Chapter 56: This Might Also Be Her Opportunity…

Chapter 56: This might also be an opportunity for her...

"Where did you get that candy?" the man shouted.

"Could it be that Han Princess deliberately lured you to her with candy?"

When hunting, they use delicious bait as well. Once the prey is caught, it's over. Now he feels that the Han Princess is just such a bait-layer, cunningly setting traps for his family.

He set Mica down and turned to go out and cause trouble.

Lan Zhu and Qiu Liju quickly stood up to stop him, but the man walked quickly with long strides, and in the blink of an eye, he was already far away. The two hurriedly ran after him, out of breath, and finally caught him in front of Jiang Congyan's tent.

"What do you think you're doing?" Qiu Liju grabbed his arm, dragging him back with all her might.

Fortunately, they stopped him from barging in, or it would be troublesome if the Prince found out.

"Brother, the Princess didn't do anything. It was me... I went over on my own, and she kindly gave me some candy," Lan Zhu quickly explained, still catching her breath.

At the same time, she regretted it. If she had known her brother would make a scene, she should have been more careful.

She had seen her brother drinking and competing with his subordinates over there. Who would have thought he'd return so quickly?

She didn't want to cause trouble for the Princess, especially after remembering the Princess's smile and the extra candy she had secretly given her. She felt guilty.

"Brother, can't you be reasonable?" Lan Zhu was already a bit resentful.

With both of them stopping him and speaking to him in such a tone, the man grew even more furious. He forcefully shook off Qiu Liju's hand, "Hmph, she deliberately used candy to bribe you, and you fell for it! See, with just a little trick, you're already speaking up for her!"

"The Han people are indeed cunning and deceitful, especially the one Tuo Baxiao married!"

"Tuoba Wuxi, stop it!" Qiu Liju, almost thrown to the ground by him, couldn't hold back her temper either. She shouted loudly, pointing at him, "I think you're just upset because you lost face in the competition with the Prince yesterday, and now you're looking for an excuse to vent. Go ride, shoot arrows, or drink, do whatever you want, but why take it out on the Han Princess at home?"

"What's wrong with her giving out a few candies? Can't she make friends? Are you going to cause trouble over this? Do you think your reason is justified? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you for being a sore loser looking for an excuse to retaliate?"

Tuoba Wuxi, ruthlessly exposed by his wife, turned even darker in the face, especially after her last remark, which hit a sore spot. His whole body bristled.

Qiu Liju continued, "Anyway, as long as I'm here, you're not allowed to go. The Han Princess is not just a Han Princess; she's also the Prince's wife, the Khatun of the Xianbei. If you go cause trouble for her now, are you challenging the Prince's authority?"

The group was not far from Jiang Congyan's tent, and their argument was loud. Two night guards heard the commotion and immediately came over, watching them warily and whispering to each other.

"This man seems hostile. Should we inform the Princess and the Prince?"

"It's a bit late." The Princess and the Prince of Mobei might be asleep. It's not good to disturb them at this hour.

"Let's see how things go."

The two guards kept a close eye on Tuoba Wuxi, their thumbs already on the hilts of their swords. If he made any move, they wouldn't hold back.

Tuoba Wuxi gritted his teeth, staring at Qiu Liju, then glared at the two guards in front of the tent. His expression changed for a long time, but in the end, he let out a heavy snort and turned to leave.

Seeing that he still had some sense and wasn't completely blinded by anger, Qiu Liju finally relaxed.

Her husband was hot-tempered, easily provoked, and often very stubborn. Once he made up his mind, no one could persuade him otherwise. She really wished she could beat him up sometimes.

The only thing better about him compared to other men was that he wouldn't hit his wife during arguments, which was why she dared to confront him like this.

After the argument, Qiu Liju came to her senses and noticed the two guards standing nearby. She guessed they were the Han Princess's guards. Thinking about the mess Tuoba Wuxi had just caused, she could only apologize to them, hoping they wouldn't take tonight's incident to heart and that the Prince wouldn't get angry over it.

The two guards weren't yet fluent in Xianbei, so they could only vaguely understand her, but from her tone, they could tell she was apologizing. They clasped their fists in return, indicating they understood.

Noticing Lan Zhu still standing nearby, the young girl looked very guilty. Qiu Liju softened his voice to comfort her, "Don't take your brother's words to heart. He's just got a bad temper and feels uncomfortable if he's not scolded every now and then. You didn't do anything wrong, so don't be afraid of him."

"He's in a rage right now. You should go back first, and we'll talk in a couple of days."

