Jeune Premier ministre, un ermite

Chapitre 130

Then, she sighed helplessly, "He Lu, I feel sorry for you. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. I want to protect you, I don't want you to get hurt, I want to do something for you, but I can't find anything I can do for you." Wei Zijun lowered her eyelashes, her eyes filled with tears, "He Lu, let me do something for you."

"I miss the days in the Western Turkic Khaganate." A hint of melancholy appeared in Helu's eyes. "Back then, I could be your favorite concubine. Although I knew you were just teasing me, I was happy. I want to go back to the Western Turkic Khaganate. There are traces of our shared past. You kissed me there. All my firsts happened there. My first kiss, my first longing, my first panic, my first jealousy, my first love, my first desire to wait for you for a lifetime, my first time being seen naked—all my firsts were given to you."

He gently lifted her face. "I want to go back, walk the paths you walked, tread the footprints you left behind, walk on the land we once guarded and bled on together. Only there will I feel that you can stay by my side forever. Even if I'm just guarding a dream, I will guard this dream until I grow old." He spoke as if in a dream, his beautiful face glowing, his lovely eyes sparkling.

“He Lu…” Wei Zijun took a deep breath, tears silently rolling down her lips, “It hurts me so much when you’re like this, it hurts my heart so much.”

"Don't worry, if you're in pain, it will hurt even more for me. I'm fine, I just want you to be happy. I will stay by your side forever." He Lu gently wiped the water droplets from her lips, then slid his thumb onto her lips.

“He Lu, my heart aches for you. I want you to be happy, I want you to be joyful, I don’t want you to get hurt, I don’t want you to sacrifice too much for me. I want to protect you. If I could hold you, I would want to pat your back to comfort you. But I dare not accept it, because if I accept it, it’s for a lifetime. I’m not a fickle person, so once I’ve made up my mind, it will be for a lifetime, do you understand? I’m just afraid of hurting you.” Wei Zijun raised her eyes, which were clear and bright. “He Lu, wouldn’t it be better if we were together forever? Be my family, so I can see you every day. As family, I will never hurt you.”

"Don't cry. I won't force you as long as you're willing. As long as I can stay by your side, that's enough." He Lu gently wiped away her tears, tenderly embraced her, and murmured, "I'll stay by your side for the rest of my life, so I can see you and feel you every day..."

The two embraced in silence. After a long while, Wei Zijun calmed her breathing, then suddenly took He Lu's hand and smiled, "He Lu, I'll take you to the West Market." Her eyes were still glistening with tears.

As the willow leaves turn yellow and the autumn breeze gently blows, a perfect couple strolls hand in hand through the bustling West Market. They browse each stall, holding hands as they walk. The young man in front has ink-black hair and wears a jade crown, dressed in a white robe. His slender figure exudes an irresistible radiance. His face, as cool as the moon, is adorned with a gentle smile. His pure eyes are like the vast blue autumn sky, clear and radiant, with a soft breeze drifting through them. He turns to look at the person behind him.

The man behind her was also dressed in a white robe. He was tall and slender, with an exquisite appearance, as pure as a rare orchid in a secluded valley, like a fairy who was not of this world. His jade-like face was filled with a gentle smile as he pursed his lips, enjoying this quiet happiness.

Wei Zijun walked to a stall and stopped. She looked up to signal to the shopkeeper, only to realize that this was the same stall where Li Tianqi had bought her the hairpin last time. A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

She took a fancy to a snow-white, translucent jade hairpin. The material seemed to be the same as the one she had bought here last time, except that the flower was not a plum blossom, but a small orchid. She felt that the hairpin matched his pure and refined temperament, so she bought it without asking his opinion.

She turned to look at him, put her arms around his neck, pulled his head down, and then took the hairpin from his hair and inserted the white jade hairpin into his hair.

He Lu looked up and exclaimed, "Very beautiful."

He Lu looked at her, first smiling faintly, like a shy boy, a happy smile, then tears welled up in his eyes. He held her tightly in his arms, as if afraid that if he let go, she would leave like this.

Wei Zijun buried her head on his shoulder, and the glow of the setting sun cast a crimson hue on their white robes, a hazy, flowing light.

Her tears soaked his shoulder...

Three days later, He Lu set off with his army. On the day of departure, Wei Zijun did not dare to see him off, fearing that she would burst into tears in front of all the officials, even though she knew that the army was receiving the emperor's instructions at the palace's training ground, and even though she knew that they were so close to each other.

When he left, she was reviewing memorials in the Chongde Hall. As the bugle call to depart sounded, she suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart. She remembered the days they spent together, how she had teased him, how he had saved her, how they had been so excited, and how he had followed her to Dayu without hesitation.

