Love Lock

Chapter 153 You'll also suffer some grievances.

“Mr. Wei, you’re too kind. The Wei family is the head of the four great families. It is precisely because I trust the Wei family’s reputation that I feel comfortable cooperating with you. However, since we will be doing business together in the future, please don’t call me Miss Han anymore, it sounds too formal. Just call me Han Lei.”

Hearing this, Wei Dabao felt even more relieved: "Alright, alright! Han Lei, don't call me Master Wei anymore, it sounds awkward. From now on, just call me Dabao, we're family, no need for formalities!"

Han Lei nodded slightly and smoothly steered the conversation toward the main topic.

"Da Bao, my trip to the capital is urgent. Is there anything you need me to deliver to Prime Minister Wei or Wei Chengchao? If there are any messages or items, I would be happy to do so."

Upon hearing this, Wei Dabao's eyes darted around, and his gaze inadvertently drifted towards Luo Hai standing to the side.

He originally wanted Han Lei to ask Prime Minister Wei about the matter of removing Luo Hai from his post as magistrate.

But then he thought, since there was no "great treasure" and they would be doing business together in the future, he should instead try to improve his relationship with Luo Hai. He decided to drop out of the job.

So he waved his hand and laughed, "There's nothing I need to bring. Just have Wei Chengchao add my share."

Han Lei frowned slightly, revealing a troubled expression.

"Speaking of which, uh... there is a problem."

Wei Chengchao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "What's the problem?"

Han Lei frowned even more: "You know, Wei Chengchao would definitely not want an outsider to get a piece of the pie in such a highly profitable business. How can I convince him that I'm cooperating with you?"

What Han Lei said seems to make a lot of sense.

Wei Dabao touched his thick double chin, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Got it! Take this to Wei Chengchao, he'll know we're on the same side at a glance!"

As he spoke, he took out a crystal-clear white jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to Han Lei with both hands.

Han Lei took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, but her brows remained furrowed.

"Will this jade pendant... work?"

Wei Dabao laughed heartily, patting his chest loudly.

"Of course it will work! This is an exclusive jade pendant of our Wei family, and every member of the Wei family has one. Not only in the Wei family, but also in the entire capital, there are many people who recognize this jade pendant! If you take it to Wei Chengchao, he will know at a glance that we are family, and he will definitely not treat you unfairly!"

Han Lei hesitated for a moment, then turned to Luo Hai and asked softly, "Uncle, what do you think?"

Luo Hai nodded, his tone steady: "Master Wei is right. Most of the prominent families in the capital have such tokens. The Wei family's jade pendant does indeed carry some weight."

Seeing Luo Hai chime in, Wei Dabao became even more smug and interjected, "That's right! Han Lei, don't worry, Wei Chengchao will definitely agree without hesitation when he sees this jade pendant!"

Han Lei finally smiled with relief, clutched the jade pendant tightly in her hand, and asked softly, "If I take this jade pendant with me, what will you do?"

Wei Dabao waved his hand dismissively.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be back in a month? You can pay me back then!"

Han Lei nodded calmly: "Alright, in that case, let's set off now."

As they spoke, the group walked toward the main entrance of the wasteland project.

When she reached the carriage, Han Lei suddenly stopped, turned around and curtsied to Wei Dabao, her tone unusually respectful.

"Da Bao, I'll be relying on you to take care of the business here while I'm away."

Wei Dabao smiled so hard his eyes almost disappeared, waving his hands repeatedly: "Don't worry! We're family now, it's only right that we look after each other! You go to the capital with peace of mind, leave things here to me!"

Han Lei nodded, then turned and got into the carriage.

Just as the carriage curtain was completely closed, Han Lei looked down at the jade pendant in her palm and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Sigh! These ancient people had too little experience with electronic fraud! So easy to fool! Hehe...

The carriage started slowly, its wheels making a slight creaking sound as they rolled over the dirt road.

Han Lei leaned against the carriage, her fingers gently stroking the jade pendant. She knew that this jade pendant was not just a token, but also a shield for her to do something big.

