The Prairie Wolf Lord's Twice-Married State Preceptor - Chapter 5

As the Wolf Lord, Alishi Shayuan Posuo had spent half a lifetime on horseback across the grasslands; there was no storm or turbulence he hadn’t seen. But this particular situation—

He truly had never seen it before.

Inside the carriage, the Han State Preceptor, whom he had eagerly awaited for over ten days, was half-leaning against the wall of the carriage: his ink-black hair was disheveled, his clothes were in disarray, there were dark bruises under his eyes, and his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

The veins on the back of Gu Chengyan’s hand were bulging, almost crushing the pathetic scrap of fabric at his collar. His bloodless, thin lips were slightly parted, his brows deeply furrowed in extreme pain.

If not for the sight of his nostrils flaring and his eyelashes trembling slightly, Shayuan Posuo would have truly believed that a corpse had been packed into the carriage.

After a long silence, he turned sideways, blocking the front of the carriage, and scanned the people gathered in front of the Golden Tent:

Today, to celebrate the triumphant return of the Great Army, a grand banquet had long been prepared within the royal court. Sheep and cattle were slaughtered, fine wine was prepared, and the three E-qi were also dressed in their finest attire, attending with their children.

Bonfires had already been lit on the distant grasslands, and the banks of the Hulu River were crowded with warriors from various tribes watering their horses in preparation for the horse-archery competition.

Under the fluttering, five-colored prayer flags, the freshly slaughtered sacrificial animals were being offered to the altar in sequence under the direction of the Shaman.

“My Lord, what… is the matter?” Perhaps because his silence had lasted too long, old Meilu asked with some concern.

“Ha, hahaha” The corners of Shayuan Posuo’s mouth twitched, and he suddenly let out an eerie, strange laugh. “It’s nothing, nothing at all! I’m just too happy!”

He wiped his face, closed the carriage door, and explained with a solemn expression:

“Today is a great joy. Everyone, please take your seats first. The Han person is shy and not convenient to meet with you all yet. Allow me to send him into the sleeping tent first, and then I will come back to drink with you all!”

The men in front of the Golden Tent cheered loudly, while the women looked at the carriage with varying expressions.

“Entertain everyone on my behalf.” Shayuan Posuo patted old Meilu on the shoulder.

Meilu was the Prime Minister of the Rongdi, but he was quite different from the grand counselors of the Central Plains; he was more like the steward of the entire royal court, and also held the duties of a court internal official.

The old man bowed to accept the order and led everyone toward the bonfires.

Once most of the people had left, Shayuan Posuo’s face darkened, and he turned to look at the wedding-escort team with a sinister glare.

Slap! Before Temurbagen could react, his face was struck by a heavy, resounding blow—

“Explain yourself? What is the meaning of this?”

Temurbagen was left somewhat dazed, clutching his face for a long time without regaining his senses. The young man with braids beside him sensed that something was wrong and stepped forward to ask:

“My Lord, is… is something amiss?”

Shayuan Posuo stepped back from the carriage with a sneer. “See for yourselves.”

The two men stepped forward in confusion, pushed open the carriage door, and took a close look. The braided youth was the first to let out a strange cry: “Ho—how could it be like this?!”

The person was indeed the same—the long, upturned eyes and the thin, bow-curved lips—but he was skeletal and emaciated, his lips snow-white; he was practically on the verge of death.

Temurbagen was terrified; he stumbled back two steps and sat hard on the ground.

Gu Chengyan leaned feebly against the carriage wall. In truth, even he hadn’t expected the effect of chugging the strong liquor would be so effective.

It seemed the imperial physicians back then hadn’t been bluffing; his body truly could no longer tolerate alcohol, or else he would have been a short-lived ghost just like in his past life.

However,

Gu Chengyan’s lips curled slightly. His goal was achieved, and the results looked quite good; the Wolf Lord was indeed very angry.

He just felt bad for brother Iron Pillar, having to take such a hard fall.

Shayuan Posuo’s face was frozen, his two brows practically twisted into a dead knot.

