Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Second Consort, who had been full of joy a moment ago, was now simmering with rage. All of a sudden, a series of foul curses fell onto the head of the new King Rizhu like a violent storm.
The new King Rizhu was not fully matured yet. He had deliberately imitated his father’s personality of being unrestrained and frank. However, he had failed to learn one crucial aspect, which was to yield in front of the right person at the right moment.
The Second Consort’s reaction surprised and angered him, especially when so many outsiders were present. If he didn’t retaliate back in a huge manner, he would lose all his face. So he grabbed the whip flying at him, casually threw it aside, and loudly scolded, “All women of the Naihang Tribe have to be obedient and you are no exception. I am King Rizhu. How dare you beat and humiliate me in public. Today, I’ll…”
The pink-white, baby-faced “king’s” show of authority had come to an end. Although there were hundreds of people still standing behind him, including General Zhesu, none of them stood out to persuade the two to reconcile. Everyone was curious about who would gain the upper hand: the Second Consort who had lost the support of the Khan, or the new King Rizhu who had lost his father.
The Second Consort was able to control her emotions most of the time. She had participated in the fight for power in the Royal Court for many years and knew the rules of compromise well. But this time, she decided to throw all of those rules away for a day.
The Second Consort waved her hand, and four guards rushed towards the new King Rizhu without hesitation.
She had her own army which numbered as many as 10,000. Although she had lent most of her troops to the Dragon King, she had still kept some around as guards. In order to keep a firm grip on the army, the Second Consort had put a lot of effort into raising it over the years. Not only did she pay them high salaries and provide food and wine of far higher quality than the standard, but she also sometimes awarded the soldiers the female slaves that served her as wives.
With all this effort, the loyalty of each and every one of these soldiers to her was almost as steadfast as the Court Attendants Army soldier’s to the Khan.
These four people were, however, just ordinary guards. Or in other words, loyal but incapable. The new King Rizhu wasn’t tall, but he was as strong as a calf. Even while drunk, he instinctively responded by shoving the guards in front of him into the enemies behind them. Then he waved his arms forcefully and engaged with the other two guards.
More guards were ready to rush up to save face for their master. General Zhesu felt that it was time for him to step in and stop the farce. Duodun also did not want to let the matter worsen because no matter whether the Second Consort won or lost the fight, it would be a bad result for him.
The two of them took a step forward simultaneously and were just about to start mediating when the situation suddenly changed.
The new King Rizhu who had just stood up steadily had probably finally felt the effects of the alcohol. He slid, fell, and was immediately pressed down to the ground by the Second Consort’s guards. The Second Consort then snatched Shangguan Ru’s horsewhip and lashed him hard.
Unable to dodge the blow, the new King Rizhu took the blow with his head and cried out with pain, “Stinky woman, you dare to beat me?”
The Second Consort whipped him even more violently in response and even kicked him twice, all the while cursing, “You arrogant little bastard. Even your dead father did not dare to be rude to me. Who gave you the guts to speak such nonsense to me? Today, I’ll let you know what a real Naihang woman looks like!”
The new King Rizhu shouted and struggled defiantly, but his arms were locked behind his back and he couldn’t exert any strength. After taking a few more blows, he could not bear it any longer and stopped cursing back, instead switching to a non-stop scream of pain.
Zhesu walked over. He was an old follower of the former King Rizhu and was an acquaintance of the Second Consort. After habitually bowing to show his respect, he persuasively said, “Second Consort, please stop beating him. We are all from the same tribe. The others will laugh at us.”
The Second Consort lowered her horsewhip, raised her eyebrows in anger, and opened her eyes wide. “Ah, I was wondering why a young and inexperienced bastard would dare to be so presumptuous. It turns out that you were behind his back.”
