In the Xianbei camp, Xie Zhiyu lay flat in a tent, his eyes closed and his breathing even. He appeared to be unconscious.

After a long while, Xie Zhi's eyelashes trembled, and then she slowly opened her eyes, looking around blankly.

Just then, a voice came from the tent entrance: "Hey, you're awake!"

Xie Zhiyu turned his head and saw a Xiongnu woman carrying a bowl of medicine walking towards him.

"here it is?"

"Your Majesty, this is the royal court!"

"Royal Court?"

Xie Zhiyu was slightly taken aback, her head buzzed, and her thoughts became somewhat confused.

He remembered that he was defeated by Tan Shihuai and should have died, so how did he end up in the royal court?

"Your Majesty, you should take your medicine first!"

As the Xiongnu woman spoke, she approached, picked up the bowl of medicine, and handed it to Xie Zhiyu.

Xie Zhiyu did not go to take the medicine, but looked at the Xiongnu woman with an anxious expression.

"Tell me what happened first. Did our warriors win and reclaim our royal court?"

"Your Majesty, we have been defeated. After you were captured alive by Tan Shihuai, all our warriors, and even we ourselves, were taken prisoner by the Xianbei..."

The woman lowered her head and told Xie Zhiyu about the Xiongnu's defeat.

"Another...another defeat...?"

After listening to the woman's account, Xie Zhiyu's eyes instantly lost their light. Although he had been mentally prepared, he still found it hard to accept the truth after learning it in person.

He knew that this defeat meant the complete end for both himself and the Xiongnu.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and Tan Shihuai and Han Sui walked in one after the other.

"How is the Left Wise King?"

Upon hearing the sound, Xie Zhiyu turned his head and saw Tan Shihuai standing there looking at him.

"Thanks to you, it's alright!"

Xie Zhiyu gave a faint reply, his expression rarely calm.

Can we talk?

As Tan Shihuai spoke, he stepped forward and waved to the Xiongnu woman.

The Xiongnu woman tactfully withdrew.

"Ha! What's there to talk about? I'm a prisoner now. Whether you kill me or torture me is entirely up to you. But if you want me to surrender, that's absolutely impossible!"

Xie Zhiyu chuckled softly, then closed his eyes. For him, death was his last vestige of dignity.

Seeing this, Tan Shihuai smiled and said, "I know you won't surrender, and I never intended for you to surrender. I came here today to release you!"

"Let me go?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyu opened his eyes, his gaze filled with doubt, wondering if he had misheard.

"That's right, I'll let you go!"

Meeting Xie Zhiyu's questioning gaze, Tan Shihua nodded with absolute certainty.

Xie Zhi frowned: "Would you let me go and continue to be your enemy? You'd be that kind?"

"Does the Left Wise King only have me as his enemy?" Tan Shihuai asked instead of answering.

"Hmph~, you occupied our royal court and killed our people. This is an irreconcilable enmity. Who else could be my enemy but you?"

Xie Zhiyu snorted coldly, staring at Tan Shihuai with bloodshot eyes, making no attempt to hide his hatred.

Tan Shihuai's expression also turned cold: "I always thought the Left Wise King was a man of great stature, but I never expected him to utter such cowardly words. It's truly disappointing!"

Xie Zhiyu's face immediately darkened: "What? Are you mocking me?"

“That’s right, we’re mocking you!” Tan Shihuai nodded frankly.

"you......!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyu's face flushed red with anger, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Tan Shihuai's expression turned solemn: "The Left Wise King also grew up on the grasslands since childhood. Don't you know the principle that the strong rule?"

Your royal court has been occupied by me, and instead of blaming your own weakness, you blame us. What else is this but cowardice?

Furthermore, when your Xiongnu were at their peak, you occupied other people's pastures and killed their people quite a few times.

Why can't I accept it now that it's my turn?

"I.....!"

These words struck Xie Zhi like a thunderbolt, leaving him somewhat dizzy and unsure how to respond.

Tan Shihuai continued, "The struggle between you and me is only for the survival of our respective tribes."

Shouldn't your true enemy be the Han Dynasty, which destroyed the glory of your Xiongnu?

"The Great Han?"

Upon hearing those two words, Xie Zhiyu's expression changed slightly, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

Then Xie Zhiyu raised his head and looked at Tan Shihuai: "So you want to release me and let me go to attack the Han Dynasty?"

Tan Shihua nodded: "Not bad!"

"Are you kidding me? Do you think we can beat a giant like Han in our current form?"

Xie Zhiyu's expression changed, and he stared at Tan Shihuai with an unfriendly look.

Although he hated the Han Dynasty, he was also very clear about his own strength. To attack the Han Dynasty would be no different from suicide.

Han Sui, who was standing nearby, also stepped forward and said, "A frontal attack is definitely not feasible, but other methods are still possible!"

"Other aspects?"

Xie Zhiyu was slightly taken aback and looked at Han Sui with some confusion.

Han Sui smiled and said, "The Left Wise King can go to the Western Regions just like the Yuezhi people did back then!"

Xie Zhiyu frowned: "The Western Regions? You mean we should leave the grasslands?"

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