Love Lock

Chapter 126 Sleep with Me for a While
"Use a knife to cut open their wounds. I want to see what these peanuts are," Ashina coldly ordered.

"As ordered!"

Buga immediately responded and then led the dozens of cavalrymen who had returned to cut open the wounds of the corpses one by one and carefully searched the inside of the wounds.

Suddenly, the sound of knives cutting flesh rang out all around, and a strong smell of blood filled the air.

Although the Turkic soldiers were terrified, none of them dared to disobey Ashina's orders, and they could only grit their teeth and continue the inspection.

Not long after, a Turkic soldier suddenly shouted.

"Great Khan! Great Khan! We've found it!"

He stood up, holding a blood-red bullet between two fingers, and quickly ran to Ashina Khan, handing the bullet to him.

Ashina Khan took the bullet and casually wiped it on his robe, removing the bloodstains.

He raised his arm and examined the small metal object in his hand carefully in the bright sunlight, his brow furrowed and muttering to himself.

"This... is this a peanut?"

In fact, peanuts already existed in this era. Therefore, Ashina and his companions always believed that the peanuts they ate killed their warrior.

However, when he actually got his hands on the "peanut," he discovered that it wasn't food at all.

This peanut feels cold and hard to the touch, clearly made of refined iron; however, its small size does indeed resemble that of a peanut.

A hint of inquiry flashed in Ashina Khan's eyes.

He gripped the bullet in his hand, turned and handed it to the guard beside him, "Go, give this to Mudu, and see if he can make it like this."

The guard was tall and burly. Upon hearing the order, he immediately stepped forward, carefully took the bullet, and held it in his hands as if it were a precious treasure.

He nodded, turned and strode away, heading towards Mudu's camp.

Mudu was one of the few blacksmiths in the Turkic royal court, and his craftsmanship was superb. Most of the scimitars and arrows used by the Turkic army were made by him, so he held a high position in the army.

Ashina Khan placed high hopes on him, hoping that he could crack the secret of this "peanut" and replicate a similar weapon.

But Ashina Khan was unaware that modern bullets consist of lead alloy projectiles, brass-encased projectiles, and steel cartridge cases.

Its manufacturing process is by no means something that a blacksmith can mass-produce by simply hammering and forking by hand.

The industry of that era was too backward. Even if Mudu's craftsmanship was superb, it would be extremely difficult to replicate such bullets.

In Han Lei's world, gunpowder came first, and as gunpowder technology continued to develop, people began to try adding various substances to gunpowder to increase its lethality.

Later, the people of Shouxian County, Anhui Province, modified the bamboo tube gun into the "fire gun" by adding a substance called "zike" to the gunpowder. They used the pressure of the gunpowder expanding during combustion to shoot out the "zike" at high speed, thus producing lethality.

This can be considered the most primitive bullet in human history.

Later, after hundreds of years of continuous development and improvement, bullet technology has reached the level it is today.

Ashina Khan stood still, gazing intently at the Turkic army that was gradually appearing at the edge of the grassland, his heart filled with fear and unease.

This tiny "peanut" can kill without a trace—where does it come from? What kind of power is hidden behind it?
These questions, like an evil fog, shrouded his mind and wouldn't go away.

On the Turkic side, Ashina was racking his brains over the powerful weapon, the "peanut."

Meanwhile, in Dajing, Zhao Zun, who hadn't had a proper rest, woke up with two dark circles under his eyes on his handsome, aloof face.

Last night, after he went back to sleep, he kept having dreams.

In his dream, one moment he saw the cold, pale faces of Ma Cheng and his guards; the next he saw Turkic cavalry driving straight in, burning, killing, and looting across the territory of Dajing, leaving the people of Dajing displaced.

One moment he saw Cao Xiong and Li Gang's ugly, twisted faces; the next he saw Han Lei soaking in the bathtub, her ample exposed skin making it impossible for him to sleep well all night.

On a clear morning after the rain, the air is filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass.

The remaining rainwater on the eaves was still dripping down, as if playing a gentle melody for this peaceful morning.

The birds in the yard chirped and twittered, as if celebrating the arrival of a new day.

Zhao Zun walked along the damp stone path into Han Lei's courtyard. The courtyard was quiet, with only Jinju sitting under the eaves, her head nodding as she dozed off.

She was still holding a broom in her hand, clearly having accidentally fallen asleep while cleaning.

Zhao Zun glanced at the closed door, knowing that Han Lei hadn't gotten up yet, so he didn't disturb her and turned to walk towards the dining hall.

In the dining hall, the old lady and Zhao Ling'er were having breakfast at the table. Several light side dishes and steaming porridge were laid out on the table, filling the air with their aroma.

Outside the dining hall, the guards squatted in a circle, holding bowls in their hands, slurping down hot porridge.

Upon seeing Zhao Zun approach, the guards all stood up and bowed with their bowls and chopsticks in hand.

