Chapter 66: People who love the grasslands, nomadism is like snow falling in winter,...
For people on the grassland, nomadism is as common as snow in winter and grass growing wildly in summer. As for the princess's desire to "travel" to Guihua City in the south of the desert to see her land, Tushetu Khan did not say much, but only told Dorji to take good care of the princess and remember to come back when the grass turns yellow.
They are used to describing the passage of time with the phrase "grass withers and greens", not "a year", but "a blade of grass". When they first arrived, they were a little uncomfortable with the evening snow, but after a season of prosperity and decline, they saw the ice and snow melt and the grass grow again, and they were happy to use this expression, and felt it was very romantic.
"Please rest assured, Khan, we will be back before the grass turns yellow."
If one travels fast and travels light, it will take about a month and a half to get from Kulun to Guihua City. Of course, one can return to Mobei before the grass turns yellow.
When the news of the trip spread, the kitchen staff hurried to prepare food for the trip, because the princess had ordered a light car and a small group, without cattle or sheep, which meant that there was little fresh meat. The kitchen staff prepared food based on what shepherds usually eat, making cheese, boiling butter, drying meat, and preparing fried rice. A large pot was set up in front of the kitchen tent, with pine wood crackling, boiling cow and goat milk overnight.
Mu Xue sat in the tent and could faintly smell the fragrance of milk.
"Princess, have you brought the dowry servants with you?" Qiuhua asked.
Mu Xue hesitated for a moment. There were some children and old people among these people. If they were asked to follow, they would be tired and would slow down the pace.
"No need to bother, just pick a few young and strong people to follow."
Since most of the people are staying here, someone will be needed to look after them. Muxue looked at Qiuhua, a little hesitant: "Yunqi is not here, and now you are the dowry manager here. Logically, you should stay. You have always been thoughtful in doing things, and I feel at ease. But we also need to bring a doctor with us on this trip, maybe your husband, Doctor Zhang, will have to follow the team."
Zeng Qiuhua had a very good relationship with Doctor Zhang. Suddenly he was called away on a business trip, which was for several months. Muxue felt a little guilty about it.
Qiuhua was a little surprised. She knew that her master was always considerate of her servants, but she didn't expect that the princess would even take care of such a small matter of hers.
Besides being touched, she was also somewhat thankful that it was a blessing to be able to follow a master who was so kind. Qiu Hua couldn't help but smile: "What's the big deal? We won't become estranged just because of this little time apart."
Qiu Hua lowered her voice and smiled, "The princess and her husband have been married for more than a year, so maybe they don't understand. A couple stays together for many years, and after a long time, it's like a fight between teeth and tongue, with more or less some conflicts. As the saying goes, a short separation is better than a new marriage, so being a little farther away may be good for their relationship."
It seemed to make sense. Mu Xue nodded, no longer worried, and told Qiu Hua to take good care of the dowry population on the grassland, and to check on the cattle and sheep on the ranch regularly.
Fearing that many things might be missed, before leaving, Mu Xue specially made a long list of all the important matters, big and small, so that Qiu Hua could follow them. The news from the capital was very important. When she sent someone back, she had already stated in the letter that she should be in Guihua City for the next two or three months, and asked Yunqi to send a letter directly to Guihua if there was anything. In addition to cattle and sheep on the grassland, the construction of tents for the school and the recruitment of students must also be monitored. By the way, there are also a few eunuchs who will follow Taiji to the capital in the second half of the year to serve as officials. They must also be monitored and trained more.
After everything was listed clearly, Mu Xue set off.
Compared with the last time when the Fourth and Fifth Princes sent their brides to their homes, this time, the luggage was really streamlined, with only two sedan chairs - a horse-drawn carriage with a sedan-like body and curtains installed on it. One was for Madam Wu, Madam Zhao, Rong'er, and the eunuch Yanxi to ride in, and the other colorful silk sedan chair was specially for Muxue and Dorji to ride in. The rest were all horses and camels.
Muxue spent most of the time riding horses with Dorji. Only when their legs became sore from riding would they sit in the sedan.
After rushing all the way through the grasslands, Hangai Mountains, deserts, and Gobi, they arrived at the Daqing Mountain outside Guihua City. Mu Xuejian's chin had become thinner.
Dorji felt sorry for the princess, as she had finally become a little plumper after the winter, but now she looked haggard again.
He scooped a small piece of mutton fat from the silver box and wiped Muxue's face. "After you see the farming this time, you'd better stop running around like this. It's too tiring. The wives on the grasslands and in the capital don't run around like this. They all enjoy a peaceful life at home."
"Aren't the people under you doing their job well? Isn't it good to stay at home and play with Qiuqiu, take walks, and eat freshly made milk tofu?"
After hearing this, Mu Xue frowned even though she knew that he meant it out of concern for her.
Dorji noticed her slightly frowned brows. "What's wrong?"
Mu Xue seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.
What should she say? It was natural to want her lover to be less tired and enjoy a leisurely life. But she was worried that these gentle words of love would frame her. Concubine Yi, or any other concubine in the harem, seemed to enjoy a leisurely life, relying on the emperor's favor and having fine clothes and delicious food.
But she had suffered in the palace for so many years, and she knew very well the price she had to pay to enjoy this "peaceful life". Perhaps because he had witnessed the power of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and other concubines, Emperor Kangxi, after taking power, was very strict in controlling and preventing the concubines in the harem, and strictly prohibited them from interfering in government affairs.
