Chapter 59: “Are You Kicking Me Out?”

Chapter 59 "Are you driving me away?"

The ointment, originally hidden in the corner of the cabinet, never expected to be useful again except on the wedding night.

On the wedding night, the man had engaged with her for nearly two hours, and even that felt like an eternity to Jiang Congyan. She thought tonight might be similar, and that it might be a bit better after the first time, but she didn't expect him to be insatiable.

They went to bed in the evening, and he kept going until midnight, his undulating back resembling a tireless leopard in full sprint. No matter how much she pleaded or resisted, it was useless.

After the man finished twice, he paused once, carrying her to wash up, but upon returning, he couldn't resist pouncing on her again, rendering the washing futile.

She was utterly exhausted, and in the end, she didn't even know when he finally stopped. She mustered the last bit of her strength to remind him to wash up after he was done, and then she passed out.

The porcelain jar wasn't very big, and that night the man had used up a lot, leaving only a small amount. After tonight, even that small amount was gone.

Tuo Baxiao finally felt relieved, and his mood improved significantly the next day.

He woke up early in the morning, his eyes bright and his spirits high, as if he who had been active the night before. He held the still-sleeping woman in his arms, kissing and caressing her for a while, but seeing no signs of her waking, he thought about how tired she must have been last night and reluctantly held back his desires, then got out of bed and dressed.

He was used to being independent and didn't need anyone to serve him personally. He dressed and washed himself, with his Imperial Guards only handling miscellaneous tasks. Now that he was staying with her, it was inconvenient to use his guards, and he didn't want to bother her maids, so he just had them prepare water and went to wash up himself.

After dressing, he didn't ask for breakfast but strode out, whistling. His Li Eagle, with its head held high proudly, came to him.

A Chun, who was guarding outside the tent, saw him mount his steed, kick its sides, and ride off like an arrow, quickly disappearing into a black dot on the horizon.

She turned and entered the bedroom, pulling back the curtain to take a distant look. Seeing that the lady was still asleep, she didn't disturb her and instead worked on her needlework in the outer room, waiting for the lady to wake up.

She and A Fei were the lady's personal maids and were not required to do chores like laundry or cleaning. They only took care of the lady's grooming and daily needs, as well as running errands and delivering messages. They also managed the other maids and eunuchs, already acting like head maids, even though they were still young.

The center of the royal camp was the royal tent and the tents of the noble lords, while the outer areas were the Xianbei military camps.

In the camp, tents were scattered about, with horse training grounds, archery ranges, and martial arts arenas among them. The Xianbei cavalry was training vigorously.

The mighty steeds galloped, kicking up clouds of dust.

The weather was warm, and they trained shirtless, each man strong and fierce, displaying raw strength and combat prowess.

These battle-hardened Xianbei cavalrymen were filled with battlefield bloodlust, their eyes bloodthirsty, like a pack of fierce wolves. Yet when Tuo Baxiao appeared, it was as if the wolf king had entered the pack, exuding an absolute royal aura that overshadowed the presence of the hundreds of men before him.

Tuo Baxiao inspected the area and then went to the archery range. First, he rode his Li Eagle for a few laps, then took out his usual Black Dragon Iron Spine Bow. As he galloped, he notched an arrow, aiming at a moving target a hundred paces away.

The target thrower responsible for practice casually tossed a palm-sized straw figure into the air. In the next second, a powerful arrow shot through the air, accurately piercing the straw figure and, without losing speed, embedding itself into a wooden stake behind it.

With a "clang," the metal arrowhead deeply penetrated the wood, the white fletching vibrating back and forth in the air. The wooden stake, as thick as a bowl, split open with a vertical crack, showing the immense force of the arrow. If it had hit a human, it would have gone straight through.

Tuo Baxiao shot over a dozen arrows in succession, emptying the quiver. Each arrow hit the moving target with pinpoint accuracy, each with the force of ten thousand pounds.

Then he took another quiver handed to him by his Imperial Guard and shot all the arrows before stopping.

After that, he went to the martial arts arena, looking around, "Who will spar with me!"

"I will!"

"I will too!"

The soldiers below were in awe of their king, and hearing his call for sparring partners, they rushed forward like fish being fed.

Opportunities to spar with the king were rare.

"Good, then all of you come," Tuo Baxiao laughed heartily.

