Early morning the next day, Feng Xiao, Cui Buqu, and their company of four begins their journey once more from Qiemo to proceed to the Royal Court of the Sanmi Mountains where Khan Apa is.
Once Gao Yi receives news of their journey, he wants to send them off in person, but Cui Buqu rejects it. Since their company only has four people and they are tasked with something important, it is not convenient for them to be bombastic about it.
Ever since this incident in Qiemo, they have abandoned their disguises and exposed themselves; not only did they gain a new enemy like the Yunhai Thirteen Stories, but they have not yet resolved the case pertaining Fo Er. In this long journey ahead, protecting Jin Lian's safety until they arrive at the Royal Court of Göktürk is not an easy feat.
However, as expected, from the moment they left Qiemo, arrive in Kucha and rest for a few days, before moving forward to the foot of the Sanmi Mountains until they enter the Royal Court's territory and see the Göktürk banner swaying in the wind, everything has gone smoothly throughout their journey without fear or danger.
Even Jin Lian feels that everything went by a little too well, she could not help herself asking Cui Buqu, "Could it be that Fo Er has given up on assassinating me?"
Cui Buqu says, "Before seeing Khan Apa, it is too early to judge anything. Tell me first, how is Khan Apa as a person?"
Although the Zuoyue Bureau has their own ways of obtaining information, no matter what regardless, it cannot be compared to having Khan Apa's own bedside person, for she is one among those who knows the Khan the best.
Jin Lian says after a while, "He… actually, he is sort of a fool."
Cui Buqu raises an eyebrow.
In the Zuoyue Bureau, he has heard many things pertaining to this man they call the Khan Apa, most of them came from people who are often by his side. Among them, the most ordinary and common ones are that the Khan Apa is an incredibly suspicious and envious man, his ambitious desires are great, and there are also Han people who are formally their spoils of war yet had escape back to Han lands used the world 'devil' to describe his passion for blood.
Jin Lian has always been on guard on the journey here, until now only did she finally bring this up to Cui Buqu.
"There are many clans in Göktürk, and there are also many Khans, just like the Spring and Autumn period in the Central Plains, every country to each their own. Opening war with each other is very common. Today you may be the Khan, tomorrow I might become the Commander. These are not strange to see. Ever since Khan Ishbara rose to power, he divulged his intentions to conquer all the surrounding kingdoms for himself and unite Göktürk into one. It is not that Khan Apa does not know of this, sometimes other than war, there are lots of ways to let someone die, so, people who often dwell by the Khan's side are changed from one batch to a new one from time to time."
Cui Buqu nods his head. He has heard of this matter before.
When she speaks until this point, Jin Lian could not help sighing a little, "In fact, the Khan's personality is a little ambitious. Before I left the Royal Court to come to the Central Plains, he ordered me to train a group of female bodyguards, he says that the loyalty of women are more reliable than men, so they could guarantee his safety."
Feng Xiao yields a strange look, "How is your Khan's opinion of the beauty of women?"
Jin Lian answers him straightforwardly, "Everyone holds a love for beauty, the upper class royalties may hold lust for beauty, and so does the lower class citizens. Therefore, how is the Khan any exception?"
This Kedun Jin Lian is indeed beautiful even for her age. Between her brows she holds some frost, and she is even quite knowledgeable since she often aids Khan Apa in managing the country's politics and gained his trust and admiration. However, at the end of the day of the day, she is still only the Khan's concubine and would worry that one day he would become disinterested in her. It could be said that she was worried that when she sets out to pull Khan Apa and the Sui Empire together, she would be betrayed when she is not in Göktürk, so these group of female bodyguards can both be used to maintain her status, as well as serve as her spies.
Until this moment, Cui Buqu vaguely understood everything.
This Khan Apa is only a man with an ordinary set of skills, loved the beauty of women, and possess a heart that is heavy of suspicions.
Although there are many clans in the Western and Eastern Göktürk, after Khan Ishbara rose to power, Khan Apa did not think of how to overcome the problem, but he has been watching in sitting to see the fluctuation of power between the Sui Empire and Khan Ishbara. This could be seen that his heroic endeavours are insufficient, and although he still possesses ambitions, they have diminished due to age.
