Thirty-six Dragon City [7700 additional updates]

  In the summer of May 20th, Han Jiunian, Han's envoy Liu Jing led the Princess of Wusun to leave Yunzhong and travel through the lush grasslands of Xiongnu, arriving at Longcheng.

  "Princess," Liu Jing drove the horse-drawn carriage alongside and reported, "We've arrived."

  In an instant, the beautiful face of Liu Danru was covered with a layer of deathly pale complexion, her slender hands trembled slightly, and the palm couldn't hold onto the curtain, which fell down, covering her gentle and beautiful face.

  "Princess," Liu Jing's heart was as hard as iron and stone, seeing this scene also couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, he comforted her with all his might, "You are the legitimate princess of the Great Han, properly appointed and registered, in Xiongnu, except for Modu Chanyu, no one would dare to offend you?"

  After a long time, a weak voice came from behind the curtain, "Is it?" The sound was as melodious as the song of an oriole, but at the same time, it was also as fragile and trembling as that of an oriole.

  Early summer in May is the season when the Huns' water and grass are lush, with deep green grass that can reach the belly of a fine horse. The three hundred armored soldiers who had traveled long distances from Chang'an to the Dragon City of the Xiongnu were already exhausted, and those who had been majestic and brilliant in Chang'an suddenly found themselves in the vast and endless grasslands, like tiny drops of water in a river that were hardly noticeable.

  The silent and reticent Han family's young master escorted Princess Pingyang and her entourage all the way to the outer city gate of Longcheng, made of heavy wood. From the watchtower above, two Xiongnu guards with curved knives at their waists and braids tied up came down to greet them, sizing them up and saying, "Is this really the princess of the Han family?"

  The thick, dark brown woven curtain obscured Liu Danru's face, but it couldn't give her much sense of security. The curtain blocked the prying eyes of the Xiongnu people, but it couldn't block out the loud laughter. The barbaric Xiongnu man spoke in an unfamiliar Xiongnu language, a tone she had never heard before, loud and unpretentious, though she didn't understand the meaning, she instinctively felt no respect at all, not even a hint of praise. Finally, they switched to Han Chinese and said lazily, "You wait here, I'll go in and report to the Chanyu."

  The Huns customarily gather at Dragon City every May to worship their ancestors, the gods of heaven and earth, and the spirits. Now, within Dragon City, it is a sea of joy, countless Huns wearing animal skin leather armor, braiding their hair, hand in hand forming circles, singing loudly in praise:

  "Carrying a plow for a long time,"

  Covering my vast land.

  Eagle soaring high

  Clouds fly for ten thousand miles, vast and boundless.

  Dragon City is as bright as the sun and moon.

  The sun and moon shine on me alone.

  In the singing voice, 27-year-old Modu Chanyu sat on the throne above the crowd and stood up to wave his hand.

  Then all the singing and laughing Xiongnu people, who were competing in horse racing and archery, fell silent, looking up at their great Khan Modu, who was as majestic as a heavenly palace on the grasslands.

  Modun smiled proudly, waved his hand in a shooting gesture, slowly pulled the "bowstring" to full moon, and suddenly released the "arrow" from his hand, and everyone cheered in unison.

  "May I be blessed with a long and prosperous life as the ruler of the Xiongnu." Modu looked up at the sky.

  "May I be blessed with longevity and good fortune."

  "May I be blessed with longevity and good fortune."

  In the midst of the Huns' thunderous shouting, the Han envoys entered the earthen city in a file, like camels rushing into a pack of wolves, instantly engulfed by the sea of Huns.

  "Is this the new queen?" A 12 or 13-year-old Xiongnu boy stepped forward, bowed to the sedan chair and said in a loud and clear voice, "The queen is invited to get off the carriage. The Chanyu ordered you to enter the tent to rest."

  "Lord Liu," in the carriage, Liu Danru suddenly let out a sharp cry and trembled with fear.

  All the way, she had rarely seen Liu Jing, but unconsciously took her as her last stronghold. Now that the stronghold was about to be lost, the weak woman looked around in dismay, unsure of what lay ahead.

  Liu Jing did not respond to her words for the time being. He led his horse and stood at the forefront of the Han envoys, his gaze meeting that of Modun on the high platform from afar. Modun's eyes were scrutinizing yet mysterious, and due to his elevated position, they seemed even more profound and sinister. This absolute ruler of the grasslands was like a lone, fierce, and resolute wolf king.

  After a moment, Modun turned his gaze, laughed loudly and drank up the wine in the cup with the kings under him.

  This is a bloodthirsty wolf, Liu Jing shuddered, his throne was stained with dark blood. He stepped on the fresh blood of his relatives to ascend to the throne, and became the king of this nation that revered bravery.

  At this moment, Liu Jing wanted to maintain the dignity of the great Han Dynasty. He turned his head and said to the Xiongnu boy, "The one sitting in the carriage is my great Han Princess Pingyang, since the marriage ceremony has not been completed, she is still a princess of my great Han and should be with me, the envoy of my great Han."

  "But," Tong Gong blinked his eyes, innocent and yet unyieldingly stubborn, "this is what the Chanyu ordered, the new queen will rest in the side tent."

