Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Khan hosted a feast in the main tent for the clan elders, deliberately keeping me by his side. Yanleqi still sat at the head seat below.

Today’s banquet was a little different. Each clan chief had a young woman seated beside him.

In the past, it would be normal to have women as drinking companions, but this felt more like… matchmaking.

Indeed, back in the capital, when a madam wanted to find a spouse for her child, she would hold a banquet and invite eligible young men and women from noble families.

Sure enough, the guest of honor arrived just as the banquet began.

The man looked about the same age as Yanleqi. He had just called the old man beside me “Father Khan.”

“Father Khan, is this the woman sent by the Zhou Dynasty?” The Young Khan stared at me, his gaze as disgusting as his father’s.

The Old Khan inappropriately squeezed my waist, doubling my disgust to the point I nearly vomited.

It seemed the Young Khan had only returned today. Where had he been before?

The Old Khan selected three women. I thought he would let his son choose one, but he kept one for himself first and shoved the other two toward his son.

The chosen girl looked reluctant, but she still came forward and sat on the other side.

The thought that I was one of those “two beauties in his arms” immediately made my chest tighten.

The Old Khan had made me drink quite a bit. I excused myself to sober up outside. Now that he had a new favorite, he paid me no mind.

As soon as I stepped out of the tent, I couldn’t help but bend over and retch. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or how disgusting the people inside were.

“The old man found someone new. Are you jealous?” Yanleqi’s voice came from behind.

I straightened up and said softly, “Not really. But now that he has a new plaything, you might not need me anymore. How about giving that poison of yours to your grassland girls? Don’t be stingy.”

He walked up to me and brushed two fingers across my face. “Have some confidence in yourself. He’s bedded too many grassland women and will tire of them in a couple of days. You hold enough attraction for him.”

I twisted my head away from his hand. “Don’t forget what you promised me. After it’s done, let my maidservant go. Otherwise, even if I die from the poison, I’ll haunt you as a ghost.”

“I don’t have the deceitful tricks of you Central Plains people. My word is my bond.”

“Good.” I nodded.

I looked at him and asked curiously, “The old man and his son are both choosing consorts in there. Aren’t you planning to pick one?”

He glanced toward the main tent, revulsion in his eyes. “People like them are unworthy to rule the Xiqing Tribe, let alone be the masters of the grasslands.”

“Then who is worthy? You?”

He suddenly glared at me, a chill flashing in his eyes. “The most suitable one is no longer here. The bravest eagle of our grasslands died in Yuezhou City, killed by you Central Plains people!”

Ha! Then he wasn’t that brave after all!

Ridiculous! You are clearly the invaders, so what right do you have to complain about injustice?

I didn’t dare say any of this aloud. Provoking him would do me no good.

I changed the subject, pretending to ask casually, “Why haven’t I seen that Young Khan before?”

“He was in the Eastern Suburbs before. Why do you ask?”

The Eastern Suburbs.

I chuckled lightly. “I’m afraid that after dealing with the old one, I might have to help you deal with the young one too.”

“That’s possible, as long as you can live that long.”

If I wasn’t mistaken, the “eagle” he mentioned should be Keqi.

I recalled that he seemed to be the Old Khan’s nephew, and his father was the previous Khan. Their inheritance system differs from the Zhou Dynasty’s, following the principle of brother succeeding brother.

It was this Keqi who had led the Xiqing Tribe army back then and seized nine of our dynasty’s cities in one sweep.

Now it appeared Yanleqi had a deep bond with him, likely a devout follower, just like Pei Yu and Xiao Jince in the past.

Perhaps I understood why Yanleqi hated the Zhou Dynasty so much-because his revered wise lord Keqi had died at the hands of our dynasty’s soldiers, while the current Young Khan and his son were both worthless incompetents.

Serves them right!

I was momentarily distracted when a sudden pain shot through my lower abdomen, then faded away-it had been happening often these days.

I still didn’t know what poison Yanleqi had given me. If Wan’er were still here, with her superb medical skills, she might be able to detoxify me.

The first time I met Su Wan’er was on the Qixi Festival when I was fifteen.

That day, Pei Yu accompanied me to float colorful lanterns, and we happened to run into Xiao Jince, who had a gentle, somewhat nervous girl following behind him.

Su Wan’er was the daughter of the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s Court Physician Su. She seemed no different from any ordinary young lady-refined, well-mannered, gentle, and compliant. Only after I got to know her did I learn that her medical expertise even surpassed her father’s, but being a woman, she had no way to display her talents.

Xiao Jince had once been poisoned by an enemy. Court Physician Su formulated the antidote that saved his life, but afterward, Court Physician Su honestly told the Crown Prince that the true creator of the antidote was Su Wan’er.

The poisoning involving Xiao Jince was tied to palace intrigue and factional strife, very likely the work of the Step-Empress and the Second Prince. They didn’t want to push Su Wan’er into the spotlight, so they kept it secret.

Wan’er was skilled in medicine and also an expert at detoxifying. If she were still here, she would never let me die from poisoning.