"Your Majesty."

Good morning, Your Highness.

Zhao Zun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his personal guards before finally settling on Xiao Zhengfei.

He stepped forward and whispered, "Zhengfei, after breakfast, have the brothers assemble and take a headcount. I have something to say."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Zhengfei responded immediately, his expression serious.

Zhao Zun nodded, turned around and walked into the dining hall to have breakfast with the old lady and Zhao Ling'er.

When the old lady saw him come in, she greeted him with a smile, "Zun'er, come and sit down quickly, the porridge is still warm."

Zhao Zun sat down, picked up the bowl, and took a sip of hot porridge, the warmth spreading from his throat to his stomach.

He ate while listening to the old lady and Zhao Ling'er's chatter, occasionally chiming in with a few words. The family atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

After having breakfast, Zhao Zun walked out of the dining hall, where his personal guards had already assembled.

Xiao Zhengfei quickly stepped forward to report.

"Your Highness, there are seventy guards present, including myself and Pingchuan. Twenty-three have been killed, two have been captured, and five are guarding Princess Chang Le in Qingshui County."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun frowned slightly, then patted his forehead.

"This is it. I had forgotten about Princess Chang Le."

He paused, then patted Xiao Zhengfei on the shoulder, his tone solemn: "From today onwards, you will personally be responsible for recruiting five hundred soldiers and replenishing your personal guards, and intensify their training. Remember, you will be personally responsible for the training."

Xiao Zhengfei nodded, and Zhao Zun then asked him to lean closer and whispered a few words in his ear.

A moment later, Xiao Zhengfei straightened his chest and said solemnly, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will handle it properly."

Zhao Zun nodded, then took his own half of the love lock from his neck, held it high in his hand, and glanced at every guard present. His voice was steady and powerful.

"Brothers, from this day forward, you shall address Miss Han as Princess Consort. Look carefully, this is a token I am giving to the Princess Consort. From now on, whenever the Princess Consort presents this token, her words are my words, and her orders are my orders. Does everyone understand?"

On his way back from Beiguan, he heard Pingchuan say that before Han Lei went to the battlefield, she ordered Lao Meng to go to Qingshui County and have Luo Hai block all news from Cangzhou.

He knew it was for his own good; the emperor in the capital was already suspicious of his high achievements and his own power.

If that person in the capital were to find out that Han Lei used a mysterious and deadly weapon on the battlefield, he would definitely be in deep trouble.

After what happened last night with Han Lei taking a bath, he had thought it through very clearly.

Having decided to "take him down," he and Han Lei would often spend time together in a room, discussing things privately.

The Prince's Mansion is still under construction and is not yet ready for marriage, but that does not prevent him from changing how he addresses Han Lei.

Han Lei was originally a princess consort personally betrothed to him by Emperor Jing, and he had the imperial decree in his possession.

Once the way they address each other changes, even if they are in the same room, strangers outside will only assume that they are already husband and wife and will not say anything more.

To "take him down," Han Lei needs real power to command others. Otherwise, she will be hampered in her actions.

Han Lei saved him twice; his life belonged to Han Lei. That's why he publicly announced the "token of love."

As soon as Zhao Zun finished speaking, the guards who did not understand his thoughts all shouted in unison with amusement.

"Understood, Your Highness obeys!" A few low laughs came from the crowd, and someone joked, "It seems His Highness can't wait any longer!"

"How could Your Highness not be anxious seeing such a beauty you can't have? Hahaha."

"Your Highness is mighty!"

"Why do you have to talk so much? Just call me Princess."

The guards' teasing made Zhao Zun's ears turn slightly red, but he maintained a dignified expression.

Just as he was about to say something more, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance out of the corner of his eye.

Han Lei had gotten up sometime earlier and was being led by Jinju toward the dining hall.

She had clearly heard what Zhao Zun had just said; her cheeks flushed, and her eyes held a hint of shyness.

Zhao Zun's heart tightened, and thinking of the intimate scene in the bathtub last night, his ears turned even redder.

He quickly tucked the love lock into his pocket, coughed to appear calm, and turned to his guards, saying, "Alright, everyone disperse. Go do what you need to do."

The guards dispersed with laughter, not forgetting to cast meaningful glances at Han Lei before leaving.

Han Lei felt even more awkward under their gazes. She lowered her head and quickly walked to Zhao Zun's side, asking softly, "Zhao Zun, why did you suddenly..."

Looking at her shy and bashful appearance, Zhao Zun felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He glanced at the guards who hadn't gone far, his tone gentle yet firm.

"Because I can't wait any longer. Whether we're married or not, from this day forward, you are my queen, and my guards must obey your orders."

"Go, Your Highness!"

"My lord is mighty!"

Zhao Zun's voice was loud, which caused the guards who hadn't gone far to burst into laughter and jeers again.

