Jeune Premier ministre, un ermite

Chapitre 73

How could he not miss her? His most beloved little daughter, the little daughter he had held, coaxed, and cherished since she was a baby, the little daughter with unparalleled talent, the apple of his eye, his precious darling!

But that towering cliff severed the bond between father and daughter, separating them by death. The white-haired man had to send off the black-haired one; how could he bear it?

That day, the soldiers who went to search for her on the cliff said she had fallen from a high cliff. He fainted immediately and almost died from his illness. He personally led a search party to Deer Ridge Valley, but could not find the entrance. So he ordered his men to tie a long rope and descend to search for her. When they reached the bottom of the valley, there was not a trace of anyone. When they searched further in, they were blocked by a row of barren trees and rocks. No matter what they did, they could not get through. Having practiced martial arts for many years, he knew that this was a profound and difficult formation to break. He secretly invited some experts to break the formation many times, but to no avail. Could there be a hidden expert here? This sudden thought greatly excited him. He had come with the purpose of finding the body, but now he did not want to see the body. As long as he did not see the body, his heart might live another day.

But this long, empty wait was truly agonizing. He avoided holding a funeral or searching for the body, all because of that superstition, that faint hope that couldn't see the light of day.

"General!" a servant came forward to report, "A messenger is waiting outside, saying that this is a letter from General Chen of the frontier!" The servant respectfully presented a letter.

Chen Chang? Although the two of them respected each other's character, they were not close friends. Why did a letter arrive?

With questions in mind, he unfolded the letter and read it carefully. As he read, his hands began to tremble, as if he had suffered a great shock. Finally, he cried out in anguish, "God! You have finally opened your eyes!"

Upon seeing this, the lady next to her snatched the letter and read it. A moment later, she also covered her mouth and began to sob.

The servants standing by were at a loss, unsure whether to offer advice or not, and wondering what was causing their weeping.

"Quickly, quickly call that messenger in! Serve him well!" The man called the general awoke from his pain.

"Ji An, hurry, quickly prepare the sedan chair," the woman instructed.

Seeing this, Ji An didn't know who to respond to. It seemed that the letter contained good news.

"Where are you going?" the man asked the woman.

"I'm going to the temple to burn incense and fulfill my vow! I made a vow, and now that I know Jun'er is still alive, I'm going to fulfill it." The woman happily wiped away her tears.

"Wait, I'm going too! Wouldn't it be more sincere if we went together, husband and wife?" The man quickly stood up, a smile spreading across his face. "I never imagined that our Jun'er would become sworn sisters with Chen Chang! Hehe..."

In the cold winter of December, with its biting winds, three fine horses set off from Dayu Lucheng and headed straight northwest.

The three men on horseback were a burly and handsome man, a man of medium build with delicate features, and a tall and thin man who looked travel-worn. After ten days of trekking, the three passed through the Dunhuang County of Dayu and headed straight for the Western Turks.

Two consecutive days of heavy snow covered the ground with a thick layer, blending seamlessly with the continuous white felt tents of the Han court, making the whole world appear as one.

Wei Zijun stirred the charcoal fire in the basin, glanced at Ashina Yugu who was fast asleep beside her, and sighed.

Because of his excessive dependence on her, she rarely had a moment to spare. Only when she finally fell asleep could she have a chance to read a book. She didn't know when this meaningless life would end.

After a moment of wandering thoughts, she returned to the pages of the book. She could now understand all of the Western Turkic script, so she also found some Turkic books to read.

These books weren't particularly interesting, but no matter how dry they were, she would force herself to read them if she thought they would be useful. She also discovered that even the driest books could become enjoyable once she started reading.

Because these books were printed using woodblock printing, the characters were large and the pages were few; at her reading speed, she could read hundreds a day. Unfortunately, she didn't have that much time to read them all, but even so, she had already read about a tenth of the books in the Turkic royal court's collection. She also discovered that, in addition to books from Dayu and Supi, there were even Byzantine Latin books, indicating that the Western Turks had already engaged in cultural exchange with the ancient Romans during this period.

