Chapter 85 If Yunxi really falls in love with someone else,
The pronunciation of "girl" is a bit strange, and it's obvious that the person in the word is not Han Chinese.
Yunxi looked warily at the person in the middle, the one who had called out her name.
Dust billowed as the three approached Yunxi, and she suddenly spoke, shouting, "Stop!"
The burly man in the middle immediately reined in his horse. The horse neighed and its hooves were raised high. The other two men also quickly reined in their horses.
Yunxi held the reins in one hand and a dagger in the other, asking, "Who are you people, and why do you know my name?"
The three exchanged a glance and dismounted.
Then, he placed one fist on his chest and bowed respectfully to Yunxi.
Yunxi raised an eyebrow.
The burly man with a thick beard in the middle said in a broken voice, "Miss Yunxi, you are a friend of our Second Prince."
Yunxi's expression froze.
No wonder these people followed her back then.
It was as if her veil and hood had fallen off, revealing her true face.
However, she quickly realized the problem and seized the loophole.
Even when Xu Yuansi came to the capital last time, she met him through a screen. How could these people possibly know her?
A sense of unease crept into her mind, and she asked, "We've never met before, so why do you know me?"
“The second prince often looks at your paintings,” the person in the middle explained with some difficulty.
Yunxi was speechless for a moment, but thinking that Xu Yuansi's paintings were indeed very good, she still asked with some unease, "Where are you going?"
She couldn't possibly reveal her purpose before she even knew the person.
The burly man with the thick beard immediately said angrily, "Damn Xueyantuo tribe captured the second prince, and we were on our way to rescue him."
After Yunxi felt relieved, she was overjoyed.
These three men were all Turks, familiar with the terrain, and spoke the same language, which increased their chances of rescuing Xu Yuansi.
However, this was not the time for lengthy deliberation. After Yunxi explained her plan, the three of them had no objections and rushed straight to the last checkpoint.
Before the group chasing them could react, the four of them changed their clothes, and Yunxi, disguised as their slave, was dragged by the hand out of the checkpoint.
Once they were out of the checkpoint, the four of them dared not rest for even a moment.
After a hurried journey, the group finally managed to escape the checkpoint's territory and were able to rest.
After some conversation, Irjian, the only Turkic person who could speak Chinese, asked, "Miss Yunxi, where are you going this time?"
"The second prince who will save you."
After Yierjian explained to the people around him in shock, the others looked at Yunxi with the same expression.
"Miss Yunxi, are you going to rescue the Second Prince like us?" Irjian asked impatiently, as if he thought he had misheard.
“Yes.” Yunxi nodded firmly.
"This journey will be difficult," Irgen warned.
Staring at him, Yunxi smiled, her chin resting on her hand. "So what if it's difficult? Aren't you all going to save him anyway?"
After Yierjian finished speaking to the two people beside him, the three of them stood up, put one fist to their chest, and bowed deeply.
Soon, Yunxi also learned why Xu Yuansi had been arrested.
When Xu Yuansi returned to the Turkic Khaganate, his profound knowledge and medical skills earned him the favor of the old Khan, who even divided his military power in two. This naturally made him a thorn in the side of the eldest prince. The eldest prince had previously advised Xu Yuansi to go to the Jing Kingdom, but upon his return, the old Khan had died. The eldest prince seized the opportunity to become the new Khan of the Turkic Khaganate, but because Xu Yuansi held military power, he couldn't openly attack him. Therefore, this time the Khan sent Xu Yuansi to subdue the Xueyantuo tribe. However, unbeknownst to him, the Xueyantuo tribe had already learned of the second prince's marching route and troop deployment, ultimately leading to an ambush at Jinshan.
Iljian said, "The Khan now claims that the Second Prince is 'reckless and arrogant,' and that the negotiations demanded by the Xueyantuo tribe are still under discussion. The three of us escaped from the Turkic royal court, and we must rescue the Second Prince."
