Love Lock

Chapter 243 Three-shot burst
Outside the tent, the biting wind howled like a knife, whipping snowflakes across the grassland. The banners of the Turkic royal court fluttered in the snowstorm, as if they might be torn apart at any moment.

A thin layer of snow had accumulated on Boru Khan's heavy wolf-skin cloak, but he was completely unaware of it, his eagle eyes fixed on the approaching dark figure in the distance.

"Woo——"

The sound of horns pierced through the wind and snow, still echoing over the tribe.

"Khan, what is that?" General Batel beside him squinted, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

Boru Khan did not answer immediately.

He saw the black line, barely visible in the snow, advancing at an astonishing speed, with a strange "thump-thump" sound coming from it, completely different from the sound of galloping hooves.

"Mount up! Mount up quickly and be on guard!" Boru Khan suddenly drew his curved sword from his waist, the blade flashing a cold light in the snow.

The entire tribe erupted in excitement. Turkic warriors rushed out of their warm tents, some even mounting their horses before they could even fasten their leather armor.

The women quickly pulled the children back into the tents, while the elderly grabbed their bows and arrows and stood guard at the tent entrances. In no time, tens of thousands of cavalrymen were arrayed in the snow, their breath quickly dissipating in the cold wind.

Boru Khan raised his scimitar, spurred his horse, and the warhorse reared up with a neigh.

"Charge!" he commanded, and the iron cavalry surged toward the mysterious black line like a torrent.

The wind whipped snowflakes against his face, stinging. When the distance closed to a few hundred meters, Boru Khan finally saw what the black line was.

Two fully armed cavalrymen led the way, followed by dozens of never-before-seen red monsters.

Those monsters had three wheels that made a strange "putt-putt" sound, and each monster dragged a cargo-laden trolley.

"stop!"

Boru Khan suddenly pulled on the reins and raised his scimitar to signal the entire army to halt.

He squinted, scrutinizing the monsters. "Could those be... Da Jing's carriage?"

His young but rugged face trembled with flesh, and his voice boomed like thunder: "Stop! Who are you? If you go any further, I, the Khan, will order a charge!"

The convoy of three-wheeled vehicles slowly came to a stop in the swirling snow. Pingchuan, who was leading the convoy, raised his hand to signal that the entire convoy should stop in a long line a few dozen paces away from the Turkic cavalry.

Pingchuan and Scar sat high on their warhorses, clad in iron armor, their breastplates gleaming metallically in the bright white snow.

Pingchuan gave Scarface a wink, and Scarface understood, immediately picking up a flag hanging beside his horse and unfurling it. The blue flag fluttered in the wind, embroidered with three characters—Jinxiufang.

"We have been entrusted by the Jinxiu Workshop in the capital to deliver grain and supplies to the Turks." Pingchuan cupped his hands to his mouth, his voice piercing through the wind and snow. He paused deliberately for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the bewildered faces of the cavalrymen opposite him. "Please invite Princess Yujia to come out and speak with us."

The interpreter behind Pingchuan immediately rode forward, mimicking Pingchuan's actions, cupped his hands to his lips, and loudly translated in Turkic.

Upon hearing that they had come to deliver food and supplies, Bolu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Behind him came gasps and chatter from the Turkic warriors; some even dropped their bows and arrows.

He didn't need to look back to know that the eyes of the warriors behind him were filled with greed. At his command, the Turkic warriors would immediately rush forward and seize the provisions and supplies.

but……

Boru Khan squinted at Pingchuan, who was leading the group, as if trying to determine the truthfulness of his words.

Pingchuan remained calm and quietly looked at the other person.

Bolu's rough fingers unconsciously tightened around the hilt of his sword, his gaze fixed on the familiar patterns on the other man's armor—clearly the standard battle armor of the garrison at Dajing North Pass.

"Would the Great Jing Dynasty really be kind enough to send us grain?" Bolu sneered through gritted teeth, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

Scarface dismounted and walked toward the three-wheeled vehicle behind him, its armor clanging as he moved.

With a "whoosh!" he lifted the tarpaulin covering the first three-wheeled vehicle, revealing a mountain of burlap sacks.

Several Turkic cavalrymen unconsciously swallowed – they were all too familiar with that bulging outline; it was undoubtedly a grain sack.

Boru's horse pawed restlessly, and he gripped the reins so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He instinctively sensed danger, yet the pile of grain and fodder before him was as alluring as a mirage in the desert.

With a gloomy face, he waved his hand, and two guards immediately drew their bows and aimed arrows at Pingchuan's throat.

