Жизнь сельских жителей в городе во времена династии Сун

Глава 78

"Let her in!" Ashina Yugu raised his hand.

A young woman walked in. She had delicate features and seemed to be from Dayu. She was probably a slave of the Khan that they had captured when they raided the border.

"Khan, please forgive my sins and ensure my safety. Only then will I dare to speak." The woman's voice trembled, and she seemed somewhat frightened.

"Well, you are innocent. Speak!"

"When I passed by the tent of the Left Wise King tonight, I saw a man in black sneak out of the tent and leap onto the top. I thought I was seeing things and was about to take a closer look when I saw the Left Wise King come out of the tent. Shortly afterward, I heard shouts of 'Catch the assassin!'"

"Hmm!" Ashina Yugu nodded. "Men, drag this woman away and execute her immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the woman's expression faltered slightly, then she began to sob, "Please, Khan, spare my life! I'm telling the truth!"

"Khan, this man cannot be killed! I noticed that the clothing of the people who massacred my tribe today is exactly the same as that of the assassin today. It must be the same person who ordered it. This matter is of great importance. Khan, you must investigate this thoroughly!" said the old minister Yan Hongda.

Ashina Yugu glanced at Yan Hongda but ignored him.

"Take him out immediately and execute him on the spot!" Ashina Yugu slammed his fist on the table and roared angrily.

The ministers were shocked. The Khan was protecting that person to this extent. They wondered if this was the tragedy of the Western Turks.

"Wait!" Wei Zijun reached out to stop her, "Khan, would you please hand this woman over to me for my disposal? I have some questions I'd like to ask her."

Ashina Yugu glanced at Wei Zijun and nodded.

Volume Two, Chapter Sixty-Eight: Speculation

"Tell me, who ordered this?" Wei Zijun used the cup lid to stir the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water, and took a small sip.

"Your Majesty, I cannot speak. If I do, my family will be implicated." The woman sobbed. She had been crying from the beginning, which disturbed Wei Zijun's peace of mind.

"Don't you believe I can protect your family?" He frowned slightly, put down his teacup, and traced a drop of water on the table with his fingertip. He flicked it away gently. "Tell me, who is it?"

"My lord, I cannot speak, or my whole family will die. My lord, please kill me, please kill me!" The woman continued to weep, yet she was resolute in her decision to die.

Wei Zijun retorted angrily, "I won't kill you, but I can kill your family. You know how the Khan has treated me. If I were to speak to the Khan, not only your family, but your entire clan would suffer the same fate. Have you thought this through?"

She needed to know who had framed her. Being plotted against in the shadows, at a disadvantage and powerless to defend herself, was not a situation she liked. She needed to understand her opponent in order to win every battle.

"Just tell me who ordered this, and I won't expose you. I'll pretend I know nothing about it, and I'll definitely protect your whole family's lives." The tone left no room for doubt.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I am sorry. I only hope that Your Majesty will take precautions. I know that Your Majesty is kind-hearted. I beg Your Majesty not to harm my family." The woman knelt down and kowtowed, remaining prostrate on the ground for a long time.

After a long while, a line of blood flowed from under her head.

Wei Zijun was startled. She lifted the woman's head, but the woman was already lifeless.

A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart. Could she really protect her family? She had been so foolish to have taken her from the Khan, hoping to save her life.

Then came another fit of rage, the same trick, the same death—who was behind it all?

The person who instigated this seemed to have more than just a desire to take the Khan's life, nor was it merely a simple frame-up. What, then? Wei Zijun fiddled with the arrow in her hand, the one taken from Liu Yunde. It was ordinary, nothing special, the only mark being the inscription "Yu—Right Guard." Four characters. Yu, Right Guard; Guard, as the name suggests, was the Right Guard of the Great Yu. Her long, slender fingers traced the arrow shaft, from the arrowhead to the fletching. Suddenly, her eyes flashed, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She stood up and went outside. She took a deep breath of the cold air, looked up at the cloudless sky, and saw her fair face smile. Her slender figure, with its androgynous beauty, shone brightly in the snowy field.

The messenger, who had come to deliver the message, stared at the figure for a long time, until Wei Zijun's clear and handsome eyes swept over him. Only then did he come to his senses. "Your Majesty, the Khan requests your presence at the tent." Light footsteps crunched through the thick snow. When they arrived at the tent, the two messengers respectfully lifted the heavy curtain.

Upon entering the tent, one could hear a constant buzz of discussion; all the ministers had gathered inside.

