Chapter 1 The man said, "Don't be afraid. Although he's a bit of a scoundrel, he's a good person..."
Further north of Xiliang Prefecture lies the northern desert region of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a place with grasslands, deserts, herds of cattle and horses, and camels that ring bells as they slowly move forward with their herdsmen.
Before dawn, the tribes on the grasslands were already bustling with activity. Figures emerged one after another from the yurts, mostly women from the grasslands, with long braids, chatting and laughing as they began their work for the day.
"You lot, go and milk the sheep today, then take it to the Golden Tent. Today is the auspicious day for the Fourth Prince to marry the Khatun, so don't delay!" A nimble woman stepped forward and instructed.
"yes."
The maids dared not delay and put away their smiles to get busy.
The golden tent the woman spoke of was the palace of the Great Khan, and nearby was the territory of the Four Taiji Chaolu.
Compared to the Golden Tent, this place appears much simpler.
Inside the central yurt, Ruan Yu had just opened her eyes when her maid, Qingguo, rushed forward: "Miss, you're finally awake..."
"What time is it?"
"At the third quarter of Chen Shi (7:45 AM), the auspicious time is almost here. In less than an hour, the Fourth Prince will come to fetch you."
Ruan Yu rubbed her forehead. She had only arrived at the grassland yesterday, yet she was already told that her wedding ceremony would be held today. Even slaughtering pigs and sheep for the New Year wouldn't be this quick.
She had traveled for more than two months from the Central Plains to this place, and was really suffering from acclimatization problems. Her complexion was also terrible. As Qingguo hurriedly brought her a dress, Xuanniang lifted the curtain and came in.
"Miss, breakfast has been served. Please eat something to calm your nerves."
Xuan Niang and Qing Guo were both part of her dowry and had suffered a lot along the way. Ruan Yu only glanced at the breakfast and said, "I'm not hungry, you can share it."
Xuan Niang sighed, "I guess you can't eat any more cooked meat. How about you drink some fresh milk instead?"
The grassland tribes love to eat meat. Freshly cooked beef and mutton were delivered early in the morning. Not to mention their own daughter, even Xuan Niang had no appetite.
Ruan Yu didn't want to eat anything, but not eating would also harm herself, so she took the fresh milk and drank it slowly.
"The dress has arrived!" Several maids came in from outside, and Qingguo brought the dress in.
"The clothes worn by the tribes are so complicated, they look so heavy to me..."
Xuan Niang: "Quickly help the young lady change into these."
"Why aren't two or three maids coming to help us...? We don't know how to do our hair..."
The wedding was all so rushed that it caught everyone off guard.
Xuan Niang sighed, "I'll go ask."
Looking at her somewhat haggard face in the mirror, Ruan Yu silently pursed her lips.
She decided to marry into a nomadic tribe three months ago, simply because she couldn't survive in Chang'an anyway. Originally a concubine's daughter of a marquis, her true identity was revealed to be a fake heiress.
The Zhen'an Marquis's mansion had long since become a place for her. Coincidentally, the Central Plains were being considered for a marriage alliance, and the Empress Dowager panicked. There was only one eligible princess in the dynasty, He Ning, who was absolutely not going to marry far away. Therefore, Emperor Chengwen decided to select an eligible woman from among the women of the Imperial Clan and bestow upon her the title of princess, just as the late emperor had done. Originally, Princess Hua Lun had already been chosen; she was a concubine's daughter of Prince Rong, and of suitable age. However, three months ago, news arrived from the Chaha tribe that the Four Taijis were seeking a marriage alliance with Chao Lu. Immediately, Hua Lun became unwilling to accept this.
The Great Khan Hurile had six sons, of whom only four were born to Han Chinese, and their status was far below that of the other Taiji.
Rumor has it that the position of Great Khan will never be passed to the Fourth Prince. That also means that the Fourth Khatun is destined to be inferior to others.