"The Great Jing has been fighting the Turks for many years," Bolu's voice was wary. "Is this sudden delivery of supplies just a case of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken?"

He deliberately used a stilted, archaic proverb, which elicited rough laughter from the cavalry behind him.

Pingchuan scoffed dismissively, then suddenly replied in fluent Turkic: "Even the eagles of the steppe bow their heads to their fledglings. Are you going to refuse this kindness on behalf of the Khan? Hurry up and let your Princess Yujia come out and speak."

His contemptuous words were like a red-hot branding iron, instantly turning Boru's face extremely ugly.

Batel rode forward and whispered in Boru's ear, "Khan, be careful, it might be a trap. The Great Jing people would never be so kind."

Boru Khan did not answer. He noticed that the other side consisted of only about a hundred people, with only one soldier driving each strange vehicle; they certainly posed no threat. But the goods on those vehicles… if they were food and medicine…

"Hey, hurry up!" Scarface urged. "In this awful weather, I have to deliver the goods and get back to report."

Boru Khan frowned. Seeing that the other party really had no intention of making a move, he turned to Batel and said, "Go and invite Princess Yujia."

"Khan...this..." Batel hesitated.

Bolu said impatiently, "Go now!"

"Yes!"

Batel turned his horse around and rode off towards the main tent.

At this moment, Princess Yujia was standing on a high platform outside the royal tent, gazing at the standoff on the snowy plain.

Her slender fingers gripped the edge of the fox fur coat tightly, her heart pounding like a drum.

When she saw Batel riding back, she involuntarily took a step forward.

"Princess!" Batel bowed on horseback. "The messenger claims to be from the Jinxiu Workshop in the capital of Dajing, delivering supplies and specifically requests to see you!"

Upon hearing "Jinxiufang," Princess Yujia's eyes lit up instantly, like stars suddenly illuminating the night sky.

"It's Tang Xiaotong! It must be him, he actually succeeded!" She wrapped her fox fur tightly around herself and hurried down from the platform, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. "Prepare the horses! Quickly!"

The maid, Azhu, hurriedly brought over her white warhorse. She nimbly mounted it, her movements no less impressive than any Turkic warrior.

She turned to Batel and said, "The people from Jinxiu Workshop mean us no harm; they've come to help us!" Batel hesitated, "Princess, the people of Dajing are cunning..."

“If they were going to attack the royal court, would they have sent only that few people?” Princess Yujia flicked the reins. “Those carts must be loaded with winter provisions and medicine!”

In the wind and snow, Princess Yujia followed behind Batel, galloping on horseback, silently reciting the promise Tang Xiaotong had made to her before he left.

Now, he has truly done it.

Only when Princess Yujia appeared at the front of the formation did Pingchuan finally show a smile.

He shouted again, "Princess Yujia, we have been entrusted by the owner of Jinxiufang to deliver winter supplies to you! Here is the list! Please send people to unload the goods immediately!"

Looking at the undisguised joy on Princess Yujia's face, and then at the strange vehicles, Boru Khan finally slowly sheathed his sword.

“Let them get closer,” he ordered his men, “but be on high alert.”

Princess Yujia had already spurred her horse forward. She glanced at the Jinxiufang banner fluttering in the wind and snow, and her eyes were already brimming with tears.

She took a deep breath and replied in fluent Dajing dialect, “General, on behalf of my Turkic people, Yujia thanks the Princess of Cangzhou for her generous assistance!”

Pingchuan smiled and took out a piece of paper filled with goods from his pocket: "This is the list of supplies, please take a look, Princess. There is also a letter in the Princess's own handwriting."

When the letter was delivered to Princess Yujia, she noticed that Pingchuan's hands were covered in frostbite, indicating that his journey had not been easy.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that this was not just a handover of supplies, but the first sincere gesture between two hostile nations.

The wind and snow continued, but Princess Yujia felt something in her heart was quietly melting.

Seeing that Princess Yujia respectfully accepted the list, and that the other party spoke to her in a friendly manner, Bolu Khan and the many Turkic cavalrymen finally believed that it was all true.

"This...this is really a gift for us."

"It was the princess who brought us the provisions."

"We will finally not go hungry or cold this winter."

"I'm going to tell my mother that we have food supplies."

Seeing the cartloads of real grain and fodder, all the Turks present cheered loudly.

Bolu was also overjoyed. He tried to suppress his excitement and was about to wave his hand to order the unloading when Pingchuan's loud voice rang out again on the empty snowfield.

