She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

Ashina took a deep breath and said patiently, ”Yujia, your fate has already been sealed. You cannot abandon your duty and mission for a man.”

”But... but I truly love him,” Princess Yujia sobbed uncontrollably.

Ashina looked up at the moon in the sky, which was gradually moving westward, and sighed.

”Love is the most beautiful thing in the world, but it is also the most dangerous. It can make people lose their way, even their lives. Yujia, remember, you are a princess of the Turkic people, and your responsibility is to protect the people and the land of the Turkic. You cannot let love blind your eyes.”

Upon hearing this, Princess Yujia bit her lip tightly, feeling a surge of despair in her heart.

She knew that what her father said was right, but she just couldn’t let go of her love for Zhao Zun. She lowered her head, letting her tears fall onto the grass, merging into the earth.

Ashina looked at his daughter’s painful expression and felt a wave of sadness in his heart. He tried to soften his tone and gently patted his daughter’s shoulder.

”Yujia, go back and have a good rest tonight. Everything will be better tomorrow. Otherwise, I will have to ask someone to keep an eye on you.”

As Ashina spoke, he took hold of the reins in Princess Yujia’s hand, firmly controlling her black horse.

Princess Yujia wanted to say something more but ultimately said nothing as she looked at Ashina’s stern face.

She tightly pressed her lips together and blinked, as a stream of tears rolled down; she silently nodded.

Shortly after Princess Yujia returned to her tent, the vast grasslands welcomed the first light of dawn.

The sky gradually changed from deep blue to light purple, with crystal dew hanging on the grass leaves, gently swaying in the breeze. In the distance, the outlines of the sheep gradually became clear in the mist, and pastoral songs could be faintly heard.

Suddenly, a deep horn sounded abruptly, long and profound, like the call of the soul of the grassland, piercing the silence of dawn in an instant.

The Turkic warriors quickly poured out from their yurts, clad in leather and bamboo armor, holding spears or curved blades, their eyes shining with a desire for battle and a determination for victory.

The sound of hoofbeats gathered from afar, surging like a tide, as a multitude of cavalry quickly assembled, forming an unstoppable force.

The army gathered like a tide; warhorses neighed, iron hooves lightly trod, and the Turkic military flags fluttered in the wind, with each movement indicating the gathering of strength and direction.

Ashina Khan, clad in armor, stood majestically on a platform constructed of round logs, his gaze deep and determined, as if he could see through the mists of distance to the battlefield afar.

Beside him were a few loyal and brave Turkic generals, each with a flame of battle spirit in their eyes, so intense it was almost tangible.

Ashina Khan, along with the Turkic generals, raised a golden cup to offer wine in sacrifice, praying for the god of the grasslands to grant them strength and hope for victory.

After the offering, Ashina swiftly drew the curved blade from his waist and pointed it to the sky; the blade gleamed with a cold light in the dawn’s rays.

”Warriors, for our descendants, for the freedom of the grasslands, we must fight. Let us raise our weapons to greet the victory that belongs to us!”

As Ashina’s words fell, the mass of Turkic warriors below, as if injected with adrenaline, brandished their various weapons, raising their arms and shouting loudly.

”Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The eagles of the grasslands circled in the sky, as if seeing off this courageous troop.

Ashina Khan’s gaze slowly swept over the warriors, then he suddenly swung down his curved blade.

”March!”

With Ashina’s command, the army began to move slowly.

The sound of hoofbeats and the clashing of weapons intertwined, accompanying the morning light of the grassland dawn, as Ashina’s Turkic army magnificently set off towards the distant Yong’an City...

......I am the lazy dividing line......

At the same time, in the Capital City of the Da Jing Dynasty.

In the late spring morning, the gentle sunshine awoke every corner of the ancient Capital City of the Da Jing Dynasty, draping the city in a faint golden glow.

On both sides of the streets, shops were lined up, bustling with voices, and people coming and going began their day’s livelihood again.

Today was a rare auspicious day; besides Youjia Inn, which was being managed in secret by the former Prince Mansion steward Mr. Liu, Han Lei’s other three new shops were simultaneously opening publicly.

One shop was the ”Lao Yilaao Hot Pot Restaurant,” as the name suggests, selling hot pot.