After turning the last page, Wei Zijun stood up, stepped out of the tent, and decided to get some fresh air.

The weather outside was cold, and the servants outside the tent were all wearing heavy fur robes, but Wei Zijun was only wearing an elegant light blue cotton robe, still looking ethereal and otherworldly. With her inner strength deepening day by day, she did not feel that the weather was particularly cold.

The soldiers passing by stared at Wei Zijun's dashing figure, then looked at their own bulky bodies with envious eyes.

Gazing at the boundless white earth, Wei Zijun suddenly felt an urge to gallop on horseback. How wonderful it would be to ride through such a clear, empty world, breathing in the cool air. So he ordered someone to bring over the Tesaru that He Lu had sent, leaped onto the horse, lightly flicked the reins, and was about to gallop away when he saw a figure galloping towards him from afar.

As the figure drew closer, she recognized it as Ashina Helu.

"Shall we go out?" He Lu, dressed in white, reined in his horse in front of Wei Zijun. His black hair flew in the wind, and his fair face intertwined with his satin-black hair, creating an exquisitely beautiful appearance. The white fur robe trimmed with white fox fur made his skin appear almost translucent, making him look elegant and noble.

"Yes! I want to go out for a walk." Wei Zijun nodded slightly.

"This kind of weather is perfect for hunting, and the tracks of wild animals are easy to spot! Why don't we go hunting? We can also have a competition to see who can catch the most game!" He Lu suggested.

Wei Zijun thought for a moment, then readily nodded, "Okay!"

Judging that Ashina Yugu would not wake up for a while, he instructed his servants, and the two of them took bows and arrows, mounted their horses, and galloped away.

About fifteen minutes later, a large area of woodland appeared ahead, and the two slowed down.

"Why aren't you going to take up your post in the Left Wing Commandery? What are you doing staying in the Khan's court every day?" He Lu asked casually, shaking the reins.

"How could I want to stay here doing nothing? You know he doesn't have much time left. I'm just spending a little more time with him," Wei Zijun sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Tch—" Helu narrowed her beautiful eyes, curling her lip in disdain. "Truly, both are in love! It wasn't for nothing that he's longed for you day and night for the past six months. These past few nights of passionate lovemaking must have exhausted the Khan..."

"Shut up!" Before he could finish speaking, Wei Zijun's face turned cold, and he shouted in a deep voice.

"What? Did I say something wrong? If you dare to do it, why are you afraid of being criticized? You've completely disgraced the Western Turkic royal family!" He Lu continued, completely ignoring the other party's fiery glare. He didn't know why he had such a strong reaction; it seemed somewhat unlike his usual style.

Just as he was about to continue his accusations, Wei Zijun, unable to bear it any longer, swung her palm with such speed that He Lu had no chance to dodge and was hit squarely on the left cheek.

She wasn't an impatient person, nor did she want to pay attention to those absurd remarks. It was just that He Lu had said it a few times, and it seemed to be getting more and more frequent.

Even though she tolerated his decision to ruin her relationship with Li Tianqi based on his own words, she couldn't bear to have a fly buzzing in her ear every day.

The severing of ties was based entirely on trust, and since Li Tianqi didn't trust her, she had nothing to say. As for the verbal humiliation, it wasn't unbearable, but its repeated occurrences had made her feel disgusted.

She didn't understand why he was so bothered by an outsider's hobby. If she didn't stop him, he would probably bring it up every single day.

She felt it was time to teach him a lesson.

The sudden attack filled He Lu with shame and anger. This handsome face was something others would love to protect, yet she dared to slap him. This humiliation was unbearable. He hissed, "You dare to humiliate me!" His palm flew out, striking towards Wei Zijun's chest. He then changed his palm into a grab, intending to grab the person and teach her a lesson.

