Who was the one who captured Taiyuan?

When this question was presented, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a sense of confusion in her heart.

However, the answer was already self-evident.

Ashina Zhuxie said that he was ambushed at Shouyang, presumably, it must have been Han King, Yu Wenqian. Previously, Yu Wenye and his subordinates had predicted about the Eastern front’s warfare, and they had speculated that Yu Wenqian would likely attack Shouyang to block the Western Turkic reinforcements, as it was his mother’s hometown.

Although this battle might delay his advance on Taiyuan, he would still go.

Because his heart was burdened.

His feelings for Mrs. Dong, even though never mentioned or shown on his face, were engraved in his heart.

But Yu Wenye—

He obviously wasn’t someone whose heart was burdened.

Thinking of him, thinking of the current situation, Shang Ruyi inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity. Then, recalling it, she realized that the current situation was so similar to when she was in Jiangdu Palace, having heard of the Yuwen Family’s uprising in Taiyuan.

Only at that time, despite the misunderstandings and missed opportunities between her and Yu Wenye, he still traveled to Jiangdu, risking everything to rescue her. Perhaps at that time, her image lingered in his heart.

But this time is different.

There’s no misunderstanding, no missed chances between them, only resentment and hatred.

By today, she was no longer enough to become a burden in his heart, especially after she spoke those decisive words to him. How could someone as proud as him possibly keep her in his heart?

Even less likely would he abandon attacking Taiyuan and relinquish the Crown Prince position for her.

Thinking this, a faint smile appeared on her face, though reflected by the firelight, it revealed a sense of bone-chilling coldness, even colder than the wind that slashed across her cheek.

Watching her, Ashina Zhuxie couldn’t help but slightly furrow his brows.

And Shang Ruyi raised her head, her eyes as cold and clear as if they were covered with a layer of frost, looked at him calmly and said, "I don’t know who captured Taiyuan, but it seems it has nothing to do with me. After all—"

With that, she turned her head and looked towards the south where the wind was blowing: "From here to Taiyuan, it’s at least a few hundred miles away, right?"

Ashina Zhuxie looked at her and said, "Four hundred miles."

"...!"

Shang Ruyi remained expressionless, but her heart sank.

Is it already that far?

This means Ashina Zhuxie had taken her past Maiyi; no wonder the surrounding was nothing but endless grasslands. As Ashina Zhuxie had told her, without horses, supplies, and direction, she couldn’t return, indeed so.

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath to calm herself, then raised her eyes to meet the sharp wolf eyes across the flames. Ashina Zhuxie looked at her with a mocking smile and said, "You want to know where we are right now, don’t you?"

"..."

"I didn’t lie to you about a single thing."

"..."

"You can’t go back."

Compared to knowing she was already beyond Maiyi, his words that sounded like a declaration didn’t shock Shang Ruyi much; she just looked at Ashina Zhuxie, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her gaze revealing some confusion and probing.

Ashina Zhuxie said, "What’s wrong?"

Shang Ruyi looked at him and said, "You, why don’t you kill me?"

Ashina Zhuxie smiled slightly: "Why should I kill you?"

"Aren’t we enemies?"

"Even though we are enemies, there’s no need for me to kill you, besides, you’re just a mere woman."

The word "woman" made Shang Ruyi’s eyebrows furrow tighter, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, so she just said, "You captured me, yet you don’t kill me. Do you intend to do something with me alive?"

"..."

Hearing this, Ashina Zhuxie’s eyes flickered slightly.

Shang Ruyi immediately said, "What do you intend to do with me?"

"..."

"Do you intend to use me to threaten the Yuwen Family?"

Just as his eyes flashed, Ashina Zhuxie’s mind seemed to drift for a moment, but upon hearing this, he regained his focus and looked at Shang Ruyi, his eyes filled with more amusement, saying, "To use you to threaten the Yuwen Family? I have no such plans."

"..."

"After all, after we took you, the Yuwen Family people continued to attack Taiyuan."

"...!"

This sentence was like a punch to Shang Ruyi’s heart.

Although not too painful or a deadly blow, it still caused her heart to sink for a moment— even Ashina Zhuxie understood the significance of capturing her, but Yu Wenye continued his attack on Taiyuan.

So, she held no value.

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the suffocating sense of stifled frustration, then mustered a slight smile and said to him, "Since you already know, then why did you take me and run so far?"

Ashina Zhuxie let out a cold laugh: "What do you think?"

"...!"

Shang Ruyi’s breath caught once more.