Yunxi nodded. The fact that the enemy knew the marching route and troop deployment made it hard not to suspect that this was a means for the Turkic Khan to eliminate Xu Yuansi. Moreover, the other side would definitely use the pretext of negotiation to delay until Xu Yuansi was executed.
However, according to the intelligence from Yierjian and his team, Xu Yuansi has been moved to Yudu Mountain, near the royal tent, which is heavily guarded, making a rescue extremely difficult.
She originally planned to infiltrate the military camp and then seize an opportunity to rescue them.
But since Xu Yuansi has already been moved to Yudu Mountain, the chances of her rescuing her single-handedly are extremely low.
Right now, she can only make use of all available resources; if all else fails, she...
Yunxi lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before asking, "Were all the people who followed Prince Xu captured?"
"No! When the second prince sensed something was wrong, he ordered the troops to retreat. But they haven't been able to contact anyone yet, so they don't know how many people actually escaped."
Because they had captured Xu Yuansi, the Xueyantuo tribe did not choose to pursue him at that time.
"Do you have a way to find these people?" Yunxi pressed.
"Yes, but it will take time," Ilgen replied.
“But that’s not enough to be safe.” Yunxi stood up; she wanted to be absolutely certain.
As the three of them looked up, Yunxi lowered her eyes slightly to look at Yierjian and asked, "Are you scared to death?"
Yierjian patted his chest and said, "I'm not afraid! The eagles of the grasslands are never afraid of death."
"Alright!" Yunxi clapped her hands and looked intently at Yierjian, saying, "Then do you dare to venture with me into the Uyghur territory?"
Iljian's large, bell-like eyes suddenly snapped open, as if he had never expected to hear such a shocking statement from a woman.
"Don't dare?" Yunxi raised an eyebrow.
She stood beneath the burning sky, her expression resolute and unapproachable, so much so that for a moment no one dared to look directly at her.
“Who says I dare not!” Irgen felt his blood rushing to his head. “To save the Second Prince, Irgen will never fear death.”
"That's great!" Yun Xi laughed heartily.
For a moment, it was even more dazzling than the setting sun.
Three days later.
A wave of heat emanated from outside the Uyghur tent. The door was wide open, yet not a breath of cool air could be seen, and even the wolf flags hung limply. Inside the tent, the air was thick with the sweltering heat of the rising grass and the tartness of mare's milk wine.
The Uyghur Khan, with half his arm bare and beads of sweat glistening on his bronze skin, was cutting a roasted lamb leg with a dagger. The chieftains leaned against felt rugs in twos and threes, their scabbards too hot to touch.
Suddenly the curtain was lifted, and a maid carrying a wine jar walked in.
Just as she walked to the Uyghur Khan's desk and squatted down to pour wine, a flash of cold light appeared, and a short blade suddenly appeared at the Uyghur Khan's neck.
Panic gripped the area inside the siege, and the guards outside rushed in, swords drawn, but no one dared to make a move.
The Uyghur Khan stared at Yunxi and rattled off a string of words.
"Is there anyone who understands Chinese?" Yunxi held the dagger steadily and glanced at everyone present.
Someone stood up at the end.
Yunxi licked her chapped lips. "Alright, then you can translate for your Khan."
"Tell your Khan that the Xueyantuo's arrows are already aimed at the Uyghurs."
The young man's words at the end immediately changed the expressions of everyone present.
Yunxi pulled a roll of sheepskin from his bosom and slapped it open.
"The Xueyantuo have a secret pact with the Turks," she said, tapping her finger on the map. "If the second prince dies, the Xueyantuo will ally with the Turks and march south to the Dule River. Will your Uyghur summer pastures be enough for them to divide?"
The chiefs became agitated.
"Bullshit!" A chieftain with a face covered in tattoos kicked over a wine sack. "The Xueyantuo dare to touch our pastures?"
"Why wouldn't you dare? Do the men of the Uyghurs still have a shred of courage? They only know how to cower here, waiting for the Xueyantuo and Turkic troops to trample on your homeland."
After the young man translated, the Khan stared at Yunxi and suddenly said something.
