Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

As soon as Liu Rusi proposed to build a pawnshop and a money house, Chu Shiyu acted decisively and put it into action that same day.

In the empty center of the city, which is under construction and currently only has the outline of a tall city wall, two huge tents have been erected.

One tent bore a large "Xia" emblem, with "Tong Dui Pawnshop" written beside it; another carried a banner that read "Daxia Official Silver and Money Bank." Though the tents were simple, the thousands of elite Daxia soldiers, clad in armor and armed with sharp weapons, standing solemnly around them silently declared the authority and inviolability of this place.

However, after opening the next day, the scene of no customers made Liu Rusi sigh that she was too idealistic.

Only a few pilgrims, dressed simply and with sad faces, carefully carried some worthless small jewelry or a relatively intact fur into the pawnshop to exchange for a few copper coins to buy expensive food and water outside the camp.

Most pilgrims, especially those watching from ornate yurts, remain cautiously on hold.

"It seems I underestimated people's hearts." Liu Rusi sighed softly as she looked at the deserted doorway. "With an unfamiliar system and the strict military formations on both sides, who wouldn't be nervous? I'm afraid they'll think we've set a trap."

Chu Shiyu stood beside her, frowned slightly when he heard the words, and swept his eyes over the heavily guarded military formation: "In this case, why not withdraw the guards? It's too oppressive and people will be afraid to get close." He thought Liu Rusi was worried about efficiency.

"No!" Liu Rusi rejected it almost immediately, her tone firm. "We absolutely cannot retreat! What if someone gets nasty and comes to rob the bank?! Safety comes first! We'd rather let them wait and see for a few more days than take any chances."

Chu Shiyu was slightly startled by Liu Rusi's use of the word "bank," but he quickly took it literally. He observed the instant tenseness of her profile and the undeniable determination in her eyes—an intuitive alertness to unknown risks.

While he doubted anyone would dare attack under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of troops, her concerns were not without reason, especially in the martial arts-loving land of Mobei. He nodded slightly and instructed his guards, "Pass the order: Guards on both sides of the gate, step back ten feet and remain alert."

It was only ten feet, so it should be no problem, so Liu Rusi didn't object.

At this moment, a burst of shouting and commotion with deliberately raised voices came from the distant cordon line.

"Stop! Who are you? Tell me your identity!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a team of hundreds of people appear at the edge of the construction site.

Their clothes were obviously much more colorful than those of the toiling freemen. Their fur robes were trimmed with delicate silver edges or colored threads, they wore gorgeous scimitars at their waists, and their horses were fat and strong.

The middle-aged man in the lead was a burly figure with a rugged face. He wore a dark purple fur robe, typical of the Oirat nobility, with wolf fangs and agate embellished on the cuffs and collar, symbols of status. He reined in his horse and, with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, he swept over the bustling construction site before him.

When he saw the crowd working together as densely as an ant colony, the huge rocks easily lifted by ropes, and the magnificent Great Xia military camp in the distance, a sinister look quickly gathered in his sunken eye sockets like dark clouds, and his thick eyebrows were tightly twisted into a knot.

The scene before them—the Daxia people's unimaginable city-building speed and organizational ability, the unprecedented set of strange tools that could pry huge rocks, and the huge and mixed crowd of northern people who seemed to be effectively organized by some invisible force and willingly worked for the "enemy"—all strongly impacted their cognition, causing a strong sense of unease and an indescribable threat to rise in their hearts.

How could this be a temporary base? This was clearly a wedge driven into Daxia's territory on the Mobei grasslands at an astonishing speed! And that wedge greedily absorbed the grassland's power, emitting a heart-pounding attraction!

The middle-aged nobleman—the Oirat's deputy envoy for this negotiation, a noble from the Oirat's new royal court, Wuliangha—said with a chuckle, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. In a low, pent-up Oirat language filled with suppressed anger, he addressed his attendants, "Go tell those Xia people that we are special envoys from the Oirat Khanate, here to discuss a prisoner exchange, and request an immediate audience with Prince Duan and Prince Kang of Great Xia!"

How could this be a temporary base? This was clearly a wedge driven into Daxia's territory at the heart of the Mobei grasslands at an astonishing speed! And that wedge greedily absorbed the grassland's power, emitting a heart-pounding attraction!

The soldier's report quickly reached Chu Shiyu's ears. Chu Shiyu snorted and ordered, "Tell Sun Zhizhao to receive the Oirat deputy envoy. Tell him to make sure the Oirat delegation stays until the grand ceremony of recognizing their ancestors and marrying is over."

The personal guards took the order and left.