Meanwhile, Wei Dabao was still standing next to Luo Hai, watching the carriage drive away with a smile on his face, completely unaware of Han Lei's true intentions.

He never dreamed that coming here today would mean not finding the "great treasure" but also losing a family jade pendant.

However, this jade pendant will eventually lead his family to utter ruin thanks to Han Lei's cunning schemes.

The carriage gradually moved further and further away, and soon disappeared at the end of the dirt road.

Wei Dabao turned around, patted Luo Hai on the shoulder, and laughed, "Come on, let's go to your Tongfu Restaurant for a couple of drinks! Let's drink your Drunken Immortal Wine."

Luo Hai nodded, his face remaining calm and composed.

He followed behind Wei Dabao, but his gaze lingered on the direction the carriage had gone, a vague unease creeping into his heart.

Although Han Lei successfully obtained Wei Dabao's identity jade pendant, what was she going to do with it? Was she going to do something dangerous?

But soon, Luo Hai suppressed his unease and followed Wei Dabao in a carriage to Tongfu Restaurant in the county town.

Just as Han Lei and several brothers from the Big Character Team embarked on their journey to the capital, the Turkic grasslands were working hard to produce more "peanuts".

The wind on the grassland gently rustled through the grass, carrying the scent of damp earth, while the afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden glow across the vast grassland.

The herdsman's mother was squatting outside the tent, adding firewood to the fire, and the water in the iron kettle began to bubble and steam.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to get up to get the mare's milk wine when she suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind her.

“Mom, I’m so sorry!” a rough voice rang out.

The mother turned around and saw several Turkic warriors striding towards her, their eyes fixed on the iron kettle in her hand. One of them reached out to snatch it.

"What are you doing!" the mother cried out in alarm, spreading her arms to shield the kettle behind her. "This is my only kettle. How am I supposed to boil water without it?"

"The Khan has decreed that all ironware must be surrendered!" The warrior showed no mercy, shoving his mother aside and grabbing the handle of the iron kettle. "What is this sacrifice compared to conquering the Great Jing Dynasty!"

"But this is my stuff!" The mother rushed over without hesitation, her rough, cracked hands gripping the handle of the iron kettle, her voice trembling with tears, "You can't do this!"

"Mom, please don't make things difficult for us."

Another warrior frowned, his tone softening slightly, "Who dares disobey the new Khan's orders? Besides, once we defeat the Great Jing Dynasty, you can have as many iron kettles as you want!"

"Win against the Great Jing Dynasty?" Mother's voice trembled. "But we can't even afford to eat, how can we fight a war!"

The warrior said no more, and with a strong pull, the iron kettle slipped from the mother's hand.

The hot water in the kettle spilled all over the floor, splashing onto Grandma's feet. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Mother, I'm sorry!" The warrior, carrying the iron kettle, turned and strode away, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.

The old woman sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face. Looking at the empty fire, she murmured to herself, "How are we supposed to go on like this..."

Meanwhile, in a tent not far away, a herdsman and his wife were preparing dinner.

The mutton soup in the iron pot was bubbling away, its aroma filling the air.

The herdsman picked up a wooden spoon, scooped up a mouthful of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and was about to drink it.

Suddenly, the tent flap was flung open, and a blast of cold air rushed in.

"Who!" The herdsman stood up alertly, almost dropping the wooden spoon in his hand.

Three Turkic warriors burst in, their eyes scanning the room before finally settling on the iron pot.

"Hand over the iron pot," the leading warrior said coldly.

"What?" The herdsman's wife was stunned. "This is our cooking pot. What do you want it for?"

"The Khan has decreed that all ironware must be handed over to be forged into 'peanuts'." The warrior waved his hand impatiently. "Stop talking nonsense and hand it over now!"

"But this is our only pot!" the herdsman cried out, standing in front of the iron pot. "Without this pot, how will we eat?"

"Eat?" The warrior sneered. "Once we defeat the Great Jing Dynasty, you can eat as much as you want! Now, don't waste time!" "Defeat the Great Jing Dynasty?" The herdsman's wife seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world and couldn't help but raise her voice.

