Chapter 76, first published on Jinjiang Literature City 076 (1st update) "The Fourth Prince is becoming more and more..."

Hurile ultimately decided to appoint Char as the commander-in-chief; in fact, within the Golden Tent, this matter was essentially settled.

The army will set off in three days.

For the past three days, the Chaha tribe has been bustling with activity, and the atmosphere has been tense, as everyone is preparing for the expedition that will take place in three days.

The next morning, Bayar finally returned to the Chaha tribe. Hearing that his leg injury was serious, Qiqige cried very sadly. Ruan Yu and Haila went to visit and comfort him again.

After returning, they went to their mother-in-law's tent.

Lady Qiu's confinement had long been lifted, but she still didn't like going out much. However, the fact that Charles had been replaced as the commander still surprised Lady Qiu for a moment.

"Charle?"

“Yes, it was strongly requested by the Kree tribe,” Hela said.

Ruan Yu: "What does Mother think?"

Lady Qiu pondered for a moment: "Then...it seems that the position of Grand Khatun, Naren..." Ruan Yu: "This Naren Khatun, who used to be quiet and always behind Saren, has now made a name for herself."

Hela: "You can't say that, you could just say we were lucky?"

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Sister, in this kind of thing, you definitely can't rely on luck alone."

Madam Qiu: "An'an is right."

She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

Xuanniang walked in from outside, "Khatun, Doctor Xu requests an audience."

Ruan Yu was a little surprised: "Why did you come here? Oh dear, I forgot the time."

Hela hurriedly said, "Then let him in quickly! We can't delay taking his pulse!"

Madam Qiu also said, "Please come in quickly," and soon Doctor Xu entered.

"I have met the lady, Dabiekichi, and Shikhtun."

Lady Qiu was very kind to the people from the Central Plains: "Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Xu. I heard that you used to work in the Imperial Hospital."

Xu Chong smiled and said, "That's all in the past."

Ruan Yu asked him to take her pulse, and then the tent fell silent.

"The Khatun seems to be getting better these past two days." Xu Zhong looked somewhat surprised, as if he hadn't expected it.

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "The doctor's skills are amazing, isn't it only natural that I'm getting better?"

Xu Chong smiled, said nothing, but meticulously recorded Ruan Yu's pulse diagnosis. Then he took out a small bottle of medicine and handed it over: "Take two pills every day, Khatun, don't forget."

"Thank you for your help."

After the conversation ended, Xu Zhong did not leave immediately, but continued, "Does the Khatun know that Lord Pei is about to arrive?"

Ruan Yu was very surprised: "I didn't know, when?"

Xu Chong smiled and said, "The message should have arrived yesterday. Perhaps the Fourth Prince hasn't had a chance to tell you yet. It should arrive tomorrow."

Ruan Yu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled inwardly.

Whether Chaolu didn't have time or didn't want to say, only he himself knows.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, doctor."

“There’s one more thing…” Xu Zhong seemed a little hesitant and glanced at Madam Qiu.

Both Madam Qiu and Ruan Yu understood: "Doctor Xu, please speak frankly, there's no need to hesitate."

"It is... actually, it is about the matter of Da Hadun. I used to work as the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture for a period of time, so I know a bit about coroners. In addition, I have been studying Southern Poison... that day I happened to see Da Hadun's remains, and it seemed... something was wrong."

After he finished speaking, everyone in the tent fell silent for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Madam Qiu's hand trembled slightly.

"According to those pastoral doctors, Da Hadun died from a head injury, but in my opinion, it was not a fatal wound, but rather poison."

"How do you know?!" Hela's voice suddenly became excited.

Xu Zhong: "If it was caused by a normal impact, more than thirty hours have passed, and the death would not show a bluish-purple appearance, especially on the scalp. So I suspect that Da Hadun must have been poisoned before he died."

Hela gasped, "Mother!"

Ruan Yu was slightly calmer than Haila. "Mother, recall that night again. When you left, Da Hadun confirmed that he hadn't died, right?"

"Yes...but..." In fact, what happened that night also left a shadow on Madam Qiu.

She had never harmed anyone, so she couldn't calm down after returning home that day and was convinced that it was her...

But after these two days of calm, and reflecting on it again...

It does indeed seem to have many flaws.

Ruan Yu: "Can we examine Da Hadun's body again now?!"

Hela: "This... seems unlikely, and the Kree tribe won't agree."

Xu Chong was from the Central Plains, and the Kereit tribe would certainly not reopen his coffin based on his one-sided account.

More importantly, the Great Khan is deliberately suppressing this matter, and with the expedition imminent, it is really not advisable to cause any more trouble.

Ruan Yu suddenly grasped her mother-in-law's hand: "Mother, why don't you go and talk to the Khan about this privately? It concerns your reputation... Besides, don't you want to know the truth?"

Madam Qiu pursed her lips.

Hela: "Yes, Mother!"

Madam Qiu hesitated for a moment: "Alright, I'll give it a try, but I don't know if it will work."

She stood up: "Dr. Xu, I'd like to trouble you to come with me."

Xu Chong immediately replied, "Yes..."

Inside the golden tent.

Hurile had a headache, but when he heard that Madam Qiu had requested an audience, he raised an eyebrow and immediately looked up.

…………

Chaolu was busy all day, spinning like a top, unable to stop at all.

Finally, dusk arrived, and I returned to my tent with heavy steps.

As soon as I entered, I smelled the aroma of food.

Chao Lu grinned, feeling much less tired. When he went to the inner tent and saw that Yu Yu had already bathed and had prepared some snacks for him, all his fatigue vanished.

"It's better to come back."

Ruan Yu sat down in front of him with a smile: "Busy today? What have you been up to?"

