Chapter 167

Once upon a time.

The Turks had always been the nightmare of the Great Tang and even the Central Plains dynasties.

For hundreds of years, disputes had been constant.

But the rulers of the Central Plains dynasties mostly swallowed their pride, letting the Turks burn, kill, and loot on their own territory.

How many people's wives, children, and families had died at their hands.

How many times in the middle of the night would one hear the wailing in the wind.

That is the sound of mourning for the lost souls of the Han people!

Hatred!

Yet no way to find relief!

The Turks were like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of the Han people.

Making people live in fear at every moment.

Li Er was naturally the one with the deepest feelings.

He had once personally entered the battlefield to fight the Turks.

Returning in a crushing defeat!

The speed and combat power of the Turkic iron cavalry became a nightmare he could not shake off.

Li Er had once thought the Turkic cavalry was a mountain that could never be crossed.

No one!

And no country could defeat them!

Yet a miracle had truly happened before his eyes.

That youth, who seemed as gentle as jade, had personally buried the 300,000-strong Turkic army in a grave!

What kind of monumental merit was this?

Sooner or later.

Qin Mu would command the attention of the world!

Zhangsun Wugou, beside him, looked at Qin Mu, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Gratification, pride, relief, and so on.

She was like a mother watching her child grow up.

As the child grew stronger bit by bit, she felt happier than anyone else.

Li Xueyan, meanwhile, rested her chin in her hands, lost in a daze.

Her mind was filled with the image of Qin Mu pulling her onto his horse on the battlefield.

Thinking of this, Li Xueyan's cheeks turned red, and she smiled shyly.

"Sister, what are you thinking about?"

"Why is your face so red?"

Changle blinked her dark, bright eyes, looking curiously at Li Xueyan.

"Silly girl, you are still young; you will understand when you grow up."

Li Xueyan stroked Changle's dark hair and smiled gently.

"Pfft! You say 'when I grow up, when I grow up'—I am already an adult!"

Changle pouted, turning her face away in a huff.

Seeing her innocent and romantic appearance, everyone couldn't help but smile.

The atmosphere in the command tent gradually eased.

Fang Xuanling smiled while looking at the calm and composed Qin Mu.

His heart was full of regret!

Sigh!

If only the Emperor had been able to overcome the opposition back then and make him the Top Graduate.

Who knows how many people's fates would have changed because of it.

This youth is destined to become the brightest star of this era!

What a pity!

Truly a pity!

Thinking of this, Fang Xuanling felt a bit angry.

That damn old goblin!

Zhangsun Wuji!

How on earth did you offend Qin Mu?

Even if I have to risk my title as Duke, I must investigate this matter thoroughly! Fang Xuanling secretly made up his mind.

Once he returned to the Great Tang, he would use all the resources at his disposal to investigate this.

He had to get to the bottom of it!

Otherwise, he would not be able to die in peace!

"Your Majesty, the Turkic Khan Jieli and the Tuyuhun monarch Fuyun are both here!" A voice broke the silence in the command tent.

Yue Fei, having bound Jieli and Fuyun, arrived before Qin Mu.

Fuyun was already shaking with fear, falling to his knees with a thud, kowtowing and begging for mercy incessantly.

....... Begging for flowers... 0

"Your Majesty, spare my life! It was I who had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai, invading without cause."

"If Your Majesty lets me return to my country, I will definitely lead all the monarchs and people of Tuyuhun to bow and submit; from now on, Tuyuhun will be a vassal state of Great Qin!" Jieli, seeing Fuyun's spineless appearance, was instantly enraged.

"Fuyun, you are a monarch of a country, yet you are so cowardly and afraid of death?"

"I must have been blind to have listened to your slander back then and attacked the Heavenly Dynasty!"

"I warned you long ago: what kind of place is Great Qin? It is the bloodline of the Central Plains branch! It is the seat of the world's orthodoxy; how could it be invaded at will?"

"Now, it is truly too late for regrets!"

Hearing Jieli's words, everyone's faces showed a playful smile.

You aren't any better yourself!

You started by sucking up, and you aren't even as practical as Fuyun!

"You! You old bastard, if it weren't for you instigating me, how would I have dared to attack the Heavenly Dynasty?"

"You Turks have the hearts of wolves and the ambitions of beasts, long thinking of annexing us, Tuyuhun, and Great Qin."

"Otherwise, how would I have dared to attack the Heavenly Dynasty on my own?"

Fuyun, seeing Jieli trying to shift the blame onto him, lost all shame and stuck out his neck to curse.

"You!"

"You old rascal, I should have killed you back then and presented you directly to the Great Qin Emperor!"

Jieli naturally did not show weakness, and they began to trade insults.

The two of them went back and forth, wishing they could fight right there on the spot.

Watching Jieli perform like a clown, Li Er's mouth twitched, and his face felt burning hot.

I am so enraged!

How on earth did I lose to this idiot back then?

Doesn't that mean I am even worse than him?

This is truly outrageous!

"Alright, you two don't need to shift the blame onto each other anymore."

"I didn't say I would kill you immediately."

Qin Mu smiled calmly, stopping the two from acting like dogs biting each other.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will definitely lead all the officials and people of Tuyuhun to worship Your Majesty for generations to come!"

Fuyun, hearing Qin Mu loosen his stance, began kowtowing "bang, bang, bang" without the slightest hesitation.

"Pfft!"

"You two-faced fool! Can't you show some actual action?"

"Your Majesty's grace is so vast; after I return to the Turks, I will definitely help Your Majesty recover the Great Tang and drive that old Emperor of the Great Tang out of Changancheng!" Jieli opened his mouth and started bragging like a pro.