There are even rumors that, because his birth mother's bloodline was low and she was not favored, Chaolu did not grow up by the Khan's side. Before the Chaha tribe became a powerful force on the grasslands, the Fourth Prince was even used as a hostage, moving between several other tribes.
He was crude in his behavior and ugly in appearance.
Princess Hualun was naturally very unhappy and immediately went to plead with her father. No one took the Fourth Prince seriously, not even Prince Rong. So, after discussing it, Emperor Chengyuan decided to lower the rank by one level and randomly select a noblewoman to be named a princess and send her to the grasslands.
This grand gift naturally fell to Ruan Yu, who was not related to the Marquis of Zhen'an by blood. She was woken up by her stepmother in the middle of the night, changed her clothes, and sent to the Prince Rong's mansion. The next day, the imperial edict was issued, and she was granted the title of Princess Yongqing. The choice of her for the marriage alliance was finalized on the same day.
Everyone said she was lucky. She was originally switched at birth by the Marquis's family several years ago, and enjoyed the treatment of a young lady of the Marquis's family for more than ten years. The Marquis's family was generous and did not kick her out. Now she has risen to the top and become a princess.
But only Ruan Yu herself knew whether this was truly good luck.
Xuanniang quickly brought in two maids to help her change into her formal attire. Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside again—
"I have met Begi."
"Step down."
Ruan Yu paused for a moment, then immediately gestured for Qingguo and Xuanniang to step aside, and stood up herself.
A woman entered, dressed in grassland attire, but unlike what Ruan Yu had imagined, she entered with a smile.
"You must be Xiaoyu? My name is Hela. I've been so busy today that I only have time to see you now."
Ruan Yu was taken aback for a moment, "I've met Dabiekichi before..."
The Fourth Prince's elder sister was actually the Great Khan's eldest daughter. Ruan Yu had already memorized the relationship with the Chaha tribe on the way here, and the tribe respectfully called her Dabieji.
"Look, she truly is a beauty from Chang'an, living up to her reputation!" Dabieji's enthusiasm made Ruan Yu a little flustered. Before she could even adjust, Haila had already grabbed her hand: "We've long heard that the woman to be married is the most beautiful woman in Chang'an. Although I've never been to Chang'an, I think it's true!"
Ruan Yu gave an awkward laugh. Indeed, it was only her face that was somewhat passable...
But it was this very face that attracted countless rumors and gossip after her background was revealed.
“My mother is not well, so she may not be able to go at the auspicious time. We’ll see each other again when we return to our tent tonight. Come, let me comb your hair!”
Regardless, Hela's warmth and kindness made Ruan Yu relax a little. She smiled and nodded her thanks.
-
Outside the Khan's golden tent, the maids were busy making arrangements when suddenly a burst of hearty laughter came from outside. The First Prince and the Third Prince had just returned from hunting.
"Good luck today! I hunted a few goats to congratulate my fourth brother! Where is he? Hasn't he brought his bride yet?!"
Weddings on the grasslands differ from those in the Central Plains. The man personally escorts the bride to the golden tent, and the tribe slaughters chickens and sheep, accompanied by singing and dancing.
Second Prince Bayar: "Fourth Brother, did you go hunting? Or were you still drunk from last night?!"
A maid stepped forward and said, "Your Highnesses, the auspicious time has not yet arrived. There should still be about two hours. The Fourth Prince went hunting early this morning and has not yet returned."
Bayar and Damu were both taken aback for a moment. Damu said, "Oh, then we'll just wait a little longer!"
Bayar asked in surprise, "Why didn't we meet in the mountains?"
Damu smiled and said, "That goes without saying, they must have gone to a much farther place!"
The grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, and further north lay dense forests. At that moment, Chaolu was riding a fine horse at full gallop, chasing after a plump male deer.
Behind him, only his lieutenant, Haas, could barely keep up.
"Fourth Prince, to the west!"
Chaolu was a born hunter, Has had no doubt about that, and none of his prey could escape his clutches.