For someone like this, never mind the fact that convincing him to ally with the Sui Empire would not be difficult, as long as he is convinced that he could be utterly beaten by the Sui Empire, he dares not place his bet against them.
In a few more days, it would be the gathering of the Eight Ministries, this could be used to their advantage.
After a moment of thought, a few riders rode forth and barricades their entry.
The rider in charge sees Jin Lian and gives a look of shock, he immediately kneels down to greet her.
Jin Lian accepts it as she sits atop her horse, her attitude is incredibly proud, completely devoid of the gentleness and familiarity she has shown Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu on the road.
As they both exchange a few sentences, Jin Lian suddenly gives a look of shock and shouts some words questioningly. Although those riders asked for her forgiveness, they still rode towards Cui Buqu and the others, holding long knives in their hands. They did not look like they were welcoming guests, nor did they look friendly.
Feng Xiao and Qiao Xian do not understand Göktürk, so Cui Buqu explains to them at extreme speed, "They want to take us. Jin Lian says that we are her guests from the Central Plains and allow them to report to the Khan, but they said that the Khan has given orders that any person from the Central Plains are no longer allowed to enter the Royal Court."
The colour on Jin Lian's face looks terrible. She has tried so hard to bring these ambassadors from the Sui Empire here, but because this matter backfired due to the suspicious hearts of the Göktürks, she has become an enemy to them. Let alone her journey has all been for nothing, she can even feel herself losing power and status in Göktürk.
In fact, she knows that Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao both are not men easily pushed around. If the Göktürks offended them, it is quite possible that they could save themselves from this place and even create some chaos. The memory of Duan Qigu is still fresh to her, so regardless what is going on, Jin Lian would never seek death for herself.
As she thinks, she quickly tells Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao, "Both of you, I am extremely sorry. I have no idea that the Khan would give such an order. So, even if at the cost of my own life, I would not allow both of you to be humiliated, so please wait here, let me see the Khan and explain everything before coming out here to welcome both of you inside!"
Cui Buqu, "Before Kedun leaves, may I know if the Khan has always treated people from the Central Plains like this?"
Jin Lian shakes her head, "I obtained the Khan's permission before setting forth for the Central Plains. The decree, you have seen it for yourselves, it is not faked."
Cui Buqu, "Then, after you left the Royal Court, something must have happened to make the Khan change his mind. As for the sincerity of the Kedun, my people have seen it for themselves, we will wait for you here."
When Jin Lian sees that Cui Buqu did not have the intention to blame her for this outcome, she relaxes for a moment and immediately apologizes before excusing herself. She shouts a few commands to those soldiers, to which the latter gave a look of disdain. They cast a few glances at Cui Buqu, forcibly nodding their heads and agrees, before abandoning them and rode towards the Royal Court.
Cui Buqu and his company waits for almost an hour, before they see a group of people coming towards them. Those group of people look unfamiliar, they were no longer the ones that they met just now, and Jin Lian is not among them.
Feng Xiao, "Could it be that they have some changes within them? That the old Khan is dead, a new one is crowned. The gathering is disbanded, even Jin Lian has lost her authority?"
Cui Buqu, "The Jiejian Bureau receive news from everywhere. Does Commander Feng still need to ask me?"
Feng Xiao waves a hand, "Every day, even if there is not a few hundred scrolls delivered to the Jiejian Bureau, there are also a few dozens of them. It's not my fault that I was not born with a photographic memory like Master Daoist Cui, so how can I recall all of them? In fact, I originally wanted to return to the capital after I closed the Khotan Ambassador's murder case, how can I anticipate that I would be kidnapped all the way here by you?"
Between the lines, the responsibility all seem to fall upon Cui Buqu once more.
Cui Buqu, "The Khan has two sons. The elder one, Eden, is the son of big Kedun. The second son is Ade, his birth mother is unfortunate, for after his birth, she passed not long after. The Göktürk people prioritizes the strongest among themselves. For the son to usurp his father, for brothers to usurp each other, these cases are common and often seen. Khan Apa's wariness is strong, according to what I know, both his sons do not wield much power themselves. You see how he gives Jin Lian quite an amount of power, is because Jin Lian has no sons. This is enough of a proof."
Feng Xiao, "That is to say, both his sons are not threats to us?"
