The Twenty-third Chapter: The Crown Prince's Banquet

  The Khongirad tribe is more than 3,000 miles west of the Naiman tribe. Ordinary fine horses need half a month to get there. The three people's horses are the fastest and can arrive in two days, and they still rest at night. The horses of several other people are also very fast, but not as good as these three people's horses. They had to hold back their horse demons and walk slowly. Bai Yue, Bai Xue, and Wu Yun were very impatient because before, everyone was a wild horse of the same tribe, so they didn't bully these ordinary horses.

  Bai Xue and Wu Yun have grown up and are now about the same height as Bai Yue. However, Bai Xue is a mare and looks more elegant than the other two. She and Wu Yun follow Yu Xue sisters everywhere, never wearing saddles or bridles, carefree and at ease. At night, she practices with Si Xiao outside and has also formed an inner elixir. The tribespeople initially found it strange that behind Yu Xue sisters, in addition to the four wolves, there were two horses that followed them all day without saddles, and sometimes a small red bird (Feng Jin) would perch on their backs. Having domesticated horses for many years, they had never seen such intelligent and human-like good horses. However, these two horses, except for Yu Xue sisters, never let anyone else approach them, and were even more fierce than Si Xiao; they wouldn't kick people, but would simply turn their heads and walk away, as if disdainful. The tribespeople clicked their tongues in amazement, but after a long time, they became accustomed to it and no longer found it strange.

  Yu Xue didn't bring Si Xiao this time when she came out. Si Xiao was reluctant to part with her and saw her off for a hundred miles before reluctantly returning to the tribe to continue being "trained" by Huang Jin.

  Many people's horses are still faster than ordinary people. Let's take a look at one day and walk five hundred miles, it's too early to arrive, which is troublesome. From the second day on, I decided to only walk for half a day and start resting in the afternoon. Yu Xue took this opportunity to guide eight younger brothers and Yu Yan to practice and repeatedly discuss some precautions. He also took out many jewels and gold and let his father divide them into shares to be used for bribery at that time.

  After walking for over a dozen days, they entered the territory of the Khongirad tribe and encountered more people, horses, and sheep. Everyone became even more cautious and spoke little. As they galloped across a grassy slope, a massive tribal encampment appeared before them. The tents stretched as far as the eye could see, with countless horses and what seemed to be over 100,000 people. In the center of the camp stood a prominent golden-roofed great tent, which was likely the prince's command center.

  A group of people came to meet them. Ah Mu'er showed the documents and everyone was taken to a corner. Here, it was already on the edge of the tribe, and at a glance, there were newly built tents scattered on the grass. It was obvious that they were for small tribes who didn't receive much attention, very quiet and secluded. Yu Xue was extremely satisfied, she just wanted not to draw attention.

  Two girls lived alone in one tent and ten people crowded into another tent.

  Jade Snow sisters just put down their small luggage, and several Hongji Nu servant girls came in to train silently. They lifted two hot steaming bathtubs and placed two sets of clothes before exiting. After washing and dressing comfortably, they found the clothes were very luxurious, all made of silk, satin, and brocade, with a beautiful embroidered long gown trimmed with fine white fox fur edges. The two sisters giggled at each other, never having seen each other wear such robes before. Jade Snow wore an onion-green long gown with many chrysanthemum patterns hidden within; Jade Goose wore a sky-blue long gown woven with many orchids. With their childlike innocence still intact, they teased and played with each other while exercising to dry their hair. Suddenly hearing voices outside, the two exchanged a glance and sat down in front of the dresser, taking out silver combs to comb their hair.

  A woman in her thirties walked in, followed by many maids. Seeing the two sitting with their backs to her, she didn't get angry but smiled and said: "Greetings to the two princesses of the Zhe Department!" Although she said greetings, she didn't make a bow. After a while, Yuxue calmly said: "No need for excessive courtesy." The woman continued smiling and said:

  "I am a female official by the Crown Prince's side. The two princesses just call me Hongzhu! I'm in charge of this imperial consort selection's review and recommendation matters."

