Finest Servant

Chapter 514 The Woman from the Turkic Tribe

Amidst the clamor, the rhythmic sounds of hooves echoed through the air, accompanied by the gentle jingles of bells. In the distance, a caravan came into view. Several powerful horses charged forward, their backs burdened by large bamboo baskets and wooden crates filled with cloth, tea, and salt. The weight on the horses was so significant that their backs appeared slightly bent.

Within the caravan, men with dark eyes and yellow skin, unmistakably from the Great Hua, were present. However, among them were a few individuals of a different ethnicity: taller than the average men from the Great Hua, with high-bridged noses and pale blue eyes.

"Those are definitely nomads," Gao Qiu said excitedly. "These audacious foreigners dare to pass right in front of us as our mighty army of a million men advances into Xingqing. This is utterly disrespectful! Brother Lin, let's capture them right away. It'll be our first victory!"

As the caravan passed before the army, they maintained a serene demeanor, betraying no signs of panic. It was indeed strange.

Hu Bugui chuckled and said, "Brother Gao, let's not be rash. These are but common traders traveling across the desert. They are not to be attacked. Our border people have been exchanging silk and tea for the fine horses and native products of the Turkic lands for a hundred years. Even during the fiercest times of war, private trade between our people has never ceased."

Lin Wanrong nodded in agreement, "Brother Hu is correct. Warfare is dictated by national interests, while trade fulfills the needs of the people. The two are not contradictory. Since we share a border with the Turkic tribes, it is inevitable that there will be cultural and economic exchanges between us."

Hu Bugui gave a thumbs-up and sighed, "Our people have been at war with the Turkic tribes for years, capturing countless women from the Great Hua. However, there are also women from the Turkic tribes who admire our culture and marry into our families. Inter-marriage and trade have been a part of life for years, resulting in many mixed-heritage children. This is especially common in the regions around Xingqing and Helan Mountain."

Lin Wanrong nodded slightly and said seriously, "Trade and intermarriage are natural human activities and there's nothing wrong with them. However, as we are on the brink of war between our nations, the most pressing concern is how to prevent the Turkic tribes from gathering intelligence. Just like this caravan, who knows if there might be a spy among them."

Among the group, aside from Hu Bugui, everyone else was new to the borderlands and unfamiliar with the many local customs. Hu Bugui smiled and said, "The scrutiny for potential spies is, of course, essential. Any Turkic trader coming into our lands must be vouched for by a local gentleman. All caravans passing through the border are rigorously inspected and must obtain proper documents to proceed. The Turks are even more worried than we are. The number of our people trading in Turkic lands far exceeds the number of Turkic people trading here—perhaps by ten or even a hundred times. So, if we start capturing spies, they will likely have more to worry about than we do."

The men burst into laughter at the exaggerated remark from Hu Bugui. Although it was a bit of an overstatement, the business acumen of people from Great Hua was indeed famous far and wide. The nomadic people would undoubtedly not underestimate them.

"As for trade between our two lands, there have been negotiations between us and the nomadic people. Unless absolutely necessary, neither side is allowed to attack the other's merchants. We've even documented this in black and white. Great Hua is known for its commitment to its word; in these decades, we've never plundered their merchant caravans. The Turks, on the other hand, are unreliable. They can't keep their word; they only manage to do so about half the time. The rest of the time, they continue with their pillaging, the nerve!" Hu Bugui grumbled, extremely annoyed by the lack of trustworthiness of the nomadic people.

While they were conversing, the merchant caravan drew near. Great Hua merchants in the convoy were loudly chatting with the soldiers, and every now and then, joyful laughter rang out when fellow countrymen encountered one another. The nomadic people, however, walked cautiously, as if fearful that their heavy footsteps might provoke the soldiers from Great Hua and invite disaster upon themselves.

The tinkling of bells floated by as several horse-drawn carriages from the merchant caravan passed slowly before them. The curtain of the carriages swayed, making it difficult to see what was inside.

Unable to capture the nomadic people in front of them, Gao Qiu could only glare at them maliciously, not letting a single one escape his sight. As the carriages of the caravan moved past him, he leaned forward to take a quick look and suddenly exclaimed, "A woman! A Turkic woman!"

His voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear.

"A Turkic woman!" The words exploded like thunder, vibrating the eardrums of everyone around. It was already rare to see women while on a long march with tens of thousands of soldiers, let alone a Turkic woman!

Lin Wanrong also jumped at Gao Qiu's shout, hastily scanning the surroundings. Not finding what he was looking for, he sighed and said, "Old Gao, what's the rush? Fine, once we enter the city, I'll give you half a day off. Go find somewhere to sort yourself out, lest you mistake a monkey's butt for a woman's face."

"It's true," Gao Qiu insisted, his eyes locked onto the front. "Inside the carriage curtain—look, a Turkic woman. Good heavens, since when did the Turks produce such beauties?"

Following Gao Qiu's gaze, Lin Wanrong looked and saw that in one of the middle carriages, the curtain was slightly lifted, revealing the silhouette of a woman.

She appeared young, probably around eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a thin gown with a blue base and pink edging. The long skirt seemed to float like clouds around her. On her head was a small golden cap, and her face was veiled by a transparent light-colored gauze that vaguely allowed her facial features to be seen. Her nose was slightly raised, her teeth half-exposed, and her red lips were curled into a slight smile, resembling a crescent moon on the horizon.

Her flowing hair fell like a surging black waterfall, and her skin was as radiant as exquisite jade. Her captivating eyes were constantly moving, as if surveying her surroundings. These eyes were as dark as autumn waters, and within the moist darkness, one could almost detect a faint touch of blue—deep and clear, resembling the Namtso Lake deep in the grasslands, sparkling and pure.

