There were still a lot of raindrops hanging in the grass. After walking a few steps, Jiang Rui’s embroidered shoes got wet. She didn’t pay attention, playing with the wet flowers in her hands, and said, “Is the messenger coming back soon?”
“Yeah.” Urhan nodded, “It’s either today or tomorrow morning.”
“When they present their birthday gifts to my Father Emperor, my Father Emperor loves his face and will definitely give more items in return, but it is nothing more than gold, silver, jewelry, silk, and satin. The silk and satin can be used to make clothes for the tribe, but the others are of no use. I have an idea. Let the envoy write a letter asking my Father Emperor to change those rewards into something more practical. What do you think?”
“Can the reward be exchanged?” Urhan raised his eyebrows.
“As long as you are thick-skinned, what can’t you bargain for?” Jiang Rui asked.
Even if the Emperor was unhappy at that time, after all, it was Beidi’s envoy, not his courtier, so he could not help but hold his nose and agree.
Urhan didn’t think thick-skinned was a derogatory term. He scratched his chin and asked, “What does Yanshi want to change it to?”
“Rice, flour, salt, sugar. Everything.”
Jiang Rui knew very well that even if the trading area was completed, the real start of trading would have to be at least after the spring of the next year, but the Di people still had to survive this winter.
In the past, these nomads invaded the border of Jokhang, most often in autumn and winter because that was the season when food was most scarce.
Now, since the Emperor always wanted to reward something to show his greatness, he might as well exchange those flashy jewelry and antiquities with grains of equivalent value to fill the stomachs of these Di people in exchange for peace.
As for whether the Di people wanted to save face, Jiang Rui thought that it was better for poor people not to pretend to be fat men.
Urhan quickly understood what she meant, and his eyes shone brightly: “Yanshi must have been given to me by the God of the Grassland.”
“It’s useless to say nice things,” Jiang Rui tilted her chin slightly and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, “Remember to send someone smart when the time comes.”
“That’s natural.” Urhan smiled and could only nod in agreement.
As soon as he lowered his head, he saw the soaked toes of her shoes that were exposed under her skirt. He immediately turned around and half-crouched in front of Jiang Rui: “Get on my back.”
Jiang Rui paused for a moment and then leaned over without much hesitation.
“Yanshi is too thin, not as heavy as a lamb.” Urhan tipped her upwards.
His shoulders were very broad, and his thick shoulders rose and fell with his steps. Jiang Rui put her ear against his back, and his usually strong voice sounded like a booming sound, and she unconsciously wanted to laugh.
Urhan didn’t know it and walked back with her on his back, talking all the way, and Jiang Rui just responded.
The sound of ‘da da da’ horse’s hooves came from behind. Urhan neither looked back nor stopped. The horse followed behind the two of them for a while, snorting a few times.
Seeing that no one paid attention to it, it stamped on its hooves anxiously. Suddenly, it lowered its head and tried to push the man onto the horse’s back, but it almost pushed Urhan to the ground.
He finally stopped, feeling helpless. He didn’t know why the horse cub raised by himself had such a virtuous character. Even Aguda’s horse was more normal than it.
The horse didn’t know the owner’s distress and just took small steps happily.
Knowing that he would be harassed again if he didn’t do as it expected, Urhan helped Jiang Rui get on the horse. When he was about to get on, the horse suddenly spread its hooves and walked away with a light step as if nothing had happened.
Urhan stood there, wondering whether to drink horse meat soup or eat horse meat tonight. But when he saw his Yanshi looking back at him with a smile, he immediately put aside the scene in his mind of sharpening a knife, rushed toward the horse cub, and strode to follow it.
Needless to say, when the Di people found out that their Great Khan had been holding the reins of the horse for Yanshi all the way back, there was no need to say much about the wonderful expressions on their faces.
But now was not the time to watch the Great Khan’s show. Aguda hurriedly came up to greet him and said: “Great Khan, the messenger is back. The envoy of Jokhang is also here with them.”
Jiang Rui had good eyesight. From a distance, she saw that the curtain of the tent for guests was wide open. There were a few people in Jokhang costumes sitting inside. She was familiar with General Li, but she only glanced at the others. She was supported by Urhan to dismount from the horse and went back to change clothes.
In the big tent of Yanshi, Qiuhua combed Jiang Rui’s hair. After holding it in for a while, she couldn’t help but say, “Princess, have you seen those envoys?”
“Only take a quick look. Why?” Jiang Rui picked out a hairpin from the jewelry box.
“This slave seems to have seen that the Young Marquis of the Weiyuan family is among them.” Qiuhua frowned.
Jiang Rui tilted her head and searched through Princess Chaoyang’s memory for a long time, and finally, she pulled out the memory of the young marquis.
Because his aunt was the favored concubine of the harem, he was able to go in and out of the palace frequently. He and Chaoyang were childhood sweethearts.
This young marquis has been very passionate about Chaoyang since he was a child. He did everything possible to please her and finally made her fall in love.
She even endured the shyness of a woman and even thought about asking the Emperor to grant a marriage.
But before she spoke, the marriage decree was issued first. Then, the young marquis patted his butt and turned around to have a warm relationship with Princess Anyang.
Jiang Rui felt that the young marquis did the right thing.
As an individual, who does not seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and who does not like to climb high?
He only did one thing wrong. He shouldn’t have jumped in front of her and made her feel sick.
*****
The author has something to say:
Old Nine: Let me come, Yanshi! Sharpen the knife—
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152