Chapter 60: Grassland 1 Life is here, like grass sprouts...
Life here is as fragile as a grass sprout. A frost or a snowfall will turn it into dust, leaving no room for recovery.
She thought of the events of Jinling and the capital, all the ups and downs, but none of them could compare to the helpless sigh on the grassland.
The wind blew the dry grass past the horse's hooves. Du Lan raised her hand to wipe her face, and she couldn't tell whether the stain on her fingertips was snow foam or tears.
She rode her horse back slowly, the wind making the corners of her clothes rustle.
There was still a thin layer of ice on the grass, and when the horse's hooves stepped on it, it made a slight "crunching" sound.
The way back passed through a dwarf pine forest. Unmelted snow still hung on the pine branches. The wind blew it down, landing on Dulan's shoulders and quickly melting into tiny droplets.
She suddenly heard a noise in the woods and looked up to see Xie Qingyue, standing under a tree not far away, on horseback. His body was frosted with the wind and frost. Seeing her approach, he smiled and waved his hand, "I figured you'd be home today, so I came to pick you up."
Dulan reined in her horse, and when she left the Agula tribe early in the morning, her husband stuffed her with a bundle full of naan bread.
It was clearly spring, yet it was snowing again at noon. Dulan was stunned for a moment, her voice needing some effort to be heard. "You must have been walking around for quite a while. No need to come all the way to pick me up."
Xie Qingyue smiled and patted the horse's neck. The white horse flicked its tail obediently, its hooves making a soft sound as they stepped on the grass. "I happened to be patrolling near the Taichiwu tribe yesterday. I heard you were looking for □□, so I stopped by."
Dulan gave him half of the naan bread: "Eat something first."
Xie Qingyue dismounted and pointed at the horse's back: "I brought a thick cloak with me, put it on if you feel cold."
Du Lan looked up at the bulging bag on his horse's back, got off the horse, and shook his head, "I'm not cold."
She took two steps forward, eating a piece of cake while resting. When she turned around, she felt warmth on her shoulders and realized that Xie Qingyue had brought her a thick cloak.
"You don't have to worry about that."
"How can we not help each other on the grassland?"
Du Lan felt very embarrassed. Xie Qingyue had helped her family a lot over the years.
Whether he is helping to move the herds in the summer, or helping to cut grass and store grain in the winter, or even building new sheds for the winter, you can always see him at home.
Sometimes General Zhao would come to help at home, and everyone related to the general was very kind to their family.
Her eyes always became hot when she thought that the general had passed away and she was still indebted to him.
Xie Qingyue set up a rack in the open space, placed a copper kettle on it, and took out two pieces of milk tofu from his bag. He added a few tea leaves and quickly boiled a pot of thick milk tea.
"Try it, this is milk tofu from the Taichiwu tribe."
Dulan held the warm tea bowl and looked at the milk skin floating in the bowl. The red tip of her nose felt a little better after being smoked.
Not only has Xie Qingyue not become whiter in the past two years, his skin has become more bronze and his body has become stronger. In winter, when he wears a fox fur cloak, he looks like a brown bear from a distance.
Du Lan could hardly remember the first time she saw him, with his jade belt hanging from his waist and his long green collar trailing his hair.
I almost can't remember that man, riding a horse on the long street with jade bridle and golden saddle. Now I am afraid he is even more full of vigor and vitality.
She shook her head. Although she had never heard the news from the capital, she roughly knew that the man was on the road to rapid success.
As he wished, and as she wished.
"How is the child from □□'s family? Is he seriously ill?" Xie Qingyue asked casually.
Du Lan shook her head, feeling a lump in her throat.
"Didn't make it through the winter."
Xie Qingyue tightened his grip on the bowl and only uttered a soft "hmm".
Treating this kind of thing as normal is the way to make everyone feel at ease.
After resting for about half an hour, the snow gradually subsided.
"Let's start our journey back."
Du Lan handed the tea bowl to Xie Qingyue, and when she got on the horse, he reached out to help her.
The clothes she was wearing were really heavy, so Du Lan didn't look cool even when she did such movements.
She cried out "Ouch" before sitting firmly on the horse, then gathered the corners of her thick cloak to wrap herself tightly. From a distance, her body on the horse looked like a bear, burly and muscular.
"Hold on to the reins, the grass slope is slippery after the snow." She whispered.
Xie Qingyue climbed onto the horse and rode side by side with her.
The sound of horse hooves stepping on the half-melted snow mixed with the rustling of wind in the pine forest spread across the open grassland.
