Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 30

A short while later, a faint ray of sunlight gradually swept across the lush, verdant wilderness, slowly illuminating the thousands of households below.

Wolves on the grasslands are inherently industrious. Having grown up among a wolf pack for several years during his childhood, Zhou Yan had acquired many of their traits. For instance, despite being tormented all night by an unknown emotional restlessness, he was able to wake up fully alert in less than three hours—his energy abundant, his spirit completely revitalized.

As was his custom, he rose early today and headed toward the section of the Great Tent dedicated to the interrogation and sentencing of prisoners. Under the scorching sun, the scene surrounding Zhou Yan was one of blood and agonizing wails.

Noon passed. Ever since they entered the grasslands, and since Zhou Yan began spending his midday hours at the Great Tent, Maigula-Ji had become Jiang Wanshu’s regular dining companion.

Inside the sprawling tent, several large platters of meat were spread across the table. Unlike the people of the Central Plains, the tools used by the grassland folk were oversized and heavy. Seeing that Jiang Wanshu was still unaccustomed to such a boisterous way of eating, Maigula-Ji enthusiastically used her knife to carve small pieces of mutton onto Jiang’s plate.

Jiang Wanshu held her wooden chopsticks, eating with refined, measured movements. It wasn’t that she looked down on the boldness of the foreigners; it was simply that the habits she had cultivated since childhood made it impossible for her to feast with such abandon.

As Jiang Wanshu thanked her and ate, she felt Maigula-Ji staring at her, which made her feel a bit uneasy. Is there something on my face? She reached up and wiped her mouth with her thumb. Nothing. Then why?

“Miss Maigula, is there something on my face?” Jiang Wanshu finally asked, unable to bear the scrutiny, turning her head toward her companion.

Startled by the question, Maigula-Ji waved her hands in denial. “No, no!” But immediately, her curiosity flared up again. She set down her dagger, her eyes sparkling. “Wanwan, tell me, is Zhuojing Cha’er exceptionally vigorous at night? Otherwise, why do you always look so listless?”

The married women of the grasslands were traditionally open about such matters; discussing these things among close sisters was common practice. Having experienced the union of man and woman herself, how could Jiang Wanshu not understand the implication?

Suddenly, the tips of her ears turned a deep crimson. Unsure of how to face the girl who seemed so eager for an answer, she looked away.

Maigula-Ji was persistent. “Wanwan, just tell me. Before Zhuojing Cha’er was married, my bolder sisters used to say they wanted to try him out. They said a man like him must have incredible skills in bed.”

Seeing Jiang’s reaction and fearing she might be mistaken for one of those “bold sisters,” Maigula-Ji grabbed her arm and shook it playfully. “Wanwan, how are his skills really? I have Musha now, I’m just curious!”

Jiang Wanshu felt helpless at the gesture. Recalling the scenes from the previous night, her face flushed even deeper, and she remained silent. Finding no joy in the lack of response, Maigula-Ji simply tore off a piece of mutton from a leg and began to eat.

By the time they finished eating, it was midday. The winter grasslands stretched out as a vast expanse of white snow. Maigula-Ji, a girl who loved fun, used a mix of soft pleading and firm insistence to coax Jiang Wanshu onto a horse.

The girls looked spirited atop their mounts. Maigula-Ji swung onto her saddle and leaned down to ask, “Wanwan, is there anywhere special you want to go?”

Having just arrived on the grasslands, Jiang Wanshu had no specific destination in mind. She shook her head. Maigula-Ji picked a direction. “Then I’ll take you to see the Great Tent.”

Jiang Wanshu nodded, her gaze falling on the mare beneath her. She had given it a human name: “Baimu.” She stroked Baimu’s head affectionately, a smile appearing on her face. “Alright.”

She sat up straight, surveying the surroundings. I should go out more, she thought. I need to learn the terrain of the grasslands so I can plan my escape better.

Since Maigula-Ji was the guide, she took the lead. Seeing her friend ride ahead, Jiang Wanshu pressed her legs against Baimu’s sides. The mare began to run, though not too fast.

Zhou Yan’s attentiveness was worth noting; he had been thoughtful enough to realize she might not be an expert rider. Fearing a fast horse would make her uncomfortable, he had found her this young mare—even though she actually knew how to ride.

As Jiang Wanshu galloped across the plains, the wind brushed against her forehead, sending strands of hair fluttering behind her. She looked the picture of a spirited young woman.

When they reached the front of the Great Tent, Maigula-Ji pulled her horse to a stop and dismounted. She walked over to Jiang Wanshu. “Wanwan, come down. I’ll show you around.”

Next to the Great Tent were many identical tents where the men of the grasslands conducted their business. Normally, ordinary people could only come here during designated meal times; arriving outside those hours was considered a breach of law, punishable by military discipline. However, the people of the grasslands were frank and open-hearted, and there was a tacit indulgence for the families of the men working there to come and go regardless of the hour. Maigula-Ji had come under the pretext of visiting Musha.