Sun Zhizhao was bored and writing poetry in his tent when he received the order. Upon hearing that Prince Duan had entrusted him with the important task of receiving the Wala envoys, he was stunned for a moment, then tears welled up in his eyes! His Highness Prince Duan had finally remembered him!

He had been sent as an envoy to the Oirat Mongols but was detained by the Oirat Khan. His Royal Highness Prince Duan later exchanged him for 8,000 Oirat prisoners! Although everyone thought he was just trying to humiliate the Oirat Mongols in exchange for a "bonus" from the Oirat Khan... after his return, he was ignored by His Royal Highness Prince Duan.

"Good! Good! Good!" Sun Zhizhao said good three times in a row, stood up suddenly, straightened his clothes, and his face, with tears wiping away, showed his determination to avenge his previous shame!

When Sun Zhizhao appeared before the Wuliangha with a brilliant, yet false, smile, the deputy envoy's expression darkened. Who was Sun Zhizhao? Of course he knew him! He was the lunatic who had pointed at the Great Khan and cursed him as a "barbarian" in the royal court! Prince Duan's intention to humiliate him by sending this man to greet him was obvious!

Sun Zhizhao seemed oblivious to the anger in the other man's eyes and bowed enthusiastically, "Oh my! It's the Deputy Envoy of the Wuliangha who has come to visit! It's a bitterly cold place in the Sayinshanda Mountains. I'm so sorry for the poor hospitality!"

"Your Excellency has come a long way and must have endured a long journey. I'm sure you're exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. Come, come, please follow me. Let's pitch our tents and rest for a while! Your Highness Prince Duan is busy with military duties, and Your Highness Prince Kang is unwell. It's inconvenient for us to meet you right away."

"But Deputy Envoy, rest assured! After a few days, when the grand events of the last crown prince's return to his ancestral home and the marriage of the Princess and Commandery of Daxia are over, Your Highnesses will certainly find time to discuss the matter of the captives with your envoy in detail! I guarantee that your envoy will return satisfied!"

He spoke very quickly and enthusiastically, leaving no room for interruption, and gave Wuliangha no chance to ask for immediate negotiations.

Wuliangha was so angry that veins on his forehead were throbbing. He tried to interrupt several times, but was suppressed by Sun Zhizhao with a higher-pitched voice and more exaggerated body language.

Ultimately, despite the Daxia official's meticulous and enthusiastic arrangements, the Oirat delegation was forced to set up camp in a vacant lot a little distance from the Daxia camp, near the edge of the construction site. They could only watch the hustle and bustle of Saynshanda unfold, awaiting the grand event rife with Daxia conspiracy.

Time passed quietly, and another two days passed.

Tomorrow is Qingming Festival, the day when the last prince is scheduled to return to his ancestral home.

Chu Shiyu inevitably became busy, preparing for the upcoming ceremony and negotiating with various parties. Even though Chu Shiyu pushed all those tedious matters to Chu Shikun, the real military affairs still needed to be controlled by him personally...

Liu Rusi, in her relatively free time, accustomed herself to "wandering" around the bustling city construction site. This was a form of observation, a way to relax, and, more importantly, a search for overlooked questions or inspiration. She strolled along the dusty edge, observing those toiling for survival or their faith, her thoughts drifting.

However, the calm was suddenly broken at this moment!

Just as she approached a group of freedmen carrying stone, something unexpected happened! A young, unassuming man, who had been working diligently with his head down, suddenly leaped up! With the swiftness of a leopard, he kicked aside the unsuspecting Daxia guards and pounced at Liu Rusi like lightning!

Liu Rusi only felt a flash before her eyes, and a strong sour smell of sweat mixed with dust hit her face!

Then, she felt a cold, heavy sensation of metal against her neck! A sharp, arm-length scimitar, laden with murderous intent, pressed tightly against her fair neck! The blade pressed against her skin, instantly leaving a glaring red mark!

"Don't move!" A hoarse Mongolian voice with a heavy accent growled in her ear. The hostage-taker's arm muscles flexed, tightly gripping her body.

The surrounding freedmen were instantly in an uproar! But surprisingly, most of them did not flee in panic. Instead, their faces showed expressions of fear, shock, and mostly anger! They excitedly shouted at the hijackers:

"What are you doing?! Let go of Madam Liu!"

"Are you crazy? Do you want to ruin our lives?!"

"It's so hard to get food here! There's work to do! Do you want to kill all of us?!"

"Put down the knife! Let her go!"

The guards drew their swords and surrounded her. The hostage-taker immediately shouted, "Back off! Everyone, back off! Otherwise, I'll cut her throat!"