He had invited not only his tribesmen and ministers to the banquet today but also the Zhai Kings of no less than seven tribes, all to show off his newly acquired beauty.

The name of this Han State Preceptor had, in fact, spread throughout the grasslands long ago:

They said he had a magnificent appearance and exquisite talent; not only was he beautiful, but he also possessed great wisdom, capable of governing the nation and commanding troops, as well as being well-versed in astronomy and geography.

The Wolf Lord had announced to everyone long ago that he was going to marry the Han State Preceptor as his new E-qi, but after waiting until today, this was the “tubercular invalid” he had received.

Watching the storm brewing in the Wolf Lord’s eyes, Temurbagen gathered his wits and hurriedly stepped forward to report:

“My Lord, calm your anger! Please don’t be impatient; Mr. Gu was likely greedily drinking and damaged his stomach last night. With medicine… with medicine, he will recover in a few days!”

Having said this, he quickly recounted the events of the journey, then emphasized that last night by the bonfire, Gu Chengyan had drunk an entire skin of strong liquor.

The braided youth also chimed in, saying that when they had received him in the Han territory, Gu Chengyan was perfectly fine and not like this at all.

“In short, he was… was much, much pr-prettier before.” The braided youth was not interested in beauty, and after thinking for a long time, this was the only word he could squeeze out.

But precisely because of this, a glimmer of hope finally reignited in Shayuan Posuo’s eyes. “Then what are you waiting for? Go and invite the Great Shaman!”

The Rongdi Shaman was not only a wizard who offered sacrifices to the gods and communicated with spirits, but also the only doctor on the grasslands, fully responsible for all births, aging, illnesses, and deaths:

From the headaches of the herdsmen to the injuries and epidemics of the livestock, and down to various difficult and complicated diseases, as well as difficult labor and childbirth, everything was treated by inviting the Shaman.

And the Great Shaman of the Royal Court was like the Head of the Imperial Physicians of the Central Plains combined with a State Preceptor. His status was exalted and special, almost equal to that of the Wolf Lord.

The banquet over there was still waiting for the Wolf Lord to commence. After Shayuan Posuo hurriedly gave a few instructions, he still rewarded the wedding-escort team.

Drums and horns blared, singing and dancing began.

Gongs sounded, and the sound of hooves intensified.

The wedding-escort party felt relieved and happily went off to the grasslands to drink wine. Only Temurbagen stayed behind to personally help Gu Chengyan into the tent.

The sleeping tent was newly built. Hard willow-wood pegs were driven into the grass to form a large circle, covered with three layers of thick felt, with the door opening toward the south.

The high, pointed top of the tent had a skylight, and beneath it was a hearth for heating and cooking. In the place of honor on the north side, there was a Han-style purple sandalwood Luohan bed with three-sided railings.

The east and west semi-circles were furnished with desks, folding screens, washstands, and a tea set, apparently scavenged from somewhere, which was currently placed on a table formed by two large chests pushed together.

“Take it slow…” Iron Pillar supported Gu Chengyan carefully, and after sending him to the bed to sit down, he squatted down naturally to help him take off his shoes.

“No…” There were no servants in Xingyun Pavilion, and Gu Chengyan was not used to being served. He dodged backward. “No need to trouble yourself…”

He was in so much pain and had so little strength that each sentence could only be spoken in segments. “Iron Pillar, you… don’t worry about me. Go with the others… and go outside to drink.”

“Eh? How could that be!” Temurbagen’s eyes widened. “Even if you understand the Rongdi language, no one has been assigned to serve you yet. It won’t be convenient if you have an order later and have to shout for someone. It’s better if I stay.”

“Besides,” he sniffled and lowered his head, “that you are sick to this extent is because I didn’t take good care of you. The banquet… I have no face to go.”

This silly boy.

Gu Chengyan touched his nose and was about to say something to persuade him, but his throat suddenly surged with a fishy sweetness. After coughing twice, he actually coughed up blood.

Looking at the spots of dark red on the footrest, let alone Iron Pillar, even Gu Chengyan himself was… a bit dumbfounded.