  The words of Modu Chanyu were the will of God on the steppes, and were carried out without any doubt. Liu Jing reluctantly came to realize this point - in the eyes of the Xiongnu Chanyu, there was no dignity of the Great Han whatsoever; when you offer your best daughter and a multitude of treasures, what makes you think they will care about your prestige?

  False dignity.

  Liu Jing could not bear it and said to Che Zhongdan, "Your Highness does not have to panic, just go with them. Someone will take care of you."

  Liu Danru then knew that the last barrier was also weak, but what she didn't know was that Liu Jing wasn't necessarily weak, he just thought it wasn't worth confronting the Xiongnu for her sake.

  In any case, she was destined to be Modu Chanyu's queen.

  The maid lifted the curtain of the carriage, and Dan Ru stepped down from it. The 17-year-old young woman from the Han family wore a deep black dress with a curved hem, gentle and peaceful like a silent black lotus, slowly falling onto the vast and rugged green grassland. In an instant, countless eyes of Xiongnu men and women turned to this side, whistling in their mouths. Half of them admired the unique beauty of Princess Han, different from the robust beauty of the grassland women, while the other half ridiculed her weakness. The girls on the grasslands grew up on horseback since childhood, able to doze off on the back of a galloping horse as soon as they were born, and could skillfully ride a fine horse around their homes at the age of five or six. How could this southern woman compare? She couldn't even get out of the carriage without using a stool. No wonder the Han people were weak and unable to withstand the cavalry of the grasslands.

  "Timiroona," a clear male voice called out from afar, summoning his sister's name.

  "Hey," the Hun girl, who was meticulously combing the mane of a tall white pony, turned around, shaking her long, shiny hair, which was braided into two thick pigtails. Under the white fox fur hat, the otter-fur trimmed earflaps clung to her skin, and although the 8- or 9-year-old girl's face still looked childish, it already showed a stunning beauty, with eyebrows and eyes that seemed like the yanzhi flowers (a plant used for making rouge in the Qin and Han dynasties) blooming vigorously on Mount Qi.

  Wang Tingda rushed over, laughing and saying, "The princess of the Han family has arrived, do you want to go take a look?" He was over twenty years old, with a bright smile that revealed a set of white teeth, and his body had a thick, grassy scent.

  "Oh? Really." Timirona blinked her big eyes, smiled and turned back, patting the restless colt, "Okay, I'll go after I've groomed Chasing Snow."

  "Arte, you're really impossible," Quan complained, "Chasing after Snow can be done at any time, but that Princess of the Han Dynasty is rarely seen."

  "What's the hurry?" said Timirina. "Do today's work today and finish one thing before starting another."

  "Whatever," said the magpie, waving his hand in a lackluster manner. "You don't have to go see her, I'll go first. I've heard that all the Han family daughters are made of water, and I'm going to feast my eyes." He spun around in circles with Timirnova in his arms, completely ignoring her shrieks, and planted a kiss on her cheek before putting her down and running off without looking back. Timirnova touched the spot where she had just been kissed and let out a snort of laughter.

  "Is that your sister?" Murong returned to the top of the platform when Mo Dun was putting down the wine cup in his hand and asked casually.

  "Yes." He sat behind Modun's right hand, looking up with a proud smile, "Her name is Temiruna, she is my younger sister of the same mother, and she is nine years old this year."

  "Very beautiful," Murton lowered his head, turned the wine cup in his hand and praised, "Maybe after a few more years, the title of 'Grassland's First Beauty' should be handed over to someone else."

  He laughed and showed a mouthful of white teeth, lifted the wine jug to pour a full cup in front of him, raised his head and gulped it down. "Zuo Xian's family is already thirty years old, while A-Ti is still young. When she grows up, the former prairie beauty will be old. Speaking of beauties," he wiped the wine from his face with his sleeve, and glanced at Modun with a sly look, "did you see that Han princess just now?"

  "Not at all." Mo Dun grunted, "Women are just like that. On the other hand, we need to be more careful with that Han Dynasty envoy."

  "What a pity," said Qu Gudu with a smile, "When she got off the car, I happened to take a glance, tsk tsk tsk, she's really a beauty made of water. You're in luck tonight, Kepler."

  Note 1: The historical records of the Xiongnu are not detailed, so it is impossible to find the birth and death years of Modu. However, based on my own aesthetic requirements, I have reduced his age by a lot. If calculated according to this age, he should be only sixteen or seventeen years old when he overthrew his father and took the throne for himself——

  Wiping sweat, I know this is no good, humble and admit mistakes, die without regret.

  2: The title of the Xiongnu Chanyu is not the same as his name. For example, the successor to Modun was Old Yu Chanyu, whose personal name was Jiyu. I think Modun should be a title, but I couldn't find Modun's name, so I randomly assigned one.

  At this time, the Xiongnu should be in the period of formation of the noble class. In addition to the Chanyu's clan, the Xiongnu had three major aristocratic lineages. The family of Temüjin belonged to one of them, the Shulan clan.

  Applause and pink tickets welcome the second female lead of this book on stage.