Thinking of him only brought heartache, nothing but heartache. The pain made her hand tremble, and a drop of ink fell onto the document, obscuring the newly written annotations.

After the army left, Li Tianqi hurriedly returned to Chongde Hall. When he saw that clear, moonlit figure, a sweet feeling welled up in his heart. How wonderful it would be if he could always look at him like this, with him always walking around by his side.

When Wei Zijun saw him come in, she gently put down her pen. "After finishing reviewing the memorials these past few days, I want to go to the Western Turks."

Li Tianqi froze. "Is it because of him?"

"Although He Lu is young, he is still capable of leading troops into battle. I am very confident in entrusting Gong Yue to him. His recklessness is only occasional." What she didn't say was that He Lu was always cold and calm, with a composure that was not in line with his age. It was only in front of her that he opened his heart, said childish things, and did some reckless things because he was nervous about her.

"Why is that?" Li Tianqi asked anxiously.

“I’m worried about the Western Turks, and I’m worried about Ashina Buzhen. He shouldn’t have been sent back to the Western Turks because he has always been ambitious. But this time we have no choice but to use his troops. His garrison is not only close to Shule, but his numbers are almost twice that of Ashina Misha.” Wei Zijun frowned. “If I let him guard Khotan, I’ll be even more worried. If Khotan falls, the Tibetans will surely advance unimpeded.”

“Anyway, the Western Turks are yours now, you can do whatever you want with them.” Li Tianqi paused, “But you’re not allowed to go. I’ll send Zheng Zhuotang instead. He’s a formidable opponent in battle.”

Wei Zijun glanced at the pen in her hand but remained silent.

Li Tianqi stepped forward and took Wei Zijun's hand. "Zijun, I think you should go somewhere."

He led her through the Moonlit Gate, through the Two Elements Hall, and through the Sweet Dew Gate. Wei Zijun then saw more and more palace maids moving about, and she realized that this was the inner palace.

"Second brother, why did you bring me to the harem?" she asked in confusion.

"Just came to see someone," Li Tianqi replied casually.

Just past the Cai Si Courtyard, a group of women surged forward, all dressed in men's robes and with men's hairstyles. They walked along laughing and joking. When they saw the two approaching, they were stunned for a moment, and then knelt down to pay their respects.

"Get up, all of you." Li Tianqi frowned, glancing at their men's attire.

The women rose and all looked at Li Tianqi, their eyes clearly filled with infatuation. Indeed, any woman would admire such an emperor. Not only was he refined and handsome, noble and extraordinary, but he was also extremely busy with state affairs, diligent in governing and caring for his people. Most importantly, he was the emperor, the wealthiest master of Dayu. Which woman wouldn't want to curry favor with him?

After the women finished looking at Li Tianqi, they glanced at Wei Zijun, and at that moment, their minds cleared. This must be the Wind King.

One of the women was even more astonished, never expecting that the Wind King would resemble her in some way. However, compared to that clear-headed person, she felt like a lump of mud.

Wei Zijun also noticed the woman. Although she was somewhat surprised, she remained expressionless. When she saw the woman staring at her, she gave her a slight smile.

Li Tianqi pulled Wei Zijun aside and walked past the women. After a few steps, he turned his head and said, "How could you possibly learn even a fraction of the Wind King's demeanor? From now on, no one is allowed to wear men's clothing in the palace. Anyone who disobeys will be executed." After a few more steps, he added, "Consort Feng, if you have someone you love, I will arrange it for you. The same goes for you. If you are willing to live out your days here, I will take care of you until you die." Then, he did not stop.

At that moment, Wei Zijun suddenly felt sorry for those women. She had always heard that the harem was full of women vying for the emperor's favor, each with their own sophisticated methods. But now she realized that Li Tianqi's harem was full of pitiful women. She sighed, "Second brother, those women are so pitiful."

“I know, they are pitiful, but if I take them, they will be even more pitiful. They will turn into demons and kill each other.” His face was cold as he said this.

Wei Zijun remained silent; what he said was true.

After passing through Ningyin Pavilion and Yanjia Hall, we arrived at Chengxiang Hall.

Li Tianqi pushed open the heavy palace door, which creaked open with a sound like the echo of time itself, a sound that seemed to carry the passage of years. Wei Zijun expected to see a dilapidated room filled with cobwebs, but to her surprise, it was very clean, indicating that it was regularly cleaned.

"Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. Every year on the following day, I come here to play the zither for her. She loved playing the zither the most when she was alive." Li Tianqi walked to the zither table and sat down. He lifted the black cloth covering it, swept his fingertips across the surface, and a beautiful melody flowed out.

