Lu Heng declined upon hearing this: “I understand your good intentions and feel your sincere heart, but after all, we are Great Zhou people. If we became the Mino tribe’s chiefs, wouldn’t that be equivalent to the Mino tribe becoming part of Great Zhou? We are friends and brothers, but I cannot do such a thing to the Mino tribe. We can be lifelong good friends and support each other, but you two brothers are the true masters of the Mino. I believe such a decision would also be approved by your parents in heaven.”

These words moved everyone deeply.

Ha’er Bala and Chagan Bala, thinking of their tragically deceased parents, couldn’t help but moisten their eyes.

But since they had made the decision, they could not go back on it—this was a matter of face and righteousness.

Qin Yining listened to their rapid conversation from the side, understanding it even less. If they spoke more slowly, she could still understand simple vocabulary and make some guesses.

Lu Heng then explained to Qin Yining, who thought it over and also agreed with Lu Heng’s decision. After all, they were foreigners, and she had learned from the lesson of the Azure Sky Alliance—she now dared not casually take over any organization, because along with the benefits might come even greater hidden crises.

“Now is not the time to discuss this matter. What we need to think about is how to escape. Today pursuers have already come to search, which means Si Qin has freed up time. If there’s another citywide manhunt, we probably won’t escape so easily, and the Mino tribe will also be implicated. Even more frightening, if the Mino tribe is targeted, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Lu Heng also frowned and nodded: “You’re right. The problem is that escaping the city will also mean facing pursuers. The main road from here to the Great Zhou-Tatar border is probably inconvenient to take.”

Qin Yining pursed her lips and said in a low voice: “Do we have to enter the desert again?”

Lu Heng thought of all the hardships they had suffered on the journey here and couldn’t help but shudder.

But upon careful analysis, if they really escaped the city, with Si Qin’s intelligence and Tianji Zi’s calculations, they definitely couldn’t leave without a trace. They would certainly alert large numbers of pursuers to hunt them down.

If they took the main road, they would easily be caught up.

But if they took the desert route, if they were well-prepared, their chances of escape would be much greater.

The weather was gradually getting colder, making the desert even more difficult to traverse. They would need to make even more comprehensive preparations.

Lu Heng pursed his lips and discussed this decision with the Chagan Bala brothers.

The two frowned upon hearing it. But after carefully listening to Lu Heng’s analysis, they also felt that if they could leave the city, the desert could indeed help them evade pursuit.

“Since that’s the case, let’s start preparing. I’ll go outside the city tomorrow to quietly contact the tribespeople outside the city and ask if they’re willing to migrate with us. Leaving the capital and going to the border, where the land is vast and sparsely populated, we should be able to find space to survive. To enter the desert, we must make sufficient preparations,” Chagan Bala said.

Ha’er Bala frowned: “That’s easy enough, but how can we quietly take you out?”

Qin Yining pursed her pale lips and after a moment said: “Lure the tiger away from the mountain.”

Lu Heng smiled and nodded: “Great minds think alike.”

The khan’s funeral was grand, but because it was so sudden, it also appeared crude.

Because the members of the Tatar royal family had already died or been crippled when A’na Ri was still the female regent, there wasn’t a single living person left. Combined with Si Qin’s reputation for benevolence and valor spreading far and wide, the court ministers unanimously agreed that Si Qin should ascend to the throne.

After brief preparations and a grand enthronement ceremony, with military power in hand and popular support, Si Qin gained firm control of Tatar’s political power with little effort required.

Upon Si Qin’s accession, he changed the era name to Jian’an. Because Si Qin’s surname was Wutejin, he was called “Wutejin Khan.” He issued proclamations swearing to avenge Khan A’na Ri, ordering the entire nation to hunt down the murderers who had harmed Khan A’na Ri. He also sent a national letter to Great Zhou, severely condemning Great Zhou people’s crime of assassinating A’na Ri and threatening that blood debts must be paid in blood.

For a time, the Tatar people’s hatred was completely mobilized. On one hand, everyone swore to avenge A’na Ri. On the other hand, the people were deeply moved by Wutejin Khan’s benevolent rule, creating unprecedented unity among the people. All Tatars praised Wutejin Khan’s wisdom and martial prowess.

Just as the momentum was at its peak, this evening Si Qin received a report from his subordinates that they had discovered the whereabouts of Qin Yining and Lu Heng, and the place where they were staying had been surrounded.

Upon hearing this, Si Qin immediately ordered: “Go capture them alive. This khan will have them slowly tortured to death to offer sacrifice to Khan A’na Ri’s spirit in heaven!”

“Yes!” His subordinate responded and was about to leave when Si Qin said: “Wait, this khan will go personally!”

Si Qin changed into light, convenient robes and led his men straight to the location indicated in the intelligence report. All the guards and attendants secretly admired the deep conjugal love between Si Qin and Khan A’na Ri.

The place they rushed to was a secluded courtyard in the southern part of the city. Si Qin saw that the surrounding area was full of his own people, and the residence was pitch black. Si Qin sneered and spurred his horse forward: “Bring the people inside out to me.”

“Yes!”

Everyone rushed forward in a swarm, charging in with overwhelming force.

Soon, a woman’s screams came from inside the house.

Before long, under the moonlight reflecting off snow, two figures, one tall and one short, were pushed and shoved out.

Perhaps having gone through long periods of displacement, the robes on both people could barely be recognized as once being fine brocade, but now they were tattered and torn, their hair also disheveled and unkempt.

Si Qin said in Great Zhou language: “Second Master Lu, originally this khan thought you were a friend worthy of trust and trusted you so much. Who would have thought you would be so ungrateful, betraying trust for a woman. This truly disappoints this khan.”

“Lu Heng” kept his head lowered, his body trembling somewhat.

Si Qin’s eyes narrowed, immediately sensing something was wrong.

He dismounted and strode forward, grabbing “Qin Yining” by the hair, but what met his eyes was a woman’s face covered with scars.

That woman’s eyes were full of hatred, and a dagger hidden in her sleeve immediately stabbed toward him.

Si Qin flew into a rage, immediately understanding he had been deceived, and viciously kicked the woman in the chest. Before the dagger could even break Si Qin’s skin, the bones in the woman’s chest were kicked inward. She was kicked flying two zhang away, fell to the ground spitting blood, and died.

The tall “Si Qin” beside her was frightened into trembling all over and collapsed to the ground.

Si Qin grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, discovering this was an old man of about fifty or sixty years, with one blind eye.

“What a Mino tribe! Quick, immediately send people to guard the city gates! Immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

His attendants rushed like their pants were on fire to deliver messages to the four city gates respectively.

But this was just when the city gates were about to close for the night. The gate guards hadn’t noticed anything unusual at all, nor could they possibly remember everyone who had entered and exited today. They could only maintain even stricter guard from this moment on.

After hearing the report, Si Qin immediately ordered again: “Go to the Mino tribe’s encampment outside the city and arrest them all for this khan!”