On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Chapter 1037 The Experiences of the Sun Family's Orphan

Upon hearing the name "Murong Yan," Kong Zhiqian's fear was instantly replaced by immense hatred. He raised his head, his eyes burning with a resentment beyond his years.

Ashina Luo saw his reaction and understood.

He patted Kong Zhiqian on the shoulder: "Come with me, kid. The Northern Desert Royal Court has a place for you. There, you can survive, and even have the chance to become powerful."

And so, Kong Zhiqian followed Ashina Luo's caravan northward, traversing the vast Gobi Desert and grasslands.

The journey was extremely arduous, with wind, snow, sandstorms, and hunger constantly threatening their lives.

But the physical torment paled in comparison to the agony of hatred in his heart. He was no longer an innocent child; the bloodshed and destruction of his family had rapidly matured him.

He was taciturn, eagerly learning the language and customs of the northern desert from the caravan, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

Along the way, he heard countless people in the caravan, as well as the people from the northern deserts he later met, talking about "Murong Yan from the south" and "Lin Zhen" in a contemptuous or hateful tone, discussing the wealth and "weakness" of the Holy Emblem.

Every time he heard those two names, it was like rubbing salt into the wounds in his heart, but it also made his goals even clearer.

Finally, after months of arduous travel, the caravan arrived at the heart of the Northern Kingdom—a massive city built on the vast grasslands.

Looking at the tent city before him, so different from Qufu and Chang'an, full of ruggedness and wild power, and at the fierce-looking warriors of the northern desert riding horses, Kong Zhiqian clenched his fists tightly.

"Murong Yan, Lin Zhen." Standing in the cold wind of the northern desert, he swore an oath in a voice only he could hear, "I, Kong Zhiqian, swear to the Eternal Heaven! As long as I have a breath left, I will borrow the power of the northern desert to crush the Holy Emblem, drink your blood, and offer it as a sacrifice to the spirits of my entire Kong family in heaven!"

......

In Dragon City, where the Northern Desert Royal Court is located, the north wind is already biting and the grass is withered and yellow.

Under the introduction and "protection" of the merchant Ashina Luo, Kong Zhiqian has spent several months in this land that is completely different from his bloodline.

Like a seedling forcibly transplanted, he grew tenaciously and silently in a harsh environment at a distorted pace.

The fear and helplessness of the past have been deliberately polished into a hard, icy shell, encasing the burning fire of hatred within.

Ashina Luo settled him in an inconspicuous felt tent and did not rush to introduce him to high-ranking officials. Instead, he had him work as a servant with the caravan, learn the language, and familiarize himself with the survival rules of the northern desert.

Kong Zhiqian displayed remarkable forbearance and adaptability. He worked silently and eagerly learned everything that could make him stronger—archery, wrestling, and even the rough drinking style of the people of the northern desert.

His thin frame seemed to harbor a ravenous wolf eager to devour everything.

However, his status as a descendant of the Confucius family, and the deep-seated hatred he represented with the powerful empire in the south, destined him to be unable to remain hidden in the streets forever.

Soon, the news spread like wildfire across the grasslands, reaching the inner circle of the royal court.

On this day, Ashina Luo arrived at Kong Zhiqian's tent with a solemn expression.

At this moment, Kong Zhiqian was repeatedly polishing a short dagger with a rough whetstone, his eyes focused and cold.

"Zhiqian," Ashina Luo rarely used such a formal form of address, "pack your things and come with me to see someone."

Kong Zhiqian raised his head, a hint of wariness flashing in his dark eyes: "Who are you seeing?"

Ashina Luo lowered his voice, his excitement and awe barely concealed: "It is the Left Wise King, His Highness Uwei. He has heard of your origins and wishes to see you in person."

Left Wise King Uwei was one of the most powerful royal families under the Great Khan of the Northern Desert, in charge of foreign conquests and diplomacy, and was known for his bravery and ambition.

Kong Zhiqian's heart skipped a beat; he knew that the moment that would decide his fate had perhaps arrived.

He put down the dagger and silently straightened the old scholar's robe he was wearing, which had been washed until it was faded but still showed signs of its original exquisite tailoring. This was the only piece of clothing he had brought from Qufu that was still wearable, and it was also a symbol of his status, even though it was out of place with his surroundings.

The Left Wise King's golden-roofed tent was luxurious yet rugged, and the air was filled with the aroma of milk wine and roasted meat.

Uvi sat on a throne covered with a complete tiger skin. He was about forty years old, with a rugged face and sharp eyes like a hawk, sizing up the young man who had been brought in, who was still rather thin.

"You're Kong Wenbo's son?" Uwe's voice was loud and clear, with a condescending scrutiny.

