Chapter 111 She seemed to have truly received the blessing of the gods…

Chapter 111 As If She Had Truly Received the Favor of the Heavenly Gods...

The words "The golden statue is complete!" cut clearly through the northern wind, reaching the ears of the tribesmen in the front rows, then spreading outward through their voices. Joyous shouts rose and fell like waves.

Mo Wu stood atop the casting platform, holding the golden statue high with both hands. The sunlight bathed it in gold, making it shine brilliantly, reflecting dazzling light that was almost too bright to look at directly.

Tuo Baxiao's gaze lingered briefly on the golden statue before firmly settling on the girl's face beside it, his eyes alight with unprecedented pride and triumph.

He’d known she could do it.

She always managed to surprise him.

But what made him even prouder was that she was now his wife.

He had been the one to discover this pearl early on and claim her without hesitation.

Everyone was immersed in the revelry, except for Kediyan, who stood rigid, his dark eyes filled with disbelief. He stared fixedly at the golden statue held high by Mo Wu on the platform, his mind racing with a single thought—how could she have succeeded?

He refused to believe it. He even suspected that she had prepared the statue in advance and swapped it when no one was looking. But reason told him this was impossible. She had stood on the high platform, completely exposed, with the entire casting process witnessed by thousands of eyes. Any trickery would have been noticed.

What had gone wrong? Or worse—was this her trap? At this thought, Kediyan stiffened, a cold sweat drenching his back. His ears rang, and his hair stood on end.

Looking again at the golden statue in Mo Wu’s hands, he felt its radiance was almost blinding.

If she discovered he’d tried to sabotage her... No, even if she knew, what could she do as long as he denied it? He was no commoner—he was Kediyan, the Chancellor of the Xianbei tribe, second in rank only to the king.

As Kediyan struggled to suppress his chaotic thoughts, Mo Wu spoke again from the platform.

"The golden statue is complete. The Heavenly Gods have spoken: the woman before us is the Khatun they have chosen. From this day forth, all shall honor her as they honor the gods."

"Khatun!"

With that, she spread her arms and knelt deeply, pressing her forehead to the ground in utmost reverence.

The tribesmen below followed suit, kneeling heedless of the muddy snow or the cold that would seep into their clothes. Their hearts blazed with fervor as they prostrated themselves, foreheads touching the earth.

"Khatun!"

At this moment, they called out to her from the depths of their hearts.

"Khatun!"

Thousands of voices merged into a mighty, unending roar, as if it could pierce the heavens. Even those in the farthest corners of the royal court, unable to attend the ceremony, heard the sound in awe and paused in their work, staring toward the source.

The chants of "Khatun" rippled outward, washing over everyone’s hearts and minds.

Who wouldn’t be moved? This was the first god-blessed Khatun in decades—how could they not be stirred?

Though she was a Han Chinese princess, it no longer mattered. A god-blessed Khatun would bring fortune and protection to all the Xianbei.

On the casting platform, Jiang Congyan stood bathed in golden light, her back straight and her expression serene. She gazed down at the people below, her brightly colored robes enhancing her noble and sacred aura.

It was as if she had truly received the favor of the Heavenly Gods.

Everyone had knelt—except for two who remained standing: Tuo Baxiao and Kediyan.

Tuo Baxiao, of course, needed no explanation—he was the king. But Kediyan’s refusal to kneel stood out starkly.

Tuo Baxiao turned away coldly, his emerald eyes exuding an invisible but crushing pressure that fell upon Kediyan. Kediyan felt as if a hand pressed down on his shoulders and back, forcing him to his knees.

He resisted. He could almost envision the scene where this Han Princess could rally the people with a single command. But now that things had come to this, no matter how much he resisted, it was pointless.

He regretted the decision he had made in the beginning.

Tuo Baxiao climbed the steps of the gilded platform.

He came to Jiang Congyan’s side, took her hand, and faced the Xianbei clansmen below. Raising his voice, he declared, “From this moment onward, if any rumors about the Khatun circulate within the clan, they will face punishment for defying the heavens.”

“Yes,” the crowd responded in unison.

Tuo Baxiao’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he glanced at Jiang Congyan’s jade-like face—pale, cool, and unyielding. Sensing his gaze, she turned her neck to meet his eyes. Their eyes met, each seeing the joy in the other’s eyes.

This was truly a triumph. Not only had they dispelled the rumors, but they had also gained unprecedented prestige and recognition. Their path forward would be far easier.

But the matter was far from over.

Tuo Baxiao gave her soft, cold fingers a reluctant squeeze before letting go.

First, he bade the crowd to rise, then continued, “The Grand Shaman’s divination was inaccurate, his intentions malicious. He twisted the heavens’ will, plotting against your king and Khatun. Today, I strip him of his title as Grand Shaman.”

“Mo Wu’s mastery of divination is unmatched, revealing the heavens’ will. I hereby appoint her as the new Grand Shaman.”

“Long live the king,” the people said.

