That night, the eldest prince brought his entourage and killed all the sons and loyal servants of his other brothers with knives, and the women all became his concubines.

The howling and screaming echoed all over the river bank; the snow on the ground was soaked with blood and turned a brilliant red.

On the third day, the camp was still filled with a strong smell of blood.

Yelu Khan was in a coma, and the few remaining elders of the tribe did not come forward to stop the eldest prince from killing them all. The guards patrolling the camp were all replaced by the eldest prince's personal followers.

Yao Ying's tent was surrounded by the most valiant knights of the Yelu tribe from morning till night, and Xie Qing stayed with her almost every step of the way.

On the fourth day, the guards suddenly rushed into the tent and said anxiously: "Princess, the people of the Yelu tribe are going to kill our horses!"

When Yao Ying got married, she brought a hundred fine horses from the Wei Dynasty, one of which was the precious Wusun horse that Li Zhongqian had given her. After arriving in the Yelu tribe, her horse was taken care of by the herdsmen of the Yelu tribe and the personal soldiers she brought with her.

Xie Qingteng stood up and said, "I'll go take a look."

Yao Ying also stood up: "You go and stop those people, I will go find the eldest prince."

The person who gave the order was the eldest prince, and only by stopping the eldest prince could she save her horse.

Xie Qing thought about it and felt uneasy, so he asked the other guards to go to the stable, and he stayed with Yao Ying to accompany her to find the eldest prince.

The eldest prince was drinking in his tent. When a female slave came in to report, he put down his wine bowl, laughed loudly, and stood up to greet her.

Yao Ying entered the tent and immediately shouted angrily with a cold face: "Has the Yelu tribe forgotten the alliance with the Wei Dynasty? If the prince does not want to keep his promise, send me back to the Central Plains! I am a princess of the Wei Dynasty, the Khatun married by the Yelu tribe. The prince humiliated me like this, aren't you afraid that the Wei Dynasty will send troops to attack?"

The eldest prince looked surprised, narrowed his eyes, and said with a smile: "Princess, you misunderstood. My Yelu tribe admires the Central Plains Dynasty. How could we go back on our word?"

He paused after saying this, and looked at Yaoying carefully from head to toe, his eyes moving back and forth over her body like a knife.

"Princess, rest assured. According to our customs, even if my father Khan unfortunately passed away, I will keep my promise to befriend the Wei Dynasty. With a new Khan, the princess will still be the most honorable Khatun of the Yelu tribe."

He said meaningfully: "I will love the princess well on behalf of my father the Khan."

Yaoying lowered her eyelashes and trembled, as if she didn't dare to face the eldest prince's naked gaze, and her pale hands tightly grasped her sleeves.

The eldest prince saw the fear she was trying so hard to conceal, and he felt like there were hundreds of cat paws scratching at her in his heart. He couldn't help but move closer and take a deep sniff.

Han women were indeed different from those horse-stinking women in the tribe. They were delicate, soft, white and tender, with an alluring fragrance.

Better than the sweetest cheese.

The eldest prince had an intoxicated look on his face. He took another step forward and reached out to hug Yaoying.

Yao Ying stepped back in fear, shaking even more violently: "Prince, we Central Plains people value etiquette the most. If something happens to the Khan, I need to write to the court and wait for the court to issue an imperial decree before I can follow the customs of your tribe. Otherwise, I would rather die than be humiliated!"

She raised her head, tears in her eyes and ripples of spring.

The beauty refused to show weakness, but every movement and every look showed how scared and helpless she was at the moment. Facing this tearful face, the eldest prince couldn't help but soften his heart.

This stunning beauty was his sooner or later.

The eldest prince smiled playfully and said, "I will ask someone to write the letter now, and the princess doesn't have to worry about it."

Yao Ying was silent for a while, then said with a stern face: "Why did the eldest prince order the killing of the horses I brought? Those fine horses were my dowry and the property of the Yelu tribe. They were gifts I prepared for the warriors of the Yelu tribe."

The eldest prince raised his lips and said, "Since it is the princess's dowry, it cannot be killed."

He called his follower into the tent and ordered him to release Yao Ying's horse. He stared at Yao Ying without blinking, with a threatening look in his eyes.

"The princess is made of water. I can't even take care of her, how can I bear to let her suffer any injustice?"

Yaoying's shoulders trembled slightly and she turned and walked out.

Xie Qing followed behind her.

Returning to her tent, Yao Ying raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Xie Qing said softly: "Princess, you have been wronged."

