Love Lock

Chapter 113 War is imminent! War is imminent!
She knew that she and Zhao Zun were now enemies, but she still harbored that obsession in her heart.

As long as she could infiltrate Dajing Cangzhou and find Zhao Zun, she believed she had enough ability to persuade the frustrated Zhao Zun to submit to the Turks.

Zhao Zun possesses the talent of a general and is also a brave and skilled warrior on the battlefield. If he were willing to serve the Turks, not only would the Turks gain a valiant general with strategic acumen, but she would also have the opportunity to be with Zhao Zun every day.

Of course, it would be even better if Zhao Zun could become her man in the future, as the Turks have plenty of brave warriors and armies for him to lead.

Princess Yujia led her horse quietly through the camp, avoiding the patrolling soldiers.

She secretly rejoiced, thankfully her father was preoccupied with the war and went to bed early tonight, so he wouldn't notice her whereabouts.

However, she hadn't gone far when she heard footsteps behind her.

"stop!"

A majestic voice rang out in the darkness.

Princess Yujia was startled; she recognized the voice as that of her father, the Khan.

She stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at Ashina Khan striding towards her, thinking to herself—it's over.

"Father Khan, why...why have you come?"

Princess Yujia reached out and stroked the horse's head, trying to hide her panic.

Ashina looked at his daughter, a complex emotion flashing in his sharp eyes. While he was busy planning the battle in the main tent, he had also noticed that his daughter was distracted.

No one knows a daughter better than her father; how could he not know what his daughter was thinking? He also anticipated that she would definitely take action tonight.

as predicted!

He was both angry and heartbroken. He was angry that his daughter had disregarded the bigger picture and left the camp without permission; he was heartbroken that his daughter had risked everything for that illusory love.

"Yujia, where are you going?"

Ashina's tone carried a hint of helplessness and reproach. Needless to say, he knew what his daughter wanted to do.

Princess Yujia lowered her head, remained silent for a while, and then mustered up her courage to say, "Father Khan, I...I want to go find Zhao Zun."

Ashina's face darkened. "Nonsense! With a great battle imminent, you, as a princess, do not think of sharing the burden of the country, but instead leave the camp to find the enemy on your own. What kind of behavior is this!"

Princess Yujia raised her head, and tears were glistening in her bright eyes.

“Father, I know that a great battle is imminent, and I know my and Zhao Zun’s identities, but I truly love him.”

"Love him?" Ashina's voice rose several decibels, his expression hardening further. "You've never even seen his face; you've only heard of him. What love do you have to speak of?"

Ashina no longer knew what to say about his daughter.

Unlike women in the Great Jing region, women on the grasslands are not bound by many constraints. From a young age, they dance with the wind and sing with the horses, living a free and unrestrained life.

They are eagles on the grasslands, possessing the freedom to soar through the sky, but not all of them can mount a warhorse and fight bloody battles with the enemy.

Princess Yujia was gentle and docile, like a lamb, and skilled in strategy. She was good at riding horses and herding livestock on the grasslands, but she was far from being able to fight on the battlefield.

In every major battle, she would strategize from afar in the main tent and never actually see Zhao Zun. The only things they ever did were clashes of strategy.

His daughter's infatuation with Zhao Zun was merely due to his reputation; it was nothing more than a hero complex, a form of worship.

But now, his daughter is actually disregarding the enemy-friend relationship and wanting to risk her life to find that man. Isn't that utter nonsense?
Ashina grew angrier the more he thought about it and couldn't help but scold him.

"go back!"

"Father, believe me, I can persuade Zhao Zun," Princess Yujia pleaded pitifully.

Ashina remained unmoved, his face dark, refusing to back down an inch.

"Yu Jia, you're too naive. Who do you think you are? You're a princess from an enemy country. How could Zhao Zun be persuaded by a few words from you?"

Princess Yujia trembled. She raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Father, I just want to see him once, please grant my request."

Ashina felt a surge of tenderness in his heart as he looked at his daughter's tearful face.

He knew that the chances of Princess Yujia persuading Zhao Zun were almost zero; her real purpose was simply to see her dream lover.

But with a major battle imminent, he could not allow his daughter to take such a risk.

Moreover, the future of the Turks cannot be determined by personal feelings.