“Princess Yujia. There are three shipments of supplies being transported this time. This is only the first shipment; the other two will arrive in a few days. This grain, cloth, and medicine are enough for your people to get through this winter.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat sallow faces and tattered clothes of the Turkic cavalrymen opposite him.

"The owner of Jinxiufang said that he sent these supplies not because he was afraid of you Turks, but because we all live in this land and should help each other. He doesn't want to see women and children go hungry or the elderly suffer from the cold."

Princess Yujia nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "Please tell the Princess of Cangzhou and Manager Tang that the Turks will never forget this kindness."

Princess Yujia's attitude pleased Pingchuan, who then raised his voice and said, "Remember, these three teams of supplies were all donated by the owner of Jinxiufang privately and have nothing to do with the Great Jing Dynasty."

Princess Yujia quickly glanced at the list, then turned to Boru Khan and said, "Khan, these are all top-quality grains and medicines, enough to last us until spring."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding Turkic cavalrymen whispered among themselves, their faces beaming with delight.

Some people even dismounted and kowtowed repeatedly towards Wolf Mountain, saying, "Has the Eternal Heaven finally opened its eyes? So much grain can save so many children!"

Bolu Khan dismounted and approached Pingchuan's horse. He placed his hand on his chest and bowed, saying, "I am the Khan of the Turks, named Bolu. Please convey my gratitude to your host. The Turks remember kindness; we are deeply grateful for this favor..."

"Wait a minute." Pingchuan suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, his expression turning stern and his voice abruptly cold. "These three teams' supplies are a gift. But if you need food and supplies again in the future, you will have to exchange them for something."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Boru Khan and all his personal guards were stunned, seemingly not yet understanding the meaning. But Princess Yujia's face was filled with immense joy.

She looked up at the plain, her bright black eyes gleaming with hope: "General, do you mean... that the Great Jing has agreed to trade with the Turks?"

Pingchuan's serious expression softened slightly as he continued, "It is currently the dead of winter, and many things are inconvenient. After spring arrives, my master will do his best to persuade the court to establish a trading market at the foot of Yinshan Mountain. Goods from both countries can be traded, but a treaty must be signed."

His gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Boru Khan, saying, "If the Turks violate the trade treaty and continue to plunder southwards, their fate will be just like this horse's."

Before he finished speaking, Pingchuan had already slung the M16 automatic rifle over his shoulder, its dark muzzle pointed at the Turkic cavalry formation.

"Da da da!"

Three bursts of fire, three consecutive crisp explosions instantly pierced the sky, making everyone's eardrums ache.

Almost simultaneously, the warhorses beneath the three Turkic cavalrymen neighed and collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from their heads, blooming into three glaring red flowers on the snow.

Three unsuspecting cavalrymen tumbled off their horses in disarray and lay sprawled in the snow, still shaken.

"what!"

Some screamed, others' pupils contracted sharply, and they stared intently at the strange weapon gleaming coldly in Hirakawa's hand.

In the blink of an eye, three strong steppe horses died silently, without even giving the cavalrymen time to react.

Such speed, such distance, such destructive power—all of it shocked them.

Princess Yujia gasped and unconsciously took a half step back.

She had never seen such a terrifying weapon—no bowstring vibrating, no arrows piercing the air, just a few crisp sounds, yet it could take a life from a hundred paces away.

"What...what is this?" Boru Khan's voice was filled with fear.

Pingchuan slowly lowered his gun, a smug smile playing on his lips: "Khan, you only need to know that there is more than one such weapon on the walls of Yong'an. If the Turkic cavalry dares to invade, your warriors will not be able to get within a hundred paces of the walls."

After Pingchuan finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a series of neat swishing sounds were heard. Everyone behind him jumped off the three-wheeled vehicles and aimed their guns in unison.

One such weapon was enough to terrify everyone present, and now the soldiers driving the three-wheeled motorcycles each had one, making the scene even more chilling.

Despite the swirling snow, cold sweat beaded on Boru Khan's forehead.

Fortunately, these supplies arrived in time. Otherwise, in order to survive, he would have already given orders in the main tent to gather a large army and march south to plunder after this snowstorm.

If that were the case, these Turkic soldiers who only knew how to use curved swords and iron halberds would probably all perish outside Yong'an City.

fortunately!

Thankfully, we haven't headed south yet!
His mouth hung open in shock, unable to close for a long time. He instinctively looked down at the three warhorses that had died instantly; the round bullet holes in their bodies were so familiar—

Isn't that the weapon that launches "peanuts"?