Ados had not expected that coming to demand grain would turn into demanding a wife, and he hastily clarified, "What would I do with Zhongjin Khatun? I already have seven or eight wives and over a dozen children I can barely support—how could I afford to keep the most beautiful woman on the grasslands? Besides, Zhongjin Khatun is pregnant. I'm already short on grain; how could I have extra to raise someone else's child!"
San Niangzi must remain Anda Khan's San Niangzi; otherwise, she would have no qualification to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty. Ding Wu had come at this time to protect San Niangzi and the interests of the Ming, and he certainly did not want to see San Niangzi forced to leave the Khanate Court and become the wife of some tribal leader. Such cooperation would be stillborn before it even began.
Ding Wu said, "But Zhongjin Khatun, having been favored for seven years, has made too many enemies. Now they want to seize the opportunity to finish her off. Although Anda Khan dotes on her, faced with reality, he might have to let her go. Could you withdraw your troops first?"
If Ados were the type to "fly into a rage over a beauty," he would have rebelled seven years ago when Anda Khan cuckolded him. Seven years ago, he did not resist Anda Khan for the sake of his tribe; seven years later, he would similarly not abandon his search for grain for Zhongjin Khatun.
Ados shook his head, "I'm sorry, I can't do that. My tribe is starving, and people die of hunger every day. Besides, this time several tribes have joined forces to demand grain from Anda Khan. I alone cannot decide. If we don't get the grain, we'll have no choice but to turn on each other."
Ados was not like Wang Daxia, who would abandon everything for his wife. His mind was always clear about what he wanted.
Ding Wu had never encountered such a tricky situation. In a short time, he could not obtain enough grain from within the passes to feed several tribes and resolve the crisis. Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.
Ding Wu's mind spun like a windmill as he said, "Don't fall for the Khanate Court's scheme to sow discord. You are the leader of the tribal alliance. You all came together to demand grain, but if you alone get Zhongjin Khatun, what will the other tribal leaders think? There's a story from the Central Plains called 'Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors.' It's possible the other tribes will turn against you."
Ados expressed indifference, "I have no interest in the most beautiful woman on the grasslands. I only want grain. Whoever among the other tribal leaders wants Zhongjin Khatun can have her. The tribe that gets her will have to take less grain."
Ados also treated San Niangzi as an object to be allocated.
"You—" Ding Wu faced the greatest challenge of his life. For once, his silver tongue failed to find a way to persuade Ados!
Left with no choice, Ding Wu had to use their past friendship to win Ados over. "I am loyal to Zhongjin Khatun. She does not wish to remarry, and I must help her overcome her difficulties. Both she and I are willing to do our utmost to help you obtain grain. Please give us some time. Right now, Zhongjin Khatun is surrounded by enemies in the Khanate Court, all waiting to see her fall from grace and trample her. I beg you to write a letter to Anda Khan, clearly stating how much grain you demand. I will then mediate."
Ados hesitated, "If I write the amount, will I get exactly that?"
Ding Wu replied, "Not necessarily, but it will make Anda Khan understand that your main goal is grain, not the beauty. No matter how beautiful Zhongjin Khatun is, she cannot be eaten as grain. To show our gratitude, Zhongjin Khatun and I will raise funds to buy grain from Datong to compensate you."Upon hearing there was grain, Ados's eyes lit up, "Really? When can we get it at the earliest? Roughly how much?"
Even if it were a mountain of gold instead of grain, Ding Wu had to paint this promise in the rosiest colors first. He said, "About the same amount as last time when you traded furs for grain. I have connections inside the Pass. I'll send a Pigeon Post, and you'll get a reply in five days at the earliest. During these five days, please insist on grain, not the beauty. You must give us time."
Ados picked up his brush to write to Anda Khan as Ding Wu had instructed, "You must hurry. People in my tribe are starving to death every day."
Ding Wu tucked the letter into his robe, "Zhongjin Khatun and I will always remember this favor."
Ados smiled bitterly, "Favor or not, it's enough if you don't hold a grudge. If there were any other way to survive, we wouldn't have come to this. I'm truly forced into a corner."
Ding Wu returned to the Khanate Court with the letter. By then, the ministers had reached a consensus: send Zhongjin Khatun away in exchange for grain, marry her off first, and bring her back to the Khanate Court after she gave birth, to protect Anda Khan's offspring.