Dulan looked at the blue-gray mountain shadows stretching ahead, and suddenly remembered last winter when Xie Qingyue, along with the men from the military camp, had piled hay half a man high outside her shed. His hands were red with cold, yet he smiled and said, "No matter how heavy the snow is this year, I guarantee your cattle and sheep won't starve."
At that time, her brother joked that General Xie was handling her family's affairs as if they were his own, and asked him when he would become their son-in-law. Everyone laughed it off and the matter was over.
"Your brother said he wants to plant some grass by the river after the spring and wants to borrow a few plows. I've already sent them over from the camp."
Du Lan thanked him: "But is this okay?"
Xie Qingyue turned his head to look at her, with a hint of smile in his eyes: "It's okay, the plow cart in the camp is a spare one, and it happens to be idle these days. I'll borrow it for a while, and then return it after you finish planting."
When they were almost at the entrance of the tribe, they saw their brother Muren standing at the door looking out from afar. When he saw them coming back, he waved to them.
Muren came over quickly, first helping Dulan hold the reins, then patted the horse's back with a smile: "Finally you're back. The roads are slippery in the snow. Did you miss any time?"
"It didn't take long. I'm back now."
Dulan walked into the yurt. Smoke was already rising from his home, and his sister-in-law Tuya was cooking dinner for the family.
Tuya's hands were still covered in flour as she wrapped a freshly baked meat pie and handed it to Xie Qingyue: "General Xie, please come in and sit down. It's fresh out of the oven and still warm."
Xie Qingyue took the meat pie and took a bite.
The yurt was warm, the mutton in the iron pot was bubbling, and the aroma mixed with the mellow taste of brick tea filled the room.
Tuya pulled Dulan to sit by the stove, reached out and touched her hand. Seeing that it was a little cold, she wrapped her hand in her palm and said, "You should wear a vest in the morning. Spring snow is the most biting."
Her brothers and sisters-in-law are all very kind to her, so she is taken care of a lot at home.
Du Lan took out a pair of newly made felt boots from the wooden box at the head of the kang and handed them to Xie Qingyue: "I made them for you. Try them on and see if they fit your feet."
Tuya said, "It uses the wool that was newly shorn last autumn. It's very soft."
Xie Qingyue took the felt boots, and the smile on the corner of his lips lasted for a long time.
"Try it on first." Mu Ren walked into the room and patted Xie Qingyue on the shoulder. "My sister made this herself. You must wear it well."
Xie Qingyue held the boots in his hand, and his smile became awkward for a moment.
The attentive Tuya glared at her husband and then said, "He just came back from a day out. You should try again when you get home tonight."
Xie Qingyue took the opportunity to wrap up the felt boots and put them away.
Du Lan looked at the three people in front of her, drank a mouthful of hot soup, and the warmth slid down her throat. She suddenly felt that three years had passed like this without her noticing, which was pretty good.
The mutton in the pot was stewed until tender. Tuya scooped a large piece with a silver spoon and put it into Xie Qingyue's bowl, meat and bones included. "Eat more. You've been patrolling the camp hard, you need to replenish your body." She added a spoonful of mutton soup to Dulan's bowl, "You drink too, to drive away the cold. You've run such a long way these past two days.
Muren picked up the tea bowl, took a sip of brick tea, smacked his lips and said, "Father and mother should be back in a couple of days, General Xie, some things will have to wait another year after this time." As he said that, he winked at Xie Qingyue.
Xie Qingyue put down his chopsticks, turned his gaze to Dulan, and said with a smile, "I'll listen to Dulan."
Du Lan lowered her head to drink the soup, and the tips of her ears felt slightly hot.
Tuya reached out and lifted her little daughter onto her lap, saying, "Let's do it before the spring or summer when the weather warms up. Don't put it off any longer. You two are already grown up."
Xie Qingyue looked at Du Lan deeply. She only sipped the soup in small sips. For a woman, not refusing such a gesture already meant consent.
Xie Qingyue also smiled shyly: "I will write a letter home tomorrow morning. I can't treat Dulan badly."
Tuya smiled until her eyes narrowed when she heard this: "The betrothal gift doesn't need to be expensive, as long as the thought is there. What matters most is that you live a good life in the future."
The little girl started crying again, and Dulan quickly reached out to help:
"Qiqi, be good. Look, your aunt will make you a straw-woven black goat."
Muren rarely became serious. "We people on the grassland don't care about empty talk. We just recognize you as a real person. You have done a lot for the family over the years. Just for your kindness, that's enough."
Dulan held the bowl of soup, and the hot steam from the soup made her cheeks hot.
If she said she hadn't thought it through at the beginning, now three years have passed in the blink of an eye. It would be ridiculous if she still said she hadn't thought it through.
