After settling in the tribe, Xue Shen acted as if he were simply showing his wife from the Central Plains the scenery of the grasslands. After tidying up the tent, Xue Shen took Shen Youying out for lunch.
No matter how prosperous the grassland tribes were, they couldn't compare to the cities of the Great Wei. There were a few restaurants, but not many, and they all served rough and unrefined grassland food.
Xue Shen introduced the food at the stall to Shen Youying in the official language of the Great Wei Dynasty, as if asking for her opinion. Then he ordered a few dishes in Tibetan and asked the maid to wait for the food while he and Shen Youying sat down at the table.
"These are just for show, to put on a good show for others. If you want to try them, then go ahead. If you don't like them, just pretend you're not used to them and don't eat them."
Watching the vendor skillfully make milk skin, Shen Youying said, "It tastes different from that of the Great Wei. I'd like to try it."
However, when she actually started eating it, Shen Youying found that although the Tibetan milk skin looked delicious, it had a very strong fishy smell. Apart from the fishy smell of milk, it had no other taste. She took two bites and then couldn't eat anymore, so she put down her chopsticks.
Xue Shen burst out laughing, told Liu Yun to borrow the kitchen to prepare dinner, and ordered the restaurant to serve a large portion of beef and mutton bones. Then he dragged the bowls and plates in front of Shen Youying to his side and began to feast.
To onlookers, it appeared as if the Tibetan man was making fun of his Central Plains wife, who was experiencing acclimatization issues on her first trip to the grasslands.
The old man who had been sitting at the door greeting customers also saw this scene. He turned around and went into the tent, reporting to the people inside: "Nothing unusual was found. When they asked about Ximen Mountain, he should just say that he wanted to take his wife from the Central Plains to see him."
The person hidden in the shadows spoke up: "Don't let your guard down, the people of the Central Plains are very cunning."
The old man bent down and responded, then turned and left.
*
To avoid attracting attention, Xue Shen did not rush to Ximen Mountain to find the person immediately. He took Shen Youying and wandered around the tribe for two days, and secretly inquired about some information with the merchants he had just met. On the third day, he finally set off for Ximen Mountain.
He ordered a carriage covered with soft cushions to be prepared, and purchased pastries, tea cakes, and other items from merchants from the Wei tribe, making it seem as if he was going on a sightseeing trip.
Before leaving, Xue Shen instructed the old man guarding the tent: "Leave the tent for me. My wife is pregnant and can't overwork herself. She might come back tonight."
The old man took his reward money, though he repeatedly agreed.
Xue Shen then ordered the driver to set off, and the group slowly drove towards the entrance of Ximen Mountain.
After leaving the tribe, Xue Shen got out of the carriage and rode a horse. The guard in charge of gathering information rode up to him and whispered, "There is a person hiding in the tent diagonally opposite us. The person has never come out, but the old man who assigned us the tents goes in and out two or three times a day."
Xue Shen asked, "Have you been able to find out the other party's identity?"
The guard shook his head: "The other party is very cautious. Apart from us, no one in the tribe knows that there is another person hiding in that tent."
Xue Shen said thoughtfully, "Looking at it this way, we're on the right track."
Shen Mingjiang was indeed trapped in Ximen Mountain, and it was most likely a setup; otherwise, there wouldn't be someone hiding in the Azha tribe monitoring passersby. After all, if someone came looking for Shen Mingjiang's whereabouts, they would definitely think of coming to the Azha tribe to gather information.
As they spoke, the carriage had already passed the gate of Ximen Mountain and was gradually heading deeper into the mountains.
On the side of Ximen Mountain, there was a fairly wide path, worn smooth by countless footsteps over the years. Following the map, they walked along the path to its end, intending to turn left, only to find that the corresponding road on the map had vanished into thin air, leaving only a sheer cliff blocking their way.
Xue Shen frowned as he looked at the blocked road. He dismounted and inspected the surroundings, then said with certainty, "The map is correct. There was indeed a road here not long ago, but it has been deliberately blocked."
Shen Youying also got off the carriage. Hearing his words, she looked at the cliff in front of her, which seemed to be several meters high, and asked in surprise, "How can such a huge cliff be moved by human hands?"
Xue Shen shook his head and pointed to the fracture marks on the right side of the rock, saying, "This rock was not moved from elsewhere; it was originally here."
He looked up at the bare cliffs on both sides of the valley and said, "This valley is lush with vegetation and dense forests. But these two places are the only ones without trees."
He then pointed to the scattered pebbles of various sizes on the ground and said, "There are more pebbles in this area than in other places."
Shen Youying immediately realized: "You mean, this cliff was originally above the valley, but it was broken off by someone and slid down to block the road?"
Xue Shen nodded, walked to the edge, rubbed some powder and debris on the rock with his fingertip, and brought it to his nose to sniff: "It smells like gunpowder."
Shen Youying asked, "Someone deliberately tried to trap Father inside and kill him? Who could it be?"
Before Xue Shen could answer, she answered her own question: "The most likely culprit is the third prince of Tibet. He knows my elder brother's identity, and after discovering that my father came looking for him, he wanted to get rid of my father, killing two birds with one stone. This way, he could both cause the Great Wei to lose a great general and continue to deceive my elder brother into working for him."
Having figured this out, Shen Youying bit her lip gently, anger rising within her: "What a vicious thought."
Xue Shen patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't worry. According to the route recorded on the map, there is more than one exit from Ximen Mountain, but this one is the most convenient. Father-in-law has been fighting for many years. Even if he is temporarily trapped in the mountains, he will not easily surrender. The Third Prince may not be able to get what he wants."
Shen Youying believed this. She grew up listening to her father's stories of military campaigns. Her father had survived even more dangerous situations than this. Now he was just trapped in the mountains, not in a hopeless situation.
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