The Prairie Wolf Lord's Twice-Married State Preceptor - Chapter 3

Seven days later, the State Preceptor was promised in marriage.

The imperial court, concerned about preserving face, kept this news tightly under wraps, both inside and outside the palace. Shortly after the third watch, before dawn had even broken, they found a carriage with its walls covered in black cloth and spirited Gu Chengyan out of the city.

To avoid the scourge of war, the officials led by the Prime Minister accepted every condition proposed by the Rongdi without hesitation: not only were they promised vast amounts of wealth, but they were also gifted grain, fine wine, silks, and beautiful women.

Such extravagant measures were taken solely to ensure that the Rongdi would agree to sign the peace treaty at Pingjin Prefecture, forty miles north of the capital, and send envoys to “receive the bride.”

Pingjin Prefecture was a military garrison. Backed by high mountains with treacherous terrain, the soil was barren, and there were few commoners; if anything truly went wrong, it would be convenient to mobilize troops in an emergency.

This caution existed because, after the Emperor’s brother-in-law was imprisoned, not a single military general in the capital dared to face the enemy on the battlefield, nor was any civil official willing to risk their life to “escort the bride” to the grasslands.

Pingjin Prefecture, North City Gate.

The open ground outside the city was covered with a thick, gold-embroidered red carpet. Soldiers in silver armor with red waistbands were arrayed on both sides.

The wealth and treasures promised to the Rongdi had been packed into chests tied with red silk and lined up neatly on carts behind the soldiers to serve as a dowry.

Originally, the Ministry of Rites, following precedent, wanted to handle it according to the standard set during the Jianchu era when the Prince of Beining was married off to the southwestern barbarian kingdom, and had ordered the Bureau of Weaving and Dyeing to rush the production of a ceremonial wedding robe.

However, after hearing the news, the Emperor put a stop to it. On the surface, he claimed that marrying off a State Preceptor was not worth the fanfare and grand celebrations.

In his heart, however, he simply did not want to see Gu Chengyan dressed in wedding robes, being married off to the Rongdi.

The Emperor’s reasoning was sound, but leaving the city in ordinary, plain attire… The Minister of Rites felt it was somewhat inauspicious, fearing the Rongdi might look down on the Jin Dynasty and insult the State Preceptor because of it.

The Minister, holding his position, had to attend to such matters, but feeling a measure of sympathy for the hardships the State Preceptor had endured along the way, he personally visited to explain and apologize.

As long as the marriage could be finalized, Gu Chengyan did not care what he wore. Besides, he would have felt awkward in a wedding robe anyway, so he nodded and said:

“That is fine. It saves the people’s labor and the nation’s wealth.”

Thus, when Gu Chengyan left the city today, he wore a slightly elaborate cyan-gold Dharma robe with lotus patterns, and had changed his hairpin to a dark gold phoenix-tail pin to suit the occasion.

For luggage, he only brought his sword, his personal clothing, and that box of medicine. He took nothing else from Xingyun Pavilion.

The carriage sped through the forest. By the time they reached Pingjin Prefecture, it was the break of dawn, and the sky was faintly lit. The Emperor had arrived early, leading the civil and military officials in a formation to wait there.

The carriage curtain was lifted. An official placed a stool to assist him, but the Emperor suddenly stepped forward twice, pushing the official aside, and reached out his hand toward Gu Chengyan with intense eagerness.

In full view of everyone, Gu Chengyan did not want to cause a scene with the Emperor and could only lightly rest his hand on the Emperor’s arm as he stepped down from the carriage.

But once his feet were firmly on the ground, the Emperor grasped his arm, refusing to let him go, and pulled him two steps closer.

At the same time, a eunuch stepped forward holding a tray. Gu Chengyan immediately recognized the familiar white jade pot.

Oh?

He raised his eyebrows and frowned at the Emperor.

The Emperor avoided his gaze and once again poured the wine himself. “Senior Brother, we agreed to drink together that day. You have yet to drink this cup of wine.”

After saying this, he leaned down, lowering his head to whisper in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Senior Brother, if you wish to regret this now, there is still time.”

Gu Chengyan curled the corner of his lips but did not respond.

“I have secretly deployed three thousand elite guards,” the Emperor’s voice was strained, his hand trembling slightly, “they are death soldiers willing to fight to the death for me…”

“Senior Brother… Senior Brother, as long as you drink this cup, and then smash it as a signal, I… no, I, am willing to go mad for you once more, and then again!”