Astounded, Zhesu argued back, “Second Consort, why do you say this? I…”
The Second Consort strode to him in a single step, shortening their distance to less than a foot apart, and then spat in his face. “Why did I say that? Let’s start with the former King Rizhu. Who asked me to be his daughter-in-law back then? Who was incapable and watched his son die and then sent me to the Khan? Who asked me for inside information over all these years to help the Naihang Tribe grow more and more powerful? It seems that the painstaking efforts I’ve put into the Naihang Tribe were all a waste of time. The former King Rizhu has just died, and you old dog dare to stand up and act like a man? Tell me. What’s your purpose behind inciting the son of King Rizhu into humiliating me in public?”
As the Second Consort spoke each word, she took another step forward. Zhesu, who had a large body, actually couldn’t resist the fierce offensive of the little woman and retreated step by step. He was anxiously trying to say something, but found no chance to speak. Finally, when the other side paused to gasp for air, he hurriedly said, “I didn’t sow discord. The Khan has ascended to heaven, so you should naturally go back to the Naihang Tribe. The Chief Consort has…”
The Second Consort suddenly sat on the ground and wailed, “Khan, everyone says that you’ve ascended to heaven, so look down, please. Your revenge has not been completed, your bones are not buried, and your woman has been humiliated. It’s only been less than half a year. Why don’t you use your divine fire to burn me? Khan, do you know that your title is like shit now? Everyone dares to mention it, but they all toss it underfoot. Here’s a group of men. If you really have good eyes, clearly observe this man called Zhesu. He used to be your servant’s servant, but now he wants to take me back to the Naihang Tribe and sell me for a good price. And that bastard called himself King Rizhu. A foreigner has actually claimed the title of “king.” Khan, your bloodlines are worthless now, and your descendants are about to be wiped out.”
The Second Consort denounced the other side as she wailed, but neither party interfered with the other. In the end, she appeared even sadder and grabbed the bottom of Zhesu’s trouser with both hands to blow her nose and wipe her tears away. “Khan, please burn me to death,” she cried out over and over again.
Her words were half true, but in a camp where the court attendants made up half of the army, anything involving the Khan would become a serious matter.
Hordes of soldiers gathered around and looked compassionately at the Second Consort, but their eyes were full of hatred when they shifted their gaze towards the new King Rizhu and Zhesu.
Zhesu found that the matter had become very serious. Although he could easily get rid of this woman, he might not be able to safely walk out of the camp afterwards. And what was even worse was that he had been too slow in speaking. The Second Consort had already launched several ‘deadly blows’ before he could even finish a word.
But he was better at understanding the situation than the new King Rizhu. He immediately threw himself to the ground, kowtowed to the Second Consort sitting on the ground, and smacked the ground with his head. Soon, his forehead was bruised and bulging painfully as he looked up.
Finally, the Second Consort shut her mouth and Zhesu was able to speak. “Please forgive me, Second Consort. I’m an asshole. I must have lost my mind and become blind after having a few drinks. King Rizhu is still young…”
“What kind of King Rizhu is he? Who granted him this title? Or was he yet another illegitimate bastard?”
The new King Rizhu happened to break free of the guards at this moment and he staggered to his feet. Upon hearing this, he angrily shouted, “How dare you call me a bastard…”
Zhesu quickly got up, rushed to him, and pressed his head down. In the blink of an eye, the new King Rizhu was now also kneeling beside him. Considering his large body, Zhesu’s movements were extremely swift. “Shut up, and just listen to the Second Consort,” he snapped.
“I’m…” The new King Rizhu was unwilling to submit, but he couldn’t stand up under Zhesu’s tight grip and pressure.
Compared to the pink-white ‘baby,’ Zhesu spoke much faster. “Duoercha, if you dare to call yourself King Rizhu again, I’ll kill you.”
Duoercha was scared out of his wits. His status was solely dependent on the support of Zhesu, and so he was the only person he could not afford to provoke. “Ah? Then I…”
“Apologize! Admit your mistakes and ask the Second Consort for punishment!”