If Princess Yujia were allowed to infiltrate the Great Jing Dynasty at this time, the Turks would be hesitant to act rashly in this great battle. The Great Jing Dynasty's golden opportunity to change its commanders and generals would be meaningless to them.

Ashina took a deep breath and said patiently, "Yujia, your fate is sealed. You cannot abandon your responsibilities and mission for a man."

"But...but my daughter truly loves him," Princess Yujia sobbed uncontrollably.

Ashina looked up at the bright moon that was gradually setting in the west and sighed.

"Love is the most beautiful thing in the world, but it is also the most dangerous. It can make people lose their way and even their lives. Yujia, you must remember that you are a princess of the Turks, and your responsibility is to protect the people and land of the Turks. You cannot let love blind you."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yujia bit her lip tightly, a wave of despair washing over her.

She knew her father was right, but she just couldn't let go of her love for Zhao Zun. She lowered her head, letting her tears fall onto the grass and disappear into the soil.

Ashina felt a pang of sadness seeing his daughter in pain. He tried to soften his tone and gently patted her shoulder.

"Yujia, go back. Get a good night's rest, everything will be alright tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll have someone keep an eye on you."

As Ashina spoke, he grabbed the reins from Princess Yujia's hand and firmly controlled her black horse.

Princess Yujia wanted to say something more, but looking at Ashina's dark face, she ultimately said nothing.

She pursed her lips, blinked, and after a tear rolled down her cheek, she nodded silently.

Not long after Princess Yujia returned to her tent, the first rays of dawn greeted the vast grassland.

The sky gradually changed from deep blue to light purple, and glistening dewdrops clung to the blades of grass, swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance, the outlines of a flock of sheep gradually became clearer in the hazy light, and the faint sound of pastoral songs could be heard.

Suddenly, a deep, resonant bugle call rang out, long and deep, like the call of the soul of the grassland, instantly piercing the silence of dawn.

Turkic warriors surged forth from their yurts, clad in leather and bamboo armor, wielding spears or scimitars, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for battle and a determination to win. The sound of hooves grew louder as the thousands of cavalry rapidly assembled, forming an unstoppable force.

The army gathered like a tide, warhorses neighed, their iron hooves pounded lightly, and the Turkic banners fluttered in the wind, each wave signifying the convergence of power and the guidance of direction.

Ashina Khan, clad in armor, stood majestically atop a high platform built of logs. His gaze was deep and unwavering, as if it could pierce through the mists of distance and see the distant battlefield.

Beside him were several loyal and brave Turkic generals, each of whose eyes burned with a fierce fighting spirit so intense it was almost tangible.

Ashina Khan, along with several Turkic generals, raised golden cups to offer libations, praying to the gods of the steppe for strength and the hope of victory.

After offering the libation, Ashina swiftly drew his curved sword from his waist, pointing it towards the sky, the blade gleaming coldly in the dawn light.

"Warriors, for our descendants, for the freedom of the grasslands, we must fight! Let us take up arms and embrace the victory that belongs to us!"

As soon as Ashina finished speaking, the dark mass of Turkic warriors below instantly became as if they had been injected with chicken blood, waving all kinds of weapons in their hands and shouting.

"We want war! We want war! We want war!"

Eagles soared in the sky over the grassland, as if bidding farewell to this valiant team.

Ashina Khan's gaze slowly swept over the warriors, and then he suddenly swung down the scimitar in his hand.

"Leave!"

At Ashina's command, the army began to move slowly.

The sounds of horses' hooves and clashing weapons mingled together, and with the dawn light of the grasslands, Ashina's Turkic army set off in a mighty procession toward the distant city of Yong'an...

………This is a lazy dividing line………

Meanwhile, in the capital of the Great Jing Dynasty.

On a clear spring morning, the gentle sunlight awakened every corner of the capital city, bathing this ancient city in a soft golden glow.

Shops lined both sides of the street, bustling with activity as people began their daily work.

Today is a rare auspicious day. In addition to the inn that has been handed over to Liu Bo, the former steward of the Prince's Mansion, to be managed in secret, Han Lei's other three new shops openly open today also open to the public.

One of the shops is called "Lao Yi Lao Hot Pot Restaurant," which, as the name suggests, sells hot pot.

The hot pot restaurant is not far from Tengyunlou. It has a friendly decor, three floors, and is managed by Zhang Hanlin, who is known for his large head.