"You used your scimitars and arrows to forge 'peanuts.' Now you're even trying to steal the cooking pot! What kind of war is this? We can't even get enough to eat!"

"Enough with the nonsense!" The warrior shoved the herdsman aside and reached for the iron pot.

"You can't do this!" The herdsman's wife rushed forward, trying to stop him.

"Get out of my way!" The warrior waved his hand and roughly pushed her to the ground. The iron pot was lifted up, and the scalding soup spilled all over the ground, splashing onto the herdsman's legs, causing him to gasp in pain.

"You bandits!" the herdsman roared, his fists clenched, but he dared not step forward.

The warrior gave him a cold look, picked up the iron pot, strode out of the tent, and left without looking back.

"What is this sacrifice compared to the Khan's orders and the future of the Turks!"

After saying that, they took the pot and food away.

The herdsman stared at the empty fire and slammed his fist into the ground. His wife sat on the ground, sobbing softly.

"Ever since Bolu became Khan, life has become unbearable," the herdsman muttered bitterly to himself, his eyes filled with despair.

For more than half a month, this scene has been playing out simultaneously in different places on the grassland every day.

Ever since the Turkic blacksmith Mudu imitated and forged the bullet head of a pistol, the newly enthroned Boru Khan believed that he possessed the most powerful weapon in the world.

Therefore, Bolu ordered Mudu to mass-produce bullets in order to defeat the Great Jing Dynasty.

However, the grasslands lacked iron resources, so Boru ordered the collection of all ironware from the various tribes of the royal court.

Whether it's a scimitar, a halberd, an iron pot, or a kettle, anything made of iron is stolen. It's all melted down and used to forge bullets.

After working at full speed for more than half a month, quite a few bullets were produced. The bullets in the tents of Boru Khan and Princess Yujia were already piled up like small mountains.

The problem is that the entire Turkic people still haven't found a way to launch the 'peanut'.

The Turkic warriors practiced every day throwing bullets by hand, or shooting them with arrows or slingshots. They could find no other way.

At dusk, the setting sun, like blood, dyed the entire sky over the grassland red.

Inside Bolu Khan's tent, the candlelight burning on the table illuminated Bolu's furrowed brow, creating a somber atmosphere.

He sat on a throne covered with tiger skin, toying with a newly crafted "peanut" in his hand, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety and resentment.

Inside the tent, several tribal leaders stood on either side, each with a different expression.

Some were deep in thought, some looked worried and sighed, while others clenched their fists, seemingly angry at their predicament.

“Khan,” an older chieftain broke the silence, his voice low and hoarse.

“We have collected all the iron and forged countless ‘peanuts,’ but… we can’t find a way to launch them. These lumps of iron are nothing but scrap metal.”

Boru raised his head, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over everyone present.

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying the authority of a superior, yet also the helplessness of someone who had been dealt a blow.

"Alas! Are we Turkic warriors only capable of shooting these 'peanuts' with slingshots? Is it really impossible for us to find a way to launch them?"

"Khan, we have tried every method we can think of. We have used arrows, slingshots, and even catapults, but these 'peanuts' simply cannot kill the enemy with the precision we see. No matter how brave our warriors are, they cannot shoot these iron lumps any further."

The person who said this was Buga, a former subordinate of General Alpi. He had witnessed twice the scene of killing people with "peanuts," which was clean, efficient, and powerful.

But these days, as he supervises the warriors' training every day, the results are completely different.

Silence fell again inside the tent, broken only by the occasional sighs from the tribal chiefs.

Boru's fingers unconsciously stroked the animal hide on the throne, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

A moment later, as if he had made some important decision, he suddenly stood up.

"In that case, we can't keep dragging this on. The Great Jing Dynasty is growing stronger every day, and that 'peanut' will eventually be pointed at us. If we can't find a way to fight back, the Turks will face annihilation."

"What does the Khan mean?" the older leader asked tentatively.

Bolu took a deep breath and slowly spoke, suppressing the pain in his heart.

"For now, our only option is to temporarily show weakness to the Great Jing Dynasty in exchange for time to recuperate. With enough time, we can find a way to fight them."

