12 Chapter 12

◎Masahiro's demeanor◎

Li Hengqing's caravan returned with a full load without delay, but it still took some time. The reason was simple: more delicate equipment was inevitably more delicate, and the dirt road was bumpy, so the carriage had to be handled with care.

Helian Xiao had already been waiting at the camp gate with a group of tribal leaders, and quite a few people had spontaneously joined in the fun. Some wanted to curry favor with the now-popular princess, some were waiting to see her foolish behavior, and some were simply simple herdsmen who simply enjoyed the hustle and bustle. Everyone had their own agenda.

Li Hengqing did not hide the results of her mutual trade. She got off the carriage and glanced at the crowd. She unexpectedly saw Altan's figure and her eyes paused slightly.

Although this man was a pacifier, he was the tribe's most knowledgeable trade leader. If she could use him, she would surely receive considerable support in the future, whether at the grassland market or at the border trade. In an attempt to win him over, she nodded at him in a friendly manner, her face widening with a smile.

Altan's eyelids twitched, and he glanced at Helian Xiao in front of him, and hurriedly touched his chest respectfully in return.

However, this move had a different meaning in the eyes of others.

Everyone in the tribe who could hear now knew about the recruitment order for the Silver Moon Valley's reclamation. Helian Xiao's move, bypassing the Kuriltai, greatly displeased some tribal leaders. Many went to the Khan's golden tent to challenge him, but the Great Khan himself met no one except Altan, who was not very senior.

Now, he has won the favor of Li Hengqing.

For a moment, everyone's hearts were filled with alarm, and their eyes looking at Altan became subtle: this old fox who changed his attitude according to the situation might have secretly clung to the Khatun's thigh and was about to become the new upstart!

Li Hengqing didn't mind the formalities, and the welcoming crowd quickly dispersed. Altan, feeling uneasy, tried to slip away, but another small leader, who had always been a close friend of his, strode over with a bright smile and patted him on the shoulder. "That's great, Altan! When did you get in touch with the Khatun?"

"Yeah, why didn't you tell the brothers? Why did you keep them in the dark?"

"That's really not fair of you. Shouldn't you treat the brothers to a couple of drinks?"

The dead face of Wu Rigen appeared in front of Altan's eyes. His brows twitched and he said with tears in his eyes, "I am not..."

His smile was uglier than crying, but how could anyone believe the words of an old fox like Altan? He said jokingly, "Now that we've come to this point, let's not hide it from everyone. The caravan is so successful, isn't it also your work, Altan?"

Hearing this, Altan's expression changed again, his heart awash with emotions, more tangible than an overturned spice rack. He had achieved such status in the tribe at such a young age, even earning the favor of the Great Shaman of Urgen, thanks to his single-handed control of the vital artery of trade. Wouldn't it be even more humiliating if people knew that trade could still function without his support?

Anyway, the news has been spread. That old man Wu Rigen has always been the most cunning. Even if he is not actually colluding with Li Hengqing, he will definitely be suspicious of him. It is better to just grit his teeth and admit it!

"Alright, alright." Having made up his mind, Altan pulled up the corners of his mouth and forced a smile, saying, "It's just drinking and eating meat, right? How can I, Altan, let my brothers down? We won't go home until we're drunk tonight!"

*

On the other side, inside Helian Xiao’s tent.

"Has the recruitment order been sent out? What's the response?" Li Hengqing asked impatiently as he entered the tent.

"It's been sent out." Helian Xiao handed her a bowl of warm milk tea, his voice emotionless. "Within the tribe, more than thirty families who suffered losses in the white disaster have signed up. Outside, several small tribes that have been exploited by the Black Hawk Tribe for years have also sent people to contact us and are willing to send some people over."

"That massive manpower..."

"Nothing has been found yet." Helian Xiao shook his head, casually sipping his milk tea, and asked, "I heard... you brought back a gentleman from the south this time?"

