Jeune Premier ministre, un ermite

Chapitre 91

Because the horse turned and ran away, Ashina Buzhen dragged Wei Zijun for a while before collapsing from exhaustion in the woods. After resting for a while, he sat up and stared blankly at Wei Zijun, who was lying on her back on the ground.

At this moment, Wei Zijun had no strength left, like a weak kitten. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was a little messy, her face was flushed from being held by him, and her red lips were slightly parted, all of which were showing off her allure.

Ashina Buzhen moved over and covered Wei Zijun's body, "Should such a beauty die?"

"I want you to die, but you won't die so easily." A rough hand touched Wei Zijun's face. "Wouldn't it be a pity for someone to die so easily?" He opened his mouth and bit Wei Zijun's chin.

Wei Zijun frowned in pain.

He reached out and pinched Wei Zijun's thigh hard, laughing wildly, "Hahaha=== I've wanted to torture you for a long time. I'm going to hang you up and torture you severely!"

"Without you, I wouldn't have lost Reyikan, I wouldn't be living under someone else's roof. You killed her, I'm going to kill you." He bit down hard on Wei Zijun's lips, his bite filled with hatred. Wei Zijun suddenly felt a pang of fear. What was he going to do?

He ripped open Wei Zijun's outer robe with a large hand.

"Today, let me taste what it's like to be the number one male concubine of the Turks. I've been wanting to do this for a long time." He roughly flipped Wei Zijun over.

Her chin hit the ground, and it hurt. The grit scraped her smooth skin, leaving bloody marks. Her outer robe was lifted up, and her underpants were pulled down, revealing half of her snow-white, round buttocks.

He pressed himself against her. Breathing in her ear, he said, "Behave yourself, give me the Khan's throne, and become mine. I will make you happier than Ashina Helu."

Wei Zijun closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip, as an unprecedented fear overwhelmed her. She had never been afraid on the battlefield, nor had she ever feared death. But now, she was afraid.

When the scorching object touched her skin, Wei Zijun thought to herself, "It's over."

"Ugh---" A muffled groan.

The person behind him shuddered and immediately jumped up.

A scream rang out at the same time: "Let her go—"

Unable to see what was behind her, she heard the whistling of an arrow before the muffled groan. The scream belonged to He Lu's baritone voice. He Lu had come to save her.

Suddenly, her nose stung with tears, and a wave of grievance washed over her. She forced herself to suppress the feeling; she was a strong woman, not a delicate little woman.

Ashina Buzhen stepped forward, grabbed Wei Zijun by the back, and tried to carry her away, but then an arrow whistled and arrived quickly. He had no choice but to let go and flee.

Seeing the man flee, He Lu didn't chase after him. Instead, he quickly rushed to Wei Zijun's side, bent down, and asked, "Where are you injured?"

Seeing Wei Zijun shake her head and make muffled noises, he knew that she had been silenced by acupressure and immediately released her pressure points.

With her tongue finally free, Wei Zijun's first words were: "Pants... pants..."

He Lu then remembered Ashina's posture from earlier, and a surge of anger rose within him again. However, upon seeing those snow-white and lustrous buttocks, he forgot his anger and began to stare blankly.

When Wei Zijun saw He Lu stop beside her but remain motionless, she became anxious.

"Pants... pants..." she said the word persistently.

He Lu had not forgotten Wei Zijun's situation; he was simply somewhat dizzy upon seeing that snow-white figure.

Coming to his senses, he realized he hadn't yet confirmed if she was injured and was eager to know her condition. "Are you hurt?"

"No, pants... pants..." Wei Zijun was getting angrier and angrier. If she could move, she would flatten his head.

He Lu then gave a sinister smile and reached for her bedding, pulling it down unusually slowly. His fingers, whether intentionally or unintentionally, brushed against her skin. The sensation of his fingers touching her skin sent a surge of heat through her.

With her pants pulled up, Wei Zijun changed her words, saying, "Antidote...antidote..."

He Lu chuckled, opened a small porcelain bottle, and placed it under her nose. Almost instantly, she was able to move again.

Wei Zijun stood up, straightened her clothes, and awkwardly avoided looking at He Lu's strange face.

After brushing the dust off his clothes, he casually looked up and said, "He Lu, your archery is quite good. Where did you hit him?"

"Arm!" The simple word seemed to indicate a reluctance to break the atmosphere, as he simply stared blankly at her flushed face.

"How did you find me?" he continued casually.

“I gave him the Tesaru I gave you; it will surely leave you all behind here. That’s my horse,” Helu said proudly.

"He Lu, you saved me again this time. What reward do you want?" His tone seemed very sincere.

"Let me think about it some more," He Lu said, blinking again.

"After today, my word will no longer stand."

