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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 172 Pearl
With a sweeping gesture, Shibi Khan allocated a vast expanse of grassland, equivalent to ten Zhuojun, to Li Jian Cheng. Half of it was his own territory, while the other half belonged to his younger brother, Chiqishe.
This clearly indicated how fertile the land was; as soon as cattle, sheep, horses, and enslaved herders were driven in, an endless stream of wealth would flow forth.
"Jian Cheng, the chaos in the Sui Dynasty is not far off. When the time comes, we will head south and share the entire Sui Territory between us. I’ve heard that the southern region is the most prosperous place; it will all belong to you!
You should also recall your troops from Liaodong City. The cold and harsh land of Goguryeo is hardly worth our effort to conquer."
Li Jian Cheng nodded. "I have the same intention; staying too long can lead to unforeseen changes."
Shibi Khan nodded in agreement. He had only recently surrounded the Sui Emperor, and already there were signs of unrest among the Tiele in the rear.
Kang Tan chuckled, "If Lord is unwilling to move troops through Sui Territory, we can take the route through Khitan Shiwey. As long as Khan's order arrives, they will certainly not dare to obstruct us.
In the past, these northeastern states had to obey the commands of the Turkic Khan first. After the Turkic split, they followed the orders of the Great Sui Emperor. And as Goguryeo gradually rose, they began to heed the commands of their closer king.
This is also why the emperor insisted on sending troops against Goguryeo; there can only be one Celestial Empire and one hegemon.
Now that internal strife plagues the Sui Dynasty and Goguryeo struggles to maintain its capital, Shibi Khan’s siege against the Sui Emperor undoubtedly positions him as the uncontested overlord of this region once again.
However, Shibi Khan was clearly not satisfied with just this. Perhaps Yang Guang had left too deep an impression on him; he also wanted to see the Son of Heaven from the Central Plains kneeling before him, clearing away the weeds from his grand tent.
Li Jian Cheng nodded in agreement. His compliant demeanor pleased Shibi Khan greatly; he could show favor but did not want Li Jian Cheng to become too presumptuous. This current state was just right.
"Jian Cheng, you may return now. Be good to my sister; your child will be my nephew and will carry on our two families' noble bloodline. He will be the Sovereign of the South while my son will be the Sovereign of the North. Together they will govern both the grasslands and the Central Plains!"
Li Jian Cheng smiled as he took his leave. After he was gone, Shibi Khan turned to his advisor beside him and asked, "Will he agree? He has already been abandoned by the Sui Emperor. I have offered him the best treatment, provided him with herds from the grasslands and my sister."
Kang Tan replied, "The Khan's hospitality is unmatched, and such grandeur is something the Central Plains Emperor lacks. I believe he has already been won over by you and will become your right-hand man."
Shibi Khan smiled proudly. "To catch a fat prey, one must not skimp on bait. Once his troops arrive, we will divide them immediately; we cannot allow him to hold so many troops. Hmm, leaving him with twenty thousand should suffice."
"The Khan's wisdom surpasses even the highest peaks."
Li Jian Cheng returned to his residence. Dali City had been built by craftsmen from the Central Plains sent by the Predecessor Emperor to assist Qimin Khan, so it was not much different from the residences in the Central Plains.
Inside, it was lavishly decorated, with exquisite porcelain and gold and silver ornaments everywhere. Even the bows hanging on the walls were wrapped in golden threads.
Li Jian Cheng preferred a more elegant style, but in Turkic culture, being too refined would only invite disdain and unnecessary conflict. It was better this way; anyone who came would be left in awe.
"My Lord, the princess is waiting for you."
The servants here were all people captured from Yanmen County during this raid; they had been granted to Li Jian Cheng.
He walked slowly to the backyard, where there was an archery range in the middle of the garden. A tall figure was drawing a bow and shooting arrows; each arrow landed neatly on the target.
Li Jian Cheng stood quietly watching for a moment until that figure put down her bow and stepped in front of him. She was only slightly shorter than Li Jian Cheng and even taller than Shibi Khan.
In the eyes of both Central Plains people and Turks, a woman being too tall was not considered good or beautiful—unless she had a face like hers.
Her skin was as delicate as a southern beauty's, with bright peach blossom eyes sparkling like stars. She possessed both charm and spirit; once seen, she would never be forgotten. She said with a hint of sorrow, "You made me wait for a long time."
“Fortunately, I did not disappoint the princess.”
Ashina Anar turned her face slightly. She had originally been angry, but after a short period of contact, her grievances faded away. He was a perfect man, better than anyone she had ever met.
He was always so confident and composed, even after being sent here by his emperor. He remained capable of anything, bringing her things that she had longed for but could not obtain even with her brother's help.
Many nobles who admired her initially sought to confront him in anger, but in the end, they either left Dali City dejected or sincerely wished them well.
“I heard you have a wife in the Central Plains?”
“Yes, my wife from the Xiao Family. She was once a princess, but her country was swallowed by the Sui Dynasty.”
Li Jian Cheng slightly turned his gaze toward Chang'an, clearly missing her.
“Who do you prefer more?”
“I like both of you. You are the two most beautiful stars I have ever seen and should revolve around me.”
“But her country has already fallen, while mine still exists.”
Clearly, she was someone who did not understand the Central Plains. She naively believed that with the fall of Duke, there would be no power left to rely on, unaware of the complex relationships in the Central Plains.
But Li Jian Cheng simply said, “So I should protect her even more, shouldn't I?”
Ashina Anar furrowed her brows but nodded affirmatively, saying, "That's right. She is already your wife, so you should protect and cherish her. You shouldn't disdain her because of other matters!"
However, after speaking, she turned away a bit unhappily. She was a simple Turkic noblewoman, possessing the pure, brave, and strong characteristics that were the most precious traits of the Turks.
Li Jian Cheng said nothing, only stretching his hand to relieve the stiffness in his shoulder from archery. Gradually, Ashina Anar nestled into his embrace.
"I want you to bring me ten thousand sheep, a crown embedded with gems from the Western Regions, and wine... and more..."
"Alright, soon you will have everything you desire."
After Ashina Anar left that night, Li Jian Cheng tapped on the table, and Li Xiaogong, dressed in full Turkic attire, emerged from within.
"Brother, this place is still too dangerous. Please return to Zhuojun with me."
Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "It's still too early. Besides, if I want to leave, it won't be difficult. Kang Tan and Princess Yicheng will help me. Ashina Tuoji's control over Dali City is quite crude."
"What about Zhuojun? Has there been any movement in Liaodong City?"
The thirty thousand troops that Li Jian Cheng brought out were the ones most determined to return to the Central Plains. If they weren't brought out now, they would eventually rebel; killing them would be too much after all they had fought together for so long.
……………
(End of Chapter)
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