Chapter 76

Upon the grassland, corpses lay everywhere.

Arana Gui looked at all this with a blank face, while dozens of eagle-shooters knelt before him.

"Great Khan!"

"What exactly happened?"

"Yesterday, someone brought the Great Khan's Wolf Banner, claiming to announce the Great Khan's orders. We were unprepared and, in our haste, were ambushed by him, suffering heavy losses."

Arana Gui's Face Dark with Gravity; at this moment, he already understood what had happened!

Within the Rouran, there must be a traitor!

"Yujiulu Fa, I will kill you!"

Arana Gui shouted loudly, but those around him urged him to calm down.

"The Khanate is in peril, Great Khan; at this time, you must make a swift decision."

Arana Gui gathered the fleeing tribes and those around the Wang Ting, amassing over a thousand people. There was not enough time; otherwise, Arana Gui could have gathered even more troops in Monan.

"How many men have you lost?"

"Over three hundred eagle-shooters lost half their number, and more than seventeen hundred warhorses were stolen, including precious Hanxue horses."

Arana Gui's Expression Heavy with Gravity; he nearly lost his balance and was supported by someone behind him.

"Great Khan need not worry; those we left behind in Mobei are still there."

Hearing his subordinate's advice, Arana Gui turned back.

"Return to Mobei?"

"Hungry wolves on the grassland, smelling blood, will all gather in groups. Currently, we are wounded and bleeding; the Tiele, Gaoche, and other tribes around us will certainly not let this opportunity pass. Once we show weakness, they will pounce. If we stay here, there may be unforeseen dangers."

Reason told Arana Gui that this was correct.

But the anger in Arana Gui's heart did not extinguish because of this.

Just then, his subordinate brought out the arrow that had been shot at him that day.

This arrow had been kept by Arana Gui as a warning to himself, so he would not forget the shame of the Golden Tent.

Arana Gui had issued an order: whenever he failed to heed loyal advice, a minister could bring out this arrow to remonstrate.

"Great Khan, endure this temporary humiliation to await future days!"

In the end, he still made his decision.

"Return to Mobei!"

Wu Chuan.

Wei Kegu was killed, and his remaining forces were suppressed.

The heads of the Heba clan and the Yuwen clan could finally sit down, breathe a sigh of relief, and discuss the future.

Their greatest fear did not come to pass; the Tiele tribes around Wu Chuan did not take advantage of the chaos in Wu Chuan to plunder, but instead all moved northward, for reasons unknown.

"Your nephew thinks it is better not to submit to the Grand Commander!"

The two families were originally discussing their next move, but Yuwen Tai's single sentence made everyone present frown.

This matter was originally for Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong to decide.

Yuwen Tai happened to be nearby and spoke up.

Yuwen Tai got involved, and Yuwen Gong reprimanded him.

"What do you know?"

Yuwen Tai showed no fear and bowed with clasped hands.

"Father, Uncle Heba, the Grand Commander appears infinitely majestic, but he does not control the authority."

"How do you know this?"

"Yunzhong is the Grand Commander's base, but according to merchants, the surrounding area is all occupied by the Tangkou General's Han troops. Military and political decisions do not come from his own will but rely mostly on divination. He cannot control even a place so close at hand, let alone distant regions? Shuozhou may seem to be under the Grand Commander's control, but in reality, it is not."

After hearing Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong, their Expression Heavy with Gravity; they no longer looked down on him as they had just moments ago.

Seeing this, Yuwen Tai said even more:

"With the Tangkou General's such methods, if we submit to the Grand Commander, I fear we cannot preserve our troops; he will devour us until nothing remains."

Heba Duba pondered for a while and said:

"Hearing is false, seeing is true; as for the actual facts, let us go to Yunzhong and see for ourselves first!"

Huaishuo.

Li Shuang returned with a large force, only to learn that Wu Chuan had already been recovered.

People from the Heba and Yuwen clans had already taken their men to Yunzhong, wishing to see Li Shen.

Before him, there now stood a person who was somewhat unexpected.

The True King's envoy!

Yujiulu Fa seemed very afraid of her and brought this plain-looking woman before him.

Yujiulu Qingyu!

Unlike this woman's calmness, Yujiulu Fa, sitting in this room, felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

Li Shuang waved his hand, and he left as if granted a great reprieve!

"The True King sent you to find me; for what purpose?"

"The True King wishes to offer the General the throne!"

Hearing this, Li Shuang laughed.

"The True King is truly good at joking."

"The General currently commands at least six thousand troops under his banner; if you recruit the soldiers from the Dugu, Kedi, Hulu, and Poluhan clans, you can obtain over ten thousand soldiers. Taking Take Pingcheng would be as easy as turning over one's hand."

"And then?"

Yujiulu Qingyu seemed not to have expected the young man before her to react so calmly.

"Once Pingcheng is taken, we can follow the precedent of the Tuoba clan in years past, march south to Luoyang, sweep the world clean, and then, General, you can become the King of Kings, the Heavenly Khan!"

Po Po Liuhan Baling seemed already on his last legs; they had even turned their schemes toward him.

Li Shuang smiled, suddenly reaching out to grasp Yujiulu Qingyu's hand.

"Sister, you are a Rouran; why do you help the True King?"

Yujiulu Qingyu clearly did not expect the young man opposite her to make such a bold, unguarded move.

"The True King saved my life."

"In that case, for your sake, Sister, I must still offer a warning: the situation the True King now faces is one that even Zhang Liang or Chen Ping, were they alive, would be powerless to resolve."

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat ambiguous; Yujiulu Qingyu was in her thirties, yet she appeared somewhat constrained before the young man Li Shuang.

"Make plans to escape early; flee to Saibei, or journey far to the Western Regions, or perhaps seek out Xiao Baoyin and have him provide you a place to settle."

Upon hearing the three words "Xiao Baoyin," Yujiulu Qingyu's expression grew complex; in the end, she said nothing more.

"I take my leave!"

Night.

The great door slowly opened; seeing Li Shuang enter, Du Gu Ru's longing of many days turned into words of mockery.

"Is this not our Tangkou General? How do you have time to see a humble woman like me? Where are the beauties by your side? I heard there is even a golden-haired one?"

"Who told you all that?"

"Did I need anyone to tell me? Such a long line of captives; everyone in Huaishuo knows."

"Rumors, all rumors. A-Ru, my heart holds only you!"

Du Gu Ru thought of the letter she had received from Po Po Liuhan Kong Que, of her riding a swift horse here to save him.

But that day, after Po Po Liuhan Chang told her the truth upon exiting the city, Du Gu Ru felt she was nothing but a joke.

Thinking of this, Du Gu Ru punched Li Shuang, feeling both angry and ashamed.

"Do not think you have me completely in your power!"

"A-Ru, I do not have you completely in my power!"

"Hmm?"

Du Gu Ru lifted her beautiful eyes slightly and saw a handsome face.

"I will have you for a lifetime!"

Du Gu Ru struck Li Shuang again, but he caught her arm; her body instantly went limp, and her voice filled with languor.

"You rascal!"

The two gazed at each other for a long time; as the emotion deepened, Li Shuang blew out the candle, and Du Gu Ru appeared somewhat alarmed.

"Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"I am a bit cold!"

"Then why are you taking off my clothes?"

"I fear you are cold!"

Du Gu Ru, who had been warmly welcoming, suddenly grasped Li Shuang's hand, her bright eyes staring at him in the darkness.

"Why are your techniques for removing a woman's robes so skilled?"

"..."

I was careless!

The great door slammed open; Li Shuang was thrown out, and Du Gu Ru's voice came from inside the room.

"Get out!"