In the thirty-second year of Shizong's reign, the Heavenly Khan of Mobei passed away. On the joyous occasion of Abahai's great day, the entire royal family was in turmoil, with constant internal strife and power struggles.
The pastoral songs of the great desert drifted from the distant horizon. Within the grand palace hall, the glint of swords and the clash of blades mingled with the soaring sounds of horns and flutes.
Gazing into the distance, beyond the vast and mighty yellow sands, a man clad in a kasaya, mounted on a swift steed, burst into the royal palace.
The fierce northern wind howled, scattering lone geese. The palace, after the coup, was stained with blood and littered with corpses.
The stench of blood was acrid in the air, vultures circled overhead, and crimson clouds obscured the sky.
Yet, strangely, the surroundings of the palace were terrifyingly silent.
Xu Qing's eyes darkened slightly. He tightened the reins and turned to leave.
In an instant, a large contingent of soldiers materialized from all directions, surrounding him.
"A holy monk with impure roots, how can he achieve Buddhahood?"
High upon the nine heavens, Chi Yan, adorned in a wedding gown and wielding a blood-soaked long saber, wore a smile that was both bewitching and alluring.
Xu Qing sat on his horse below, his kasaya casting a soft, diffused light upon his silhouette, making him appear as ethereal and unworldly as drifting mist.
Their gazes met across the expanse. Her smile was radiant; his expression was aloof.
"Bring him up."
Xu Qing's martial arts were formidable. The soldiers present were no match for him.
Chi Yan leaped forward, pressing the saber to his throat, and gave a knowing smile.
"Holy monk, surrender yourself."
Xu Qing ignored her. His figure moved like a phantom, swiftly circling behind her and seizing her. A little more force, and her shoulder blade would be dislocated.
Chi Yan paid no mind, dropping the saber. She returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest.
"I missed you."
The saber slipped from Xu Qing's grasp and landed on the ground. He reached out to pry away the hands encircling his waist, his grip so strong that it left red marks on her fair arms.
Despite the pain, Chi Yan refused to let go, even wrapping her legs tightly around him.
"Xie Xuanchen, stop pretending. When I sent word of my fake marriage, you meditated for three days and three nights. When I sent word of my fake death, you came alone to the desert to save me. Admit it, you can't forget me."
After Xie Beihan officially ascended the throne, he had returned to the Hanging Temple.
At that time, the desert was in turmoil, with Mobei and Monan on the verge of war.
His father, the Khan, was gravely ill, and factions within the court were rife, leading to constant internal conflict in Mobei. To protect her position as Heavenly Khan, she had rushed back to Mobei to stabilize the political situation.
Internal struggles within the royal court were fierce. She needed a political marriage to protect her younger brother, but she refused to marry Balu like this, refusing to let her brother become a puppet of these rebels.
She devised a daring plan.
She feigned compliance and used the day of her wedding to trap everyone in the great hall. She executed Balu and other traitors, and with his military power, she eliminated the rebels who had sought to defect to Monan.
In this massacre, she killed everyone who coveted the position of Heavenly Khan and supported her young brother's ascension to the throne.
And, incidentally, she lured him here.
"Brother Xuan, I really miss you."
She tightened her embrace, burying her face in his chest and greedily inhaling his scent.
In fact, before her marriage to Balu, she had gone to see him.
But that blockhead refused to see her, even letting her stand in the rain outside the temple all night.
Yet, she knew that after she left, he had meditated for three days without rest.
So, she had deceived him again.
She sent word with false news, making him believe that on her wedding day, she had been betrayed by her fiancé and was killed in a power struggle. He had indeed come alone to save her.
But she was the victor of this coup, and he was her prize.
"I lied to you, but you willingly fell into my trap."
Chi Yan tilted her head and smiled, her naked gaze fixed upon him.
Xu Qing remained indifferent, trying to push her away with all his might, but he couldn't break free.
