Chapter 85: The Drama of War.

Chapter 85: The Drama of War.

October 3rd.

"Back to Yi City."

Early in the morning, the old king, unusually, pushed aside his recently favored twin daughters. Dressed in a golden robe, he walked across the lotus platform, opened the palace gates, and stepped out of the grand hall, gazing at Yi City shrouded in a thin mist.

"Yi City lies in the White Mountains."

"The White Mountains, majestic and tall, are unique for their entirely white landscape. Yi City, built of white stone, resembles a jade palace from Central Plains' poetry when snow falls—untouched and pure, a reason for the old king's fondness."

"Now, the city gates are firmly shut, the atmosphere heavy with pre-war tension."

The old king walked slowly to the highest part of the city wall. Royal guards knelt and saluted him along the way. No longer as agile as in his youth, years of indulgence had taken their toll, his body heavier, his steps on the cobblestones heavy and sluggish.

"Yet, no one dared disrespect him."

"Brother-in-law, is this the great weapon you mentioned to counter the Youzhou iron cavalry?" Surila Kun's face lit up with excitement and pleasure as he caressed the massive triple-bow ballista, unable to let go, his eyes filled with fascination. Suddenly, a huge man in armor and a black mask, revealing only his eyes, rudely pushed Surila Kun's hand away with his large axe.

Surila Kun's face changed, and his guards behind him were about to draw their swords but retreated at his glance. The chieftains beside him, however, looked displeased.

"What does this crossbowman mean? The ballista is right there, and they won't even let us touch it?"

They all turned their eyes to the old king, their faces showing discontent. Their alliance had lasted long, and they had sacrificed many warriors from their tribes to delay the Youzhou cavalry's march to Yi City.

"In eleven days, it will be the start of winter. The weather outside the Great Wall turns cold early, and snowfall is likely before winter begins. Such weather would easily stall the Youzhou cavalry, especially since they lack adequate supplies and warm clothing, clearly planning for a short campaign."

"But now, is the old king thinking of discarding them before the job is done?"

The old king chuckled, "Dear brother-in-law, my seven chieftains, don't be angry, please."

He gestured for the nearby royal guards and soldiers to step back. Surila Kun noticed that the huge man beside the ballista didn't move an inch, as if deaf to the old king's words. Looking closer, he saw dozens of similarly robust men guarding the ballista as if it were their own.

"Yi City, far beyond the Great Wall, had acquired such a massive ballista and these dozens of crossbowmen. How did the old king manage this? A large ballista wasn't something they could smuggle like bows and arrows. If smuggling small arms was a capital offense, smuggling a large ballista would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans."

"The Turks and Da Chu had fought fiercely for decades, with the Turkic cavalry initially invincible, breaking through mountains and rivers, crossing five rivers. It was only the crossbows that pushed them back, realizing this tough nut was too hard to crack. Later, when Zhou Manzi gained power, he was merciless. In Youzhou's sixteen counties, each set up military garrisons and beacon towers, heavily guarding the city walls, effectively blockading the tribes, preventing them from moving south."

"Where did the old king get it from?"

"In that moment, Surila Kun’s mind raced with thoughts, while the eyes of the seven khans grew more calculating."

"Could there be a traitor in Youzhou, secretly colluding with the old king, or perhaps it was Da Chu’s doing? One thing was certain, the old king had kept much hidden from them."

"This crossbow is a dangerous device. You are all important figures. Neidi, as the most esteemed eldest son of the Turkic Khaganate, and you seven as chiefs of your tribes, could be harmed by accident. With the great battle imminent, that would be an ill omen, wouldn't it?" the old king said cheerily. "This is a special gift for Zhou Xu. Once he's dead, who can stop us? Those literary men who only babble?"

"Or those aristocratic nobles skilled only in opportunism?"

"Once the Youzhou barrier breaks, then it will be our world."

"Endless beauties, wealth, lands, and slaves, all ours."

"The seven khans were tempted; wasn’t this what their alliance aimed for?"

"Surila Kun, not hearing the old king mention the Da Chu dynasty, understood and smiled, 'Your words are true. We were just curious to see it. Since the crossbow is so dangerous, let’s leave it for Zhou the Barbarian.'"

"The other khans exchanged glances. Poyegu’s khan, in a gruff voice, said, 'None of our light cavalry scouts from our tribes and Gulongwu have returned. I think there’s no need to send more. The Youzhou iron cavalry might attack the city any moment. We should consolidate our forces to face them.'"

"Hun Khan nodded, 'We should strike when their troops are tired, horses weary, and the weather cold.'"

"While they were discussing, a man from the Gulongwu tribe, accompanied by another tribesman, hurried up the city wall. The latter, still bearing the night's chill and with bloodshot eyes, gripped his knife tightly."

"The khan of Gulongwu frowned at his general, recognizing the tribesman behind him as his favored woman’s brother, stationed in a remote area from Yi City. He wasn’t a fool."

"Despite the nice words now, if the battle turned against them, he was ready to flee with his people, although the sight of the triple-bow crossbows had boosted their confidence somewhat."

"But truthfully, they all harbored a psychological shadow over Zhou Xu. Several khans had regretted accepting the bows and arrows from Yi’s old king in secret. Now, those weapons felt like hot potatoes they couldn’t shake off."

"The Mitqi tribe had also accepted them, but the Mitqi khan had run away. Now, he carries the burden of dishonor and diminishing prestige within his tribe. If they succeed, the Mitqi wo

"What's going on?" the Khan of Gulongwu approached.