Back at the Khan's court, a group of sycophants swarmed around him, and the ministers gathered anxiously in the tent. Upon seeing their Khan return safely, they immediately surrounded him.

The veteran ministers Jielifa and Yan Hongda almost shed tears. This young Khan was not only brave and wise, but also loved his people like his own children. He was also wholeheartedly devoted to the Turks and bringing benefits to the people. If something were to happen to such a rare Khan, how could they face their late king?

Geshu Quesijin, Geshufa, Wulichuo, and Asijieni Shusijin all surrounded her, wrapping her up so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

"Alright, my beloved ministers, please sit down. I am not so easily killed. Now that Ashina Bu has truly escaped, let's think of a countermeasure. Basai is very loyal to him, and we need to prevent the tribe from having any chance to rebel."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers fell silent.

"Khan, I have just received bad news. Jiebi Dadushe and Shabolo Yabghu are at odds. In a fit of pique, he led his tribe in rebellion and established his own regime in western Suyab," the old minister Jielifa said sadly.

Wei Zijun frowned. "Is that so? Perhaps it's not a matter of compatibility anymore; what's meant to happen will happen. We'll face it when it comes. But he's a descendant of the late king; how can I harm him? This is a difficult matter." She turned and sat on the Khan's throne. "Sit down, all of you. You've all been on edge for a while now. If anything happens to me in the future, the affairs of state will automatically be jointly taken over by Jielifa, Yan Hongda, and Shaboluo Yehu."

"Khan, there is another bad thing." Yan Hongda said slowly, "My Left Wing Turgesh Alishi tribe raided the border of Dayu and plundered a large amount of wealth and more than 10,000 border people..." Yan Hongda looked up at Wei Zijun's expression, "...all of them were taken as Khan's slaves... The people and soldiers of Dayu are furious and have heard that they want to attack my Western Turks."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun's anger flared up. "How many times have I told you not to raid our borders? You just wouldn't listen. Da Yu has a vast territory, plenty of soldiers and food. Even if we just drag it out, we can wear it down. We've just recovered from a great disaster and are still recovering our strength. Do you want to bring down the Western Turks?"

Wei Zijun flicked her sleeves and stepped down from the sweat-soaked area, saying, "Whoever made the mess, should clean it up."

"Khan---what should we do?"

"What can we do? Fight the enemy!"

Volume Two, Chapter Eighty-One: Planning

The first year of Jiande in Dayu.

September of the Western Turkic Year of the Rabbit.

Ashina Buzhen, a descendant of the Western Turkic Khan, mysteriously fled from the Khan's court and led his Basai cadres and the Karluk tribe to form an alliance with Jiexin Dadushe in western Suyab, establishing his own regime. Jiexin Dadushe called himself Zhenzhu Yabghu, while Ashina Buzhen declared himself Dulu Yabghu.

The history of the Western Turkic Khaganate was inherently one of constant internal strife. Different tribes and the absolute power of the various khans kept the khanate almost perpetually fragmented. Only the intervention of Empress Wei Zijun two years prior brought about a period of unification. However, those forces that had long harbored ambitions continued to brew. Finally, with the exposure of Ashina Buzhen's plot to overthrow the Western Turkic Khaganate in alliance with Tibet, the seemingly stable regime of the Western Turkic Khaganate finally fractured.

Wei Zijun, who was originally preparing to return to Dayu, had to abandon her plan because Ashina Bu had indeed fled and rebelled. Instead, she sent a team of envoys to Dayu to continue searching for and inquiring about the whereabouts of Dieyun and Liu Yunde.

The Western Turks, a nomadic people, were a restless tribe whose frequent raids on the borders prompted repeated military campaigns by the Central Plains states. Every year, especially after the rivers froze, the Turks would invade the Central Plains. This time, the sudden raid by the Turkic tribes of Alishi and his turks resulted in the plundering of 100 cartloads of money and grain, the loss of 13,000 people, the massacre of nearly 10,000 civilians, and the killing of the governor of Qiemo County, enraging the soldiers and civilians of Dayu.

To prevent a simultaneous internal and external crisis, Empress Wei Zijun sent envoys to Dayu for peace talks, proposing the return of its border inhabitants and compensation. However, the Turks had repeatedly raided and harassed the people of Dayu, whose atrocities had enraged them, who were determined to avenge their defeat and launch a military campaign. Emperor Li Tianqi of Dayu proposed a harsh condition: that the Western Turkic Khan submit to Dayu and become a vassal state in exchange for peace between the two countries. This demand was immediately rejected by the Western Turkic envoys, and the peace talks failed.

The vast wilderness stretches endlessly, the magnificent grasslands extend far and wide. The high sky is still without a single cloud, and the autumn breeze brings a refreshing coolness to the cheeks.

