Qing Xia’s heart was immediately filled with bitterness. She slowly exhaled, pressed her lips together, and after a long while, finally raised her head to look at him and said softly, “Who are you?”
“I,” Xuda Lie was slightly stunned, and after a long time, he said firmly in a deep voice, “I am the Great Khan of all Xiongnu tribes, Guli A’shu.”
Years had passed like a dream, past events like the wind, and the simple youth of yesteryear was no more. The great wind rises and clouds fly, the eagle had finally spread its wings and soared high, becoming a generation of brilliant kings.
“Just by looking at you, I can tell you’ve endured much hardship. Though the interior may be prosperous, life there isn’t free – you can’t hunt, can’t herd horses, and there are years of continuous warfare. Why don’t you stay here? We can herd horses beyond the passes and hunt in the mountains together. Wouldn’t that be good?”
Wouldn’t that be good? Of course it wouldn’t be good. One general’s success built upon ten thousand bones – Xuda Lie, your heart was always turned toward the sun, so how could you only look at fireflies? At this moment, she suddenly didn’t know what to say – congratulations, or perhaps lamentations, or maybe just the helplessness of vast changes in the world. Time was merciless; they were both no longer what they once were.
In the golden tent of the Xiongnu Great Khan, fine milk fragrance gently floated in the air. Golden goblets held aromatic fermented mare’s milk wine, while the north wind howled outside the tent, occasionally lifting the tent flaps and bringing in streaks of fine frost. The female slaves of the Golden Family nimbly secured the tent flaps, fastening them with hooks, then added charcoal to the braziers, warming the entire tent before quickly withdrawing. Xuda Lie sat in the center of the great tent wearing a white fur coat, which combined with his bronze skin and sharp features made him appear even more dignified and noble, high above all others. Qing Xia sat by the charcoal brazier, extending her cold hands to warm them by the fire. Recently her body seemed increasingly weak, her complexion pale all day long, and under her worry she could no longer conceal the faint aura of death that seeped through beneath that pallor.
The great tent was very quiet. In the four corners, large tripods burned the finest agarwood incense, its scent light and delicate. Under the cover of the milk fragrance, it revealed traces of subtle sweetness, like the misty rain of Jiangnan in March – different from the vast desolation of the northern desert, carrying instead the flavor of small bridges and flowing water. Occasionally, there was the bubbling sound of boiling water. Xuda Lie’s breathing was steady, his eyes slightly closed, not knowing what he was thinking. He looked exactly like a deep and scheming ruler, where could one see even half a shadow of the youth from the northern snowy plains of that day?
Time passed slowly, minute by minute. Finally, the Xiongnu king cleared his throat, his voice slightly hoarse as he chose his words carefully and said, “You, these years…”
“I don’t want to ask how you changed from Xuda Lie to Guli A’shu, so please don’t ask me about my whereabouts and what happened these years either.”
The pale-faced woman suddenly said in a deep voice, her expression cold without the slightest emotional fluctuation. Guli A’shu was slightly startled, and after a long while, continued saying, “Where are Banbuer and Nakedo?”
“They’ve been soldiers in the Northern Frontier Camp of Northern Qin for more than six years now.”
Xuda Lie nodded silently, his gaze deep as water, saying slowly, “I returned to the village later, but you were all gone. After you left, the Mulian people came to raid several more times. There were no living people left in the village to ask, so I went to Mama’s house later with the attitude of just trying my luck. A’Moye only said that those two had left with you, but I never found any trace.”
Xuda Lie’s voice flowed on, and Qing Xia’s thoughts couldn’t help but drift, recalling again those two years living in the village – kind Aunt Doihua, rash Nakedo and clever Banbuer, A’Moye who wasn’t even as tall as a horse whip then, Xi Linchen always standing under the eaves with a gentle and shy smile, and the game that Xuda Lie brought back from hunting, his hearty laughter, his persistent and simple gaze. In the blink of an eye, many years had passed, and those drifting memories of the past had finally gone never to return.
“These years, have you been well?”
These simple warm memories seemed to touch the woman’s heart. Years of friendship flowed like water through her life. She slowly raised her head, smiled slightly at Xuda Lie, and said lightly, “I’ve been well. What about you?”
The woman’s smile was instantly warm and dazzling like brilliant sunlight. Xuda Lie’s mind became slightly unfocused. He stared blankly at Qing Xia for quite a while before awkwardly smiling and saying, “I’ve been well too.”
Suddenly they didn’t know what else to say. The great wheel of time rolled forward like a giant axe from the gods, cutting a huge chasm between the two of them. No matter how they tried to maintain appearances, it was already impossible to cross. The Xuda Lie who had once persistently wanted to leave home to build achievements for his beloved was no more. In winning so much, he had also lost so much.
Xuda Lie stood up, seeming somewhat flustered. He picked up a wine bowl, walked to Qing Xia’s side, and said with a smile, “Regardless, let’s consider this celebrating our reunion today. Xia Qing, I’ll drink first as a toast.”
