Love Lock

Chapter 217 Ending These Tragedy
His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, but his voice was surprisingly calm.

“Lord Luo, I see this scar every morning when I get dressed. The sound of the Turkic cavalry’s hooves still echoes in my dreams from that snowy night seven years ago.”

Han Lei noticed that Tang Xiaotong's knuckles were white, clearly indicating that she was trying her best to control her emotions.

She raised her hand to signal Luo Hai to calm down and said softly, "Little boy, please speak slowly."

“I was ten years old that year.” Tang Xiaotong’s gaze passed through the window lattice, as if he could see a very distant place. “My father died in battle outside Yong’an City, and three days later the Turks broke into the city. They swept through Beiguan like locusts, and our village was the first to be hit.”

His voice began to tremble, "Uncle Wang raised his hoe to fight back, but half his head was chopped off by a scimitar... The Turks set fire to the thatched huts in the village, and the fire raged wildly with the help of the wind..."

He suddenly unbuttoned his collar, revealing a patch of twisted skin below his collarbone: "This is where my mother was hit by the burning roof beam when she pushed me for the last time. My brother was only eight years old then, he... he was trapped under the collapsed beam, and I watched helplessly..."

Luo Hai turned his face away, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Han Lei's eyes also welled up with tears as she handed a silk handkerchief to Tang Xiaotong.

"The scar on my wrist was from when I was saving my younger brother, when I was branded by a beam. My mother pushed me out and told me to run away. But my mother's figure was swallowed up by the raging fire."

Tang Xiaotong did not take the handkerchief, letting her tears meander along the scar.

"I begged my way south, my wounds festering, and I nearly died several times. But I was just a lowly person, and in the end, the Yang family in Jingzhou took me in. When Aunt Yang used red-hot scissors to burn away the rotting flesh from my wounds, I bit through three wooden sticks..."

The room fell into a deathly silence, and the light was dim. Luo Hai turned on the solar-powered light, sat down heavily in the chair, and took a deep breath.

“In that case, you should understand the principle of blood for blood!” He lowered his voice, growling like a wounded beast. “The year I took office in Qingshui County, the Turks massacred two villages in the northern border region! When I received the news, my heart was bleeding.”

Tang Xiaotong suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with an astonishing light: "That's precisely why I want to end these tragedies. Lord Luo, have you ever considered why the border wars have continued for forty years? Is the Turkic Khan inherently bloodthirsty?"

He strode to the sheepskin map hanging on the wall and traced his fingertips across the northern grasslands.

“I have never been to the Turkic Khaganate, but I heard from Yu Jia that it is bitterly cold there. The Great Jing can farm, but the Turks can only herd livestock and cannot grow grain. The old people eat tree bark, and the children are so thin that you can count their ribs. Sometimes the grasslands suffer from snow disasters year after year, and seven or eight out of ten sheep freeze to death.”

“This is not a reason to excuse atrocities,” Han Lei said softly, but her eyes were thoughtful.

"Of course not, and I know that proposing to open trade with the Turks will be met with a lot of scorn and insults, but... I still want to make the proposal."

As Tang Xiaotong turned around, half a piece of charred wood carving fell out of her sleeve; it was vaguely recognizable as a child's toy.

"Lord Luo, as you said, I hate the Turks more than anyone else. But hatred cannot solve the problem. What I want to do is solve the problem at its root. Yong'an City, which my father and countless border soldiers protected with their lives, is still suffering from the flames of war. The lives of the people of Dajing are lives, and the lives of the border soldiers are also lives. If the problem cannot be solved, the war with the Turks will continue, and our Dajing will send a large number of able-bodied men to guard the border, reducing agriculture. And... they will lose their lives in the fierce battle."

At this point, Tang Xiaotong suddenly knelt down on one knee, her eyes filled with an unusually sincere plea as she looked at Han Lei.

“Your Highness, no one is born wanting to be a bandit. If you have hair, who would want to be bald? If you have enough food and supplies to survive, who wouldn't want a peaceful life? Who would risk their life to plunder? Your Highness, think about it. When you first met me, wasn't it because I didn't have money to buy medicine for Granny Yang that I risked stealing your wine? The Turks are short of food and clothing, but we also desperately need warhorses and medicine. If we could establish trade, exchanging tea for horses and salt for medicine…”

"Enough! Tang Xiaotong, you've been bewitched by that Princess Yujia!" Luo Hai suddenly stood up. "In my opinion, she's just using you to get close to the princess!"

Tang Xiaotong gave a bitter, desolate smile: "Lord Luo, you may curse me as a bastard who has forgotten his family's hatred. But think about it carefully, isn't what I said the truth? After a war, isn't it a river of blood? How many families are torn apart, destroyed, and forced to wander?"