She never imagined that he could play the zither so well.

After the song ended, Li Tianqi remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "She was murdered."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder. Li Tianqi grasped her fingertips, turned his head, and said, "Zijun, play a tune for your second brother."

"What kind of music would you like to hear, Second Brother?" Wei Zijun asked softly.

"Let's talk about Guangling San again, the same time we discussed it in Yuhang."

Wei Zijun sat down, gently lifted the wide sleeves of her robe, covered the strings of the zither, and lightly plucked the strings with her fingertips, producing clear and melodious music.

Li Tianqi stood beside Wei Zijun and sighed, "Zijun, you are knowledgeable, sensible, elegant, and outstanding. How can there be someone like you in this world?"

Wei Zijun was taken aback by his words. "Second brother, you flatter me. I am not that perfect."

"There is probably no one in this world who can compare to you."

Wei Zijun tilted her head slightly, "Second Brother, there are many people better than Zijun, what's wrong with you, saying such strange things."

"No, no one! Unparalleled throughout history, only you, only you... Remember that day on the Grand Canal, when my second brother inscribed the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River for you, graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a swimming dragon. Perfectly proportioned, slender and plump... Though it was a joke, looking at it today, even if Consort Zhen was beautiful, how could she compare to even a fraction of your charm? With your grace, even an ugly woman would surely captivate hearts and souls, wouldn't she?"

"Second brother is making fun of Ziju. If Ziju were ugly, second brother would have run away long ago." She chuckled.

“No, no matter what Zijun looks like, she is still Zijun.” Li Tianqi sighed. “Glory is like autumn chrysanthemum, it should be you; flourishing is like spring pine, it is still you. You have lofty integrity and eloquent words. Zijun, how can I bear to hear you call me like this?”

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun's hand trembled, and a distorted sound was produced.

She didn't stop; she adjusted her breathing and continued playing...

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 115: Return

In the early winter of the second year of the Jiande era of the Dayu Kingdom, Ashina Helu, the Grand General of the Left Guard of Dayu, the Governor of Yaochi, and the Grand Commander of the Western Regions Army, broke through the Gongyue in the area south of Shule, nipping the potential rebellion of the Western Turks in the bud.

At the same time, the famous Tibetan prime minister Gar Tongtsen Gampo gathered an army of 200,000 and headed to the Western Turkic Khaganate. Instead of attacking Khotan directly, he crossed the Guyu Mountains and headed straight for Shule in the Western Turkic Khaganate.

Upon receiving this news, Zheng Zhuotang, the Right General of the Dayu Right Valiant Guard, was appointed Grand Commander of the Luosuo Road Army to attack Tibet. In this campaign, Zheng Zhuotang led an army of 100,000, intending to advance rapidly and defeat Tibet in one fell swoop. The Dayu army marched directly from Xiping County into the Tibetan Dafeichuan region and repelled the Tibetan army at the mouth of the Jishi River, stationing its troops at Wuhai. Unexpectedly, they were ambushed there by a Tibetan army of 200,000, suffering a defeat and retreating, losing all their supplies. Subsequently, Qinling, the valiant son of the Tibetan prime minister Gar Tongtsen Gampo, led an army of 300,000 to continue attacking the Dayu army, finally driving them out of Dafeichuan. Thus, the Battle of Luosuo Road resulted in a crushing defeat for Dayu.

Upon hearing this news, Wei Zijun's heart sank. This defeat not only failed to stop the Tibetans from attacking the Western Turks, but it also greatly boosted the morale of the Tibetan troops who had already entered the Western Turks. Since the Tibetan army had already circled around to the rear of Shule, the most urgent task was to dispatch Ashina Misha to quickly rush to the front of Shule and set up camp, so that when the Tibetans attacked Shule, he could launch a pincer attack with Ashina Buzhen at the same time.

Empress Wei Zijun then ordered Ashina Buzhen to use military training as a pretext to place the King of Shule under house arrest. With the King of Shule imprisoned, he was unable to coordinate with the Tibetan forces from within. However, at this very moment, the Gongyue tribe, which had been defeated by Helu, regrouped and joined forces with the invading Tibetans west of Shule. Later, Empress Wei Zijun received news that the Tibetan leader Gongsong Gongzan had assembled an army of 200,000, following in the footsteps of Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, and was launching a major offensive into the Western Turkic Khaganate.

The situation is serious. The enemy, with forces both inside and outside, numbers as many as 500,000. He Lu and his two leaders, on the other hand, have only 200,000 men, all of whom are Yu troops stationed in various protectorates. They are suffering from unfamiliarity with the terrain and climate. Given the enemy's overwhelming numbers, if they were to attack the city, they could break through in one fell swoop.

