I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1074 Reunion after a long absence

In the garden of the Governor's Mansion, moonlight filters through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Su Yao was sitting at the stone table, playing with a crystal-clear sapphire in his hand—the very one that Safia had given him that day. The lovely girl had been so excited after getting off the griffin that she was incoherent, insisting on thanking him for his tolerance and kindness, which left Su Yao both amused and exasperated.

"Or, why don't you just offer yourself to me, little sister?"

Princess Amina placed her hand on Safia's shoulder and chuckled as she pushed her into Su Yao's arms.

"This...this..." The girl's face turned as red as a ripe apple. Su Yao, quick-witted, came to her rescue:

"This gem is lovely, I really like it, consider it a thank you gift."

Safia, feeling like she'd been granted a pardon, quickly stuffed the gem into Su Yao's hand, turned, and ran away. Her shy demeanor made Amina cover her mouth and laugh.

"What an innocent child. If Your Majesty desires, I think I can take her tonight."

Su Yao smiled and shook his head, clutching the sapphire in his palm: "No rush, let her get used to it for a while longer. Today's main course isn't this girl. By the way, has the person I asked you to prepare arrived?"

Amina smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, the actors are all in place, just waiting for our lion to enter."

"General Bahram has arrived!"

When Bahram arrived at the stone pavilion, he saw only Su Yao standing alone with his hands behind his back.

"Where is my daughter?"

"What did you do to Safia?!"

Bahram's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and he lunged forward, the chains dragging on the ground with a piercing sound.

He was so excited because he instantly saw the gem that Su Yao was clutching in his hands—it was the birthday gift he had given to his daughter just last month!

However.
"Kneel down!"

"How dare you be so insolent before the Holy Lord!"

The reprimand did not come from Su Yao, but from Zhang Liao, who emerged from the shadows of the stone pavilion.

He was dressed in gleaming Han armor, his hand on the long sword at his waist, his gaze icy. Before he finished speaking, several Crimson Cloud Cavalry guards rushed forward, their halberds crossed, their cold light aimed directly at Bahram's throat.

Bahram suddenly froze, and beads of blood seeped from his neck.

Normally, he wouldn't have paid any attention to a mere three or five soldiers, but now, the shackled tiger was like a toothless beast, and was quickly forced to kneel on one knee.

"You despicable devil! What have you done to Safia? That was the jewel I gave her!"

Su Yao slowly turned around, opened his palm, glanced at the gem that shimmered in the moonlight, and smiled wryly:
"General Bahram is certainly protective of his daughter, but unfortunately he's taken his anger out on the wrong person."

As he spoke, he gestured for the guards to step back, then slowly walked to Bahram, knelt down, and gently placed the sapphire in his blood-stained palm:

"Your daughter is currently in the small building, enjoying tea and admiring the moon with the Princess and others. This gemstone is a gift she personally gave me as a token of her gratitude—thanking me for taking her to see the scenery of the Amu Darya River today."

"What did you say?"

Bahram's hand, clutching the sapphire, trembled slightly, the anger in his eyes gradually turning into confusion and bewilderment. This gem was so precious; would her daughter so easily give it to this enemy?

He stared intently at Su Yao, trying to find a trace of a lie in the other's eyes, but those deep eyes only held confidence and composure.

"Don't believe me?" Su Yao stood up and pointed to the Moon Gazing Pavilion not far away. "See for yourself."

Following the direction of his finger, Bahram squinted. In the moonlight, the windows of the exquisite little building were spotless, and several graceful figures could be vaguely seen sitting around a table. One of the slender figures was none other than his daughter, Safia, whom he longed for day and night!
Faint laughter drifted from inside the small building. Safia was holding a teacup, sitting with Soraya, the former favorite concubine of the Parthian King, talking about something. Safia had a relaxed and even somewhat excited smile on her face, showing no sign of being coerced.

"His Majesty is benevolent, treating your daughter like an honored guest, yet the general is so rude; it is truly disheartening." Princess Amina had arrived in the pavilion at some point and stood affectionately beside Su Yao, like a true emperor and empress.

"What do you want?"

Bahram stared stubbornly into Su Yao's eyes, and after a brief silence, finally sighed and spoke:
"Although I am very unwilling, your strength is indeed unmatched, and I am far from being your match."

"With your power, you don't need to care about me so much."

A flame of humiliation flickered in Bahram's eyes.

As a renowned general of Parthia, he was the goal and idol of countless passionate young people, a pillar of the nation, and the pride of his family.

However, during this eastern expedition, he lost his troops and territory. He suffered repeated defeats against Su Yao and was powerless to fight back. In order to delay the Han army's attack by even a day or two, he had to choose between his daughter and his beloved concubine. In the end, he painfully sent his woman to the Han camp.

Even so, after sacrificing Saki, he couldn't stop the man's advance. He watched helplessly as his daughter was taken away, he was imprisoned, and the emperor he had sworn to protect fell into their carefully laid trap and met a tragic end.

How can someone who has failed like this have the face to live in this world?
“Kill me.” Bahram closed his eyes in anguish. “I will never submit to you.”

"Ha ha, is the Armenian lion so weak? Trying to escape death?"

"What did you say?!" Bahram glared angrily.

Su Yao remained calm and patted Amina's hand: "I heard from the princess that the general once defeated the Romans' attack with 30,000 troops on the western battlefield, and even captured an eagle banner. Is that true?"

Bahram's pupils dilated. That was his proudest achievement, which had once struck fear into the hearts of the Romans on the Armenian steppes and was the origin of his title "Lion".

“So what if it is?” Bahram turned his face away, his voice hoarse. “A defeated general dares not speak of bravery.”

Seeing Bahram's wavering expression, Su Yao smiled slightly: "I've heard that the Romans are still making moves on the border. Doesn't the general want to meet those old adversaries again?"

Bahram looked up abruptly, a sharp glint in his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Su Yao did not answer, but asked again, "General, do you know where your scattered troops are?"

Before Bahram could respond, Su Yao straightened his back and said, "The 30,000 Parthian troops have all pledged their allegiance to me, and they are all waiting for their commander's return."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly came from outside the stone pavilion.

Bahram whirled around and saw dozens of generals in Parthian uniforms, wearing green armbands, marching in formation towards them in the moonlight. Their steps were synchronized, their armor gleaming, and their faces showed no trace of the dejection of defeated generals.
"General!"

"The general is unharmed!"

"General! We have been waiting here for a long time!"

(End of this chapter)