So, the first person charged forward, and the two engaged in a bare-handed fight, each punch landing with a solid thud, creating a spectacular fight.

The man, burly and strong, only lasted a dozen rounds against Tuo Baxiao before being defeated.

Next, Chigan Balie charged in.

He held out a bit longer than the last guy but was still knocked down by a sweeping leg and a heavy punch from Tuo Baxiao.

Then, they threw fairness out the window, with two or three people attacking together, but they still couldn't take Tuo Baxiao down.

One by one, they were knocked down, and others kept stepping in. After almost an hour, Tuo Baxiao showed slight signs of fatigue and finally stopped.

By then, he was soaked in sweat, his clothes nearly soaked and caked in dust and mud. Despite this, his dignity remained intact, and his earlier fierce performance only increased the admiration of his soldiers.

"Your Majesty, your fighting skills have gotten even stronger," one of the defeated men lying on the ground couldn't help but sigh.

Tuo Baxiao sat on the ground, chugging a large jug of water. Hearing this, he put down the water pouch, twisted the corner of his mouth, and casually praised, "You lasted a few more moves than before today, not bad."

Though his sharp features betrayed no emotion, everyone could sense that the king was in high spirits today. After all, the king was not one to casually offer praise.

Tuo Baxiao was indeed pleased. That night, he had taken her three times, each time lasting a good while. Although he had to hold back and couldn't fully indulge, he still got a taste of the sweetness.

After a few more tries, she would be able to fully accommodate him.

After wrapping up his training, Tuo Baxiao rode the Li Eagle back.

Knowing she hated him being dirty and considering she hadn't woken up yet, he didn't go to her tent. Instead, he returned to the royal tent, had A Long fetch water, and took another bath to wash off the sweat and dust. He then changed into clean clothes.

Jiang Congyan slept until the end of the morning, the sun already high in the sky.

She used to be a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest noise, but last night she was so worn out she barely remembered anything, only recalling that the man had fed her water once in the middle of the night. Her throat was parched, and her body drenched in sweat, like a fish out of water.

Every part of her body ached, especially her waist and legs. She shifted slightly and nearly gasped from the pain, all thanks to a certain someone.

Jiang Congyan was still furious, clutching the quilt as if it were the man himself.

She didn't want the maids to see her in this state, so after lying still for a while and regaining some strength, she sat up. The thin silk quilt slipped off, and she suddenly realized she was completely naked.

"..."

Her face burned with anger, and she quickly pulled the quilt around herself, cursing Tuo Baxiao in her heart for being such a selfish man, only caring about his own pleasure and not helping her clean up afterward.

She reached for the clothes prepared on the stool at the foot of the bed, but as she stretched out her hand, she noticed a ring of bruises around her wrist.

"..."

The color wasn't particularly dark, but her skin was as white as snow, making the mark very noticeable.

Seeing the bruise, she was reminded of how the man had pinned both her arms under the pillow last night, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Though the man had been eager last night, he was much better than on their wedding night. Because she kept saying it hurt, he finally slowed down, but he kept teasing her, asking, "Does it hurt?", "How about this?", "Does it still hurt?" and so on. She was too embarrassed to answer, so she turned her head and closed her eyes, refusing to speak. But the man wouldn't let her off, gripping her wrists and insisting she answer.

If she said it hurt, he would keep kissing her sensitive spots until her whole body trembled with unbearable tingling, forcing her to say "it doesn't hurt." Then he would go wild again, thrusting recklessly.

She had almost cried from frustration, cursing him a thousand times in her heart—that damn man!

Jiang Congyan shook her head, trying to push these chaotic thoughts out of her mind. Enduring the soreness, she put on her undergarments, covering most of the marks on her body. Only then did she ring the bell outside the bed, calling for A Chun and A Fei to come and attend to her.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she sat at the dressing table and had A Fei style her hair.

Her fine, silky black hair was swept up from the back of her neck, revealing a stretch of dazzlingly pale skin. However, A Fei noticed a patch of red and blue marks on the lady's snow-white nape.

"My lady, your neck..."

When A Fei mentioned her neck, Jiang Congyan instinctively raised her hand to cover it, feeling a pang of guilt.

She lowered her head slightly, her face betraying rare awkwardness and embarrassment.