The man behind him, seeing the Turks with his Khan, was instantly enraged, recalling the bloody night massacre of their tribe by the Turkic Buddhist riders. He knelt heavily, tears streaming down, shouting, "Khan, never conspire with the Turks! He's out to harm us! He's a deceiver!"

Surila Kun's face darkened at these words: "Nonsense! Since arriving in Yi City, I've been with the seven khans every day, and we've deployed numerous Turkic cavalry. How have we harmed you?"

"What happened? Speak clearly," urged the Khan of Bayegu, stepping towards the man.

Khan Si Jie frowned, "Let's discuss this inside. It's not seemly to argue here."

"What's there to fear, there's no one around. Speak up, what happened?" the impatient Khan of Abusi pressed.

The old king glanced at his two sons and stepped back, gesturing them to come closer.

Before he could ask, the Khan of Gulongwu roared in anger, "What did you say?!"

He looked at Surila Kun, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

Bayegu's Khan, growing impatient at their whispering, blurted out angrily, "What's going on? Speak up!"

"An said not all the Turkic Buddhist cavalry came; many stayed behind. An's group accidentally discovered them, and they were brutally attacked. Five hundred men, none spared, only An escaped." Gulongwu turned to a grim-faced Surila Kun, eyes wide and fierce, "My general, Dutagula, is in Youzhou's hands, a constant pain. Now, even the Turks turn against our people?!"

The others were equally shocked and angry, incredulous at Surila Kun. They had their schemes, but for the Turks to kill merely upon discovery was utterly ruthless.

"Is this true?" demanded the Khan of Bayegu.

"How can you be sure they were Buddhist riders?"

"I knew the Turks were up to no good, saying three thousand, but we never saw them. It's all just Surila Kun and Tumir's word!"

"Mayor Meng, we agreed on three thousand cavalry per tribe. We kept our end, but your consort is playing tricks on us."

The old king, with a dark expression, clenched his fist and approached the man from Gulongwu, menacingly, "You need evidence for such claims."

Surila Kun regained composure, barely keeping calm, "My fellow khans, with war imminent, let's stay calm. If this man slanders me, aiming to incite discord among us, wouldn't we fall into the enemy's trap?"

“You mean my people are lying?” Gulunwu Khan roared in anger. “To prove he's lying is simple, let's go see how many men you actually have in your Buddha Cavalry.”

Surilarakun remained expressionless, but a sense of foreboding grew in his heart. Such a massacre as described by Gulunwu could indeed be committed by them, but it was something he could never admit.

Why massacre Gulunwu's tribe, though? Surilarakun felt something was amiss.

Who was responsible, Ashisili or Morin?

“This is the evidence! I recognize their armor and appearance,” An tossed a sun-shaped gold earring in front of Surilarakun.

Everyone saw that the earring on the ground was identical to the one Surilarakun wore.

“Brother-in-law, fellow Khans, such evidence is not credible,” Surilarakun argued upon seeing the earring. “Anyone familiar with our Turks knows we like to wear gold earrings. Others can easily forge them; it proves nothing.”

“Despicable villain, Khan, I speak the truth. Look at the blood on me, it’s all from my people,” the man pleaded on his knees, filled with grief.

Gulunwu Khan sneered, “Surilarakun is eloquent indeed. In the end, you just think we are falsely accusing you. Let us see how many men you really have in your Buddha Cavalry.”

“Yes, let us see,” Bayegu Khan agreed.

“Chief Meng, if you don't let us see today, then we might as well dissolve this alliance,” Sijie Khan declared.

……

Xiao Luolan smiled and reassured the young girl, "Don’t worry, Xingxue is cautious about what she eats." She and her daughter, unaccustomed to ancient food customs, wouldn’t dare try something as strange as Wushi Powder.

"That's a relief," Zheng Yuxin's face flushed at the sight of her mistress's gentle smile.

The popular use of Wushi Powder was also for male virility, allowing men to engage with multiple women in one night. Some, especially those indulgent in pleasures, revered it as a miracle drug. However, such topics were too inappropriate to discuss with her mistress, so Zheng Yuxin refrained from saying more. Typically, it was consumed by men, and women rarely used it. It was rumored to make the skin fairer, requiring users to wear thin, loose clothes and avoid heat.

Noticing many books by her mistress's bedside, Zheng Yuxin glanced at them curiously.

Xiao Luolan handed one to her, "Let's read together." She chose another book for herself, finding some of the ancient books challenging initially but managing thanks to Zhou Xu's simple selections. She read through the Thirteen Classics for a basic understanding and treated the rest, like travelogues and poetry collections, as novels.

Wanting to spare the young girl from dull texts, Xiao Luolan picked an interesting storybook for her.

"Mistress, how do you read this word?" Zheng Yuxin asked, blushing.

"The Khan of Gulun House, seething with anger, felt his lungs might burst. It seems the death wasn't of your own, and you wish to gloss over it lightly."

"He sneered coldly and turned to leave."

"The other Khans glanced at each other, each with their own thoughts, yet outwardly they echoed in agreement with the old king and Surilakun."

"Standing atop the highest peak of the White Mountains, they could easily spot the distant troops of Youzhou, recognizable as the famed Youzhou Xuanjia Camp, the personal guards of Zhou Xu."

"The large banner with black background and red characters prominently displayed the word 'You'."

"Before them were the captives from various tribes."

"By tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest, this Xuanjia cavalry will launch their assault."

"Though they haven't met face-to-face, the sight of the formidable army formation had each Khan sweating coldly in their palms."

"A person's reputation precedes them, like the shadow of a tree."

"They only dared to call Zhou Xu 'Zhou the Barbarian' when in a large group and behind his back, never to his face."