"I'm so busy. I went to the military camp to count the soldiers in the morning, then went to the horse farm at noon, and then discussed the battle plan with my older brother and the others in the afternoon."

Chaolu washed his hands and prepared to eat.

Ruan Yu served him a bowl of soup: "Is that all? Didn't you go to the fields this morning?"

Chao Lu paused for a moment: "Oh, I went. After the wheat seeds were delivered earlier, I instructed them on how to cultivate them. After the seed drill was delivered with us, I went there again."

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "I thought you had forgotten, but I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."

Chao Lu looked at her: "You designed that seed drill, which benefits the people. How could I not care?"

"That's both right and wrong. I only helped with a small matter. The production was actually done by Lord Pei, including the wheat seeds, which were sent all the way to the grasslands."

Chao Lu: "..."

He put down his chopsticks, his expression not looking too good.

Ruan Yu did it on purpose.

She looked at him with a smile.

Chao Lu said awkwardly, "I owe him a favor. I did my best to help him on official business. Why should you speak well of him when we get back?"

Ruan Yu: "I'm just saying nice things for him?"

Chao Lu: "Anyway, I don't like it."

"His Highness the Fourth Prince is becoming increasingly domineering, which is why he had people deliberately conceal the fact that Lord Pei went to the grasslands, is that right?"

Chao Lu: "…………"

"You found out?"

Ruan Yu snorted.

Chao Lu: "Oh dear, that's right. We left and he came right after us. I don't know what he's up to, but he's looking for Father Khan anyway. I've been busy these past few days and forgot to tell you."

Ruan Yuxi glared at the person, "Stingy."

She didn't want to expose his intentions at all.

Even if I told her, she wouldn't ask any more questions.

It's fine if they're outside, but within the tribe, she's known as Siqdun. Given her status, they probably wouldn't even have a chance to meet.

She truly hadn't expected Shandong Luneng to be so stingy!

Chao Lu now realized she was doing it on purpose, and he smiled and leaned closer, saying, "Okay, I admit I was wrong."

"What do you mean by 'calculate'? I don't like forcing people."

"I was wrong, it was just a subconscious reaction, don't be angry."

Ruan Yu wasn't exactly angry, and besides...

"With a major battle imminent, how could I possibly have the mind to spare time for others? You shouldn't be thinking like this."

"Yes, yes, Yu Yu is right. Hit me to vent your anger."

Ruan Yu pinched him, then stopped joking and got down to business.

"In the afternoon, Dr. Xu came to see my mother-in-law and me."

Chao Lu was about to kiss her when he suddenly stopped.

Is there anything urgent?

Ruan Yu recounted everything to him in detail from the beginning, emphasizing that this matter was not to be underestimated and that Chao Lu should know about it.

...

It was late at night.

Several figures quietly left the mourning hall in Dahadun.

Soon after, Xu Zhong knelt before the Khan and began to devise a plan.

Hurile's face looked very unpleasant.

"I am aware of this matter, but with a great battle imminent, Doctor Xu should understand my meaning."

Xu Zhong had no intention of meddling in other people's business; he simply couldn't get past his own conscience: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old man understands."

"Thank you for your trouble. Someone, take Doctor Xu back to rest."

After everyone left, only Hurile and Lady Qiu remained in the tent.

Hurile turned to look at her.

“Awan, I’ll ask you one last time: back then you insisted that you were the one who harmed Saren. Was it because you wanted to take the blame upon yourself and distance yourself from me?”

Madam Qiu slowly raised her head.

She pondered for a moment.

Perhaps it wasn't just a moment, but rather the hearing that Saren's death was by no means an accident that caused her mindset to change once again—

The grassland has not yet fully returned to tranquility.

There might be a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

She admitted that she was tired when she thought that she had killed Saren and that there would be no more threats against her family in the future.

She never coveted the position of Grand Hatton, which is why she uttered such resolute words that day.

At this moment, she lowered her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I was just too scared at the time. I didn't mean to be distant from you."

Hurile's pupils trembled slightly: "Really?"

He walked step by step toward Madam Qiu, as if scrutinizing the truthfulness of her words.

Madam Qiu lowered her eyes: "It's true, that's why I brought Xu Zhong to see you today."

Hurile suddenly grasped her hand: "Awan, Awan... I knew it... That day, I acted impulsively too."

Madam Qiu smiled and said, "But there is one thing that I don't want to hide from you, and that is that I really don't want to take the position of Grand Hadun."

Hurile was startled again.

“This has nothing to do with A-Wan’s feelings for you, but rather with my fear. In that position, responsibility outweighs everything else.”

Hurile lowered his eyes: "I understand, but I will protect you."

"That's enough from the Khan," Lady Qiu smiled at him.

“I understand the pressure on the Great Khan. The most important thing is that the Kereit tribe is willing to help us now. Aohan is eyeing us covetously, and there are also the Khal and Kharian from before. They are all people the Great Khan needs to balance. Great Khan, you should make the best choice instead of acting impulsively.”

Hurile breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly pulled her into his arms.

"A-Wan...you're so kind."

A hint of ambiguity flashed in Madam Qiu's eyes.

“Naren is the most suitable candidate for Dahadun.”

Hurile paused for a moment: "Black Stone has already brought this up with me today."

"Yes, so Great Khan, just do what you want, I will support you."

Hurile sighed, "I've wronged you, and I've wronged Chaolu as well."

Madam Qiu smiled faintly.

-----------------------

The author's note: I love my mother-in-law; she's strong and intelligent! She always knows exactly what she wants in the moment!

Dog Khan was also a dog, but he was even more cold-blooded, so there was nothing he could do; the ending was inevitable.

Pei Du is coming to stay on the grasslands for a while, Big Dog, are you worried?