A Fei had initially thought the lady was bitten by an insect and was startled. As she was about to speak, the lady's expression made her suddenly realize something, and her voice trailed off, her face flushing.

She was still an unmarried young woman.

A Fei, also feeling awkward, pretended not to notice and changed the subject. "My lady, let me put some ointment on that for you."

Jiang Congyan nodded silently in agreement.

With those marks left by that scoundrel on her body, she had styled her hair in a half-up, double-loop bun today, with two hair loops hanging by her ears to slightly cover the side of her neck. The rest of her hair was tied at the back of her neck with a hair ribbon. To match the hairstyle, she wore a high-collared, wide-sleeved crimson robe with butterfly patterns, resembling the style of the Han dynasty. This way, aside from her face, almost no skin was visible, and nothing unusual could be noticed without close inspection.

Once ready, Jiang Congyan stepped out slowly.

Ruo Lan and Zhang Zheng had left at dawn, and everything had been arranged the day before, so there was no need for farewells today.

A Chun set out the breakfast. Somehow, Tuo Baxiao had timed it just right. Just as Jiang Congyan sat down, the man returned from outside the tent.

He sat beside her, his tall frame looming like a mountain, very close, his commanding presence enveloping her.

Though they had been intimate, Jiang Congyan still wasn’t used to his constant closeness, but she couldn't refuse either.

He smelled faintly damp, but there was no trace of sweat. He must have washed again, so Jiang Congyan let him be.

"Haven’t you eaten yet?" she asked. She had heard from A Chun that he had gotten up early in the morning.

Tuo Baxiao nodded, "I was waiting for you."

Jiang Congyan blushed slightly, "...I got up too late, you didn’t have to wait for me."

It was his fault for keeping her up so late last night. She was rarely this exhausted.

She also didn't understand how the man could still be so energetic the next day after expending so much energy the night before.

"Watching you eat makes it taste better," Tuo Baxiao's gaze boldly rested on her face, as if to prove he wasn't lying.

Jiang Congyan's cheeks turned even redder, and she glared at him reproachfully. He always said such things without restraint, and there were maids present.

A Chun and A Fei stood to the side, wishing they could turn invisible, keeping straight faces as if they hadn't heard anything, and diligently set out the utensils and breakfast.

The utensils were still the white porcelain Jiang Congyan was accustomed to, with a plate of buns, a plate of sesame cakes, and a bowl of wild vegetable and lean meat porridge.

A Chun served the porridge for both of them and then retreated with A Fei.

Jiang Congyan didn't eat much and ate slowly. By the time she finished one lamb bun, the man had already devoured five.

Seeing that she had only eaten a bun and wasn't moving, just drinking porridge which wasn't filling, Tuo Baxiao directly grabbed a sesame cake and put it in her bowl.

"..."

Jiang Congyan stopped her spoon and looked at him.

He pinched her cheek, which felt like little more than skin and bone, "You're too thin, you should eat more."

When he held her, it was as if she weighed nothing. Her bones were so delicate, as if they might snap under the slightest pressure. She was too fragile; she should eat more and gain some weight, build up some muscle like the girls from the grasslands. That way, she would have more strength at night and wouldn't get tired so easily.

"I'm full," she said, attempting to put the sesame cake back in his bowl.

Tuo Baxiao didn't believe her. How much could one bun really fill her up?

"Eat a bit more."

Jiang Congyan sighed, "I really can't eat anymore. Eating too much upsets my stomach."

Sometimes she wished she could eat more, to get enough nutrients to stay healthy, but her constitution was just like this. Eating too much made her sick, especially during the years she was recuperating. After taking medicine, she often felt nauseous, sometimes vomiting right after, along with the food she had eaten, which ruined her appetite. Sometimes she craved certain tastes, but even then, she couldn't eat much.

Tuo Baxiao had no choice but to furrow his thick brows, giving her a helpless look. She was so delicate. It was fortunate she was born into a wealthy family; otherwise, she might not have even made it to adulthood.

Jiang Congyan was unaware of all the thoughts behind his urging her to eat more. After finishing the remaining half-bowl of porridge, she truly stopped eating, picking up the tea beside her to cleanse her palate.

