Hidden in the court

"Boom boom boom——"

The sound of artillery fire echoed in the desert without interruption.

At this time, the city of Kucha, which was at the center of the artillery fire, was not damaged at all except for the city walls. The people in the city felt dizzy, and even the Kucha Royal Court in the center heard the horrifying noise.

"Hahaha, good job, good, fire away! What the hell are you doing? Don't save your shells for me, hurry up!"

It took a full hour before the sound of gunfire gradually stopped.

There was continuous artillery fire outside. The royal family, soldiers, and even the common people of Kucha were huddled in the corner in fear, and no one knew what they were thinking.

The people in Qiuci were almost numb from the artillery fire for an hour. When the noise outside stopped completely, soldiers started to emerge from the cellar one after another.

But the scene in front of them was a little unfamiliar to them. Where was the city wall? They saw that the original nearly three meters high city wall had disappeared. Only a pile of rocks more than one person high remained. Some fallen rocks just pressed the entrance of the cellar, and the people inside were pressed and unable to get out for a while.

When someone bravely climbed up the pile of rocks and looked outside, there was no trace of the enemy anywhere, only the sound of horse hooves gradually fading away.

"Haha, it's so enjoyable!"

Chen Ju laughed out loud, feeling very happy. Lu Peng also smiled, but he suddenly saw Xihe Huchen's worried face.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Oh, it's okay. Now that I have returned to the court after making great contributions, I am naturally happy."

Lu Peng was speechless. You have such a long face with “something” written all over it, and you still say nothing?

At this time, Liu Dong on the side said: "This kid is horny."

"what?"

"Oh shit, he told me this himself, this is what happened..."

Liu Dong explained to Lu Peng the deeds of Xihe and Huchen in Loulan.

"Damn, there really is a woman from the Western Regions who would like this little coal ball."

Upon hearing this, Lu Peng hit him on the neck, causing Chen Ju to scream.

"When you were his age, you weren't much better. From a distance, I thought you were a blind bear. Didn't you get married?"

However, after hearing this, several people began to think about it.

After thinking for a while, Chen Ju was the first to ask: "What are you thinking about? Just ask if you like it. If you like it, take it back."

Lu Peng interrupted him and said, "Well, I will report this to His Majesty immediately and see what His Majesty thinks. Let's go to Loulan first and I will check it out for you."

……

A few days later, North

Xihe Tu looked at the latest military report with a strange expression on his face, and Xihe Longyao was also startled when he saw him like this.

"Father, what happened to my second brother?"

Xihe Tu glanced at him and said, "Well, something big has happened."

Xihe Longyao frowned and bowed immediately, saying, "Your son, please allow me to lead the army to fight..."

Before he could finish, Xihe Tu interrupted him with a smile.

"He really did get into trouble. But it's a lifelong event! The eldest princess of Loulan fell in love with him, hehe..."

Xihe Tu was really happy. It was likely that Xihe Huchen also liked him. If not, he wouldn't have to repay her. After so many years, it seemed that this little bastard was ready to change his mind. He looked at his eldest son again. Hmm, there was no hope.

At this moment, Xihe and Long Yao's faces were as black as the bottom of a pot. They worried for nothing.

He looked at his father with a reproachful look, raised his finger, and opened his lips slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Seeing him like this, Xihe Tu laughed.

"Well, what do you think? What should we do about your brother?"

Xihe Longyao thought for a moment and said, "Let's bring them back first. Besides, they have conquered Shache and Shule, so let Loulan take over directly. Firstly, it can be used as a betrothal gift, and secondly, it can also let the Western Regions see the attitude of our northern border."

"Um…"

Upon hearing this, Xihe Tu nodded in agreement, then sighed.

"I'm talking about your brother's marriage, not state affairs. This is our family affair."

"Parents' orders, matchmaker's words, marriages and funerals are all decided by the father."

Xihe Longyao turned and said calmly, Xihe Tu rolled his eyes at him: "Oh, it's all up to me. I'll let you get married right away, are you okay with it?"

Xihe Longyao only said indifferently: "Then I will have no choice but to resign from my position as Crown Prince and live in seclusion in the mountains..."

Hearing this, Xihe Tu's temples bulged and veins jumped.

"Okay, let's talk about your brother..."

The next day, the victory news from the front line spread throughout the world. The edict of Loulan taking over Shache and the old site of Shule went to the Western Regions along with the team delivering the betrothal gifts.

All the officials were delighted to know that the Second Prince was about to take a wife, and they happily prepared gifts.

There was one person who left the palace with tears on his face that day, he was the Minister of Revenue, Qian Duo.

"Can these few people bring the army back first? The money in the treasury didn't come from the wind, so we have to spend it like water!"

Yes, not to mention the property used as a betrothal gift, even the more than 10,000 cavalrymen these people brought out need food, the horses need food, and the people who deliver the food also need food. These supplies cannot be stopped until the people come back.

Even though these things are nothing to the huge national treasury, Qian Duo deals with them all the time and is extremely sensitive to them. For him, saving money is like a trickle of water, while spending money is like opening a floodgate to release a flood.

To put it bluntly, Qian Duo felt distressed.

Loulan Royal Court

Unlike Qian Duo's sorrow, people who were out and about were having a great time, and the entire Loulan Royal City was bustling with activity.

"Tell everyone to take out all the food, just enough for a few days, and then send someone to urge the Ministry of Revenue to hurry up."

Lü Peng, Chen Ju, Liu Dong, Xihe Huchen and the King of Loulan sat together and drank. They had also met Ayiguli and had a good impression of her.

"What do you think this girl likes about this boy?"

"What else could it be? The turtle and the mung bean just fell in love."

"This girl is very nice and sensible. She is trustworthy and more than suitable for this boy."

The whispering of the three people did not escape the ears of Xihe Huchen, but he was embarrassed by Ayiguli's gaze and had no time to pay attention to them.

Seeing this, the King of Loulan had no objection. He thought it was good to be able to marry someone of a higher status.

After a few days, Xihe Huchen lost his initial shyness and began to reveal his true nature. However, Ayiguli was surprisingly not surprised and continued to behave as usual.

What Xihe Huchen did not expect was that Aiguli not only spoke standard Mandarin, but also had a deep understanding of Central Plains culture. She also had a spirit that those "ladies of noble families" did not have, which surprised him greatly.

Until this day, the imperial edict and betrothal gifts from the northern border arrived together. The King of Loulan was so happy that he didn't know what to do when he learned that he had obtained the territories of Shache and Shule for free.

"My dear little prince, thank you, Your Majesty."

In this way, Xihe Huchen and Ayiguli held their wedding in Loulan, and learned that they would have to hold another grand wedding when they returned.

The next morning, the King of Loulan bid farewell to his daughter and son-in-law, and the army set out on the journey home.