Chapter 68: “I Won’t See Her!” He Said Coldly…

Chapter 68 "No!" he said coldly.

The tent was eerily silent. Fei Niang was nearly scared to death, collapsed on the ground like a lifeless body.

A Chun shot her a look of disgust and called two attendants to drag her away, awaiting the lady's decision. This left only A Chun and A Fei.

After a long pause, A Chun called softly, "My lady?"

She noticed that the lady had been in a daze for a long time, ever since the Prince of Mobei left, as if her soul had left her body. She couldn't help feeling worried.

Jiang Congyan's eyelashes fluttered, and she finally came back to her senses. She lowered her eyes, staring at the table in front of her, her profile appearing somewhat desolate.

"A Chun, do you think I... made a mistake?" she murmured softly, her voice filled with rare confusion.

She knew Tuo Baxiao wouldn't accept Fei Niang. She merely wanted to test his stance on taking in other women.

After being married for over half a month, she was well aware of how strong his desires were in bed. He practically pestered her every day, and only on rare occasions when she firmly refused would he back off, but even then, he would only rest for a day.

Given his strong desires, now that they were newlyweds, he was still enamored and willing to endure for her sake. But what about in the future?

As she had said, there would always be seven or eight days each month when she was indisposed. Would he continue to endure then?

In typical noble families, wives would have already arranged for their husbands to take concubines. It was no big deal for them, just like changing clothes when one set was in the wash. If there were no clothes to change into, they would be ridiculed.

This era never required men to remain chaste, let alone those in positions of power. As long as they had the ability, they could take in ten or a hundred women.

Could she alone stand against the entire society?

This inherent inequality and societal norms made her feel extremely insecure. It had been hidden under the sweetness of their newlywed bliss before, but once it erupted, it was laid bare, leaving her with nowhere to hide.

She wanted to test Tuo Baxiao. She thought he would just be slightly displeased if he refused, but she didn't expect his reaction to be so intense, far beyond her expectations.

"My lady..." A Chun hesitated, thinking carefully about her words, and finally advised cautiously, "Your actions today were indeed a bit impulsive. It didn't seem like your usual style."

"Last night, the Prince of Mobei ignored Fei Niang, which shows that he doesn't have such thoughts now. You should have sweet-talked him a bit to make him happy. Why deliberately provoke him?"

She had wondered why the lady had been so calm after the incident with Fei Niang. It turned out she just hadn't shown it.

If Ruo Lan were here, she would have noticed Jiang Congyan's unease earlier. When she was angry, she wouldn't make a scene but would keep it inside. This trait had its advantages, as she would plan before acting, but the downside was also obvious. Her decisions might seem well-considered, but once she went down a dead end, it was hard to realize, especially when there was no one familiar with her temperament to advise her. Only by hitting a wall would she turn back.

"I should have stopped you earlier. Now the Prince of Mobei..." A Chun also felt regretful. The Prince of Mobei was so angry; would he start neglecting the lady from now on?

Jiang Congyan raised her head and smiled bitterly, "I really wasn't calm enough."

She knew that following A Chun's advice would have been the best, but she didn't know why she acted the way she did, driven by an inexplicable force, almost losing her mind.

"Enough, what's done is done."

Regretting the past endlessly was meaningless. She could only look forward.

"My lady, how will you deal with Fei Niang?" A Fei asked.

She wasn't as clever as A Chun, nor as good at comforting the lady. She had been thinking about Fei Niang all along, feeling that only severe punishment could vent her hatred.

Jiang Congyan indeed shifted her attention. She thought for a moment and said, "Drive her out of the camp and let her fend for herself."

A Fei pouted, very dissatisfied, "My lady, she betrayed you and did such a shameless thing. How can you let her off so easily? She should be beaten severely and then demoted to the lowest rank of slave, doing the hardest and most exhausting work every day."

Jiang Congyan shook her head, "Who said driving her out is letting her off lightly?"

A Fei: "What?"

The moisture in Jiang Congyan's dark eyes gradually turned to ice. "Without my protection, do you think a weak woman like her can survive on the grasslands, where the strong prey on the weak?"

Especially a beautiful woman.

This was a warning to the people in the camp, showing all those who might harbor disloyal thoughts the consequences of betraying her, and how difficult it would be for a Han person to survive on the grassland without her protection.

She relied on them to establish her foothold on the grassland, to build various enterprises and gain power, but they needed her as a banner to protect themselves from the harassment of the Xianbei people.

Though the people she brought were loyal, people can change, especially in a new environment, which can drive changes in their mindset. Not to mention, the palace maids and attendants who came with her as part of her dowry were not originally her people.

Jiang Congyan explained a few more details to A Fei, who then understood.

Deep down, A Fei still thought the punishment was too lenient. A servant who dared betray her master could be beaten to death, and no one would bat an eye.

But the lady never acted in anger. Even when punishing someone, it wasn't just about punishment but also about sending a warning to everyone, so they wouldn't dare to repeat such actions.

With that, A Fei accepted the order and left.

She had someone bundle up Fei Niang's bedding and toss it outside the tent, looking down at her and saying, "You betrayed the lady. The lady is merciful and has spared your life, but there's no place here for a traitor. Get as far away as you can, and if you dare come near again, don’t blame me for being harsh!"

