Love Lock

Chapter 206 The Last Hope
At the gate of Qingshui County, a dozen or so porridge stalls lined up in a long queue, the steam rising from the large pots twisting and deforming in the breeze.

Several yamen runners stood in front of the porridge stall, stirring the thick rice porridge in the iron pot with wooden ladles.

"Line up! Everyone gets a share!" the constable shouted, his voice already hoarse.

In the newly built thatched hut behind them, several women were changing the ragged children into clean coarse cloth clothes.

Luo Hai arrived in a hurry with more yamen runners. He strode to the city gate, squinted at the dusty official road in the distance, and his face showed an indescribable mix of joy and worry.

After Han Lei brought back tens of thousands of beggars and refugees last time, fortunately, the soup kitchens that were distributing soup had not been demolished, and now tens of thousands more refugees have entered Qingshui County.

"Why are there so many again?"

A dark mass of people surged in like a tide, including elderly people leaning on tree branches, women holding babies, and many soldiers wearing tattered military uniforms.

Their footsteps, mixed with coughs and children's cries, sounded particularly desolate in the hot air.

"My lord, this time there are probably thirty or forty thousand men!" The clerk wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling.

Luo Hai grabbed a young man walking by and asked, "You're so young, why are you fleeing? Wouldn't it be better to rebuild your homes?"

When the young man saw Luo Hai's official robes, his gaze darted away, and he stammered, "My lord, I am not fleeing from war. I heard that the Cangzhou military camp is offering double pay, so I came here to seek refuge."

"Are you a soldier?" Luo Hai sized him up.

The young man nodded and respectfully clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

“My lord, I am Zhong Yongjian, a centurion of the vanguard battalion in Jingzhou. The Jingzhou army is severely embezzling soldiers' pay, and the soldiers have reached their limit. Therefore... I hope you will take me in.”

"Oh! I see." Luo Hai nodded in understanding.

It is common knowledge that the Su family, in collusion with the Ministry of War, has been embezzling military pay in recent years, and the soldiers in the various prefectures dare not speak out against it.

He had heard about this from acquaintances in the military camp before. Although there were reasons for it, desertion was a serious crime, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

Luo Hai took a deep breath, turned to his attendant and said, "You must immediately ride to the communications station and use the walkie-talkie to request permission from the Prince!"

His gaze swept over the "refugees" in the crowd who clearly had the bearing of soldiers, and his brows furrowed even more.

He stroked his beard and muttered, "These deserters...we need to find a way to settle them separately."

Due to the arrival of a large number of refugees and deserters, Qingshui County was temporarily thrown into chaos again. The Turkic delegation did not stay in Qingshui County, and Tang Xiaotong accompanied them directly through Qingshui County to Beiguan.

Three days later, on the city wall of Yong'an City in Beiguan, Li Erniu squinted as he observed the Turkic delegation in the distance. The blazing sun cast a shadow on the ground from the delegation's convoy, and the sound of bells drifted on the wind.

"Open the city gates!" he waved his hand and ordered, then turned to his deputy and whispered, "Have the assault team stand guard in the shadows."

"Yes!"

The deputy general accepted the order and left.

Now, with the addition of bastions and modern weaponry, Beiguan has, in accordance with Han Lei and Zhao Zun's requirements, formed the necessary garrison, assault team, weapons management team, and logistics team.

Apart from the necessary few thousand garrison personnel, the rest of the soldiers, after training, were put to work on a "military farming system," clearing land and cultivating crops in the vicinity. The military camp, originally garrisoned by 50,000 troops, now appeared quite empty.

As the Turkic delegation entered the city, Tang Xiaotong quickly stepped forward to greet them. He noticed Princess Yujia's constantly looking around and whispered, "Is the princess looking for someone?"

Yu Jia lifted her veil, her amber eyes filled with anxiety: "The Princess Consort of Cangzhou, she..."

"Is the princess looking for our queen? But the queen isn't here; she should be in Fufeng County right now." Li Erniu strode over, his armor clattering.

He clasped his hands in a salute and said in a loud voice, "This humble general has already sent someone to inform the post station to prepare guest rooms. Please let the delegation rest with this humble general."

Tang Xiaotong knew what Princess Yujia was thinking. He saw her fingers tightening around the reins and quickly stepped forward: "Yujia, how about this..."