"Don't force me to use force."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chi Yan tiptoed and kissed him on the lips.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she, in her wedding gown, and he, in his kasaya, embraced and kissed.
The wind blew, rustling the leaves with a tinkling sound.
Xu Qing quickly regained his composure, grabbed her, and threw her down.
Chi Yan tumbled to the ground, and the surrounding soldiers surged forward.
During the struggle, Xu Qing's body suddenly felt weak and powerless, his internal energy unable to rise.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His icy gaze fell upon Chi Yan, who was watching the scene unfold.
"What did you do?"
Chi Yan crossed her arms and laughed. "Brother Xuan, this time I won't let you go. Wait for me obediently."
Overnight, the Mobei regime was overthrown. All the rebels were killed. The young Khan, Yaoge Luoyao Shu, succeeded to the throne as Heavenly Khan. Abahai Yaoge Luochi Yan became the Great Marshal and regent.
Such a violation of the late king's will met with the disapproval of many officials, but Abahai's methods were ruthless. She ordered that anyone who disobeyed would be buried with the late king. With iron-fisted rule, the dynasty submitted without question.
After taking the throne, Chi Yan swiftly consolidated her control over all military forces. Internally, she purged the influences of various ethnic groups. Externally, she ordered the vanguard general of Mobei to advance troops to the Monan border to repel foreign enemies.
She personally invited the tribal chiefs of the Sixteen Tribes of the Great Desert to a gathering at the yurt, offering them khadags as a gesture of sincerity.
Later that evening, after three rounds of drinks, the leader of the Tiele tribe was executed by her with a single saber stroke. She ordered his head to be displayed on the yurt as a warning.
Before long, the other tribal chiefs surrendered their military authority and swore allegiance to the yurt.
Subsequently, she quelled internal unrest and repelled the Monan army from the Mo River, bringing stability to both internal and external affairs.
Chi Yan was busy with state affairs. Once everything was pacified, she immediately ordered Xu Qing to be brought to her.
Since that day, Xu Qing had been confined within the palace, inaccessible to anyone, with only guards attending to him.
When Chi Yan wished to see him, the guards led him to a palace.
Within the hall, the melodies of flutes and zithers filled the air.
Xu Qing still felt somewhat weak. He looked at the closed palace doors behind him, paused, and then looked further inside.
Behind a heavy white silk curtain, a woman in a blue gown danced with bewitching grace. She was of icy skin and jade-like bones, with bells tied to her bare feet. As her toes touched the ground, she would sometimes crouch to the floor and sometimes lift her legs, twisting her body in a captivating dance.
Her slender waist undulated with a supple, upright allure. Her flowing skirt danced like a blazing fire, bright and unrestrained.
The sound of silver bells grew closer, following the light steps of the music towards him. A peculiar fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
Xu Qing's face flushed crimson. He turned to walk out.
His back suddenly met a soft, fragrant body that embraced him fully.
"Brother Xuan, I have settled everything, and Yaoshu has secured his position as Heavenly Khan. Take me away. Let's leave all disputes behind and live a life like ordinary people."
Xu Qing's voice was calm. "What medicine did you give me?"
Chi Yan giggled. She clung to his body and affectionately rubbed against his back.
"I know your martial arts are high, and ordinary medicine won't work. This, I spent a fortune to specifically deal with you."
Xu Qing fell silent.
She pouted and hugged him even tighter.
"If I didn't do this, you would surely abandon me and return to the Hanging Temple. I don't want that."
Xu Qing closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
"Let go."
Chi Yan refused to release him. She tiptoed, her warm lips brushing against his cheek and then latching onto his ear.
Xu Qing's expression instantly became unnatural as he tried to force her hands away.
Chi Yan noticed his reaction, her body trembling with surprise.
"You've recovered."
Could the medicine she had spent so much to obtain to deal with him not even hold him?
If he recovered all his strength, he would surely abandon her again.