I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm - Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Jie Li Khan’s words were meant to lift the soldiers’ spirits. Though the Turkic soldiers were weary, his encouragement sparked a renewed sense of hope. They still had a chance. It wasn’t time to give up yet. Wiping sweat from his brow, Jie Li Khan spoke with determination.

“Let’s go, we need to reach our destination before dark.”

The soldiers, hearts tightened with resolve, responded in unison,

“Yes, Khan.”

They pressed forward, quickening their pace.

Two hours later, Jie Li Khan looked up at the increasingly close Mount Wude, a surge of joy rising in his chest. But before he could speak, a sudden series of massive explosions shattered the air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted within the Turkic ranks. The devastating blasts engulfed hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers. Screams of agony echoed through the smoke-filled battlefield. Jie Li Khan’s heart lurched in shock.

“What’s happening?”

The explosions kept coming, shrapnel piercing through the ranks, turning soldiers into pincushions. A sudden battle cry rang out, followed by the sight of a flag waving in the wind—the character “Zhou” boldly displayed. Jie Li Khan’s eyes narrowed.

“The Zhou? How could they be here, ambushing us?”

The Turkic royal court was still a good seventy or eighty li away.

Had the Zhou people truly abandoned their claim to it?

Suddenly, the truth hit him like a cold wind. They weren’t after the royal court. They were after him! Capturing the Turkic royal court had been nothing but a ruse to lure him out. The real target of the Great Zhou was none other than Jie Li Khan himself.

Just as the realization struck, another round of intense battle cries erupted from behind the Turkic forces. Jie Li Khan’s heart sank as his face darkened. The enemy had caught up. They were surrounded. The soldiers around him, too, were panicking. Jie Li Khan’s voice cut through the chaos, firm and resolute.

“Charge! If we break through, they won’t be able to trap us!”

Wei Qing’s army, over 100,000 strong, was closing in from behind. But the Zhou army in front of them was far fewer in numbers. Jie Li Khan immediately regretted agreeing to trade with the Zhou.

The tribes were struggling to raise livestock now, unable to field a proper cavalry, and their fighting strength had dwindled significantly. Otherwise, how could Wei Qing’s forces have pursued them so fearlessly? Still, there was no time for regret. He needed to defeat them first, and then he would focus on exacting revenge on the Great Zhou. He gave the order.

The Turkic soldiers charged forward, their momentum building. As they neared a breakthrough, another deafening round of explosions erupted.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions shattered the Turkic formation, smoke billowing around them. Flames roared to life as iron nails shot through the air, transforming the soldiers into shredded corpses.

“Ah!”

Screams filled the air. Jie Li Khan’s eyes widened in horror, a chill running down his spine. The Great Zhou had anticipated their escape attempt and had set explosives in their path. He had gravely underestimated their preparations.

Despair crept into his heart. How much gunpowder had they stockpiled?

At that moment, Wei Qing’s army broke through the rear of the Turkic forces.

“Jie Li, prepare to die!”

Wei Qing’s voice rang out. Jie Li Khan’s face drained of color, his body shuddering.

One month later, outside Luoyang City, Great Zhou. The ground trembled with the sound of galloping hooves. Citizens of Luoyang, foreign merchants, and travelers paused in their tracks, watching the dark figures approach.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“It looks like our Great Zhou Army.”

“Could it be General Heichi Changzhi returning?”

“No way, he’s still in the north.”

“Hiss, it’s General Wei Qing.”

“Wait, why’s there a prison cart?”

“Who’s inside?”

“It looks like a Turk.”

The crowd murmured with curiosity, faces etched with wonder. As Wei Qing and his men drew near, they made way. And then, through the bars of the prison cart, a familiar figure became visible.

“Hiss, it’s Jie Li Khan!”

Someone in the crowd exclaimed, recognition spreading like wildfire.

Jie Li Khan had visited this city before, and many still remembered the fearsome ruler of the grasslands. The crowd erupted into hushed excitement.

“Wow, it’s Jie Li Khan.”

“Hiss! Jie Li Khan’s been captured by Great Zhou?”

“Is this the once invincible Jie Li Khan? Now a prisoner of our Great Zhou?”

Shock and disbelief swept through the citizens. The once-proud Khan, brought low and paraded before them.

One hour later, in Qianyuan Hall, Wei Qing and Guo Jingzhi bowed respectfully before the Empress and Prime Minister Yang Yi.

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister, Wei Qing (Guo Jingzhi) has completed the mission…”

Wu Zhao’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her gaze locked on Jie Li Khan kneeling before her. The Khan of the Turks, who had once caused so much trouble for Li Yuan and Li Shimin, was now a captive, kneeling at her feet. Wu Zhao clenched her fist in satisfaction. Jie Li Khan’s expression was cold, but defiance still flickered in his eyes. Yang Yi smiled slightly.

“Jie Li Khan, what did I say before…”

“Nice dance, come again next time.”

“See? Here you are again.”

Jie Li Khan’s eyes bulged with fury. Bloodshot and wild with rage, he glared at Yang Yi, wishing nothing more than to rip him apart. But Yang Yi, calm as ever, ignored the fury and continued.

“Jie Li, the last time you danced, I didn’t get enough of a show.”

“Today, I want you to perform the Turkic ‘Hunting Dance’ again.”

“If you don’t dance, you can die right now.”

Jie Li Khan’s eyes burned with hate, but Yang Yi stood unfazed, a smile lingering on his lips. The standoff seemed to last forever. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Jie Li Khan’s shoulders slumped, and his head bowed in surrender.

Like a fallen lion, the fight had drained out of him. Fear finally overtook his pride. Guo Jingzhi and Wei Qing stood by, watching with satisfaction as Jie Li Khan reluctantly began the dance. The Great Zhou officials, too, basked in the moment.

The once-mighty Jie Li Khan, who had brought so much suffering to their people, was now dancing for their amusement, a puppet in their hands. It was sweet vindication. Nearby, a historian quickly scribbled the events down in his notes.

“In the third year of the Tian Shou era of Great Zhou, Jie Li Khan, fearing the might of Great Zhou, once again performed a dance to beg for his life.”

…

A few days later, in the Great Tang Empire.

“So quickly… they captured Jie Li Khan.”

Li Shimin sat frozen, his heart racing with shock. A mix of emotions flooded his chest. He had longed for the day he could avenge the humiliation Jie Li Khan had once caused him.

But despite the strength of the Great Tang, the vast grasslands had kept the Khan elusive. And now, in an unexpected twist, Jie Li Khan had fallen into the hands of the Great Zhou.

What was the source of their newfound power?

The Great Zhou had become an empire to be reckoned with.