  She paused, seeing that the two were still ignoring her, and felt a sense of wonder. Even the princesses of the Hongji tribe had given her a slight nod of respect, but these two small tribal leaders' daughters were so arrogant! She was experienced in handling situations and didn't show her displeasure. Seeing their backs, the two girls looked slender and elegant. With a flicker of her eyes, she hurried over to personally comb Yu Xue's hair. The servant girls behind wouldn't let her do it herself, and they swarmed up, leaving Yu Xue and her sister at a loss. Hongzhu took advantage of the opportunity to examine them from head to toe, feeling surprised in her heart.

  Jade Snow sisters are still young and immature, but their figures are already slender and elegant. Jade Goose has an egg-shaped face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a pair of bright, black-and-white eyes that sparkle with life. Her nose is straight, her lips are red and plump, and her whole demeanor is radiant and full of spirit.

  Jade Snow, on the other hand, is difficult to describe in words. She has a melon-seed-shaped face, eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like autumn water. Her entire being seems to be shrouded in mist and gauze, surrounded by an aura of sacred light. Every movement she makes, every smile, every gesture, captivates the heart and soul, as if she were a celestial maiden who has just descended from heaven, untainted by the mundane world's dust and impurities.

  Hongzhu saw the two women and thought that even though they were from a small tribe with no power, she couldn't afford to neglect them, thinking it was highly possible for them to rise to prominence. She fawned over the two women, asking about their well-being and trying to win them over in every way.

  Yuxue knew her intentions and instead took out a few bright pearls to bribe her, only asking that she not recommend her to the prince. Hongzhu was puzzled but didn't want to offend the Khongirad tribe and other large tribes, so she accepted the bribe and agreed with a smile.

  Yuxue let out a sigh of relief as she sent Hongzhu away. From then on, she stayed in her tent, afraid that someone might discover her possession of Taoist magic and not practice her skills. Every day, she would only discuss scholarly matters with Yuyan in Chinese - fearing that the Mongolian maidservants might understand.

  (Note: I've kept the names as they are, assuming they are proper nouns)

  A'ermu then formally met the prince once, but no one saw clearly what gifts were presented before he bowed his head and retreated. Afterwards, he brought two young brave warriors to inquire about the situation and establish some connections with several medium-sized tribes. Thus passed more than ten days.

  It was on this day that the Crown Prince had scheduled a banquet to entertain the tribal leaders from all directions, and also to meet the princesses of various tribes.

  The Khongirad tribe chose a spacious place outside the tribe, set up many sunshades, laid out felt mats and low tables. Everyone sat on the ground. Only the top seats were high above, with a wooden platform, carved flower table and chairs for the prince and several kings. Because there were too many people, the crowd below was arranged in two rows on both sides according to the size of the tribe's forces. The leaders of the larger tribes brought their own candidates for the princess position near the prince and kings, and so on. The Zheb tribe was assigned to the farthest seat at the end. In the empty space in the middle, red felt mats were laid out, and there were programs to persuade the nobles to drink wine.

  Early in the morning, Yuexue sisters were woken up and many maidservants came to dress them up. After finishing their dressing, they led them and A Muer and Hei Ri to sit down at the designated seats to pay respects to the Crown Prince. Hei Ri had been locked in a tent for over ten days and was getting impatient; seeing the wind and sun shining brightly, flags fluttering everywhere, people flowing back and forth, with countless birds chirping and talking, and the aroma of roasted meat wafting from afar, he thought that soon they would have a big feast, and couldn't help but laugh. Yuexue knew what he meant and whispered:

  "Hei Ri Da Ge, you must be low-key! Low-key! The plan is half successful so far. As long as we get through today's hurdle, it won't be hard to find an excuse to leave. If you mess up, I'll definitely tell Huang Jin sister when I get back... then..."