Yao Ying shook her head to indicate that it was all right, and sat cross-legged on the felt blanket, lowering her voice: "It seems that the eldest prince will not kill Yelu Khan immediately. He recognizes the alliance between Yelu Khan and the Wei Dynasty."

After the test, she could confirm that the eldest prince would not break the covenant. As long as the eldest prince still cared about the Wei Dynasty, she would be safe.

"But I always feel uneasy..."

Yao Ying shuddered all over when she thought of Biemutie's golden eyes.

The eldest prince was a rough and uncouth man who even dared to rob Tanmaraka's caravan. He didn't seem like the kind of person who could endure an assassination plan for half a year. However, judging from the hasty responses of the other princes at the wedding that night, the self-protection of the elders, and the eldest prince's calm and vicious methods, the eldest prince must have prepared for a long time.

In less than three days, he had wiped out all those who opposed him in the tribe.

Not a single fish escaped the net.

How could it be so meticulous if it wasn't carefully planned?

"All the other adult princes died, including the Khan's two adopted sons... Bemutie was highly valued by the Khan, but he was safe and sound, and even became the eldest prince's right-hand man."

"Everyone is trapped in the camp, and only the eldest prince's confidants can go in and out." Yao Ying murmured, "I suspect that Biemutie is the real person behind the scenes."

Biemutie has not shown up in the past two days, but she intuitively feels that everything that happened in the tribe is related to him.

Xie Qing was also impressed by Biemu Tie. The foreign man was tall and strong, with muscular body and sharp eyes like a falcon. It was obvious that he was an expert in riding and shooting. In the several battles when Li Xuanzhen led his troops to recapture Liangzhou, Biemu Tie showed bravery and Li De even rewarded him with a precious bow.

He asked in confusion: "Why did Bemuti betray the Khan who respected him and instead support the narrow-minded eldest prince? Wasn't he afraid that the eldest prince would kill him after he succeeded?"

Yao Ying's hands trembled slightly, and a previous suspicion slowly surfaced in her mind.

It was just a suspicion before, but now it seems that it is probably true.

She never expected that she would actually meet that ruthless killer in the Yelu tribe.

Yelu Khan was not scary, and she could barely deal with the eldest prince, but facing Biemutie, she had no chance of winning and just wanted to avoid him as much as possible.

But avoiding it doesn't mean she is safe.

Yao Ying pursed her lips, suppressed the uneasiness in her heart, called for a personal soldier who had some knowledge of medicine among her entourage, and took people to Yelu Khan's tent.

"The Khan is seriously ill. As the Khatun, I should take care of him with all my heart."

Tallie translated her words into the tribe's language.

The warriors in front of the tent looked at each other in bewilderment and sent someone to report the news to the eldest prince.

The eldest prince had just become lustful and was hugging the Hu girl for pleasure. Upon hearing this, he rubbed the Hu girl in his arms and said with a smile: "The princess is so loyal, it is a blessing for my Yelu tribe. Please take good care of my father Khan."

The old man will not live for many days, and the princess wants to take care of him. Let her do it. It will be a good opportunity for the princess to watch the old man die with her own eyes, so that she will completely submit to him.

The eldest prince felt even more itchy in his heart when he thought of Princess Wen Zhao, with tears in her eyes, looking up at him with such a charming and lovely face.

The Hu woman's cry came from the tent.

There was a strange, sour smell of mutton fat and strong liquor in Yelu Khan's tent. Yao Ying walked into the tent, suffocating so much that she could hardly raise her head.

Several Hu women were guarding in front of the bed. When they saw Yao Ying, they exchanged surprised looks.

Yao Ying signaled her personal guard to come forward and check Yelu Khan's pulse, then she took the felt handkerchief from the Hu woman and sat down beside the couch naturally.

The Hu women hesitated for a moment and then retreated respectfully.

Yelu Khan was lying on a felt blanket, his face was pale and his breathing was weak. The guard looked at his face, opened his eyelids and shook his head at Yaoying.

Yao Ying had expected this to happen. Yelu Khan must be beyond saving, otherwise the eldest prince would not dare to let her into the tent.

She continued to sit beside the couch, gradually getting used to the smell in the tent.

She stayed there at night. She heard voices outside the tent, and the eldest prince and Biemutie walked into the tent one after another.

The eldest prince glanced at Yaoying, ignored her, and turned to talk to Biemutie.

Yaoying lowered her eyes and her attitude was gentle and submissive.