Lan Zhu could only nod. She took a couple of steps, then remembered something and turned back, "The princess said her household servants can make sugar, and in the future, we can trade with her using cattle and sheep. Qiu Liju, maybe you could try to persuade my brother."

Qiu Liju patted her hand, feeling somewhat helpless, "I'll try to persuade him."

But the outcome was uncertain.

Tuoba Wuxi had always resented Tuoba Xiao for taking his throne. Over the years, he had never truly submitted to Tuoba Xiao. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't defeat him, he would have long wanted to drag Tuoba Xiao down from the throne.

Now that he had married a Han Princess as his Khatun (queen), Tuoba Wuxi naturally transferred his anger to this Han Princess, believing that Tuoba Xiao had ulterior motives and that one day the Xianbei would be ruined by him.

Sighing, Lan Zhu had no choice but to return to her tent, feeling dejected.

Late at night, after Qiu Liju had settled Mica to sleep, washed his hands and face, he also lay down on the bed.

Just as he pulled up the blanket, Tuoba Wuxi reached out.

Still angry, he slapped his arm without thinking, turned his back to him, and wrapped the blanket tightly around himself, "I'm very angry today, I don't want to talk to you."

"..."

Hmph, it's all because of Tuoba Xiao and his Han Princess!

——

The next morning, it wasn't too late; the sun had just risen, the warm light was brilliant, and the clouds at the horizon were red.

Except for some soreness in both arms, the rest of the body felt much better, with no obvious pain. Zhang Fu's ointment was indeed effective.

After washing up, an Imperial Guard came to report to Jiang Congyan that Tuoba Wuxi had caused a commotion last night, but was persuaded by his wife, who also expressed apologies.

Jiang Congyan didn't think much of it, but Tuoba Xiao's face darkened first, and without a word, he wanted to go and settle accounts with Tuoba Wuxi, but she stopped him in time.

"What are you going to do? He didn't really do anything, his wife persuaded him to go back and even apologized. It wouldn't be right for you to go and stir up trouble now, others would think I'm petty."

If Tuoba Wuxi is impulsive, she thinks Tuoba Xiao is sometimes no less so.

Hearing her words, Tuoba Xiao's expression didn't improve much, but it was as if he was tethered and didn't go out anymore.

Jiang Congyan grabbed his arm and pulled him back, "Alright, it's just a small matter, I didn't take it to heart. Let's eat first, after breakfast we still need to go out and look at the land."

Having said that, Tuoba Xiao suppressed the frustration in his heart, only regretting that he hadn't beaten Tuoba Wuxi more severely the day before.

Next time, he won't hold back, hmph!

He cracked his knuckles, producing a few crisp sounds.

Seeing this, Jiang Congyan shook her head and smiled.

Having promised to allocate land to her the day before, after breakfast, Tuoba Xiao took her to see the location.

Since Jiang Congyan hadn't been out yet, the two rode their horses leisurely.

It was both familiarizing themselves with the surrounding environment for site selection and enjoying the scenery.

At the end of May, the grassland was at its lushest, looking out over a sea of green, dotted with all kinds of unknown wild flowers, bright and colorful, dressing the grassland in a floral skirt.

Looking at these wildflowers, she was reminded of the flowers Tuo Baxiao had given her on the road.

Some had withered, while others she had pressed and dried to keep as bookmarks.

Tuo Baxiao still rode his Li Eagle, while Jiang Congyan rode a snow-white Jade Lion. The Jade Lion wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either, with strong hooves and smooth muscles, standing out even among ordinary horses. She refused the man's assistance and struggled slightly to mount the horse.

Tuo Baxiao had initially wanted her to ride with him on the Li Eagle, but she firmly rejected the idea.

Just mentioning it made her face darken. Riding together? She didn't believe for a moment that the man had suddenly turned virtuous, especially now that they were married. He would probably only become more unrestrained.

Such an obvious act of walking into the lion's den—unless she had lost her mind—she would never agree to it.

Tuo Baxiao looked at her and sighed regretfully.

He really wouldn't do anything—just a hug—but even that wasn't allowed.

The royal court was nestled along the lakes and rivers. The lake's waters were crystal clear, and under the bright morning or evening glow, they would turn pink, resembling the rouge on a woman's face. The locals had given it a beautiful name—Rouge Lake.

Rouge Lake was an irregularly shaped body of water, generally elongated from east to west, with winding edges and lush reeds along its banks.

The morning breeze carried the lake's moisture, bringing a refreshing coolness. Although it was summer, the temperature difference between day and night was distinct, as if two seasons coexisted.

Jiang Congyan rode ahead, with Tuo Baxiao trailing just half a step behind, his eyes fixed on her.

