Love Lock

Chapter 244 This mission was a success!
Boru Khan knew that Pingchuan had shown this skill in front of them in order to intimidate them with force.

As the Khan of the Turks, he looked around at the Turkic warriors who were completely stunned. He could only say—the shock had truly worked.

Ever since General Alpi, the fiercest warrior on the Turkic steppe, risked his life to bring back a sample of the "peanut" from the Niuweipo battlefield, apart from a few soldiers who had seen the mysterious weapon up close at the Niuweipo battlefield, everyone else had only heard about it from word of mouth and hearsay.

Based solely on the few "peanuts" embedded in the corpses and the soldiers' accounts, he ordered Mudu to mass-produce and imitate these "peanuts," even launching them with slingshots, arrows, and catapults.

Now, everyone present has witnessed firsthand the terrifying destructive power of the mysterious weapon, a power beyond their comprehension.

Boru Khan was still in a daze, but Princess Yujia had already reacted first.

She crossed her arms over her chest and bowed slightly to Pingchuan in a standard Turkic salute. Her lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, and her voice was clear yet respectful.

"General, you can rest assured. Although all of my Turkic men are warriors who grew up on horseback and are brave and skilled in battle, our raids in the south at the end of autumn are not our intention, but rather a necessity for survival."

She straightened up, and the swirling snowflakes fell on her roughly made fox fur coat.

She continued, "Now that we have been generously given so much food and supplies by the Princess of Cangzhou to help us get through the winter, and she has also promised to do her best to open up trade, we Turkic people are so grateful that we would never do anything to break our promise."

Pingchuan stroked the sword at his waist, his gaze lingering on Princess Yujia's face for a moment.

The Turkic princess spoke fluently and sincerely, but she still looked at Bolu standing to the side and asked, "Bolu Khan, what is your attitude?"

Boru crossed his thick arms over his chest, his bushy beard trembling slightly with his heavy breathing.

He said in a deep voice, "Princess Yujia is absolutely right. We Turks value oaths the most. Once an alliance is made, we will never break it."

As he spoke, he unfastened the jeweled curved sword from his waist and presented it to Pingchuan with both hands.

"This is my family's heirloom sword, which I entrust to the general as a token for safekeeping. If my Turkic people violate this agreement, the general may take this sword and take my head."

Looking at the two supreme rulers of the Turks before him, Pingchuan finally smiled and said, "Alright! In that case, let's make a vow by striking hands."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yujia's eyes flashed with joy, and she immediately extended her slender yet rough hand.

The three men's hands clashed heavily in the wind and snow, producing a crisp sound.

Seeing that the two sides had finally reached a verbal agreement on trade, many Turkic cavalrymen, sitting high on their warhorses, burst into tears of joy in the wind and snow.

For generations, the Turks have relied on swords and bloodshed to survive every winter.
Countless young men of the grasslands fell before they even reached adulthood, their bodies strewn across the land in pools of blood, all for the sake of retrieving a few bags of millet and a few bolts of coarse cloth for their people.

Now, with the prospect of border trade between the two countries, the elderly in their yurts no longer have to listen to the funeral drums at night, the women no longer have to wait anxiously for their absent loved ones, and the children can sleep soundly in their warm fur coats.

Beneath the ice and snow shattered by iron hooves, tender shoots of peace are finally about to sprout.

Pingchuan raised his face, red from the cold, amidst the wind and snow, and revealed a relieved smile.

“My master specifically instructed that half of the hundred three-wheeled vehicles used for this delivery be reserved for you.”

He rubbed his hands together and exhaled a puff of white breath. "I ask the Khan to select some clever young men. We must teach them all before we return tomorrow. From now on, you will be able to drive these three-wheeled vehicles, carrying goods to the trading market at the foot of Yinshan Mountain to do business."

Upon hearing this, Boru Khan's thick eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "General, you...you mean you're going to give us the cargo wagons too?"

"Haha! That's right!" Pingchuan laughed heartily. "That vehicle is called a three-wheeled vehicle. One person can drive it, and it can go very fast when carrying goods."

Bolu clutched his wildly beating chest and turned to exchange a surprised look with Princess Yujia beside him.

Princess Yujia's amber eyes sparkled beneath her fox fur hood as she parted her lips and said, "This is truly wonderful news that comes at a time of crisis!"

"May the Eternal Heaven protect us!" Boru Khan's booming voice echoed through the wind and snow. He turned to General Batel behind him and ordered, "Quickly, select several dozen of the most clever young men! They must be quick and agile!"

Then he turned to the cavalry and shouted, "Slaughter ten of the fattest lambs immediately and bring out all the mare's milk wine treasured in the cellar. Tonight we will treat our distinguished guests who have come from afar to a good meal!"

Perhaps even the heavens sensed the festive atmosphere, for the wind and snow gradually subsided.