A bird living in a golden cage, even if the cage is made of gold, but isn't it still a cage?
She gently pulled Dorji's hand down and said, "Nothing."
"Your expression doesn't mean nothing. Are you angry with me? What did I say just now to offend you?" Dorji just looked at her, "Muxue, tell me, please."
"I don't know what to say, maybe I'm overthinking." Mu Xue doubted herself again, wondering if she was overthinking again. Dorji was not Emperor Kangxi, and he always supported her attitude towards what she wanted to do.
Maybe she was overthinking? Mu Xue looked away. She didn't like conflicts with others. Realizing that this topic might lead to a quarrel, she changed the subject: "We are stationed on the grassland in the mountains. I wonder if it would be better to look at the stars at night."
But this time Dorji did not easily follow her lead and change the subject.
His sword-like brows were furrowed, an expression he rarely showed to her.
"Muxue, there is no such thing as being suspicious or not. These are all your feelings. I hope you can trust me and tell me."
Dorji was silent for a moment, and seeing that Muxue still didn't want to look at him, he sighed: "You are good in everything, but sometimes you are too cautious and reserved in what you say, which is not pleasant. I can't always guess what you mean."
He put the silver box on the box, turned around and walked out of the tent alone.
The moon rose, a waning moon, with only a faint trace of a crescent, emitting a faint light.
Dorji sat alone on the grass, holding a silver flat pot in his hand, looking at the moon and drinking a sip of kumis.
Although he is open-minded and cheerful by nature, it does not mean that he is a bodhisattva. Even a clay man has some temper, so he naturally has a temper.
As the successor of the Tushetu Khanate, Dorji had a lot of affairs to deal with on a daily basis. Although he defeated the Dzungar Khanate and Galdan was defeated and died, it did not mean that those forces disappeared immediately. There were always some remnants of the old army hiding in some desert or some mountain, and such remnants were often easy to turn into horse bandits. At this time, he should lead his personal soldiers to patrol the remote grasslands to check whether there were any horse bandits.
But when the princess said she wanted to visit Guihua City, he immediately put aside all the things in his hands and escorted her there.
I was obviously feeling sorry for her because she was thin, but why did I feel so sorry for her? She became angry.
It’s okay to be angry, but you clearly have your own thoughts, but you don’t tell them to him?
After spending so much time together, is it possible that she still doesn't believe him?
Maybe in the past, it was because of the arranged marriage that she was wary, but now that they have expressed their feelings to each other, why is she still like this?
Dorji raised his head and took another sip of wine, feeling a little disappointed. It was really hard to understand a woman's mind, especially a special woman like the princess.
"Any more wine?"
The spring breeze brought a gentle voice to his ears. Dorji turned his head suddenly and saw Mu Xue holding a lantern not far away, the orange light illuminating a small patch of grass.
She went up to him and sat down beside him, placing the lamp on the grass.
Dorji didn't say anything, but silently handed the silver flat pot to her. Muxue took it and took a sip of the wine.
The two of them looked at the same starry sky in silence.
Mu Xue sat there with her knees hugged. This sitting posture always makes people look very lonely.
Dorji saw this, took off his cloak and put it on her silently.
Mu Xue's voice rang out: "I'm sorry, I'm really not used to speaking my mind to others."
She turned sideways and looked at him with her sharp eyes: "You are the first one, right? If I talk too much, please don't be angry."
The three words "No. 1" seemed like a spell cast by a lama, making Dorji sit up straighter.
Mu Xue lowered her eyes, pulled a piece of grass and wrapped it around her fingertips to play with. "I just thought too much in a moment. I know you feel sorry for my weight loss, but I'm also afraid that you won't support me in the future. Well, let me tell you this. There are many kinds of birds in this world. Some birds, such as orioles, may like to be pampered, which is good. There are also some birds, such as the female eagle on the grassland, who would rather spread her wings and fly high to see the vast world. Even if there is wind and sun, and sometimes she may not have enough food. It's hard to say which bird has a happier life, it's just that they make different choices. If you insist on throwing the oriole onto this grassland, it may die soon. But if you insist on stuffing the female eagle into a cage, then you can imagine how depressed she will be."
She pursed her lips and said, "I am indeed a little tired after traveling all the way, but I am also happy. What makes me even happier is that you are with me. Dunduobuduoerji, thank you."
Before she could finish her words, she was pulled into a passionate hug.
"If you had said this earlier, I would have understood." Dorji's voice became cheerful. "It's okay to think too much. Just tell me. If Mongolian is not easy to speak, you can use Manchu or Chinese. It doesn't matter what language it is. As long as you are willing to speak it, I am willing to listen."
Then he continued with a series of confessions:
"Bichamudehairitai" is Mongolian.
"Bisinbobuyembi", this is Manchu.
"I? I like you."
Mu Xue laughed: "It's inexplicable."
She hugged him back tightly: "Actually, I pay attention to my health. If it's instant noodles or hot pot base, I will definitely eat more on the way. I won't lose much weight."
"What is that? I'll ask the merchant for it. Any number of sheep will do."
Mu Xuele said happily: "No, I am the only one who knows how to do it. When we get to Guihua City, I will ask someone to make it for you."
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