A young man in white stood on horseback, his graceful figure like a proud and upright magnolia, exuding a rich fragrance. His clear, snow-white face suddenly turned cold, his bright eyes turned deep, and his white robes fluttered gently around him, dancing and swirling in the vast wind and the passing years of mortal life.

Is he finally going to send troops?

There wasn't even a shred of affection left.

He hated her so much that he ordered her capture alive. Why capture her? Was it to humiliate her to the extreme?

Looking across this river, can she hold on?

Standing there for a long time, gazing into the distance.

"Wei Feng—the kite has flown away—" came a shout from Di Lan in the distance. Wei Zijun turned his head and saw the kite, now detached from its axis, still attached to its wooden shaft, drifting slowly into the distance, the wooden shaft at its bottom getting farther and farther away from the ground.

With a flick of her long sleeves, she leaped from her horse, lightly touching the horse's body to gain momentum, soaring straight up like a silver arrow. In mid-air, she spun horizontally, spreading her body out, her slender arms outstretched, grabbing the wooden axle high in the sky and dancing as she floated down.

Ashina Dilan was stunned. Even after Wei Zijun landed, he still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Wei Zijun shook the wooden axle, shortened the kite string, and handed it to Di Lan, who still stared blankly at her.

Wei Zijun started running, holding the kite.

Dilan then came to her senses and chased after him, yelling loudly from behind.

Wei Zijun laughed loudly, looked up at the kite, and started running quickly. She felt dizzy and released, and her whole body and mind felt relaxed. All her worries, responsibilities, and constraints drifted away with the wind. Just keep running like this, keep running forever.

Finally, dizzy from running, he collapsed on the grass. Dilan caught up, but was also exhausted and rolled on the ground.

Wei Zijun pulled Dilan over and placed her small body under her head. "Make me your pillow, I want to sleep for a while."

Di Lan sat up, "Go to sleep, fall asleep. I'll take this opportunity to kill you."

Wei Zijun chuckled, "Every day you say you want to kill me, I'm tired of it. Let's change the word, let's change 'kill' to 'kiss'. Kiss me when you're asleep."

"You're dreaming!" Di Lan shouted in a shrill voice.

"Dreaming? I don't know who used to hug and kiss me so passionately," Wei Zijun said jokingly.

Di Lan swung her fist and punched Wei Zijun in the face.

"Ouch—" A cry of pain rang out; this girl really hit hard.

A gentle breeze caressed her face, the air was sweet and clean. Resting her head on Dilan's lap, Wei Zijun closed her eyes, truly feeling sleepy.

After a long while, seeing that she was asleep, Ashina Dilan leaned down and secretly planted a kiss on her forehead.

Wei Zijun's eyelashes trembled, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Such days are probably over.

The night view of the grassland is breathtakingly beautiful. The dark blue sky is like a gemstone, with stars shining brightly. A thin veil of mist stretches across the sky, adding a touch of mystery to the world.

He stood up, brushed the bits of grass off his clothes, and walked toward the tent.

He unfolded the map and began to examine it closely.

The ministers arrived one after another into the tent and waited respectfully to the side, each thinking to themselves that these restless Turks had once again caused trouble for their Khan.

When He Lu entered, he only caught a glimpse of Wei Zijun's slender profile. He began studying the map again. In the candlelight, his figure was slender yet full of power—the power capable of supporting the entire Western Turkic Khaganate. But could he withstand such internal and external troubles?

Wei Zijun looked up and saw that everyone had arrived, so she said, "Please sit down. The current situation is what it is. Everyone, please share your insights."

"Khan, I believe we should quell the internal strife first before we can focus on the enemy," Yan Hongda said.

"Khan, I believe we should not quell the internal strife first. As the saying goes, 'When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.' We should adapt to the situation and then make a decision," Asijie Nishusijin retorted. "Wouldn't that be extremely passive? If we don't prepare countermeasures beforehand, how can we possibly react when the enemy has already begun to act?" Wulichuo countered, then turned to Wei Zijun, "Khan, as the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.' I still believe we should make all possible preparations first."

“Hmm.” Wei Zijun remained noncommittal and looked at He Lu. “He Lu, what do you think?” He Lu glanced at her and said calmly, “He Lu believes that we should not quell the rebellion for the time being. Jiexin Dadushe and Ashina Buzhen have just established their regimes and things are not yet stable. They will not send troops immediately. We can ignore them for now and focus our efforts on dealing with the expeditionary army.”

Wei Zijun nodded. “What Helu said is very true, but we must prevent them from colluding with Yujun. If the two sides form an alliance and attack our Khanate from both sides, then we will be in big trouble.”

Just as the ministers were nodding in agreement, a scout arrived.

"Khan, our scouts have returned," a subordinate reported.