The Prairie Wolf Lord's Twice-Married State Preceptor - Chapter 4

Hearing him say this, Temurbagen or rather, “Iron Pillar” scratched his head and chuckled twice. “Then I’ll put the door down. The wind is strong on the grasslands; it might blow on you later.”

Gu Chengyan nodded, allowing himself to collapse back against the wall of the carriage.

In truth, he had been at his limit for a long time. The dissipation of his inner strength left him physically exhausted, his chronic ailments flaring up, and his body feeling both pained and cold, as if he had been repeatedly plunged into an ice cellar.

Furthermore, the mental strain of engaging in a battle of wits with the Emperor and the court officials had been immense; he was utterly drained.

However, after closing his eyes and waiting for a long moment, he did not hear the sound of the carriage door closing.

This type of Rongdi carriage, also known as a Haerqin carriage, came in three common types: ox, horse, or donkey drawn. They were often multi-purpose, used as war chariots, to stack firewood, to transport female relatives and clothing, or to carry shrines, scriptures, and incense candles.

The carriage was sealed on three sides, with only a push-up flap door at the front. The side and rear walls were constructed of solid birch planks, leaving only narrow, ventilated windows near the roof.

Gu Chengyan took a heavy, gasping breath and forced his eyelids open, wanting to see what on earth this envoy was dithering about.

His gaze collided exactly with a thick sheepskin coat; its fluffy, soft long fur obscured half of Iron Pillar’s face.

The light inside the carriage was dim, but Gu Chengyan could still clearly see his curved eyes, which were bright and clean, as if they had never been tainted by the secular world.

“Th-that…” Iron Pillar was slightly embarrassed. “I thought the inside of the carriage was simple and crude, and I was afraid you might bump yourself. This hide was stripped from a yellow sheep I hunted last year; I dried it just yesterday. It’s very clean, odorless, and warm.”

With a hint of shyness, he pushed the coat into the carriage and began rummaging behind him. “Also, your things, I forgot to give them to you just now.”

They were Gu Chengyan’s personal clothing and the medicine box.

Seeing that Gu Chengyan did not move, Iron Pillar found a spot inside the carriage himself and helped him arrange them neatly.

“If you have any orders, just call me. I drive the carriage smoothly. If you are tired, just go to sleep and rest. It’s at least a three-day journey from here back to the royal court!”

Gu Chengyan touched the sheepskin coat. Although the mention of the “royal court” stirred a thousand questions in his mind, his body could not overcome the fatigue. Leaning against the wall of the carriage, he fell into a deep sleep before long.

When he woke up again, it was late at night.

The moon was high in the sky, and sparse stars hung aslant.

Gu Chengyan was awakened by the cold. Iron Pillar had not lied to him; the night on the grasslands was truly chillier than the coldest days of winter.

He was still lying in the carriage, and through the cracks in the wooden planks, he could barely see that many bonfires had been lit outside. Judging by the sound, it was quite lively—people were playing instruments, singing, and dancing.

In addition to the sheepskin coat, a felt garment with a fur collar had been placed over him, and at some point, a soft pillow had been tucked behind his head.

As he sat up, the little pillow fell off.

Wrapping himself in the sheepskin and felt garment, Gu Chengyan shivered and drew his neck in, but he felt that his body was not as painful, and he had regained some of his strength.

He reached out to hook the medicine box and swallowed a pill.

Just as he leaned back to ease the medicinal effects, a series of footsteps sounded outside the carriage, followed by the door being pushed open. The bright firelight from outside immediately dazzled Gu Chengyan’s eyes, making him lift a hand to shield them.

“You’re awake!” It was Iron Pillar’s voice. The next instant, something warm was thrust into his arms.

“There are no hand-warmers on the grasslands, and we don’t use hot water bottles, so you’ll have to make do with this water bag,” Iron Pillar said, before suddenly slapping his own forehead.

“Sigh, I thought you weren’t awake yet… What am I doing with a water bag! Get out of the carriage—come by the fire. If you sit by the fire pit and warm yourself, you won’t be cold.”

Gu Chengyan looked at him, his eyes filled with surprise.

Iron Pillar blinked. “What is it… do you need to change your clothes?”

