24 Chapter 24
◎Soy milk tea|Eid al-Adha celebration|…I like it.◎
"Dad came home yesterday and suddenly started talking about my eldest brother again. It really scared me." Chen Jiao picked up the teacup and drank the milky white liquid in one gulp. "Hmm...eh? This time it tastes pretty good, with a unique aroma, a little fresher than the previous milk tea. What's the new secret recipe?"
"It's soy milk," Li Hengqing explained. "Previously, some customers experienced stomach discomfort after drinking milk. This time, we're offering soy milk as an alternative to milk. The flavor is a little different, but it's not unpalatable."
She had a cup of the authentic Yu Qilin soy milk drink next to her, and it was obvious that she liked it very much.
Li Hengqing paused and said, "But why can't your father mention your eldest brother?"
She was asking knowingly, but Chen Jiao patiently explained, "My eldest brother died in battle against the Northern Di rebels over ten years ago. He and Dad had a very good relationship, but I wasn't even born then."
More than ten years ago. Li Hengqing remained calm and ordered a plate of spicy beef chips to be served to Chen Jiao. "Northern Di rebels?"
"Your Majesty personally led the army, accompanied by his concubines, to exterminate the rebellious Northern Di people." Shen Jiao blinked, quoting from a historical text. She had also heard of the court's current policy of discouraging women from studying, and she continued with considerable consideration, "While it was a significant achievement, it was inevitable that some soldiers would suffer casualties..."
"I was wondering, since Yunzhou is located on the border, whether the records of this past event might be more detailed," Li Hengqing said, trying to justify himself. "Praising achievements isn't an easy task... Could you please find some books for me?"
…
The Northern Di rebels undoubtedly referred to the Shahu tribe, which betrayed the Northern Di alliance over a decade ago and initiated war against both the Northern Di and Southern Sheng factions. Li Hengqing had read the Canglang tribe's history and discovered that the tribe had been plagued by frequent warfare since its founding fifty years ago, with few periods of complete truce. They were constantly engaged in a cycle of conquest and expansion, using war to sustain war.
It was not until more than ten years ago, when Langyue and her daughter fled, that the war gradually subsided.
No matter which side's historical records are included, the battle more than ten years ago is always a highlight.
After Li Hengqing sent someone to investigate further, he received word that he had successfully acquired shops in Yunzhou and several nearby cities. It seemed as if the other party had relented overnight. The money for the purchase and renovations was a no-brainer, and Li Hengqing immediately agreed. However, finding so many managers as capable as Qian within the timeframe required for the renovations proved to be a real challenge.
Even in the eyes of today's merchants, those with special skills tended to accumulate capital and then strike out on their own, or work for large landowners and wealthy individuals. Li Hengqing had considerable influence, but the reputation of the Northern Goods Company was confined to the city. In the eyes of wealthy merchants, it was just a larger, unremarkable grocery store, unable to achieve success.
As expected, he repeatedly turned down requests from other agents over the next few days. With Eid al-Adha approaching, Li Hengqing couldn't afford to waste any more time in Yunzhou City, so he put the matter aside and set off for Silver Moon Valley.
She had been planning to ride a horse for a bit, but a sudden drizzle began to fall, moistening the usually dry air of the north. She had no choice but to switch carriages. Li Hengqing reached out and lifted the curtain to look out. Beside her was the scroll that Shen Jiao had sent her. Her gaze crossed the gray sky and earth, gazing towards the horizon.
…
The Silver Moon Valley in the distance was brightly lit with sunshine. The fox-eyed boy who was sitting cross-legged on a tree branch and taking a nap raised his head as if he had sensed something, and saw only a swaying patch of lush green.
"It's a sunny day today." Qiqige still had that mysterious and frivolous tone. "You lose, and I will preside over the Eid al-Adha sacrifice."
The defeated man stared at the ground with hatred in his eyes. The white fox watched him from the tree, thinking that if he were the leader, he should be able to make it rain so hard that the young female shaman would be humiliated.
Unfortunately, he wasn't. The white fox sighed with regret, its body lightening as it slipped away from the dense greenery. He wasn't an idler; he still had work to do in Silvermoon Valley... Though he was stealing intelligence for the leader, his main job was farming. He worked diligently and had already risen to the position of a centurion.
Although their technological level is not comparable to that of the Shahu tribe, their welfare benefits are much better, including the upcoming Eid al-Adha sacrifice.
…
Golden sunlight pierced the clouds, casting a shadow over the still green pastures, creating a wave of green. Eid al-Adha had arrived.
The former Mother's Embrace was bustling with people. Although the scenery was different, most people were still happy to see the former Mother's Embrace restored to life. After all, this was the land that nurtured them for generations and would continue to thrive.
It turns out that as long as they have enough food and clothing, most people don't care whether the person presiding over the ceremony is the once powerful shaman Urgen or someone else. Qiqige stood on the stone platform, bone staff in hand, and looked around with an extremely peaceful and satisfied smile.