“Thank you, my king,” Mo Wu knelt once more, barely suppressing her elation.

She had never imagined that at nearly sixty years of age, she would still become the Grand Shaman. She and Aliudun had both studied under the previous Grand Shaman. By all rights, the title should have been hers. Yet, somehow, Aliudun had gained someone’s support, swaying the Grand Shaman’s decision. In the end, it was decided that she and Aliudun would compete in divination—whoever interpreted the heavens’ will more accurately would become the new Grand Shaman.

She had believed she could not lose. But Aliudun tampered with the tortoise shell she used for divination, causing her to fail and lose the position.

Over a decade had passed in the blink of an eye. She had long given up on the title of Grand Shaman, relegated to performing the menial rites Aliudun scorned. Never had she expected this day would come.

The heavens had truly smiled upon her!

Of course, it was the king and the Khatun who had given her this opportunity.

She understood clearly—though she had ascended to the position of Grand Shaman today, if she ever defied the king’s orders, she’d share Aliudun’s fate.

“Rise, Grand Shaman,” Jiang Congyan said with a smile.

Since gods, spirits, and shamans held such importance among the Xianbei people, and she could not immediately change their traditions of worship, she would seize control of the narrative herself.

Now was the perfect opportunity.

The golden casting ceremony concluded, and the two descended the platform step by step.

The crowd assumed the grand event was over, but then they saw the Khatun walk straight toward Kediyan, stirring curiosity.

Today, Jiang Congyan had won two victories at once. Now, she was about to strike a third.

She stopped before Kediyan, her sharp gaze radiating lethal authority. “Kediyan, you secretly ordered someone to tamper with the molten gold I used for casting today, attempting to make me fail. Do you confess?”

Kediyan’s pupils constricted, a flicker of panic crossing his face. But in less than a second, he regained his composure and calmly retorted, “I have no idea what the Khatun is talking about. I did nothing. Now that the Khatun has succeeded in the golden casting, is she using this opportunity to attack me?”

Not only did he refuse to admit it, he flipped the accusation against her.

Jiang Congyan was neither surprised nor angered. She had expected Kediyan would not confess so easily.

"Bring him in."

No sooner had she spoken than the gate of the nearby metallurgy workshop was flung open, and Zhang Zheng dragged a man forward himself.

Upon recognizing the man's face, Kediyan’s jaw twitched violently, his beard quivering.

"You’d better explain yourself," Kediyan snapped, seizing the initiative. "You arrested my man without cause. Even as the Khatun, you owe me that much."

Used to wielding power, he radiated menace, putting on a show of rage like a lion’s roar. The surrounding clansmen instinctively took half a step back.

To act this bold when he’s already screwed? Tuo Baxiao's brow darkened, and he raised his arm, ready to strike. Jiang Congyan grabbed his arm. She knew men couldn’t be provoked.

Cool as steel, she met Kediyan’s glare and suddenly smiled. "So you admit he’s yours. That means everything he did was under your orders."

Kediyan froze. After a pause, he stiffly continued, "I never ordered him to tamper with your molten gold. You think snatching one of my men and spinning lies will pin this on me?"

"Then do you think I would accuse you before so many people without any evidence?"

Kediyan’s gut lurched. Could she actually have proof?

His gaze involuntarily flickered to Kebozhen, who was being forced to kneel by Zhang Zheng. Kebozhen swore it’d gone off without a hitch—no traces left behind. How could she have found evidence?

Calling her bluff, Kediyan dug in.

Jiang Congyan waved her hand again, and the Liangzhou Imperial Guard brought forward another man—Chu Lian.

Shaking like a leaf, Chu Lian had been bound since last night, trembling in fear for his life. Now, seeing Jiang Congyan, he babbled everything unprompted: "Khatun, I got greedy! He offered me a gold ingot to act as his inside man, saying I only needed to help him sneak in and locate the molten copper for today’s casting. He promised me another half afterward. Khatun, I was wrong! I’ve told you everything—please spare my life..."

Kediyan sneered. "You call hauling in some liar ‘evidence’? If that’s the case, I could just as easily—"

"Of course not just that," Jiang Congyan cut him off coldly. "The real evidence is on Kebozhen’s hands."

She gave Zhang Zheng a look. He nodded, then forced Kebozhen’s palm open for all to see.

Despite the rough, dark skin, a patch of purplish-black stain was unmistakable.

Only then did Kebozhen realize the trap. He desperately tried to pull his hand back, but it was too late. Fu Tiesheng stepped forward with an iron hook, presenting its handle to the crowd.

The same dye smeared the handle, plus a perfect handprint—undeniably Kebozhen’s.

"This is the hook used to open the furnace," Fu Tiesheng explained with feigned deference. "If this man hadn’t sneaked into the workshop to lift the lid, how would his hands be stained with this unique pigment? And it’s not just his hands—his shoes bear the same marks. The footprints are still preserved in the workshop. Care to take a look, *my lord*?"

Kediyan’s face went slack with dread.

Gasps erupted from the surrounding clansmen.