Ashina looked at Zhu Wuyou, then at Li Junyan, stiffening his neck and speaking again, "What does your Highness mean? The Turks and the Great Zhou have been at peace for over a decade, and the people of the two countries can intermarry! What's wrong with a woman from the Great Zhou marrying a Turk?"

Listening to Ashina's words that were trying to change the subject, Li Junyan sneered, "Marriage is a union of two families. It requires both parties to be willing, and both parents to be willing. But those women you took away didn't do it on their own.

This isn't intermarriage, it's plunder. You're all traitors. According to the laws of the Great Zhou, traitors will be severely punished."

Li Junyan looked down at Zhu Wuyou, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling, and his voice became even colder. "Zhu Wuyou, as the governor of Xizhou, you broke the law knowingly. Only the death penalty can appease the public anger."

Li Junyan's words were like a wake-up call to Zhu Wuyou, like a hanging stone falling heavily on his head, knocking him to the ground.

Zhu Wuyou collapsed to the ground, unable to even utter a word to beg for mercy.

Seeing this, Ashina also started to panic.

But soon, he forced himself to calm down and said, "I am not from the Great Zhou, you have no right to deal with me!

Even if I have done something wrong, I should be handed back to the Turks and let our king punish me!"

Ashina became more and more confident as he spoke. The panic on his face was less, and there was a hint of pride between his eyebrows, as if he was sure that Li Junyan would not dare to do anything to him.

The people looked at the arrogant Ashina with resentment in their eyes and their fists clenched tightly, but they did not dare to step forward, let alone say anything.

They could only look at Li Junyan hopefully, hoping that Li Junyan could make the decision for them.

Li Junyan raised his eyes and glanced at Ashina calmly. "Hand it over to the Turks? What should I hand over to the Turks? I have nothing to hand over to the Turks."

Ashina looked at Li Junyan in a daze, not understanding what Li Junyan meant.

"What do you mean? We are all Turks—"

"Turkic people?" Li Junyan's voice was filled with doubt, and he looked at the people around him, "Are there any Turkic people here? Why didn't I see any? I only saw some thieves who were illegally trafficking in people, and they were so bold that they wanted to sell me as well.

My guards fought tooth and nail to protect me, finally slaying all of these traitors. Xizhou Governor Zhu Wuyou colluded with the traitors, but over an uneven division of the spoils, a fight ensued. Zhu Wuyou was defeated and killed by the traitors. This was the price he paid for his mistakes."

Li Junyan finished speaking slowly and looked at Xu San and Lin Qi, "Do you understand what I said?"

"I understand!"

After the two men responded in unison, they drew their swords at the same time and slashed at Ashina and Zhu Wuyou respectively.

Zhu Wuyou suddenly raised his head and said, "Wait a minute! Your Majesty, I have a way to find those women. Can I redeem myself for my crimes?"

Xu San's knife stopped in mid-air, and he looked at Li Junyan with an inquiring expression, waiting for Li Junyan's decision.

Zhu Wuyou swallowed his saliva and hurriedly continued, "Your Highness! I deserve to die for doing such a thing. I was blinded by greed before, so I did those wrong things. I am willing to make amends now, find all those women, and reunite them with their families. This will make up for the mistakes I made!"

I deserve death, but compared to my life, reuniting those women with their families is more important!"

After saying this, Zhu Wuyou looked at Li Junyan nervously and expectantly, his heart almost jumping out of his throat.

After a long while, Li Junyan slowly spoke.

"How are you going to get him back?"

The Turks are not the Great Zhou. It is not easy for Zhu Wuyou, the governor of Xizhou, to bring back the people who were sold to the Turks.

Hearing Li Junyan's question, Zhu Wuyou was instantly shocked. Without any hesitation, he immediately expressed his thoughts.

"Your Highness, you don't know that this Ashina is not an ordinary person, but the Sixth Prince of the Turkic people. With him in hand, it would be very easy to exchange those women back.

I am willing to sneak into the Turkic region and discuss this matter with the Turkic king. It would be best if we could exchange them quietly to avoid a war between the two countries."

Zhu Wuyou had just finished speaking when Ashina looked at him with red eyes and gnashed his teeth, "Zhu Wuyou! How dare you betray me!"

Zhu Wuyou lowered his eyes, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes.

He is about to die, what is there to be afraid of?

Li Junyan had never imagined that Ashina actually had such an identity. "Sixth Prince, have you had enough of the life of luxury?"

His identity had been exposed, and Ashina stopped pretending.

"What does it have to do with you?" Ashina raised his head. "I do whatever the prince wants to do. You know nothing!"

He is the sixth child in the family, and his older brothers are more capable than each other.

If you don't find another way, you will just be a rich and idle person in the future.

But why?

He is also a prince, but just because he ranks lower, he won’t be given any chance?

He wants to be king too!

Under his leadership, the Turks will surely become even stronger!

Ashina's ambitions were clearly written on his face, and Li Junyan wanted to laugh.

With a personality like that, it would never be his turn to become the Turkic king unless all his brothers died.

But he himself couldn't see this clearly.

"Even at this time, the Sixth Prince still dares to speak to me like this. It seems that he really doesn't want to go back alive."

Ashina glared, "You still want to use this prince to exchange for those women, do you dare to kill this prince?"

"Don't take yourself too seriously." Li Junyan sneered, "Using you won't get them back."

During the three years, Ashina and Zhu Wuyou sold quite a few people to the Turks.

It would cause quite a stir to release so many people at once.

If the Turkic king really agrees to release the people, the news will definitely reach Chang'an.

Compared with the impact that would come after this news spread, abandoning a son who is not very important is the best choice.

If he was a Turkic king, he would have many sons, and none of them were the most important to him, so it would not matter if one was missing.

Ashina, who had been extremely confident just now, had his expression changed instantly after hearing what Li Junyan said.

Being in the middle of it, he certainly knew better than Li Junyan his position in the heart of the Turkic king.

But he doesn't want to die!

Ashina looked straight at Li Junyan, "What do you want in exchange for letting me go?"

Li Junyan just looked at Ashina but did not answer his question.

Ashina became more and more flustered, and sweat began to appear on his face.

"If I send all those women back to you, will you let me go?

I can also compensate them! How about giving each of them ten taels of gold?"