Translator: Henyee Editor: Henyee
The Second Consort was a beautiful woman, but after hearing so much about her legendary appearance, it actually was somewhat disappointing to anyone who met her for the first time.
She had only been a teenager when she had gotten married to the Khan, and now she was in her late thirties. Like most women of the prairies, she was beginning to put on weight and now looked resolute. She walked very fast and flashed into the tent like a gust of wind, showing her manliness.
Fang Wenshi had found out lots of information about the Second Consort, all of which all rushed through Gu Shenwei’s mind at the moment.
The most important information they got was that she had no children, and on the surface, she stayed at an apt distance from all the kings. Many people of Norland believed that in the future, the Second Consort would either be buried alive with the dead Khan or exiled to the bitter cold North. No one had heard that she was helping a king’s son seize the title of Khan.
The Second Consort had an independent cavalry of ten thousand soldiers, which had been given to her by the Khan many years ago. This army had always been one of the important defensive forces of the Royal Court, but it was far from enough to control the whole situation.
There were many rumors about her, most of which were of course false, such as that she was eight feet tall, could lift a man with one hand, and throw him a hundred steps away. The real Second Consort, though valiant and heroic in bearing, didn’t look like a kung fu practitioner. Her commanding walk was not a display of her physical strength, but rather of her pride in her power.
Gu Shenwei’s mind immediately visualized a scene: The Second Consort was heading towards her destination with vigorous strides, leading a crowd of entourage that hurried along behind. With sweat oozing from their foreheads, they not only had to hear and execute every command of their lord but also had to guess where her next move would lead.
“You’re quite different from what I thought.” The one who said this was the Second Consort. She hadn’t brought along her entourage, and the one behind her was King Rizhu, who held a look of indifference and vigilance. Obviously, he didn’t support this meeting.
“Rumors are misleading,” Gu Shenwei said casually, eliciting a burst of laughter from the Second Consort.
“Ah, right, we all know the power of rumors.”
After a moment’s worth of awkward silence, King Rizhu stepped forward to break the ice, saying, “The Dragon King is still doubtful, and is waiting for the Second Consort to convince him.”
King Rizhu’s tone was strange, as it swayed between respect and control. He thought that he had covered it up well, but it was very clear to the ones present.
The Second Consort said with spread arms, “Honestly, the most important reason why I choose to ally with the Dragon King is that you have no way out, right?”
King Rizhu revealed a faintly bitter smile. Gu Shenwei, however, didn’t care about what she had said. He had heard many similar words in Norland. Everyone who wanted to court him would point out the Dragon King’s plight either explicitly or secretly. “‘No way out’ is very close in meaning to ‘everywhere.’ This is the prairie, and I can go whatever direction I like.”
“You’re so proud. Indeed, you’re Gu Lun’s son.”
King Rizhu knew the Dragon King’s true identity, as did the Second Consort.
Gu Shenwei didn’t intend on replying.
“I want to talk to Dragon King alone,” said the Second Consort to King Rizhu.
“This…” King Rizhu was a bit reluctant but only spat out one word before he nodded and slowly left the tent. As he lifted the curtain to exit, he shot a serious glance at the Dragon King.
“I knew your father. He always followed the seventh prince closely, not like a guard but rather like an elder brother.”
Since the Second Consort had taken the initiative to mention the past, Gu Shenwei also no longer evaded the topic. “King Rizhu said to me that you and the seventh prince didn’t meet each other.”
“Haha, he’s right. We hadn’t met before that incident. But we met frequently after I married the Khan. By that time, the seventh prince had become a strong contender for the Emperor of the Central Plains, and the Khan naturally wanted to befriend with him, and I usually stayed around the Khan.”
This explained why the Khan had wanted to gloss over Gu Lun killing a king’s son.
“You two are …. very familiar?” Gu Shenwei didn’t know how to exactly ask his question without appearing too rude.
The Second Consort replied with what Gu Shenwei had said before, “Rumors are misleading.”
She did not seem to want to elaborate in detail but after a moment of hesitation, she began to explain, saying, “The prince of the Central Plains and the Khan’s favorite woman flirted with each other and then secretly had an affair. What a beautiful legend! Even those honest herdsmen who worshiped the Khan as a god delighted as they talked about it. No one could image that I, only a teenage girl who had just married the Khan, the greatest Lord of the Prairie could do such a thing. My position was unstable, I was threatened by rumors, slandered all the time, and lived under the watch of dozens of eyes from morning till night. I didn’t even dare to breath heavily, so how could I possibly have an affair with the prince of the enemy country?”
Gu Shenwei didn’t know her living conditions at that time, but judging from how she was now, it seemed like it would have been easy for her to have an affair with someone. “People just want to hear what they want to hear.”
The Second Consort still appeared indignant. Suddenly, she asked, “How old are you?”
“Twenty… one.”
“Alas, you are so young. When I was your age, I still had to please a flabby by any and all means. In order to numb myself, I drank lots of wine every day. I was so drunk that I couldn’t feel dirty no matter what I put in my mouth. I don’t even know how I managed to survive.”
It was distance that created a godly image. The closer she got to god, the more realistically she saw and heard him. But Gu Shenwei still admired her courage that she dared to describe the Khan like this to someone she had met for the first time.