Humiliation? But who knows which humiliation came first? Today, I'll humiliate you thoroughly. Wei Zijun snorted coldly, not dodging, easily blocking the grab, and swiftly swung her arm to strike He Lu squarely in the chest.

He Lu was no match for her to begin with. This palm strike didn't even require three-tenths of her internal strength, and He Lu fell backward from his horse.

Wei Zijun followed closely behind, leaping up and tumbling towards He Lu, falling with him and pressing him firmly onto the snow.

He Lu was filled with shame and anger. He stared at the face that was crawling above his face, desperately trying to break free, but he couldn't move.

Seeing this, Wei Zijun chuckled, "What? How does it feel to be pinned down by me? It's humiliating, isn't it?"

"You! Let me go!" He Lu's icy face was filled with anger.

"Hehe... If you're so capable, crawl out from under me." Wei Zijun laughed, realizing that humiliating someone could be such a pleasurable thing.

"Let me go! Let me go!" He Lu hissed. Damn it, he couldn't stand being in close contact with anyone, especially—a man, and now he was pinned down by a pretty boy, unable to move. Recalling the position of this pretty boy and that man on top of each other in the inn that day, he felt unbearably humiliated. Such disgrace would drive any man mad.

"Tsk tsk... A dignified Ye Hu shouting like that, isn't he afraid of losing his dignity? If your subordinates saw this, they would think we were being intimate." After saying that, Wei Zijun lightly brushed He Lu's cheek with her finger.

"You're shameless! Vulgar!" He Lu's face instantly turned purple. How could he, a virgin, endure such humiliation and harassment?

"What! Didn't you say I was the number one male concubine of the Turks? Don't you like me? I heard... you've never touched a woman? Could it be that you also like men? If that's the case, a man like me is one in a hundred!" Wei Zijun's voice was soft and extremely seductive as she touched He Lu's earlobe with her fingers.

He Lu felt a pang of fear. Gazing at the jade-like face above him, his usually calm and collected heart suddenly churned. An unprecedented panic washed over him, and he lost his last shred of composure. "You... shameless! Vulgar!"

"Do you have any newer insults? Isn't it getting a bit boring with just these two lines? Hmm?" Wei Zijun suddenly moved closer to He Lu, their noses almost touching, and spoke softly, her breath sweet and fragrant, "Tsk tsk, your face is so red it's practically bleeding, are you shy? Afraid I'll force myself on you? Don't worry... in this cold weather, I won't take you here! Even if I did, it would be in a warm, red-curtained room... only then could I truly experience the ultimate pleasure..."

"You!" Her fragrant breath hit him, making him dizzy and momentarily disoriented. He was speechless. Staring at her alluring red lips, immersed in her scent, he didn't even hear the humiliating words.

"Look at your dreamy eyes, you've fallen for a man, haven't you?" Wei Zijun's long fingers lightly touched He Lu's lips. "You, didn't you despise male concubines? Today, I'll make you fall for a man!"

Wei Zijun moved her fingers away, lowered her head, and kissed those lips fiercely.

"Mmm..." He Lu froze instantly. A fresh, tingling sensation spread from his lips throughout his body. The moist, soft lips and the sweet fragrance emanating from his mouth made him lose himself in an instant.

Lost in an unprecedented ecstasy, panting and with her heart pounding wildly, she forgot to resist and even tremblingly stuck out her tongue to lick those red lips.

Feeling the outstretched tongue, Wei Zijun swallowed it into her mouth without hesitation and sucked on it vigorously.

"Mmm..." He Lu's mind went blank, his reason collapsed, and chaotic moans escaped from his nose as he raised his head and desperately met the passionate kiss.

The sudden reciprocation startled Wei Zijun, who felt the throbbing in his lower body and abruptly pulled away and jumped up.