Tuo Baxiao, on the other hand, polished off all the buns and sesame cakes on the table, drank another bowl of porridge, and finished with a bowl of tea to quench his thirst. Only then did breakfast officially end.

After the meal, Tuo Baxiao asked if she wanted to take a walk outside. Jiang Congyan shook her head, refusing. Her legs were still weak, and she had no desire to move. She urged him to attend to his own affairs.

He was the king, after all, and there were plenty of matters demanding his attention.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Tuo Baxiao narrowed his green eyes.

"..." The man was pretty sharp about this. She did want to keep some distance from him.

What important matters have you been handling here? Jiang Congyan looked at him directly.

She didn't say it out loud, but Tuo Baxiao understood her meaning. He clenched his jaw, but he did indeed have many things to deal with.

He stood up, and Jiang Congyan followed suit, preparing to see him off. But the man suddenly turned around, his long arm wrapping around her waist, and his lips came crashing down on hers.

With such a height difference, even when he bent his neck, there was still some distance. He lifted her up, making her rise on her toes to meet him.

She felt unsteady, wanting to plant her feet back on the ground, but his strong arms held her firmly.

In the end, she was left breathless from the kiss, her pink lips swollen and flushed, her eyes shimmering with tears. Seeing her like this, with her snow-white skin and rosy cheeks, Tuo Baxiao's pupils flared with desire. His large hand caressed her cheek, his rough thumb continuously rubbing her swollen lips. He took several deep breaths to calm the growing desire.

Jiang Congyan's body went limp from his kiss, her limbs losing strength. If it weren't for his strong arms holding her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

If they continued, things would truly spiral out of control. Tuo Baxiao lifted her by the waist and placed her back on the chair, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Wait for me tonight."

Jiang Congyan widened her eyes at him, "No..."

Before she could finish, the man had already turned and strode out.

Another night like that, and she truly wouldn't be able to get up the next day.

Jiang Congyan bit her lip in frustration, watching his figure grow smaller until it disappeared.

If he said so, he would likely do it tonight. Jiang Congyan couldn't help but feel a surge of worry, though she could only keep this unspoken concern to herself. She called for A Chun, asking her to fetch Gan Luo.

Gan Luo was highly efficient. She had already inspected the two locations yesterday afternoon and had gathered her team early this morning to discuss a plan. She was waiting to report to Jiang Congyan before starting the work.

Upon hearing that Jiang Congyan was looking for her, Gan Luo immediately brought the sketches and hurried over.

"How did the discussion go?" Jiang Congyan led her into the study, and the two of them each took a seat.

"Lady, please take a look," Gan Luo spread out the blueprint in her hand. "I've been there and think the eastern location is better."

"Near Tuoba Wuxi? Aren't you afraid of trouble?" Jiang Congyan asked with a smile.

"If someone insists on causing trouble, they can still come even if we move further away."

"As long as Lady is here, I'm not afraid," Gan Luo said confidently.

Jiang Congyan shook her head and smiled. Since she had decided, they would proceed accordingly.

Then Gan Luo introduced their planned workshop to her, "...We initially plan to build two insulation rooms, five fermentation rooms, two stove rooms, one packaging room, and one warehouse. This way, we can produce at least two thousand catties of malt sugar per month..."

"Two thousand catties, that's sufficient," Jiang Congyan said.

If they were to sell to other tribes, it wouldn't be enough, but within the royal court, it was sufficient. The permanent population near the royal court is less than fifty thousand, and the rest are scattered.

"I've already spoken to the King about the materials needed to build the workshop. You can find General Modolou, he will help arrange it. The King said it's free for us, but we still need to keep accounts and repay them after producing sugar..."

Gan Luo listened carefully and noted down the arrangements made by Jiang Congyan.

They discussed for nearly an hour before finally finalizing the plans for the sugar workshop.

At this moment, Si Zi returned.

Si Zi had been very happy these past few days. Jiang Congyan didn't restrict her and didn't require her to serve by her side, allowing her to run around freely. Although her language skills were not yet proficient, her lively and outgoing personality helped her gather a lot of information.

Previously, Jiang Congyan had some understanding of the Xianbei, but being far away and with limited manpower, she only knew some general forces and not the specific details.

"...The Sixth Prince's wife is named Helan Qiu Liju, the niece of the current Helan tribe leader. They have a son named Mica, who is five years old. The Sixth Prince also has a younger sister named Lan Zhu, who is sixteen and still unmarried."