Holy pine branches lit a bonfire, sending plumes of smoke drifting away. The sturdy ram offered as a sacrifice was bound with vibrant silk. She opened her lips, chanting a mystical prayer filled with excitement and joy, and looked toward Li Hengqing, who was watching the ceremony in the foreground, and Helian Xiao, who stood beside her.
Eternal Heaven, I have found a new master for this heaven. Please show her mercy, for she is one of your people. This land's fate no longer depends on the guidance of the stars, for she has escaped the constraints of fate. And where her future will lead, only Eternal Heaven knows.
The always cunning and clever woman now possessed a certain solemn holiness, which quieted the excited crowd. However, the silence did not last long. Helian Xiao drew his scimitar and stabbed the leading sheep in the neck. Without even a struggle, it fell silently, blood spilling out, and the crowd cheered again.
The sacrificial ceremony and other formalities were kept simple. Qiqige switched back to Northern Di, her smile unchanged: "I want to convey the words of the Khan and Khatun. May everyone have a good time at Eid al-Adha. We will have a good harvest next year!"
Sacrificial offerings of cattle and sheep are often slaughtered, and roasted whole lamb and hand-pulled meat are essential dishes at this traditional festival. Vats of kumis and yogurt are freely available, while buckwheat pancakes smeared with chive sauce or rich butter are served. Pre-smoked sausages and blood sausages are also popular side dishes.
For those who cannot hold their liquor, there is the newly brewed low-alcohol fruit wine from Silver Moon Valley, which is refreshing, sweet and delicious. The first batch of candies made from beets are prizes for children's games, but after eating the candies, they must clean their mouths with the newly introduced simple toothbrush and tooth powder.
The horse race was, of course, the highlight of Eid al-Adha, but those close to Li Hengqing couldn't participate due to their status. After all, the prize included the opportunity to become a personal guard. The same was true for the archery competition. With this in mind, she added an extra entertainment program at the end. Whoever could shoot an object thrown by a mounted warrior would receive a small prize. These were small items Li Hengqing had collected from Nansheng.
After she appeared, she found an excuse to slip away and prepare a special meal for herself and the other girls in the tent. Today's menu was a Cantonese clay pot rice. When preparing the blood sausage earlier, Li Hengqing had included some of his own ingredients, making a batch of Cantonese and Sichuan-style sausages. Today's clay pot rice used the former. The sweet sausage, potatoes, carrots, and various other vegetables were diced and mixed with the rice, then lightly mixed with a dark sauce.
Li Hengqing closed the pot and continued to look through the information Shen Jiao had collected, consoling himself by saying that this was just a test of the taste of his latest soy sauce. If it passed the test, he could sell it after a while and make a good profit.
Among the concubines who had accompanied the emperor on his expedition, Li Yunqing and Li Yunyan were among them, as was Prince Gong's biological mother, Concubine Lan. Now, according to the original body's memories, these three were either dead or mad, and none of them had a good ending.
But Concubine Lan seemed to be the last one to be liquidated...
Just as she was thinking this, the voice of Helian Xiao's personal guard suddenly came from outside the tent: "Princess, the Khan is also going to participate in the final prize-giving session. Are you interested in going to take a look?"
She wanted to eat clay pot rice with crispy rice crust today, and since she had nothing to do, she simply agreed.
Unexpectedly, besides Helian Xiao, Tana was also involved in this jackpot. Though not tall, she was quite skilled at archery. A heavy iron bow was slowly drawn to full length, and the arrow flew out like thunder, piercing a ribbon thrown into the air.
The crowd cheered, though a few, mindful of Tana's identity, had a slightly awkward expression. Seeing Li Hengqing approach, Tana glanced at her from afar and waved, a knowing smile crossing their lips. Hatred takes time to heal; having this moment to celebrate together was already a joyous occasion.
This intimate scene was seen by Helian Xiao, who was adjusting the bowstring. He paused and whispered something to the person next to him.
Then, the next object to be thrown up was held up in someone's hand for display. It was a small, bright red hawthorn fruit.
The crowd gasped, and then Helian Xiao stepped out from the crowd. He didn't stride with great speed, but his brisk walk was a natural advantage of his long legs and tall stature.
He casually bent his bow and drew his arrow. Before the crowd could see his movements, he could see the focused expressions of Li Hengqing in his peripheral vision.
The bowstring was taut, and the crimson hawthorn was shot down, plummeting into the grass at high speed. The referee picked up the fruit, declared Helian Xiao's challenge a success, and quietly wiped the sweat from his palm.
Helian Xiao looked at Li Hengqing, who clapped for him enthusiastically with his eyes curved.
...Although what Li Hengqing was looking at just now was not the professionalism of the other party's archery movements, but the deep robe collar that was opened due to the movement.
It's huge. It's chocolate milk.
"The Khan shot down the hawthorn, so I'll treat him to candied haws." Helian Xiao walked towards Li Hengqing. She generously changed the prize, "Do you like this prize?"
Helian Xiao lowered his eyes and looked at her, his Adam's apple rolling up and down. After a moment, he said, "...I like it."
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