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    Edict of Peace 129

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    Chapter 129: King of Light Cavalry, Po Jun Meets Yao Guang

    Qiebi Li was brought to Li Guanyi’s courtyard. He was a Khan of the Tiele tribe, so the Xue family treated him with high regard. The table was laden with a feast: eight cold dishes, eight fruits, eight vegetables, and eight kinds of pastries—forty-eight dishes in total, each served in a small dish, but arranged together to form a large round platter. The platter featured a design of red carp swimming in water, exquisite and delicate.

    A young boy, his eyes wide with longing, cautiously glanced at Qiebi Li. He then stealthily reached out to take something, but Qiebi Li gently patted his hand.

    The young Khan smiled and shook his head, speaking in Tiele: “You must have manners, Hun Qian.” “Though we are poor, we are not greedy children, right?”

    The boy named Hun Qian scratched his head, then sat down properly, his back straight. “Right!”

    Qiebi Li laughed. He took a sugar pellet from his pocket and offered it to the boy. Hun Qian shook his head, saying he wasn’t hungry or tempted. Qiebi Li smiled, “You’re a good boy, so this is a gift for you. You can eat it.”

    The young Khan watched happily as the Tiele boy accepted the sugar pellet. He held it in his palm, carefully licking it, a happy smile spreading across his face. “It’s sweet, Khan, so sweet!”

    Qiebi Li nodded with a smile, but sadness flickered in his eyes. Yet, he remained seated upright, like a red willow from the Western Regions, like the rocks of the Western Regions, until he saw a young man approaching. Then he stood, took two steps forward, and bowed deeply: “You have arrived. I am Qiebi Ge, son of Mohe Duotele, grandson of the Mohe Khan of the Tiele tribe. I thank you for your kindness.” He formally stated the names of his grandfather and father, emphasizing the gravity of his gratitude.

    Li Guanyi helped him up. Qiebi Li grinned, patted the child beside him, and said: “This child was rescued yesterday. The Western Regions are far away, and the officials handling the matter, knowing I was here, came to ask me. They said they had cleared out some evildoers and rescued the child.”

    “They said that under the feet of the Sage Emperor, all evil will be brought to justice.”

    “I thanked them. Only after I returned did the child tell me that it wasn’t those people who saved him. They merely took credit for your actions to boast to me.”

    Hun Qian, smiling, said: “Thank you, big brother, for saving me.”

    “Those bad guys said they would steal your credit and get the Khan to speak well of them to get promoted. But they didn’t know, I heard them clearly!” He raised his eyebrows triumphantly.

    Qiebi Li said: “I’ve come to thank you today and invite you to have a meal at my place.”

    Li Guanyi readily agreed, to Qiebi Li’s delight. They didn’t go to the official government guesthouse. Though poor, he was still a Khan of the Tiele, and the court was generous, providing him with a whole courtyard and ample provisions. However, Qiebi Li said that entertaining Li Guanyi at the Emperor’s guesthouse would be a disservice.

    “You saved the children of our Tiele. I cannot repay kindness with ingratitude.”

    As he spoke, the young Khan smiled, his eyes displaying the cunning and intelligence of a Western Regions fox, and the composure of a lion. He led Li Guanyi to a somewhat dilapidated courtyard.

    Other children were there. A large pot was set up in the courtyard, bubbling with chunks of meat, the aroma already filling the air. The children were thin, their clothes clinging to their bodies, revealing their ribs in the breeze.

    Li Guanyi didn’t see his donkey.

    Qiebi Li smiled, pointed at the meat in the pot, and said heartily: “There’s nothing much to eat, and we don’t have enough money. The officials here said they would give me gifts, but I think that thanking a benefactor shouldn’t involve accepting things from others. This donkey, he carried me so far, and now he must be slaughtered to treat you.”

    Li Guanyi recalled Qiebi Li’s previous words. “Wasn’t this donkey provided by the elders of your tribe? You’re going to eat it like this?”

    Qiebi Li replied: “Precisely because it was provided by the elders, it should be used to thank you. It’s as if our elders and countrymen are all together treating you to a piece of meat. Come, meet your benefactor.”

    He gently patted the children around him. They looked different, from various tribes, Li Guanyi realized. Qiebi Li said: “The nine Tiele clans: Huihe, Pugu, Tongluo, Hun, Sijie, Banyagu, Qie, Abushi, and Guluwugusi.”

    “I am the Khan of the Qie clan, and Hun Qian is from the Hun clan.”

    “Though they aren’t from my tribe, they live in the same Western Regions under the Tiele banner. We all live hard lives, and we often fight among ourselves. But no matter how great the conflict, we cannot abandon children in peril.”

    “Their children are also our children.”

    Qiebi Li smiled, pointed at the pot, and had the children bring a bowl of sauce, vinegar, spring onions, and coriander. Then, using large chopsticks, he served a piece of skin-on meat boiled in water with ginger. “This is how we eat it in our region. The good meat is boiled, and then dipped in the sauce.”

