Love Lock

Chapter 242 He who wears the crown must bear its weight

Outside the window, a sparrow fluttered past, casting a fleeting shadow on the window frame.

“Fatty’s right.” Hua Tianyou, abandoning his usual carefree demeanor, spoke in a firm and resolute voice: “I, Hua Tianyou, am making this clear today! I’m not going anywhere; I’m staying here to support Zhao Zun!”

He grew increasingly angry as he spoke, “Those guys in the capital who only know how to sing and dance don’t understand Zhao Zun, but do you think I don’t? Treating a meritorious official like this is simply heartbreaking! Even if Zhao Zun rebelled, it must be the court’s fault, and His Majesty’s blindness.”

"Ah! Young Master!" the square-faced guard cried out, his face turning deathly pale. He rushed forward and covered Hua Tianyou's mouth, saying, "Young Master, be careful what you say! You can't just say such things, or you'll bring disaster upon yourself!"

His palms were sweating, and he thought to himself, "How can this little brat dare to say anything out loud?"

"Tch!" Hua Tianyou disagreed. He exchanged a glance with the fat man, then stepped forward and put his arms around Zhao Zun's shoulders, one on each side.

The fat man patted his thick chest, causing his robes to flutter, and spoke with utmost sincerity.

"Brother, don't worry! It's just the imperial court sending troops. If we brothers are of one mind, our strength can break even metal!"

“Yes!” Hua Tianyou nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, what’s the big deal? We’re on your side. Let’s start preparing now to deal with the imperial army.”

As they grew increasingly audacious, Uncle Yang rubbed his forehead and knelt shakily on the ground. "Young Master, you mustn't act rashly! Don't forget, Master, Madam, and your families are all in the capital..."

Uncle Yang choked up before he could finish speaking. Hua Tianyou and Fatty fell silent, looking at Zhao Zun with complex emotions in their eyes.

Zhao Zun's eyes flickered slightly. He placed his hands on the shoulders of his two close friends, his voice low and deep: "I appreciate your good intentions. But Uncle Yang is right. Treason is a crime punishable by the extermination of an entire clan, you..."

His words turned into a soft sigh.

Hua Tianyou, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly shook off Zhao Zun's arm, knelt down facing the direction of the capital, and kowtowed three times.

The impact on the concrete floor made a dull thud, and his forehead immediately turned bright red: "Father, Mother. Your unfilial son will never be able to be by your side again in this life. Please pretend that you never had a child. I wish you both well!"

His voice trembled with determination. Big Fat Head also knelt down, his round body crashing to the ground like a small mountain.

He shouted towards the direction of the capital: "Grandpa, Father, Mother, Uncle, Aunt. I am unfilial and useless in this life, and I have caused you all worry. Let us be a family again in the next life. I am ashamed before our ancestors."

After he finished speaking, he also began to kowtow repeatedly, which moved everyone in the room.

Faced with the choice between family and life and death, the two were unwavering. Zhao Zun was deeply moved by their resolute attitude.

He closed his eyes briefly, and two glistening teardrops rolled down his lashes.

He helped them both up, hugged them tightly on either side, and said with red eyes, "What have I, Zhao Zun, done in this life to deserve such close friends as you two?"

Hua Tianyou patted his back and laughed, scolding, "Don't give me that! You're still my brother-in-law!"

These words stunned everyone present for a moment. Han Lei, who had been quietly observing the situation from the sidelines, smiled slightly and walked forward, her skirt fluttering.

“Tianyou, Fatty. Since you’ve made up your minds…” Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled sweetly. “Zhao Zun and I will do everything in our power to protect your families.”

"Girl..." Zhao Zun called softly, his words filled with a multitude of emotions.

He stretched out his arms and pulled Han Lei into his embrace as well. The sight of the four of them embracing each other left the guards and servants of both mansions dumbfounded.

Just then, a clear laugh came from the doorway: "You've forgotten about me, the king, when it comes to such a serious matter as rebellion. I will stand with you."

Upon hearing him refer to himself as "this king," the guards and protectors of both mansions were startled and quickly turned to look.

Liu Yan, the King of Jingzhou, strolled in leisurely, fanning himself with a folding fan, startling the guards and bodyguards who quickly bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" The crowd bowed in greeting.

The King of Jingzhou didn't even glance at them. He walked forward, threw down his folding fan, and opened his arms to embrace Zhao Zun and the other three.

When the King of Jingzhou was also involved, the guards and protectors of both mansions were so shocked that their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Moreover, judging from how the King of Jingzhou spoke of "rebellion" as casually as strolling through a night market, it's clear he had long harbored rebellious intentions and was simply reaching an agreement with Zhao Zun...