At the same time, the door curtain of the sleeping tent moved slightly. After a jingle of crisp sounds, the Great Shaman, wearing a colorful feathered spirit hat and a turtle-and-snake robe, was ushered in by the crowd.

Seeing Gu Chengyan coughing up blood, the Great Shaman pushed aside the etiquette official in front of him, hurried forward to take his pulse, and earnestly asked Temurbagen about everything that had happened here.

“I, I don’t know…” Iron Pillar was about to cry. “Mr. Gu was perfectly fine along the way; he just drank a little wine last night.”

“Wine? What wine?”

The Great Shaman appeared quite young, in his thirties or forties. He wore an antler cap with bear-fur ribbons hanging from it, symbolizing his extremely high status.

“Just the most ordinary Nuoyan wine, brought by the Zhalantai tribe.”

The Great Shaman frowned. The pulse he touched was obstructed, stagnant, and cold; it was clearly a deficiency accumulated over years and years, not something that could be caused by drinking wine.

However, nothing was absolute, and he could not pass judgment immediately. “Whether the wine was poisonous or not, who handled it?”

This time, before Temurbagen could speak, a weak, smiling voice came from the bed—

“Nuoyan yi mao zhe ke.” (The wine has no poison.)

“You…” The Great Shaman’s eyes straightened. “You understand the Rongdi language?”

The wine has no poison.

Gu Chengyan closed his eyes, his lips curling slightly.

Watching him dozing off, the Great Shaman’s expression was grave. Thinking of his terrifying pulse, he immediately ordered his etiquette official to invite the Wolf Lord.

But once the official reached the door of the sleeping tent, the Great Shaman shook his head and called him back. “Forget it, I will go myself. You stay and serve him.”

The official accepted the order and led the slaves to guard outside the sleeping tent.

After they left, Temurbagen hurriedly turned to go by the hearth to light a fire—Mr. Gu was afraid of the cold; he remembered that.

On the grasslands outside the tent, Shayuan Posuo was raising his cup to drink with the others.

The Great Shaman cut through the crowd, and only when everyone’s attention was drawn to the horse-archery competition did he silently come to the Wolf Lord’s side, bowing and whispering.

As Shayuan Posuo listened, the smile on his face gradually faded. He left only the words, “I have important matters to discuss with the Great Shaman,” and hurried away from the banquet.

Furthermore, he also called away old Meilu, leaving only the Teqin (Princes) to preside over the feast.

To prevent rumors, the three did not go to Gu Chengyan’s sleeping tent, but ducked into the Golden Tent in the center of the royal court—

“What did you just say?” Shayuan Posuo’s face was like frost. “You mean… he was already sick in the Central Plains?”

“From his pulse… yes.”

In reality, in the Great Shaman’s view, the poison, sickness, and serious injuries on Gu Chengyan’s body made it a miracle that he was still alive.

Shayuan Posuo fell silent.

Before this, he had felt that this marriage alliance had come too easily—even living in a royal court far from the Central Plains, he had heard quite a bit about the Han Emperor and his State Preceptor:

They said they grew up together, that the State Preceptor gave up inheriting the family business for the Emperor, that they had fought side-by-side for ten years, and respected each other as monarch and subject.

He hadn’t expected…

Shayuan Posuo gnashed his teeth and suddenly sneered at the state credentials lying on the desk:

“What a sinister Han Emperor, ‘when the rabbit dies, the dog is cooked,’ isn’t that it? Sending someone on their deathbed for a marriage alliance; it really is a business with a ten-thousand-fold profit!”

The Great Shaman nodded; he had thought the same.

The grasslands had seen too many Han officials who, for the sake of so-called loyalty, would rather die than change their integrity, using their lives to protect their monarch and nation.

If Gu Chengyan had come for a marriage alliance with this as his reason, it wouldn’t seem strange either.

“Then…” old Meilu, who hadn’t spoken until now, asked, “Should we keep this person, or simply kill him?”

The Wolf Lord pondered for a moment before laughing coldly. “The Han are crafty and full of tricks. If we kill him now, I fear they will use it as an excuse to mobilize their army and call for war.”

