Chapter 81, first published on Jinjiang (1st update) "These legs, I bow to you..."

After a moment of silence inside the tent, Hurile initially doubted whether he had misheard, but seeing the reactions of those around him, his rationality gradually returned.

"Prince Chen..."

The burly man seemed to lose his composure for a moment, and stood on the steps for a long time.

"Great Khan?" The soldier who delivered the message was still waiting for the Great Khan's reply.

Hurile came to his senses: "Where was Aohan knocked to?"

"Reporting to the Great Khan, the troops have retreated three hundred li; it seems they are at their last gasp."

One minister immediately suggested, "In that case, let's press our advantage and pursue them. Why bother with that damned Prince Chen?!"

He had barely finished speaking when another person jumped up and shouted, "You idiot! Didn't you hear that Prince Chen is leading 10,000 troops? The most urgent thing is to figure out Prince Chen's intentions! If we send troops now and he launches a surprise attack from the rear, we'll be caught in a pincer movement and have no chance of winning!"

"That makes sense, Your Majesty, what do you think?!"

Khuril's expression gradually turned serious: "A face-to-face meeting? Hmph, very well, it's been many years since I've seen an old friend!"

"Men, prepare the horses!"

...

"What did you say?"

Lady Qiu, inside the tent, listened to the maid's words and remained stunned for a long time.

It was Ruan Yu who asked this question.

"Your Majesty, Khatun, the Fourth Prince is in the hands of Prince Chen, who wishes to speak with the Great Khan."

Ruan Yu was also very surprised: "Chen, the King of Chen has come to the grasslands?"

"yes."

Ruan Yu immediately turned to look at her mother-in-law, Madam Qiu, who seemed to still be in a daze.

Ruan Yu said, "You may leave now. Report back immediately if you have any further news."

"yes."

Ruan Yu dismissed everyone in the tent, then walked to her mother-in-law's side, "Mother..."

Madam Qiu's eyes suddenly reddened.

"How could he come... how could he..."

Realizing that she had lost her composure in front of her daughter-in-law, Madam Qiu looked up at Ruan Yu and took the handkerchief that Ruan Yu offered.

"An'an, I'm so sorry you had to see this..."

Ruan Yu said softly, "What, Mother? We are family."

Lady Qiu sighed, "I suppose you know now that I told Chao Lu about my background. In fact, Prince Chen was indeed an old acquaintance of my mother's..."

She wiped away her tears, seemingly lost in memories.

"When the late emperor was alive, the Prince Chen's mansion was incredibly magnificent. I grew up in the capital, and my maternal grandfather was a close friend of the old prince at that time. The two families had a very close relationship..."

******

"Congratulations, General, on the birth of your daughter."

"Brother Chen, you're too kind. Please come in and have a seat. Yunzhou, it's been so long since I've seen you!"

The five-year-old boy, the youngest son of Prince Chen, grinned and asked, "May I see my little sister today?"

"Of course!"

Old Chen Wang instructed his son: "Your little sister Awan is only a hundred days old. Go wash your hands first, and be careful!"

"Okay, son understands!"

Before the cradle, the little boy stared wide-eyed at the infant inside. The Chen Prince's family had few heirs, and he seemed to have seen some rare treasure.

The princess smiled and said, "Yunzhou was overjoyed when he heard a few days ago that he was coming to see Awan today. He even said that he took good care of his little sister when she was still in his belly. Children really are..."

Chen Yunzhou reached out and touched that small hand for the first time, but unexpectedly, one of his fingers was grabbed instead.

He shouted excitedly, "Mother! My sister has captured me!"

"She's quite strong!"

This caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Time flew by in the capital. When he was six years old, General Wei suddenly decided to move to Yangzhou.

This change is a necessary but unavoidable measure.

On the eve of their departure, the two families attended a banquet.

The young prince was already an eleven-year-old boy at that time, and had grown considerably taller.

However, his gaze remained fixed on the five- or six-year-old girl.

When the old prince saw this, he laughed heartily: "I told you long ago, when your Awan grows up, why don't you come and be my wife? Look at my Yunzhou, his eyes are practically glued to her."

General Wei also looked over, and for some reason, the eleven-year-old boy's ears turned red.

Separated by two places.

Despite the close relationship between the two families, when Awan was eight years old, the thirteen-year-old boy went to Jiangnan and met with her almost every year thereafter.

"These are popular in the capital this year, and I brought some with me. It's a pity we can't finish the snacks, so you can have the candy instead."

"Thank you, Brother Yunzhou..."

The boy pursed his lips, his eyes full of smiles.

When Wei Wan was ten years old, the two families finally arranged a marriage between them.

The young man rode swiftly to the capital; at sixteen, he had become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), a promising young talent.

A servant in the manor joked, "It's a pity that Miss is only ten years old this year. She's too young. Otherwise, the young master would be the top scholar in the imperial examination this year, and with the wedding night, it would be a double celebration!"

"Miss, you must keep a close eye on the young master, lest some young lady in the capital also take a liking to him at the Qionglin Banquet."

A ten-year-old girl doesn't understand these things at all, yet she still asks.

"Brother Yunzhou, what does it mean for the wedding night to be a double celebration?"

The sixteen-year-old boy's ears suddenly turned red.

The maids all lowered their heads, fearing punishment.

Unexpectedly, the boy stepped forward and suddenly kissed the girl on the forehead.

"When you grow up, Awan will know that you are my fiancée. Awan only needs to remember this."

The boy's ears were flushed red, yet he felt exhilarated on horseback.

"I'm definitely going to be in the top three in this year's imperial examinations! Ah Wan, wait for my good news!"

That spring, peach blossoms covered the mountains.

