqingxia Sixi Pingcuo and went back to her room, but only stayed for a short while before coming out again.

Now, Wei Zijun can move around freely. However, the two guards behind her are like shadows, half monitoring and half watching over her. Songtsen Gampo knows what she does within an hour. He knows not only what she does every day, but also how many times she glances at other men, or even if she touches a female slave's face on a whim.

Under such surveillance, it would be extremely difficult for her to speak to Lianbi. So, before leaving, Wei Zijun secretly wrote a note, crumpled it up, and tucked it into her sleeve. As long as she handed the note to Queen Supi, Li Tianqi would know the news and take immediate precautions.

Wei Zijun made a special trip to the front of the main hall of Deyangxia, because it was an exceptionally large platform and the only way to reach the various halls.

Half an hour later, she finally emerged from the corridor with her arms wrapped around her. Upon seeing her, Wei Zijun casually strolled towards her.

As she lowered her arms, she saw the figure approaching. His elegant posture drew her attention; his charm seemed somewhat familiar. However, the face made her turn away in disappointment.

He couldn't recognize her! Seeing that she hadn't noticed him, Wei Zijun's mind raced, desperately searching for a way to approach her.

A moment later, Wei Zijun curved her lips into a smile and continued walking towards her. In the instant she passed Lianbi, she subtly stepped forward and blocked her foot. Lianbi did not notice the sudden movement and stumbled forward. Wei Zijun quickly reached out to support her.

"Your Highness, be careful." A uniquely gentle voice drifted out, and she shuddered, her arms tucked in, and she looked up at her abruptly.

Wei Zijun gazed intently at her, his slender fingers gripping her hand tightly.

A blush crept onto her face as she looked down at the hand that was tightly gripping hers. At that moment, her heart churned with emotion. She recognized those hands. That year, that night, he had held her hand in the same way, and he had gently said to her, "Miss, you don't need to wipe it." She remembered those hands—those beautiful, jade-carved hands, so white, so smooth, so slender.

She looked up at her, her eyes welling up with tears, and she reached out and tightly grabbed Wei Zijun's shirt.

Wei Zijun looked at her intently; she recognized her. Those eyes, those tearful eyes—she could be trusted. She gently released her grip on her hand and discreetly slipped a crumpled piece of paper into her palm.

He paused for a moment, then gripped his arm tightly.

Just then, several young officials walked onto the platform, with Lu Dongzan's son, Qinling, leading the way. Wei Zijun quickly let go of his hand; if these people saw this, who knew what rumors would spread? If it aroused Songtsen Gampo's suspicion, it would ruin Lianbi's life.

"Your Highness, please be careful. I'll take my leave now." Wei Zijun walked in the opposite direction.

"Xiao Lun, why are you leaving in such a hurry?" Qin Ling called out as soon as he saw Wei Zijun's back.

"He's ashamed of himself. Look at how frail he is, always needing guards to protect him from being bullied. A person like that can only say a few meaningless words in the main hall. If he were on the battlefield, he would probably faint at the sight of blood, hahaha..." An official beside Qinling said sarcastically.

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of mocking laughter erupted from the crowd. Qinling, whose official rank was higher than theirs, didn't stop them from uttering such vulgarities; on the contrary, he seemed to encourage them. In truth, he was jealous of Wei Zijun. This young man, not only so young, but already holding the position of Junior Minister upon arriving here, clearly showed that Songtsen Gampo feared the power of his Lu Dongzan family and was intentionally grooming him. Perhaps soon, this Junior Minister would become the Grand Minister of Tibet, making Wei Zijun's chances of succeeding his father as Grand Minister extremely slim. Perhaps eliminating him in time, or forcing him to back down, would prevent him from posing a threat.

Wei Zijun glanced back at those people indifferently, ignoring them. She wasn't there to get angry, nor did she want to cause trouble. After all, she wouldn't stay here forever.

Seeing that Wei Zijun remained silent, those people became even more arrogant. "Look at him, he doesn't even dare to say a word, yet he talks so loudly in front of the Zanpu!" After saying this, several people walked towards Wei Zijun. "Hey, Da Yu's pretty boy, why don't you say something back and let us see how bold you are." Clearly encouraged by Qin Ling, these sycophants became even more outrageous in their words.

At that moment, Wei Zijun was truly angry. If such a despicable person wasn't taught a lesson, he would remain arrogant forever. She turned around, drew the bow and arrow from the guard's waist, and suddenly turned back, nocked the arrow, and pointed it at the group.

The men were taken aback at first, then burst into wild laughter. "Look at him, his hand is shaking as he draws the bow! Xiao Lun, you'd better hold the bow steady, don't let your hand slip..."