General Xie was a very good man, and he accepted that he was her second best choice.
She raised her eyes and met Xie Qingyue's gaze, which was filled with a smile and a seriousness that could not be hidden. She did not dodge, holding the bowl full of mutton, and finally said "hmm" softly.
Just like three years ago, her thoughts have not changed.
There is no such thing as perfect life. Life is not perfect.
Just like when she taught Chen Jin.
Chen Jinshi also lives his imperfect life.
Well, Dulan, you should be content that General Xie is here.
Seeing her like this, Xie Qingyue smiled and agreed: "Don't worry, brother, I will treat her well in the future. However, I still have to send this letter home."
Muren nodded: "As I should."
The next morning, Xie Qingyue did not delay and wrote a letter at dawn and asked someone to send it to Beijing.
As if he was afraid that Dulan would change his mind after a while.
"If the soldiers in the camp can ride as fast as they can back to the capital, they should arrive in about half a month. The round trip shouldn't take more than a month. If the wedding is held at the turn of summer and autumn, the grass will still be green and the weather will be pleasant."
Dulan paused with the wooden rake in his hand. "Is that so? Okay."
Xie Qingyue paused and whispered, "Isn't this too hasty? Dulan, you can stop at any time."
A gentle smile appeared in Dulan's eyes. He suddenly found it funny and started moving the wooden rake in his hand again, spreading the wool flat.
She said, "Xie Xiaojiangjun, sometimes men need to be tougher."
She felt that Chen Jinshi and Xie Qingyue were two extremes.
Xie Qingyue paused: "I'm just afraid..." He walked forward, took the wooden rake from Du Lan's hand, and carefully helped her spread the wool. "Or, come into my room tonight and take a look at me first. If you are not satisfied..."
Du Lan glanced at him strangely for a few times before she remembered a joke she had made three years ago.
In the final analysis, it's all Chen Jinshi's fault. What a nonsense.
She doesn't care about that.
"Xie Xiaojiangjun, some people are good-looking but useless."
She had a smile on her lips and couldn't help but tease.
Xie Qingyue's hand holding the wooden rake paused, and then he understood what Du Lan meant, and the tips of his ears turned red.
In the evening, Suhe and Shen Qingyuan returned to the tribe. As soon as they entered the yurt, they saw Xie Qingyue helping Muren repair the wooden fence of the shed.
Shen Qingyuan took Dulan's hand and asked her about her life, and Muren quickly winked at Xie Qingyue.
During dinner, the lights in the yurt were lit, bringing warmth to everyone's face.
After three rounds of kumis, Xie Qingyue put down his chopsticks and spoke, his voice trembling with solemnity: "Uncle, Aunt, Brother Muren, Sister-in-law, and Dulan, I know I'm from the capital, and I may not be the same as the men in Loufan, but I promise you, from now on I will be like Brother Muren, protecting Dulan and this family. I will do my best to share the affairs of the tribe and the family."
Su He looked at Xie Qingyue gravely. "The most important thing for a Loufan man is responsibility. He must protect his family, young and old. Even if he can't, he must pack up and bravely move forward with the rest of his family. You are from your court, and I don't trust you very much."
Xie Qingyue paused holding the wine bowl, and his confidence weakened a little.
"Uncle, the current emperor's attitude towards the Loufan tribe is unclear. While several veteran officials have stated that 'the barbarians must be suppressed with ruthless force,' the current crown prince clearly intends to promote a policy of 'gentle the distant while accommodating the near.' Last year, the Taichiwu tribe suffered a snowstorm, and the relief grain sent by the court was allocated at the crown prince's insistence. I remain in Loufan, partly for military duty, and partly because I'm entrusted by the court to protect the stability of the border tribes."
Du Lan was shaking a rattle to make her niece laugh, but suddenly she clenched the handle and lowered her eyelashes.
What she said to the prince at the time was just casual talk. She was standing on her own interests and did not think that the prince would agree.
But she didn't expect that everything would actually go in the direction she wanted.
Su He sneered: "Don't think I don't know what your court is planning. Give us two sweet fruits first, and you will get more from us in the future!"
Du Lan tugged at her father's sleeve and gently advised, "Father, no matter what, we are the ones who will benefit first. You are too stubborn."
The older generation is like this. They never trust outsiders and would rather live in seclusion within their own tribe.
"Uncle, I know your concerns. If it were me, I wouldn't trust an outsider so easily. I can't control the court's future plans, but as long as I, Xie Qingyue, am here, I will resolutely protect you and will never accept any oppression from the court."
