At this moment, the hesitant Chanyu Consort chose to kneel. The Chanyu Consort! Humiliated beyond measure!
Time flew, and an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Beneath clouds that had already been gathering, a light rain began to fall. The drizzle fell steadily, and blood began to seep out from Li Aotian's silver tent; for a ten-meter radius around the Han Envoy's quarters, the scene was stained red.
Just then, a sudden thunderclap startled the members of the Han Envoy, and several envoys stepped out of their tents, curious.
"Why is it raining on such a fine day?"
"Indeed! It’s truly strange. Lord Nan, you should put on more clothes; the weather in Mobei is cold!"
As the envoys comforted one another, the deputy envoy, Nan Wujue, suddenly caught a strange scent. He stepped closer to Li Aotian's silver tent and was instantly stunned. The ground was covered in cold, bloody water, and more blood continued to flow from within, mixing with the rain falling from the sky.
Seeing this, Nan Wujue was scared half to death. He stepped back and cried out, "Something terrible has happened inside Lord Li's silver tent!"
"Oh no, has something happened to Lord Li?" the others shouted in shock. As they looked back, they saw the Xiongnu Grand Chanyu Yizhixie riding toward the Han Envoy's location at full speed. Surrounded by a group of Xiongnu officials, all of them stared with furrowed brows at the silver tent before them.
"Such a stench of blood! Has this Han Envoy, Li Aotian, truly committed such a massacre?"
"Men, go and find the Consort! You must find my woman!"
"Remember! Do not harm the Han Envoy! They are our honored guests." The Xiongnu Grand Chanyu Yizhixie waved his hand, issuing the order.
"Han Envoy! Where is your Lord Li Aotian? Call him out at once!" Having found no sign of the Chanyu Consort or the others nearby, the Grand Chanyu shouted at the remaining envoys.
Hearing this, the envoys turned their gazes toward the silver tent.
"Lord Li should be inside."
"There’s no light on inside. I wonder if Lord Li is sleeping with the Left Wise King's consort."
"This... the Xiongnu Grand Chanyu is asking us to find Lord Li. Would we be interrupting his good time?"
"You go!"
"No, you go!"
"Lord Nan, you have a good relationship with Lord Li; you should be the one to go."
Finally, Deputy Envoy Nan Wujue glared at them, sighed, and shook his head. "Fine, I’ll go in."
He walked over with heavy, dragging steps. After he knocked on the door, a voice came from within.
"Come in."
It was Li Aotian’s heavy, nasal tone. The deputy walked in and witnessed a sight that would shock him for the rest of his life. Li Aotian was sitting in his chair. Seeing this, the deputy was terrified.
"Lord Li, this is..."
"That is none of your concern!"
"But sir, how could you kill so many Xiongnu?"
"What? Are you saying that because these Golden Guards wanted to kill me, I shouldn't have fought back?"
"Yes..."
The deputy’s expression was complex. He thought to himself, what sins did these Golden Guards commit in their past lives to have provoked you?
A moment later, Chanyu Yizhixie and his ministers entered the silver tent. By the light of the lamps, they saw the bodies of the thirty-two Golden Guards Li Aotian had slaughtered. Everyone exploded with rage!
"He! He actually killed all thirty-two Golden Guards! This act is intolerable by the laws of heaven! If we Xiongnu do not kill him, how will we ever hold our heads high on the Mobei grasslands again?"
"Damn you, Han Envoy! How could you treat us Xiongnu this way?"
The Grand Chanyu’s expression turned deathly pale. Faced with such a situation, his face went green. What man could accept such humiliation?
"Han Envoy! Li Aotian! You have immense gall! I treated you like an honored guest; I coddled you like a father; I let the Xiongnu serve you like beasts of burden! Anything you wanted, I gave you!"
"But you cannot humiliate me like this!"
"You have opposed me time and time again! Do you want me to kill you? You bastard! I admit it, your methods are ruthless! You have successfully enraged me!"
The Xiongnu Grand Chanyu stepped forward, gripped Li Aotian’s sleeve, his eyes flickering with cold, murderous intent. He no longer intended to show restraint. He had been able to tolerate things before, cleaning up after Li Aotian wherever he went, but today, he could do it no longer. This man had touched his raw nerve.
Meanwhile, many of the Xiongnu officials looked grave. They had not expected things to reach such a point, nor that Li Aotian would be so arrogant. He was ruthless—a Han Envoy of unprecedented cruelty. This man was truly seeking an irreconcilable conflict with the Xiongnu royalty. He really wasn't afraid of being hacked to death!
***
At this same moment, in the tent of Prince Wuwei, the Left Wise King was drinking in gloom, waiting for news. Instead, he received news that filled him with rage, delivered by his personal guard, Tuohu.
"Lord Left Wise King! Something terrible has happened!"
Tuohu stumbled into the room, knocking over some of Wuwei’s belongings. Wuwei’s expression turned dark. "Do you not see I am drinking? What is the matter?"
"Left Wise King, all the Golden Guards sent to the envoys have been killed. All thirty-two of them! They were all slaughtered by Li Aotian!"
At these words, Wuwei flew into a rage. He stood up, smashed his wine cup into pieces, drew his blade, and stormed out of the room, roaring, "How arrogant! Tonight, I will see you dead!"
Soon, Wuwei arrived at Li Aotian’s silver tent. He saw the thirty-two Golden Guards lying dead and witnessed Li Aotian’s arrogant and overbearing expression. Why? Why had things come to this? All he wanted was to find his woman! What wrong had he done? Damn this Han Envoy! Was heaven sent to torment him?
Such humiliation pushed Wuwei’s blood pressure to the limit. He glanced back and saw that his father also wore a cold, murderous expression, seemingly ready to order a killing. His father was so angry that he no longer needed to restrain himself! He would kill this Han Envoy, Li Aotian!
Then, Li Aotian’s words made it impossible for Wuwei to hold back any longer.
"Oh! The Left Wise King is here, too!"
"Well? Seeing this scene, can you still keep your cool?"