Chapter 58 Chapter 58 March 1st, ...
It was the first day of March, and the weather was fine and sunny.
The green grass on the Tekes grassland has grown to about thirty or forty centimeters high. The wind from outside the Great Wall bends the green grass, and you can see herds of cattle and sheep in the distance.
The heavy welcoming horn sounded, and the Kunmi of Wusun, accompanied by her two wives, came to welcome the carriage of Molang Khan.
Kunmi's expression was solemn, Madam Zuo's face was filled with pride and anticipation, and Madam You also maintained a respectable smile. Jiang Wan was dressed as a maid, wearing a veil and a headdress. When she lowered her head, it was impossible to tell that she was from the Central Plains.
At the sound of the horn, Molang Khan and Khatun dismounted, shook hands with Kunmi, exchanged a few words, and presented her with a bow inlaid with gems. Kunmi's return gift was still a silver bush.
This was Jiang Wan's first time seeing a real thing up close. The silver bush was even more beautiful than the pictures in the system store. Its slender body, gleaming silver-white, was dazzling.
Yili whispered the conversation between the two kings of the Western Regions to Jiang Wan, and lamented how precious the bow given by Molang Khan was.
After the greetings, the banquet was about to begin. The two kings sat at the top, the right wife sat at the same table with Kunmi, and the left wife expressed her longing for her father, so she sat at the same table with Moliang Khan.
The banquet dishes were similar to what Jiang Wan had enjoyed at Yi Li's house. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, a Wusun dancer came up to perform.
Molang Khan suddenly waved his hand, raised his glass, and turned to Kunmi: "I've seen this dance for several years. It's always frivolous music. Let's change it."
Kunmi nodded and was about to change the dancers when he heard Molang Khan say, "I heard that Madam You is a good singer and dancer and is very much liked by Kunmi. I am also very curious about Madam You's dancing style. Why not let Madam You dance for us?"
The smile on Kunmi's face froze.
How could one ask the wife of one country to dance in public, with important officials from both countries present? This would be tantamount to insulting the Right Lady as if she were a dancer. If such a move were made, Kunmi would lose face.
But the Wusun were dependent on the Xiongnu, so Kunmi did not dare to turn against them.
After two seconds of silence, Madam You rose calmly and bowed gracefully. "The Khan has invited me, and I should have tried my best to dance. However, I am old and my beauty has faded. My dancing skills have become rusty after serving Kunmi for so many years. I dare not embarrass myself in front of the Khan. It would be better to select some dancers with superb skills, who will surely entertain you. What do you think, Khan?"
These words were gentle and graceful, retaining the grace of a queen mother without offending Molang Khan. Jiang Wan, who was listening to Yili's translation from behind, couldn't help but admire her.
However, Molang Khan was not impressed and said firmly, "Madam, you are too modest. The Xiongnu and Wusun are like brothers. You can dance casually, even if it's not good. We are all family here and we won't mind."
Kunmi's face was gloomy, and his right hand, gripping the golden cup tightly, had turned white from the force. He tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. Then, as if to vent his anger, he slammed the cup on the table and patted his wife's shoulder soothingly: "Since the Khan has said so, you can dance. Any dance will do."
Mrs. You was still trying to maintain a decent smile, but her cheeks were a little pale.
Jiang Wan saw it and cursed him inwardly as a scumbag.
Obviously, Kunmi did not want to suffer this humiliation, but under the pressure of the Xiongnu, he did not dare to resist, so he transferred this humiliation to his woman.
If Madam You dances well, she is comparable to a dancer; if she dances poorly, she is not as good as a dancer.
If Madam You really endured this humiliation, Kunmi would most likely get rid of the "shameful" Madam You for the dignity of Wusun.
Jiang Wan guessed that this was Molang Khan's purpose: to eliminate the powerful rival, Madam You, and let his daughter be the only one in power.
So Jiang Wan secretly cursed Kunmi as an idiot.
But no matter how much she cursed, since Kunmi had spoken, she had to dance, and she had to dance like a mother of the country, not like a dancer.
She lowered her head, her veil completely covering her hands. Through the veil, she wrote a word on the right lady's back with her fingers.
Madam You glanced in her direction imperceptibly, her expression normal: "Kunmi, this dress of mine is not comfortable. Please allow me to change."
She stood up calmly and said casually, "Xiao Wan, help me change my clothes."
The incident happened suddenly and Yi Li had no time to translate, so she could only signal Jiang Wan to follow with her eyes.
Jiang Wan imitated the Wusun maid, knelt on the ground, replied "Yes", and followed Madam You out.
Mo Ling Khan laughed and said, "Madam You, are you too scared to come back?"
Madam You twirled the hem of her skirt and shook her head. A cup of tea later, she returned to the banquet dressed in a red dress. Her hair was loose, she wore no jewelry, and her vibrant red dress had no pattern.
The flute begins to play, its first note mournful and sobbing. Lady You's body sways with the wind, her red sleeves twirling, her slender waist seemingly bent.
Molang Khan stroked his beard. "Is this the dance of a woman abandoned by her lover? Madam You is indeed a good dancer, much more interesting than the dancers of previous years. But... hasn't Kunmi been to Madam You's palace recently?"
Kunmi frowned and said nothing.
After the prelude, the singing began.