Looking at Pingchuan and his group, Bolu Khan said with concern, "Generals and brothers, you have worked hard all the way here, braving the wind and snow to deliver provisions to us. Come with us back to the royal tent to warm up; hot milk tea has been prepared."

Pingchuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "My name is Pingchuan. We would be impolite to refuse the Khan's hospitality."

He turned to the convoy of three-wheeled vehicles and shouted, "Brothers, the Turkic Khan has been very hospitable. We'll rest here tonight and set off back tomorrow."

General Batel dismounted and walked through the snow to Pingchuan's side: "General Pingchuan, I have selected fifty young and strong men, all of whom are the most intelligent warriors in our Turkic tribe."

He pointed to a row of spirited young cavalrymen behind him, "They'll learn quickly!"

Pingchuan sized up the curious Turkic youths who were peering at the three-wheeled vehicle and nodded in satisfaction.

"This isn't difficult. Once we get back and the cargo is unloaded, we'll teach you the most basic operations first."

"Hahaha!" Bolu laughed heartily, mounted his horse, and said, "Distinguished guests, come with us back to the royal tent."

The convoy of three-wheeled vehicles followed behind the cavalry, slowly moving towards the royal tent.

The sounds of three-wheeled vehicles and horses' hooves mingled, echoing across the vast snowfield. Smoke rising from distant tents added a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

Along the way, the herders who were still carefully observing the situation outside their tents saw that Bolu Khan had returned with those rustling monsters, and they all pointed at the three-wheeled vehicle convoy and discussed it amongst themselves.

"Isn't that a lump of iron? How can it move by itself?"

"Get back into the tent quickly, those monsters are charging at us."

"What's there to be afraid of? The Khan and the princess aren't afraid at all, are they? They even seem to be smiling!"

"Is that a horse-drawn carriage? Look at those three wheels, they're much sturdier than our old carts!"

"What do you think is on that?"

……

Upon arriving outside the royal tent, Bolu Khan loudly announced that the distinguished guests had come to deliver provisions, transported by those three-wheeled carts, which immediately caused a burst of jubilation.

An old herdsman with a wrinkled face squeezed to the front, shakily reached out and touched the handlebars, then withdrew as if burned, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Several children were weaving in and out between the wheels of a car when their parents grabbed them by the ears and pulled them out, but they couldn't help looking back.

Upon seeing this, Boru Khan laughed heartily and said to Pingchuan, "It seems my people are even more anxious than I am. Brother Pingchuan, don't stand here in the snow, come with me into the royal tent to warm up!"

Pingchuan turned around and shouted to the convoy, "Scarface, get the brothers on board! We'll start the training session after we unload the cargo!"

Scarface responded and directed the convoy of three-wheeled vehicles to slowly follow behind the Turkic cavalry, heading towards the royal tent. The young men were already eager to try it out, wishing they could jump onto the vehicles and test their skills immediately.

As the provisions were unloaded one by one, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Several elderly women touched the full sacks of grain, their eyes brimming with tears of joy: "Now my children won't have to go hungry anymore..."

The young women marveled at the brightly colored silk, carefully stroking the smooth fabric with their fingers.

Battul quickly returned with dozens of carefully selected young warriors, each one broad-shouldered and burly, with piercing eyes.

Scarface didn't hesitate; he immediately assigned tasks. One person, one car, one instructor—the training began in earnest and enthusiastic mode in the snow...

As dusk settled, the charcoal fire burned brightly inside the royal tent, dispelling all the chill.

In the center of the tent was a long, low table piled high with roasted whole lamb and cheese.

More than ten Turkic girls stood by, holding wine jugs, ready to pour wine at any time.

Boru Khan pulled Pingchuan to sit in the main seat, raising his tripod wine cup: "Come, let's drink a cup of mare's milk wine first to warm ourselves up!"

Pingchuan didn't refuse, tilting his head back to drink it all in one gulp. Instantly, a warm current burned from his throat to his stomach, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Good wine!"

Princess Yujia sat on the other side of the plain and personally cut a piece of lamb leg for him: "Try our whole roasted lamb from the grasslands, made with the fattest autumn lamb."

After several rounds of drinks, grassland songs and dances were performed in the royal tent, creating a lively atmosphere.

Outside the tent, the wind howled, but inside, it was warm and cozy. Three-wheeled vehicles, neatly parked outside and covered with a thin layer of snow, symbolized the nascent trade and friendship between the two peoples.

The banquet continued late into the night.

Looking at the laughing crowd, Pingchuan thought to himself: This mission is a success.

...I am a lazy dividing line...

Military camp in Ganluo County, Xuzhou.

As the sun began to set, Song Yuanqing, who had been drunk for three days at the Prince of Cangzhou's mansion, dared not delay for a moment. He spurred his horse and galloped away, his hooves kicking up clouds of dust.