When Ashina Helu saw her enter, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and he fell silent.

"Left Wise King, please sit in the front." Ashina Yugu pointed to the seat in front, coughed twice, and looked at Wei Zijun with deep affection in his thin, sunken eyes. Then, he regained his composure and said, "Shaboluo Yehu, you continue."

"Yes, Khan, I believe this matter is suspicious and there must be some deception involved. Consider this: it is not the style of the Dayu people to blatantly provoke us like this. The Dayu people are known for their secretive nature and cautious actions. They would not act rashly. Furthermore, the assassin deliberately revealed his identity, which is clearly a frame-up." Ashina Helu finished speaking and glanced at Wei Zijun.

Wei Zijun was curious. This guy had always been against her, so why was he speaking up for her today?

"Well, what does Your Majesty think?" Ashina Yugu asked Wei Zijun.

"Khan, Wei Feng thinks Ye Hu is right, and Wei Feng agrees." Wei Zijun said, glancing at He Lu. Seeing that He Lu's expression was unchanged, she thought to herself, "Perhaps he is speaking the truth. After all, He Lu is not a villain."

"Khan," Ahshigyishushin stood up and said, "I believe that Dayu merely wants to provoke war, hoping we will take the initiative to attack. We will gain the infamy of aggression, and they will have a pretext to be forced into a conflict. Furthermore, our Turks have always been a thorn in Dayu's side; they have never wanted to see us eliminated. This time, they merely want to provoke war and assassinate my Khan. If they succeed, they can take advantage of our internal strife to launch an attack on our city."

“Hmm.” Ashina Yugu then turned to Wei Zijun, “I still want to hear what the wise king has to say.”

"Khan!" Ahshigyi Shujijin said again, "The Left Wise King is already under suspicion, how can he participate in political discussions? If the Wise King makes any judgments, they will surely be attempts to exonerate himself, so how can they be trusted?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun raised a delicate eyebrow. "Oh? What if every word I say is reasonable? Would you still refuse to listen to me? Would you rather let people listen to your foolish words and make enemies with Dayu? Or even send troops to attack Dayu?"

Ah Xijie Ni Shu Si Jin's face turned purple. "Left Wise King, don't think you're all that just because you've read a few more lines of pretentious poetry. You're not Zhuge Liang, just a surrendered general from Da Yu."

Wei Zijun smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Axi Jie Ni Shu Si Jin, although I am a surrendered general, my status is higher than yours. Tell me, is someone who has read a few more lines of pretentious poetry necessarily better than someone like you who has read fewer?"

He frowned, turning his face away with extreme indifference. "Khan, Wei Feng believes that this matter was indeed framed, but not by an ordinary person, but by an entire nation."

"Oh, Feng, tell me quickly." Ashina Yugu bowed slightly excitedly, then suddenly realized that he had used a pet name for him, so he covered his mouth with his fist and coughed twice.

"First of all, this caravan cannot be from Dayu. Our Turkic Khaganate has just finished fighting with Dayu, and border trade has not yet resumed. If this suddenly appearing caravan were truly from Dayu, it could only have come from the Eastern Turkic Khaganate or Tibet via a detour. However, judging from the fact that the caravan is transporting silk and tea, it means that the caravan could not have gone through the northern Eastern Turkic Khaganate, because tea and silk mostly come from Jiangnan. It must have entered our Turkic Khaganate from the southern Tibet. But if it entered from Tibet, it should not have passed through our Khanate. The difference in distance is not just a little bit. Even if they really wanted to exchange for Ferghana horses, they should have gone west of Shule, where Ferghana horses are produced. Why would they go through the trouble of going to our royal court? Therefore, this is not a caravan from Dayu."

"Yes, the Left Wise King's analysis is indeed insightful. You should all learn from him." Ashina Yugu finally smiled. He knew that he had everything under control. "Please continue, Wise King."

“Since it’s not a caravan from Dayu, then this caravan isn’t a caravan at all. There’s no reason for a caravan from Tibet or the Eastern Turks to pretend to be a caravan from another country. That means this is a disguised caravan.”

After saying this, Wei Zijun was startled. It wasn't a caravan! It wasn't a caravan! Then it was Nangong Que? The thought flashed through her mind, and she forced herself to pull herself back to the present.

"Yes, that makes sense." The ministers all nodded in agreement.

Upon seeing this, Wei Zijun smiled and said, "Khan, I believe the most likely suspect is Tibet."