“Didn’t you hear the people from the Balasi tribe earlier? During this escort mission, the Zhalantai tribe did quite a few things behind our backs, saying one thing and doing another.”

“If we mobilize for war because of something like this, I fear few will respond. Those restless elements will also take advantage of the situation, and we will lose more than we gain.”

Old Meilu nodded. “Then keep him.”

“Hmph, not only keep him, but also ask the Great Shaman to diligently try and treat him at least give it a try and make a show of doing the job”

The Han were cunning, but they weren’t incapable of prevaricating themselves.

Moreover, Shayuan Posuo had long heard that this State Preceptor had an exquisite, crafty mind. “Just keep him for a few days; how do you know that State Preceptor isn’t faking it?”

“My Lord,” the Great Shaman shook his head, “he is in such a state… I fear he couldn’t fake it.”

“Are you sure?” Shayuan Posuo narrowed his eyes at him.

Coming into contact with the Wolf Lord’s scrutinizing gaze, with the expressionless old Meilu watching from the side, the Great Shaman froze for a moment, then finally lowered his head and accepted the order.

Seeing the Great Shaman’s dispirited expression, Shayuan Posuo laughed and patted him on the shoulder:

“Don’t worry about the bone-divinations left behind by the old Shaman. Your abilities are outstanding; no one can replace you.”

“…” The Great Shaman’s face was embarrassed. “You are right. I will try my best to treat the State Preceptor’s illness.”

Old Meilu, who had been standing behind the two of them, sighed:

“That is all we can do. I wonder if you intend to order the old servant to send out eagle messages tomorrow, inviting the various Jieli (military officials) back to discuss matters?”

Jieli were military commanders; this would be preparing for war in advance.

Shayuan Posuo thought for a while and waved his hand with a loud laugh:

“No, no, let’s wait two days. Old Father, you should also let me relax a bit; just now, Bisosha said she prepared a special dance for me. Besides, it’s rare for the royal court to hold such a grand banquet; you should go out and drink a few more cups.”

After he finished speaking, Shayuan Posuo led the Great Shaman out first, but old Meilu, who was left last, had a strange expression, only looking at the Wolf Lord’s back and shaking his head.

He remembered the words the old Shaman had said before he left—

“If a generation of heroes indulges in wine and women, then the decline of the hero is not far off.”

After that night, unlike the Great Shaman who changed his medicine every day, trying to cure his “illness.”

Gu Chengyan was intimately familiar with his own body and knew exactly how to make himself look more “miserable.”

Taking advantage of when no one was around, he would snap the pills into fragments and hide them on his person. When he truly couldn’t bear the pain, he would secretly take half a pill.

Seeing that there was no improvement after treating him for several days, Temurbagen privately told Gu Chengyan about this Great Shaman, saying he became famous in his youth but lacked moral integrity.

“He used underhanded means to force the old Shaman to leave the royal court before he obtained his current status. I fear his… medical skills are not up to par.”

Gu Chengyan had already guessed this quite a bit.

His mother had told him that all Shamans were apprentices from a young age and couldn’t become masters until they were twenty or thirty. Those who served as tribal Shamans were at least over fifty years old.

After all, Shamans had to learn a vast amount of knowledge. Those who were skilled in sorcery would have less energy to dedicate to studying medicine, and their experience would also be insufficient.

That this Great Shaman could become the Great Shaman of the royal court at such a young age meant there must be some unknown story behind it.

Moreover, it seemed that in his past life, the chaos in the Rongdi royal court was inextricably linked to this person.

Having finally been reborn, Gu Chengyan couldn’t be bothered to interfere in the messy affairs of the Rongdi royal court. He just wanted to live a few days of peaceful, carefree life.

In the following days, the Great Shaman, driven to desperation, even held seven-star ritual implements outside Gu Chengyan’s tent and danced a shamanic dance.

The smoke from the fire was thick, and before he could jump around twice, Gu Chengyan, lying on the bed, had been choked until he coughed up blood again.

This situation shocked the Wolf Lord once more. Shayuan Posuo was also worried that if he kept tossing him around like this, he would truly kill Gu Chengyan, so he told the Great Shaman to think of another way.