Han Lei's face turned even redder, but her heart felt as if it were enveloped in a warm current.

She knew that Zhao Zun placed her in the most important position, even willing to entrust her with his power. This trust and deep affection moved her so much that she was almost speechless.

Seeing that she was keeping her head down and not speaking, Zhao Zun assumed that she was still shy, so he gently took her hand.

"After you finish breakfast, come back to your room with me."

"what?"

Can't wait any longer?
Han Lei's lips twitched.

As a modern person, she considers herself to have an open mind.

Is it really okay for Zhao Zun to be so direct? She wasn't prepared at all! Besides, she didn't like premarital sex.

Zhao Zun's lips curled up slightly, clearly pleased with the teasing of his guards.

He affectionately took Han Lei's hand and led her into the cafeteria to have breakfast with her.

Seeing the dark circles under Zhao Zun's eyes, Han Lei frowned slightly. After taking a couple of sips of hot porridge, she couldn't help but ask.

"Did you not sleep well last night?"

Han Lei's tone was concerned, but Zhao Zun felt a tightness in his throat, as if he had choked on something.

He couldn't very well say that he kept dreaming about her taking a bath last night, could he?
He nodded, his voice low and hoarse.

"Yeah, I was thinking about something, so I didn't sleep well. Later... you can sleep with me for a while longer."

As he said this, his gaze unconsciously darted away, and his ears inexplicably flushed red.

Should I sleep with him for a while?
"Uh……"

Han Lei's heart was pounding.

She was unaware that Zhao Zun had seen her taking a shower last night; she just felt that Zhao Zun's behavior today was strange.

She thought Zhao Zun was under too much pressure lately, so she bought him a bottle of melatonin from the system and handed it to him in a gentle tone.

"Here, take two pills before bed; they'll help you sleep."

"Ok!"

Zhao Zun took the bottle, opened it, poured out two melatonin pills, and threw them into his mouth.

Jinju was standing behind Han Lei, holding a glass of water to serve her, intending for Han Lei to rinse her mouth after breakfast. Unexpectedly, Zhao Zun turned around and used the water to take his medicine.

In modern times, Han Lei would go straight to the bathroom to rinse her mouth after meals. Since arriving at Zhao Zun's house, she has also enjoyed the privilege of having a maid serve her water to rinse her mouth after meals.

Zhao Zun was aware of all these treatments, but today he actually used mouthwash to take his medicine. Moreover, the roots of his ears were an unnatural red.

Abnormal, it's really too abnormal.

Jinju and Han Lei stared at Zhao Zun in astonishment.

Han Lei asked cautiously, "Zhao Zun, Brother Zun, are you... alright?"

"I'm fine, have you finished eating?" Zhao Zun's eyes were burning.

Han Lei glanced down at the bowl of porridge that was still half full, and could only reply, "I'm done eating."

"Now that you've finished eating, come back to the room with me. Let's go."

As Zhao Zun spoke, he stood up, took Han Lei's hand, and walked out.

Go back to the house?

Are you serious?

Why is he in such a hurry in broad daylight?
"Hey! What are you doing?"

Han Lei was startled and quickly cried out and struggled, but Zhao Zun's large hand was like an iron clamp, and no matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free.

Han Lei's heart was pounding, and she pounded on his hand, but Zhao Zun just smiled and casually pulled her forward.

"Zhao Zun, Zhao Zun! Let me go!"

"Zhao Zun, let me go! Everyone's watching!"

Zhao Zun curled his lips, saying nothing, as the two of them strolled through the courtyard.

Han Lei's voice startled the busy servants and guards, who all stopped what they were doing and craned their necks to see what was going on. Their faces were filled with astonishment.

It wasn't until they reached Zhao Zun's courtyard that he suddenly turned around, his face darkening as he rebuked Jinju, who had been following them.

"You don't need any more service here, you can leave now!"

Jinju looked timidly at Han Lei. Han Lei had stopped struggling at this point, but was still looking down as she pried open Zhao Zun's large hands, without looking at her.

Jinju could guess what was going to happen next, and she blushed with embarrassment. After sighing, she could only obediently agree.

"Yes! I will leave this slave."

Seeing Jinju turn around, Zhao Zun glanced at the curious heads peeking out in the distance before letting go of Han Lei's small hand and picking her up in his arms.

"ah!"

Han Lei gasped and quickly hugged Zhao Zun's neck, her voice trembling with aggrieved tears.

"Zhao Zun, Brother Zun. Please, don't do this. We're not officially married yet!"

Zhao Zun glanced down at her, finding her pouting and pitiful expression amusing. He said nothing, but strode confidently into the house.

Then, he lifted his foot and hooked it toward the door behind him.

The door slammed shut with a creak.

Sleep with me for a while, and I'll deduct your votes, comments, favorites, and follow my posts from your reading list. Thank you!