Ashina Suwu curled the corner of his mouth, "No problem."
Xiao Jin Yu sent Chu Chu to take Xue Ming to find something to eat. Upon hearing that she wouldn't have to face the jinx Ashina Suwu anymore, Xue Ming urged Chu Chu to dart out in a flash, which amused Ashina Suwu greatly.
However, Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly, his eyes cold and clear, "Great Khan, do you still remember Wu Chen?"
Ashina Suwu was taken aback for a moment, "I remember. That Medical Tent attendant who poisoned your military camp two years ago. He committed suicide using a potent poison made by our Turkic imperial physician."
Xiao Jin Yu nodded gently, "Then does the Great Khan recall what he said to me before he died?"
Ashina Suwu answered without hesitation, "He said you were too green, told you to return to the capital and learn a few more years from your mentor, so as not to fail to protect his son and utterly disgrace him..." Ashina Suwu paused, seeing Xiao Jin Yu's slightly bitter smile, "The one colluding with Ashina Turo in your court is Grand Tutor Xue?"
Xiao Jin Yu nodded.
Ashina Suwu seemed to grasp something, "So Ashina Turo failed to control his subordinates properly, one act didn't go according to their agreement, which angered Grand Tutor Xue. The Grand Tutor wrote to reprimand him, their alliance broke, so he used his defeat to have my father transfer him to the west and send me to fight you all. Then he had the spy planted in your camp kill Grand Tutor Xue's pawn as a warning, trying to force Grand Tutor Xue to compromise with him?"
Xiao Jin Yu nodded again.
Ashina Suwu frowned and muttered, "Such incredibly stupid deeds really do sound like something Ashina Turo would often do."
Xiao Jin Yu coughed lightly twice, "If I were to be defeated by Grand Tutor Xue this time... your daughter's future husband and in-laws would all die."
It took Ashina Suwu quite a while to process this roundabout statement. He looked at Xiao Jin Yu with visible frustration, "Why not just say your whole family would die and be done with it... Don't worry, as long as Xue Ming doesn't cause any trouble, I'll definitely bring that girl back to you tonight. If you have anything else to say, speak directly. If you keep beating around the bush and waste time, don't blame me when your whole family dies."
"Thank you..."
☆ ☆ ☆
Before midnight had passed, Wu Jiang came to report with a strangely contorted expression that Ashina Suwu was waiting to see Xiao Jin Yu at the Six Strategies Yard. Chu Chu accompanied Xiao Jin Yu to the main hall of Six Strategies Yard, and with one glance at the three people inside, she suddenly understood why Wu Jiang had been trying not to laugh.
Xue Ming stood rigidly motionless in a dark corner, clutching tightly to a slender figure in red who was still trembling and softly sobbing. Ashina Suwu sat in the center of the hall with a dark expression, four distinct bloody scratches very visible on his neck.
Xiao Jin Yu was also puzzled for a moment, frowning slightly at the scratches on Ashina Suwu's neck, "What happened?"
"Scratched..." Ashina Suwu threw an annoyed glance toward the corner where Xue Ming stood. "I had just exchanged a few polite words with Grand Tutor Xue when Official Xue had a young maid slip me a note while serving tea. It only had three words: 'Zhao Gao Qi'. I thought it was a person's name, so I tried to subtly inquire about it from Grand Tutor Xue. I nearly twisted my guts into knots trying to ask indirectly, but didn't get a damn thing out of him..."Ashina Suwu took a deep breath before continuing, "Later during the meal, I used the excuse of visiting the latrine to wander around the Xue residence searching. Eventually, in a remote courtyard, I heard a woman weeping hysterically, along with Lord Xue's voice. I went in to investigate and saw Lord Xue tugging at the woman, her clothes half torn off. I thought Lord Xue was..." Ashina Suwu swallowed hard, "...so I kicked him in the rear. Then the woman lunged at me and scratched... Lord Xue said she was the one Prince An wanted, so I dragged her to see Grand Tutor Xue. I pounded the table demanding to take her away to serve me like livestock. Grand Tutor Xue readily agreed and even had Lord Xue escort me back in my carriage. I couldn't figure out what Grand Tutor Xue meant by this, but anyway, I've brought the person you wanted."
Xiao Jin Yu understood most of the rest, except for one thing. Frowning, he looked at Xue Ming, "What is Zhaogaoqi?"
Xue Ming, standing stiffly in the corner, couldn't help shooting a glare at Ashina Suwu from afar, forcing three words through clenched teeth, "Bright. And. Vast. Studio."
Xiao Jin Yu's face darkened. Chu Chu barely managed to cover her mouth in time to stifle a burst of laughter. Ashina Suwu glared back with a stony expression, "Who the hell told you to pick such a damned place! Don't you know I'm Turkic?"
Xue Ming stiffly patted the woman in his arms, who was trembling from Ashina Suwu's two loud shouts. Though he desperately wanted to grab Ashina Suwu by the throat and shout back, seeing the person shrinking in his arms and shaking uncontrollably, he deliberately softened his tone, "That was where my mother lived before she passed away. When I tracked her down, she was already there. What could I do... I originally just followed the Prince's instructions, sent a message to the Khan, and didn't interfere further. But when I secretly checked the main hall a few times, the Khan kept chatting endlessly with my father, and they even started eating. I thought the Khan had some strategy..."
Ashina Suwu coughed dryly twice and turned to look at the few ornamental carp swimming in a nearby water vat.
Xue Ming frowned at the woman in his arms who had started weeping softly again, lowering his voice further, "I was afraid if I delayed any longer she might not remain at Bright and Vast Studio, so I went to check. That's when I encountered a temporarily hired servant bullying her. I chased that person out and was comforting her since she seemed terribly frightened..."
Xue Ming raised his eyes to glare at Ashina Suwu, saying irritably, "Before I could finish comforting her, the Khan kicked the door open and then kicked me aside... Han women always understand the principle of repaying kindness. You're lucky she didn't scratch you to death."
Ashina Suwu cleared his throat loudly, stood up with a stern face, and asked, "Prince An, where does your physician live?"
"In the rear courtyard of One Heart Garden."
Chu Chu helpfully added, "It's the 'one heart' as in 'wholehearted'."
"...Thank you, Imperial Concubine."
After Ashina Suwu walked out with a darkened face, clutching his neck, Xue Ming remained motionless in the corner. Xiao Jin Yu sighed silently, "Ashina Suwu has left... You can come over and speak now."
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