Su He glanced at Xie Qingyue and glared at his daughter: "Humph, just speak to him."
Shen Qingyuan said, "Let's not talk about those big things. Just our family has received a lot of favors from Master Xie in the past three years. You should be nicer to him."
Su He listened to his wife's words very much. His face, which had been fierce just now, instantly became gentle. "If he comes to our house to eat and sleep, I will definitely welcome him with all my heart. But if he comes to marry my daughter, can I still smile?"
Mu Ren hurried forward to smooth things over: "Listen to me first, I guarantee that General Xie is definitely not a bad person!"
Dulan laughed softly.
Xie Qingyue saw her smile and quickly replied, "Absolutely!"
The tense atmosphere eased a lot, but Su He still couldn't completely let down his guard.
Who is General Xie? He is someone who can bring his soldiers to kill his family without leaving a single survivor at any time.
If his daughter follows him and gets bullied, her family will be unable to help at all.
Su He sat back in his seat, picked up the wine bowl and took a gulp: "Dulan, didn't I hear you say that you have a lover in Beijing? Why don't you choose again?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Mu Ren and Tu Ya both covered their lips and chuckled, only Xie Qingyue had an ugly expression.
The spoon in Dulan's hand hit the edge of the bowl with a clang. Her cheeks flushed red and she glanced at Su He in a reproachful manner: "Dad, what are you talking about?"
She had only let it slip once before when she was drunk, but her father, on the other hand, kept talking about it.
"Okay, I won't agree to this today."
Su He waved his hand, announcing the final verdict for the day.
Muren secretly shrugged at Xie Qingyue. Xie Qingyue looked at Dulan eagerly and smiled at her.
"It's okay, uncle, I will keep trying."
Tuya stood up, holding her youngest son. "It's getting late, the children should go to bed. Dulan, come with me. I'll show you the new cashmere blanket."
Early the next morning, Xie Qingyue had already returned to the camp wearing new boots.
Shen Qingyuan asked Du Lan what kind of pattern of quilt cover she wanted, and she arranged it for her.
Dulan looked at the endless brown grassland and suddenly felt bored.
"It's all right, all right."
As soon as Du Lan finished speaking, Tuya patted her shoulder from behind.
"What do you mean 'anything'? Have you forgotten last year when Naren got married in the tribe? The quilt she woven was so beautiful that it seemed to glow in the sun. You were so fascinated by it."
The little niece reached out to grab the braid of hair hanging in front of Du Lan's chest. Du Lan smiled and bent down, letting her hold it.
She suddenly became interested: "Then we should weave it with Gesang flowers and mix in some gold thread."
"That's right!" Tuya took out a half-dye bag of brightly colored wool yarn from the yurt. "I'll ask Muren to go to town and bring back some new dyes. I guarantee you'll like the result."
Du Lan took a strand of bright red thread. This warm red color moved her heart: "Let's go to the river today to see how the ice is melting. We can catch some fish and grill them tonight."
Shen Qingyuan immediately agreed: "Okay! I'll go get the bamboo basket and bring some naan bread."
Dulan threw the red yarn aside, bent down, picked up her little niece who was pulling her braids and laughing, and strode out: "Let's go to the river to catch fish!"
Qi Qi Ge was shaken by her and started giggling.
Shen Qingyuan followed behind with a bamboo basket, smiling and saying to Tuya, "Look at her, she's full of energy when she talks about playing. She was so listless just a few days ago."
Tuya said, "Dad is the same. He will agree sooner or later. Why bother to argue about it? It makes General Xie quite frustrated."
Shen Qingyuan said, "Su He has his own plans. There are still a few young men in the tribe, and he plans to let Du Lan choose again."
Tuya was stunned, Shen Qingyuan had already walked forward.
"Let's prepare the dowry first, and then we don't care who she will marry later."
While the two were talking, Du Lan had already walked a long way with Qi Qi Ge in her arms.
In a blink of an eye, another two months had passed and the grass in Loufan had turned completely green. When the wind blew, the grass slopes were covered with waves.
Dulan was riding a horse, followed by Qiqige, who was jumping and skipping behind him. Qiqige was holding a few lambs that had just learned to walk in their hands, and they were heading to the pasture by the river.
She looked at Qi Qi Ge and suddenly thought of another little girl she had watched grow up.
Suddenly I felt that fine clothes and delicious food could not compare to this kind of freedom.
But the winter in Loufan is really cold. Qiqige can be lively and energetic, but Jinyun cannot.
Jinyun would wear a jacket embroidered with gold thread, sit on a carved wooden chair, and look at her timidly.
As soon as we reached the river, Qi Qi Ge had already taken off his felt shoes and was wading in the water.