"How vast and lush is the fragrant island! How boundless is the withered grass! I will summon your soul, and may it return to its homeland." [1]
The right lady's expression was sad yet resolute, her bright red skirt swaying in the wind like a broken but unbroken reed.
General Tuke exclaimed, "This is a song to summon the souls of the soldiers! Legend has it that a hundred years ago, the Guzhu Kingdom fought a great war, ultimately winning at a tragic cost. The Queen of Guzhu personally visited the front lines. Seeing the corpses strewn across the fields, she was overwhelmed with grief. She removed her hairpin, donned a red dress, and sang and danced, guiding the souls of the fallen heroes back home."
Another minister continued, "I remember that too. It is said that after the queen performed this dance, the surviving soldiers were grateful for her generosity, their morale was boosted, and they swept through the enemy army."
Molang Khan's expression became increasingly gloomy, while Wusun's Kunmi became more amiable.
Sure enough, the gloom will not disappear, it will only move.
When the music stopped, Madam You raised her hands and looked up at the sky, tears in her eyes, as if she was calling the heroic spirits to return home.
The Wusun soldiers stood up one after another, raised their hands and cheered. Even the Xiongnu soldiers were inspired and stood up.
"Right Madam! Right Madam! Right Madam!"
Amidst the loud cheers, Kunmi stood up and placed his hands on Madam You's shoulders. "Madam You have a sense of justice, and I am fortunate. It's windy here, are you cold?"
The Right Lady still had tears in her eyes as she said softly, "I'm not cold."
Kunmi took off his mink cloak and draped it over the right wife with a distressed look on his face. He took her hand and returned to the banquet, where they sat down. He proudly raised his glass to Molang Khan:
"The Khan just said that this is the dance performed by a woman whose lover has abandoned her. That's really unfair to me, as I am deeply in love with Madam You."
Molang Khan's face was gloomy. He had really made matters worse this time. But at this point, even the Xiongnu soldiers were moved by the Right Lady's dance. As Khan, he couldn't say anything. He could only adjust his expression and bow:
"I am narrow-minded. Madam Right is righteous, and I admire her."
In a place where no one was paying attention, Madam You tilted her head slightly and gave Jiang Wan an affirmative gesture.
Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief. Wusun soldiers were already preparing horses and arrows; presumably, the hunt was about to begin. This hunt was merely a formality; each nation would select twenty strong men, and by sunset, they would compete to catch as many prey as possible. The women could relax and chat.
Since Madam You doesn't need to enter, she should have nothing to do later.
Over there, Kunmi put down his knife and fork and said to Molang Khan, "The hunting is about to begin. There are so many prey in the Wusun hunting grounds this year that I am reluctant to kill them. I am just waiting for Khan to show his skills."
"I am old, and my eyesight is not as good as it was in my youth. I can only rely on the young Xiongnu men. Unlike you, Kunmi, you are in your prime, perfect for riding and archery." Molang Khan said, "By the way, what is the prize for this year's winner?"
Kunmi waved his hand and said, "Come here, bring up the prize for this year's hunting!"
After a while, two Wusun servants, carrying a heavy sword, knelt before the two kings.
Kunmi caressed the sword with his left hand and introduced it, "This heavy sword was forged by our Wusun master craftsmen from black iron. It weighs a hundred and twenty pounds and is incredibly sharp. A sword worthy of a hero. How about giving it as a prize to today's winner?"
Molang Khan examined the heavy sword and laughed heartily. "Kunmi is being partial. I'm fifty-five years old. Even if I win, how can I lift this heavy sword? If I give it to one of my soldiers, wouldn't that be a betrayal of Kunmi's kindness? After much deliberation, I have no choice but to give it to my daughter."
He looked at Madam Zuo and held her hand: "But my daughter is so stubborn, so in the end, she still gave it to you."
"No, I see that the Khan is strong and healthy. How can he not lift a sword weighing only 120 kilograms? If the Khan wins and gives the sword to the Xiongnu men, I have no objection." Kunmi said.
Molang Khan shook his head. "How can that be? Kunmi, I think we should try a different approach this year."
Jiang Wan saw Molang Khan's amused expression and her eyelids twitched. She had a bad feeling.
Kunmi was also troubled: "This...this last-minute preparation of the prize is too hasty and will delay the hunt."
"No need to prepare, it's already here," said Molang Khan. "This Tekes grassland is half Xiongnu and half Wusun. Over the years, there have been countless frictions between our two countries over the border, which has really affected our relationship. How about we settle it today? The winner of the hunt will take the entire Tekes grassland. What do you think, Kunmi?"
As soon as these words were spoken, a low hissing sound came from the ministers' seats.
The Tekes grasslands, with their lush grass and water that endures through winter, are a crucial migration site for cattle and sheep, crucial to the livelihoods of both Uzbekistan and Hunnic areas. Whichever country secures the entire grassland will see exponential increases in cattle and sheep production, driving both population growth and the well-being of its people.
It is unheard of that the ownership of such a strategically important place would be decided by a hunting match.
Originally, hunting competitions were merely formalities, with both countries cautiously ensuring the number of prey taken was similar to avoid loss of face. But if the Tekes grasslands were the stakes, it would become a fight to the death.
[1]: From Zhang Duqing's "Elegy for Parrot Island"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