"You are a Han Chinese, yet you come to help the second Turkic prince lobby?"
"The Khan is a wise man, and I like to work with wise men." Yunxi smiled at him and surprisingly put down the dagger.
Seeing that the Khan was no longer restrained, the people inside the tent were about to rush in and seize Yunxi, but the Khan waved his hand.
Yunxi seemed completely unconcerned about the tense atmosphere. She even leisurely poured herself a bowl of wine, tilted her head back, and drank it down in large gulps.
A woman, all alone, ventured deep into the enemy camp. Her composure within the enemy's royal tent earned her the Khan's admiration.
Yunxi slammed down the bowl and said, “Khan should know about the Second Prince’s background? The Emperor of Jing has already secretly reached an agreement with the Second Prince to help him ascend the throne, and I am the envoy chosen by the Emperor of Jing.”
"You Han people have a saying: 'Words are no proof.'" The Khan shifted his posture and stared at Yunxi.
Yunxi made it all up; where would she get any evidence?
"They say fortune favors the bold." Yunxi smiled and looked at the middle-aged man sitting in the middle. "I wonder if the Khan has the guts to gamble with me."
She casually tossed the sharp blade in her hand, but it embedded itself directly into the stone pillar.
This move stunned everyone present for a moment.
Yunxi walked with his hands behind his back as if strolling leisurely through the enemy's camp.
"For the sake of peace on the border, Jing Kingdom chose to ally with the Second Prince. But the Khan should also know that the Turks are now powerful, and with Jing Kingdom as their backer, it's only a matter of time before they annex you." Yunxi narrowed his eyes. "Therefore, His Majesty will never allow the Turks to occupy the entire grassland, fatten up their horses, and then deal with Jing Kingdom. So, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and you Uyghur men are the bravest, naturally the best choice to restrain the Turks."
The Khan laughed loudly and said, "An old saying in the Central Plains goes that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Why don't I wait for the Turks and the Jing Kingdom to kill each other and then become the fisherman?"
Yunxi laughed and said, "Now that the Turkic Khan has secretly formed an alliance with the Xueyantuo tribe, guess what the Xueyantuo tribe will do next with the support of the Turks?"
The Khan finally sat up straight, his eyes gleaming with the light of a sword.
"Tell me your plans."
"The second prince of the Turks needs an ally now, but if you want the summer pastures of Xueyantuo, the mineral veins of Yudu Mountain, and the water source of Dule River, then lend me eight hundred elite soldiers."
She pulled the sharp blade from the pillar. "Tonight, the Uyghur light cavalry will disguise themselves as bandits and travel with me along the Dule River." The blade traced an arc. "I will lead the vanguard to raid the camp at night, and you will only need to follow me in the charge. After it is done, everything of the Xueyantuo tribe will be yours."
"You, take down the Xueyantuo tribe with minimal losses," she said, her gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Gentlemen, do you dare?"
Eight hundred light cavalrymen—this gamble is worth taking.
Even if we fail, we can certainly inflict heavy damage on the Xueyantuo tribe, and then we can deal with them gradually.
No matter how you look at it, it's a worthwhile deal for the Uyghurs.
"Fine!" the Khan slammed his fist on the table and roared, "But I demand that the Second Prince make a pact that if he ascends the throne one day, no taxes will be levied on Uyghur caravans passing through the Turkic territory!"
"Great!" Yunxi laughed smugly and extended his hand to the Khan to "make a pact."
She clapped her hands three times, then turned and walked towards the blinding sunlight outside the tent. "I'll be waiting for you outside."
"Aren't you afraid we'll go back on our word?" the Khan asked from behind her.
"I believe the wolves of the Uyghurs dare to bite the sheep of the Xueyantuo!"
Outside the tent, the heat was intense; she stood in the blazing sun, a golden outline drawn behind her.
Her slender figure can support the entire sky.
Xiao Shenjing traveled from the capital to Datong in just three days.
From Yulin Station to Jiming Station and then to Datong Station, they rode at full speed until they reached Datong before stopping to rest.
