Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 122: Shocking Chapter (Part )
The north wind blew up the yellow sand, howling and raging across the vast grassland, and the sky and the earth were dim.

Yang Lin led the Northern Expedition Army and the D Turkic cavalry raised dust, like two yellow dragons, making the sky dim.

Horses neighed and people cheered. Yang Lin, clad in fish-scale armor, rode a one-horned, green-maned beast, its hooves tumbling. His face was as white as powder, his yellow eyebrows slanted into his temples, and three wisps of mustache danced freely in the wind. He looked majestic and awe-inspiring.

Behind him, the Sui army soldiers were lined up in neat square formations, their steps steady and powerful, their flags fluttering in the wind.

Meanwhile, Shaboluo Khan had already been waiting in front of the tent with his generals. He was dressed in a wolfskin cloak, a scimitar hanging from his waist, and his tall figure stood as straight as a pine tree.

On the left and right, Turkic warriors lined up in neat rows, their spears pointing to the sky, their tassels swaying in the wind.

Yang Lin's green-maned beast was the first to break out of the team and came in front of Shabolue.

Shaboluo Khan strode forward, clasped his hands together, and performed a great Turkic salute. He said in a loud voice: "Prince Kaoshan has led the army this time and defeated Datou, saving Shetu from danger. Shetu is deeply grateful. Please accept my greeting."

Yang Lin pulled the reins, jumped off his horse, stepped forward to help Shaboluo up, and said with a smile, "Khan, you are too kind. The emperor has already changed the title of Princess Qianjin of the previous dynasty to Princess Dayi of our dynasty and granted her the surname Yang. The Khan is the husband of Princess Dayi, and we are also related by marriage to our dynasty. How can I sit idly by when the Khan is in trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Shaboluo Khan said, "Your Highness, with your assistance this time, all the tribes on the grassland will remember the kindness of the Great Sui Dynasty!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the Turkic warriors behind him quickly dispersed, pushing out carts piled with furs and spices.

"This is a small gift from Shetu. I hope Your Highness will accept it."

Yang Lin glanced at the gift, did not refuse it, and nodded slightly to express his gratitude.

He was the uncle of the Sui emperor, so naturally he had no shortage of furs and spices. However, just because he was the emperor's uncle, it didn't mean that his soldiers had no shortage of them.

These furs and spices could be used as rewards for his troops.

You know, whether in the grassland or in the Central Plains, furs and spices are luxury goods, especially spices. High-quality spices are more expensive than gold.

In the Tang Dynasty after the Sui Dynasty, Yuan Zai, the prime minister during the reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang, embezzled 800 stones of pepper, which shocked the court and the public. This shows how valuable spices were.

He turned and instructed Zuo Tiancheng, "Register these furs and spices and distribute them according to the number of people in each battalion and their military achievements."

"promise,"

Zuo Tiancheng responded.

Upon seeing this, Shaboluo Khan's smile widened. He extended his hand and made a gesture of invitation, saying, "Your Highness has returned victorious. We have prepared kumis and roasted whole lamb in the tent. I hope Your Highness will move aside and let Shetulue show his hospitality."

Yang Lin nodded slightly and walked towards the tent side by side with Shabolue.

Upon entering the tent, the rich aroma of milk and meat filled the air. The tent was brightly lit, and Turkic musicians played the hujia (Chinese harp) with a stirring rhythm. Shaboluo Khan invited Yang Lin to sit at the main seat, while he himself accompanied him. Lu Shang, Zuo Tiancheng, and other Sui generals, along with a group of Turkic nobles, sat on either side.

Shaboluo Khan personally filled a cup of mare's milk for Yang Lin and said, "Prince Kaoshan, this cup of wine is dedicated to you. May the Hu and Han peoples be united forever and share peace."

Yang Lin picked up the wine glass, drank it all, and praised: "Good wine!"

The wine slid down Yang Lin's jaw and condensed into tiny water droplets on his fish scale armor that was shining with a cold light.

