Yеs, hе might indееd keeр hеr fоr а lifеtime, but nothing morе.
Shе finally undеrstood his dеfinitiоn оf sо-саlled "lovе" for her. As a caрtivе, reсeiving his fаvоr wаs аlreаdу а hеаvenlу blessing. The lоvе she dеserved was mеrely his оbsession with hеr bоdу. Finе, shе undеrstоod now!
Не had trulу аnd uttеrly dеstroуеd her! Thе swеet drеams in her life hаd been so briеf thаt shе hadn’t еven had time tо indulgе in thеm befоrе lоsing еvеrуthing she hаd оncе takеn pride in. Nоw, she nоt оnlу had nо fасе to belong tо the Jun family, but she had аlso lost hersеlf; and she wаs cаrrуing a сhild that should never have existed! He would never acknowledge a mixed-blood child without status as his legitimate offspring—at most, he might grant it a mouthful of food to keep it from starving...
...
"Hmph! Who will be the First Princess is still unknown! The Khan said whoever gives birth to the heir first will become the First Princess!" Another woman joined the already chaotic conversation.
"Enough. Please return to rest. For now, the competition is the priority," Yelü Lie said coldly and firmly in a low voice.
Though not a shout, it made the crowd obediently disperse. Yelü Lie, who commanded the strongest military force, was notorious for his fiery temper, and no one dared to provoke him! At the very least, they had successfully introduced their intended brides to him, and they were all quite satisfied.
"Are you tired?" Yelü Lie sat down and embraced her as he asked.
That group of people had stirred such anger in him that he felt like killing someone; he hadn’t even noticed what the three women who had just flitted before him looked like! As always, no woman, no matter how beautiful or virtuous, could capture his attention; only Qiluo could make him yearn and worry, and as time passed, she only grew more deeply ingrained in his blood and flesh. He thought he would never love her enough in a lifetime!
"I’m fine," she replied, her gaze hollow as she looked into the distance, her expression calm, almost lifeless, making it hard to breathe.
But Yelü Lie had no time to notice; the Khan had left the Imperial City, and cheers erupted all around. The Tribal Chiefs of the Eight Tribes all galloped on horseback to greet him, and he could not be an exception. He leaped onto his black horse and raced toward the city gates.
"Miss..." Dong Yin sat beside her, watching her with concern.
She bit her lower lip, not looking at Dong Yin, and asked, "Tell me, Dong Yin, are mixed-blood children of Han and Hu truly unwelcome in the Liao Kingdom?"
Dong Yin replied sorrowfully, "If not for the old prince’s pity, I would have starved to death by the roadside. My mother was from Tanzhou, captured by the Khitan to be a concubine. She once gave birth to a son, but he was drowned in water. Later, she was forced to miscarry several times. When she was pregnant with me, she escaped from the military camp and gave birth to me. She died of starvation a few years later because she gave all the food she scavenged to me. In the Great Liao, widows and orphans like us suffer immense bullying and cannot make a living. The misery we endure is beyond what ordinary people can imagine. I was relatively fortunate; many children, after being born, are treated like pigs or dogs by their own Liao fathers, especially in places dominated entirely by Khitan people—they simply cannot survive..." The unbearable memories of the past still left her trembling with fear.
She knew why her mistress was asking this. As her personal maid, she was most aware of her mistress’s condition; especially now that the Young Master was bound to marry three princesses as his consorts. In that case, no matter how favored her mistress might be, any child she gave birth to would end up like herself...Jun Qiluo let out a desolate laugh, her clenched fists nearly leaving fingernail imprints on her palms.
"Will it be a difficult life?" she murmured, her expression distant and unfocused.
"Miss..."
Dong Yin was about to say something but was cut off by Duoluo Qi.
"Dong Yin, be quiet!" Fearing that Dong Yin might directly reveal that the Young Master was already betrothed, Duoluo Qi spoke in an optimistic tone to reassure her. "Actually, in the Shangjing area, Hu and Han people coexist, and racial discrimination is not severe. If Miss Jun becomes pregnant, the child can be born in Shangjing. The Young Master will not mistreat his own child."
Although Duoluo Qi did not yet fully understand the thoughts of this Great Song woman, based on past experience, he knew that the Young Master would face difficult days ahead—because he cared too much for Miss Jun! His marriage would inevitably provoke an intense reaction from this Great Song beauty. And now, with her mentioning the matter of children, a deep sense of foreboding settled over his heart like dark clouds...