Biemutei stared at her for a while with his yellow eyes, a sly smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said something to the prince in nonsense.

After hearing this, the eldest prince looked at Yao Ying with lustful eyes and answered in nonsensical language.

Yao Ying didn't move.

Beside her, Tali's face turned pale and she trembled all over.

The eldest prince kicked Tally and shouted, "Slave! Why didn't you tell the princess what I said?"

Talise shrank twice, hid behind Yao Ying, and dared not say a word.

The eldest prince looked at Yaoying's hands trembling slightly in fear, laughed a few times, then turned and left the tent.

Biemutie also followed him out.

Before turning around, he suddenly looked back, his eyes as sharp as lightning, moving back and forth over Yao Ying.

Yaoying turned her back to him and lowered her head to comfort Tali, her palms full of sweat.

After a while, the tent door closed gently and Biemutie went out.

Yaoying asked Tali in a low voice: "What did the prince say just now?"

Tallie whispered, "The eldest prince said something vulgar and disrespectful."

The eldest prince threatened to tear the princess's clothes in front of all the Wei soldiers, but she did not dare to translate it for the princess.

Yao Ying was silent for a long while, tears streaming down her face, and she fell beside Yelu Khan's bed, sobbing softly.

"Even if you don't tell me, I can guess... what good things can these barbarians from the outside world say?"

"I hate Li Xuanzhen! He is so cruel! I am a princess of the Great Wei, a daughter of a rich family, but I have been stranded in this remote place, living with these barbarians... The Khan will not live long... What should I do in the future..."

She cried for a long time.

Tali was at a loss as to what to do. She wrung out a handkerchief to wipe Yaoying's tears and comforted her with gentle words. Only then did she slowly stop crying.

The cold northwest wind was blowing, and the shadows outside the tent were swaying.

Yaoying lowered her head to wipe away her tears. Her eyes were red from crying, but her eyes were clear and calm.

In the following days, Yao Ying guarded Yelu Khan every day, and the eldest prince and Bemuti would occasionally come to take a look with the elders of the tribe.

Yelu Khan's complexion became worse day by day, and after more than ten days, he finally died.

In the middle of the night, Xie Qing told Yao Ying that after the Khan's death, Bemuti left the camp with several followers and no one knew where they went.

When her guess was confirmed, Yao Ying's heart began to beat wildly.

Biemutie is indeed not an ordinary person.

According to the custom of the Yelu tribe, the tribesmen would hold a cremation for the dead Khan. They would wrap the Khan in white cloth, carry him onto a high platform, and burn him in a raging fire, so that the Khan's soul could return to the embrace of Zoroastrian gods.

The next day, when night fell, tribal men and women gathered in the square to pay their respects to Yelu Khan's remains and bid him farewell.

Under the cold moonlight, the tribesmen sang sad elegy.

The eldest prince became impatient and barged into Yaoying's tent, reaching out to tear off her clothes: "From today on, I am the new Khan. Tonight is my wedding with the princess, and no one is allowed to come in and disturb us!"

Xie Qing immediately drew his sword and stood in front of Yao Ying.

The eldest prince hugged nothing, frowned, and laughed: "Why, Princess, you don't want to?"

Yao Ying, dressed in the formal attire of a Yelu woman, bowed to the prince and said, "Please forgive me, tonight is the funeral of the old Khan. Please allow me to see him off for the last time. Otherwise, I will feel uneasy and unable to serve you wholeheartedly."

She lowered her voice and spoke in a gentle tone. The half of her neck that was exposed between her cross-collared robes was as white as jade. "Tomorrow, the eldest prince will be my Khan."

The eldest prince's body softened immediately after hearing this gentle and graceful voice. He hesitated for a moment and said, "That's fine! You go!"

Yao Ying stood up, walked out of the tent without looking back, and came to the crowded square.

A huge fire was blazing in the field. People were kneeling in front of the bonfire. Some were sobbing quietly, some were crying loudly, some were sitting in twos and threes drinking to keep warm, and some were staring numbly at the old Khan's body turning into ashes in the flames.

Yaoying walked through the crowd and stepped onto the platform at the front.

She had her hair in a braid and wore a flower crown adorned with pearls and jades, a pearl necklace hanging from her neck, a colorful veil around her waist, and a short-sleeved embroidered robe that only a Khatun could wear. Walking under the moonlight, she looked like a legendary goddess.

Everyone stopped crying and looked up at her.