Seeing this, the musicians played their hujias even harder, and the rhythm was like thunder hitting the air in the tent.

"Come, let's have a feast,"

Shaboluo Khan laughed and clapped his hands. Dozens of Turkic maids came in one after another holding golden plates. The whole roasted lamb on the plate had a scorched red skin and fat dripped along the sheepskin texture, gathering into puddles on the bronze tray.

"This photo,"

Lu Shang lowered his eyes. The golden and shiny skin shone with an alluring luster under the light. The aroma of roasting and burning filled the tent.

He chuckled softly, reached out and tore off the fattest piece of meat from the leg of the golden sheep in front of him. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the aroma of the meat exploded on the tip of his tongue.

While Lu Shang was chewing the tender mutton, he looked up and saw King Yang Lin of Kaoshan and Shaboluo Khan having a pleasant conversation.

"Even though he knew Yang Lin had accepted Datou's request for peace, he still put on such a pro-Sui attitude. This Shetu is quite cunning!"

Lu Shang's eyes moved back and forth between Shaboluo Khan and Yang Lin, his fingertips inadvertently stroking the belt hook around his waist.

He didn't believe that Shetu didn't know Yang Lin's thoughts. Even if he didn't know before, he should be able to see it clearly after the ups and downs of these years.

In the first year of Kaihuang, Yang Jian adopted Zhangsun Sheng's strategy of "making friends with distant countries and attacking nearby ones, separating the strong and uniting the weak" to alienate the relationship between Datou and Shabolue.

Chang Sun Sheng saw through the internal situation of the Turkic people, where uncles, nephews and brothers each led a powerful army and harbored suspicions among themselves, and struck directly at their vital points.

It was also because of the instigation of the Sui Dynasty that Dahan Khan and Shabolue turned against each other. The Turks, who were so powerful that the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou had to bow down to them, were thus split into two parts, east and west, and their strength was greatly weakened.

Even though Shetu realized the sinister intentions of the Sui Dynasty later, he could only bear it since things had come to this point.

After three rounds of drinks, the musicians gradually stopped playing and the noise in the tent gradually died down.

Yang Lin stood up, clasped his fists, and said in thanks, "Khan, I am deeply grateful for your hospitality. It's getting late, and we should return to camp."

"Your Majesty, take care."

Shaboluo Khan also stood up with a smile on his face, and escorted Yang Lin and others to the outside of the Sui army camp.

Watching Yang Lin return to the camp, Shaboluo Khan's face instantly turned gloomy. The Turkic nobles beside him were silent, and the laughter and joy at the banquet just now seemed to have never appeared.

"Humph!"

Shaboluo Khan turned around suddenly, and his leather boots stomped heavily on the sand, raising a cloud of dust.

"Walk,"

Shaboluo Khan strode towards the yamen, and the soles of his boots made a dull sound as they collided with the sand.

Upon seeing this, the Turkic nobles hurriedly suppressed their fear and followed him.

After returning to the tent and sending everyone away, Shaboluo Khan tore off his wolfskin cloak and threw it hard to the ground.

"Old man Yang Lin, ostensibly helping me defeat Datou, but what's he really up to? Do you really think I don't know?"

"Of course he knows, but he's just outnumbered. You can only endure it!"

The candlelight in the tent flickered, and Yildiz's voice was like a loud bell, shaking the tent curtains slightly.

"In recent years, Changsun Sheng has been stirring up trouble among the various Turkic tribes. Datou's falling out with the Khan has split the Turkic forces in two. This was all part of the Sui Dynasty's conspiracy!"

"After Yang Lin accepted Datou's request for peace, he came to our tent with such brazenness. Isn't it just to test our strength and continue to control us?"

"Just wait and see. One day, I will make the people of the Central Plains taste this humiliation as well. I can't do it, but I still have descendants. I must avenge this shame."

Shaboluo Khan slammed his fist on the table piled with parchment scrolls, causing the candlestick to shake violently and the flame to almost go out.

(End of this chapter)