Anda Khan, distressed by the discussions, left midway to visit San Niangzi.
San Niangzi reclined against a censer, watching a sparrow in its cage preen its feathers, her expression as leisurely and serene as ever.
She was like the sweet white porcelain fired by the Central Plains—exquisite, pure, beautiful, and fragile. He longed to enshrine her. She was his most treasured possession.
Seeing Anda Khan arrive, San Niangzi, supporting her large belly, struggled to rise from the censer to greet her husband. Anda Khan hurried over and pressed her back onto the censer, "Is the child behaving today? Still restless?"
San Niangzi leaned against Anda Khan, using a pumpkin-shaped pillow to support her heavy belly, "He's been much quieter these past few days. The physician says I'm near term, and the child is so big he has little room to move, so he's less active."
Anda Khan tenderly stroked his young wife's jade-like cheek, "Pay no mind to the gossip outside. Focus on resting."
San Niangzi curled up, trying to nestle as much as possible into Anda Khan's embrace, and said, "Whatever the outcome, I can accept it. In life, I am Anda Khan's person; in death, I am Anda Khan's ghost. If I can ease your worries, I would even give my life, so of course I am willing to be remarried to someone else."
Anda Khan's pupils contracted sharply, and the pressure of his hand on her cheek unconsciously increased.
San Niangzi endured the pain, forcing tears to well up in her eyes. The tears shimmered but she stubbornly held them back, looking both deeply devoted and pitifully vulnerable. She said:
"However, I have one request—I hope to give birth here in the Khanate Court before remarrying. I'm close to my time. If I'm suddenly moved from the court and jostled in a carriage, it could harm the baby. My life is worthless, but I must bear the Khan a son."
Anda Khan could bear it no longer. He comforted his young wife, "No one will take my wife and child from me. Rest assured and take care of yourself. Leave the outside matters to me. Don't dwell on such thoughts."
Anda Khan stood up abruptly, feeling the world spin. He steadied himself by holding onto the table corner. A man in his sixties, worn by years of campaigning, his body had aged severely in recent years, and his stamina was far from what it used to be. Having been in discussions since midnight without a moment's rest, he was now utterly exhausted.Anda Khan hastily ate a few pieces of pastry from his young wife's quarters and returned to the chaotic great hall.
As soon as Anda Khan left, San Niangzi rose, picked up a damp cloth, and vigorously wiped her face where her husband had just touched her. The beautiful tenderness was her disguise—she loathed this version of herself, speaking words she didn't mean, yet compelled to play the part.
In the great hall, Ding Wu had returned with Ados's letter and was engaged in a heated debate with the ministers.
Huang Ji Tai, the eldest son of Anda Khan, was so agitated that his spittle sprayed onto Ding Wu's face. "...You, a servant of two masters, have no right to speak here!"
Huang Ji Tai, over fifty years old, was tall and imposing by nature, a born fighter. In his youth, he had been one of the Five Warriors of Mongolia, following his father Anda Khan in numerous campaigns and achieving great military feats. But as he aged, his prowess waned. In the forty-fourth year of the Jiajing era, during an attack on Xuanfu, his horse stumbled, and he was defeated by Ming forces, sustaining severe injuries that left him with a permanent limp, hindering his mobility. This fueled his deep-seated hatred for the Ming dynasty. Ding Wu, hailing from the Ming and currying favor with Zhongjin Khatun, earned Huang Ji Tai's disdain, leading him to label Ding Wu a "servant of two masters."
Ding Wu elegantly produced a handkerchief, wiping away the spittle Huang Ji Tai had sprayed on his face. "I hold no official position in the Ming court; I am merely an exile. The role of judge in the Khanate Court's Privy Council was bestowed upon me by the Great Khan. I eat the Khanate's food and have long severed ties with the Ming court. How can I be called a servant of two masters?"
"As an official of the Khanate Court, it is my duty to serve the court and share the Great Khan's burdens. This letter I just obtained from Ados clearly states a demand for thirty thousand dan of grain, to be distributed as ten thousand per tribe. It makes no mention of women. Why are we discussing replacing grain with Zhongjin Khatun?"
