Chapter 20: Martial Arts Competition
A cold anger mixed with deep sorrow surged in Liu Jin's chest.
He not only thought of Princess An Ning and Concubine Li, but also of his own child who hadn't even opened his eyes to see the world! Blood ties, flesh and blood ties, that was the most profound human love!
Liu Jin had no biological children, so he adopted these three sons of the royal family. Although they were not related by blood, he poured his heart and soul into them.
If a marriage is to be arranged, a woman of marriageable age must be selected from the royal family, her life will be forcibly deprived and she will be thrown into the fire pit!
Liu Jin's gaze passed through the beaded curtain and fell on Ashina Moduo's face, which was full of ambition and brutality.
The Turks are like wolves, hard to tame! War is inevitable between the Celestial Empire and the Turks! This is national policy, this is destiny!
"What the Khan wants,"
Liu Jin's voice finally rang out, breaking the oppressive silence in the hall.
The sound was not loud, but it was like a glacier suddenly breaking, carrying a decisive and unquestionable pressure, and it was clearly transmitted to every corner of the hall.
"I cannot agree to this."
"What?!"
The arrogance on Ashina Moduo's face froze in an instant, and then turned into incredible rage!
He took a step forward suddenly, and the guards in front of the palace gripped the hilt of their swords tightly!
Eagle eyes stared at the emperor behind the pearl curtain, and the sound was like the roar of a wounded beast.
"Your Majesty! What are you saying?! You are actually going to reject this Khan's marriage proposal?! This is the greatest humiliation for our Turkic people! Aren't you afraid..."
Liu Jin interrupted him coldly, his gaze behind the pearl curtain as sharp as a knife, as if it could penetrate Ashina Moduo's chest.
"I rule the four seas and all nations, so what do I have to fear? Turkic Khan, listen carefully."
Liu Jin's voice suddenly rose, carrying with it a dignified aura that pierced the sky:
"First, I have no daughters, nor any daughters of royal family of marriageable age. The daughters of the Celestial Empire are not commodities, so how can I marry them lightly?"
"Secondly, the Celestial Empire is a nation of great power, with all nations paying tribute. Its borders are peaceful and secure, guarded by its own powerful soldiers and generals! It does not need, and will never, sacrifice a woman's marriage in exchange for it!"
"Third, the key to good neighborliness lies in equality and mutual trust, not using women as hostages! If the Khan truly seeks peace, he should restrain his people, strictly observe the borders, and share what he has with us. This is the correct path! If he insists on threatening us with war..."
Liu Jin's voice was as cold as ice, filled with murderous intent:
"My cavalry is not just for show! You can give it a try!"
Every word was sonorous and resounding! Like thunder, it exploded in the Purple Palace!
The entire court was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous shouts of excitement:
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"The Celestial Empire is mighty!"
"How dare the barbarians be so presumptuous!"
The crowd was excited! The civil officials were so excited that they shed tears, and the military generals were so excited that their blood boiled. They couldn't wait to grab their swords and mount their horses to fight to the death with the Turkic barbarians!
This is the emperor they are loyal to! This is the spirit of a great nation!
No cession of territory! No marriage alliance! No tribute! The emperor guards the borders! The king dies for the country!
Ashina Moduo's face turned ashen in an instant, and then turned red like pig liver!
He never expected that Liu Jin would be so tough and ruthless in rejecting him!
They even threatened him in return! A huge sense of humiliation and rage erupted in his chest like magma!
He felt like a clown, being laughed at by all the Han people in the hall!
"Great! What a great emperor of the Celestial Empire! What a great one who doesn't need a marriage alliance!"
Ashinamo laughed in anger, his voice like sandpaper rubbing against each other, full of violence.
"Since Your Majesty boasts of being the Celestial Empire, with its mighty military and powerful cavalry, I would like to see if your warriors are as sharp-tongued as Your Majesty!"
He turned abruptly, his eagle-like eyes sweeping across the hall full of military officers and nobles, finally landing back on the throne, with naked provocation and humiliation in his eyes:
"I've long heard that the Celestial Empire is a flourishing martial arts country, with many experts! Under my command, I also have a few unskilled warriors who are only slightly skilled in fighting and kicking!
Today, I'll set up a fighting arena in front of this Purple Palace! Let's meet friends through martial arts! Three rounds limit!
