"Nо оnе fоund out!"
She shооk hеr hеаd. Why was he suddеnlу so curiоus about hеr раst? Веfоre this, asidе from teasing her, he had nеvеr shown аny оthеr intеrеst.
Hе stооd uр аnd movеd to sit on the еdgе of thе bed, pulling her shоulders into his еmbracе.
"Yоu must hаvе реrfоrmed so wеll thаt Jun Chеngliu wishеd уou wеre а sоn, which is why hе nеver lеt you marrу, right?"
"No! It was my dесisiоn not tо marry. I don’t wаnt аnу man tо bесоmе mу mastеr, tо dictаte mу future life." Нer еуеs spаrklеd аs shе met his gaze, hеr beautiful and determinеd exprеssion deсlaring thаt shе was hеr own master.
Yelü Lie broke into a smile, having gotten the answer he wanted.
"So, it’s not that you rejected me, but that you reject all men in the world!"
"There’s no difference!"
"Is that so? At least my sense of defeat isn’t as deep now."
"Your blood is dripping onto my clothes!" She lowered her head, glaring at the bloodstains on her snow-white brocade robe—so many that it looked as though a life had already been lost. His blood would drain away. "Just change into another robe, then!" He didn’t care; instead, he seemed to be in a flirtatious mood, eager to kiss her rosy cheeks.
She couldn’t help but exclaim, "Why don’t you stop the bleeding?"
"A wound inflicted by a woman won’t kill me!"
"Is that so? Then let me make a cut too, so your wound has some company!" She grabbed the scissors from the table, pretending to stab his hand. She couldn’t stand his indifferent attitude, and she was even more annoyed at her own concern!
He laughed and dodged, retreating further onto the bed as if mocking her lack of courage. She climbed onto the bed, scissors in her right hand, left hand clenched into a fist. The bed was so small that it shouldn’t have been hard to reach his large frame, yet she couldn’t even touch his sleeve.
Finally, she managed to grab a corner of his robe, but it happened to be right over the wound on his arm. Unable to stab or strike, her hesitation allowed him to pull her into a tight embrace.
"Ah!" Startled, she dropped the scissors, which Yelü Lie swiftly caught; otherwise, they would have landed squarely on her beautiful face.
He pinned her down on the bed and sighed.
"You’re the fiercest woman I’ve ever met."
"I am not!" She rejected his description! She could accept any other adjective, but she refused to acknowledge the "virtue" of being shrewish. "I’m not as spoiled and willful as your Princess Qingkou."
"Of course! She’s young and ignorant, lacking your mature charm and patience." He kissed her, his intentions clear—he wanted her.
Jun Qiluo pushed against his body.
"No! You’re injured, and besides, it’s broad daylight…"
"That’s no excuse! Is this your way of playing hard to get?" He showed no appreciation, his eyes turning a deep blue, filled with eager excitement.
Playing hard to get? She gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.
"Fine, let your blood drain until you die!"
"What a tender sentiment! Spicy! I like it!" He laughed heartily, sweeping aside the hook on the bedpost with one hand. The snow-white Gauze Canopy cascaded down like waves, immediately concealing the intimate scene within and preventing the rising rosy glow of dawn from stealing a glance.
Two hearts gradually losing themselves pressed tightly against each other, silently conveying unspoken emotions...
※ ※ ※In the winter snow, the garden no longer boasted a scene of blooming flowers vying for beauty; only a corner of the plum grove slowly released a refreshing fragrance that delighted the senses. Beneath the plum trees, music rose, the sound of the sheng and songs mingling, while the melody of the qin drifted gracefully like heavenly music. Dozens of beauties dressed in feathered robes and rainbow skirts danced lightly to the tune, like colorful butterflies fluttering in the chill of the first snow, making one forget the biting cold.
"I heard that yesterday, that girl Qingkou caused a scene at your place?" A young man dressed in a yellow Han-style robe, draped over with a fur cloak, spoke with a smile. Yet, even with his gentle and amiable tone, one could still sense an aura of majesty. He was as tall as Yelü Lie, but with fair skin, refined and elegant, sporting a mustache, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and possessing a pair of wise, deep blue eyes.
He was Yelü Longxu, who ascended the throne at the age of twelve and was a renowned wise ruler in the history of the Great Liao: he expanded the military prowess of the Great Liao, awed neighboring nations, and led an era of peace and prosperity.