"More than just a teacher!" Li Hengqing's expression immediately brightened at the mention of Cen Yu, and all the fatigue he had felt on the road was swept away. He said, "Khan, you don't know, it's not easy to find a teacher willing to come to the grassland to teach."

"But Mr. Cen is not only willing to come, but he also has a reputation for being a top scorer in the Xinzhong exam. I've also read his essays. If he hadn't been implicated in the Beijing Remnant Party case, I'm afraid he would have gone far beyond this."

"He's fluent in both Northern Di and Chinese, and was able to communicate effectively. He helped us revise the most appropriate teaching materials. He also has a keen eye for educational philosophy and has proposed many plans for tailored teaching..."

When talking about the future blueprint, she couldn't help but talk more, with genuine joy shining in her eyes, which was completely different from her usual businesslike appearance.

Helian Xiao listened quietly, looking at her face that lit up when she talked about another man, as if he had drunk a whole jar of vinegar.

"In that case, I hope the princess gets what she wants." He tried his best to control the emotions surging in his chest so as not to grit his teeth and let the person in front of him hear anything. However, the tea bowl in his hand made a crisp cracking sound and was squeezed into two halves.

Li Hengqing looked over and asked in surprise, "Could it be that this pottery bowl is not strong enough? Did they not control the temperature well when firing it? It's even stained on the Khan's robe. Go change your clothes quickly."

He went to change his clothes as he was told, and Li Hengqing took the opportunity to hum a little tune and leave. Helian Xiao looked at her back, which had become much lighter, but he still felt a sense of depression in his heart, and subconsciously walked to the vicinity of Li Hengqing's tent.

Before he got close, he could hear Lang Yue's excited voice reciting from inside, mixed with the suppressed exclamations of several little maids.

"...Her Royal Highness, with her arms around her, smiled at her husband, who was looking worried, and said, 'My husband, you should be tolerant and share my worries. Look at this new scholar who has won the third place in the imperial examination. Is he handsome?'"

Helian Xiao's steps froze instantly.

Lang Yue cleared his throat and adopted a more romantic tone, saying, "The young man who won the third place in the imperial examination had a face as white as powder and eyes as black as lacquer. He timidly toasted Her Royal Highness and whispered, 'Long live Her Royal Highness.'"

The princess was delighted and immediately rewarded him with a golden house. She then said to her husband, "Look, my dear, the arrival of a new bride brings joy to the family. As her husband, you should set an example. Go and teach him the rules of the family tomorrow. Don't lose your composure."

The maids inside the tent murmured in agitation, "Wow! This third place winner is so lucky!"

"My lord is still the most generous!"

Lang Yue coughed complacently and continued reading, "The book also says that that night, Her Royal Highness the Princess held a banquet in the Imperial Garden. Together with the newly arrived scholar who had won the imperial examination, the young general who had been admitted to the palace the day before, and the prince from the Western Regions, they watched the stars and admired the moon, reciting poems and composing couplets. They were very happy.

Only the husband, alone in his empty room, reads by the window under a lamp at night, reviews memorials until dawn, and helps Her Royal Highness the Princess with state affairs..."

How could the majestic and powerful Prairie Wolf King have ever heard such tiger-like words!

He hesitated for a long time, and finally called his trusted guards over. He lowered his voice and asked, "In Nansheng, are all powerful women... really like this?"

Upon hearing this, the guard was so frightened that he broke out in a sweat and stammered, "Khan, this... this is a storybook! It's made up to cheat people out of their money, don't take it seriously!"

"Storybook..." Helian Xiao pondered for a moment, "Then it's just like what's performed on stage, nothing can be taken seriously?"

When he was young, he also watched Nan Sheng's plays. Talented men and beautiful women, emperors and generals took turns on the stage to interpret separations and reunions, joys and sorrows. Although there were some exaggerations, most of them could be traced back to the real world and were not completely groundless.

In an instant, I made up my mind.

Well, Zhengfu has a great demeanor.

He is Zhengfu.