Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Chapter 1600 The True Purpose of the Xiongnu

Honglu Temple.

The main room where Luan Di Yi Tu was located had its doors and windows tightly closed.

He wasn't wearing the aristocratic attire that signified his status; instead, he wore only a simple dark brown leather robe and sat cross-legged on a low couch covered with felt, with a roughly drawn map of the northern frontier spread out in front of him.

But at this moment, his gaze was not on the map, but on an inconspicuous gray-clad man kneeling before the bed.

The man in gray was dressed as a common Han Chinese, with an ordinary face, easily lost in a crowd. Only his eyes, occasionally flashing with a sharp light in the dim light, revealed that he was no ordinary person.

He was one of the spy chiefs whom Luan Di Yi Tu had planted deep within the Great Zhou in his early years, codenamed "Grey Falcon".

"how?"

Luan Di Yi Tu spoke, asking in the Xiongnu language, "I have been in the capital for several days now. Have you found any news about that thing?"

Grey Falcon lowered its head, its voice low and menacing: "Your Highness, please forgive me..."

“We have been investigating day and night without the slightest slackening. But… the clues to that thing are really elusive. The Great Zhou court is keeping this a closely guarded secret, and there are probably very few people who know about it, and it must be a top secret.”

Luan Di Yi Tu's brow bulged slightly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "Piao Miao?"

"On the northern frontier battlefield, when my Xiongnu warriors were blown to pieces by that thing, it was not an illusion at all."

"That kind of deafening roar and flash of fire, with the power to tear men and horses apart from dozens of steps away! Tell me, is that what you call ethereal?"

The grey falcon lowered its body even further: "Your Highness is wise!"

"It is precisely because that thing is so powerful that the Great Zhou Dynasty has kept it hidden so well."

"After making inquiries from various sources, we have only vaguely learned that at a critical juncture in last year's war, the Great Zhou army seemed to have suddenly acquired a batch of special military equipment."

"They are escorted by trusted imperial confidants and sent directly to the front lines. The soldiers are all handpicked elite warriors who operate in separate teams, acting in secrecy and withdrawing immediately after use, without mixing with ordinary troops."

"The soldiers who miraculously survived on the battlefield only said they heard a deafening roar like the wrath of Thor and saw flames and smoke. No one could see what it was, and no one knew its name..."

Luan Di Yi Tu remained silent.

Thor was enraged, and flames and smoke erupted.

This description matches the intelligence reported from the battlefield.

That thing didn't resemble a bow and arrow, nor a catapult; it was more like... a demonic technique that imprisoned thunder and fire and then released them instantly.

No, it can't be sorcery.

The people of the Great Zhou were skilled in craftsmanship and extraordinary techniques; it must be some kind of terrifying weapon they had ever developed!

It was those thunderous weapons that completely turned the tide of battle in several key battles, shattering the Hunnic cavalry's most prized charging formation.

This also shattered Luan Di Yi Tu's plan for a swift victory and plunder of the border. It forced the Chanyu to send an envoy, forcing him to sit in the Honglu Temple and engage in perfunctory talks with the Great Zhou regarding border markets, annual tribute, and marriage alliances!

While superficial negotiations and transactions were important to Luan Di Yi Tu, they were not his primary objective for this trip.

He personally risked his life to come deep into the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, his most important mission being to find out the details of that weapon.

What exactly is it?

How are they manufactured? Where are they stored?

How much of the Great Zhou Dynasty is left?

Is it possible to obtain, even just the remains or the recipe?

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

The Xiongnu cannot afford to be defeated by mysterious weapons again.

"Keep checking!"

Luan Di Yi Tu coldly said, "Don't just focus on the Ministry of War and the Ordnance Bureau, those obvious places."

"Such a secret, Nangong Xuanyu might not hand it over to those government offices. Think about it, what other places or people in the Great Zhou might be involved? For example... the palace?"

After a moment's thought, Grey Falcon replied, "Your Highness is wise!"

"I also suspected something in the palace. But the palace is heavily guarded, making it extremely difficult to investigate."

"I've only heard that... there seems to be a palace garden in the palace where a disgraced concubine is imprisoned. It was once under strict lockdown, with guards strictly guarding it, and no one was allowed to get close."

"But the specific details are hard to find out. Moreover, the deposed concubine is said to behave strangely, sometimes crazy and sometimes insane, so she should be unrelated to this matter."

A disgraced and deposed concubine?

A glint of light flashed in Luan Di Yi Tu's eyes.

The more impossible a place seems, the more secrets it often holds.

Why would a concubine who has fallen out of favor and is imprisoned need to be guarded by a large number of soldiers?

Is it just to prevent her from going crazy and causing trouble?

"Find a way to investigate that deposed concubine."

Luan Di Yi Tu instructed: "Be careful, it's better to be slow than to expose yourself."

"Furthermore, have any of the artisans in the Great Zhou who are skilled in alchemy and fire manipulation been suddenly conscripted or disappeared? Are there any unusual purchases of sulfur or saltpeter among the common people?"

"No clue, however small, can be overlooked!"

Grey Falcon solemnly replied, "Yes!"

"besides……"

Luan Di Yi Tu's gaze returned to the map of the northern frontier, his finger pointing to several locations where attacks by mysterious weapons had occurred, adding, "Investigate the Great Zhou army, where did that special unit that used this item go after the war? Was it disbanded, or did it go into hiding?"

"If we could find even one of their generals or soldiers, we might be able to break through their defenses!"

Grey Falcon replied, "Understood!"

Luan Di Yi Tu waved his hand: "Go."

"Yes!"

Just as it had arrived, the gray falcon retreated silently, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Luan Di Yi Tu slowly closed his eyes, but the tragic scene on the northern frontier battlefield reappeared in his mind.

The charging cavalry fell amidst a sudden, deafening roar and flashes of light; the mournful neighing of their horses and the furious roars of their warriors were swallowed up by the terrifying explosion…

That was the most bizarre and devastating blow the Xiongnu cavalry had suffered in decades!

We must get that mysterious weapon!

Or... destroy it completely!

Did the Great Zhou emperor think that he could appease the Xiongnu and buy them time to recuperate with a princess and a few terms? He greatly underestimated Luan Di Yi Tu.

A marriage alliance could be negotiated, and warhorses could be provided, but the secret hidden deep within, capable of unleashing thunderous power, was the true objective of his journey.

Luan Di Yi Tu opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing!

The verbal sparring at the negotiating table is merely a cover.

Their prey was the unknown, terrifying weapon that allowed the Great Zhou to turn the tide of the war.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

The emperor called out, "Li Changde."

Li Changde immediately stepped forward and said, "This servant is here!"

Nangong Xuanyu succinctly stated: "Summon the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and his son to an audience."

"Yes."

Li Changde bowed and withdrew.

Before long, steady footsteps could be heard outside the hall.

The Marquis of Zhongyong and his son, both with solemn expressions, strode in.

Although the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor was over fifty years old, his back was as straight as a pine tree, his steps were powerful and vigorous, and his eyes had a sharp and restrained glint.

Zhou Yuxi lagged half a step behind, her posture upright, her brows bearing the sharpness honed by the harshness of the northern frontier. However, a faint shadow hung over her eyes, indicating she hadn't had a good night's sleep recently.