Huang Ji Tai retorted, "Where can we get thirty thousand dan of grain? We don't even have three thousand! Ados was already betrothed to Zhongjin Khatun. Marry her off first to placate Ados, and then we can figure out another solution."
Ding Wu replied, "The besieging army isn't just the Ordos tribe; Ados alone cannot decide. I've been to the main camp and seen ordinary soldiers so hungry their eyes gleam green—they're on the verge of resorting to cannibalism. What we need to solve is the grain problem. Sending a woman out is useless—losing both the lady and the grain. Why take such a futile step?"
Huang Ji Tai grabbed Ding Wu by the collar. "If you say this method won't work, then tell me how you plan to solve the grain problem and get thirty thousand dan to make Ados and his troops withdraw?"
Ding Wu responded, "With real gold and silver, of course. Money can make the devil turn the millstone. I have connections to bribe the border guards and bring grain from the Central Plains through the passes. With enough silver, even if we can't get thirty thousand, we can scrape together twenty thousand. Spring has arrived; if we hold out for two more months, the livestock will fatten on pasture, and there will be meat to eat. Who would still crave grains then?"
Huang Ji Tai challenged, "Where will the gold and silver come from? Do you think you can just transport grain as you please? What if the Ming border guards confiscate it? By the time your grain arrives, Ados will have already breached Fengcheng!"
Ding Wu countered sharply, "Huang Ji Tai, renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, surely won't allow Ados and his forces to break through."
Huang Ji Tai, disabled by the Ming army and no longer as combat-effective as before, took Ding Wu's words as a sarcastic jab. He raised a fist as large as a sand pot, ready to strike Ding Wu."Stop!" Anda Khan sat on a chair draped with a white wolf pelt, coldly watching his eldest son.
Huang Ji Tai released Ding Wu's collar and gave a light push, sending Ding Wu tumbling onto the carpet like a ragged cloth, eliciting a wave of laughter.
Ding Wu had long cultivated the ability to endure humiliation. He immediately stood up and presented Ados's letter to Anda Khan.
Although Ados had raised troops to besiege the city, somewhat in the manner of a "military remonstrance," his letter was sincere and showed great respect for Anda Khan. He expressed that he had no alternative, as many in his tribe could not wait until the pastures grew lush—he needed grain to save lives.
As for his former fiancée Zhongjin Khatun, he made no mention at all.
To Anda Khan, the Khanate was certainly more important than a young wife. Initially, he had shared the same thoughts as his eldest son Huang Ji Tai. But judging from Ados's letter, it seemed he might end up losing both his wife and the grain.
Anda Khan ordered his eldest son, "Huang Ji Tai, go guard the city."
Huang Ji Tai urgently replied, "But Father—"
Anda Khan slammed the table and stood up, "I am your father and the Great Khan. Will you not heed my words?"
Seeing his father's anger, Huang Ji Tai had no choice but to comply and left the court.
Earlier, when Ding Wu and Huang Ji Tai had argued, all the ministers had sided with Huang Ji Tai. Once Huang Ji Tai departed, the previously chaotic hall immediately fell silent, as if everything had been following Huang Ji Tai's lead.
This scene made Anda Khan wary of his eldest son. He was old, and his son was disabled, but the son would surely outlive him. The ministers, who should have been sharing his burdens, had become Huang Ji Tai's men. When an old wolf king ages, another wolf will challenge him, biting and injuring the old king to become the new ruler.
At this moment, Anda Khan finally understood why that old emperor in the Central Plains, even with only one son left alive, still refused to appoint him as crown prince.
Power—sharing it could never compare to the satisfaction of holding it alone!
Huang Ji Tai was eager to send Zhongjin Khatun to Ados, considering only his own interests without a thought for what I would lose, nor for my embarrassment or the safety of his future siblings.
I insist on keeping my wife and children by my side! If it truly comes to a fight, I might not lose.
Author's Note: Men experiencing a midlife crisis are the most suspicious—both the Jiajing Emperor and Anda Khan share this mindset. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solutions between 2020-10-20 20:19:34 and 2020-10-21 03:03:40~
Thanks to the little angel who threw a landmine: Yunsheng. 1;
Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solutions: Jiuzhe 66 bottles; When Will We Return West 5 bottles; Suiying Sha 1 bottle;
Thank you all for your support—I will continue to work hard!
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