Kong Zhiqian took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his nervousness, straightened his still immature spine, and answered in the already quite fluent Northern Mongolian language, his voice clear and steady: "Replying to the Left Wise King, I am Kong Zhiqian, a descendant of a sinful subject."

A flicker of surprise crossed Uvi's eyes, seemingly not expecting the young man to be so composed. "A disgraced official?"

He repeated the word with amusement.

"As far as I know, it was your Holy Empress who slaughtered your entire family. What crime did she commit?"

Kong Zhiqian's fist clenched suddenly inside his sleeve, his nails digging deep into his palm, but he tried his best to maintain a calm expression:

"For a father and elder brother to assassinate the ruler is disloyal; to bring war upon one's own family is unwise. The calamity of the Confucius family originated from within itself. However,"

He abruptly changed the subject, raised his head, and met Uvi's gaze. The hatred in his eyes could no longer be completely concealed. "Murong Yan has been ruthless and exterminated my entire clan. This is an irreconcilable enmity!"

Looking at the boy's eyes, filled with a hatred so incongruous with his age, a hatred that seemed to have been coated with poison, Uvi felt no displeasure; instead, he burst into laughter.

"Good! What an irreconcilable sworn enemy! I admire people with guts! Even a tender sprout, as long as it harbors hatred, can grow into a wolf that tears its prey apart!"

He stood up, walked up to Kong Zhiqian, and his massive figure exuded a strong sense of oppression: "Kid, do you want revenge? Do you want to take back everything you've lost?"

"Yes!" Kong Zhiqian answered without hesitation, his voice resolute.

"Very good!" Uvi clapped his hands. "Even if you become the most powerful warrior on the grasslands, you won't be able to touch a hair on Murong Yan's head. You need power, you need a backer."

He strolled back to his seat and said meaningfully, "I can give you this opportunity. But you need to prove your worth and pay a price."

Kong Zhiqian's heart tightened, and he asked in a deep voice, "What does the Left Wise King need me to do?"

Uvi clapped his hands, the tent flap was lifted, and a maid led a little girl in.

The girl was about seven or eight years old, dressed in gorgeous nobility clothing from the northern deserts. She had a round face and big eyes, looking at the strangers in the tent with a mixture of curiosity and timidity.

She is Uwe's youngest daughter, Princess Saren.

“This is my daughter, Saren,” Uvi said to Kong Zhiqian, pointing to the little girl. “I will betroth her to you. You will become the prince consort of my Northern Desert Royal Court.”

Kong Zhiqian was stunned, completely stunned.

He looked at the girl who looked even younger than him and had pure eyes, and then at the Left Wise King with his deep gaze.

He was only eleven years old, and Princess Saren looked no more than seven or eight. Marriage?

This far exceeds a child's imagination of the future.

“Left Wise King, I…” Kong Zhiqian was at a loss for words.

Uwe interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"This is no ordinary marriage, boy. This is a covenant! You, a descendant of Confucius, and I, a royal family of the Northern Desert blessed by the Eternal Heaven! This symbolizes that we have the righteous cause to overthrow that false emperor, Murong Yan! In the future, when our iron cavalry marches south, it will not only be to avenge your Kong family, but also to restore the 'legitimate' status of your Central Plains! And you will be the bridge connecting the future of the Northern Desert and the Central Plains!"

Kong Zhiqian understood instantly.

This marriage had nothing to do with love, or even with him personally.

This is purely a political deal.

He was a bargaining chip, a tool, a banner used by the Northern Kingdom to package its ambitions for southward invasion.

What Zuo Xianwang valued was his reputation as a "descendant of Confucius" and the deep-seated blood feud between him and Murong Yan.

A tremendous sense of humiliation welled up inside me.

Kong Zhiqian actually had to rely on selling the remaining glory of his ancestral surname and on marrying a young girl from another ethnic group in order to get a chance for revenge.

However, when he thought of the towering flames in Qufu, the tragic sight of his loved ones lying in pools of blood, and the deep-seated hatred for the names of Murong Yan and Lin Zhen, all his hesitation and humiliation instantly vanished.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and slowly and firmly knelt on one knee before the Left Wise King Uwei, performing a standard ceremony of submission in the northern desert.

"Kong Zhiqian thanks the Left Wise King for his great kindness! I wish to marry Princess Saren. In this life, I will be loyal to the royal court, help the royal court achieve its great cause, and vow to kill Murong Yan and Lin Zhen to avenge our blood feud!"

His voice still carried the clear tone of a young boy, but the resoluteness and coldness within it sent a chill down the spines of some of the guards inside the tent.