Duoercha seemed unable to accept the huge change right away and looked puzzledly at Zhesu. What awaited him was another abrupt push, shoving him onto all fours. When he raised his head again, he spat out the dirt in his mouth and said with a bloody nose and dirty face, “Second Consort, I was just bullshitting. Please forgive me.”
All the men present were dumbfounded. The title ‘King Rizhu,’ which they couldn’t get rid of with all their means, had actually been removed by the tears and curses of a woman in the blink of an eye.
As the Second Consort lowered her wail a bit, a crowd of maids rushed in, gently brought her up, dusted her off, and escorted her back to the tent, totally ignoring the two men kneeling on the ground.
Zhesu got up and also pulled Duoercha up to his feet. After coughing awkwardly a few times, he said, “I apologize for showing you all such a sorry scene. But this is a tradition of the Naihang Tribe. When women cry, the men must give in. Uh, please do not mention the title ‘King Rizhu’ anymore, at least not before the new Khan is elected.”
Embarrassed, everyone nodded their assent, but kept silent.
Zhesu sighed, suddenly raised his head, and asked, “But who invited the Second Consort here, I wonder?”
The iron tower-like general wanted to find someone to vent his anger on. Those under Duodun all shook their heads. Gu Shenwei was just about to step up and admit to it when the young king Shulitu took a step forward and said, “It’s me.”
“You?” Zhesu’s eyebrows slowly rose in surprise.
“The Second Consort is both valiant and wise. I’m counting on her to help me lead the army.”
Zhesu’s face remained cold as he walked in front of Shulitu. Then, he suddenly laughed, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Good boy, I admit that I’ve looked down upon you. You are indeed worthy of inheriting the throne, but do not say something like marrying the Second Consort again. But if you like, you can choose to marry any other woman of the Naihang Tribe as you please.”
After being patted, Shulitu wobbled as he smilingly replied, “Maybe when I’m a bit older. If General Zhesu is in a hurry, then he can pick someone like the Second Consort for me.”
“You are not afraid?” Zhesu asked with his eyes wide open.
“I believe that the Khan in heaven must have found comfort in the Second Consort’s acts just now. If I were the Khan, I would also want to have a consort as faithful as the Second Consort.”
Everyone was surprised that these words had been said by a twelve years old kid. Fang Wenshi slightly nodded to the Dragon King, hinting that this kid should not be taken lightly.
Zhesu almost embraced Shulitu with his arms. “Well said. Not only has the Second Consort gained face for the Khan, but she also brings honor to our Naihang Tribe. We’ll have a good talk later.”
Gu Shenwei had hoped that Shulitu could give Duodun tit for tat and Shulitu had indeed not disappointed him.
Duodun did not look good. The Naihang Tribe could have been a potential ally of his, but now, they seemed to want to ally with Shulitu. He glanced back at the Dragon King and believed that this guy was the real mastermind behind this turn. How could the little kid think of such a trick?
“Hehe, do not praise just the Second Consort. Although Brother Duoercha made a mistake, it was not intentional. He must be frightened after such an ordeal and should be comforted.” Duodun refused simply to give up. He went over to Duoercha and put one arm around his shoulder while using his other one to point to Shangguan Ru, who was not far away. “This is Shangguan Ru, the instructor of the female soldiers of the Land of Fragrance. If you like, you can ask the Dragon King to send her to you.”
Duoercha was still suffering from the shock of the previous events. The dust and blood on his face had not yet been wiped clean and his mind was not clear either. With a silly smile, he said, “Hmm, she does look pretty. Dragon King, can you send her to me?”
“No.”
Before Fang Wenshi could open his mouth to politely refuse the other side’s rude request, the Dragon King had explicitly refused and somehow also drawn his saber. The surrounding people were all scared and retreated several steps in fear.
‘Too bad,’ thought Fang Wenshi. The Dragon King’s momentary impulse might have just wrecked their overall good situation.