Yao Ying stood on the platform, facing the crowd, and felt that hundreds of strange eyes were staring at her.

Tully stood beside her and cleared her throat.

Yao Ying waved her hands, looked around, and said slowly: "The Khan once told me that the Yelu tribe is the descendant of the divine wolf, and every Yelu warrior has the blood of the divine wolf flowing in his body."

The Yelu men and women in the audience looked at her in astonishment.

The princess spoke clearly and crisply. She didn't speak Chinese which they couldn't understand, but the language of their Yelu tribe!

Tali also looked at Yaoying in disbelief: The princess actually speaks nonsense!

Yao Ying looked calm as she looked at the strange tribesmen who were looking sad in front of the fire: "My husband Yeluhazhu is a brave warrior. He left his parents at the age of twelve with his tribe and followers to lead the army to fight for his territory. He led you to defeat the arrogant enemies one after another, found fertile land for you, and captured countless cattle and sheep. He protected you and raised you. He is the son of the divine wolf, a brave father, and a wise Khan."

She glanced into the distance and saw that the eldest prince and his entourage had not noticed this place yet.

"And you..." Yao Ying's tone suddenly became sarcastic, and her eyes swept across the faces of the numb tribal warriors, "You are so cowardly! The eldest prince Fuman brutally killed his brothers, betrayed his father, and slaughtered your people, and you hid aside like docile lambs and did nothing. You have tarnished the bloodline of the divine wolf and brought shame to the Khan's spirit in heaven!"

There was a silence as still as tranquil water in the dark crowd.

The men and women of the Yelu tribe, young and old, stood motionless, staring blankly at Yao Ying.

The eldest prince's entourage was furious and turned back to the tent, preparing to report the news to the eldest prince, but was stopped by others.

Yao Ying stood in front of the fire, under the silvery moonlight, meeting the silent gazes of the crowd, and spoke faster, saying in a loud voice: "The Khan's spirit in heaven is watching us! I, Princess Wenzhao of Wei, Khatun of the Yelu tribe, will personally avenge the Khan and sacrifice the traitor's blood to the Khan's soul!"

As soon as she finished her words, the eldest prince's followers rushed towards her through the crowd. She immediately turned around and jumped off the platform. Xie Qing, who was hiding in the crowd, jumped up, picked her up, and quickly avoided the pursuit of the followers.

"Catch her!"

More and more Yelu warriors came chasing after them.

Xie Qing held Yao Ying in his arms and ran very fast. Yao Ying took out a whistle from her sleeve and blew it.

A sharp whistle sounded from the camp, and suddenly several sharp noises that pierced the air were heard around the silent camp. Several bright silver spots flashed across the dark night sky, like meteors across the sky, making a series of strange and terrifying roars and hitting the camp.

The Yelu people had never seen such a horrific scene. They were all stunned, staring at the falling meteors.

The silent sky seemed to be torn in half by a pair of invisible giant hands, and bright spots with bright silver tails rushed down one after another.

Immediately afterwards, flames broke out.

The tents suddenly caught fire, and clusters of bright yellow flames soared into the sky.

The warriors who were chasing Yao Ying stopped in panic.

A mournful cry rang out from the stunned crowd: "Divine punishment! Divine punishment! This is the divine punishment sent down by the Khan's spirit in heaven!"

The Yelu people were terrified and tried to escape, but their legs were weak and they could not move.

"May the wolf protect you! Zoroastrianism is above!"

"I'm not from Fuman!"

They knelt on the ground, crying, trembling, and begging for mercy.

The whole camp was in chaos.

The eldest prince, who was drinking in the tent, finally realized something was wrong and rushed out of the tent. When he saw the bright spots flashing in the sky, his eyes widened and a hint of fear flashed across his eyes.

"God's punishment! Great Prince, this is God's punishment!"

"The Khan has appeared!"

The eldest prince had a ferocious look on his face. He hid his fear, drew his sword and chopped off several followers who turned around and fled, and said angrily: "Don't be afraid, this is witchcraft!"

He rushed to the square with a blood-stained knife in hand, hacking at his followers who turned back to escape as he walked, with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.

The tribesmen became more and more terrified and dared not follow him anymore, so they fled in all directions.

On the river bank east of the camp, Yao Ying quickly climbed onto the Wusun horse, squeezed the horse's belly hard, and then, escorted by Xie Qing and other personal soldiers, galloped towards the Central Plains.

Behind me, the fire in the camp was still burning.

The author has something to say: In order not to get stuck, it is even later