"Auntie," Jiang Chaogang said, blushing with fright as he approached, "Are we really going to go in?"
"certainly."
Jiang Nuan ignored her nephew's discomfort, straightened her back, and walked over unhurriedly.
According to intelligence gathered by the secret guards, this place frequently hosts noblewomen from various countries, while men, whether out of feigned respectability or simply to avoid trouble, rarely venture here.
Jiang Chao was extremely nervous.
The two made little attempt to conceal themselves and did not understand Gandan language. They had come to such a secluded place without warning, and if they were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Whether he dies sooner or later makes no difference to him, but he can't explain it to his family.
Jiang Chao had no doubt that if anything happened to his aunt, his family would absolutely tear him apart.
This nervous and sleazy demeanor was very much in line with Jiang Chao's current identity. Jiang Nuan thought about it for a moment and didn't explain further.
After Jiang Nuan communicated with the servants in the Gandan language of the wanderings, Jiang Chao realized something was wrong and subconsciously asked Jiang Nuan.
Jiang Nuan ignored them and, after getting the information she wanted, arrogantly walked towards the gem trading area.
At this moment, a number of noblewomen had gathered in the trading area, their eyes burning with desire as they gazed at the gems.
These gemstones are indeed quite good; the jadeite has excellent translucency, and the agate has a very pure color.
However, Jiang Nuan discovered that the noblewomen were actually more interested in the openwork hair ornaments passed down from the Great Zhou Dynasty.
It must be said that there is some merit to Gandan's ability to unite with these small countries, at least in terms of language, which is not a major obstacle.
Although there are slight differences, they do not affect communication.
Therefore, Jiang Nuande's interjection seemed perfectly natural.
"This technique must have come from the Great Zhou Dynasty, right?"
“I think so too,” a noblewoman in a long green dress said, covering her mouth. “No other country besides the Great Zhou could make such exquisite jewelry.”
“All the items in my collection that I can take with me are from the Great Zhou Dynasty,” another noblewoman in red chimed in. “Their craftsmanship is truly exquisite. I’ve heard they’ve even created water that can make people smell fragrant.”
"It is said that the food in the Great Zhou Dynasty is also excellent, and the returning merchants all praised it highly. Unfortunately, their emperor is cold-hearted and refuses to accept our superior food!"
“So what?” a woman said haughtily. “When our army marches into the Great Zhou, do you think they will lower their proud heads?”
Jiang Nuan let the ladies gossip as they pleased, occasionally chiming in with a comment, but did nothing else.
An hour later, he bought a pile of jewels and left despite the enthusiastic pleas of the ladies.
After leaving the exchange, Jiang Chao breathed a slight sigh of relief. "That scared me to death!"
"You're scared by something this small?"
Jiang Nuan's eyes were full of disdain.
My nephew fights so fiercely, how come he gets so scared over something so simple?
"Is this a small matter?" Jiang Chao was speechless. "There are at least three hundred people involved, both openly and secretly. It's really difficult to get away from this."
She wasn't like Huang Shu, that humanoid beast who charged forward with a knife, killing gods and Buddhas alike, caring nothing for anything but bows and crossbows.
“You still need more experience,” Jiang Nuan patted Jiang Chao on the shoulder and said earnestly, “How can you be so afraid of this kind of situation? You have to become a strategist who can face thousands of troops without changing his expression!”
Jiang Chao: ...
If he's alone, what's there to be afraid of!
Or is she afraid that if something happens to her aunt in Gandan, she won't be able to explain it to her family?
Jiang Chao moved his mouth, but ultimately offered no explanation.
He had a premonition that explaining would only make him more ridiculed; his aunt had changed and was no longer considerate.
The umbrella that sheltered me from the storm has broken.
Jiang Nuan actually understands her nephew very well. She wouldn't normally do this; she just wanted to correct his unhealthy ideas.
Even if she were certain that nothing would happen to her, she wouldn't want her nephew to bear any burden, even if he did die.
The idea was my own, and the task was my own; what does it have to do with anyone else?
As they walked back in silence, the other two had already returned.
Upon seeing Jiang Nuan, Huang Lao Er immediately became anxious, "Mother, where have you been? Why didn't you wait here?"
Upon learning that the two had gone out, Huang Lao Er's heart sank. If it weren't for Halqi's persuasion to wait a little longer, he might have already searched the entire royal city.
"Second brother," Jiang Nuan narrowed her eyes, "are you demanding an explanation from me?"
"Of course not," Huang Lao Er immediately became alert upon hearing this. "Mother, I'm just worried about you. I'm afraid you might have an accident since you're unfamiliar with the area."
“My aunt went to the shops in the capital, where there are many soldiers stationed there, as well as women from various countries,” Jiang Chao said with mixed feelings. “She will probably go there again.”
"What?" Harzi's eyes widened in surprise. "You went to Kengba Congkang?"
After saying that, Harzi carefully examined the two of them. "That's a very prestigious place in Gandan. I don't even have the right to enter. How did you manage to sneak in?"
Harzi was actually more interested in how the two of them could have come out unharmed, which seemed unbelievable to him.
"Enter with dignity and leave with honor," Jiang Chao didn't want to talk about this. "Let's get down to business. What news have you found out?"
As for his own side, Jiang Chao had given up all hope.
Even though he couldn't understand what they were saying, he could tell that everyone was talking about gemstones.
"I've heard quite a bit of news."
Huang Lao Er gestured for Harqi to go outside and put it away, then lowered his voice and said, "I've already found out their approximate strength."
"On Gandan's side, there are about four forces: the eldest prince, the seventh prince, the eighth prince, and the thirteenth prince. The maternal clans of these four are very powerful, suppressing others so much that they cannot stand out. If there are no unexpected events, the crown prince will be chosen from among these four."
Jiang Nuan neither confirmed nor denied this.
The Khan of Gandan was also a ruler, and the thoughts of any ruler are difficult to fathom.
Who knows what the real intentions are behind the scenes when they openly choose a successor?
It's not impossible that someone who doesn't like these four families might want to use war to eliminate them.
Not hearing Jiang Nuan speak, Huang Lao Er continued, "Furthermore, the four forces are courting different groups. The eldest prince is courting the more valiant Dongxie, while the seventh prince is courting the slightly wealthier Huliang..."
Huang Lao Er didn't go into detail, because it was pointless.
He straightened his posture, his face becoming solemn. "Then there's the matter of military strength."
"Gandan's forces far exceeded previous estimates. Originally 300,000 men, the various tribes joined forces to force out another 200,000, plus the 200,000 promised by allies, bringing the total to 700,000 men."
Although this figure may be inflated and contains many irregularities, it should not be underestimated.
When the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded, it had only 1.8 million troops. The court continued to suppress military generals and cut expenses, and each generation was worse than the last.
Although Huang Lao Er was not clear about the specifics, he guessed that it would not exceed 1.2 million.
They certainly outnumber the Gandan, but they are not as strong, and their hands are not as agile as those of the Gandan people who make a living on horseback all year round.
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