Wow! Only such a powerful and handsome man could be a match for her elder sister. His blue eyes seemed to have the power to captivate souls, filled with authority; just one look at him could inspire awe. Yet her sister dared to shout at him! He was a true man, and he must love her sister deeply.
Yelü Lie had no attention to spare for anything else; he was focused, frowning as he looked at Qiluo’s overly large belly, knowing that she was in for a difficult birth.
And as her pain intensified, the pallor of her face made his heart ache even more.
In the end, he had caused her to suffer. Even though childbirth was a woman’s sacred duty, he vowed she would never have to endure this again.
She would deliver safely, she knew it—she had the absolute determination to bring a healthy child into the world. Even though it meant enduring endless pain, she would survive; the excruciating pain tearing through her body was only temporary. Her child was also fighting to come into the world. She would not allow herself to be overcome by the pain and lose consciousness. Her mother’s fate would not be hers! She was Jun Qiluo, a proud and healthy woman who had always prided herself on being as strong as any man. Oh, this damned pain…
Occasionally, she would open her eyes and see that her beloved man was sweating even more than she was, and his expression was more pained than hers—this was his most vulnerable moment.
Suddenly, she realized how foolish she had been to reject this happiness! If she had only looked closely into his eyes, she would have seen the deep love he had for her. But she had let it slip away—thankfully, he had come back!
He had returned to her life…
Gently letting go of her sister’s hand, she reached up with trembling fingers to caress his cheek.
"You!" He quickly grabbed her small hand.
Removing the piece of wood from her mouth, she softly said, "I love you, Yelü Lie."
His eyes filled with shock, emotion, and disbelief, and then, in a voice that masked his overwhelming feelings with a gruff tone, he responded:
"Woman, if you don’t focus on delivering this baby, no matter how much I love you, the first thing I’ll do once you’re done is give you a good spanking!" He promptly placed the piece of wood back in her mouth.
What followed was an even longer stretch of struggle, with time slipping by in a haze of pain… seemingly endless…
But the deep connection in their gazes, intertwined with love, became the source of strength they drew from to endure the prolonged suffering.
* * *
The next morning, at the break of dawn, after eight hours of labor, Jun Qiluo finally gave birth to two beautiful and healthy baby boys who, at last, decided to stop tormenting their mother and entered the world with polite timing, landing safely in their father’s hands.
Exhausted from wearing out four adults, the little ones still weren’t satisfied, crying loudly to announce their arrival. Jun Qiluo, half-sitting up, found that the pain after childbirth was far more bearable than the labor itself. Her spirits had lifted, and she held her two sons close, allowing them to nurse.
The two little treasures looked exactly alike, the only distinguishing feature being that the elder had blue eyes, while the younger had black eyes.
"Thank you," he whispered, gently stroking her sweat-dampened hair.
"Lie… you mentioned that the child with blue eyes would be the rightful heir, correct?" Jun Qiluo fought off her exhaustion. She needed to discuss something important with him, something he had to agree to.
"Yes." He looked at her intently with his blue eyes.
"Then, could we leave the younger one, the black-eyed one, with the Jun family?"
"No!" He glared at her with a dangerous expression. "My sons must be raised in Khitan."
"Fine! Then take the children, and I’ll stay behind."
"You?" Heaven help him, this woman was trying to provoke him again!
She bit her lip, looking down sorrowfully at the two children she loved so much. The elder was still nursing greedily, while the younger had already drifted off to sleep.
"How could I bear to leave my own flesh and blood behind? But the Jun family cannot be without an heir. My father is getting old, and my brother-in-law is just a scholar. With no one to carry on the family name, it was long decided that my child would inherit everything. But then you came; I want to go with you, to spend my life with you. And even though the children were born from the same womb, their destinies are already set—only one can become a king. What about the other? What can he do in Khitan? When he grows up, will he resent his brother’s inherent status? Will he think we, as parents, were unfair, not even giving him a chance to compete? But here, with the Jun family, he has everything he needs; he has responsibilities to fulfill. Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I want to marry you and at the same time maintain the Jun family’s legacy. If you won’t agree, then how can I, as a daughter, selfishly leave my elderly father behind to enjoy life on my own?
I…"
"Qiluo…" He frowned, pulling her into his arms as they both looked at the two children.
"I’ve never asked anyone for anything, but, Lie… I’m asking you, please let the younger one stay."
"Do you think your Song dynasty will tolerate a child with Khitan blood? What if one day someone finds out, or what if one day he’s on the battlefield fighting against Khitan… Qiluo! He’s my son!"
Jun Qiluo looked at him, her eyes filled with tears.
"It won't happen! We'll make sure he knows that Khitan has never had any ambition to conquer the Central Plains. The wars between our nations are because the Song dynasty cannot tolerate a strong 'foreign threat.' There will be wars in the future, but I will ensure that he focuses on commerce, and I won’t allow you or our son to lead troops against the Song dynasty. If you truly want to marry me, you must accept this. You can fight any other nation, or better yet, not fight at all; but you cannot wage war against the Song. You can’t do it!
Neither can our child! Also, I need to return to the Song dynasty every year to see the child. You’re capable of coming and going as you please—we can come back to visit him, right?"
He sighed softly and murmured, "You know, your tears are my greatest weakness in this life."
Her concerns were valid. She was a clever woman with a sharp mind for business, and she had already made the best possible arrangements. She placed emotions second, ensuring everyone was in their rightful place. Her reasoning was admirable.
"Thank you, thank you, Lie…" She lifted her head and kissed him deeply, but she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing…
* * *
A month later, Yelü Lie set out on the road with his wife and son, heading west. He entrusted their younger son, Jun Shuo, along with a long letter, to Jiangjuan, asking her to give it to their father before departing. As for Yelü Chu, the future heir of the Yelü family—a natural-born leader, a mixed-blood child of Khitan and Song—he was, of course, returning to the world destined for him.
When they reached Hengcheng, it marked the point where they were about to leave the Song dynasty's territory.
Yelü Lie reined in his horse, looking back at the path they had traveled, his wife by his side, while the twelve riders accompanying them gathered around.
They were about to leave the Song dynasty! This departure signified that she would forever be a Khitan, no longer a citizen of the Song dynasty.
She sighed and snuggled closer to Yelü Lie; he held her tighter, understanding her reluctance.
"We’ll set foot on this land again."
"But now, I am a Khitan," she whispered.
"Don't worry, Duo Luo Qi will take good care of our child." He smiled, no longer hesitating as he turned his horse and resolutely rode out of Hengcheng; before them stretched the vast, open land of the steppes!
Farewell, Central Plains!
Jun Qiluo dared not look back, letting her tears fall in her husband's embrace…
* * *
The story should come to a close here!
However, it’s worth mentioning Duo Luo Qi’s "personal agenda." He didn’t return to Khitan with Yelü Lie; instead, he requested permission to stay in the Song dynasty under the pretense of guarding the young master, remaining at the Jun family’s residence. In truth, his personal goal was to win the heart of a certain young lady.
But that young lady, dedicated to raising the Jun family heir, was determined not to marry—unless a man was willing to live with her in the Jun household. It wouldn’t be an arranged marriage where the man joined her family; rather, she would marry him, but he had to stay with the Jun family until the heir was capable of taking over the family’s responsibilities.
So, Duo Luo Qi decided to wait it out with that young lady, staying by her side as they both protected the Jun family heir’s upbringing.
And he vowed that he would marry that young lady as soon as possible. In the future, perhaps ten, maybe twenty years later, he would bring his wife and a brood of children back to the steppes!
[The End]
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