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion within the tent.

"Oh?" Ashina Yugu bowed slightly. "Why?"

"Tibet intends to attack our Turkic people. Knowing that our Turkic nation is currently weak, they fear that we will request assistance from Dayu. Therefore, they disguise themselves as Dayu people, intending to assassinate us while massacring our Turkic people, hoping to sow discord between us and Dayu. We will then question Dayu, thus creating a rift between us. Dayu will then stand idly by in the face of Tibet's attack, allowing Tibet to confidently send troops. If a conflict arises between us and Dayu, or even if the two countries go to war, Tibet will take advantage of the situation. Therefore, no matter what the situation is, only Tibet will benefit."

Before Wei Zijun could finish speaking, Axi Jieni Shujijin sneered, "Our army has just finished fighting with Dayu, and the two countries have even suspended trade. Why would Tibet worry about Dayu's assistance? How could Dayu agree to send troops to help? It's just wishful thinking!"

Wei Zijun slightly curled her lips and said with a smile, "In relations between two countries, interests come first. There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies between nations. If we request assistance from Dayu in this Tibetan attack, Dayu will definitely agree. This is because if Tibet really annexes our Turkic territory, Tibet's powerful strength will threaten Dayu. Dayu would rather we and Tibet check and balance each other than have either side annex the other."

"Yes, that makes sense." The ministers began to murmur amongst themselves again.

"You mean to say that as long as we request it, Dayu will immediately send troops?" Axi Jieni Shujijin's mouth was pursed to his ears, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Not so!" Wei Zijun smiled faintly. "Da Yu will agree to send troops, but not immediately. They will wait until the Tubo have defeated our army to the point of being unable to resist, and both sides have suffered heavy losses before sending troops. At that time, both our country and Tubo will be weakened, and Da Yu will become even stronger."

"Hahaha... The Left Wise King is truly farsighted and admirable!" Jiexin Dadu said with a smile full of appreciation.

Ashina Buzhen coldly curled the corner of his mouth, "This is just speculation, isn't it? What evidence does the Wise King have to prove it?"

Wei Zijun's expression turned cold. "In battle, everything depends on planning and deduction. Who can know everything about the enemy? If that were the case, wouldn't that person have already dominated the world?"

Before the ministers could even voice their agreement, Wei Zijun continued, "Furthermore, the evidence is actually real!"

Hearing that there was evidence, the entire tent began to buzz again. He Lu smiled faintly and kept looking at her, her dazzling confidence making it impossible for him to look away.

"This is the evidence." Wei Zijun threw a feathered arrow to the ground. "The people of Dayu are not skilled in riding and archery, and they use broadswords and longswords for protection when they go out. But these people all carry quivers, which is clearly not a Dayu custom. Furthermore, most of these people use 'qiongdao' (a type of halberd), which is a specialty of Tibet. Of course, this is not enough to prove anything. Look at the arrow's fletching; it's a 'carved feather arrow.' I think you all know that for bows and arrows, 'carved feather arrows' shoot farther and are more powerful than 'goose feather arrows.' But where did Dayu's Central Plains get 'carved feathers'? Dayu's army only has goose feather arrows! Only the Eastern Turks and Tibet, these nomadic peoples, have 'carved feather arrows.' And isn't this 'Yu-Youtunwei' 'carved feather arrow' clearly a frame-up? Datoushe believes that if this wasn't done by Tibet, then it was done by the Eastern Turks, or by our own Western Turks?"

Ashina Buzhen's face stiffened, and his lips twitched a few times. "But this assassin confessed that you were the one who instigated him. If it was the work of the Tibetans, who can guarantee that you weren't colluding with them?"

Wei Zijun laughed heartily: "Datoushe, since Tubo has already framed Dayu, why would Henan frame me? If a huge country like Dayu has been framed and plotted against, shouldn't I, a mere nobody, feel honored?" Her tone changed, and her voice became cold and sharp, "However, there must be an internal traitor. Otherwise, you could have just assassinated him. Why take the opportunity to eliminate such an insignificant person as me? Thank you for your kind words."

Having said that, he dusted off his clothes, sat down coldly, and said no more.

The ministers were all incredibly impressed. This Left Wise King was truly remarkable. No one in the entire tent possessed such a sharp mind and such clear thinking, and he remained so calm even after being falsely accused. Although they disapproved of his attempts to please the Khan with his charm, his abilities were undeniable. Perhaps the Khan admired his talent, which was why he hadn't grown tired of him and continued to favor him exclusively.

