Chapter 138: King Batu

"Batu, even as a king of the Han people, at a critical moment of life and death, you can choose to seek asylum with the Turks. After all, as the Han people say, 'As long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood.' Only if you survive will you have the chance to restore your kingdom. This will not affect your legitimacy as a Han ruler. Once our Turkic army defeats these Han forces and reclaims the Kingdom of Gaochang, you can still serve as its king. But if you die, there will be nothing left," the Turk, wearing a traditional nomadic cap, urged.

"Uncle, I understand what you mean. But before I came here, Prince Huru told me that a king who has lost his kingdom in defeat can indeed stabilize the domestic situation quickly after restoration, but a dead king can more effectively stir up hatred against the Han people in the Western Regions. In other words, in Prince Huru’s eyes, a dead king is more valuable than a living one.

"Therefore, even if I manage to break through the encirclement of these Han forces and escape back to the Turks, Prince Huru would find a way to make me die at the hands of the Han. Since I chose to become the King of Gaochang by ignoring Prince Huru's advice and acting on my own, I have no way back. Moreover, if I die here today, perhaps it will satisfy Prince Huru’s intentions, and if it secures more benefits for my family, then my death will not have been in vain. I will stay here and accompany the Kingdom of Gaochang until the very end. Uncle, you should leave through the secret passage now, return to the Turkic camp, and tell Prince Huru that I have died in battle." Batu smiled, then sighed and shook his head.

"You, you! Batu, how can you be so stubborn? Sigh, very well. Everyone has the right to choose their own destiny. Since you are so determined to take this path, I will not stand in your way. Rest assured, even if Prince Huru does not treat your family well, I will do my utmost to ensure they live a better life." Seeing that he could not persuade Batu, the Turk gritted his teeth. He flicked his sleeve and ducked into the secret passage within the palace, escaping the encirclement of the Western Regions Army and fleeing westward alone in haste.

Watching his uncle leave Gaochang, Batu rose from his seat, summoned his remaining strength, and spoke to those outside the door: "Someone, attend to me and help me change."

On the other side, atop the walls of Gaochang, which had already been captured by the Western Regions Army, a Night Owl messenger sprinted from outside the city. Upon reaching the ramparts, he whispered a few words into Zhang Juntai’s ear. Hearing this, Zhang Juntai hurried down from the wall, opened the city gate, and saw Li Wenyuan standing not far away. Zhang Juntai quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Chief, why have you risked your life to come to the front lines? You previously said I did not understand how to use those advanced weapons, so what is the meaning of this visit?"

Li Wenyuan waved his hand, dismounted, and grasped Zhang Juntai’s hand. "Juntai, let me ask you. Now that the palace of Gaochang is about to be taken, do you know who the King of Gaochang is?"

"The King of Gaochang? Isn't it Qu Boren, who took the throne through a palace coup not long ago?" Zhang Juntai looked at Li Wenyuan with confusion, wondering why he was asking this suddenly.

"I know his name is Qu Boren, but do you know his true identity?"

"This... I am afraid I do not know. But it does not matter. Once our army captures the palace and seizes the king, we will naturally know his true identity then," Zhang Juntai replied, shaking his head.

"I knew you wouldn't know who is inside. Lead the way; take me to the front lines of the siege, and I will explain it to you on the way."

With no other choice, Zhang Juntai led the way. Surrounded by guards, Li Wenyuan headed toward the front lines. On the way, he organized his thoughts and explained to Zhang Juntai why he was insistent on coming to the front.

That day, Li Wenyuan had been in his headquarters reviewing the military report from Zhang Juntai, which stated that the naturalized army led by Muler had annihilated a forward Turkic contingent and captured all territories within Gaochang, leaving only the city itself unconquered. Just then, Qiuniang hurried in, not even bothering to knock. "Chief, we have discovered the true identity of Qu Boren."

Li Wenyuan was naturally curious. "Tell me then, what is his true identity?"

"After careful investigation by our Night Owls and bribing some people within the palace, we have reached this conclusion: 'Qu Boren' is a pseudonym. He used the Turks to launch a palace coup and usurp the throne from Qu Boya. Since his ascension, he has vigorously ostracized the Han people in Gaochang and brought in many previously suppressed nomadic people. We inferred that he might be a nomad himself, perhaps even a Turk.

"We followed this lead, and our intelligence officers far away in the Western Turkic court found a clue: before the coup, one of Ashina Huru’s guards went missing without explanation. Furthermore, after the coup, Ashina Huru’s previously marginalized political position mysteriously began to recover. Therefore, we conclude that the coup was supported and planned by Ashina Huru. Because of this achievement, Huru returned to the center of Turkic politics. Chief, do you know who that missing guard was?" Qiuniang revealed all the intelligence she had gathered but left the final name as a mystery, looking at Li Wenyuan with bright, expectant eyes.

"One of Huru’s guards... could it be?" Li Wenyuan looked at her with disbelief.

"Chief, you guessed right. It is Batu."

"Chief, you are saying this 'Qu Boren' is actually Batu, a guard under Ashina Huru—the same Turkic spy we captured in the Western Regions a few years ago?" Zhang Juntai asked, filled with curiosity.

"Yes, it is him. That is why I rushed here. It is not that I distrust your abilities, but I wanted to see if I could win over this Turkic man who possesses both strength and talent. After all, one cannot rely solely on force to stabilize a country."