Chapter 1005 Don't Miss the Opportunity
Two days later, a rider galloped into the Western Turkic camp.
A moment later, Ashina Zhuxie came out of the main tent and slowly walked along the path to a tent in the corner of the camp. He did not know that a special envoy from Luoyang would come and stay, so this tent was temporarily set up for him by Wang Shaoqiu after he arrived. He did not have many people with him, just two or three, who squeezed into a smaller tent on the other side.
Therefore, there were no guards in front of his tent, and he himself seemed not to care. Ashina Zhuxie reached out and lifted the tent flap and went inside.
Upon entering the tent, they saw Wang Shaoqiu sitting inside, holding a ball of powder in his hand.
It appears to be a handkerchief.
He held the handkerchief to his nose, seemingly inhaling its scent. His expression was somewhat dazed, as if his soul had been captured. He didn't even notice Ashina Zhuxie entering until a tall shadow loomed over him. Only then did he snap out of his daze, immediately stuffing the pink handkerchief back into his robes and rising to greet him: "When did the Khan arrive?"
Ashina Zhuxie, seeing that he immediately composed himself and became cautious, calmly said, "Has this Khan disturbed the special envoy?"
"No. Khan, please sit down."
Ashina Zhuxie also raised his hand, and the two of them sat down.
After settling down, Ashina Zhuxie looked up at the person opposite him. Wang Shaoqiu clearly knew that he had witnessed what had just happened, and although he was cautious and composed, his expression was still somewhat unnatural. Ashina Zhuxie smiled faintly and said, "The special envoy doesn't look too well. Are you feeling unwell?"
Wang Shaoqiu forced a smile and said, "My body has always been like this."
"Oh, then it must have been a long and arduous journey for you, Special Envoy."
"It's my duty."
“But staying here and waiting for these two days is not your responsibility.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Shaoqiu was taken aback, but he immediately guessed something from Ashina Zhuxie's flickering eyes. He asked, "Is it... news from Lü Shang Ruyi?"
"good."
When did they arrive here?
Seeing Wang Shaoqiu's intense gaze, Ashina Zhuxie paused for a moment before saying, "They probably won't come here."
"What!?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Shaoqiu's expression immediately changed. The inexplicable tenderness that had lingered in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by calm and rationality. He said, "Shang Ruyi left Chang'an with her people, wasn't it for Xia Prefecture? Why wouldn't she come here?"
Only then did Ashina Zhuxie raise his hand. Wang Shaoqiu noticed that he was holding a piece of paper with only a few lines of text on it, which seemed to be an urgent report sent back by scouts at the front. Ashina Zhuxie said, "I also thought that Princess Qiancheng's request for help from Chang'an, and Yuwen Yuan's order for this Princess Qin to lead a force out of Chang'an, must be to relieve the crisis in Xia Prefecture. But I didn't expect that it wasn't."
"..."
"She did not leave Yanmen Pass, but went to Suizhou."
"Suizhou?"
The place name, which was completely meaningless to them at this moment, made Wang Shaoqiu's expression even more puzzled—Shang Ruyi was leaving Chang'an with her people at this time, not to come to Xia Prefecture, but to Sui Prefecture instead. What was she trying to do?
Could it be—
Wang Shaoqiu immediately asked, "What's in Suizhou?"
Ashina Zhuxie looked at him with a flicker in his eyes: "This, you may have to ask the special envoy, after all, I am not familiar with the people and things of your Central Plains."
Wang Shaoqiu sensed something: "What person and matter does the Khan want to ask about?"
"For example—Zuo Heng."
"..."
"For example, the suspected tomb of Zuo Gong."
Upon hearing the words "Zuo Gong's Suspected Tomb," Wang Shaoqiu's expression immediately changed, and his gaze became even more profound and refined. He lowered his voice and said in a deep voice, "Why does the Khan know this? Why ask about Zuo Gong's suspected tomb at this time?"
Ashina Zhuxie also sensed the importance of the "Zuo Gong's Suspected Tomb" from the subtle changes in his expression, but he still maintained a calm demeanor and said, "My men followed Shang Ruyi and that Lüxiao all the way and found that they mentioned Zuo Heng and the Zuo Gong's Suspected Tomb more than once along the way; I originally thought that after they left Tongguan, they would head north out of Yanmen to come to the aid of Xiazhou, but I did not expect that they would actually go to Suizhou."
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Ashina Zhuxie's eyes: "I know Zuo Heng. He once gave Chu Yang a lot of trouble. What about Zuo Gong's Suspicious Tomb?"
"..."
Wang Shaoqiu thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Congratulations, Khan."
"Um?"
"The information the Khan received this time is likely to be even greater than the benefits gained from conquering Xia Prefecture."
"Oh? What happened?"
"The Suspected Tomb of Zuo Gong—"
Wang Shaoqiu told Ashina Zhuxie everything he knew, which was also known to almost all the ministers of the previous dynasty, about the many false tombs set up by Zuo Chen'an, and the wealth of enemy countries that might be hidden within them.
Upon hearing about the wealth of the enemy country, Ashina Zhuxie's eyes twitched slightly.
As for his true purpose in this southward campaign, the location and the targets are irrelevant, because he has no real grudges with the various powers in the Central Plains. Even if there were, these could be resolved through mutual benefit. Therefore, his primary objective in this southward campaign is to seize resources through warfare, which is almost the most crucial survival skill for a regional hegemon in a chaotic world. And now, there is a place that may hold an astonishing amount of treasure—how could anyone not be tempted?
only--
He looked at Wang Shaoqiu and said, "You mean, Shang Ruyi went to Suizhou this time to find Zuo Gong's suspected tomb?"
"That seems to be the case."
As he spoke, Wang Shaoqiu lowered his voice again, but in a low, husky voice that seemed to have the allure of a devil, he said, "Khan, don't miss this opportunity."
Ashina Zhuxie pondered for a moment, then said with a half-smile, "Since it's called the Suspicious Tomb, it must not be known to everyone. If everyone knew where Zuo Chen'an was buried, the contents inside would probably have been divided up long ago."
Wang Shaoqiu said, "The Khan is wise."
"So--"
"The one who truly knows where Zuo Chen'an was buried should be his own son, Zuo Heng."
"Didn't he die in battle a few years ago?"
"Although he is dead, those who were with him may have obtained some clues about Zuo Gong's suspected tomb from him."
You mean—
"Xiao Yuansui".
At this point, a dark cloud flashed across Wang Shaoqiu's eyes. He seemed to grit his teeth before continuing, "And Lüxiao was Xiao Yuansui's concubine back then."
Ashina Zhuxie narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You mean, Xiao Yuansui may have learned some clues about the suspected tomb of Zuo Gong from Zuo Heng, and he may have told these clues to Lüxiao. So now, Shang Ruyi's purpose in going to Suizhou is—"
Wang Shaoqiu looked at him with shining eyes: "Khan, don't miss this opportunity!"
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