Later, as the young girl began to experience romantic feelings, they exchanged letters frequently between Jiangnan and Chang'an every year.

The sweetness is skyrocketing.

But good times don't last forever.

At fifteen, when she came of age, the rain in Jiangnan lasted exceptionally long.

The floods brought with them immense disaster for the Wei family.

...

******

Recalling this, Madam Qiu let out a deep sigh.

"In this world, things rarely go as planned. I had already resigned myself to my fate. On the way north, my mother and I only hoped to survive and arrive safely in Suizhou. But I never expected that he would defy the family order and search for me all the way to Suizhou."

Ruan Yu was deeply shocked: "The Prince has found you?"

Lady Qiu, her eyes brimming with tears, said, "I almost missed him. That year, there were frequent clashes between the grasslands and the Central Plains. Lingzhou, Liangzhou, and Suizhou were all in dire straits. I had to evade the imperial court's pursuit while also guarding against the battles on the grasslands. Unfortunately, my mother was also seriously ill at that time, so I had to disguise myself as a man and endure the hardships..."

Later, I first encountered the Great Khan…

By that year, Hurile had already shown the strength of a future grassland overlord, defeating many tribes along the way.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Yu could almost understand.

In the Khan's mind, his mother-in-law must have been stunningly beautiful that year.

"Then... Mother didn't meet the Prince in Suizhou, so why... did she return to the grasslands with the Khan?"

When Madam Qiu mentioned this, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Ruan Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward to comfort him, without asking any more questions.

"In the end... it was me who dragged him down... it was me who dragged him down..."

He was only twenty years old, with a bright future ahead of him, but because I got into a fight with the Khan in Suizhou, he concealed his identity to try and save me, but was injured in the leg by the steppe people... It was all my fault..."

Ruan Yu's eyes also reddened, as if she had never expected it to turn out this way. She couldn't help but gently pull her mother-in-law into her arms and pat her back softly: "It's all over...it's all over, Mother..."

…………

The meeting between Prince Chen and the Khan was no small matter.

Even if it were just a face-to-face meeting, the Chaha tribe would not allow the Khan to go there rashly. Two thousand soldiers were lying in ambush, almost never leaving his side in the dark.

Of course, the same was true for the Prince of Chen.

When Chaolu heard that the Prince of Chen wanted to meet with his father, the Khan, he felt extremely conflicted.

"Hey, what's this? I've been taken hostage?"

The effects of the medicine on his body had worn off, but his arm wasn't fully healed yet. His left arm was wrapped in layers of gauze and comically hung around his neck! He just couldn't understand why people from the Central Plains always bandaged him up like this, making him look ridiculous.

But this time he had no choice. This Prince Chen was not easy to talk to. If he wanted to take action to dismantle it, he had a hundred ways to drug him. He tried it twice and was obediently knocked out both times.

The third time, he learned his lesson.

"Speak up," Chaolu said impatiently, looking at the other person.

Prince Chen, on the other hand, always appeared calm and collected, even leisurely watching the sunrise from his wheelchair.

"Since you've already guessed it, why ask?"

Chao Lu: "...You're using me as a hostage, yet you let me move around freely?"

"You can't get out unless you want to experience the effects of that drug again."

Chao Lu scratched his head in frustration; this man was truly strange.

"What exactly do you want? What do you want to see my father, Khan?"

"cooperate."

"Cooperate on what?"

King Chen smiled faintly: "I sent troops to help you repel Ao Han, can't you see my intentions?"

Chaolu: "I know you want the Chaha tribe to help you conquer the Central Plains, but I just don't understand. With such a powerful army, already at the Yellow River, even the emperor of the Central Plains is no match for you. In no more than three months, Chang'an will be yours! Why did you come all the way to the grasslands?!"

Chen Wang glanced at him with some surprise: "Three months? Hmm... about what I expected."

"???"

King Chen laughed: "Coming to the grasslands and attacking Chang'an can both be done without any conflict or interference."

Chao Lu remained silent.

This person's strength is indeed unfathomable.

"If you're not seeking cooperation, then... what are you doing here?"

Prince Chen took a sip of tea and pointed to a spot not far away: "Where is further north of the Chaha tribe?"

"The Rouran are a land where not an inch of soil can grow."

"By the way, wouldn't it be better to drive you there and bring the Chaha territory under my control as well?"

Chao Lu was stunned, and his expression changed drastically!

"You're dreaming!"

King Chen laughed heartily.

Chao Lu was furious, huffing and puffing, "If you're really thinking of that, I advise you to turn back immediately! You may be impressive, but you only command 10,000 troops. Don't be so arrogant!"

Prince Chen smiled and looked at him: "How old is Your Highness this year?"

"Mind your own business."

"Twenty years old, not old, but with a big temper. However, my son is seventeen this year, yet he is already capable of leading an army of 100,000 to attack Chang'an. The Fourth Prince is a fine sword, but it has not been honed. What a pity."

Chao Lu's cheeks flushed red. This was utterly humiliating! It was infuriating; he wanted to fight him!

"You have a son?" he suddenly couldn't help but ask.

King Chen: "Surprised? I look about the same age as your father, Khan, don't I?"

Chao Lu glanced at his legs out of the corner of his eye; the meaning couldn't be clearer.

The guards nearby were so angry that they were about to draw their swords and step forward, but King Chen laughed again and ordered them to leave.

"Didn't you just ask me what I wanted to do? I'll tell you the truth, I've come... to seek revenge."

Chao Lu was stunned.

King Chen chuckled and pointed to his leg, saying meaningfully, "That's right, this leg is a gift from your father, Khan."

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Author's note: Update 2 will be a little later.