In Lin Wanrong's household, the women were paragons of beauty, rendering him highly immune to the allure of striking looks. Yet, when he laid eyes on this Turkic girl who seemed to waft in like a refreshing breeze from the Helan Mountains, carrying with her a heavy scent of exoticism, he felt an indescribable sense of astonishment. It was not because of her beauty, but her eyes—dark as the autumn waters but with a faint undertone of pale blue, deep and intriguing like a distant mountain veiled in mist, that stirred the imagination.

It wasn't just Lin Wanrong who was affected. Even seasoned warriors like Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan, who had fought many battles, were stunned by the sudden appearance of this Turkic woman.

The Turkic girl looked around, and suddenly, her eyes shimmered and she laughed softly. Her delicate eyebrows curved slightly, like a crescent moon on the horizon.

"Crescent Moon," Lin Wanrong murmured. For some reason, the name spontaneously came to him, as if that had to be the girl's name.

The curtain of the carriage fell, and the carriage slowly moved away. Like a fleeting breeze, she had come and gone quickly. It wasn't until the sound of the carriage bells faded away that everyone seemed to snap out of their trance. Hu Bugui shook his head in disbelief, "I have fought with the nomadic people all my life in the desert, but never have I seen such a celestial Turkic woman. What place in the Turkic lands can breed such beauty?"

Gao Qiu sighed deeply, then chuckled, "A beauty is a beauty, be it from the Turkic lands or from Great Hua. After all, once the lights are out, don't they all look the same? But those eyes... they could cost me my life and it would be worth it. Ah, I have learned something today."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily and slapped Gao Qiu on the shoulder, "Beauty is to be encountered, not sought. Just a glance is a blessing; one shouldn't be too greedy."

Gao Qiu chuckled for a moment and then seemed to remember something. His eyes darted before he grabbed Hu Bugui and asked, "Brother Hu, you said that while Great Hua has honored its promises and never attacked the nomadic merchants, the Turkic have been treacherous and have plundered our merchants multiple times, is that true?"

Hu Bugui nodded, "It's true. Those nomads honor the agreements when it suits them and plunder us when it doesn't. Despicable."

"Truly despicable," Gao Qiu smirked, then turned to Lin Wanrong with a lascivious grin, "Brother Lin, how did you find that Turkic beauty?"

"Quite captivating," Lin Wanrong nodded, but then noticed Gao Qiu's lecherous expression and grew alarmed, "Gao Qiu, what are you planning?"

"If you find her that appealing, then it's simple," Gao Qiu said with a sinister smile, "Why play the gentleman when dealing with scoundrels? I’ll gather some men, cover our faces, and raid that merchant convoy. We'll bring that Turkic woman back to warm your bed. If she resists, I have plenty of 'persuasive remedies,' as you well know—ha! This is what you call, 'kidnap a Turkic woman, bring glory to Great Hua!'"

‘What a phrase, 'Kidnap a Turkic woman, bring glory to Great Hua.' Do you take me for a bandit king, Old Gao?’ Lin Wanrong was drenched in cold sweat, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui exchanged puzzled glances.

Seeing him silent, Gao Qiu became even more excited. "Oh, come on, what's there to be shy about? She's just a Turkic woman. Use her and toss her aside! Once word of this gets out, the morale of our army will skyrocket—"

‘Will the news even get out? My wives have me under a tight leash!’ General Lin was horrified. He hastily wiped his sweat and grabbed Gao Qiu. "Old Gao, you know me; I've always been a man of lofty ideals. I'm not that interested in beautiful women; I have less than ten wives at home. Abducting a Turkic woman would tarnish the honor of our great nation. We should win people over with virtue, with virtue!"

Du Xiuyuan added, "Old Gao, don't be reckless. If news of us raiding merchant caravans reaches our commanders, we'll be in trouble under military law."

After some persuasion, they finally managed to calm Gao Qiu down. He sighed, "Brother Lin, I understand that abducting the woman would be disgraceful. But our nation has been weak for a long time. Conquering this Turkic beauty could do wonders for our soldiers' morale. Besides, this is one of your strong suits!"

"What strong suit? Do you think I'm a stud horse? I'm here to fight, not to seduce women!" Lin Wanrong huffed in irritation but couldn't help recalling that "Crescent Moon."

By the time the entire army entered the city, dusk had already given way to the onset of night. Xingqing was strategically located, close to Helan Mountain and overlooking the Yulin and Wuyuan counties. This would be the focal point of the anti-nomads army, and where Li Tai's main camp would be stationed.

Years of warfare had left Xingqing deserted. As nightfall approached, there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets, and the few shops that remained were already closed. The once bustling "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall" was no longer what it used to be.

Standing atop the Great Wall, staring into the dark night of Xingqing with its decaying courtyards, Li Tai's white hair fluttered in the desert wind. He sighed deeply, "Once the 'Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall,' now a place of ruins. Generals, what are your thoughts?"

Behind the Marshal stood the commanders of various army divisions. Everyone's faces were covered in dust, yet no one bothered to wipe it off.

They had just entered the city, not even had a sip of water, and were immediately summoned by Li Tai to observe the night scene from the Great Wall. Lin Wanrong lazily leaned against the battlements as the wind howled past his ears. Outside the wall, the swirling desert winds gathered dark clouds, appearing like an open-mouthed monster, surging toward the city walls.

In the dimness of the night, the soldiers' iron spears glinted coldly. The ancient city wall below was bathed in moonlight that reflected off the endless desert.

"The desert sand is like snow, and the moon over Yan mountain is like a hook!" Lin Wanrong muttered to himself. Faced with the desolate Great Wall and the harsh moonlight over the desert, even the greatest of men seemed insignificant, like a grain of sand. At that moment, only one word could describe his feelings—bleak, utterly bleak.

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