A Fei's aggressive tone and loud voice quickly drew everyone's attention.

The incident had occurred late at night, and many people had been asleep in their tents at the time. After Fei Niang was caught, A Chun had instructed a few of them not to spread the word, so most people were still unaware of the details. They were just curious about what Fei Niang had done to earn such punishment from the lady.

Soon, A Fei explained, stating that Fei Niang had falsely claimed the lady's orders to enter the king's tent without permission.

Everyone understood, and their looks turned to disdain.

It was common for a lord to take concubines, and it was indeed the lady's duty to choose suitable women to serve the lord. But all of this should be decided by the lord and the lady. Fei Niang's act of sneaking into the lord's bed was unacceptable anywhere.

At first, Fei Niang was relieved to have been spared, thinking she wouldn't be beaten or whipped. But when she saw the disgust and contempt in their eyes, she suddenly felt deeply humiliated, as if her dignity had been trampled underfoot.

But she didn't know that this was just the beginning. Her life from now on would be ten, a hundred times harder than it was at this moment.

...

Jiang Congyan stopped paying attention to Fei Niang. She was now torn about whether to seek out Tuo Baxiao.

He had stormed off in a rage. Even if she went to him, he might not be willing to talk to her.

Maybe... she should wait a while, let him cool off first? Jiang Congyan suddenly felt like burying her head in the sand.

She spent the afternoon lost in thought, and as the sun began to set, the sound of hurried hoofbeats came from outside the tent. A dust-covered Liangzhou Imperial Guard hurried in.

Seeing her sitting in the hall, the guard immediately knelt on one knee and presented a letter with both hands. "My lady, an urgent letter from Lord Zhou."

Jiang Congyan's spirits lifted, and she immediately took the letter. As she opened it, her expression froze momentarily.

In the letter, Ruo Lan detailed the situation in Tumochuan and mentioned that she had discovered the Yuwen Tribe was secretly causing trouble to hinder the wheat planting. Ruo Lan had caught them in the act and wanted to use this opportunity to severely humiliate the Yuwen Tribe, while also establishing their own authority in the area. If successful, they could even become the third major power in Tumochuan.

For the Xianbei people, Tumochuan might just be a lush pasture, but for Jiang Congyan, it was an important stage and stepping stone. She was determined to develop her own influence in Tumochuan.

In any era, controlling food means controlling the world.

The Hetao region was the only place where the Xianbei could practice agriculture. As she had previously pointed out, the yield from farming was dozens of times greater than from herding. As long as she had grain, she wouldn't lack people willing to serve her, and she might even be able to... support an army.

Ruo Lan was also well aware of her goals and had held back, sending this letter to request reinforcements. The risks were great, as if Yu Wentuo were pushed too far and resorted to desperate measures, they would be in danger.

Ruo Lan needs an army to support her!

However, she has no army except for a few dozen of the Liangzhou Imperial Guards, so this matter still requires seeking Tuo Baxiao.

Jiang Congyan gave a bitter laugh. Perhaps the heavens thought she had been too successful lately and decided to play a joke on her by presenting her with a difficult problem.

She had just offended Tuo Baxiao this morning and now needed to ask for his help.

If she had known Ruo Lan would send this letter back, she definitely wouldn't have brought up the matter of taking a concubine with Tuo Baxiao.

What is this? Shooting herself in the foot?

Regretting it now was pointless. She glanced at the Imperial Guard kneeling on the ground, knowing he must be exhausted from riding so fast, and told him to go rest first.

Then she summoned A Fei. "Help me get ready."

A Fei asked what she wanted to wear. Jiang Congyan thought for a moment, "That crimson layered dress."

In Chang'an, she maintained a low profile, usually dressing simply and comfortably, rarely wearing such bright and intricate garments. She had hardly worn this dress since it was made, but it was actually very beautiful—a vibrant crimson like rosy clouds, with layers of flowing skirts and several light gauze ribbons in the waistband that danced gently in the wind. From afar, she looked like a fairy emerging from the mist.

Her hair was also styled into a high double-loop bun, lively and elegant. She decorated it with gold hairpins and tassels, applied a light layer of rouge, and her beauty was accentuated to the fullest.

Jiang Congyan looked at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and turned to walk toward the royal tent.

"Is the King in?" she asked A Long.

A Long hesitated for a moment. "Yes, he's inside."

"I wish to see the King. Could you announce me?"

A Long looked troubled. The King was still furious, but she was the Khatun, so he had no choice but to obey and went in.

"Your Majesty, the Khatun is outside requesting an audience."

Tuo Baxiao sat on the main seat. Hearing this, he sneered. A whole day had passed, and only now did she come.

"Tell her no!" he snapped coldly.

Who did she think he was, to see him whenever she pleased?

"The King says no," A Long reported.

Jiang Congyan lowered her eyes and sighed softly. It seemed he was angrier than she had thought.

"Then tell the King I'll wait here until he sees me."

...

"She said that? Then let her..." Tuo Baxiao paused, unable to finish the last few words.

He stood up abruptly, pacing around anxiously.

Just then, a clear, gentle voice called out: "Your Majesty."