Zhao Zun and others formed an inseparable force in the Cangzhou Prince's Mansion, while the Turkic steppe in the north welcomed the first heavy snow of the winter.

Snowflakes, like goose feathers, fell in a flurry, turning the entire grassland into a vast expanse of white. The Turks, having failed to plunder any supplies by late autumn, were now in dire straits.
The cattle and sheep in the tribe were so thin they were skin and bones, and the herders' tents shivered in the cold wind.

Inside Bolu Khan's golden-roofed tent, the charcoal brazier burned bright red, but it could not dispel the chill in the hearts of those inside.

All the tribal leaders gathered together, and Princess Yujia sat beside the Khan.

They all had furrowed brows, deeply worried about how their people would survive the harsh winter.

A group of scouts, fresh from gathering intelligence outside Yong'an City, knelt on one knee to report what they had seen and heard.

Their hands, red from the cold, held bowls of hot mare's milk wine, and the scout captain's voice trembled slightly from the cold.

"Khan, my lords, we have been lying in wait outside Yong'an City for two days. The newly built bluish-gray fortress is incredibly sturdy, with a row of neat holes on it, the purpose of which is unknown. Each time the shift changes, only a few soldiers are on guard or patrolling the watchtower, and they seem quite relaxed..."

A burly leader suddenly stood up, interrupting the scout, the sword at his waist clanging against the copper bell.

"That's impossible! Every harvest season, the Yong'an garrison is on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy. The watchtowers are packed with archers!" His dark face was filled with doubt. "Have the people of Dajing gone mad? Aren't they afraid we'll march south now?"

Princess Yujia glanced at him disdainfully, her red lips slightly parted: "Uncle Muhui, have you forgotten? The Great Jing Dynasty is no longer what it used to be."

She idly toyed with the three-legged wine glass with her slender fingers. "Now that the Great Jing has a divine weapon like the 'Peanut,' taking a life from a hundred paces away is as easy as taking something out of a bag. Do you think we still need a large number of soldiers to fight face to face?"

Boru Khan nodded in deep agreement, his heavy gold earrings swaying slightly with the nod.

“Sister Wang is right.” He turned to the spy. “Go on, what else did you see?”

The scout swallowed hard. "Those soldiers on guard, besides their swords, each of them does indeed carry a black iron contraption to their chest, presumably the weapon that fires 'peanuts' (bullets). And at the fortress gate..."

His voice suddenly lowered, “There are many red monsters going in and out, loaded with black goods that look like carriages, but there are only people driving them, not horses pulling them.”

Upon hearing this, General Buga, who was standing behind Boru Khan, changed his expression drastically, and even dropped his riding whip to the ground with a "snap".

The warrior, who had once fought the "monster" on the battlefield, spoke with fear: "But... but that terrifying monster from the Niuweipo battlefield last time?"

The scout thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "The shapes are slightly different, but their speeds are indeed about the same." Another scout chimed in, "I counted them; there are at least a hundred of those monsters."

"Hundreds?" Buga's face turned ashen, and his burly body trembled slightly.

Boru Khan was puzzled and frowned, asking, "Buga, why are you so panicked?"

Buccia took a deep breath, a nightmarish scene flashing before his eyes: "That night... that monster rampaged across the battlefield, its speed comparable to a Ferghana horse. What's even more terrifying is..."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "That monster's tail spews flames, which terrifies our warhorses. Our warriors are shot through the chest by those 'peanuts' before they can even get close..."

An uproar immediately erupted inside the tent.

When Boru Khan murdered his father, his former friend Batel, who had obeyed his orders to fire arrows, had now become a minor general.

He suddenly stood up and looked at Boru Khan, his jewel-encrusted scimitar clattering as it was drawn.

"The Great Jing now has hundreds of these monsters? Add to that its impregnable fortress... how can we possibly raid southwards?"

"That's right. In the last battle at Niuweipo, Zhao Zun led only two thousand vanguard battalions and severely damaged our Turkic army of one hundred thousand. Even a fierce general like General Alpi was killed in that humiliating battle, all because Zhao Zun relied on 'peanuts' and that terrifying monster."

When Princess Yujia, who was standing beside Bolu Khan, heard Zhao Zun's words, her expression remained unchanged, and even her curled eyelashes were still like butterfly wings.

The heart that once fluttered at that name has long since fallen silent. Now, the only reflection on that lake is that of a person named Tang Xiaotong.

Thinking of Tang Xiaotong's handsome and bright smile, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and she unconsciously turned her head to look in the direction of Da Jing Dynasty.