Cui Buqu, "Not entirely. I heard that Khan Apa gives all his love to this second son, while neglecting his eldest, because he thinks his eldest is weak, without the hearts of lion that is in the Göktürk's nature."
His words stop here, because those Göktürk people have already arrived and divided into two groups to surround Cui Buqu and his company.
The one in charge shouts something, his gaze is incredibly ferocious and stiff, killing intent heavy in the air.
On the other hand, Cui Buqu's complexion did not look nervous at all as he converses with them.
After a while, Feng Xiao hears Cui Buqu quickly telling them at the speed of light, "Quickly, put down all these people, but do not kill them. Hold that leader down and let us rush into the Royal Court together!"
Feng Xiao, "Just the three of us? Is that not serving the sheep into the wolves' pack?"
Cui Buqu stares at him coldly, "With Commander Feng around, how can others be considered wolves?"
Feng Xiao laughs loudly, "Haha! I like what you said!"
As his words dissipated, Feng Xiao had already moved in front the Göktürk soldiers. The other lets out a gasp and immediately wants to use his horse to stomp on him, but how would Feng Xiao give him that chance? As his shadow flashes, the soldier cries and has already fallen to the ground.
Seeing Feng Xiao make the move, Qiao Xiao follows suit, but this isn't because she fears death, but because she is protecting Cui Buqu.
With the skills of these people, they can only be intimidating enough to rob normal citizens of the Central Plains, but how are they matches of Feng Xiao and Qiao Xian? Very quickly all of them fell to the ground and could not get up, only their leader held up Feng Xiao with one hand like one holding a little chick.
"Go! Let us raise wind and tides!" Commander Feng gives an enthusiastic look, as if his only fear is that the world is at peace with no trouble for him to take care of.
With a hostage in hand, everything would be a smooth trip.
This person's rank is not low, he is a Yabghu, according to Göktürk, it is similar to a general or an officer. On the way, as Feng Xiao holds him up, everything stares at him with fear and anger, but they could not do anything to him and could only report to the Khan.
So, after an hour, they finally arrive at the King's Yurt, finally seeing the great Khan Apa.
The other party is around forty to fifty years old. His hair has both black and white strands, with a beard that reaches up his cheeks, and he seems to like squinting his eyes when he looks at someone.
Is it unknown whether it has something to do with age, because the other party's looks is a little bit slumped.
To be honest, compared to Jin Lian, Jin Lian looks almost ten times more energetic and rigid.
If she had been the Khan, then Cui Buqu and his men would not have to go through so much trouble.
However, it is truly a pity that at this time, men are the dominant race, and no matter how ambitious Jin Lian is, she can only use Khan Apa to help her achieve it.
"Man from the Central Plains, why are you holding my officer hostage?" Khan Apa's tone is not friendly as he glances at them.
The King's Yurt is huge beyond imaginable, surrounding him, other than Jin Lian, everyone that sat there at the present are officers of court. Every one of them glares at them, who were standing in the middle.
Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao also notice someone they knew from a while ago.
Fo Er is sitting beneath, right next to the Khan's throne, looking at them expressionlessly.
A Han woman who were just like them could only pour wine for the important guests in the camp, keeping her eyes and head low and dare not even raise her head.
"Ah!"
At this moment, a pained voice cries, a female servant is kicked in the stomach as she flies out into the distance.
She falls to the found for a while, but quickly forces herself to climb up as she shivers on the ground, as if she is afraid of offending the important guests.
"Lowly person from the Central Plains, I could smite you with the strength of smiting an ant!" The Göktürk royalty who kicked her to the ground sneers, and after he finishes, he casts Cui Buqu a look, giving him an evil smile.
Jin Lian isn't surrounded and held down like before, instead, it is as if she has changed into new clothes and lavished by heavy makeup like how she used to wear in Göktürk. But when she looks at them, there is a nervous, agitated look in her, as if she has something to say to them, but due to the situation, she could not open her mouth.
This kind of situation really… makes one feel as if they are surrounded by enemies.
Cui Buqu thinks to himself.
Eden: (伊旬) is literally from the Garden of Eden. Maybe it is meant for his personality?
Ade: Second Prince Ade (阿德).
Yurt: A traditional yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes of Central Asia.