The birds in the jungle all took flight, startling the hare, but the sturdy stag eventually collapsed. Chao Lu slowed down and finally got his prey.
The young man before me had broad eyes and thick, dark eyebrows that were arched to the side, giving him a spirited air. His eyes were probably inherited from his mother; they were long, narrow, and unfathomable, the kind of deep gaze that belonged to people from the Central Plains. His high, straight nose revealed the ruggedness of a man from the grasslands who had been breathing in the winds of the wilderness for many years. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and you could see the hard curve of his jawline.
"It's a good one! Take it back!" The man's voice was somewhat deep, but it also carried a hint of the boy's pride.
Has stepped forward with a smile, followed by several others who roared with laughter: "Your Highness is mighty! This wild deer could win first place even in a hunting competition!"
Chaolu casually put away his bow and arrows. For him, the most exciting part of the hunt was over, and the joy of reaping the prey was no longer enough to make his blood boil.
"Your Highness, it's almost time to go back. Today is your special day."
The one who spoke was the only man from the Central Plains among them, and he looked to be no more than twenty years old.
Has: "Yang, Your Highness knows what's going on."
Chao Lu glanced at the sunlight, mounted his horse, and though he ignored Yang Chong's words, he still rode his horse swiftly toward the Golden Tent.
...
Ruan Yu and Haila chatted in the tent for about half an hour before finally finishing combing their messy hair and changing into their formal attire.
Hela kept praising her beauty, but to be honest, Ruan Yu just felt awkward.
The grassland woman was tall and imposing, completely different from those in Chang'an. Her small frame, dressed in this gown, made her look like a child wearing an adult's clothes...
And then there's the elaborate and cumbersome headdress, the coarse white makeup, and her haggard face, showing no signs of recovery from two months of continuous travel...
Ruan Yu gasped, feeling helpless.
Never mind, let's leave it at that.
Suddenly, a great commotion arose outside the tent.
Hella seemed to have taken it all for granted—
"It's Chaolu who's back."
Ruan Yu's heart jumped into her throat. Hela noticed her nervousness and helplessness, and patted her hand with a smile.
"Don't be afraid. Although he's a bit of a scoundrel, he's a good person."
Ruan Yu forced a smile; it was both a scoundrel and a good person, a contradictory sentiment she found no matter how she listened.
The next instant, the curtain of the large tent was lifted, and a figure blocked the light from outside.
Ruan Yu subconsciously looked up, but against the light, she couldn't see the other person's face; she was only startled by the person's body.
Perhaps... he's nine feet tall?
And that broad figure, like a small mountain or a boulder, instantly made Ruan Yu's heart clench, almost choking her.
"Today is your special day, where have you been again!" Hela scolded her brother like any sister in the world, and Chaolu glanced at her casually.
The tent was lowered, and their eyes met. Ruan Yu finally saw the man clearly. His bangs were disheveled by the wind, with a few blades of grass clinging to them. The collar of his leather robe was open, revealing his bronze collarbone, which seemed made of iron—strong and thick. His Adam's apple was like a large rock! Further down, she saw bulging veins on his dark, muscular arms…
The words "ugly appearance" suddenly popped into Ruan Yu's mind.
Sure enough, sure enough, the news from Chang'an was true...
Ruan Yu felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and didn't get a good look, but at that moment, the man's dark eyes were also fixed on her.
Ruan Yu probably didn't know that in the other person's eyes, she was like a rabbit in a burrow on the grassland, the kind that had just been born and had hardly any flesh on its body.
He could kill someone with a single pinch.
First... beauty?
Similarly, Chaolu also twitched the corners of his lips, but the next moment, he was glared at by his sister Hela.
A note from the author:
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It's August! Let's read a sweet story – a completely new attempt for me. If you like it, please support me! Thank you! [milk tea][milk tea][milk tea]
The new novel will be giving out red envelopes for 10 consecutive days. Updates will be based on the rankings before it becomes a paid novel. Currently, it should be updated every other day.
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