Throughout generations, the leaders of the Yelü family would have a pair of distinctive blue eyes. Outside the border, especially where the Khitan bordered Sujie (Russia), their lineage differed from that of the Central Plains; red-haired and blonde people were common, though black hair and dark eyes remained the majority.
Strangely, in recent generations, every successor inevitably had blue eyes. Yelü Lie, being the only son, had no alternative candidate; while Yelü Longxu was the sole descendant among the crown princes with blue eyes, destined for his imperial fate, writing a glorious history for the Khitan people.
Yelü Lie slowly sipped strong liquor; despite the bitter cold, he wore a short-sleeved top and fur wrist guards. The bandaged wound on his left arm was clearly visible.
"Did she strike you?" Yelü Longxu asked with a frown.
"Who else could it be?"
"Outrageous! She even had the nerve to come crying to me, claiming you bullied her."
"It would save trouble to arrange her marriage earlier." Yelü Lie did not wish to dwell on the topic and changed the subject: "What are the Empress Dowager's plans?"
Yelü Longxu stroked his beard and said softly, "Among the current Eight Tribes, although our tribe has the strongest military and the most abundant resources, the Xi tribe occupies the largest territory. The Empress Dowager hopes to strengthen our position through marriage alliances. Duoluo Zhiwa's ambitions are evident; if we don't use marriage alliances, we must find a way to reduce his military power. Last month, Kuge Yande submitted a memorial, requesting that I decree his daughter Hu Wa be betrothed to you..."
"Don't tell me you want me to marry them!" Yelü Lie's expression darkened instantly.
"Marriage alliances are the fastest method! And you are the ideal husband in the eyes of every young woman today; even Qingkou is devoted to you. If not for the close blood ties, I would have long given in and betrothed her to you." Yelü Longxu smiled slightly and added, "And you, it's time you produced an heir for our Yelü Tribe. The Empress Dowager has been searching for a wife for you!"
Yelü Lie fixed his gaze on him.
"How many do you want me to take? There is only one position for the principal consort, yet three women are vying for it; and their statuses are equal. If the other two are taken as secondary wives, won’t it risk angering the other two tribes? Your Majesty, on the other hand, could take them all as consorts!"Yelü Longxu laughed, "Although our Great Liao does not follow the extravagance of the Central Plains emperors with their thirty-six palaces and seventy-two courtyards, I already find the hundreds of consorts in the Imperial City more than sufficient. There is no need to take on those three women. It’s simple: I will preside over the wedding, and all three will be granted the status of principal consorts. What do you think? I’ve heard the three princesses are all beauties from the northern lands. They will attend this hunting excursion, so you can observe them closely. This grand occasion is also a perfect opportunity to select a husband for Qingkou." Yelü Lie glanced at the map on the stone table and said calmly, "We’ll see about that." Marriage alliances are indeed the fastest way to achieve results.
"At any rate, our Imperial City will have a joyous event to celebrate before next spring!" Yelü Longxu suddenly remembered something. "I heard that when you intercepted the Jun family’s caravan in the Helan Mountains, you captured a peerless beauty?"
Yelü Lie frowned. "Just rumors?"
"Your expulsion of the De clan has been widely discussed among the various tribes of Great Liao. When asked for the reason, they all say it was out of anger for a beauty. I’d like to see what kind of woman could captivate you so deeply! In the past, no matter how beautiful the women I offered you, you always refused, not even sparing them a glance. I was beginning to worry you had no intention of taking a consort!"
"She’s just a woman from Great Song, no different from those Han women in your palace!" Yelü Lie brushed it off casually, his expression clearly indicating he did not wish to discuss the matter further.
Yelü Longxu looked at him intently. "Just don’t fall too deeply! A woman can be cherished and pampered, but never loved. Once you fall in love, you’ll let her have her way in everything, and many things will become impossible to accomplish. Remember your status!"
He remained silent, reaching out to gently stroke the newly blossomed plum blossoms on a branch outside the pavilion. He plucked one casually, almost entranced by its beauty—each delicate petal seemed to embody her.
Chapter Six
In the blink of an eye, winter had arrived.
Outside the Imperial City, on the vast grasslands, nine large tents were erected. The yellow tent stood in the center, flanked by four tents on each side, each marked with the colors of their respective tribes to indicate their locations.
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