Luo Hai was stunned, and the teacup he had just been holding paused slightly.

"Lord Luo, my heart is bleeding too. I wish I could take up my sword and go to the battlefield to slaughter the Turks. But it is precisely because I have been rained on that I am willing to hold an umbrella for others. Lord Luo, the feeling of losing one's family is truly unbearable."

Tang Xiaotong gently placed the wooden carving on the table, her voice hoarse.

“But whenever I see newly born orphans on the border, I think of the frostbite on Aunt Yang’s hands when she brewed medicine for me. Hatred only creates more hatred, while the camel bells of caravans can bring life to the border between the two countries. This is not about forgetting hatred, but about guarding the border in a different way instead of swords and blood.”

The bright sunlight outside the window shone on the lush greenery growing freely in the yard, and vibrant flowers hung from the branches. Luo Hai stopped scolding Tang Xiaotong and instead gazed at the vibrant life outside the window, lost in thought.

After a long silence, he suddenly turned and asked, "What if the Turks still raid the border after the trade is opened?"

Tang Xiaotong took out the knife from his waist and slashed his palm with a "whoosh," dripping blood onto the bluestone ground.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness and Lord Luo, if the Turks invade again after the border is opened, I am willing to be the vanguard. But please give them a chance not to be bandits, just like the Yang family gave me, an orphan, a way to survive back then."

Luo Hai stared at the drops of blood falling from Tang Xiaotong's hand and sighed deeply.

Han Lei stared at the slender young man in front of her, noticing the hideous scar on his wrist faintly visible at the wide cuff of his sleeve, and softened her voice.

"Little boy, tell me the truth, was the trade with the Turks your own idea, or was it instructed by Princess Yujia?"

Tang Xiaotong looked up and met Han Lei's gaze without flinching.

"My acquaintance with Princess Yujia was by chance. But establishing trade with the Turks, providing them with an environment where they can survive, ending wars, and preventing further family destruction and the loss of orphans like myself, has been my long-held wish. I have carefully considered this before coming to the Queen. I believe only the Queen can achieve this, and I humbly request the Queen's permission."

After Tang Xiaotong finished speaking, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to Han Lei.

Han Lei reached out and helped him up, gazing into his pleading eyes.

She sat back down, her fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of the teacup. The tea was slightly cool, reflecting her slightly furrowed brow.

She sighed inwardly, realizing that her perspective wasn't as broad as Tang Xiaotong's.

Faced with the Turks, Tang Xiaotong could temporarily conceal his deep-seated hatred. Instead, he was willing to use this border trade method to prevent the Turks from invading the border again, so that the people and soldiers of both the Great Jing and the Turks could live a peaceful life.

After all, a fierce battle doesn't just wound one side, but both. In the Great Jing Dynasty, especially along the northern border, far too many families like Tang Xiaotong's have lost their homes and loved ones; their hatred for the Turks runs deep.

The Turks' raids on the Great Jing were like the damage that a small island nation inflicted on its own country in modern times.

This hatred will be passed down from generation to generation. Not everyone can have such a broad perspective and such a magnanimous heart as Tang Xiaotong.

Therefore, this matter sounds simple, but it is very difficult to implement.

“Xiao Tong, your thoughts…” Han Lei carefully chose her words, “are indeed more profound than mine. Your breadth of vision and overall perspective are also greater than those of Lord Luo and me.”

Tang Xiaotong's rough fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, afraid that Han Lei's next words would shatter her expectations.

“Your Highness, I understand this is difficult.” His voice was low and slightly choked. “The grass on my parents’ graves must be three feet tall by now. Every time I think of them being buried in a mass grave, my hands still tremble involuntarily.”

Han Lei turned to look at Luo Hai, wanting to ask for his opinion, but saw that Luo Hai had already lost his anger and was standing by the window with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

Han Lei gently stroked the teacup and said softly to Tang Xiaotong, "Xiaotong, have you thought about this? The Turks and the Great Jing have a long-standing feud, and trade between them involves a wide range of issues. What will the ministers in the court and the common people think? If this matter is not handled properly, it could be suspected of colluding with the enemy or aiding the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaotong prostrated himself and kowtowed: "Your Highness, this matter faces numerous obstacles, and I have thought it over many times. I dare to bring it up today because the autumn harvest is just around the corner."

He raised his eyes, his voice growing more earnest, “I have been to Fufeng County and Beiguan, and have witnessed the power of pistols and the fortifications of fortresses. However, if the Turks run out of food for the winter, they will surely take desperate measures. Even if our army is not afraid, swords on the battlefield have no eyes; every soldier lost is a life lost, and behind them lies a broken home!”