His brow was furrowed, and his robes were covered in frost. He had barely stopped along the way, just to get back to the military camp as quickly as possible.

"Make way! Make way now!" Song Yuanqing shouted. The soldiers guarding the camp saw that it was their general and quickly opened the camp gate.

Upon entering the camp, Song Yuanqing was stunned by the sight before him.

The drill ground was filled with a dense mass of fully armed soldiers, numbering at least 100,000. Such a large-scale operation must have triggered an emergency.
Song Yuanqing's expression hardened, the torchlight illuminating his solemn face, exuding a chilling aura.

In the distance, the commander's flag fluttered in the wind, with the character "Qing" prominently embroidered on it.

"Look! General Song is back! General Song is back!"

Upon seeing Song Yuanqing, his deputy, Gu Haixing, spoke excitedly through the noisy crowd.

He strode forward to greet him, his face showing undisguised worry.

These past two days, he and the soldiers of the Ganluo County military camp have been deeply worried. When the messenger left, he reminded him to keep his men in check. He also dared not make the decision to send troops to search for Song Yuan on his own, for fear of being accused of tipping off Song Yuan.

This afternoon, Marshal Qinghe arrived with his army, preparing to attack Cangzhou from Ganluo County via the Qulinjiang Stone Bridge. He secretly thought that if General Song didn't return before Marshal Qinghe's troops set out, things would really get complicated.

Now that Song Yuanqing has returned, he and all the soldiers in Ganluo County breathed a sigh of relief.

The soldiers, who had been lined up neatly on the cement road, stepped back to make way for Song Yuanqing's fast horse.

Song Yuanqing rode his horse to the command platform, dismounted, and his black boots slammed heavily onto the cement floor.

He straightened his clothes and strode towards the reviewing stand. Marshal Qinghe, clad in a scarlet battle robe, stood with his back to him, preparing his troops for battle.

Marshal Qinghe, the garrison commander of Xuzhou, was over fifty years old. Due to his long-term residence in the local military camp, his face was etched with the marks of time.

He was Prime Minister Wei's brother-in-law, younger than Prime Minister Wei, and physically stronger due to long-term exercise.

Marshal Qinghe, the garrison commander of Xuzhou, is over fifty years old. Due to his long-term residence in the local military camp, his face is etched with the marks of time.

He was Prime Minister Wei's brother-in-law, younger than Prime Minister Wei, and due to long-term exercise, he was also more robust than the pampered Prime Minister Wei.

"This humble general, Song Yuanqing, greets the Marshal. Why has the Marshal brought his troops to Ganluo County?" Song Yuanqing clasped his hands in greeting, his eyes full of surprise.

Qinghe slowly turned around, her hawk-like eyes scanning the travel-worn Song Yuanqing up and down.

"General Song, why do you look so travel-worn? Where have you been returning from?"

Marshal Qinghe, who had already been informed, did not answer but asked a question in a cold tone, with a faint sneer on the corner of his mouth.

Song Yuanqing replied frankly, "Reporting to the Marshal, my good friend, the King of Cangzhou, is getting married. I went to offer my congratulations and only returned today."

"Oh? The King of Cangzhou is your close friend?" Qinghe suddenly raised her voice, drawing the attention of the surrounding soldiers.

"That's right." Song Yuanqing was puzzled, but still answered truthfully, "This humble general has known the King of Cangzhou for many years and we are like brothers."

Upon hearing this, Qinghe suddenly burst into a shrill laugh, her laughter filled with sarcasm.

"Ha! What a fine brotherhood!" He abruptly stopped smiling and shouted sternly, "Men! Seize this traitor's accomplice!"

Several guards behind Qinghe immediately stepped forward and attempted to capture Song Yuanqing without saying a word.

"Wait!" Song Yuanqing's eyes widened in anger as he shoved aside the approaching guard. "Marshal Qinghe, what is the meaning of this? What crime have I committed?"

Lieutenant General Gu Haixing also hurriedly stepped forward: "Please, Marshal, understand! General Song is loyal to the country, how could he be a traitor? There must be a misunderstanding!"

"Is it a misunderstanding?" Qinghe took out a bright yellow imperial edict from her bosom, held it high above her head, and slowly unfurled it in the setting sun.

"His Majesty's own edict is here: the Prince of Cangzhou has plotted a rebellion, a crime deserving of death! How dare you claim it's a misunderstanding? Are you perhaps questioning His Majesty's wisdom?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yuanqing was struck dumb and staggered back half a step.

He stared intently at the imperial edict, where the vermilion annotation read: "Cangzhou King Zhao Zun is plotting a rebellion. His intentions are worthy of condemnation. Send troops to suppress him immediately. If anyone resists, execute them first and report later."

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