To travel from Datong to Yinshan and catch up with Yunxi, one must travel through Deshengbao, Fengzhen, Jining, and then to Guihua City.
These towns were the first targets of the Turkic invasion, and Dao Yi was prepared to risk his life to remonstrate with His Majesty, insisting that His Majesty must not be allowed to advance any further.
Just as Dao Yi was thinking this, the inspector stationed in Datong brought new news.
When Xiao Shenjing opened the message, his fingers gripped the letter so tightly they turned white, and his entire expression changed.
Shock and rage mingled, and finally, his eyes flashed with a maddening jealousy and pain.
She actually went to such lengths for Xu Yuansi?
Despite having no bargaining chips, he dared to venture alone into the enemy camp to negotiate with the Uyghur Khan.
A mere thousand men dared to launch a night raid on the Xueyantuo tribe and engage in battle with the four thousand elite troops stationed there.
How could she?
How dare you?
For Xu Yuansi, would you risk your life like this?
In his extreme rage, his phoenix eyes held a dark and terrifying emotion.
It was terrifyingly cold.
"Your Majesty," Dao Yi bowed and asked, "Would you like to rest here tonight?"
A single sentence shattered the stagnant atmosphere.
Xiao Shenjing finally came to his senses and, amidst the dull pain in his heart, waved his hand at Dao Yi.
He closed his eyes briefly, unable to bear it any longer, and clenched his hands, forcibly suppressing his out-of-control emotions.
In any case, it's good that she's still alive.
As long as she lives
But I still can't control my mind.
She tried every possible way to escape him.
Yet, to save another man, she traveled thousands of miles without regard for anything else, risking everything, even her life.
Was Xu Yuansi really that important to her?
Does she really like Xu Yuansi?
Countless sharp needles suddenly pierced Xiao Shenjing's heart.
A series of sharp, stabbing pains almost suffocated him, making it hard for him to breathe.
At this moment, the young emperor dared not think about what he would do if Yunxi really fell in love with another man.
at night.
"No, no, Yunxi!" Xiao Shenjing suddenly woke up from his dream, his forehead veins bulging.
As his heart convulsed uncontrollably in excruciating pain, he sat up, his back soaked with cold sweat.
He dreamed that Yunxi had died.
Outside the room, a casual-looking eunuch asked with concern, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
"It's alright." In the darkness, Xiao Shenjing slowly covered his eyes.
A trace of scarlet remained at the corner of her eye.
The secret letter contained only a few simple sentences about Yunxi leading a group of soldiers to storm the Xueyantuo tribe and launch a night raid on the Xueyantuo tribe to rescue the second Turkic prince.
But that night was incredibly magnificent and thrilling.
Before the war drums were sounded, the arrows were fired.
More than a thousand iron cavalrymen poured down the hillside like a black tide. Their hooves, wrapped in hemp cloth, pounded the ground silently, but suddenly accelerated when they were within a hundred paces of the enemy camp. Yun Xi led the way, her black and white horse tearing through the night like silver lightning. She drew her long sword with a backhand, the cold light on the blade illuminating her cold and sharp eyes.
"kill!"
The command was like a thunderclap, and thousands of scimitars were drawn simultaneously, the sound of metal scraping together startling the crows that were roosting at night.
Just as the Xueyantuo warriors guarding the gate raised their horns, Yunxi's cold sword arrived, hot blood splattering onto Yunxi's leather armor, winding down along the patterns.
The flickering torchlight reflected in her eyes, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints. There was no roar, not a trace of hesitation.
A curved blade came slashing from the left; she dodged it by sidestepping the edge, and grabbed the attacker's wrist with her left hand, twisting it sharply. With a cracking sound, the stolen blade was already plunged into the chest of a third man.
A sudden gust of wind rose behind her. She leaned forward and pressed herself against the saddle. The spiked club grazed her hair. Yunxi swung her sword back and struck. The head fell to the ground with eyes still wide open.