At the height of his agitation, the Emperor gripped Gu Chengyan’s shoulders tightly:

“I can give up everything else, but Senior Brother, I want you, I only want you! Stay, I beg you to stay. I can still fight, I can still lead the army!”

Gu Chengyan looked at the Emperor and could not help but want to laugh.

He really has the nerve to say that.

He held back, chuckled softly, and was just about to speak when the sound of galloping hooves and a horse’s neighing suddenly came from the mountain road in the distance—

A youth dressed in cyan Taoist robes and carrying a fine iron sword leaped off his horse, skimming across the grass and flying toward them.

“…Little Five?” Gu Chengyan pulled away from the Emperor, looking up in surprise. “Why are you here?”

This was the youngest disciple of the current Sect Leader of Qingshuang Mountain. He had just turned thirteen this year. In terms of seniority, he should call Gu Chengyan—

“Senior Martial Uncle!”

Little Five rushed over, glaring fiercely at the Emperor before shielding Gu Chengyan behind him. “I happened to be on a mission at the Xijindu ferry in the eastern suburbs.”

He had an incredibly high talent for swordplay and was diligent, being the standout among the younger generation, often taking assignments to act with chivalry.

Gu Chengyan nodded and reached out to ruffle the hair sticking up at the crown of his little junior nephew’s head.

Little Five made a noise, hugged his arm with both hands, and lifted his face, his eyes round:

“Senior Martial Uncle, this chaotic business today is it what you want?”

The child’s gaze was clear, like the cloudless autumn sky, making Gu Chengyan feel a slight blush of embarrassment, and he could not help but scratch the bridge of his nose.

How… how is one supposed to explain this?

Little Five, being simple-minded, saw his silence, and his round eyes instantly filled with a layer of mist. “I knew it!”

Gu Chengyan: ???

Little Five whooshed as he drew his treasured sword and wiped his face. “Senior Martial Uncle, I will take you away. We will fight our way out and go back to Qingshuang Mountain”

His actions were too drastic, and because the Emperor was standing not far away, drawing a sword like that was truly no different from an assassination attempt.

Before Gu Chengyan could answer, the Imperial Guards around them pointed their swords in unison, and even arrowheads appeared on the walls of Pingjin Prefecture.

If this were anyone else, they would be showing fear by now.

But Little Five was not flustered in the slightest. Looking at the ominous weapons, a glimmer of excitement even appeared in his eyes.

“State Preceptor,” the Commander of the Imperial City Guard slowly stepped out from behind the carriage, holding his sword. “Is this… an act of treason from Qingshuang Mountain?”

Gu Chengyan glanced at him and used a subtle technique to push Little Five’s sword back.

“…You silly boy, don’t bring trouble to the Sect Leader!”

Little Five hummed in defiance. “The Grandmaster is the most protective of his own. He wouldn’t care. If he knew they were bullying you like this, treat you like a rabbit to be slaughtered for the dogs mmph?”

He could not finish his sentence, because Gu Chengyan had produced a piece of malt candy from somewhere and stuffed it into his mouth.

Gu Chengyan wore a faint smile and shook his head gently at Little Five.

The Emperor was narrow-minded; if some things were made clear, he feared it would only give the Emperor ammunition to use against them.

With Ling Xun’s craftiness, perhaps he dared not move against Qingshuang Mountain today, but one could not guarantee he would not seek revenge in the future.

Gu Chengyan did not want to add trouble for Qingshuang Mountain before he left. After a moment of thought, he pulled a sachet from his sleeve:

“Since you happen to be here, please pass this to the Sect Leader for me.”

The candy was sticky, and Little Five was chewing it with difficulty, causing him to react a beat too slow when he heard this.

In a flash, the sachet was intercepted by the Commander of the Imperial City Guard and then fell into the hands of the Emperor.

“Hey, you!”

Little Five was anxious, swallowed the candy whole, and stepped forward to snatch it back, but Gu Chengyan stepped in front of him to block him, signaling the child not to be impulsive.

If the Emperor wanted to see, let him see; it would prevent him from being suspicious later.

It was an old sachet with a white crane pattern on a cyan background. It must have been by Gu Chengyan’s side for a long time; when the Emperor took it, he could even smell a scent of medicinal herbs.

He pulled the string and emptied the contents—exactly as the Emperor had expected, it was not aromatic herbs or flowers, but it also did not contain the secret letters or coded marks he had imagined.

The sachet only contained a pair of old, white-edged bei jiao (divination blocks) and a grasshopper woven from grass.

The Emperor frowned, picking up these two items and turning them over repeatedly, but he could not find anything suspicious about them.