Gu Chengyan shook his head; he simply hadn’t expected that this “Fat Iron Pillar” would be so thoughtful about taking care of others.

“No, give me a hand.” He reached out with a smile.

After exiting the carriage, Gu Chengyan discovered they had already arrived at the Sunan Grasslands, the southernmost pasture within the Rongdi territory.

The surrounding wilderness was pitch black, with only the clusters of bright bonfires and the people sitting around them visible in the distance. The sky was high and vast, yet the Milky Way had never seemed so bright, so close, as if it were within reach.

“Come, sit here,” Iron Pillar pulled him to sit by a small fire pit. “I’ll get you something to eat. You’ll be warm once you have some food.”

Gu Chengyan nodded, though his gaze was drawn to the singing and dancing in the distance. He couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he felt there were far fewer Rongdi people than before.

A rough estimate of those gathered around the bonfires was only a few hundred, and the horses resting nearby were clearly not the thousands he had seen in the morning.

He wondered if the various tribes had dispersed after dividing the spoils of war.

Beside the largest bonfire, the two individuals who had been boasting earlier were embracing beauties sent from the Jin Dynasty, drinking wine and eating meat in large mouthfuls.

“E-qi, this is for you”

E-qi was a Rongdi word, which translated into Han as something like Empress or Lady.

Gu Chengyan turned his head and saw Iron Pillar handing over an iron… bowl?

Or perhaps, should he call it an iron cup?

This bowl was taller than a standard brush-washer or round bowl; it looked more like an extra-tall, extra-wide straight-sided cup. Inside was something dark green, viscous, and smelling of sesame oil.

“This is…?”

“Wild vegetable… soup?” Iron Pillar found the word, then pointed rather frantically at the leg of lamb roasting over the fire. “It’s not that I won’t give you meat, it’s just, it’s just…”

They had been communicating in Han until now, but as he grew anxious, Temurbagen switched back to the Rongdi language to explain earnestly.

On the grasslands, they consumed mostly meat, milk, and mare’s milk; they had no rice or flour as sides. In short, their diet was very different from the Central Plains, and he was worried Gu Chengyan wouldn’t be able to get used to it.

After all, many Han people who just arrived on the grasslands would get indigestion or vomit if they ate like the locals, and in severe cases, they would develop fevers or fall ill.

After rambling on at length, Iron Pillar’s dark, round face was flushed from the heat of the fire. He rubbed his hands and switched back to Han:

“Will you try it? If it’s not flavorful enough, there is sugar and salt here.”

Gu Chengyan took it. Beneath the iron bowl was a piece of felt to prevent burns, and inside the bowl rested a silver soup spoon.

He stirred it twice and took a spoonful. Though he didn’t know what wild vegetables were used, the taste was light and just right, very suitable for his current condition.

“You are very thoughtful. It’s delicious.”

Iron Pillar wiped his face with a smile and moved the roasted leg of lamb closer, placing a small knife at Gu Chengyan’s feet.

“If you want to eat meat, use this to cut it. I also prepared Yuejiao and Jujiang.”

Yuejiao and Jujiang?

Gu Chengyan blinked, seeing a small dish pushed toward him containing a pinch of red and green fine powder that had clearly been ground on the spot.

Yuejiao was the Zhu-yu (cornel) often mentioned by the Han, and Jujiang was originally a medicinal herb from the southwestern barbarian kingdom that was later discovered to be suitable as a spice in cooking.

He hadn’t expected Iron Pillar to have even prepared this.

With the wild vegetable soup lining his stomach, Gu Chengyan drew his small knife to cut off a piece of meat and ate it with the seasoning on the tip of the blade.

The taste was quite good. Although it lacked the flavor of the pre-marinated, stewed meat of the Central Plains, it was neither bland nor greasy.

Moreover, dipped in the Yuejiao and Jujiang, the flavor was not much different from the roasted meat of the capital’s four great restaurants, and he didn’t feel any gamey taste at all.

“This is a lamb,” Temurbagen explained with a chuckle when he heard his question. “Lamb is very tender; it doesn’t have a gamey smell.”