The hostage-taker suddenly exerted more force, pushing the heavy scimitar's blade even deeper! Liu Rusi groaned in pain, and a drop of bright red blood slowly slid down the cold blade, dripping into the dust, a shocking sight!

The scene suddenly became deadlocked!

The hostage-taker's eyes were bloodshot as he held Liu Rusi hostage. He stared warily at the surrounding guards and used all his strength to shout in Mongolian towards the Daxia camp, "Let Chu Shiyu come out! I want to see Chu Shiyu! Make him come out to see me immediately! Otherwise, I will kill this woman!"

The roar echoed in the empty construction site, filled with desperate madness and a desperate determination.

The news was like thunder, instantly striking the core of the camp!

Chu Shiyu practically burst through the curtains as he rushed out. The chill emanating from his body made the surrounding guards shudder! He jumped on his horse and rushed to the scene at lightning speed! His sharp eyes, like a knife, instantly penetrated the crowd and locked onto the glaring red on Liu Rusi's neck! A monstrous murderous intent surged in his chest, almost overwhelmed by his rationality!

But he knew that at this moment, he couldn't show too much concern, so he forced himself to remain calm and composed, and shouted in fluent Mongolian with a commanding tone: "I am Chu Shiyu! What do you want to talk about?"

When the hostage-taker saw Chu Shiyu, deep hatred and twisted excitement erupted in his eyes. The arm that was strangling Liu Rusi trembled violently with extreme emotions: "Chu Shiyu! I am Alatud Uchiri! You should know who I am!"

Chu Shiyu's pupils suddenly contracted! He immediately remembered that the deposed Khan of the Oirat was named Alatud... In other words, the man before him must be the son of the deposed Khan of the Oirat! At the same time, his heart sank to the bottom. This revenge for his father's murder might not be so easy to settle!

The immense panic and fear nearly drove him mad, but he suppressed all his turbulent emotions, his face remaining icy calm. With a slight frown on his face, he confirmed in Mongolian, "Your father is dead. His body is on the bone mound in the Mandalay Gobi."

"I know!" Wuqiri's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared like a beast. "My father was willing to sacrifice himself to exchange for the warriors of the Oirat! He was the eagle of the grassland! But you, a despicable devil, humiliated him! You made him kneel in that shameful place full of bones after his death! How dare you trample on the dignity of a Khan like this!"

Chu Shiyu was about to speak when the free people around him shouted fiercely:

"Shouldn't he repent?! How many good men have died in vain because of his stupidity!"

"We almost became part of the Bone Hill! It was him who nearly turned us into wandering ghosts!"

"Trade his life to get us back? Bah! He's desperate!"

"Shut up! You ungrateful slaves!" Uchiri was completely enraged by the free people's rebuke. He turned and roared at the crowd, "My father, the Khan, sacrificed his life to save you maggots! But you betrayed the Oirat and joined the enemy! You are unworthy to be the people of Changshengtian!"

Seeing that the crowd was getting angry and the situation was about to get out of control, Chu Shiyu immediately shouted in a voice as cold as ice: "Shut up! Back off!"

His majesty temporarily suppressed the anger of the free people, so that although they were indignant, they dared not speak out again.

Chu Shiyu once again turned his cold gaze towards Wu Qiri, and said in a firm voice: "Wu Qiri! Just tell me your conditions!"

Wuqizhi gasped, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge, and roared word by word: "I want you to kneel down and apologize to the heroic spirit of my father Khan in front of all the grassland tribes! Wash away the shame you have inflicted! And-"

He exerted force with his arm again, pressing the scimitar against Liu Rusi's neck. "Immediately! Unconditionally release the four thousand Wala warriors you have detained! Let them leave safely!"

Looking at the glaring red on Liu Rusi's neck, and her slightly furrowed brows due to suffocation and pain, Chu Shiyu wanted to agree to everything at once, but he knew that he couldn't agree to everything at once: "This king can release 4,000 Wala warriors, but..."

The two men negotiated in Mongolian.

The stinging pain in Liu Rusi's neck and the cold blade made her clearly aware of the danger. She forced herself to keep her breathing steady, stay calm, and not provoke the madman behind her.

She didn't understand Mongolian and didn't know what they were saying, so she could only stare at Chu Shiyu, observing every subtle change in his expression. She saw the subtle trembling beneath his tightly pursed lips, and didn't miss the rage and fear deep in his eyes that seemed to burn everything!

However, she also clearly caught the extremely faint but incomparably clear flash in his eyes - compromise! It was a sign that he was willing to give up his principles and swallow humiliation for her!