  "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" He said hastily. However, his eyes darted back and forth restlessly, betraying him. Yuxue couldn't help but feel a little regretful, thinking that she shouldn't have let him come in the first place.

  The sun was high in the sky, and people had all arrived and were seated. From a distance, a loud voice shouted, "Huang Ze, the prince of Chen Guo, is arriving with his entourage!" The leaders of all the tribes stood up and bowed deeply. Yu Xue also stood up, lowering her head and closing her eyes. The prince walked in, saying, "No need for so much courtesy, please sit down!" His expression was kind and gentle. Everyone waited until the prince had passed by before sitting back down. Yu Xue lifted her head to sit down, but just then she caught a glimpse of a young man walking at the end of the procession. He was tall and slender, with a straight posture that made him stand out from the others. Although his face was dark, it was handsome and refined, and one could tell at a glance that he was no ordinary person. The young man saw Yu Xue's beauty and was immediately stunned, staring blankly ahead. Yu Xue quickly lowered her head and sat down, her face slightly red. The young man finally came to his senses and followed the prince, leaving Yu Xue behind.

  The prince sat down and said a lot of words about his father's kindness and comforted the various tribes, spouting saliva for half a day before stopping. Everyone hurriedly clapped their horses and flattered voices rose. The prince was overjoyed and ordered the kings to toast on his behalf. Several small kings rushed down from the platform, with attendants carrying wine jars following behind them.

  It was none other than the young prince who was walking towards her. She quietly asked her father and found out that he was Hulagu, the fourth son of the late Tolui Khan. Almali also said that although this young prince was young, he was clever and had a lot of strategy in his heart, and was very much favored by Genghis Khan.

  Khubilai slowly walked closer, still persuading others to drink, but from time to time he cast a glance at Yuxue. After a moment, he arrived in front of the four people and smiled: "Is this the chief of the Naiman tribe, Jamukha?"

  A' Mu Er bowed deeply: "Your Highness still remembers me, I am deeply honored!"

  Kublai Khan said with a smile, "At that time you came to pay homage to me and stood beside the Crown Prince. I was deeply impressed by your agility and that of your two attendants. No need for formalities, Tribesman! Pour wine!"

  A servant poured a full bowl. Amur drank it up. Kublai Khan saw Hei Rui's tall and majestic appearance and asked:

  "Who is this?"

  "He is Hei Rui, the first brave warrior of my Zhebe tribe."

  He puffed out his chest and stomach, looking majestic with an air of dignity. Kublai Khan laughed and said: "What a fine fellow! How much wine can you drink?"

  Hei Ri Ao Ran: "Never been drunk in his life!"

  Kublai Khan repeatedly said "good" as his attendants carried over the wine jar. Hei Ri didn't wait for anyone to pour the wine, grabbed the jar and glug-glug-gulped it down in one go. Not a single drop spilled out, he drank it all up, wiped his mouth with his hand: "Good wine! Too bad there's too little!"

  Kublai Khan was even more delighted and ordered people to bring over three large urns of boiled knife-shaped pasta, opening them up in a row to see how much Hei Rui could drink. As the Black Tribe's leader didn't care about drinking, not just three urns but thirty would be no problem. In an instant, he finished off the three urns without changing color. At this time, the leaders of the small tribes at the end of the seating arrangement came over to surround him, cheering and calling out in admiration, causing the Crown Prince and others to turn their heads. A king who was slightly younger than Kublai Khan ran over, calling him "Fourth Brother", it was Tolui's fifth son, Xie Lie Wu. He was young and fond of excitement, looking delighted, he ordered people to bring over a whole roasted sheep and asked: "Can you still eat some?"

  Hei Ri Da Xiao: "What's so difficult? I've been drinking for half a day and my mouth is just right, no flavor. Give me some black sesame seeds to fill the gaps!"

  One hand pulled over a big mouthful of food and swallowed it. Yu Xue's heart secretly cried out in distress, gritting her teeth and sending a silent message:

  "If you continue to be so arrogant, I'll be driven mad by you!"

