Narenhua made all her preparations. Watching as the sky darkened, she deliberately didn’t light the oil lamp. The entire tent room was pitch black. She very cleverly lit a pile of fire outside the tent. As long as He Lu walked in, she would be able to see him through the tent and naturally would have a strategy to deal with him. On the ground was a trip rope. The servants had hastily dug a large pit and covered it with felt. In her own hand she held her small knife pointed at the doorway. She had already tested it—this small knife generally couldn’t kill anyone. Xueyantuo women were not Han women who could be made to submit to men’s will at will.
Narenhua waited for a long time. The calf-like He Lu didn’t come. The longer she waited, the more Narenhua’s heart continuously sank. Refusing He Lu and defeating He Lu was one thing. If He Lu didn’t come, that would be another matter entirely. Her second brother had already spread the word. The entire force knew she was about to become He Lu’s woman. If this coward didn’t come, the consequences would be very serious.
Big brother’s head had already been taken away by the Tang people. The Xueyantuo people suffered heavy losses when attacking the camel fortress. Second brother wore a worried frown from dawn to dusk. Among the tribespeople, warriors capable of battle were too few. Whenever the tribe’s men weren’t sufficient, women had to step forward. This was custom and also the education Narenhua had received since childhood.
Only through marriage alliance could they preserve the Xueyantuo people’s precarious position as the second-ranking ethnic group. Whether she was willing or not, He Lu would eventually become her husband. Tonight’s battle was merely the final teasing play between young lovers, the final struggle.
Noisy footsteps came from outside the tent. There were many people, more than one. Narenhua immediately frowned. Could it be that for this kind of matter he also needed to use helpers?
The footsteps stopped right at the tent entrance. He Lu’s voice transmitted into the tent from outside. The adolescent voice in its changing period sounded like a duck, croaking: “Narenhua, you are destined to be my first woman. Open your tent. I’m coming in.”
Narenhua’s heart pounded loudly. She carefully inspected her trap. Perfect—everything was fine. The trip rope would trip He Lu, then he would fall into the trap. She would then cover the trap with the already-prepared felt. This way, He Lu would only be able to sleep in the pit tonight. No matter what, he would have slept in the tent. The ceremonial propriety between the two would be considered complete.
Just when she was incomparably anticipating He Lu falling into the large pit, severe pain came from the back of her head. Her eyes went black and she softly collapsed to the ground. He Lu, his face full of frost, stood behind her. Throwing away the wooden club in his hand, He Lu roughly lifted up the already knocked-unconscious Narenhua. Looking at the trip rope at his feet, he frowned in annoyance. Taking a bronze incense burner, he threw it onto the felt. The incense burner immediately pressed the felt down, making it fall into the trap.
“The woman I like should be as proud as an eagle, as cruel as a wild wolf. Are you, this little sheep, also trying to butt me with your tender head?”
The flickering firelight from outside the tent shone into the tent. Only at this moment did He Lu have the mood to survey the woman in his arms. Grassland women all had thick waists, but their buttocks were very full. He Lu had always worried whether Xiao Miao’s slender waist would suddenly break under the enemy’s heavy pressure. Now he didn’t need to worry. He was preparing to marry Narenhua. For the Turkic people to obtain absolute advantage in the allied army, forming an early alliance with the Xueyantuo people was something that had to be done. He Lu wasn’t stupid. He knew the reasoning behind this.
Why would this woman stick out her tongue when she fainted? Could it be that he had killed her? Seeing the small half of tongue emerging from the corner of Narenhua’s mouth, He Lu became greatly nervous. He raised his hand to check Narenhua’s breathing. Good—there was breath. He placed his hand on her full left breast. Her heartbeat was also there. He turned back her eyelid and only saw the white of her eye. This was good. This meant he had thoroughly knocked her unconscious.
His heart settling down, He Lu felt a rich, delicate fragrance transmit over. Burying his head in Narenhua’s neck, this fragrance became even more intense. A young girl’s body scent was more effective for him than the world’s strongest aphrodisiac.
He fumbled clumsily for a long time but couldn’t untie Narenhua’s belt. This stupid woman had actually tied her belt into a dead knot. Picking up the small knife Narenhua had dropped from the ground, he picked open all the ropes on her body in just two or three moves.
Narenhua’s body was very white. Neither the cold wind of the grasslands nor the wind and sand of the desert had robbed this body of its original beauty. The plump body was nakedly displayed before He Lu. Her full chest proudly stood upright. Two pink nipples were just like freshly ripened red berries. Her waist wasn’t considered slender, but her buttocks formed a perfect full moon. This was a grassland woman’s body.
A blazing flame burned in He Lu’s chest. Using the fastest speed, he shed his own garments. The shaman had taught him how to deal with women. This wasn’t a difficult problem. Finally admiring Narenhua’s beautiful body, He Lu felt a sense of pride rise from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. After tonight, he would be a thorough and complete man.
He fiercely pounced forward. For quite a while there was no movement. After a moment, He Lu helplessly climbed up, scratching his head and looking at the beautiful Narenhua. Wasn’t it said that on the wedding night, the one who should feel pain was the woman? Why was he so pained?