Before they could finish speaking, several sharp whistling sounds pierced the air, and the men froze. After a long while, they dared to look down, and were immediately terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat. They saw that the tips of their long boots were pinned to the ground by arrows, unable to move. If the arrows had moved even slightly backward, their toes would have been torn apart.

Wei Zijun pursed her lips tightly, "Although I have no martial arts skills, I can still kill people with arrows."

Silence fell, all laughter and chatter ceased. Several eagles soared overhead, circling and emitting sharp cries that were particularly distinct in the stillness. In that instant, Wei Zijun drew an arrow from the guard's quiver, swiftly raised the bow, and fired. A series of screeching sounds followed, and several eagles plummeted from the sky. One landed right at their feet, and they could clearly see that the arrow had pierced the eagle's eye.

"This is so noisy, damn it." Wei Zijun threw the bow behind her and left.

The group stood there stunned, even Qin Ling was speechless for a long time. Looking up at the sky, there was no longer a single eagle soaring in the azure sky, only a vast emptiness and desolation.

Her body, weakened, barely made it back to her room before she leaned against the bed, panting slightly. Those two arrows had exhausted all her strength, and as she drew the bow, she forcefully suppressed the surging, sweet, and hot urge. She hated herself, hated her own weakness; how could a bow that even an ordinary person could draw have made her cough up blood?

She was exhausted and had no strength left. Only when she was alone and no one else was around would she let her weary body collapse. She never showed weakness in front of others.

So tired. Lying on the couch, she thought of her days learning martial arts, of her second brother, of He Lu, of Liu Yunde, and of Die Yun... Her eyes welled up with tears as she thought of them...

She took a deep breath, slowly sat up, and began to circulate her internal energy. Even with this daily arduous practice, there was still no progress. She didn't want to become a cripple, so as soon as her body recovered a little, the stubborn girl began to secretly practice martial arts, hoping to regain some of her internal energy. Despite her body's inability to cope, despite the pain in her meridians, she didn't stop, enduring the excruciating pain to open those meridians. Finally, her weakened body couldn't bear it any longer, and a mouthful of blood gushed out.

"Do you have a death wish?" A cold voice rang out as Gongsong Gongzan burst through the door. "Your meridians are so damaged, yet you still recklessly practice martial arts? Do you want to recover your internal strength as soon as possible to avenge your father's death?"

Wei Zijun looked up at him, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips. "Shouldn't you avenge the murder of your father?"

"Your father's killer is right in front of you, why don't you take revenge? Hmm?" Gongsong Gongzan moved closer to her. "Is it because you can't bear to? Or because you don't have the strength?"

Wei Zijun closed her eyes. "It won't make a difference if it's just a little longer."

"Is this short time too much trouble? Or are you trying to gain my father's trust to destroy my entire Tibet?" He grabbed her collar. "What kind of bewitching magic did you use to seduce my father into cooperating with you?" Gongsong Gongzan pulled her face closer. "You seduced him, didn't you?"

Wei Zijun raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you there at the time? As for how I seduced him, or whether I succeeded in seducing him, you really have to ask him."

"Openly seducing her, feigning cooperation. But secretly plotting to learn martial arts? You think you can regain your martial arts skills?" Gongsong Gongzan sneered, reaching out to grab her shoulder. "Believe it or not, I'll crush your collarbone and make you a cripple forever."

Wei Zijun felt very tired. She raised her hand to block his hand that was gripping her shoulder. "If the prince is afraid of me, he can sever my tendons. A cripple would surely not frighten the prince."

Gongsong Gongzan pursed his lips. "Indeed, you would have been at the mercy of others, and you would have been much more adorable than you are now." He moved closer to her face. "I regret not taking you while you were unconscious. Today, I want to take back what I want." He grabbed her clothes and pulled her closer.

“Gongsong Gongzan, if you really want to do that, I will make sure you die a horrible death.” Wei Zijun stared at him, speaking weakly, but her gaze was cold and intimidating.

"How about we try?" Gongsong Gongzan touched Wei Zijun's lips with his fingers, wiping away the bloodstains remaining at the corner of her lips. Then he tightly hugged her waist, forcing her to press against his body.

Just then, Songtsen Gampo's voice rang out, accompanied by footsteps. "My son, what are you doing?"

Gongsong Gongzan was startled and released Wei Zijun. "Father, this woman seduced you, making you lower your guard and indulge her in every way. But she is secretly practicing martial arts here, waiting for an opportunity to rebel."

"Everyone in Tibet practices martial arts, so what's wrong with her practicing martial arts? Even if she breaks the law, are you going to hold her and punish her for it?"