  Four people surrounded them, looking at Hei Ri and Yu Xue sisters. Some people kept sizing up the Yu Xue sisters. Hu Bi Lie was like that too. The two sisters felt uneasy all over, their heads getting lower and lower, only wanting to avoid drawing attention, but who knew Hei Ri's personality was like that!

  "Hei Ri Yan Zhu turned around and said to Hu Bi Lie: 'Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm full!'"

  Kublai saw that he was clearly in control, but where did this confidence come from? He turned to see Yuxue lower her head and shrink back, a subtle plan forming in her mind. At first, Kublai had only been curious about Yuxue, but now seeing the heroic Black Day, his heart stirred with love and he intentionally tried to win her over. He smiled and said:

  "You have such a big appetite, your martial arts skills must be quite good too. Why don't you engage in a friendly match with me?"

  At this time, the wine had already gone through three rounds and everyone was about to perform a program for the prince and king to watch. The four powerful men from the tribe were called over and given instructions on what to do next.

  Hei Ri stood in the middle of the scene, and according to Chen's words, he couldn't deceive his ears or eyes, and felt annoyed in his heart.

  "Don't come one by one, it's too much trouble for Lao Hei, just all come together!"

  The four men rushed forward, grabbing his arms and legs, pushing and pulling, trying to make him lose face on the spot. Hei Riji remained motionless. The four men strained with all their might, their faces red with effort, but they couldn't budge him an inch. After a while, the four men exhausted themselves and fell to the ground. The crowd applauded loudly in admiration. The prince praised Hei Riji as a hero and rewarded him with many silks and gold and silver. Kublai Khan gazed at Hei Riji for a long time, seemingly deep in thought.

  Chen felt even more uncomfortable in his heart. Originally, there was still a smashing program that could be performed again, but it was as tasteless as chewing wax. He had the philosophy department memorized in his heart and transmitted it to several princesses who came to sing and dance.

  The melodious sound of the horse-head fiddle rose, and a large group of dancing girls, like stars surrounding the moon, escorted four princesses out. The dancing girls were all dressed in red long gowns with emerald green silk sashes tied around their waists. The four princesses each wore light pink, light yellow, light blue, and light green brocade long gowns, with pearls and jade adorning their necks, and a string of bright pearls hanging from their ears, their faces veiled by a semi-transparent thin gauze. The gentle breeze occasionally lifted the veil, revealing their slender or plump figures, indeed they were all rare beauties! They danced along with the sound of the fiddle, their bodies swaying gracefully. Everyone watched in a daze, as if intoxicated.

  Jade Snow quietly said to Jade Goose:

  "Who knows how General Chen had them! He actually has four such young and beautiful daughters!"

  A' Mu Er shook his head: "The ones wearing yellow and pink are his daughters. The other two are the daughters of his paternal cousin, but they have the same noble status and are also called princesses."

  Yu Yan didn't think much of him: "He's not even half as talented as his sister. Even Si Lian and Si Ju are better than him."

  "Silence!" Yu Xue hastily said.

  Jade Geese stick out their tongues in a lovely way. Hei Ri has no interest in singing and dancing, picks up the beef leg on the table and takes big bites.

  The four princesses finished their dance and lifted their veils to pay respects to the prince and others. The prince gazed at one of them who was wearing yellow for a long time, smiling and saying:

  "What's your name?"

  The woman said in a soft voice:

  "My name is Hai Mi Shi."

  The prince let her sit beside him. Everyone in their hearts understood that the crown princess had been chosen and they brought their own daughters to come forward and toast the two of them, the implication was clear. The scene suddenly became lively. The prince Gui and future crown princess Hai couldn't withstand so many people, seeing the sun had already set, they retreated to rest. The young princes again became targets, those charming beauties coaxed them to drink with unending voices.

  Yu Xue sisters coldly watched from the side. At this time, it's not good to leave first, otherwise it would be too abrupt and attract attention. Seeing Hei Ri eating happily, he let people bring wine and meat and drank with Ah Mu Er. Sitting dryly and bored, they also poured two bowls of wine and slowly chatted while drinking.