Wei Zijun was quite worried. The only thing she could do at the moment was to send reinforcements from the various Western Turkic tribes. But who should lead the troops? And how could she possibly control them from so far away?

Everything about the Western Turks touched her heart. It was a land she was determined to protect with her life. At that moment, she felt how important the Western Turks were to her. Even when she was wielding her sword and leaving the blood of her enemies on that grassland, she did not feel as strongly about it as she did now.

She thought of every inch of that land, every herdsman, and every person who stirred her tenderness...

In that instant, she made her decision: she would go to the Western Turks herself!

The early winter weather was a bit chilly, and all the flowers and plants in the garden had withered and fallen. The once bright and beautiful hibiscus had lost all its leaves and leaves.

As the sunlight streamed in through the window, Wei Zijun finished reviewing the last memorial, rose, and walked out of Chongde Hall. She stepped over the white marble steps, circled the corridor, and encountered Zhang Shi, who had just left the Ministry of Personnel. He was carrying a thick stack of documents and wearing a light blue cotton robe.

Upon seeing each other, the two stopped in their tracks, as if something had changed and they avoided looking directly into each other's eyes. Zhang Shi lowered his gaze to the document in his hand, while Wei Zijun turned her head to look at the bright red pillars beside her.

A moment later, the two turned their heads together, almost speaking at the same time, and then they both burst out laughing.

"Sir, you're wearing so much, is your body unable to withstand the cold?" Wei Zijun asked with a smile, looking at his thick cotton robe.

"The Khan's skill is profound; how can Zhang Shi compare? You have no flesh on your body, as thin as a pigeon, and you can only wrap yourself in several layers." Zhang Shi smiled faintly, looking at Wei Zijun's thin robe with an envious expression.

Wei Zijun chuckled, "Sir, you are busy with state affairs and have countless responsibilities every day. You must take good care of yourself. I'm sure the nation's wealth and resources are all in your hands." She pursed her lips, thinking of the stack of documents. "Take care, sir. It may be a while before we can meet again."

"Where is the Khan going?" Zhang Shi asked, slightly surprised.

"Western Turks, but don't make a fuss. I only told the teacher, and I lied to my mother." Wei Zijun lowered her voice, like a child who had done something naughty, but her tone was relaxed.

Zhang Shi suddenly felt the stack of documents in his hand was very heavy. He looked at her and said, "Wait for me. I'm going to Jinggongfang. Khan, please give me a ride."

“But sir, I rode a horse, not a carriage,” Wei Zijun said, watching him hurry away.

Zhang Shi glanced back at her and said, "Then I'll ride a horse." He then hurriedly headed towards the Ministry of Personnel.

A short while later, he came out empty-handed, and the two walked out of the palace.

As the setting sun began to set, a fiery red mass hung on the horizon, even the clouds seemed to turn red from the heat.

Wei Zijun mounted the gleaming golden Tesaluo and extended her right hand to Zhang Shi, "Sir, would you like to sit in the front or the back?"

"I'm not used to being in someone's arms." Zhang Shi extended his hand to her.

Wei Zijun laughed loudly, and Zhang Shi leaped into the air, landing behind her. "Sir, you are indeed as light as a dove. Hehe..." she chuckled playfully.

"Sir, please sit tight," she said, and then spurred her horse away. Zhang Shi swayed slightly and quickly grabbed her waist.

The cold wind howled past her ears, but the person in front of her seemed fearless, not slowing down at all. She rode her horse well, with a beautiful posture and a resolute aura, as if she would forge ahead even if it were a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, without the slightest fear.

He rested his head on her back; her back was slender, yet it could shield him from the cold wind.

Whether the road was too short or the horse was too fast, it seemed that he hadn't even had a good look at her back before the horse stopped.

"Sir, we've arrived." Seeing Zhang Shi's clumsy movements, she lifted him up and carried him down.

At this moment, Zhang Shi was truly speechless. After pondering for a long time, he only uttered two words: "Take care."

Wei Zijun nodded, a smile curving her lips, then turned and sped off towards the setting sun.

Her silhouette was bathed in a brilliant golden light from the setting sun.

He watched her departing figure gradually fade into the distance in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Who can catch up with such a person? Who is worthy to stand beside her? Who can use a touch of tenderness to hold her back?

Parting and reunion are intangible, yet the knots of sorrow are formed naturally. Unable to stay, separation arises again, leaving one heartbroken. Perhaps it is only because my longing for you is like the waters of the West River, flowing eastward day and night without ceasing…