Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

"Shang Ruyi?!"

Wang Shaoqiu’s face suddenly darkened, a murderous intent, unhidden and needing no cover, flashed through his eyes.

Moments later, that intent turned into a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, and Wang Shaoqiu said coldly, "Yu Wenquan actually sent a mere woman to lead troops and rush to the rescue of Xiazhou. Could it be that they truly have no one in their country?"

"..."

"I wonder how many people this ’heroine among women’ has brought to their deaths."

Ashina Zhuxie said, "Less than a hundred people."

"Oh...?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shaoqiu’s expression changed slightly. Although he soon understood—the Dasheng Dynasty let Princess Qin, such a woman, appear with a convoy of fewer than a hundred people clearly not as reinforcements for Xiazhou.

What is she here to do then?

To persuade the Western Turkic Khan with her eloquence, or does she have another scheme?

While Wang Shaoqiu was deep in thought, Ashina Zhuxie looked once more at the urgent report with a few lines of text and then raised his eyes to him, saying, "Although she is accompanied by less than a hundred people, there is someone in her team who is one of your old acquaintances."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"A beauty with the surname Lu and the personal name Xiao. Surely, you haven’t forgotten her?"

"...!"

In that instant, Wang Shaoqiu’s cold gaze seemed to boil over; his eyes were slightly reddened, as if he could not believe his ears, yet those two words gripped him deeply, as if they captured his very spirit, and he murmured, "Lu... Xiao..."

Ashina Zhuxie quietly watched Wang Shaoqiu.

From the moment this Luoyang envoy entered the large tent and spoke so many words until now, although there had been several verbal confrontations between them, this was the first time Ashina Zhuxie sensed an emotional fluctuation in Wang Shaoqiu, which surprised him somewhat.

After all, he knew that Lu Xiao was the beauty who previously accompanied Wang Shaoji to negotiate with the Western Turks.

A woman who originally belonged to his brother, just the mention of her name could leave Wang Shaoqiu so lost and forlorn, obviously indicating his attitude towards or, shall we say, thoughts about this woman were not ordinary.

But Wang Shaoqiu soon regained his calmness, though his expression still appeared somewhat dazed, his voice quivering involuntarily as he spoke: "She, she’s still alive..."

Ashina Zhuxie said, "Should she not be?"

Wang Shaoqiu took a deep breath and said, "Back then, it was her betrayal that allowed Yu Wenye and Yu Wenqian to jointly conquer Taiyuan."

He then looked at Ashina Zhuxie, "Has the Khan forgotten the loss of Taiyuan?"

He spoke of the loss of Taiyuan, not the disgrace of Taiyuan, naturally considering this Western Turkic Khan’s face, as after he was ambushed in Shouyang and bypassed Taiyuan to return to Turkic, leaving Taiyuan City unassisted eventually fell into Dasheng’s hands. Speaking of these past events, Ashina Zhuxie didn’t exhibit much of an emotional response, he merely said, "So it was because of her."

Wang Shaoqiu glanced at him tentatively and asked, "Khan, don’t you want revenge?"

Ashina Zhuxie’s eyebrows raised slightly, looking at him with a half-smile in his eyes: "It seems you want it more."

Wang Shaoqiu let out a deep sigh, saying, "Losing Taiyuan was indeed a significant loss for me. Originally, my brother and I could rise again based here, if we truly could have held Taiyuan, the Khan wouldn’t have to deploy troops thousand miles southward, right?"

"..."

"Moreover, Khan, aren’t you even slightly concerned about why the Princess Qin suddenly left Chang An, what does she intend to do?"

Ashina Zhuxie furrowed his brow without saying a word.

Logically speaking, a woman with less than a hundred-strong convoy could hardly affect the greater situation, yet this woman was Shang Ruyi; not only the Princess Qin of the Dasheng Dynasty, but Yu Wenquan, such a shrewd old fox, wouldn’t have foolishly sent her beyond the Central Pass without ulterior motives. More importantly, Ashina Zhuxie knew well, the significance of Shang Ruyi to Lei Yu.

He had previously remarked that even though he wished Lei Yu to become an entirely Turkic woman, he still retained those stark Han relics in her tent, because otherwise, Lei Yu might never smile again.

Actually, over the past year or more, Lei Yu’s smiles have been countable on one’s fingers.

Yet when she was with Shang Ruyi, she seemed to come alive entirely, as if returning to the days just upon entering the grassland with a glimpse, unforgettable, a moment Ashina Zhuxie couldn’t let go of.

Moreover, Wang Shaoqiu wasn’t wrong.

Losing Taiyuan was indeed a huge loss for Western Turkic; if they had this location as a base, they could wage war on the Central Plains faster and with more precision; moreover, Shang Ruyi, this woman is too clever, too shrewd, and even without soldiers by her side, with just her alone, cannot be taken lightly.

Furthermore, Yu Wenye even risked his life for her.

If they could truly capture her, wouldn’t it mean grasping the most powerful lever over the Dasheng Dynasty?

Thinking of this, Ashina Zhuxie lifted his head and said to the soldier who came with the report: "Order the sentries to continue tracking Shang Ruyi’s whereabouts, observe what they say and do. I want to know their every move."

"Yes."

The soldier took his orders and turned to leave.

The generals exchanged glances, suddenly becoming anxious. Goli immediately took a step forward: "Khan, are we truly not moving on Xiazhou?"

Ashina Zhuxie said calmly, "Xiazhou has long been under our siege for days and is already at the brink of exhaustion. Even if we do not launch a strong attack, those inside cannot hold out."

"..."

"Besides, I do not wish to have anyone ambush us from behind when we attack Xiazhou with full force."

"Is the Khan concerned about that Princess Qin from Sheng Country? Didn’t she only bring less than a hundred people?"

"Do you really believe the Emperor of the Dasheng Dynasty would send his daughter-in-law east through Tongguan with such a small entourage?"

"..."

Everyone was startled and fell silent, doubts and grievances filled their hearts yet they couldn’t articulate them.

Actually, even if Shang Ruyi truly led a grand army here, what could a woman do? This wise Western Turkic Khan seemed overly concerned with a woman, was it again because of the Kedun?

While everyone was vexed and speechless, Ashina Zhuxie turned to look at Wang Shaoqiu, who was standing to the side with a complicated expression, and said, "It seems the envoy as well wishes to meet her."

When he mentioned "her," whether he meant Shang Ruyi or those she brought with her, Wang Shaoqiu did not delve into it and only respectfully said, "Mr. Liang has sent me to request assistance from the Khan, yet the Khan is unwilling to send troops, so I cannot complete my task, and I have no face to see Mr. Liang."

Ashina Zhuxie said, "So, are you planning to stay here until I agree to assist?"

Wang Shaoqiu said, "I hope the Khan will grant my request."