Du Lan dismounted and warned Qi Qi Ge to be careful of the gravel in the river.
I saw a few familiar figures flash by on the other side of the river. They were a few men from the tribe, leading their horses towards this side, with freshly cut grass on their backs.
Batu waved his hands and shouted from a distance: "Dulan! I heard that General Xie just received a letter from the capital and is on his way to your house. Why don't you go back quickly?"
"Auntie! Look at the fish I caught!" Qiqige ran ashore holding the fish, her red, frozen feet stepping on the grass. Dulan quickly squatted down and wiped the water off her feet with a handkerchief.
Dulan raised his head and responded to Batu.
Qiqige squatted down by the river to watch the lambs grazing. Dulan reminded her: "Qiqige, put on your shoes, don't go barefoot."
The two played by the river for a while when someone in the distance called them back.
It was Tuya who called them. She was standing on the slope, carrying a bamboo basket. She laughed loudly and said, "Dulan, General Xie is waiting for you in the yurt. He also brought some candied fruit from Beijing. Would you like some, Qiqige?"
When Qiqige heard the word "candied fruit," she jumped up, grabbed the hem of Dulan's clothes, and ran up the hill, the grass rustling under her newly slipped felt shoes. Dulan followed behind, looking at her niece's pigtailed back and remembering what Batu had said about Xie Qingyue receiving the letter from the capital.
Entering the yurt, warmth mixed with the aroma of milk tea hit me. Xie Qingyue was sitting by the stove, a smile on his face.
It seemed that he was very satisfied with the reply letter from his family.
"My mother also asked you."
Du Lan looked up in surprise: "What did Madam Xie ask me?"
"I'm asking if you're used to living in Loufan. If not, you can return to the capital after you get married."
As he spoke, Xie Qingyue lowered his head, and Du Lan could see the slightly red tips of his ears.
Although Su He still doesn't agree to the marriage, everyone knows that it is a matter of time.
What's more, this time I brought back a piece of news from the capital.
"The emperor passed away, and Crown Prince Xuan Che ascended the throne."
Dulan tightened her fingers slightly as she helped Tuya roll the wool thread. The scene of the prince forcing her to leave late at night three years ago seemed to be right in front of her.
From what the Crown Prince said at the beginning, he intended to train Chen Jinshi as a close minister. Now, he must be even more powerful.
Du Lan really wanted to ask Xie Qingyue about him, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Xie Qingyue saw her fingertips resting on the woolen thread and her eyelashes drooping, as if he knew what she was thinking.
"After the new emperor ascended to the throne, all officials affiliated with the prince's faction were promoted. New policies regarding the northern border will surely be implemented in due course."
Du Lan held the ball of yarn, stroking the rough wool repeatedly with her fingertips, but ultimately did not ask any more questions.
She recalled three years ago, under the ginkgo tree at Xiangguo Temple, he had said with red eyes: "Anywhere without you is hopeless."
Look, hasn't he found his way out of this desperate situation now?
There is no such thing as a desperate situation. No one can live without anyone else.
Su He just came back and strode into the yurt. Xie Qingyue immediately stood up and bowed his head respectfully: "I received a letter from my family with the betrothal gift list here. The betrothal gifts are on the way. The boxes are heavy, so we have to walk slowly."
Su He snorted softly, but still sat down, took the gift list and looked through it. Du Lan looked at him and saw that he raised the corners of his lips as he read it.
Du Lan shook her head slightly, it seemed her fate was sealed.
She has always followed her fate, and that's fine.
The golden bricks of the Hall of Supreme Harmony shone with a cold light. Chen Jinshi, dressed in a green round-necked robe, stood among the officials. His eyes fell on the gilded bronze crane at the foot of the steps, his fingertips firmly grasping the tablet.
The new emperor Xuan Che sat on the dragon throne. The eunuchs present unfolded the bright yellow imperial edict. A shrill voice pierced the silence in the hall:
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven and Earth, proclaims: Chen Jinshi, the former editor of the Hanlin Academy, was once my companion in the Imperial Court and has a deep understanding of my heart. Now, the northern border requires the implementation of a new policy of 'appeasing the distant lands'. I hereby appoint you as the Loufan Border Pacification Envoy, concurrently serving as the Chief Supervisor of the Border Armies. You will oversee tribal trade and the regulation of the border troops. You will be responsible for publicizing the emperor's will, pacifying the people, improving laws and regulations, promoting reforms and improving benefits, and evaluating the governance of officials. I hope you will secure the border with the new policies and consolidate the border with concrete achievements. This is my decree!"
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