“Look some of them still want to eat it half-raw! When Han people think lamb is gamey, it’s because the sheep is old.”

Gu Chengyan took a look and found that at some of the other bonfires, they were indeed slaughtering sheep. As soon as the freshly skinned leg of lamb was placed over the fire, many people around couldn’t wait to come forward and slice off pieces of meat.

“What about you?”

Gu Chengyan glanced at the sizzling lamb in the fire pit, implying why Temurbagen chose to eat it cooked.

“A-heh, our Qiyan tribe is closer to your Han territory, so we… prefer your methods? The Han are amazing. Braising, simmering, stewing, boiling, roasting… there is so much to learn!”

Qiyan tribe?

Gu Chengyan thought for a moment and pointed with his chin. “What about them?”

“Hm?” Iron Pillar looked over and realized Gu Chengyan was asking about the goat-goatee man and the bald man. “They are from the Zhalantai tribe.”

“What about him?” Gu Chengyan pointed elsewhere.

Iron Pillar turned his head to follow, finding it was the person with small braids, who was currently leading a large black dog while holding a torch to patrol the camp.

“He is from the Balasi tribe.”

“…So many?” Gu Chengyan put down his small knife and lifted the iron bowl to drink the hot soup. “In this attack on the Jin Dynasty, don’t tell me all twelve Zhai Kings mobilized?”

“You even know about the twelve Zhai Kings?!” Iron Pillar’s eyes widened, his face full of reverence. “No wonder the people in the Han territory say you are amazing; you truly know so much!”

Gu Chengyan smiled, pursing his lips as he swallowed the soup.

Why am I amazing?

It was just my mother telling me stories in the past.

His mother came from Xirong. After the fall of the Xirong kingdom, in order to survive, most of her clansmen were forced to become vassals of the Rongdi tribes.

The Xirong nobles killed slaves for amusement, and the Rongdi’s attitude toward them was not much better.

Wurina could not bear the humiliation and risked everything to flee south to the Central Plains, where she happened to be saved by Gu Chi, who was fighting the enemy at the border.

She had told Gu Chengyan that below the Rongdi Wolf Lord were the twelve Zhai Kings. Zhai meant “kin,” much like the Princes of the Central Plains.

Below the Zhai Kings and below the Wolf Lord, there were five different official ranks, representing the Prime Minister (Meilu), the Prince (Teqin), and the noble Te, Da, Fa, Cha, and Fu.

“Sigh, if you were to come to the grasslands to assist the Wolf Lord, with your abilities, you would definitely achieve great things—surely even better than old Meilu!”

Gu Chengyan raised his eyebrows. After observing Iron Pillar carefully for a moment, he realized that he was offering the suggestion in earnest, without a shred of scheming or recruitment in his intent.

…That was true.

Gu Chengyan set down the iron bowl, a faint smile curling his lips:

The grasslands revered strength and heroes; they didn’t have the tradition of “a subject does not serve two masters.” Powerful leaders and capable ministers were pursued by many.

“Why, is it that monks from afar recite scriptures better?” Gu Chengyan chuckled and helped Iron Pillar poke the fire to make it burn brighter. “Don’t you have a Great Shaman of your own?”

Iron Pillar nodded, then shook his head again:

“But you in the Han territory don’t just manage the weather, do you? Don’t they also call you a ‘Master’ the kind of military Master who can teach people to always win battles?”

A military Master who always wins battles?

Gu Chengyan was stunned into laughter. As his eyes darted about, he decided to test the waters, half-serious and half-jesting:

“Then tell me about your Wolf Lord, and I’ll… consider it?”

Iron Pillar sat up straight and began to introduce him to Gu Chengyan in all seriousness:

“His Excellency the Wolf Lord comes from the Alishi tribe, his original name is Shayuan Posuo, he is fifty-six years old this year, and he is the most robust and battle-hardened warrior in the tribe.”

“Later, there was internal strife in the Alishi tribe. He begged to marry Princess Tara as his E-qi and joined forces with the Balasi tribe for many years of campaigning. Finally, a few years ago, he was proclaimed Wolf Lord at Hulu River”

“Proclaimed Wolf Lord?” Gu Chengyan interrupted him. “Shouldn’t the Wolf Lord of your tribe be chosen by… Tengri (Heaven)?”