“What?” Gu Chengyan crossed his arms and watched him. “Does Your Majesty want to snatch these children’s toys as well?”

Looking at his teasing, smiling eyes, the Emperor’s face flushed hot, and he finally returned the sachet with hesitation.

Gu Chengyan took the sachet, turned around, and patted Little Five on the shoulder. “When you are out, think thrice before you act. Impulse and recklessness will only make the Sect Leader worry.”

“Senior Martial Uncle…” Little Five mumbled as he tucked the sachet securely against his body. “Why have you become as nagging as the Master…”

Gu Chengyan smiled and touched his head.

“So,” Little Five looked at him eagerly, “Senior Martial Uncle, are you really going to marry? I heard that Wolf Lord of the grasslands is almost fifty. You, you…”

Gu Chengyan: “…”

This brat.

Why does he ask such detailed questions?

“You’re just a child,” he said, flicking Little Five’s forehead helplessly. “Don’t worry about so much. If you are truly curious, go back and ask the Sect Leader; he will explain it to you clearly.”

Little Five scratched his head, finally returning to his horse with three steps for every pause, and after hesitating for a long time, he spurred his horse away from the scene.

At the same time, Gu Chengyan suddenly pretended to cough weakly and reached out unsteadily toward the Emperor. “Your Majesty, help me.”

“Senior Brother?” The Emperor was nervous and immediately leaned in. “Where are you uncomfortable? Is your body in pain again?”

Gu Chengyan did not speak, only gripping the Emperor’s arm, eyes half-closed as he watched Little Five’s retreating back, until he and his horse had completely disappeared at the end of the mountain road. Only then did he stand straight and push the Emperor away:

“Your Majesty already possesses the world. It was nothing but a grasshopper woven of grass; surely you wouldn’t still want to send someone secretly to take it from a junior?”

The Emperor’s face paled; he had indeed harbored murderous intent.

Although he couldn’t understand the meaning of the items in the sachet for the moment, he was certain they were absolutely not children’s toys.

Qingshuang Mountain was the world’s greatest sect, and the Emperor knew very well what kind of temper and character the people in the sect possessed. If they were to find out what he had done to Gu Chengyan…

He would rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one slip through the net.

If Gu Chengyan hadn’t used a tactic to distract his attention, he would have immediately ordered the Imperial City Guard to intercept and kill Little Five.

The Emperor gazed at Gu Chengyan for a moment and took a deep breath:

“Since Senior Brother won’t let me take it from the junior… why not weave one for me as well? Since we are both from the same sect, it wouldn’t be fair to favor one over the other.”

Gu Chengyan’s smile faded, and he shrugged, spreading his hands. “My hands are stiff; I cannot weave it anymore.”

These words made the Emperor grow angry.

“Senior Brother, don’t think that just because he escaped today, he can pass messages for you. I still have plenty of opportunities to have someone killed…”

“Kill him, and then what?” Gu Chengyan sneered. “Use his corpse to tell Qingshuang Mountain and the whole world what you have done?”

The Emperor’s breath caught, his eyes narrowing. “Senior Brother, are you… threatening me?”

Gu Chengyan gave him a deep look, then crossed his arms and smiled. “I wouldn’t dare. But didn’t you say just now you wanted to invite me for a drink? Where is the wine?”

“…Wine?” The Emperor blinked, and then his eyes suddenly brightened. “Wine… yes, yes, quickly, bring the wine!”

The eunuch took the order and stepped forward briskly.

Gu Chengyan lowered his eyes to look at the white jade pot. There was no emotion in his eyes, but a meaningful smile curled at the corners of his lips.

The Emperor fears he will go to Qingshuang Mountain for reinforcements, so he wants to kill Little Five.

And he, in turn, fears that after he leaves, the Emperor might harbor murderous intent toward Qingshuang Mountain because of this incident with Little Five, and truly pin some charge of rebellion or treason on them.

Although Qingshuang Mountain was not afraid of trouble and might not be willing to let the Emperor smear them, an extra matter is worse than one less.

In the sachet, the two items he gave Little Five the divination blocks were his father’s old possessions, and the grass stems for the grasshopper were dandelions.

The blocks represented calculation; the dandelion meant flying with the wind, free and unrestrained.

Once the Sect Leader saw them, he would understand his meaning:

He went to the grasslands by choice to execute a plan; this matter did not require Qingshuang Mountain to stand out.

Gu Chengyan slowly stroked the delicate wine cup filled with liquid. It was a pity—a wine as fine as “Burning Sun Drunkenness.”