  Black sun with red light all over his face

  "This wine is really strong! Better than what the merchant brought! Today, I won't eat for free. Usually in the tribe, I'm afraid of eating people out of house and home. Now, since it's free, let's drink to our heart's content! Come on, Ah Mu Er! Let's keep drinking!"

  Amur was already half drunk and didn't care about carefully thinking over the meaning of Hei Rui's words, nodding in agreement as he drank.

  Yu Xue shook his head, it was just as well that the scene in the hall was bustling and noisy. The sky had already darkened and a large bonfire had been lit, but this corner was still dimly lit, so no one noticed. He thought of what Hei Ri said, pitiful, as if he had never eaten his fill in the tribe, and couldn't bear to continue restraining him, letting him have wine and meat as he pleased, only reminding him to find a different servant each time.

  Suddenly, two people came walking this way, hiding and dodging. It was Kublai and Hulagu. They had managed to shake off the crowd and wanted to meet with Jebe and his men alone.

  A Mu Er was already drunk. Seeing them come over, he just wanted to pay his respects, but his body swayed and fell to the ground, snoring loudly in an instant. Yu Xue sat calmly, unmoving, watching how Hu Bi Lie would react. Hei Ri Ben didn't care about worldly status from the start, seeing Yu Xue not moving, he also lazily continued eating without getting up. Yu Yan always listened to Yu Xue and also sat still. As a result, the three of them seemed as if they hadn't seen Hu Bi Lie at all, like brothers.

  Kublai's eyes flashed with surprise, but he sat down beside the low table without a word. Xiangyu had just been about to get angry when he suddenly saw Yu Yan's beautiful and refreshing face, then saw Yu Xue's dreamy and ethereal beauty, and his anger disappeared in an instant as he meekly sat down next to his brother. Kublai laughed and said: "You several are really good at leisure! Others are busy sending off their daughters, pulling strings, etc., but you are just drinking alone by yourselves. I think you are the ones with real ability."

  Jade Snow said faintly:

  "People with no real skills drink alone."

  Hei Ri Da Xiao: "Well said! I, Hei Ri, may not have any other skills, but drinking is my number one talent. Does Hubilie dare to drink with me?"

  Kublai Khan smiled faintly: "Drinking I think I can't outdo you but neither am I afraid."

  "Alright, you drink a cup and I'll drink a bowl, how's that?" Hei Ri prepared to pour them wine.

  Xue Lie Wu hastily said: "This is what you yourself said! We two brothers each have one cup, and you want to drink two bowls!" He saw many empty jars beside Hei Ri and knew he had drunk a lot, but was not afraid of competing in drinking.

  Hei Ri repeatedly said good. The three men started competing in drinking. It was said to be a cup, but the cup was not small. After ten cups, the two brothers began to get drunk and talk nonsense. Yu Xue knew that Hei Ri had helped her out of the situation, so she watched for a while before quietly leaving with Ah Mu Er. At this time, Hu Bie Lie was still sober and felt somewhat disappointed, but his mind had already turned to competing in drinking. Seeing Hei Ri become more and more spirited as he drank, easily shattering a wine jar with one palm, made him want to recruit Hei Ri into his own camp even more. With renewed energy, he drank heavily and became very drunk, along with Xie Lie Wu, and was escorted back to their tent by the guards.

  "Think about plotting against us in your next life!"

  Took advantage of no one's attention and collected a lot of fine wine and roasted meat back to the account, found eight "apprentices" to eat and drink.

  This banquet was very successful and everyone had a chance to show their faces. The prince and several young princes were surrounded by people, and they were all happy in their hearts.

  The next day after lunch, Yu Xue received a message from Hong Zhu. Genghis Khan wanted to have a private conversation with her, and it was agreed that they would meet at the tip of the willow branch under the moonlight after dusk.