The subtle smile and suddenly sharp gaze from the other person made her think of a certain possibility.

The most tragic fate a woman could face when falling into enemy hands!

She had worried about it, but ever since she had been unconscious until she woke up, it had been several days, and there was nothing unusual on her body. The first thing she did when she woke was to check her clothes, and they didn’t appear to have been disturbed.

If these people wanted to humiliate her while she was conscious—so much time had passed, and he, along with his men, showed no intention of such.

Moreover, it wasn’t her imagination.

Since capturing her, aside from knocking her out, Ashina Zhuxie had been quite courteous to her. Although he always seemed to study her ponderingly, she had only spent a few hours with him while conscious and hadn’t completely figured out his temperament, yet she felt that in this regard, she was likely safe.

So, Shang Ruyi met his eyes and calmly said, "I suppose you want to use me for something, though I haven’t figured out what yet."

Ashina Zhuxie smiled lightly, "Well, you’ll find out."

|

After resting a while longer, her strength had significantly recovered.

Seeing that it was getting late, Ashina Zhuxie stood up, ordered the army to move forward, and everyone stamped out the campfire, packed the pots and pans, and mounted their horses to prepare to continue their journey.

Shang Ruyi also got up, and turned to see a soldier leading a horse to her, passing the reins to her.

Shang Ruyi was taken aback, and looked up at Ashina Zhuxie standing nearby.

Ashina Zhuxie said, "After resting for so long, you should have regained your strength."

"..."

"You didn’t think I was going to carry you all the way to Yatai, did you?"

"..."

Of course not!

Moreover, she had long since disliked sitting so intimately on a horse with a stranger, especially one from the opposing side. Being able to ride alone was ideal.

Yet—

She cast a complex look at Ashina Zhuxie, only to see him nonchalantly mount his horse, looking down at her as he said, "Though you’ve eaten and regained your strength, as I said, on the grassland, with no direction or supplies, you won’t get far."

"..."

"And, there are so many people here."

"..."

Hearing this, Shang Ruyi grasped the reins tightly and turned to look around.

Indeed, for tens of thousands of troops on the grassland to chase her down would be easier than crushing an ant. Even though her riding skills might earn some boasting in the Central Plains, on the grassland they were utterly inadequate.

Ashina Zhuxie continued, "Unless you possess the divine shooting power like your husband does."

Yu Wenye’s divine shooting power?

Shang Ruyi immediately recalled the time in Yanmen County when Yu Wenye had shot and injured the Western Turkic Khan Ashina Shali with a single arrow, even destroying the Khan’s arrow whistle, thereby saving Yanmen County.

Ashina Zhuxie knew about this incident too.

In fact, Shang Ruyi wasn’t surprised he knew, since it was his father who was injured. She was only surprised that when Ashina Zhuxie mentioned it, he wasn’t understandably angry or resentful, but rather had a hint of admiration.

Was it her imagination?

She glanced at him again, calmly saying, "I don’t have such divine shooting power. The prince overestimates me."

With that, she stepped into the stirrup and mounted the horse.

Ashina Zhuxie looked at her and said with a faint smile, "Then, keep up."

With that, he waved his whip, urging his horse to gallop northward, and Shang Ruyi could only follow closely behind. Behind them, tens of thousands of cavalry charged forward, the sound of hooves like a rolling thunder racing across the grassland.

And so, they traveled for another day.

Although Ashina Shali said he would take her to Yatai, Shang Ruyi knew clearly that the capital of the Western Turks was at Yingsuo, a thousand miles away. Just by looking at the rations they carried, it was clear they couldn’t reach there.

Moreover, considering Ashina Shali’s earlier surprise attack on Yanmen County and now targeting Taiyuan, he must have set up a temporary Yatai north of Maiyi, not far from here.

So, by the evening of the third day, she heard the sound of flowing water ahead.

Looking up, she saw a golden river crossing the vast grassland ahead, shimmering with golden light in the setting sun. On the opposite bank, two mountains lay crouched on the earth like a tiger and a dragon.

At the mountain base, she could vaguely see a dense cluster of tents at the wide pass.

That was it—

Shang Ruyi’s breath tightened, and even her horse-riding movements stiffened. Ashina Zhuxie, riding beside her, seemed to sense something and glanced back at her, saying, "We’ve arrived."

"...Oh."

Shang Ruyi responded.

She pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Ashina Zhuxie again, seeing him focusing intently ahead, his gaze almost eager, as if something he had long desired was finally within reach.

That place was the Turkic Yatai!