Wurina had once told her son that the Eternal Heaven would send a wolf as a messenger to choose the true master of the grasslands.

The true Wolf Lord could command all beasts, lead the wolf pack, and communicate with Heaven.

“You… sigh—” Iron Pillar was surprised for a moment, then laughed again, thinking it was no surprise that Gu Chengyan knew any tradition of the grasslands.

“That was in the old days. After the decline of the Boyan tribe, there hasn’t been a Wolf Lord who could truly communicate with the wolf pack and the Eternal Heaven for a long time.”

Gu Chengyan was slightly stunned, but Iron Pillar continued:

“The Wolf Lord’s dominance is actually dependent on the power of the first E-qi’s family—that is, the Balasi tribe…”

“The first E-qi?”

“Uh-huh, and there’s the second, the third…” Iron Pillar counted on his fingers. “There are four in total, and if you add yourself, there will be five E-qi.”

After he finished, he added earnestly:

“Although they are divided into first, second, etc., that is just the order in which they married the Wolf Lord; there is no distinction between wives and concubines like the Han people have.”

“Every E-qi has her own clansmen and territory; in reality, they are all on equal footing with the Wolf Lord. The status of an E-qi is even more prestigious than that of a Zhai King.”

Gu Chengyan: “…”

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he chose to remain silent.

—After all, he had never truly intended to be a wife to the Rongdi Wolf Lord; the marriage alliance was merely a helpless choice under those circumstances.

As the two were talking, a series of galloping hoofbeats suddenly came from the distance, accompanied by the whistle peculiar to Rongdi cavalry.

Gu Chengyan looked over vigilantly, only to find that the cavalry squad was heading straight for the largest bonfire, their target being those Han dancing girls.

Seeing them arrive, the goat-goatee man and the bald man stood up unsteadily, but ultimately fell down due to their intoxication.

They were not angry when they fell; instead, they pointed at each other and laughed heartily.

The cavalry laughed as well. After the two sides wrestled and pulled at each other in a show of force, the cavalry squad snatched the dancing girls onto their horses and galloped away into the night.

“What… is this doing?”

“Snatching a bride,” Iron Pillar said as if it were nothing. “Or perhaps you could call it snatching spoils of war? It’s a custom; it’s very common.”

Gu Chengyan had heard of bride snatching.

It was a unique wedding custom on the grasslands; on the way to send a bride, if someone challenged and defeated the bridegroom and the escort, they could legitimately take the bride away.

The bridegroom would not become a victim because of this; instead, he would be mocked and looked down upon, while the successful bride-snatcher would be regarded as a hero and receive the blessings of the Shaman and the Eternal Heaven.

“Grassland men love beauties; as long as they are beauties, they attract many snatchers.”

Iron Pillar picked up the whole small leg of lamb and tore off a piece of meat, chewing until his face was covered in oil. “You are also a beauty. Looking across the entire royal court, I haven’t seen anyone better looking than you.”

“Even if you don’t intend to assist the Wolf Lord, just looking at your face, the Wolf Lord will definitely like you! He will give you the best pastures, cattle, sheep, and horses.”

“Also, don’t worry” he patted his chest, “we will protect you all the way!”

…What a thing to say.

Gu Chengyan couldn’t help but pinch his brow and smile, unsure for a moment how to respond.

—It sounded like a compliment, yet it felt like an insult.

However, Iron Pillar’s remarks did give him a hint, allowing a vague idea to form in his mind:

Since the Wolf Lord valued appearance, he might as well take advantage of it.

For the rest of the journey, unless it was truly unbearable, Gu Chengyan gritted his teeth and endured the pain, not taking another pill.

Furthermore, on the final night before reaching the royal court, he accepted the provocative invitation of the goat-goatee man, sitting by the fire pit and draining a whole skin of strong liquor.

And so, when the carriage finally arrived at the royal court with a wobble:

The old Wolf Lord pushed open the carriage door with great anticipation, only to see within it a Gu Chengyan who was pale-faced, his cheeks sunken—looking like a deathly, tubercular invalid.