"The Young Master has returned!" Dong Yin softly reminded Jun Qiluo.
Accompanying Yelü Lie to the black tent was a red-haired, golden-eyed man. He wore a thick beard, appeared to be around thirty years old, and exuded a fierce and cruel aura amidst his imposing presence. To Jun Qiluo, he left an impression similar to that of the bloodthirsty Keli Han.
He was Duoluo Zhiwa, a Yilidong with vast ambitions and a cruel nature. In his territory, he held the most prisoners of war and took pride in tormenting them. Duoluo Qi had once served as a commander under him but left the Duoluo tribe due to his inability to endure his cruelty and inhumanity, switching his allegiance to Yelü Lie. This enraged Duoluo Zhiwa, who considered it a great humiliation, permanently expelling him and forbidding him from ever setting foot in the Duoluo tribe again, on pain of death.
Duoluo Zhiwa cast a disdainful glance at Duoluo Qi before lecherously sizing up Qiluo, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"She is a great beauty, ten times more beautiful than the women offered as tribute from various countries last year. It seems the Great Song still hides many beauties they have not yet presented. It's just a pity she has so little flesh on her bones. Lord Yelü, I offer one hundred sheep in exchange for her." With that, he dismounted from his horse, intending to reach out and open her collar to assess her value.
But before he could even touch her clothing, Yelü Lie’s thrown dagger struck the table. Had his hand stretched any further, his fingers would likely have been severed.
"No exchange!"
"I'll add fifty more cattle!" Duoluo Zhiwa crossed his arms, staring at Yelü Lie, who blocked his view. The more Yelü Lie cherished her, the more he desired to possess her.
"Any man who touches her besides me will die!" Yelü Lie’s eyes blazed with fury, making it clear that if he dared mention it again, a duel would ensue.
Duoluo Zhiwa smiled, but his eyes grew even darker. Once he became the Chieftain of the Eight Tribes, the Yelü family would become history. Then, his woman would be within easy reach, requiring no effort at all.
That day would come! The entire Yelü family would bow at his feet, and Yelü Lie would be the first he would slay with his own hands!
Only after Duoluo Zhiwa had walked away did Yelü Lie return to the tent and ask softly, "Did he frighten you?"
She shook her head indifferently. Nothing could shake her anymore.
"I want to go back."
"Very well. Duoluo Qi, escort her back."
"Yes!"
Then, the sound of drums rose from all directions—the competition was about to begin.
※ ※ ※A light snow was falling from the sky, and with the wind, snowflakes drifted one by one into the open window. How strange—she didn’t feel cold at all. Was the world after death like this too? It was said that beneath the Nine Springs was bitterly cold, yet now she couldn’t feel the chill; at least after death, she wouldn’t have to worry about her clothes being too thin to keep warm!
One hand gently rested on her abdomen, where beneath the flat surface, a small life was growing; she smiled sincerely, imagining what he might look like. If it was a boy, he would grow tall and strong, perhaps with a pair of blue eyes; if it was a girl, that would be wonderful—she would be sweet and lovely, with a graceful figure, growing into a beautiful maiden of the south…
“How could I bear to take away your right to live? Mother will keep you forever within her body, so that after we descend to the Nine Springs together, you won’t feel cold; and Mother will see your true form. If that place is dark and cold, Mother will hold you in her arms, and you won’t be lonely…” Her eyes held sorrow, yet shone with the radiance of maternal love.
Dong Yin entered with a bowl of ginseng tea, her expression tense.
“Mi… miss, please nourish yourself!”
She told herself this was the right thing to do! Keli Han had already arrived, and if she didn’t act now, once the miss fell into his hands, the outcome would surely be humiliation and death. And the miss was so heartbroken, with no will to live anymore—she was helping her end her suffering. This cup of tea, laced with poison, would allow her to die without pain…
Jun Qiluo took the teacup, holding it in her hands, and said softly, “If this were a cup of poison, and drinking it would end everything, that would truly be wonderful; but it’s just a cup of ginseng tea, wasted on someone like me…” She leaned toward the tea, wanting to smell its scent, but Dong Yin suddenly snatched it away and flung it out the window.
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