He lightly brushed the snow off his sleeve, looked at the person still dazed in the snow, and said coldly, "The taste of bullying the weak is truly wonderful. If you want to avenge today's humiliation, then practice your skills properly!"

Having said that, he turned and leaped onto his horse, galloping towards the Han court.

Running at full speed, Tesaru, dressed in snow-white, was like a golden lightning bolt, gliding across the vast white snowfield. Before long, a continuous stretch of felt tents appeared before her.

However, these did not seem to be royal tents. These tents were relatively small and worn, their color warm to the touch under the sunlight. It seemed she had gotten lost and wandered into a pastoral area.

It was lunchtime, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. People dressed in heavy furs were roasting mutton outside their tents, while horses in their enclosures snorted and puffed out their hooves. Groups of children ran and played in the snow, their little faces red from the cold but beaming with innocent smiles.

What a beautiful scene of the northern frontier! Wei Zijun was mesmerized by the sight.

An old woman stepped out of the yurt, cut the roasted mutton into a dish, and looked up to see the boy standing on horseback.

The young man stood on his horse, his slender figure seemingly imbued with a myriad of rays of light, as if the brilliance of heaven and earth were concentrated solely upon him. Sunlight fell upon his face, revealing his translucent and delicate skin, his smooth and soft lines highlighting his clear features. His face was handsome yet possessed a touch of gentle charm, and his eyes were so clear that they seemed to gaze upon him from a thousand lifetimes later, radiating a captivating brilliance.

"Left Wise King—" The old woman dropped the plate in her hand, scattering mutton all over the ground. She opened her arms, staggered forward, and prostrated herself at Wei Zijun's feet.

Wei Zijun dismounted and helped the old woman up, saying, "Grandma, please get up!"

Upon hearing the old woman's call, the men nearby turned around and rushed over, shouting.

Crowds poured out of the felt tents, and in a short while, the ground was covered with a large number of people. Shouts rose and fell.

"Left Wise King—our King—" The people cheered, their eyes filled with longing as they looked up at the sun in their hearts.

She is their queen!

In that instant, Wei Zijun felt her eyes welling up with tears. Perhaps, these people were worth protecting.

"Mokuta, I've met my benefactor with joy," the old woman called out tremblingly into the tent.

"Brother—" A little boy of about four or five years old ran out of the tent and rushed towards Wei Zijun. A young man followed behind him.

The man had a high nose and large eyes, with a bluish tint to his eyes, typical of the White Turks.

"Your Majesty, my benefactor, you have finally returned! My cousin and I have been praying for you every day."

The old woman staggered closer to Wei Zijun, "Child, let me see where they hurt you—" Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes.

Wei Zijun felt a pang of pain in her heart; this was her mother.

He slowly opened his arms and hugged the old man.

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in excitement.

"Left Wise King—our hero—our guardian—" People swarmed around Wei Zijun, surrounding her and opening their arms to hug her.

He Lu, who had just arrived in a Mercedes-Benz, saw this scene as soon as he got there. Standing outside the circle, he watched as those burly men held Wei Zijun tightly in their arms, and his expression grew colder and colder.

Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd, Wei Zijun was suddenly thrown into chaos. People were no longer satisfied with just hugs; large hands reached out to Wei Zijun's cheeks, neck, and back.

Unable to bear it any longer, He Lu rushed into the surging crowd and pulled Wei Zijun out with great difficulty. Seeing her disheveled hair and face covered with black marks, her wretched appearance made him burst into laughter with glee.

Looking at her disheveled clothes, messy hair, and crooked collar, He Lu felt a surge of anger for no reason, but his hand unconsciously reached out to straighten the strands of hair that had fallen down her temples.

After completing these actions, he froze. What was he doing? This person had just humiliated him!

Volume Two, Turkic Chapter Sixty-Five: Relatives

Wei Zijun and Helu returned to the Khan's court, and were stopped by the guards as soon as they entered the gate.