The maiden Deida had waited long by the door and threw herself into Attila’s arms, weeping.
“We have lost, after all. An unprecedented crushing defeat. The might of the Qian Dynasty is beyond what old armies can withstand. I too have become a sinner of the Huns, countless soldiers fallen on the battlefield, and I had to flee back…”
“The Hunnic Empire cannot be without its Emperor!” Deida sobbed.
Attila gently stroked Deida’s hair and sighed, “I know… Deida, will you forgive a loser?”
“You are my only Emperor, the King of the Huns, eternally immortal,” Deida replied, choking back tears.
Attila felt a slight comfort and, taking Deida’s hand, sat down, sighing for a long time.
“Even in defeat, as long as I am here, the Hunnic Empire will not perish, and the Tianri will not dare to take advantage of our misfortune!” Attila declared with conviction.
Deida wiped away her tears, gazing at the haggard Attila with deep affection. She bit her lower lip, and after a moment, closed the door.
In the candlelight, the maiden, shyly, began to undress.
Attila froze, staring at her blankly, his heart filled with shame. This continued until she bravely reached out to him.
A night of tenderness and ferocity…
“For you, for the Huns, I will rise again! Even if I can never set foot on that land again, the Hunnic Empire will at least dominate the West, becoming the Scourge of God for generations to come! I will make you my Empress, the only one.”
In the warmth of the blankets, Attila held the blushing Deida close and swore.
“Mmm…” Deida finally responded contentedly, her voice soft.
“It’s wonderful that Your Majesty has regained his spirit! Let us abandon our hatred for the Qian Dynasty and establish ourselves here in the West. There’s no need to return! Life here is better than on the grasslands!”
The people of the Hunnic Empire also roused themselves, offering blessings to the newlyweds.
Three days later, in the bridal chamber, Attila, looking at the beautifully adorned Deida, sat down, hand in hand.
“From now on, we shall reside in…”
Before Attila could finish, his expression suddenly changed drastically. Blood flowed continuously from his nostrils, unstoppable.
“What is happening? I wasn’t agitated…”
Attila finally began to panic.
“Your Majesty?!” Deida was also alarmed and distraught, bustling about and quickly summoning a physician, but they were unable to stop Attila’s bleeding.
“This may be an incurable disease…” the physician stammered.
Attila, weakened by the excessive blood loss, was already losing consciousness.
“Paper and brush!”
Hearing the call, the weeping Deida quickly handed him the paper and brush, her heart filled with anxiety.
Attila hastily wrote the eight characters, “Establish Deida as Queen of the Huns,” and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Deida saw this and wailed, “Your Majesty!!”
“Deida, if I cannot overcome this, you must take the Hunnic people to Egypt to find the remnants of the Ayubid Dynasty, and lead them to seek refuge with the Qian Dynasty, to stay far from the Tianri…”
“Your Majesty will recover!!” Deida cried out with heartbroken anguish.
“I have a premonition, I…” Attila, as if in a final burst of energy, raised his right hand, gently caressed Deida’s delicate face, smiled faintly, and finally let his powerless hand fall.
The once Scourge of God who swept across the West ultimately died on his wedding bed.
The Hunnic Empire fractured within days, descending into endless internal strife.
At the same time, in Britain, King Richard the Lionheart’s health deteriorated, and he coughed up blood incessantly.
“Quickly, have John bring the army back! Bring it back! Britain may soon…”
After speaking, the Lionheart coughed blood again, falling into despair.
“Saladin, is this my retribution…”
A king’s ambitions unfulfilled, he died on his sickbed, and Britain was quickly taken over by ministers appointed by the Tianri.
In the distant, mysterious, and cold holy land of the Tianri.
A deserter from the Tianri brought back news of Mars’ demise. Millions of Tianri people cried out in fear.
“Our invincible army, the supply lines assembled at all costs, were actually…”
In the imperial palace, the cup of the Tianri King slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor.
“Mars is dead too?”
“My son!!”
The Tianri learned the custom of cenotaphs from the Great Zhou Dynasty and established one for Mars.
At Mars’ tomb, the Tianri King was overcome with grief.
“My son! The revenge for killing your son is a debt of blood between Liang Xiao and me, a debt that can never be repaid! Yet now, the Tianri has no ability to fight the Qian Dynasty! But if I cannot avenge you, what face will I have as your father for the rest of my life? What face will I have to continue living in this world?!”
As he spoke, the Tianri King casually cut off a corner of his imperial robe.
“From this moment on, I, your father, sever all father-son ties with you. This revenge will be sought in the next life!”
The Tianri King thus disowned Mars and, at the same time, sent people to investigate the situation in the Hunnic Empire. By chance, the next day, he received an urgent report from there.
“Your Majesty! The Scourge of God, Attila, has suddenly died of illness, and the Hunnic Empire has fallen into disarray!”
Upon receiving the news, the Tianri King laughed to the heavens.
“Attila! You could control your life, but you cannot control your death!”
“Immediately annex the Hunnic Empire. Those who do not comply will be used as military rations!”
Liang Xiao, leading his troops, returned to the capital with victorious songs.
The entire nation rejoiced, needless to say.
His long-awaiting wives finally put their anxious hearts at ease.
“Brother Xiao, go quickly and look after the sisters!” Xiao Qing anxiously held Liang Xiao’s hand. The group rushed to care for Zhen Mi, Zhuo Yun, and Yue Wenxin, who were about to give birth.
Looking at his proud and happy wives and children, Liang Xiao was content. He sat down, engaged in cheerful conversation.
Seven days later, Zhuo Yun gave birth to a daughter for Liang Xiao, named Liang Xinyan, ranking twelfth.
A day later, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, for Liang Xiao. The eldest son was named Yue Qian, and the second daughter was named Liang Wenjing.
The next day, Zhen Mi also gave birth to a son for Liang Xiao, named Liang Zhen, ranking fifteenth.
“Husband, what are your hopes for our future children? You can’t always just say they’ll be safe and healthy…” Yue Lian asked softly.
The wives echoed her words.
Liang Xiao was by the bedside, playing with the three new babies, his heart bursting with joy. His wives, watching him, couldn't help but smile.
For them, nothing was more satisfying than seeing him beam with happiness.
After a long while, Liang Xiao regained his composure and said earnestly, “Our descendants, no matter what achievements they may have in the future, must at least understand that there are few things in this world that are purely black or white. They must view all things with a dialectical perspective.”
“For instance, Confucian thought has both essence and dross. Even the ancient Western world has admirable qualities. And so on… If the Qian Dynasty is to develop continuously, it cannot lack an open and inclusive environment in the future. But if one day this world truly allows only one nation to exist, then it must be our Qian Dynasty. Everything must prioritize family and the Qian Dynasty.”
The children, who could already read and recite, nodded thoughtfully.
They didn’t yet fully understand Liang Xiao’s words, but they knew that their father was the most remarkable person in the world, and that was enough.
Liang Xiao surveyed the spacious room, looking at his wife and children in their happy family. Moved, he embraced Jian Canglang and finally made a promise.
“Father has been away on campaigns for so long and hasn’t had time to come home. From now on, Father will definitely spend quality time with you and the children.”
“Hooray!” The children cheered, and the wives’ smiles bloomed like flowers.
Under the guidance of a scout, Nan Jiyun and his troops conquered the entire Kushan Dynasty, heading straight for Jerusalem in the southwest.