Chapter 27

The spy’s report ends here.

As for how Xiu Tulie was frolicking inside with the courtesan and rabbit( male prostitute), that remains unknown.

Wei Lenghou sat at his desk, gently tapping the surface as he pondered for a moment.

When Xiu Tulie first saw the emperor’s delicate features, he was struck with a thief’s heart, truly a lustful ghost.

It wasn’t surprising for such a wild barbarian to come to the Central Plains and indulge in the pleasures of the red-light district.

But Wei Lenghou still felt something wasn’t right.

Although his official confrontation with Xiu Tulie was limited to the incident at the teahouse, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Xiu Tulie was similar to him in some ways…

For example, the ambition that couldn’t be hidden in his eyes, an aggressive force in a man.

And would someone as ambitious as Xiu Tulie waste time in the enemy’s territory, indulging in carnal pleasures?

At this moment, the Xiongnu prince indeed lay in a luxurious bed, but the one undressing before him was not a beautiful woman, but a young man with a heavy air of promiscuity.

Xiu Tulie scanned the lavishly gilded surroundings, then looked at the androgynous, effeminate young man before him, and his disdain grew, unable to be suppressed.

The people of Wei were fond of indulgence, yet this place—run by a brothel keeper—was even more luxurious than the Xiongnu chanyu’s tent!

A fine young man, yet he had to powder his face and raise his backside, engaging in the art of seducing men!

This was heaven helping the Xiongnu! If, in his lifetime, he could not conquer the Great Wei, seize this fertile land, and make these soft, lamb-like subjects of his, how could he be worthy of being his father’s most trusted eagle of the grasslands?

Losing patience, Xiu Tulie waved his hand at the young man twisting his waist on the floor: “Enough, the room is empty, and the rooms nearby are also occupied by my own men. No one will spy. Just put your clothes back on and tell me what your master wanted you to say.”

The young man’s smile stiffened at once, unwillingly glancing at the muscular body of the foreign prince.

In his heart, he thought: If only I could spend a night with such a magnificent man, even if it meant giving up money, I would gladly do so.

But alas, such towering men seemed to have no interest in men’s pleasures.

Thinking of this, the young man, named Bao’er, tied up his robe and smiled, saying: “My master heard that you personally came to the capital city and specifically instructed me to serve the prince well. If the prince doesn’t care for men’s pleasures, then I shall arrange for our most charming young lady to entertain you…”

Xiu Tulie had no intention of indulging in sweet talk.

He directly asked: “Did you get the pig iron formula?”

Bao’er awkwardly shook his head: “The pig iron was indeed forged by the military armory bureau, but the iron essence was smelted elsewhere. Some key ingredients, even my master doesn’t know.”

Xiu Tulie frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Another key reason he had come to the Central Plains was for that Black Banner army’s pig iron weapons.

The Xiongnu’s ironworking techniques were learned from the Central Plains.

Those ironworkers they had captured were good for making pots and bowls, but in weapon forging, they were a step behind the Central Plains.

Not long ago, several trusted officials stationed at the Prince Anxi’s border, upon hearing that Prince Anxi had fallen, fled in fear to the Xiongnu, exchanging gold and silver for refuge.

It was from them that he had first heard of these weapons capable of cutting iron like mud.

After some effort, he managed to acquire one, and indeed, it was sharp.

If his cavalry were equipped with such weapons, wouldn’t they be even more formidable in battle?

Bao’er noticed Xiu Tulie’s displeasure and quickly continued: “However, my master managed to extract the details of one of the blacksmiths. But he is unwilling to reveal himself. It depends on whether Prince Xiu Tulie has a way to pry the information out of the blacksmith…”

Xiu Tulie took a secret letter and asked: “You just mentioned the Grand Tutor. Does he really have a cut-sleeve fetish?”

The young man named Bao’er had previously served Prince Anrong and had dined with Wei Lenghou at a restaurant.

Because Wei Lenghou had looked at him several times during the meal, Bao’er had caught his attention, but since he couldn’t get close due to Wei Lenghou’s reputation, by chance, he had met other influential figures and started dealing in information in this barren land.

Hearing Xiu Tulie’s question, Bao’er proudly began to boast about this story, inflating his own worth.

“Though the Grand Tutor seems cold on the outside, he couldn’t take his eyes off Bao’er when he saw me. He knows how to be attentive… unlike the prince, who is so indifferent to me…”

As he said this, his body inched closer to Xiu Tulie.

This time, Xiu Tulie did not avoid him.

He reached out, laughing as he pulled Bao’er closer, touching his face before moving his hand to the slender neck, smiling slightly, his dark skin contrasting with his white teeth: “Since you’ve helped me with such an important task, I shouldn’t be so indifferent to you. I’ll do you a favor, and in the next life, may you be born as a true man…”

As he spoke, Xiu Tulie exerted a slight force, and Bao’er’s neck let out a sharp snap, his body crumpling into a heap of lifeless flesh, collapsing onto the bed.

For those who had lost all shame, willing to sell anything for silver, if one didn’t want the secret to leak, there was only one way—silence him completely!

After snapping his neck, Xiu Tulie opened the door and walked out.

His subordinate, standing outside, immediately entered, stripped the lifeless body, and began preparing things…

In the land of pleasure, it was no strange thing to play a little courtesan to death; as long as the silver was paid, not even the officials would be alerted.

