She had been unconscious for most of the night!
It was the fourth watch, just before dawn—Yelü Lie sat in a tiger-skin chair, occasionally glancing at the documents on the table and then turning his thoughtful gaze to the female captive lying asleep on the thick sheepskin bed. She was covered with a blanket made of silver fox fur, but beneath it, she was completely bare. She was rather slender, and her skin was as soft as a baby's, an incredible shade of snow-white.
The so-called confidential documents had been sewn into the lining of her clothes; those clothes were now shredded and scattered beneath the table. In truth, finding the documents didn’t matter much to him because even if they were delivered to Western Xia, they would have no real impact on the Liao Kingdom.
Western Xia was notorious for "relying on the strong to invade the weak." Li Yuanhao had rejected the Song dynasty’s offer of submission but had shown a submissive attitude toward Liao, doing everything possible to curry favor. On one hand, they coveted the gold, silver, and jewels sent by the Song; on the other hand, they secretly reported to Liao that the Song was planning to send a secret envoy to Western Xia, hoping to reap the benefits of both sides!
Yelü Lie let out a cold, indifferent laugh as he picked up the documents from the table and burned them to ashes in the candle flame. This raid was merely to remind the Song and Western Xia that a terrifying group of killers lurked in this lawless region, a group that committed every kind of evil and that no nation could control. Of course, the gold, silver, and fabric they seized would ensure they had a prosperous New Year; he hadn’t expected, however, to capture a woman who would spark a possessive feeling within him.
Who was she? What was her connection to Jun Chengliu? The Jun family controlled the economic lifeblood of the Southern Song, and if they could bring down the Jun family, it would throw the Song dynasty into chaos for a while. Perhaps then, the Song would no longer have the resources to covet the Liao. Ha! That would be an account worth settling!
He walked over to her side—around her snow-white neck was a red thread from which hung a blood jade pendant, carved with two seal characters: "Qiluo."
What did it represent? Her name? Silk? Could there really be someone named after a fabric?
She was the first person to strike him, and not just anyone—a defenseless woman from the South! She had dealt him the greatest humiliation of his life, and given his violent temper, he should have killed her on the spot. But this girl had an even fiercer spirit, preferring to take her own life rather than give him the chance to harm her—so he had decided to keep her!
But she was truly a troublesome woman!
"Young Master!"
A respectful voice came from outside the tent.
"Come in!"
Duo Luo Qi entered, leading an old maid carrying clothes. The untouched food on the table indicated that the beauty on the bed had not yet awakened.
"Is she injured elsewhere? Or did you strike too hard?" Duo Luo Qi asked, noticing the clear red marks on her snow-white wrist left by the leader's grip. He could hardly believe how delicate women from the South were unless he saw it with his own eyes.
If a light grip could cause such a mark, then the leader’s blow…
Yelü Lie shot Duo Luo Qi a displeased glance, clearly indicating that he didn’t appreciate the attention being paid to the woman on the bed.
"She should wake soon! Has word reached Shangjing? Any response?" He sat at the edge of the bed, effectively blocking any view of her.
Duo Luo Qi replied respectfully, "The Khan wishes you to return to the Northern Court to meet with the Empress Dowager within a month. As for matters here, you can hand them over to Dahe Jiyao or me. The Khan hopes that you will focus your attention on the hunting expeditions of the Eight Tribes' leaders at the end of the year. You know, Duo Luo Qi's tribe leader, Duoluozhiwa, has ambitions beyond becoming the Eight Tribes’ chief." Although Duo Luo Qi was a member of the Duo Luo Qi tribe, his loyalty lay with the Yelü tribe.
Yelü Lie didn’t even furrow his brow. There were still three months until the end of the year, and the selection of the Eight Tribes’ chief, held once every three years, was coveted by many. Although the Yelü tribe currently held power and governed efficiently, with all the tribes strong and wealthy—so much so that even the Song dynasty feared them—trouble had arisen within their own ranks. The Eight Tribes’ powerful military was the main force for maintaining internal stability and defending against external threats. In the past, the Khan had also served as the chief of the Eight Tribes. However, a year ago, the Empress Dowager announced that this year’s chief would be chosen from among the eight leaders. Returning military power to the tribes was an effort to placate certain ambitious chieftains who had long protested against the court treating them as mere puppets, while the court ministers favored Han officials, sidelining true Liao people.
Such unrest, accumulated over time, threatened to cause Liao’s downfall without the Song needing to lift a finger. So, the Empress Dowager announced the relinquishment of the Khan’s role as chief of the Eight Tribes. But the position couldn’t fall into the hands of an ambitious faction; therefore, the Empress Dowager favored Yelü Lie for the role, confident that he could emerge victorious in the various contests. Given the current situation, the Yelü tribe needed to maintain a firm grip on military power.
"Young Master—"
"Go rest! I have my plans." Yelü Lie waved him off, already knowing everything Duo Luo Qi wanted to say.
