The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

At this moment, the soldiers on patrol outside heard the noise and hurried over. When they reached the front of the tent, one of the soldiers bowed slightly and asked in a low and respectful voice, "Prime Minister, what are your instructions?"

Ying Bu's heart tightened upon hearing this, and a thin layer of sweat even appeared on his forehead. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the knife and glanced nervously at Tariq beside him, fearing that he would say something he shouldn't.

However, Tariq replied calmly, "It's nothing. I just ate something bad last night and my stomach feels a little uncomfortable. You all can leave."

Seeing Tariq's behavior, Yingbu felt relieved. He thought to himself, maybe Tariq really wasn't lying. With this thought, Yingbu's suspicion of Tariq decreased by 70% or 80%. So he waved his hand to signal his men to untie Tariq.

After being freed, Tariq looked at Ying Bu with a solemn expression and slowly said, "I leave my niece in your care. I hope you can take good care of her. I can see that General Meng Yi trusts and respects you very much, so I believe it will be a good idea to entrust my niece to you. If our Shaodang tribe encounters difficulties or crises in the future, please lend a hand to help us overcome the difficulties!"

After hearing Tariq's earnest words, Yingbu couldn't help but be moved. After hesitating for a moment, Yingbu couldn't help but ask, "What about you? What are you going to do next?"

Tariq smiled slightly and shook his head, his eyes revealing a firmness and determination. He took a deep breath and replied calmly, "I still have things I need to complete."

After saying that, Tariq turned and walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the night.

In the blink of an eye, the camp of the Zhong Qiang army suddenly erupted in flames. The blaze was so fierce that it instantly illuminated the entire night sky. The surroundings were filled with the sounds of fierce fighting, deafening roars, and the crisp and sharp clash of weapons...

This thrilling battle lasted the entire night.

The next morning, just as the sun rose, Ying Bu and his men came out of the tent. They had not participated in the brutal battle the previous night, but had instead rested in the tent for the night.

The scene that greeted them was shocking: the place in the distance that originally belonged to the Zhongqiang tribe’s camp was now littered with scattered weapons, horses and corpses lying in all directions, and broken tents that had been completely devoured by flames.

At this moment, a guard dressed in the costume of the Shaodang tribe hurried over, stopped in front of Ying Bu and others, and said respectfully: "Your Excellency the Qin envoy, our prime minister invites you to come over!" After that, he turned around and led the way.

Ying Bu and the others followed closely behind, following the guard to another tent. Stepping inside, they saw Tariq lying on the bed, his face as pale as paper, his breath weak, his face and clothes stained with blood.

Hearing the noise of someone coming in, Tariq slowly opened his eyes with difficulty, raised his hand to point to a package placed beside him, and said to Ying Bu intermittently: "This contains the head of King Zhong Qiang. Please pass it to my niece. In this way, I have... cough cough... avenged my brother's blood feud." Before he finished speaking, he coughed violently again, as if he was going to cough out his heart and lungs.

After a pause, Tariq took a deep breath, as if he needed to use all his strength to say each word. "I... don't have much time left. I hope you... can keep your promise."

His cloudy eyes stared at Yingbu, revealing a hint of determination and resoluteness. However, before Yingbu could respond, Tariq waved his hand weakly, signaling him to leave.

Ying Bu silently stood up, reached out to pick up the head package placed beside him, and slowly walked out of the tent. When he reached the door, he couldn't help but look back at Tariq lying on the bed, dying, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.

After leaving the tent, Ying Bu met the guard standing beside him. From the guard, he learned about the thrilling scene that happened last night.

It turned out that, taking advantage of the pitch-black night and the howling wind, Tariq led an army of 10,000 elite soldiers and quietly approached the Zhongqiang tribe's base. At that time, the Zhongqiang soldiers relaxed their vigilance due to the quiet night and did not expect such a sudden attack.

Tariq's army appeared before the enemy like a ghost, brandishing sharp swords and charging at the Zhongqiang garrison with a roar. Suddenly, the sound of killing shook the heavens, and flames erupted everywhere. After a night of fierce fighting, the Zhongqiang garrison suffered heavy losses, with only a little over 10,000 men escaping. Tariq himself led the charge, personally beheading the Zhongqiang king, but tragically, he himself was severely wounded and now hangs on by a thread, with only his last breath left.

Ying Bu knew that Tariq was holding on to his life because he was waiting for his niece, Talleyrand, to come. Perhaps in his final moments, he wanted to admit his past mistakes to Talleyrand and seek her forgiveness.

Thinking of this, Ying Bu couldn't help but sigh, and his mood became heavier.

Yingbu quickened his pace; he had to inform his niece of Tariq's situation as soon as possible.

Before long, Talleyrand had led a huge army to the outside of the royal camp. When she looked at the devastated and messy scene, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of doubt in her heart.

At this moment, Ying Bu came galloping on his horse. When Talleyrand saw Ying Bu, his eyes instantly became moist and tears burst out like a flood.

Yingbu hurried forward and hugged Talilane tightly, patted her back gently, and said softly, "Everything is over. From now on, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

Ying Bu then recounted the entire incident to Talleyrand in detail. Finally, he solemnly said to Talleyrand, "Your Highness, I ask you to make the final decision on how to deal with this matter."

Tarilan couldn't help but recall the words his father said before leaving. After careful consideration, he finally made up his mind to follow Ying Bu to the tent to visit his uncle.

So Yingbu led Talilan to Tariq's bedside.

Tariq was extremely weak at the moment. He struggled to open his eyes. The moment his gaze met his niece's, an indescribable sense of relief flashed across his eyes. He tried his best to express his endless regret and deep apology to Talleyrand in a very weak voice.

At that moment, Talleyrand stood there, her body trembling slightly, tears streaming down her face like a broken dam. Her heart felt as if it were being pierced by a thousand needles, and she was so grief-stricken that she could barely breathe. Even so, she bit her lip tightly, saying nothing. She knew full well that the source of all this tragedy was this so-called uncle before her!

It was his self-righteous behavior that robbed Talleyrand of the most important person in her life—her beloved father. That once warm and loving figure was gone, leaving behind only endless sorrow and pain.

On the other side, Tariq slowly closed his eyes, ending his turbulent life with a heart full of regret and unwillingness.

In the end, Talleyrand decided to bring his body back to the royal court and bury him with appropriate standards to give him the respect he deserved.