Xiu Tulie listened to the sounds of singing and chatter drifting from below, moving his arms slightly.

With the smallest motion, the pain from his pulled right arm flared up.

Hmph!

That Wei Lenghou, when he clashed with him, deliberately targeted the right arm, as if he wanted to rip it off.

At first, he couldn’t make sense of it, but now he thinks he’s figured it out. Could it be that when he held the little emperor with his right hand, that Grand Tutor became enraged?

The dirty scoundrel who died in that room was trying to flatter him, thinking that the Grand Tutor, even if fond of men, would still be able to look past such a beautiful face and settle for him, such a wreck.

Grand Tutor Wei truly is a person of higher caliber, playing his games even atop that dragon bed…

Interesting!

Though he despised men who feigned fragility, when he thought of the new emperor of Wei sitting proudly on the throne today, looking down upon him from his lofty position with that aloof and delicate demeanor, Xiu Tulie couldn’t help but feel a bit parched in his mouth.

When he marches forward with his weapons, stepping into the Golden Hall, and strips that dragon robe off the imperial seat… that would be a truly fitting reward!

This negotiation was initially a matter of both sides compromising and finding a way forward, but naturally, neither would yield.

One of the conditions was to select a princess from the Great Wei to become the old Chanyu’s concubine, cementing a bond of marriage.

But the old Chanyu was picky.

He wanted a true imperial princess, not some palace maid.

The royal family members from the Nie family, now battered by the cold frost of political intrigue, couldn’t tell who was more noble.

Naturally, when Grand Tutor Wei pointed to someone, that person had to obediently offer up their daughter.

In the end, Grand Tutor Wei chose the eighth princess of the late emperor—Princess Shaoyang—who, like the emperor, had lost her mother’s protection at an early age.

She was gentle in nature and quite beautiful.

Now sixteen, she was in the prime of her youth, yet, having no mother to arrange her marriage, she had reached sixteen without a suitor.

Now she had to marry far off to the Xiongnu.

In the days before her departure, she came to the emperor to ask for permission.

Her eyes were so red it seemed as though she had cried through the night.

Nie Qinglin also knew her eighth sister’s character—gentle and kind—and now she was to suffer in the northern frontier.

Her heart ached for her.

Wei Lenghou always liked to pick the softest targets!

He saw that she had no parents to rely on and a timid personality, so he threw her into the den of wolves.

Wasn’t she the same? If her mother had raised her as a daughter back then, maybe she have been the one sent off to marry in some faraway land.

Thinking of this, feeling a shared sympathy, she instructed An Qiao’er to bring her a handkerchief soaked in ice water to help the princess’s swollen, red eyes.

“Your Majesty, once Princess Shaoyang leaves, she is unlikely to return to the Central Plains. In the future, when Your Majesty offer sacrifices to our ancestors, I ask that Your Majesty remember me, placing more fruits and wine at the memorial for my mother. Shaoyang truly cannot bear to bring her mother’s memorial tablet to that desolate, cold land…”

Nie Qinglin’s eyes also glistened with tears as she gently comforted, “Royal sister, you do not need to worry about the matters in the palace. I will personally take care of them…”

Princess Shaoyang lifted her head to look at her young brother, suddenly realizing how difficult his situation was as well.

He might not live to adulthood.

The thought brought on another wave of sorrow as she said, “It is Shaoyang who does not understand. If His Majesty is not convenient, it would be better not to force it. What matters most now is for the Emperor to take care of his health. As for me, I will leave it to fate… I have heard that the Xiongnu do not follow proper etiquette, and that when a father dies, his son succeeds him. The old Chanyu is of advanced age and likely has only a few days left to live. If I must remarry a stepson, I will have no choice but to die to make my point. I only hope that the Grand Tutor will show mercy and allow my coffin to return to my homeland, so I can be buried with my mother. That would be a complete end…”

Nie Qinglin, upon hearing these words, slammed the table heavily, “What are you saying, Royal Sister? You and We are both without father or mother, having been left alone in this palace from an early age, so naturally we understand the difficulty of surviving in such a tight spot. Although as siblings, we have had little opportunity to grow close, now that you are to marry far away, We feel sorrow in the heart. Yet, with national affairs at hand, We cannot stop it. But others treat you like a pawn—how can you belittle and degrade yourself like this? When you get there, you must gather your wits. No matter the situation, there is always a way to deal with it. If that old Chanyu kicks the bucket, even better! Replace him with someone young and strong, someone worthy of serving our Wei’s princess. They may have their three palaces and six courtyards, but as a princess, how can you not have a young husband? Why seek death? A chastity plaque would be meaningless in that barren Xiongnu land, there is no place to hang it! If you are thinking of your homeland and wishing to fulfill your filial duties to your mother, you must take care of yourself. Only by living can you have a chance to return to Great Wei…”

(T/N: once again… as remainder this is the royal ‘We’/Zhen often use by the emperor not a translation error..hehe)

Princess Shaoyang’s tears were half frightened away by the young Emperor’s words.

If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, she would not have believed that her usually composed and quiet Emperor brother could speak such bold and absurd words…

“The Emperor speaks truly. I feel deeply ashamed before Princess Shaoyang,” as he spoke, the Grand Tutor appeared at the door of the hall, though she did not know when he had arrived.