Under the warm winter sun, Jiang Wanshu dismounted and walked alongside Maigula-Ji toward the smaller tents clustered around the Great Tent. Curious about the place, she asked boldly, “Miss Maigula, I heard from Zhou Yan that this Great Tent is where the men get their food. Since the meal hour has passed, why are there still guards stationed everywhere?”

Maigula-Ji scratched her head, wondering how to explain. Then, a look of suspicion crossed her face. “That’s strange. Didn’t Zhuojing Cha’er mention it? Our tribe’s rules aren’t as formal as others. Even the places where the men work around the Great Tent are quite rough.”

She then tilted her head proudly. “But even so, our tribe is the one all other tribes compete to ally with.”

Jiang Wanshu understood then. The guards weren’t there for the food; they were there because this was a military hub. If that’s the case, is Zhou Yan here?

Feeling bored, she asked, “Is this where Zhou Yan works?”

Maigula-Ji nodded, adding casually, “I heard Zhuojing Cha’er recently caught a woman from the Central Plains. They say he found her behaving suspiciously on the outskirts of the tribe while he was out on business and brought her back.”

Maigula-Ji specifically mentioned this because of the woman’s unyielding nature. Usually, anyone taken into Zhuojing Cha’er’s office tent would confess their true motives under his interrogation within two days. But this Central Plains woman had been captured for nearly half a month and hadn’t breathed a word to him. It was highly unusual.

No one had seen the woman’s face. Maigula-Ji, having read many stories about men having changes of heart, instinctively wondered if the woman was using her beauty to bewitch him. How else could she have survived half a month under the hands of the grasslands’ fiercest warrior?

Since she now considered Jiang Wanshu a sister, she felt obligated to warn her to prevent future heartbreak. After all, her recent readings suggested that men don’t love a person, but a “type”—a tragic conclusion. She felt she had to tell Jiang Wanshu.

Little did she know that while Jiang Wanshu’s expression seemed to match her expectations, her internal thoughts were entirely different.

Jiang Wanshu looked up. “Miss Maigula, are you certain the person Zhou Yan caught is a woman from the Central Plains?”

She understood Maigula-Ji’s implication, but since she had no heart for Zhou Yan, she didn’t care about potential infidelities. However, as a Princess of the Central Plains, she felt a deep sense of duty toward her people. She needed to confirm if the captive was one of her own. If things weren’t as Maigula-Ji imagined, she wanted to save her.

Receiving Maigula-Ji’s firm confirmation, Jiang Wanshu began to think. She wasn’t familiar with the local customs. “Miss Maigula, can people of our status enter these tents freely?”

She wondered if Maigula-Ji, who seemed to wander the grounds so easily, could also enter the tents just as effortlessly. Unfortunately, the answer was not what she hoped for.

Maigula-Ji shook her head. “No. However, if you use your status as Zhuojing Cha’er’s Ajia (wife), you can enter the tent where he works.”

The grasslands followed the view that a husband and wife were one; a man could allow his wife into his workspace.

Jiang Wanshu sighed. Admitting she was now Zhou Yan’s wife was still not a simple thing for her. After her sigh, she took a deep breath and looked at Maigula-Ji solemnly. “Do you know which tent is his?”

As a frequent visitor, Maigula-Ji knew the layout perfectly. She pointed to the third tent behind her. “That’s where he works.”

Jiang Wanshu’s hair brushed her shoulders as she nodded slightly. “Then, can you teach me a phrase?”

She was from the Central Plains and knew nothing of the grassland tongue, and aside from Maigula-Ji, no one else understood her.

Maigula-Ji said in her somewhat unpracticed Central Plains Mandarin, “Wanwan, tell me.”

“I am Zhuojing Cha’er’s Ajia. Please announce me; I wish to enter.”

Maigula-Ji understood immediately and taught her the phrase in the local language. Jiang Wanshu was clever; she mastered the pronunciation perfectly in one try. She repeated it once more, earning a blush-inducing compliment from Maigula-Ji. “Wanwan, you truly are a Princess from the Central Plains. That intelligence inherited from your Emperor is quite something.”

Jiang Wanshu only gave a polite smile. “Miss Maigula, I must go to Zhou Yan’s tent. You…”

She was wondering how to settle her friend, but Maigula-Ji already knew what to do. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll go find Musha.”

Musha worked nearby as well. However, there was still a hint of worry in Maigula-Ji’s eyes. She hesitated, then closed her eyes and blurted out, “Are you sure you can do this alone?”

She worried that Jiang Wanshu wouldn’t be able to handle the scene. In her mind, finding out about a man’s “indiscretion” could tear a woman apart. She believed that once a marriage bond existed, even if there was no connection before, love would bloom within a few days. Marriage, she felt, naturally magnified a woman’s affection for her man. She assumed Jiang Wanshu loved him.

Jiang Wanshu knew she meant well, but she shook her head. “Thank you, but I can handle this myself.”

She watched as Maigula-Ji nodded and walked toward another area, then she turned and headed toward the tent Maigula-Ji had pointed out—the place where Zhou Yan was.

Support