Gongsong Gongzan hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer, "Father, if you indulge her, you will destroy Tibet."

"If she becomes your woman, and you imprison her, will Tibet not be destroyed?" Songtsen Gampo's slender eyebrows suddenly shot up. "My son, I will say it again today: you must not touch her again. Also, from now on, you must not come here again. You may leave."

"Father—"

"go out--"

Gongsong Gongzan rushed out injured again, and Wei Zijun suddenly felt sorry for his back.

Songtsen Gampo pulled up Wei Zijun's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Did he bully you again?" He helped her straighten her clothes, which had been torn by Gongsong Gongtsen, and then raised his hand to touch Wei Zijun's face, which was now free of disguise, and gently stroked it. "Don't let anyone else see you like this in the future."

He stroked Wei Zijun's hair with both hands, sliding it down to her temples, and finally cupped her face in his hands, giving it a firm squeeze before turning and leaving.

The next day, Lianbi told Songtsen Gampo that she missed her mother and wanted to go back to see her. Although Supi had betrayed Tibet, the war was over and everyone was at peace. Lianbi was also ignorant of politics, so he agreed without hesitation.

However, he was unaware that his easy agreement would ultimately lead to Tibet's demise, forcing Tibet to live in the shadow of Dayu forever, never to rise again. And the instigator of all this was none other than the traitor of Dayu—Wei Feng, Wei Zijun—whom he had not been able to kill, whom he had tried his best to protect, and who had gradually invaded his heart.

Volume 4 Where Does Love Belong? Chapter 137 Exposure

A dream, a chaotic dream. In the dream, Li Tianqi called out sorrowfully, "Zijun—"

Her heart ached. She wanted to approach him, to comfort him, but just as she was about to reach him, a large amount of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth...

Wei Zijun suddenly woke up, her heart pounding. Second brother? What happened to him? Could it be that he hadn't received her letter? Could it be that he had already sent troops here? If they were judging by the timeline, the Tibetans who had requested aid should have already arrived in Dayu.

Her mind was in turmoil. If Dayu's forces really came, they would be completely annihilated. She had to find a way to put the Tubo's plan on hold.

The plan was proposed by Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, the great minister of Tibet. If Songtsen Gampo were to doubt Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, he would inevitably doubt the plan as well. The only way was to find fault with Gar Tongtsen Yulsung.

The Grand Chancellor of Tibet was the head of all officials, and among them, the Grand Chancellor was the most respected. All matters, large and small, were decided by the Grand Chancellor, who had the authority to act expediently and held a position above all others, second only to the emperor. Furthermore, Gar Tongtsen Yulsung was indeed talented; it was with him that Tibet became even stronger. If Gar Tongtsen Yulsung could lose his position, it would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to Tibet.

Wei Zijun sat up, lit a candle, picked up her outer robe that was lying on the couch, and secretly pulled out an official document from the sleeve. This was an old document that she had casually taken from Lu Dongzan's office, and it bore his handwriting and seal.

She pulled an arrowhead from under the blanket; it had been sharpened to a fine point by the stone floor. There were no other weapons around her; Songtsen Gampo kept a close watch on her.

She took out a stolen stone... Now, she had truly become a thief, even secretly hiding this arrowhead.

Wei Zijun picked up an arrow and began carving on the stone. Fortunately, she had an art background, and her carving skills and ability to imitate were exceptional. The sharp arrow scraped off tiny pieces of stone, and soon, the basic shape of a square seal emerged.

Just as she was meticulously carving, a noise came from outside the door. Wei Zijun was startled, and her hand slipped, the arrow slipping off the stone and piercing her left index finger, causing a glistening bead of blood to instantly well up. She quickly burrowed under the covers, stretched out an arm to shield her eyes, and held her breath.

The door creaked open. Through the gap under the arm, one could see the hem of a long blue silk robe and a pair of upturned brocade boots. Songtsen Gampo had worn this same blue robe during the day. Wei Zijun gripped the arrowhead tightly, her breathing slightly erratic. What was he doing here? Had he seen her sneaking around carving a seal?

Songtsen Gampo slowly walked to the edge of the bed, stood quietly in front of Wei Zijun, and looked at her carefully.

Wei Zijun closed her eyes tightly and made even breathing sounds.

A moment later, a pair of large hands brushed up her chin, gently sliding upwards, lingering on her lips for a moment before sliding up to the tip of her nose. The rough fingertips delicately traced the smooth, straight bridge of her nose, then slid down to gently knead her lips.

Wei Zijun felt like she was suffocating, and she could barely breathe smoothly.