Han Lei purchased all the kitchenware, tableware, tables, and chairs in the hot pot restaurant directly from the system. When choosing these items, Han Lei paid special attention to ensuring that everything looked both novel and relevant to the times.

The hot pot base is all packaged in bags with a long shelf life, making it easy for Han Lei to restock.

As for the other dishes, Han Lei let Zhang Hanlin decide for himself; anything that could be cooked in hot pot could be served. The pricing was for mass consumption.

Another shop is "Zui Xian Winery".

This shop is open until the early hours of the morning. Although it's not open 24 hours, in an era where there's still a curfew, it can be considered a form of nightlife.

The tavern has two floors. In addition to its signature Drunken Immortal Wine, it also offers a variety of packaged snacks to accompany the drinks, such as pickled chicken feet, spicy peanuts, konjac snacks, and hot and sour bamboo shoots. Each packaged snack has a shelf life of about one year.

Inside the shop, rows of neat wooden shelves were filled with wine jars, and the air was filled with an intoxicating aroma of wine.

The packaged side dishes were stripped of their packaging and placed in elegant platters, displayed in prominent locations to attract the attention of passersby.

The last shop is called "Yuanyangzan," named after the tortoiseshell woven mandarin duck shoes and the gold-decorated jade hairpins.

Since ancient times, women's money has been the easiest to earn. The character "簪" (zān) clearly indicates that it is used by women, so this is a women's product specialty store.

This shop has a more refined and elegant decor. The shop is decorated mainly in white, with delicate orchid patterns, giving it a fresh and refined feel.

The store has two floors. The upper floor displays high-end jewelry, each piece of which is dazzling and shines with an alluring light.

In addition, there were some extremely novel women's items upstairs, such as dressing mirrors and nail polish.

Upstairs, the store caters to the wealthy, while downstairs, it sells affordable and effective skincare creams and some ordinary cosmetics with retro packaging. These products cater to the general public with their excellent quality and reasonable prices.

When the brothers Yang Haibo and Tang Xiaotong came to the capital, the escort agency that had expanded its recruitment in Jingzhou started to have work. They followed along, escorting goods to the capital in a steady stream to ensure the normal operation of the shops.

The Yang brothers, having been peddlers in the past, have a solid business background. They know what kind of goods to sell to what kind of people, and they also know how to create hype and attract attention.

Following Han Lei, they witnessed the entire process of building a guesthouse in Songyang Town, Jingzhou. Then, on a whim, they chose the location of the tavern and the mandarin duck hairpin shop on a corner near the street with the most brothels.

There are many wealthy men in this area, and many who are attracted to beautiful women. However, because they are located at a corner and not on the same street, the two shops are not affected by the smoky atmosphere of a brothel, which would lower their overall quality.

The tavern and the Mandarin Duck Hairpin were right next to each other, and thanks to Wei Chengchao's efforts, the shop signs were all personally inscribed by Prime Minister Wei.

The two shops are like two sisters standing side by side, yet each exudes its own unique charm.

By this time, the street in front of the two shops was packed with pedestrians. The drums were beating loudly, and the lion dance performance was reaching its climax.

As a series of firecrackers crackled and popped, thick smoke billowed in front of the two shops, adding a festive atmosphere to the grand opening ceremony.

Wei Chengchao, the nominal boss who was controlled by Han Lei with poison, has recovered some of his strength in the past few days.

At this moment, Wei Chengchao, dressed in formal attire, stood on the steps between the two shops with a mournful face, his eyes revealing a sense of helplessness and resentment.

Despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to attend the opening ceremony under the threat of poison.

Standing next to Wei Chengchao, Da Jiu glanced at him, a playful smile appearing on his lips, and couldn't help but nudge him lightly with his elbow.

"Hey, smile. Don't give me that sour look like someone borrowed money from you and isn't paying it back."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chengchao managed to force a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"I can't laugh; I feel choked up inside."

Da Jiu rolled his eyes. "You're just being stubborn. Isn't this great? If you manage these two stores well, you'll still make money."

Feeling utterly hopeless, Wei Chengchao rolled his eyes at Da Jiu.

Is he worried about money now?
Does he look like someone who's short of money?
What worries him is that, starting today, his life as a scapegoat officially begins.

Just then, the sound of firecrackers gradually stopped, and the smoke slowly dissipated.

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(End of this chapter)