“Fool! It’s not done like that…” Narenhua’s delicate voice transmitted over softly…
On this night of flying snow, the one whose heart was filled with trepidation was absolutely not just Narenhua alone. Xiao Miao also tossed and turned in her own room, unable to sleep. Before the relationship was made clear, she hadn’t been very nervous. Now that the relationship was thoroughly clarified, it made Xiao Miao’s heart go up and down. Xinyue’s capability, Na Rimu’s beauty, Lingdang’s gentleness, even Li Anlan’s delicate charm—Xiao Miao had seen them all with her own eyes. Sitting before the mirror, looking at this not-very-beautiful face of hers, she sighed darkly.
The dark bruise on her chest had slowly faded, leaving only two copper-coin-sized yellow bruise marks. Tonight she had scrubbed countless times with hot water, almost scrubbing her skin raw, but the bruise marks still wouldn’t go down.
“Beauty doesn’t belong to me!” Xiao Miao sighed.
“Nonsense!” Na Rimu’s voice came through from the doorway. Xiao Miao shyly covered the front of her garment. Turning her head to look, she discovered Na Rimu holding her daughter, leaning against the doorway watching her, her face full of teasing smiles.
“Foolish girl, Xinyue is thirty years old this year—already an old woman. I’m twenty-eight years old this year—also a not-big-not-small old woman. Lingdang is twenty-nine years old this year—also an old woman. As for that other old woman far away at the edge of the sky, you need even less to care about her. How wonderful youth is! Look at your skin—delicate just like satin. I’d love to hold you in my arms lovingly, let alone the marquis. No man doesn’t love beauty. Although our household’s man understands restraint, he is still a man after all. The habit of craving novelty is a problem in men’s bones. It can’t be changed.”
“But, but…”
“Breasts will naturally become larger after bearing children. Since you entered the camel fortress, you’ve been staring at my chest. I’ve long known your thoughts. What are you thinking about from dawn to dusk? Don’t think wildly!”
Having her thoughts exposed by someone else, Xiao Miao only wanted to burrow headfirst into a mouse hole.
Na Rimu giggled and tapped Xiao Miao’s nose, saying: “You haven’t seen what I looked like on the grasslands. Not only was I thin and small, I was also very dark. Didn’t my husband accept me just the same? There aren’t many good men in this world. When you see one, you must grab hold and can’t let go. You’ve gone through hardships just wanting to have a home. Now you have one—why still concern yourself with those small details?”
“I asked my husband already. Originally he wanted you two to consummate the marriage here, but this is in the midst of a great army. The Arabs are about to attack. Doing it this way now is very inappropriate. When we return to the Great Tang, we’ll immediately welcome you through the door.”
Xiao Miao nodded shyly. Na Rimu, however, climbed carelessly onto Xiao Miao’s bed platform, carefully placing her daughter in the very middle. She squeezed her eyes at Xiao Miao and said: “Tonight we’ll sleep together. Let that man sleep by himself.”
Yun Ye simply didn’t sleep. He and Du Ruhui and Liu Fang studied tactics all night long. Heavy rain and heavy snow weather was not good combat weather for the camel fortress. Du Ruhui believed that since the camel fortress had already completed its mission, it should slowly retreat back into Tang territory rather than wandering aimlessly everywhere like this. What’s more, rashly stirring up border troubles—at this time the court hall inside must have already erupted in chaos. This place was not suitable for prolonged stay.
Liu Fang didn’t think so. He believed this battle must be carried out in Tokharistan. Fighting here had three advantages. First, it could thoroughly reduce Tokharistan to ruins, greatly weakening Tokharistan’s strength. The more armies that entered Tokharistan, the more unlucky this country would be. Second, after Tokharistan’s strength was weakened, Xi Tong and Han Zhe would take advantage of the void to enter, taking advantage of the fire to rob. These two people were natural pro-Tang factions. Their occupation of Tokharistan could serve as a buffer for the Great Tang’s frontier. Third, punishing Tokharistan, as much as possible drawing the flames of war toward the Turkic people, letting the Turkic people’s strength be consumed on the long campaign trail, while also consuming large amounts of the Arabs’ fighting strength. This way, once these two forces completed their collision, they would no longer have strength to advance eastward.
Yun Ye and Du Ruhui exchanged a meaningful glance and decisively chose retreat. When Liu Fang learned that Li Yuanxiang and sixteen other princes would be arriving in the Western Regions, he immediately agreed with Yun Ye and Du Ruhui’s opinion. At this time, enemy and friend were indistinguishable.
After the sixteen princes arrived in the Western Regions, they would naturally stir up shocking waves. They were wealthy and moreover ambitious. From the Directorate of Waterways’ communiques, Du Ruhui already knew that Li Yuanxiang and the others were on a large scale recruiting retired fierce soldiers. It was said the wages were extremely generous. He himself had painstakingly and with utmost effort helped the nation stabilize the frontier. With their arrival, no matter how many agreements there were, they wouldn’t be enough for sixteen ambitious fellows to tear apart.
No matter what purpose the Arabs had, they would catch up and fight a great battle. This was unavoidable. They were just thirty li away, while the Turkic people were just fifty li away. The situation was excessively delicate. Neither wanted to move. Both hoped the other would launch the first attack. Whoever launched the attack earliest would be the most unlucky. No one wanted to be that mantis stalking the cicada.