The horse's snow-white mane shimmered with a glossy sheen, even refracting a faint golden hue under the sunlight, beautiful and pure. But the girl on the horse was even more dazzling than the golden light.

She wore a white brocade dress, embroidered with gold and silver threads in a pattern of curling vines and flowers, catching the scattered sunlight. It seemed as if the light had settled on her. The white hem of her dress nearly merged with the horse beneath her, as if she were suspended in mid-air, like a legendary mountain spirit astride a mythical beast.

Jiang Congyan rode slowly, occasionally glancing back at the man, asking him whose camp was in this area.

For convenience and to keep her appearance neat, she hadn't styled her hair in an elaborate updo today. Instead, she had A Chun loosely braid her long hair into a side plait, secured with a pink satin ribbon.

The simple and understated outfit was enlivened by the ribbon fluttering in the wind, like a solemn sandalwood treasure box inadvertently revealing a glimpse of its inner radiance.

Tuo Baxiao looked at her face and answered her seriously.

But as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on her face. The girl's fair skin bore a hint of pink, and her dark eyes sparkled. Though he was answering her question, it didn't seem like he was solely addressing her.

Even though they weren't doing anything, there was no physical contact between them, and they were discussing serious matters, his expression and tone were quite proper. Yet, Jiang Congyan felt uneasy under his gaze. She blinked unnaturally, slightly lowered her neck, pursed her lips, and turned her head away.

Tuo Baxiao noticed her pink, moist lips, and his eyes darkened as he remembered their first kiss.

She had been frightened that day, and he later realized he had lost control. But he couldn't deny that he had thoroughly enjoyed that kiss and still reminisced about it occasionally.

Now, watching her ride, those vivid memories resurfaced in his mind. If only he could do it again...

Although Jiang Congyan wasn't a mind reader and didn't know his exact thoughts, the subtle atmosphere made her feel something unusual.

Hmph, the dog man definitely wasn't thinking anything good.

She gently nudged the horse's belly, speeding up and moving ahead.

Seeing this, Tuo Baxiao also urged his Li Eagle forward, catching up to her.

The sound of the horse's strong hooves hitting the grass made a dull "thud," like heavy drumbeats echoing in one's heart. In an instant, the man was beside her, riding alongside her.

Whether intentional or not, his horse occasionally brushed against hers, forcing her to move aside.

But the man kept brushing closer, his knee occasionally touching her leg.

She shot him a glare, "The road is so wide, just walk straight."

Tuo Baxiao said seriously, "Aren’t I walking just fine? Can’t I just get a little closer to you?"

"..."

Is this what you call 'a little closer'?

"If you keep this up, I’m going back and letting someone else handle the land inspection." Out of options, she resorted to 'threatening' him like this.

Tuo Baxiao was silent for a while, seeing that her expression was not joking, he finally backed off.

He claimed he was showing her the location, but he didn’t treat it as a big deal, instead treating it as a date.

He felt a pang of regret, he hadn’t done anything to her, just wanted to be near her, but even that was off-limits.

People passed by on the road from time to time, there were Xianbei cavalry training on horseback, herders tending to their cattle and sheep, and some young noble children starting to learn archery and riding from their fathers. They were destined to become the bravest Xianbei warriors on the grassland.

When they saw Tuo Baxiao, they all dismounted and saluted, demonstrating Tuo Baxiao’s authority, especially the children, who gazed at their king with awe and fervor.

The king rose to the occasion during the royal court’s darkest hour, defeating Wudati Hou, the Xiongnu’s fiercest warrior, and reclaiming a large area of land. He conquered all neighboring tribes in just a couple of years, and they were convinced no one in the world could match the king’s bravery. The king would lead them to dominate the grassland!

They also wanted to become the number one Xianbei warrior like the king.

Tuo Baxiao sat tall on his Li Eagle, not intending to waste time with these children, acknowledging their salute with a casual 'hmm', then pointing to Jiang Congyan beside him, "From now on, you’ll respect her as much as you respect me. She is my Khatun."

"Yes!" The youths replied in unison, brimming with enthusiasm.

Jiang Congyan saw that they didn’t seem to hear clearly what Tuo Baxiao was saying, no matter what he said, they would obey unconditionally.

But she was still quite happy, Tuo Baxiao had taken her words to heart.

She offered the youths a faint smile.

The children knelt on the ground, looking up at her, seeing her sitting on a snow-white horse, her clothes also white, but shining with a bright luster, standing out as noble and radiant against the blue sky. Unlike anyone they had ever seen, the youths were at a loss for words, but they inexplicably felt a sense of nobility.

"The Khatun scattered sugar at the wedding!" Someone remembered the wedding two days ago and exclaimed.

