Chapter 123: Bad News

Chapter 123: Bad News

Da Lei waved his hand, telling him to hurry up and go.

Watching that young Turk scramble away, even kowtowing frantically to him before leaving.

Da Lei was truly in awe of Xiao Ce’s methods.

Xiao Ce had figured out human nature completely. He always had all sorts of ways to make them submit to him.

…

Meanwhile, not far away, in the Turks’ camp.

Ashina received a joint letter from the Family Heads of the New Four Great Clans and was overjoyed. He summoned the leaders of several major tribes.

After the leaders of the several major tribes arrived.

Helu was the first to speak with a mocking tone: “What is it? Do you want to tell us that your previous plan didn’t work? You got fooled again!”

Ashina glanced at Helu but didn’t bother arguing with him. He addressed everyone:

“Everyone, this is a letter from the Family Heads of the Four Great Clans! They have already taken action, cutting off all subsequent supplies and military provisions. According to their intelligence, Yanbei City has now run out of food. The soldiers and commoners have all left the city to pick wild fruits and dig up wild vegetables… In no time, they will either abandon the city and flee! Or they will be trapped and starve to death here! At most in half a month, if we just give them some surrender terms, Yanbei City will surely fall without a fight!”

Hearing this, Helu’s face showed a fierce expression: “Surrender? Don’t be ridiculous, those scum must die!”

Ashina said: “Can’t you use your brain? Lure them out, make them surrender, and then kill them! Wouldn’t that be simpler for us?”

Helu’s expression became slightly awkward this time.

Ashina said: “They killed so many of our Turkic warriors. They must die!”

Ashide said: “Ashina, if that’s the case, that’s great! Then, the Prefects of the Four Prefectures will surrender obediently?”

Ashina nodded: “Naturally! You can also rest assured! We are just using them temporarily. After we take the Central Plains, we will turn back and deal with them… In our Turkic lands, these Xiao Kingdom People can only kneel and grovel.”

After Ashina finished speaking, everyone present burst into loud laughter.

Even Helu, who always argued with Ashina, for once didn’t contradict him.

Just at that moment, a soldier’s voice came from outside the tent.

“Khan Ashide! There is one of your tribesmen outside, saying he has urgent news to report!”

Everyone looked at Ashide.

Ashide was somewhat surprised: “My tribesman? What happened?”

The reporting soldier at the entrance waved his hand: “Khan, that person said the matter is very important and needs to speak with you personally.”

“Then go bring him here,” Ashide said with a trace of doubt.

Seeing Ashide’s worried look, Ashina comforted him: “Elder Brother Ashide, don’t worry too much. It probably isn’t anything major!”

Ashide forced a smile: “My Ninth Lady, counting the days, should be giving birth. I don’t know if there was some accident during the birth.”

“Elder Brother Ashide, it probably isn’t that. Don’t worry too much. If it were for that reason, by the time he ran here, the child would already be born…”

Even the foul-mouthed Helu offered comfort.

This showed that Ashide had very good relations among the Turks.

A short while later, the young Turk that Da Lei had released arrived.

He entered the tent and immediately paid his respects to Ashide.

Ashide recognized him at a glance. This was his sixth younger brother, Wushan Ashide’s youngest son. Zuomu Ashide.”

“Zuomu, what happened? What brings you here in such a hurry?”

Zuomu Ashide glanced at the several Khans around him, then gave Ashina a meaningful look.

“Uncle Khan, it’s not convenient to speak here. Can we talk in private?”

Ashide looked at Zuomu Ashide’s expression: “It’s fine, everyone here is one of us. You can speak plainly.”

The blunt Helu nodded: “Yes, Zuomu, don’t we all know each other? If you have something to say, just say it. Among the Turks, there’s nothing we can’t decide… Say it, maybe we can all help you.”

Ashina chimed in: “That’s right, Zuomu, we are people who absolutely trust each other…”

Zuomu Ashide looked embarrassed, lowered his head, and said nothing.

Tiesa, who hadn’t spoken until now, opened his mouth: “Ashide, maybe it’s a private matter of your tribe. It might not be appropriate for us to listen!”

Then, he looked at Ashina: “Ashina, have you finished saying what you needed to say?”

Ashina took the hint: “Yes, that’s all for today! I was just reporting this good news to everyone. Let’s all allow our troops to rest well. When the time comes, we will push forward with one effort, head directly south into the Central Plains, and enter the Capital! We’ll all take a turn sitting on that dragon throne the Emperor of the Capital sits on!”

Everyone nodded and then dispersed.

Ashide left in a hurry, with Zuomu Ashide following respectfully behind him.

They went all the way to Ashide’s tent.

Ashide asked with a hint of nervousness: “Is it my Ninth Lady? Did something happen to her?”

Zuomu Ashide first nodded, then shook his head, immediately knelt down, and started slapping his own face repeatedly.

“Uncle Khan, please forgive me… It’s all my fault!”

Zuomu Ashide talked for a long time without getting to the point, which made Ashide extremely anxious.

“Get to the point!”

“…The Ninth Lady is dead…”

Before Zuomu Ashide could finish, Ashide grabbed him by the collar and asked anxiously: “What? Dead? How did she die? Difficult labor?”

Zuomu Ashide shook his head and said: “No! It was Ashina…”

Ashide couldn’t help but interrupt again: “What Ashina? Aren’t Ashina’s people all here?”

This time, Zuomu Ashide cried and shook his head: “Not Khan Ashina, it was the people of the Ashina Tribe. They ambushed us, slaughtered our Ashide Tribe people, kidnapped your family members, and stole our cattle, sheep, horses, money, and grain!”

“The Ninth Lady was killed by those Ashina… They didn’t just kill her, they also took the child from her womb…”

“Those beasts! Animals!”

Zuomu Ashide spoke through tears and sobs, his whole body trembling as he recounted it. Because he had experienced those near-death moments and witnessed the scene firsthand…

Therefore, his account was very real!

Ashide’s face turned grim, and his whole body shook with anger: “Are you sure?”

Zuomu Ashide nodded: “Sure… Uncle Khan, it was their banners. And the horses branded with their Ashina totem! There’s no mistake! I escaped only after many close calls, and… and… the Ashina Tribe didn’t just attack us! When I passed through the Helu Tribe’s territory, I saw that the sub-tribes of the Helu Tribe had all been wiped out, not a single survivor! Corpses were everywhere, and vultures were feeding on their bodies…”