Duo Luo Qi had no choice but to hold his tongue, leaving the old maid to place the clothes and exit the tent with him.
Yelü Lie walked over to a bookshelf and took out a scroll, spreading it out on the table. It depicted the deployment of the Eight Tribes’ forces, as well as detailed records of the current tribal leaders. Aside from the elderly Sun and Omohui families, the rest were newly appointed leaders in recent years; the youngest was twenty-four-year-old Dahe Woshan, and the oldest was forty-year-old Kuge Yande. However, the most concerning were Duoluozhiwa and Xi Zhangkun… He picked up a brush and began making notes on the white sheepskin scroll—
* * *
When she opened her eyes and saw the top of the tent, everything that had happened came rushing back to her. She sat up, her frightened eyes scanning the tent she was in. Aside from the bed—covered in luxurious furs—there were two tiger-skin armchairs, and a comfortable-looking chaise lounge woven with bird patterns. In the center was a low Eight Immortals table surrounded by cushions, and on either side of the tent stood large wooden cabinets—one resembling a bookshelf, the other an armoire. The furnishings were simple and far from opulent, but the tent was filled with an indescribable aura of authority. The floor was covered with a finely woven and expensive carpet from the Dashi (Arab world). Her first thought was—this tent must belong to that blue-eyed bandit leader.
"Ah!" Jun Qiluo let out a soft cry as she noticed her naked body and hurriedly pulled the fox fur blanket higher. At that moment, the tent flap was thrown open, and a towering figure stepped inside.
It was him! It really was him! The blue-eyed bandit!
She knew she needed to maintain a composed and dignified demeanor, even though she was naked and vulnerable. As the eldest daughter of the Jun family, she couldn’t afford to show weakness. But—she couldn’t do it! Especially not when she was exposed and in such a disheveled state…
She could only clutch the blanket tightly and shrink into the corner of the bed, glaring at him with wide, fearful eyes that tried to project defiance. Her lips, tightly clenched, were white from the pressure, and blood seemed to come and go beneath the surface. Meanwhile, he seemed to relish her fear, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he stopped at the edge of the bed. Arms crossed, he rubbed his chin, the stubble there catching the light, his cruel blue eyes roaming up and down her body. His gaze seemed to challenge hers! She commanded herself not to look away from his penetrating stare. Even though she was completely naked, she still needed to hold onto her pride!
Then, he placed his hands on the edge of the bed and leaned his upper body toward her. Jun Qiluo gasped as his face came dangerously close to hers! His masculine breath lingered around her lips, like a teasing kiss, a provocation! She quickly turned her head away, but his hand was faster, forcing her face back toward him, and his lips descended upon hers...
Her punches and kicks felt like they were hitting solid iron—he didn’t seem to feel a thing, while she only hurt herself. No! She couldn’t let any man treat her like this! No man would ever toy with her! So, she bit down hard on his lip...
"Ah!"
He pulled away from her lips quickly, but at the same time, he clamped down on her delicate wrists, almost crushing them...
Even though she knew struggling was useless, she still bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain; she knew she could endure it, no matter how painful the torture. She just needed to grit her teeth and bear it. At worst, she would die! Crying out in pain was the act of a coward, and that earlier cry had already brought shame upon the Jun family.
Yelü Lie licked the blood from the corner of his lips and roughly pinned her wrists above her head. He had intended to force her to beg for mercy, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her too much. His gaze was involuntarily drawn to her snow-white body. Her struggles had caused the blanket to slip to the floor, revealing an alluring sight. Yes, she wasn’t voluptuous, and she was too petite—such a frail body might not even be able to bear children—but he was deeply captivated by her.
The anger in his eyes ignited a fire of desire, which flared recklessly in his blue eyes. His thick lips, like those of a predatory eagle, ravaged the skin of her neck, leaving a trail of fierce kisses from her neck down to her delicate breasts...
"No! No!" She could endure pain, but she couldn’t endure this humiliation! God! Was he going to force himself on her? "Don’t touch me!"
His kisses hurt her, and they terrified her!
"Beg me!" he demanded, pausing his assault to look into her eyes.
She bit her lip and turned her face away, refusing to submit to this humiliation.
He leaned in to kiss her again, but this time, it wasn’t a punishing kiss—it was teasing, as if he wanted to ignite her passion.
"Don’t touch me! You filthy Khitan!" she spat, trying to provoke him into killing her with a single blow. But instead of anger, she saw something wicked in his eyes—"In this camp, there are seventy men who haven’t touched a woman in at least half a month. If you don’t beg me, you’ll end up as a plaything for seventy Khitan men. I have better ways to kill you than with a knife!"
"You—"
"I am the king here. Anything that belongs to me, no one dares to touch. But if I declare that you’re not my woman, you won’t live to see nightfall—you’ll be violated to death!"
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