Reminded by this, the others also remembered, looking at her with even more eager eyes, licking their lips.

"Khatun, do you still have sugar? Can we exchange with you?"

Jiang Congyan looked at these children with different hair colors and eye colors, all looking at her with the same longing eyes, as if a variety of cats were gathered before her, inexplicably cute.

She smiled, waving her hand, "Not for now, but once I build the workshop, we can produce a lot of sugar, and you can have as much as you want then. I’m here today to choose the location."

Ah, hearing her say this, everyone became expectant.

"Then once the workshop is built, we'll come to the Khatun to exchange for sugar!"

"Sure, I’d be happy to."

After a brief conversation, the two continued riding forward.

Eagles soared in the sky from time to time, reminding her of Wudati Hou's eagle, Jiang Congyan took a few more glances.

Tuo Baxiao saw her curiosity and explained to her, "This is Su Li's eagle, he likes to raise these."

Jiang Congyan looked carefully, and indeed saw a figure on the distant grassland, too far to see the face clearly, but the figure resembled Su Li.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, and the hawk in midair heard the command and returned to Su Li.

Su Li had a passion for raising hawks and had his eyes on Lingxiao, which was why he had been looking at her with that kind of gaze along the way.

Too bad she wasn’t about to hand over Lingxiao, so he’d just have to keep dreaming.

"Is he training the hawk?" Jiang Congyan turned to ask the man.

Tuo Baxiao nodded. "Yes," he replied, then shifted the topic. "Su Li isn’t the best falconer. You’ve got that bird of yours, right? I’ll have the falconer help you train it tomorrow."

Jiang Congyan noticed that while he didn’t mind the similarity in sound between Lingxiao and his name, he still didn’t like it. Every time he mentioned it, he didn’t call it by its name but referred to it as “that bird” or “your bird,” which seemed a bit childish.

"Alright, thank you, King!"

Lingxiao could use some training too. Since it came to her side, it had been eating and drinking every day, even hitching rides during travels, taking laziness to a whole new level.

Yesterday, Si Zi joked with her, saying Lingxiao had gained a lot of weight and might not be able to fly anymore.

Hmm... this concern was not unfounded.

Birds of prey are naturally large. Lingxiao weighed over twenty pounds, which was already heavyweight among birds. It needed extremely large and powerful wings to fly.

In the past month, it had been eating without getting any exercise and was almost thirty pounds. If it kept gaining weight like this, it might really not be able to fly.

Lingxiao had no idea its lazy days were numbered. It would soon have to go to school every day.

The two of them walked around Yanzhi Lake all morning, and Jiang Congyan narrowed it down to three spots. One was next to General Modolou's cavalry camp, but the open space wasn’t very large, which could be a hassle if they ever needed to expand. Another was close to the water source and had enough space, but it wasn’t far from Tuoba Wuxi's camp, and he might cause trouble. The third location was quite far, almost on the other side of Yanzhi Lake.

Each spot had its pros and cons, and Jiang Congyan couldn’t make an immediate decision. She planned to have her subordinates investigate further and consider all factors.

As noon approached, the two had just returned to the royal tent and hadn’t even dismounted when a messenger came to report.

"King, I have urgent news to report."

Tuo Baxiao raised his hand. "Speak."

The man didn’t speak immediately but glanced at Jiang Congyan, hesitating, as if saying, "It’s not appropriate to speak with an outsider here."

Jiang Congyan lowered her eyes and sat calmly on the horse, not offering to leave.

Tuo Baxiao noticed his hesitation, and his expression darkened, his tone becoming more severe. "Speak."

The man dared not disobey the king's order and reported in Xianbei language, "King, Tumochuan has come again to ask about the land you arranged to be converted into farmland. Half of the planted wheat seedlings have died, and the rest are intermittently dying. If we continue farming, there might be no harvest this year. They sent me to ask what you want to do about it."

He was sure the Han Princess wouldn’t understand Xianbei, so even if she heard it, it wouldn’t matter.

Jiang Congyan didn’t quite catch everything, as he spoke quickly and with an accent.

Tuo Baxiao pondered for a while, his expression becoming more serious, his sharp gaze almost piercing. Then he said to him, "Go and call Tuo Bahuai and the others over."

After the man left, Tuo Baxiao turned back to her and said, "I’ve got some court business to take care of. I’ll take you back first."

Jiang Congyan nodded quietly and didn’t say anything more.

When they reached the sleeping tent, Tuo Baxiao quickly dismounted and helped her down, but he didn’t release her right away. Instead, he held her tighter. "I’ll handle this quickly. Wait for me, and we’ll have lunch together."