Tang Xiaotong promised to plead her case to the Princess of Cangzhou and facilitate border trade, adding that he would personally come to the grassland royal court to tell her once he had news.

The light that flickered in his eyes at that moment gave her a glimmer of hope amidst the despairing sandstorm.

But so much time has passed, and the north wind of the grassland has not brought a single word.

A bitter smile touched Yu Jia's slightly pursed lips; perhaps this was all just a pipe dream.

After all, Tang Xiaotong was merely a lowly cloth shopkeeper under the Princess of Cangzhou. His influence was insignificant; how could he possibly sway the situation on the border?

Princess Yujia sighed softly, pulling herself back to reality, as the sounds of the tribal leaders arguing rose and fell in her ears once more.

Some advocated taking a desperate gamble, hoping to plunder some supplies and barely survive the winter.

Some suggested that the Great Jing Dynasty was too powerful, and that they could no longer risk the lives of the Turkic warriors in a direct confrontation; instead, they should migrate westward in search of a better future.

Everyone was talking at once, and they couldn't come to a conclusion in time.

Boru Khan coughed heavily, and the tent gradually quieted down.

The north wind of the grassland swirled snowflakes and pattered against the king's tent, making a soft, rustling sound.

The young Boru Khan, not yet twenty, looked down at the faces etched with the marks of time and hardship, each bearing the same sorrow and longing. A bitter feeling rose in his throat.

Before he obtained the Khanate, his eyes were filled with longing for power.

He meticulously plotted to murder his father in full view of everyone and seize the Khanate. While enjoying the thrill of power, he soon experienced what it meant to be mentally and physically exhausted.

Once upon a time, he thought that wolf-head crown was the most precious treasure in the world.

On countless cold nights, he and his friends practiced whistling arrows on the snow-covered plains, the iron arrowheads gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

On the day he murdered his father, his father's blood splattered on the totem on the sacrificial altar, so thick it was impossible to dissolve.

Even now, the smell of blood seems to linger in his nose.

The millet in the granary was running low, and the pasture was too sparse to cover the sandy land. The migrating herds of cattle and sheep looked like moving skeletons, and the cries of the calves were so weak that they were heartbreaking.

He remembered his father saying when he was a child that the children of the grasslands are like sea buckthorn, able to take root even in the poorest soil.

But when millions of eyes looked at him at the same time, he clearly felt that the crown was so heavy that it would break his neck.

Deep in the resource-scarce grasslands, countless tribespeople and livestock, like hungry children, all craved his milk. Yet, the jeweled crown on his head could not yield a single drop of milk, nor could it sprout a single blade of grass.

As a child, he believed himself to be braver and more resourceful than his father. He could easily lead his Turkic warriors to conquer Yong'an City, which his father could not, and he could lead his people to plunder Dajing at will, thus becoming powerful.

Unexpectedly, just as he seized the throne, the Great Jing Dynasty saw the appearance of a mysterious weapon so powerful it was suffocating, and a terrifying monster.

He didn't know if it was just bad luck or if the Eternal Heaven was deliberately working against him.

The long spear of Suluding in front of the king's tent cast a slanted shadow in the firelight, like a long-unhealed wound on a warrior's body.

He turned to look at Princess Yujia beside him and suddenly remembered that after she returned from the failed marriage alliance with the Great Jing, she had said that the Great Jing had a famous saying: "If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight."

His eyes flickered, and he suddenly recalled the shaman's prophecy: the higher an eagle flies, the easier it is to break its wings. Perhaps the Eternal Heaven was already atop Wolf Mountain, coldly watching how his ambitions would be crushed by reality.

No! He cannot be crushed!

We cannot let the jeweled crown we've already put on fall to the ground with a crash!

He rubbed his temples wearily as he announced his decision.

"If we don't fight to the death to attack Yong'an City and plunder Dajing, how will our elderly and children survive this winter? The grass on the grasslands has already been buried by snow..."

Before he could finish speaking, a low and urgent horn sounded outside the tent—an alarm signaling an impending enemy attack!

On such a cold and snowy day, how could an enemy possibly attack?
The expressions of everyone inside the tent changed drastically, and they all stood up, grabbed their weapons, and rushed out of the tent.

The moment Princess Yujia rushed out of the tent, a biting wind carrying snowflakes rushed towards her.

She squinted and strained her eyes to look into the distance. On the horizon, she could vaguely see a group of black figures rapidly approaching through the wind and snow...

As the weekend approaches, please steer clear of potentially dangerous words like "boss" or "overtime." However, testing shows that the word "comment" is safe—feel free to use it! Have a great weekend, everyone!