After saying this, he tilted back his head and drained the strong liquor in the bowl in one gulp, then picked up a wine pot nearby. While pouring wine, he said to Qing Xia, “You have a bowl too.” Just as his words fell, he failed to grip it properly, and the wine pot suddenly dropped from his hand, falling straight toward Qing Xia’s skirt.
Almost instinctively, Qing Xia’s hand moved like lightning, steadily catching the falling wine pot. At the same time, Xuda Lie seemed startled by the dropping wine pot and also tried to catch it, but didn’t realize he was still holding a wine bowl half-filled with liquor in his hand. As his left hand reached out, the wine bowl followed and fell as well. Qing Xia’s vision was extremely sharp – she quickly caught it, her movements steady, not spilling even a drop.
Xuda Lie’s gaze immediately became sharp. Qing Xia held the bowl in her left hand and the pot in her right, instantly understanding. She raised her head with an unchanged expression to look at Xuda Lie, placed the items on the long table steadily and smoothly, without the slightest hesitation.
The man’s voice suddenly became low. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, “Who exactly are you?”
Qing Xia looked at this man who had become a stranger, remaining quietly silent, but her gaze gradually revealed a bone-piercing cold gleam.
Xuda Lie showed no fear of her icy gaze and continued in a deep voice, “The Southeast Grand Metropolitan Commander of Southern Chu who penetrated deep with isolated forces and defended Loulan to the death – Xia Qing – is that you?”
Qing Xia smiled coldly, her voice carrying a trace of slight mockery as she said lightly, “You already knew, so why pretend to ask me?”
Xuda Lie’s gaze turned cold as he angrily said in a deep voice, “I didn’t know!”
“Really?” Qing Xia stood up with a whoosh, looking coldly at Xuda Lie and angrily saying, “If you didn’t know, when you attacked Loulan that day, why didn’t you ascend the city tower together with Yan Hui and Qi’an? Cutting down the commander’s flag and executing the enemy leader – what great honor would that be for a Xiongnu warrior? Men of the grassland desert value military achievements most. Why did you forcibly command the entire Xiongnu army not to climb the city tower? Were you afraid it really was me, afraid of betraying trust and breaking faith, not daring to face me – the benefactor who cared for your mother and siblings when you willfully and selfishly left home?”
Xuda Lie’s words caught in his throat, and he immediately couldn’t speak.
Qing Xia looked at him coldly and said lightly, “Actually, you needn’t be like this. Although I didn’t know you were commanding the Xiongnu forces that day, even if I had known, I wouldn’t have shown mercy. On the battlefield there are no fathers and sons, let alone our shallow friendship from a chance encounter. So today, even if you immediately go out and announce my identity and kill me to avenge your millions of Xiongnu soldiers and civilians, I have nothing to say.”
Xuda Lie’s eyes immediately flashed with a rare softness. He stepped forward wanting to grasp Qing Xia’s hand, saying in a deep voice, “Xia Qing…”
“The Xiongnu and Southern Chu have different positions and are already enemies, but what I want to know is whether the one standing before me now is Xuda Lie or Guli A’shu?”
Xuda Lie’s expression became slightly dazed. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, “Before you, I will always be who I was six years ago.”
Qing Xia’s lips curved in a slight smile. She reached out and grasped Xuda Lie’s palm, saying sadly, “Before Aunt Doihua died, she repeatedly urged me to find you. Now, if her spirit in heaven could see you so accomplished, she would surely be able to rest in peace.”
A flash of emotion passed through Xuda Lie’s eyes. He opened his palm and then tightly grasped Qing Xia’s hand in return.
That very night, Qing Xia moved into Xuda Lie’s golden tent. At night, the desert was completely quiet, with faint melancholy Mongolian melodies in the distance. The candles in Qing Xia’s tent had long been extinguished, but by the bright moonlight outside, everything could still be seen clearly. She packed her luggage and provisions, put on warm yet flexible and lightweight leather robes, donned a sable fur cap, coiled up her beautiful hair, and inserted a dagger between her boots. Qing Xia sat leaning against the wool felt, quietly waiting for time to pass bit by bit.
A dark cloud drifted over, blocking the full moon in the sky, and the earth immediately fell into pitch-black deadly silence.
At the same time, an agile and petite figure suddenly nimbly darted out of the tent. During the day, Qing Xia had already made systematic observations of the nearby terrain. Darkness was favorable for concealment and movement – if it hadn’t just snowed heavily, Qing Xia might already be outside the camp by now. Having just experienced a great battle and been frightened by the silent sneak attack of Southern Chu’s Black Guards, the Xiongnu were extremely vigilant in their defenses. Qing Xia carefully searched for visual blind spots while cautiously retreating slowly.
She couldn’t completely trust Xuda Lie. In the current situation, things were already very clear. Whichever side controlled her would certainly become an important bargaining chip to constrain Chu Li. Once she was controlled by others, there would be no way out except suicide to protect Chu Li. However, at this moment, she couldn’t easily die, because after all, Lie Yun Ji was still in Ousi Lanya’s hands. Without seeing her safety, she couldn’t simply offer her neck to be slaughtered no matter what.
The words she had spoken to Xuda Lie earlier were only to stabilize him. Even if her methods were somewhat despicable, she couldn’t put Chu Li in danger.