The Emperor kept staring at him, and seeing him not move for a long time, he could not help but say:

“Senior Brother, my word is always final. I will… for you…”

“Your Majesty, you are joking,” Gu Chengyan interrupted him. “If one person can stand against a million soldiers and end years of war, such a cost-effective deal—”

He drew out his words and paused, suddenly tightening his fingers to lift the wine cup, then with a blink of his eyes, he smiled with grace. “That is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.”

Having said this, Gu Chengyan drained the wine in the cup in one gulp but did not smash the cup as the Emperor had desired.

The Emperor watched as he placed the wine cup steadily back on the tray, then stepped back, bowed down, and performed the ritual of a subject.

“Your Majesty, counting today, I have fulfilled the agreement of those past years in full. Now, I only wish Your Majesty peace across the four seas and ten thousand years of prosperity.”

With that, he performed three kowtows, severing all gratitude and loyalty.

The light in the Emperor’s eyes flickered out, inch by inch. Gu Chengyan did not wait for him to tell him to rise, standing up on his own and dusting the dust from his clothes.

The poison in the wine slowly began to take effect. Gu Chengyan could feel his inner strength draining away bit by bit. The long-awaited pain gnawed at his blood and flesh like insects in his meridians.

Even in excruciating pain, even trembling faintly, Gu Chengyan stood straight. Behind him, the sun rose, and golden light dawned an entire night had passed, and it was day.

Accompanied by the sporadic crowing of roosters, a series of rhythmic hoofbeats sounded from the northern hillside, and the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate.

The Rongdi army poured down from the mountain like a raging flood, instantly covering half the plain outside Pingjin Prefecture. At a glance, there were at least five thousand of them.

Their faces were painted with various oils; they wore felt robes, carried long bows on their backs, and curved sabers at their waists.

The cavalry reined in their horses. The three leading figures were dressed more luxuriously than the crowd behind them, and their mounts were also more valiant and tall.

One of them, sporting a goat goatee, let out a loud, clear whistle and narrowed his eyes, giving the Han people present a blatant, lewd once-over.

The civil officials who had followed them had never seen such a formation; the cowardly ones had already been frightened and collapsed to the ground, and the Prime Minister, leading them, had also subconsciously taken a step back.

Gu Chengyan was in so much pain that he was covered in cold sweat, but watching their reaction, he still could not help but cast a look of curious interest at them.

The Prime Minister’s face was dark, feeling he had lost face, so he gestured with his brows for someone to take the state credentials and send the envoy.

The one chosen as the envoy was the new Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue this year; he was supposedly the Prime Minister’s prospective son-in-law, and he looked quite proper.

Hearing the Prime Minister call him, the man trembled. After managing to take two steps forward, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.

The Rongdi on the scene burst into laughter. The Prime Minister’s face turned green with anger, and he turned around, wanting to find someone else to replace him.

But the officials behind him had already retreated ten feet away, all lowering their heads to avoid his gaze.

The Prime Minister was furious. “You!”

“Give it to me.”

After a long while, a cold, clear voice sounded from behind the Prime Minister. He turned around in great joy, wanting to see who had saved him from this predicament.

Instead, he saw Gu Chengyan’s face.

“In any case, I am going over there. Isn’t this quite convenient?”

The Prime Minister glared at him, his eyes filled with dark shadows, before he finally handed over the credentials with great reluctance.

Gu Chengyan took them, weighed the scroll with a smile, and then walked onto the red carpet without looking back, heading straight toward the Rongdi side.

“Hey, guess which one our new E-qi (Consort) is?” The goat-goatee man from before spoke in a frivolous tone.

“The one in the blue clothes,” the bald man beside him replied.

“How do you know?”

“Just because he’s fair.” The bald man let out a lewd laugh, making an obscene gesture at the goat-goatee man.

The two burst into loud laughter, but the youngest one on the far west, who wore many small braids, clicked his tongue, his eyes full of disgust:

“A grown man, actually willing to be used as a woman… Pah! Te-nei-mu-teng!”

They were speaking the Rongdi language.

Te-nei-mu-teng was like the word for a spineless coward or a wimp in Han.

The two were not angry when they heard him say that; instead, they stared at Gu Chengyan from afar, their eyes lascivious as they laughed again and again.

“Guess—when the Great King gets bored of playing with him, will he reward him to us? I’ve heard…” the bald man winked, “men are sturdy, and tighter than women.”

The goat-goatee man was amused by him and laughed heartily.