If Wei Zijun knew what these ministers were thinking, she would be so angry she would vomit blood. No matter how capable she was, she was still viewed this way. It seemed she would never be able to extricate herself from this situation.

"Alright, let's stop here for today." Ashina Yugu glanced at Wei Zijun with heartache and slowly stood up.

"Khan, Wei Feng has something else to say."

"Um!"

"I urge the Khan to write to Dayu and establish trade relations with Dayu as soon as possible. Our Western Turkic people have few kinds of products, but they complement those of Dayu. Trade can promote the prosperity of our Turkic people." He paused, then continued, "I also urge the Khan to order strict discipline in the army and stop our troops from raiding the border again. The people of Dayu are also people. Why can't we enrich our country through trade? Why can't we be self-sufficient instead of resorting to plunder and murder? Why must we be bandits? Every time war breaks out, it's mostly because of our constant harassment and border raids. Everyone says Dayu is bullying us, but we were wrong first. Why can't we live in peace and coexist peacefully?"

Upon hearing these words, a collective gasp filled the tent, and all the ministers turned their gazes toward the person standing at the head of the table.

Ashina Yugu sighed, nodded, then shook his head. "Feng, our Turkic people live in the cold, barren north, where resources are scarce. Those soldiers, seeing the beautiful and prosperous land of Dayu, inevitably feel a longing. I too wanted to expand our territory and grasp that fertile Central Plains, but alas, it's too late. Alas… It's heartbreaking. When did that once robust body become so frail? And those slightly trembling arms, those slow steps, all show that he's struggling to support his body…"

Stepping out of the tent, Wei Zijun took a deep breath. She resisted the urge to help him, unable to bear seeing his difficult steps, so she was the first to leave the tent. Forcing back the tears welling in her eyes, she took another breath and walked towards Liu Yunde's tent.

He Lu then stepped out of the tent, saw her figure, and followed her as if possessed.

Upon entering the tent and seeing Liu Yunde lying on the bed, I felt a pang of guilt. I had been so busy with the Khan's assassination attempt for the past two days that I hadn't had a chance to visit him.

"Yunde, are you feeling better?" Wei Zijun glanced at the arrow wound on his left arm and asked softly.

This fool has saved her twice already; she truly doesn't know how to repay him.

Liu Yunde reached out and took Wei Zijun's hand. After so much longing, they finally had a chance to be alone together.

Wei Zijun let him pull her along, but said, "Yunde, you and Dieyun are both my family, both people I should protect. I hope you are happy and live a peaceful life. Don't do this foolish thing for me again."

Liu Yunde's hand stiffened, and he gripped that soft hand even tighter.

As He Lu pushed open the door, he immediately saw the two hands entangled together. For no apparent reason, a surge of resentment and anger rose within him.

Upon seeing the person approaching, Wei Zijun stood up. "Yun De, shouldn't you take your medicine?"

"It's freshly brewed, drink it while it's hot. With a miracle doctor like me here, I guarantee you'll be fine in three days!" Die Yun brought in a bowl of herbal soup.

Liu Yunde picked up the medicine and drank it all in one gulp. A drop of medicine slid down his lips, and Wei Zijun quickly took out a handkerchief and gently wiped it away.

Gazing at the gentle, caressing hand, a strange, jealous anger rose within He Lu. Finally, unable to contain himself, he called out, "Wind..."

Wei Zijun's back stiffened, her mind still in turmoil, unable to react. Was he calling her?

“Feng…” He Lu called out again, “I have something I want to ask you.”

It seemed they were indeed calling her. "Oh, what is it? Just ask!" She still couldn't believe her ears.

"I want to ask you, what did it feel like when you kissed me that day?" He Lu blinked his big, innocent eyes, his brown pupils glistening as if they were about to drip water.

The other two men in the tent froze, their astonished gazes suddenly turning into anger.

"You...you...what nonsense are you talking about, what nonsense are you talking about, what kind of nonsense is this!" How could he say such things? Why did he say these things?

"You still won't admit it? What's there to be ashamed of? That day we hugged in the snow, and you even sucked my tongue."

"Wh...what!!! You...you...what nonsense are you spouting!" Wei Zijun felt a surge of anger. How could he say such things, especially in front of them? Heavens! These were her family members! He had no face to live with, no face to live with. Was this what they called reaping what he sowed?

Seeing those two faces growing increasingly ashen, Wei Zijun desperately wanted to escape.