Jiang Congyan's face pressed against his chest, feeling the warmth emanating from him, and she murmured a soft "Mmm."

Only then did the man let her go.

As his figure disappeared from sight, Jiang Congyan returned to the tent and had A Chun summon A Mao. She repeated the man's words to A Mao, asking her to carefully translate them for her.

She had only grasped the general meaning and, fearing a misunderstanding that could lead to a significant error, decided to double-check to be safe. Fortunately, her memory was quite good.

After A Mao finished translating, Jiang Congyan nodded. She had not misheard; this was a big deal.

Tumochuan should be near the Hetao region, which has long been known as the "Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall" and the "Granary Beyond the Great Wall."

This is a dual-purpose area for both agriculture and animal husbandry, split into three main parts: Front Hetao, Rear Hetao, and West Hetao. The natural conditions allow for both grazing and farming. The saying "The Yellow River brings a hundred disasters, but enriches only one Hetao" celebrates this rare fertile oasis.

The Hetao region is flat and adjacent to the Yellow River, allowing irrigation to make up for the lack of rainfall that limits farming. This defies the rule that "areas below the 400-millimeter precipitation line are grasslands and deserts."

Since ancient times, this region has been a focal point of contention between agricultural and nomadic civilizations, not only for its abundant resources but also for its strategic military importance. Hetao overlooks Guanzhong to the south, controlling the empire's headwaters. If held by nomadic tribes, it becomes a forward base for attacking the Central Plains. If controlled by the Central Plains dynasties, it acts as a frontline defense against the barbarians, similar to Liangzhou's role.

However, the Hetao region is geographically distant from the Central Plains, making it difficult to maintain close ties. Divided into three parts, it is prone to forming independent regimes. Many Central Plains dynasties with insufficient strength were forced to abandon this region, leading to a shortage of warhorses in the Central Plains and further threats from the barbarians.

When the Founding Emperor failed to seize the Hetao region, he had to shift his focus to the Youyan area. Unfortunately, fate was not on his side.

The Rear Hetao region was long dominated by the Xiongnu, who frequently clashed with the Xianbei people over it. After Tuo Baxiao ascended the throne, his battle against Wudati Hou resulted in the complete recapture of the Rear Hetao. This area, rich in water and grass, could support hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep.

The loss of Rear Hetao enraged the Xiongnu Chanyu, who harshly punished Wudati Hou, exiling his son.

Now, except for West Hetao, both Front and Rear Hetao are under Tuo Baxiao's control. He naturally understands their importance and may have realized the economic benefits of agriculture—or the population it can support—which far exceeds that of animal husbandry.

The population that the grassland economy can support is limited, especially in the past two decades as temperatures dropped and natural disasters intensified. The north faces severe challenges from cold and heavy snow, requiring more resources to survive the harsh winters. This has intensified conflicts among the grassland tribes, leading to infighting and raids to the south.

The efficiency of energy transfer between organisms is only 10% to 20%, or even lower. The grasslands receive less sunlight and rain than the south, so the energy this land can sustain is naturally much lower. Under such conditions, relying solely on grazing, where herders obtain energy from livestock, adds an extra energy level, drastically reducing conversion efficiency. Switching to agriculture, where people directly obtain energy from grains, could increase the population it can support by at least fivefold.

Tuo Baxiao may not understand modern energy transfer theory, but he can draw this conclusion from the most direct observations.

So, to strengthen the Xianbei, he wants to develop agriculture?

However, the Xianbei people are not skilled in farming, and even if he intends to do so, the process may not be smooth. Isn't he already encountering difficulties?

Jiang Congyan couldn't help but think of his alliance with Liang State. His need for so many craftsmen must be in preparation for these matters.

He is not just a military leader; he has sharply recognized the differences between economic systems.

Jiang Congyan slowly exhaled, her eyes lighting up again as she called for Si Zi.

"Ride to inform Wen Yu and the craftsmen's team. There may be some developments among the Xianbei, so tell Master Wen to be prepared."

Si Zi was still somewhat confused. "My lady, what should Master Wen prepare for?"

Jiang Congyan shook her head. "Just deliver this message to him. He will understand."

Si Zi stopped asking and swiftly rode off.

Jiang Congyan knew this was no small matter. The messenger had said half the wheat seedlings had died, and the Xianbei people might argue over whether to continue farming or cut their losses and revert to animal husbandry. However, she wasn't overly concerned.

Given Tuo Baxiao's character, once he decides to do something, he will not abandon it due to temporary difficulties. It will just require more effort.

Moreover, he must see this through—if he aims to dominate the world.

This might also be an opportunity for her.