“King Rizhu wants to protect the Khan, but I just want to solidify my position. I’ve paid too much and I don’t want my hard-earned rewards to be taken away by others.”
“That’s almost exactly what Luo Ningcha told me.”
“That stupid woman, I suppose she’s not such a bad messenger after all. Have you slept with her?”
The Second Consort seemed to already regard the Dragon King as an acquaintance. Gu Shenwei was a bit uncomfortable at the beginning but soon changed his attitude and briskly nodded, “She’s very beautiful.”
“Yeah, such a beautiful woman, even I’d like to have her.” Her laughter dissolved the obscenity in her words. “I hide her, lest she is seen by the Khan, as this woman wants to offer her services very much.”
If there was a chance, Luo Ningcha would certainly be willing to replace Shangguan Shaomin and marry the Khan. Gu Shenwei wasn’t surprised at all. “Her task is over.”
“Yes, she just doesn’t realize it yet.” The Second Consort put away her smile to show that she wanted to get down to business. “I heard that you’ve been sending someone around to ask about me these days, especially about that incident of many years ago.”
“I want to know the truth about my family’s death.”
The Second Consort coldly stared at him and said after a moment of silence, “And you also want to know whose son you are.”
Gu Shenwei’s concern had been laid out. He had calculated the time and found that when he was born, his father Gu Lun should have still been in Norland guarding the seventh prince. In that case, his father could not have taken his mother with him.
The Second Consort’s mouth corner turned up a bit, revealing a sly smile like a teenage girl, “If I said that you are my son, would you believe it?”
Perhaps the custom of Norland was more open or perhaps the Second Consort had been in power for a long time and could hand it with ease, but she didn’t have the shyness or arrogance that Gu Shenwei had imagined. Her words were so bold that Gu Shenwei found it hard to answer.
Gu Shenwei shook his head, “No.”
“Why?”
“You wouldn’t be able to hide your pregnancy in front of the Khan.”
“Haha. That’s what normal people should think. But then again, if I really wanted to deceive the Khan, I wouldn’t have to hide my pregnancy. I could say that it was his child. When the baby was born, I could give him a dead baby and send my baby to his real father.”
It was easier said than done. At that time the Second Consort had not yet ascended in power and was monitored everywhere, so it was impossible for her to carry out the actions she had just described. She was just joking, and soon revealed it. “I wish I had a son, in that case,” she sighed. “Things would be easier. I wouldn’t have to foster anyone, and my son would be the Khan.”
“In that case, you would have been involved in the fight for the throne, which would have led to even more rumors and slanders, and the situation would be completely different from the one now.”
Although the Second Consort was greatly favored by the Khan, one of the important reasons why she could gradually remove herself as an assassination target was that she had no children. And she knew this herself, saying, “I’m like one of those eunuch freaks who knows that there’s no hope of receiving an inheritance, and thus wants to gather everything into his own hands twice as much.”
“As it is with all sentient beings. Some can hold it, and some can’t.”
“I must be too boring for you to start talking like a monk.” The Second Consort curled her mouth in disdain. “You are not my son. Your father was a righteous man and had no women in Norland. He had to return to the Central Plains once a year to pass along messages and pave the way for the seventh prince. During this time, he couldn’t not have gone home. So it was normal for him to have several sons. You would know this if you can still find your old relatives and neighbors and ask them.”
The rock that had occupied a tremendous space in Gu Shenwei’s heart was suddenly shattered. He was not entirely convinced by the Second Consort’s explanation, but she did dispel his greatest doubt. As he recalled the attitude his parents and brothers held towards him, he did not understand where he had thought of such a ridiculous suspicion.
“Thanks, but that won’t persuade me to work for you for free.”
The Second Consort indifferently waved her hand, “Of course, if I wanted you to work for me for free, I’d have lied and said you were my son and that you would be the future Khan or something. But I want this to be a good deal for both sides, even though there is neither doubt nor trust between us. When it’s all over, you will get the Western Regions, and I’ll take the Norland.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
“I need a promise.”
“When you see the helper King Rizhu and I send to you, you will know my promise is true.”
Gu Shenwei admired this woman even more. She had barely spoken about the alliance from beginning to end, of which all the details had been spoken by Luo Ningcha and King Rizhu. She was only responsible for breaking the Dragon King’s suspicion.
The Second Consort had largely succeeded. The Dragon King seemed to have been conquered by her and was willing to join the team that protected the Khan.
It was at this moment that Gu Shenwei asked her an unexpected question, “How did you poison my father’s saber?”
He still hadn’t forgotten the incident of more than twenty years before. Gu Lun had been trying to teach the son of King Rizhu a lesson but had ended up killing the other side due to some poison on his saber.
The Second Consort paused for a moment. She had obviously understood the meaning of his words, so her expression changed a bit but instantly returned to normal. “What’s poisonous is a person’s heart, not the saber.”
She had also learned to reply with abstract phrases, after which she laughed out loud. Gu Shenwei finally understood that her laughter was a clever cover-up that could turn sharp words into smooth, vulgar jokes, and additionally, made concealed secrets seem like the flow of the soul.
“It had nothing to do with either Gu Lun or you. Give it up. Your enemy is surely not in Norland. Draw your sword, kill for me, and win the Western Regions for yourself.”