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Why don't you go to the post station to rest now, and tomorrow you can return to the grasslands with the delegation first? I will go to Fufeng County immediately to find the princess. As soon as I have any news, I will send a letter to the royal court to inform you."

After thinking it over, Yu Jia realized that this was the only option. After all, the marriage alliance had failed, and as a princess from a foreign land, it was inconvenient for her to stay here for an extended period.

Princess Yujia bit her lip and shook her head. She turned to look at Li Erniu, her voice as soft as a sigh.

"Thank you, General. It's still early, so we won't go to the post station. We'll go straight to the foot of Yinshan Mountain and set up camp there."

As she spoke, she looked at Tang Xiaotong again, her eyes filled with anticipation and an indescribable, complex light.

"Little Tong. I place all my hopes on you. Please let me know as soon as you have any news."

"Okay! Take care." Tang Xiaotong nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with deep reluctance.

When the camel bells rang again, Tang Xiaotong stood at the city gate, watching the delegation's figures gradually disappear into the vast grassland in the distance.

He touched the obvious old scar on his wrist, bid farewell to Li Erniu, turned and walked down the city wall, mounted his horse, and headed towards Fufeng County...

As dusk settled, the distant, continuous Yinshan mountain range, like a sleeping behemoth, swallowed up the last rays of the setting sun.

Princess Yujia stepped out of the carriage and looked at the familiar grassland, but her heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

"Princess, those people ahead look like our warriors."

The head of the delegation, He Shu, pointed to the campfire that could be faintly seen in the distance, sniffed the familiar aroma of roasted meat in the air, and his voice was a little hoarse.

The long days of travel had made the old leader look even older.

Princess Yujia nodded, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her dress, her heart growing heavier: "Uncle Heshu, why are our warriors here? Are they waiting for the delegation?"

"Perhaps!" He Shu sighed deeply, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "Our attempt to seek peace failed, and we even lost the gift we offered..."

He shook his head and didn't continue.

The outline of the camp in the distance gradually became clear, and a dozen or so Turkic warriors rode up to meet them.

The burly man leading the group, Batel, is now the most trusted young general of Boru Khan, his dark face full of anticipation.

"Princess, Chief Heshu, you've finally returned! The Khan sent us to receive the supplies, and the people are all waiting!"

He Shu and Princess Yu Jia exchanged a glance, both of them revealing pain and helplessness in their eyes.

“There is no food or supplies at all, Batel,” Princess Yujia said softly, her voice almost carried away by the wind on the grassland.

Batel's smile froze instantly: "What? The princess is joking, right? What about two million dan of grain? What about the looms and cloth?" Batel said, and he and the warriors who came with him all craned their necks to look at the caravan behind them.

But behind them, besides the delegation members and simple luggage, there was nothing else.

"On the day of the marriage ceremony, an imperial edict was suddenly issued to cancel it. As for the gifts we brought..."

He Shu paused, then said in a deep voice, "I went to the palace to ask for it... but something happened to the Great Jing Palace, and the palace gates were tightly closed, making it impossible to enter. We didn't even have the chance to go in and ask for it."

"Ugh—damn it!"

"Why is this happening?"

The warriors behind Battul stirred; some angrily pounded their saddles, while others groaned in pain.

A young soldier couldn't help but shout, "What are we going to do? The elderly and children in the tribe are waiting for food to get through the winter! How are we going to explain this to the Khan?"

Batel's eyes blazed with fury. "Without this grain, we'll have no choice but to wait until the autumn harvest to plunder Dajing. We have no other option but to steal."

"Yes! We'll raid the Great Jing then."

"Exactly, why is it that Dajing can be prosperous while we can only suffer in such poverty?"

"Yes! Only by seizing the wealth of the Great Jing can our people survive."

The other warriors echoed their sentiments, their eyes fixed on Yong'an City as if they were seeing immeasurable wealth.

Princess Yujia looked at the familiar faces of her people and listened to their indignant words, her heart aching.

She walked up to Batel, turned back to look in the direction of Yong'an City, and sighed deeply.

“Bater. But things are far worse than we imagined. The peace talks have failed. Yong'an City not only has weapons like ‘peanuts,’ but has also just built an even stronger and more unique fortress. With the strength of my Turks…” Princess Yujia shook her head slightly as she spoke.

“Even the strongest fortress cannot stop the iron cavalry of the steppe warriors,” Batel roared defiantly.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” Princess Yujia’s voice trembled slightly. “The fortress was built entirely of materials as hard as iron, and our scimitars and arrows could not cause it any damage at all.”