By now, what other options did the Great Shaman have?

He paced back and forth anxiously in his own tent, but when he looked up, he happened to catch a glimpse of the Holy Mountain in the distance, bathed in the full red glow of the sunset.

The Holy Mountain was a precipitous mountain hundreds of miles north of the royal court. The mountain range was covered in snow all year round, undulating and rolling. The common people all believed that gods lived on the summit.

Thus, the Great Shaman found the Wolf Lord and said that Gu Chengyan’s illness and injuries were too severe, so it would be better to send him to the Holy Mountain. “There is a snow-mountain villa at the foot of the mountain; it is very quiet and perfectly suitable for recuperation.”

Shayuan Posuo thought about it. He didn’t necessarily have to have a male wife. Marrying Gu Chengyan was just to show the Zhai Kings the strength and ferocity of the royal court.

Now that Gu Chengyan was staying in the royal court, needing the Great Shaman to look after him every day, and as days went on, he feared it would damage his own prestige if the news got out.

Letting all twelve Zhai Kings know that he, the dignified Wolf Lord, had actually been tricked by that wet-behind-the-ears Han Emperor, and had brought back a man on the verge of death after mobilizing a massive army.

Thus, Shayuan Posuo waved his hand. “Very well, let it be done.”

The two men came to a tacit understanding and made their arrangements. But old Meilu, who had been serving in the Golden Tent, couldn’t help but sigh softly.

“Why?” Shayuan Posuo asked. “Does Old Father have something to say?”

“No,” old Meilu shook his head. “I am just sighing at the tragic fate of a beauty.”

These words made Shayuan Posuo laugh. He teased old Meilu. “That is where you are wrong; ‘beauty’ usually refers to a woman.”

“Yes, you are right,” old Meilu smoothed his expression. “I must ask for the decree: for this trip, whom do you intend to order to escort him?”

The Holy Mountain was located in the extreme north. To get there from the royal court, one had to cross a medium-high mountain, the Qiaoya Mountain. Furthermore, the further north one went, the more desolate the grasslands became, and the rivers were pitifully few.

This was a bitter, arduous task. No sooner had old Meilu finished speaking than the ministers in the Golden Tent lowered their heads one after another to avoid the Wolf Lord’s gaze.

In the end, it was Temurbagen who stood out and volunteered to escort him.

The Wolf Lord was very pleased and promoted his rank on the spot, elevating him from a third-rank Si-li-fa to a second-rank Ge-li-da.

Although, by custom, Ge-li-da titles were awarded to the wise and the elders of the tribe, this time, the ministers were surprisingly unanimous in having no objections.

After confirming the escort, the Wolf Lord also awarded him plenty of food, clothing, and supplies according to custom, which also included cattle, sheep, slaves, and guards.

However, that group of guards had obtained the protection of the Great Shaman. Before they had even traveled three miles after leaving the royal court, they found all sorts of excuses to slip away.

When the slaves saw that the guards had all left, they also gained the courage to steal things and scatter in flight.

By the time they reached the Qiaoya Mountain pass, the entire team was left with only Temurbagen.

Looking at the items that had been looted and carried away for the most part, Temurbagen was furious. He herded the remaining fifteen sheep together:

“Mr. Gu, let me tell you, the Great Shaman must have done this on purpose!”

“I heard that when the old Shaman left the royal court earlier, he left behind a piece of bone divination, roughly meaning that someone coming from the south would lead all living things.”

“The Great Shaman’s own ascension to the throne was not legitimate, so he intentionally said that he was the person coming from the south. The day you showed off your ability to speak Rongdi, you must have aroused his suspicion”

“I think your going to the extreme north was his wicked idea. He must be jealous of you! He’s afraid that you will replace his position in the future!”

After saying all this, he turned his head only to find that Gu Chengyan was staring straight and intensely at a large white sheep by the carriage.

“Mr. State Preceptor?”

“That sheep’s wool looks so soft. Can I touch it and see?”

Temurbagen suddenly felt all his strength being drained away. He slapped his eyes with a pop:

“…Y-you, feel free.”