Han Lei tapped her fingertips lightly on the table and nodded, saying, "That makes sense, and I agree with your idea. If opening border trade can bring peace between the two countries and stability to their people, I would be very willing to do so. But... I cannot make decisions for those who have lost their loved ones and homes. I am even less qualified to help them forget these hatreds. Therefore... this matter needs to be considered carefully. At the very least, I need to discuss it with the Prince."

Hearing Han Lei agree with her idea, Tang Xiaotong's eyes lit up, but when she heard that she had to discuss it with Zhao Zun, the light of hope that had just ignited in Tang Xiaotong's eyes dimmed again.

He recalled how Zhao Zun's father had died in battle on the Turkic battlefield, killed by a hail of twenty-seven arrows...

Zhao Zun was a vassal king of Cangzhou, and he didn't know if Han Lei could persuade him. Because none of them had the right to make Zhao Zun forget those hatreds.

Not to mention the imperial court and other common people, Zhao Zun alone is the biggest obstacle.

"Your Highness, but what about the Prince..." Tang Xiaotong was filled with anxiety.

"Don't worry!" Han Lei's pretty eyes lit up with a reassuring smile. "I will take this to heart, but you need to give me some time. We need to think things through carefully."

Seeing that Han Lei had agreed, Tang Xiaotong's eyes instantly welled up with tears of joy. He then prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead touching the bluestone floor, his voice choked with emotion.

“Your Highness, the way of commerce is the way of humanity, as you once told me. If we could establish trade relations with the Turks, why would the people live in fear and anxiety every autumn harvest season?”

Luo Hai, who was by the window, turned around, and the sunlight cast a deep shadow between his brows.

He sighed deeply: "The people of Cangzhou have indeed suffered from the ravages of war for far too long."

Luo Hai's voice held an unprecedented looseness.

Seeing this, Han Lei said gently to Tang Xiaotong, "This can't be rushed. You should go back to the capital and take care of the business first. As for the rest..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness." Tang Xiaotong replied hastily, her eyes still glistening with tears but already filled with joy. "I will rush back to the capital to manage the business well and will never let Your Highness worry about the business in the capital."

"I believe you," Han Lei said softly. "But it's getting late today, so we can set off tomorrow. Now that Cangzhou is settled, I need you to take some things to the capital. Just put them in the Jinxiufang storeroom; they'll come in handy later."

"Yes!" Tang Xiaotong nodded firmly. "Your Highness, rest assured, I will handle it perfectly."

After Tang Xiaotong bowed and left the study, the room fell silent for a moment.

As the sun gradually set outside the window, the solar-powered light on the desk cast the shadows of Han Lei and Luo Hai onto the bookshelf behind them.

Han Lei broke the silence first: "Uncle Luo, what do you think of what Xiaotong said just now?" Her voice was soft and sweet, but with a touch of composure.

Luo Hai stroked his short beard, revealing even deeper furrows between his brows.

"At first I was very angry and thought he was worse than a pig or a dog. But after thinking about it for a long time, I realized that there was some merit to what the child said."

He strolled to the window and looked at the thriving flowers and plants in the yard, as if he were looking at each of them as vibrant lives.

"For decades, the Turks have repeatedly invaded our borders for food and supplies, and our army has had no choice but to fight in order to defend our territory. The battlefields are bloody and littered with corpses. Those are all living, breathing human lives. Both the Turks and the Great Jing have paid a heavy price for this, and neither has gained anything. If the two countries could exchange goods and supplies for each other and then cease hostilities, this would indeed be the least costly way to defend the border. We might as well give it a try."

The lamplight reflected a glint of tears in Han Lei's eyes. She recalled her time at the Beiguan military camp, the wounded soldiers left to die in the open space of the wounded soldiers' camp, and the groans rising and falling from the tents.

“But…” He sighed heavily, his eyebrows almost furrowed. “It will be difficult to persuade Zun’er.”

Han Lei pursed her lips: "Yes! I need to think about this carefully. After I finish inspecting all the counties in Cangzhou, I'll try to talk to him about it when I get back."

"Hmm!" Luo Hai reminded him, "Don't push yourself too hard, take it slow."

"Don't worry, Uncle Luo! I will." Han Lei nodded, but she wasn't entirely confident.

All she knew was that since Tang Xiaotong could set aside her deep-seated hatred for the peace between the two countries, she should do her best for this matter, even if she couldn't persuade Zhao Zun in the end.

Last night's chapter was so difficult, I almost stayed up all night writing it. Please give me some comments and votes to cheer me up.