"Show weakness?" A young chieftain suddenly stood up, his face full of anger and resentment. "Khan, we Turks never bow down to the enemy! We would rather die in battle than humiliately beg for peace!"

A flash of humiliation crossed Boru's eyes, and his gaze swept over the young leader like a knife.

"Die in battle? Do you think I don't want to? But if we start a war with the Great Jing now, can you defeat that little 'peanut'? Or will you send 200,000 troops to show your face and then run back in a panic, like last time?"

As the supreme commander of the Turks, he had to personally utter words that showed weakness to the enemy. Only Boru himself knew how painful it was for him to make such a decision.

"This……"

The young leader was speechless.

Although Bolu didn't yet have the concept of "epoch-making" in his mind, nor did he know how to express it in words, the appearance of "peanuts" had already given him that understanding.

He glared at the young chieftain and continued, "We are militarily outmatched by the Great Jing Dynasty. Once war breaks out, the Turkic warriors will only die in vain. Our tribe will be completely wiped out, and our descendants will never have a chance to rise again!"

The young leader was intimidated by Boru's gaze and slowly sat back down. Although his fists were still clenched, he no longer spoke.

The elder chieftain nodded and said in a deep voice, "The Khan is right. Now that the Great Jing is powerful, who knows when the 'Peanuts' will invade the grasslands. What we need now is time, not pointless sacrifices. Only by temporarily bowing our heads can we wait for the day when the Turks become strong again."

Boru cast an admiring glance at the older chieftain; finally, someone understood his good intentions.

“My sister often says that there is a saying in the Great Jing Dynasty: ‘A great man can bend and stretch.’ I am doing this not because I am afraid of the Great Jing Dynasty, but because I can bend and stretch. Do you understand?” Boru Khan said loudly.

The tribal chiefs below seemed to have come to understand the severity of the disparity in military strength and nodded in agreement with Boru Khan's words.

"Khan, then... what should we do now?" the young chieftain asked again.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Bolu's gaze swept over the crowd once more.

"In that case, I, the Khan, have decided to send an envoy to Emperor Jing to seek peace. At the same time, I will send Princess Yujia to Emperor Jing for a marriage alliance to show our sincerity."

"Marriage?"

An uproar erupted inside the tent. The leaders exchanged bewildered glances, clearly shocked by the decision.

Could it be that sending his own sister to the Emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty's bed was the decision the Khan had been agonizing over?

In the past, when Ashina Khan was in power, he led them to raid the Great Jing every year. Even though they never truly defeated the Great Jing, they never thought of sending their daughters to marry into the Great Jing.

But as soon as Boru took office, ...

Boru knew what they were thinking. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and explained in a firm tone.

“Things are different now, and this is our only option. Princess Yujia is the jewel of the Turkic steppe, and her sacrifice will buy us precious time. As long as the Great Jing Dynasty agrees to the marriage alliance, the powerful Great Jing will not wage war against our in-laws. At the same time, it will also protect our Turkic people.”

The elder chieftain remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "The Khan's decision is difficult, but for the future of the Turks, we have no other choice."

The young leader was still unwilling to give up, and whispered, "But Princess Yujia, she..."

Bolu's gaze suddenly sharpened, his voice as cold as ice: "Yujia is my sister, and I feel more heartbroken than anyone else. But for the sake of the Turks, she must make sacrifices. This is her mission as a princess, and it is also her destiny."

Silence fell again in the tent, with only the flickering candlelight on the table illuminating the somber faces of everyone present.

Bolu slowly stood up, his eyes blazing: "Send the order to prepare an envoy to go to the Great Jing Dynasty immediately. At the same time, inform Yujia to be ready."

"Yes, Khan," the leaders replied in unison, their voices filled with helplessness and heaviness.

Bolu turned to look outside the tent, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on his face, reflecting the resolute look on his face.

He murmured softly, "Yujia, my sister, for the future of the Turks, I, the Khan, must be able to bend and stretch, and you... must also suffer some grievances."

Night quietly falls, and the wind howls across the grassland, as if telling the story of the impending turning point in the fate of this land.