He Shu added, "I heard it's called a bastion, and I've observed it specifically. The walls are jagged, with no blind spots for firing. Even if we send ten times the number of troops, it would be difficult to take it down."

"and……"

Princess Yujia paused, trying hard to recall the scene she had witnessed.

"The jagged wall had many holes, and from each hole protruded a long, dark rod. At the top of the rod was a hole the size of a peanut, which was probably the weapon for launching the peanuts."

Upon hearing this, Battier and the Warriors exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with disbelief.

An elderly warrior murmured in despair, "We devoutly worship the Eternal Heaven, but why does the Eternal Heaven treat us Turks so unfairly?"

As night fell completely, the campfire in the camp flickered in the wind, illuminating the solemn faces of everyone present.

Princess Yujia sat by the fire, watching the flickering flames, her thoughts drifting back to the moment when she walked side by side with Tang Xiaotong on the official road.

"Princess, rest assured, I will find the Queen and persuade her to agree to trade with the Turks."

Tang Xiaotong's bright eyes were filled with determination, "Believe me, I want to see the Turks and the Great Jing go to war more than anyone else..."

In the capital city of Dajing, Tang Xiaotong was the only person who truly cared for her.

She believed that Tang Xiaotong genuinely wanted to help her, but Tang Xiaotong was, after all, just a small shopkeeper, and perhaps he was willing but unable to persuade the Princess of Cangzhou.

Now, back on the grasslands, facing the despair of her people, she can't help but wonder if it was just empty words of comfort.

“Princess,” Batel’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “the Khan and the elders are still waiting for our news in the royal tent. They will be very sad when they find out.”

Princess Yujia took a deep breath and stood up: "Let's tell the truth! Tell Father Khan and everyone else that the Great Jing Dynasty has also suffered a disaster, and there are refugees everywhere. They canceled the marriage alliance, but we still have other hopes."

"What hope?" Batel asked eagerly.

"Business."

Princess Yujia's voice became firm, and a blush rose to her face, though it wasn't very noticeable in the firelight.

“I met a cloth merchant from the Great Jing Dynasty in Qingshui County. He treated me very well and promised to do his best to make this happen. As long as we can trade normally with the Great Jing Dynasty and exchange our horses and furs for grain and cloth, our people will be able to get through this winter.”

He Shu looked at her with concern: "Princess, Tang Xiaotong is just a small shopkeeper. How capable could he be?"

“But he knows the Princess Consort of Cangzhou!” Princess Yujia’s eyes gleamed with the last spark of hope. “That princess consort holds a special position in Cangzhou; it’s said that even Prince Zhao Zun listens to her. If she could agree to trade with us…”

Batel shook his head: "The princess is pinning her hopes on a woman from the Jing Dynasty whom she has never met? That's absurd! No matter how special her status is, if His Majesty of the Great Jing Dynasty does not agree, everything is hopeless."

“Then tell me, Batel,” Princess Yujia looked directly into his eyes, “besides this faint hope, what other choice do we have? To wage war? To face those mysterious ‘peanuts’ and impregnable bastions? How many lives of our people do you think we can pay for that?”

The campsite was quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the campfire.

Finally, Batel nodded heavily: "We will set off back to the royal court first thing tomorrow morning, and the princess can explain everything to the Khan in person."

Night fell, and Princess Yujia stood alone at the edge of the camp, gazing towards the distant southern landscape. She recalled Tang Xiaotong's parting words: "Believe me, this isn't just because of you."

She didn't understand what Tang Xiaotong meant by that. Was there some other reason why Tang Xiaotong helped her?

"Tang Xiaotong".

She murmured to herself, as if that would carry her words to the distant Grand View.

"The hopes of my people now rest on your shoulders. Alas! I hope you can do your best as you say you will."

As night deepened, the night wind howled in the valley, like a sigh from the grassland.

Princess Yujia gripped the silver bell on her wrist, a symbol of her blood ties with her people.

No matter how slim the hope, she had to hold on tight, for the sake of her people who were anxiously awaiting her return at the royal court, and for the future of the Turks…

Tang Xiaotong rushed to Fufeng County and found the Zhao family's house according to the address Han Lei had given him.

Unfortunately, he missed his target.

I'm so happy to have gotten a star today! Thank you everyone for reading!