Chapter 1320 - 996: Reunion with an Old Friend
It was like hearing a sudden clap of thunder; Lei Yu was shocked, and He Du, tightly held in her arms, was unaware of the situation. He blinked at her, then at Ashina Zhuxie, his small face full of bewilderment.
After a moment, He Du reached out a small hand and gently touched his mother’s ear.
Lei Yu woke up as if from a dream. Meeting Ashina Zhuxie’s deep wolf-like eyes again, her gaze became evasive. She lowered her head and said, "What I mean is, the child is too young to be fed with a knife, it might hurt him."
"..."
Ashina Zhuxie looked at her for a long while and said, "Fine, then we won’t use a knife."
Saying this, he sheathed the small knife.
Lei Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment, Ashina Zhuxie continued, "However, sooner or later, he will have to learn how to eat with a knife."
"..."
"He is my son, he is a Turkic."
"..."
"In the future, he will inherit my position as Khan."
Lei Yu took a deep breath, looked up at him, and said, "That is something for the future."
After saying this, she silently moved the child and the plate of meat to her own dining spot, using chopsticks to pick up a small piece of meat and bring it to He Du’s lips. He was already drooling, and immediately bit into the fragrant piece of meat, chewing with big eager bites.
Watching her son’s adorable appearance, a light resembling a smile appeared in Lei Yu’s eyes, but with the presence of a third person, her mouth remained firmly pressed down, her lips tight with tension, making her lips turn somewhat pale.
It was clear she wasn’t fond of having him in her tent, but Ashina Zhuxie stayed, and even sat back on the bed, watching mother and son take turns eating. It was a scene worthy of being called very warm— in fact, over the past year, this was the life that the Western Turkic Khan and this Han Kedun had led, with reluctance and coercion, but today their status was defined, and they had a child together.
He suddenly said, "You still prefer the life of Han people."
Lei Yu finished the last sip of soup, took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and said, "I am Han, after all."
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Ashina Zhuxie said, "You Han people say, ’A wife follows her husband.’ You married me, so you are Turkic now. You should try to get used to the Turkic lifestyle, such as eating more meat, and—"
As he spoke, he caressed the knife at his waist.
Lei Yu glanced at him coldly and said, "If you want me to adapt to the Turkic lifestyle, why don’t you take all of these away?"
She was referring to all the furniture and utensils in this tent.
This was what Yiasu had prepared for her to win her favor when she was still the Little Princess of the Western Turks. After she was forced to be with Ashina Zhuxie, these things not only remained, but over the past year, Ashina Zhuxie, like Yiasu, continually brought back more goods for daily life from merchants passing through, from the Central Plains, allowing her to maintain her past lifestyle habits.
Ashina Zhuxie looked at her for a while and said, "If I did that, you wouldn’t smile anymore."
"...!"
Lei Yu was stunned, then her gaze flustered as she looked aside.
Ashina Zhuxie stared at her somewhat pale face, a faint smile rising on his own as he leaned back on the bed more comfortably, saying, "We’re soon to arrive at Xiazhou. Once I’ve taken Xiazhou, if you’re willing, I can take you through the pass, to see the Central Plains. You must want to go back and have a look."
Lei Yu’s eyes lit up for a moment.
But after thinking it over, she did not answer his question. Instead, she said indifferently, "The Central Plains are not Turkic lands for you to come and go as you please."
Ashina Zhuxie tilted his head slightly, looking at her: "Is there anyone who can stop me?"
Lei Yu replied coldly, "It seems you’ve forgotten: someone came to the Turkic Yatai before, returned unharmed, and even took someone with them."
"...!"
At this mention, Ashina Zhuxie’s expression darkened slightly.
He certainly hadn’t forgotten Yu Wenye, King Qin of the Dasheng Dynasty, though he entered the grassland with an army, he went to the Turkic Yatai alone and took his Princess Qin back without a scratch.
For Ashina Zhuxie, this matter wasn’t necessarily a disgrace, but it always remained a regret.
From the moment they met, he understood that this Yu Wenye was no ordinary person, even more formidable than the man in Shouyang who had ambushed his heavy cavalry and inflicted heavy losses on his forces, because this person had no fear of death. Or, when facing the enemy on the battlefield, he seemed less than human.
Ashina Zhuxie intuitively felt that this person could become the greatest enemy of the Western Turks.
He should be eliminated.
Regrettably, at the time they met, it was the crucial moment in his struggle for the position of Khan. Any distraction might have led to a total failure. For the sake of his Khan seat, and the future of the Western Turks, he had no choice but to let Yu Wenye go, and allowed him to take Shang Ruyi with him.
Now, as Lei Yu mentioned the past, Ashina Zhuxie’s gaze turned cold, and he said, "I haven’t forgotten. If I can meet him this time, all the better."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of light flashed through Lei Yu’s eyes: "He, where is he?"
Her eager expression caused Ashina Zhuxie’s face to sink, as he said, "Why do you care so much about him?"
Lei Yu said, "I’m only concerned about an old friend."
Ashina Zhuxie stared at her, saying, "You have quite a few old friends. Previously it was Shang Ruyi, now there’s Yu Wenye. Who else is there?"
Lei Yu heard the sarcasm in his words, frowned, wanting to say something, but before she could, urgent footsteps sounded outside the tent. Someone paused at the entrance and called, "Khan?"
Ashina Zhuxie replied, "I am here. Come in."
The tent door was pushed open, and his trusted maid Zhenzhen walked in from outside, first saluting both the Khan and the Kedun before presenting a letter to Ashina Zhuxie, saying, "News from the scouts ahead."
"Oh."
Ashina Zhuxie took it. As they were nearing Xiazhou, news from the front lines nearly arrived thrice daily. In his mind, the victory was assured, as they had surrounded Xiazhou with thrice the enemy’s forces, leaving only the option of surrender for the opponent. So he opened the envelope with some amusement.
But after reading just one sentence, his eyes immediately lit up, and he sat up straight on the bed.
Lei Yu slightly frowned, uncertain of the situation at the front, and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Ashina Zhuxie’s lips curved into a faint smile as he placed the letter back into the envelope, then looked up at her and said slowly, "You, may be reunited with your old friends soon."