But the braided youth was furious. “Sturdy, sturdy, sturdy! All you think about is that! In the future, I fear we will become as weak and useless as the Han, indulging in debauchery!”

This was a heavy accusation. The bald man’s face turned cold, and he could not be bothered to argue with him, only shouting toward the back:

“Where is that guy? Why hasn’t he come out to get the things from the Han yet?”

“Coming, coming”

Responding to the call was a short, dark-skinned fat man wearing a peaked leather hat, dragging a luxurious lacquered carriage behind him.

The carriage was narrower than a standard Central Plains carriage, but the four walls were painted with five-colored totems, and copper bells hung from the eaves. Colorful silk flags fluttered on the roof of the carriage.

By this time, Gu Chengyan had already approached. Both the goat-goatee man and the bald man whistled at him with ill intent, leading the surrounding people to mock him together.

Only the fat man in front of the carriage supported his chest with his right hand and knelt on one knee, solemnly performing the great Rongdi courtesy to Gu Chengyan.

Gu Chengyan looked at him, lowered his eyes, and smiled faintly. “Si-li-fa?”

The fat man raised his head in amazement. “You, you understand the Rongdi language?”

Gu Chengyan did not answer, his smile deepening. “Su-ge-cha?”

When these two sentences were asked, the shouting around them gradually quieted and ceased. Both the goat-goatee man and the bald man changed their expressions in horror, looking rather embarrassed.

“Yes, yes, I am the Si-li-fa…” The fat man wiped his sweat as he stood up, smiling as he stepped forward to bow and explain: “Not many people in our tribe understand Han, which is why I was sent. I didn’t mean any disrespect toward you.”

Si-li and Su-ge were Rongdi official titles; fa and cha were parts of the Rongdi official system, roughly equivalent to the third or fifth rank in the Central Plains imperial court.

A fa official was a minor official; strictly speaking, it was indeed somewhat inappropriate in terms of etiquette.

But Gu Chengyan did not care; he just smiled.

His mother’s original name was Wurina. After arriving in the Central Plains, she had changed it to the Han surname Wu to avoid unnecessary trouble.

The fat man helped Gu Chengyan onto the carriage. After exchanging the state credentials and clarifying the conditions, he had the goat-goatee man and the others go get the “gifts.”

The Rongdi cavalry were as fast as the wind; the soldiers in formation had not even reacted before they were thrown into chaos, and the several carts behind them were instantly dragged away.

The Commander of the Imperial City Guard clumsily protected the Emperor and the civil and military officials as they retreated, while the Rongdi cavalry surrounded them in circles, laughing and provoking them.

Gu Chengyan only took a look before withdrawing his gaze. The dissipation of his inner strength made his vision go dark, and his limbs felt so weak that he could barely stand.

He had no strength, so he could only pull hard on the fat man’s arm.

The fat envoy did not feel any pain at all; instead, he very considerately supported him and helped him into the carriage.

Before closing the carriage door, Gu Chengyan looked at him and curled his lips into a smile. “I haven’t asked yet may I have your honorable name?”

The fat envoy gave an honest smile. “Temurbagen.”

“…” Gu Chengyan choked and could not help but laugh. “So your name in Han… means ‘Iron Pillar’?”

“Yeah!” Temurbagen nodded earnestly, looking quite proud. “My Atava (father) specifically asked the Great Shaman to choose it for me.”

Gu Chengyan blinked, thinking that his understanding of Han was shallow, which was why he was so happily naive.

To his surprise, after hitching the carriage, Temurbagen explained to him in all seriousness, “Iron Pillar, Iron Pillar a giant pillar like steel. This name sounds very powerful the moment you hear it! I love it! If you like, you can call me ‘Iron Pillar’ from now on!”

Gu Chengyan: “…”

He held back, and in the end, he could not stop himself from bursting into laughter.

His mother used to tell him that the dome of the grasslands was wide and the green grass stretched to the horizon, and at night, the celestial canopy was vast and the Milky Way brilliant—a beauty not found in the entire Central Plains.

Moreover, there were soft, big white sheep on the grasslands, tall and valiant date-red horses, and free, carefree wild geese, and unfettered silver-winged swans.

In the past, Gu Chengyan had just assumed his mother was coaxing him, but now, looking at the simple, honest “Fat Iron Pillar” in front of him, he suddenly felt.

The grasslands were indeed a good place.

“What’s wrong,” Temurbagen scratched his head, “what are you laughing at?”

“Nothing…” Gu Chengyan’s shoulders shook, and he raised his hand to gently wipe away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. “It is a good name. As long as you like it.”