    “It’s not as refined as the food in Jiangnan, please try it.”

    Li Guanyi took the meat, and under everyone’s gaze, dipped it in the sauce and put it in his mouth. It had an earthy, gamey smell. Under the Tiele people’s watchful eyes, he ate the meat, then smiled, “More?”

    The children laughed, and Qiebi Li nodded. They began to share the food, carefully sipping the broth before eating the meat. It was a taste that people from the Central Plains wouldn’t like; the donkey hadn’t been properly bled or prepared, and the cooking wasn’t refined. The meat had a lingering gamey smell, but they ate as if they were savoring the most delicious food, their eyes shining. Li Guanyi looked at the young Khan, who smiled. “To be able to save these children before leaving Chen, I can account for it to our elders.”

    Li Guanyi asked, “You’re leaving?”

    Qiebi Li nodded. “The Emperor invited me to stay, promising me a noble title and a princess, but he didn’t say how he would bring my people to the border of the Central Plains. The Tangxiang prince and the Western Regions Living Buddha are also planning to stay.”

    Li Guanyi lowered his gaze. He knew the Emperor’s calculations and had realized from the beginning that Qiebi Li wouldn’t get what he hoped for. Still, he wished for this young man’s wishes to come true.

    Qiebi Li said: “Chen’s officials asked if I wanted to stay, saying the Western Regions are cold and poor, unlike here, where there are beautiful women and gold, and life without worries.”

    “Jiangnan, the Central Plains… it’s so good.”

    “Even I think the meat I liked most as a child, with its gamey smell… the wind here is good, the water and grass are good. Even the wind carries the scent of water. The willows sway, the girls are beautiful, but…”

    The young Khan sat among the children, patting his saber, his smile quiet.

    “It’s spring, the grass in the Western Regions will sprout. When it covers the land, there will be purple flowers. When the wind blows, the grass bends. The rivers of my homeland flow like gold.”

    “The cattle and sheep are waiting to be grazed. It’s time to go herding.”

    “That is my true home.”

    Li Guanyi asked, “Why didn’t you come to me?”

    Qiebi Li thought for a moment. “…It’s not a simple matter. If I came to you, wouldn’t it cause you trouble? Wouldn’t it make the Sage Emperor wary of you?”

    Li Guanyi closed his eyes. “Do you have pen and paper?”

    Qiebi Li said, “There’s no need…”

    Li Guanyi tore off a piece of his robe.

    Qiebi Li was silent. He wasn’t a fool. Looking at the young man, his lips trembled. Li Guanyi picked up a piece of firewood from the cooking pot, sharpened it on the ground into a makeshift pen, and wrote on his robe. Then he called Hun Qian.

    “Go back to where you found me. Give this to a man who likes salted peanuts. His name is Zhao Dabing. You can ask him for a large handful of salted peanuts. Then, have Zhao Dabing send this to the Seventh Prince of the Turkic Empire, a handsome man who looks like a beautiful woman.”

    The Seventh Prince of the Turkic Empire held sway over a vast expanse of grassland in the Western Regions. He wanted to establish independence from his father, the renowned Divine General. Therefore, he hoped to secure a trade route through the Xue family. After the Seventh Prince ‘rescued’ Li Guanyi from Yu Qianfeng, negotiations had begun. The route from the Xue family to the Turkic Empire passed through the Western Regions. Even a hint of this matter would be enough to support thousands of Tiele households.

    The boy happily ran off.

    Li Guanyi watched his back, then turned to the Tiele Khan, looking at the saber at his waist. “That’s a Tiele saber, isn’t it?”

    Li Guanyi said, “Let’s spar?”

    Qiebi Li paused. “I’m stronger than you.”

    Li Guanyi smiled. “Just a test of technique, how about it?”

    Qiebi Li took a deep breath, a hearty smile appearing on his face. “Good!” He unsheathed his saber, but kept it in its scabbard. Li Guanyi drew his sword, pointing it at the Khan. The children scattered.

    Wearing dirty clothes, they sat, holding bowls, stuffing meat into their mouths, and sucking their fingers.

    Qiebi Li’s saber pointed at the young man. He touched the ancient wolf-tooth pendant around his neck. Without revealing his true strength, he said softly, “Be careful.”

    The young man smiled.

    Li Guanyi leaped lightly, his movements swift. Qiebi Li was startled. This was—!!!

    In an instant, the young man’s movements shifted from stillness to explosive action. In a flash, he closed the distance, his sword still in its scabbard, but wielded like a saber. Qiebi Li moved, his saber meeting the attack.

    But in the clash of steel…

    *(Note: The sentence “无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看!” is likely a watermark or a placeholder unrelated to the story and is omitted in translation.)*

    The young man’s sword, like a saber, like a butterfly, followed the momentum of Qiebi Li’s blade, then Li Guanyi’s military maneuvers suddenly became incredibly nimble and light. In a turn, Li Guanyi retracted his sword, lightly scratching Qiebi Li’s back with his finger.