"Stop that woman!" More than ten golden-armored warriors advanced in formation. Yun Xi suddenly reined in her horse, and with a neigh, she drew her iron bow and fired three arrows in quick succession. The three men in the front row fell to the ground, arrows piercing their throats, and their formation instantly fell into chaos.
Suddenly, a deafening neighing of horses came from the east side. Irjian had already led his men to set fire to the stables, and the frightened warhorses charged towards the group like a flood.
Amidst the chaos of the fire, Yunxi seized the opportunity to charge into the enemy ranks on horseback. His longsword transformed into a flash of silver light as he fearlessly plunged into the enemy's camp, heading towards the direction where Xu Yuansi was imprisoned.
Her black hair danced wildly in the bloody wind like mad snakes, and Yunxi's sword churned up a wave of blood.
She didn't even flinch when the arrow grazed her cheek.
She hacked her way through the flames, her longsword slicing through the curtains of flesh and blood.
Blood beads slid down her chin, but she didn't even flinch.
If a god comes, kill the god; if a Buddha comes, kill the Buddha.
There was no fear or hesitation in her almond-shaped eyes, only an unwavering determination to move forward.
"Come on!" She slashed away the spears that came flying at her with her backhand, warm blood splattering on her brow bone. With each person she killed, she got one step closer to Xu Yuansi.
She said she would save him, and so she did.
Knowing full well that the road ahead is strewn with corpses and seas of blood, yet not a trace of gloom remains in their eyes; facing thousands of enemy troops, yet leaving no way out in their hearts.
Though there be millions, I will go!
When her sword broke, she seized the enemy's knife; when her horse was killed, she took the enemy's rider. The Turkic soldiers, their eyes bloodshot, followed her. All the Turkic men behind her believed that this blood-soaked woman could rescue their second prince and lead them to safety.
When Yun Xi kicked the corpse aside and rushed into the tent with a blood-dripping sword in hand, Xu Yuansi, who was tied to a pillar, was utterly astonished. His cracked lips trembled as he called out, "Yun Xi."
"It's me." She was covered in blood, her arms so tired she could barely lift them, but she calmly raised an eyebrow and smiled at him, then ran to him and deftly used her longsword to deflect the ropes. "I'll get you out of here."
Although Xu Yuansi was not subjected to severe torture, he was not much better off.
She didn't know how long she had been bound, and after being untied she almost couldn't stand. Still worried about Yunxi, she anxiously asked, "How did you get here? Why did you come? This is too dangerous!"
"I told you, I'm very capable." After saying that, she single-handedly helped Xu Yuansi out of the tent, snatched a horse, pulled him onto it, and then shouted to the Turkic soldiers behind her, "The Second Prince has been rescued! Everyone, follow me and charge out!"
"Charge!"
The battlefield was ablaze with flames, and blood stained the entire battlefield.
Thick smoke, carrying sparks, tumbled across the night sky, turning the waning moon a dark red. Broken banners fluttered in the heat, burning tents crackled and popped, and the stench of burnt leather mingled with the stench of blood was nauseating.
The ground was littered with mutilated corpses, and blood flowed in thin streams. In this hell on earth, Yunxi repeatedly deflected the spears and swords thrusting at her, and time and again protected Xu Yuansi behind her.
Until they broke through the encirclement, the crimson faded from everyone's sight.
Yunxi reined in his horse.
The horses' hooves flew high, kicking up countless grains of sand.
All the surviving Turkic warriors looked at the slender woman on horseback.
She was covered in blood, even her cheeks were mottled and crimson, but her almond-shaped eyes were pure black and dazzlingly bright.
This battle allowed these men of the grasslands to witness the bravery and strength of women, and everyone was filled with awe and respect.
"I didn't lie to you, did I?" Yunxi turned around and looked at Xu Yuansi.
"No, no!" Xu Yuansi's eyes trembled, and when he couldn't help but reach out to hug her, she fell straight off the horse.
At the moment "Yunxi" was spoken, Xu Yuansi's heart stopped.
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