Hearing this, Jiang Congyan was surprised. The grasslands had a custom of early marriage, usually at thirteen or fourteen years old. Lan Zhu was sixteen and still not married?

Just as she thought this, she heard Si Zi's tone become gossipy.

She lowered her voice and whispered, "I heard the Sixth Prince had chosen a warrior for her previously, but Lan Zhu refused to marry. It seems she has someone she is fond of."

"Who is it?"

Si Zi: "I'm not too sure about that."

Jiang Congyan wasn't particularly interested in digging into a young girl's private affairs, so she asked, "What about Qiu Liju? What's her personality like?"

Si Zi replied: "I heard from others that Qiu Liju is a very reasonable Khatun. Many times when the Sixth Prince loses his temper, she is the one who soothes him. The people under the Sixth Prince greatly respect her."

Jiang Congyan thought of the night before last when the Imperial Guard said Tuoba Wuxi came to cause trouble, and it was Qiu Liju who calmed him down. She wondered what Qiu Liju's attitude towards the Han people was like. If she wasn't hostile, they could try to make contact.

Tuoba Wuxi clearly despised the Han people, but he was a prince. His mother was once the Khatun of Tuoba Ta and the daughter of the former Helan tribe leader. He also married a girl from the Helan tribe, deeply tying himself to the Helan tribe. Not to mention, he might have many forces supporting pure-blood Xianbei behind him. They now superficially submit to Tuo Baxiao, but they always mutter about his mixed-blood identity.

The main tribes of the Xianbei are Tuoba, Helan, Yuwen, Dugu, Murong, Tiefu, and Kumoxi. Now the Tuoba tribe is powerful, so the Xianbei King is from the Tuoba tribe, but the forces of the other tribes should not be underestimated. They might have the idea of replacing the Tuoba, especially the Helan tribe.

But they probably didn't succeed, because in later history, the Yuwen Xianbei and Murong Xianbei briefly rose to power, but the Helan tribe left little trace.

It was precisely because he had the support of an entire tribe that Tuoba Wuxi dared to be so reckless, immediately making bold statements against her, the Khatun personally chosen by Tuo Baxiao, and even daring to cause trouble in the middle of the night.

Then Si Zi told her some more information she had gathered. The main forces in the royal court now, besides Tuo Baxiao's own thirty thousand direct cavalry, were Tuoba Wuxi, who also had over ten thousand cavalry. Besides them, there was someone named Ke Diyanxun, the Chancellor of the royal court, similar to a minister or prime minister in the Central Plains. He didn't have many soldiers, but the Ke Diyan family had great prestige in the royal court, controlling much land and livestock. His attitude towards the Han people was also very cautious and hostile.

After listening to her report, Jiang Congyan sighed lightly in her heart. The power structure in any country is vast and complex, and the grassland tribes are no exception.

After discussing these matters, she asked Si Zi to summon the deputy captain of the Liangzhou Imperial Guard.

Zhang Zheng took half of the men with him and left the other half under the command of deputy commander He Zhou, who was only nineteen years old but had already served in the military for eight years.

His father was also an Imperial Guard of the Marquis of Liangzhou, but unfortunately, he died fighting the barbarians, leaving behind a ten-year-old He Zhou. Later, the Marquis of Liangzhou made an exception to allow these children who had lost their fathers or brothers to join the Imperial Guard reserve team, receiving the same benefits as the Imperial Guards.

In the past two years, he had followed his lord into battle, showing great courage, which earned him the position of deputy commander at a young age.

"My lady, did you summon me?" He Zhou entered the tent and came to the hall, saluting and asking proactively.

He was young and had a much more lively personality compared to Zhang Zheng.

Jiang Congyan put down the book in her hand, looked at him, and raised her hand, "Yes, have a seat."

"I called you here to discuss how to care for the injured Imperial Guards next."

He Zhou showed a surprised expression on his face, "Why doesn't my lady discuss this with the commander?"

Jiang Congyan shook her head gently, "I just sent him out, and besides, he is stubborn."

He had vowed to follow her, and with Zhang Zheng's personality, he would rather die by her side with his men.

He Zhou, however, thought, "Am I supposed to handle this mess?"

He looked dismayed.