If the warriors of the Celestial Empire can defeat the Turks twice, this Khan will immediately offer ten times the tribute, kowtow and apologize, and never mention the marriage alliance again! If not..."
He deliberately dragged out his tone, with a ferocious smile on his face:
"Then please, Your Majesty, take back what you just said! Consider this Khan's request for marriage carefully! Otherwise... humph!
We Turks, with millions of men at the helm, must see whether your Majesty's cavalry can truly withstand the wrath of the steppes!"
In the name of a martial arts competition, they were actually humiliating! If the Celestial Empire lost, not only would it lose face, but it would also be forced to accept a marriage alliance, completely destroying its national prestige!
The hall suddenly became quiet.
The anger was still burning, but Ashina Moduo's harsh words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the hearts of many people.
The Turks were renowned for their bravery and skill in battle. The ones Ashina Moduo brought with him must have been carefully selected top-tier warriors!
"Your Majesty! I demand a fight!" A burly general of the imperial guards could no longer contain himself, stepped out, clasped his fists, and stared with his eyes wide open.
"I also want to fight!" Several more generals stood up.
However, before Liu Jin could speak, a figure like an iron tower emerged from behind Ashina Moduo!
This man was over nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a big waist. His muscles were as knotty as rocks. His naked upper body was covered with hideous scars. He had a rough face and fierce eyes like a man-eating beast.
He walked to the center of the hall, and his huge feet stepped on the golden bricks, making a dull sound, like a giant elephant walking forward.
He slammed his fists together, making a dull "bang" sound that made people's eardrums buzz.
Then, he stretched out his large palm-leaf fan-like hand, pointed at the several generals of the Celestial Empire who had just requested a fight, hooked his finger in extreme contempt, and shouted in stiff Chinese:
"Han dogs! Trash! Come on! I'm the Blood Slaughterer of Barag. I can crush you to death with one hand!"
Arrogant! Arrogant! Insolent!
The generals who requested to fight were so angry that their faces turned pale, but they were also frightened by the terrifying momentum of the other side, and no one dared to step forward first.
They had heard of the name of Barhu, a famous Turkic slayer of a thousand men, with immense strength, and it was said that he could tear tigers and leopards apart with his bare hands!
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became solemn and depressing.
In this suffocating stalemate moment——
A clear and calm voice sounded, breaking the deadlock.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
The second prince Liu Cong walked out slowly from the queue of princes, his figure as straight as a green pine, and his moon-white prince's uniform looked particularly elegant in the solemn palace.
He walked to the foot of the imperial steps and saluted Liu Jin respectfully with a calm and elegant posture, as if the tense atmosphere before him had nothing to do with him.
"Your Highness, I believe that the Khan is a guest from afar. Since we are making friends through military force, we should just stop when the time is right. Our Celestial Empire is full of talented people, so we will certainly accompany you."
Liu Cong's voice was neither hurried nor slow, carrying a strange soothing power.
He did not look at the ferocious Barhu, but turned to Ashina Moduo, with a perfect, gentle smile on his beautiful face.
"The warriors under the Khan's command are indeed formidable. However, our Celestial Empire values courtesy and does not tolerate the bullying of the weak by the many. In this bout, how about one of my guards sparring with this warrior?"
Liu Cong's words were like a gentle breeze, instantly resolving the awkward dilemma faced by several generals and also giving Ashina Moduo enough face.
However, the calmness and confidence in his words made Ashina Moduo's heart inexplicably tight.
"Oh? Second Prince?"
Ashina Mo narrowed his eagle-like eyes slightly, looking at the unbelievably handsome young prince in front of him, and sneered in his heart.
You're just a brat, and you dare to stand out?
He wanted to see what kind of decent guards this pretty boy could provide!
"Since Your Highness is in the mood for refinement, I will naturally accompany you. I wonder where Your Highness's guards are..."
Liu Cong smiled slightly, said nothing, and just clapped his hands lightly.
The crisp sound of clapping was particularly clear in the silent hall.
The next moment, a figure appeared silently at the door of the hall like a ghost, and then walked to Liu Cong's side with a seemingly unhurried pace, but it covered a distance of more than ten feet in the blink of an eye, and stood solemnly with his hands hanging down.
When they saw who was coming, the entire Purple Palace, including Ashina Moduo, fell into a strange silence and... shock!
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