    Qiebi Li paused. He seemed to know what it was. This was the core of the five-hundred-year-old complete Golden Saber technique.

    He swept his saber.

    Li Guanyi’s ‘saber’ bounced off Qiebi Li’s blade, jumping and changing his stance, again using his finger to graze Qiebi Li. Qiebi Li loosened his restraint, his saber technique unfolding with precision and skill.

    But Li Guanyi had sparred with the Third Prince of Tiele more than once. He knew the core of the Golden Saber technique.

    Like a butterfly. Like the wind.

    The stronger Qiebi Li’s saber technique became, the more the butterfly-like movements adapted, like the wind over waves. Qiebi Li attacked rapidly, Li Guanyi countered rapidly; Qiebi Li slowed, Li Guanyi slowed, always shadowing his opponent, his swordsmanship exquisite and unparalleled.

    Qiebi Li suddenly retreated, his eyes bright, breathing heavily. “This is!!!”

    Li Guanyi stood still, holding his sword:

    “The Tiele Golden Saber technique.”

    “I’ve recently gained a deeper understanding of a certain principle. Only those who wield a blade have the right to speak of protection.”

    His eyes were calm as he looked at the Khan, raising his sword. He thought of Xue Lao’s teachings. The young man said softly, “Righteousness and spirit without force and the sharpness of a blade are insufficient.”

    “Qiebi Li, come.”

    “I know the true Tiele saber technique, and the Tiele cavalry tactics. You’re leaving, I won’t send you off, but I will teach you these things; time is short, how much you can remember is up to you.”

    The young man readily offered his help.

    He held his sword, thinking of the legends of swiftness found in historical records. In Qiebi Li’s eyes, he seemed to be radiating light. Li Guanyi held his sword, saying softly:

    “The King of Light Cavalry, buried in history—legend says his speed in battle was so fast that the opponent could not form a proper defense. He wore no armor, or only light armor, his body low to the horse’s back. In the clash of battle, he could sever his opponent’s throat with a single strike.”

    “Qiebi Li, I believe in you. The Golden Saber Cavalry will be reborn in your hands in this chaotic era.”

    “May you protect your people.”

    Qiebi Li held his saber, looking at the young man. “You—no, Li Guanyi—aren’t you afraid that after I learn these things, the Tiele light cavalry will become your future enemy? In this turbulent age, the Tiele tribe faces constant danger.”

    Li Guanyi calmly replied, “I will teach the Central Plains generals how to counter it.”

    “And, I’m still here.”

    “Most importantly, is Qiebi Li that kind of person?”

    Qiebi Li was silent for a long time, then laughed, laughing until tears streamed down his face. Then he took a long, deep breath.

    “You’re such a ‘fool’!!!”

    “But I will never be your enemy, never!”

    Qiebi Li raised his saber, softly saying:

    “I came to the Central Plains, saw the Sage Emperor, but received no help. I thought my time here was wasted, but now I realize I have fulfilled my purpose.”

    Qiebi Li raised his saber, looking at the young man, and the young Khan’s face once again showed the hearty, bold smile of their first meeting:

    “Come, enlighten me.”

    He charged forward, his saber cutting through the wind.

    But in his mind…

    This chaotic world was absurd. The nine Tiele clans were on the verge of extinction, but here, he finally encountered the opportunity the elders of his homeland spoke of. The Golden Saber Cavalry, the king of the world’s light cavalry, a forgotten name, would be remembered once more.

    The legend of their destruction at the hands of the Tu-ku-hun king, the strongest in the historical records. May you return to the battlefield. May you protect your people once more. May you once again ride across the battlefield!

    The young man calmly drew his sword, majestic and upright.

    The clang of steel resonated, swords and sabers danced.

    The carriage wheels spun rapidly. Hun Qian’s face was pale. Next to him, a man whose beauty surpassed even the most beautiful women of his tribe, gripped the reins, excitement shining in his eyes, a touch of uncanny purple in the deep black—purple eyes, black hair, pale skin; truly handsome.

    Po Jun’s carriage, with its superior speed—capable of outrunning the Tangxiang and Turkic pursuers on the grassland—left the garrison three streets behind, then rushed into the city and, guided by the Xue family, arrived at Li Guanyi’s courtyard.

    Po Jun felt elated.

    His master had summoned him.

    Hahaha, it’s a robe edict! He would pass this on, and when he became old, he would tell the next generation of Po Jun how great he was, how foolish and stupid the old fellows were.

    Hahaha, glorious, glorious.

    Yao Guang, Yao Guang, this is my fastest…

    He gasped, pushing open the courtyard doors, surveying the courtyard with a triumphant air, finding everything fitting for a king—even the whetstone, the pond to the side, and the white-haired girl appearing there…

    Hmm? Wait.

    White-haired girl?!!!

    Po Jun slowly looked up, seeing a silver-haired girl sitting quietly in the corner.

    Yao Guang.
    (End of Chapter)

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