Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 237 contains the character "雷" (lei).

grassland.

This vast land.

The vast grasslands and the azure sky.

A land that appears beautiful.

But it is really hard to survive on this land.

The people here have to constantly follow the climate migration, enduring endless gales and devilish winters, and waging a life-or-death struggle against harsh natural conditions.

Even cattle and sheep with thick fur can freeze to death, let alone humans?

If the people of Zhongxia were to be stranded in the wilderness, they would face a difficult struggle to survive.

For grassland people, being stranded in the wilderness is no different from returning home.

For thousands of years, the tribes of the grasslands have always coveted the fertile lands of the Central Plains.

It was a land without cold, without the need for migration, where you could harvest simply by sowing seeds—it was just like a dream.

But the result...

Several boys dressed in mourning clothes looked up at the blue sky.

A young boy looked fearfully toward the Central Plains. The brutality of the war had left an indelible mark on his heart. His father was a very powerful general on the grasslands, but he still died. Even the Khan he admired most had died there.

At that moment, the people of Zhongxia became an invincible force in his heart, and he vowed never to set foot on Zhongxia land again.

The other boy was different; he stared hatefully in the direction of Zhongxia, like a young wolf filled with hatred.

He vowed revenge. His father was dead, and his mother was married off to his uncle, who was disfigured in the war. This was the humiliation that the Chinese had brought him, and he was determined to make them pay back a thousandfold when he grew up.

The hateful boy was named Abuka Zhuoerkang.

His father was another nephew of Qah Khan, who unfortunately died in battle.

My uncle is Abuka Bazan.

During the Battle of Fangshan, Bazan was doused with kerosene, which burned his face. Although he survived after treatment, his eyebrows were burned off and his face was left with pitted marks.

Therefore, people now call him Ba Mazi. In the eyes of the boy, his mother was incredibly beautiful, but now she was forced to remarry such a person, which was a great disgrace.

Just then, a young girl came riding towards them from afar.

The young girl was quite young, riding a small red pony. She wore a bright red agate headdress and a red and white telrick robe with the hem pulled up to reveal her slender waist and well-proportioned legs. Her little leather boots were lightly gripping the horse's belly, and she was riding without stirrups, clearly demonstrating her excellent riding skills.

The girl has a white face mask on her face. This mask is made to protect her from the harsh winds and sandstorms on the grassland, and it is not a pretentious way for women in the Central Plains to cover their faces.

The pony stopped in front of Zhuo Erkang, and the girl dismounted.

Before the girl could even remove her mask, the boy had already recognized her identity.

"Sister Yimin!"

Abuka Yimin, the youngest daughter of Qah Khan, is also Zhuo Erkang's childhood sweetheart.

Yimin was the youngest, and her three older brothers couldn't play with her. Therefore, she was closest to Zhuo Erkang and others of the same age. The children often played together and were very familiar with each other.

Of course, Zhuo Erkang is most familiar with Yimin among them.

As for the reason, well, it's just youthful thinking.

Yimin lifted her face mask, revealing an extremely beautiful face.

Unlike the gentle beauty of ordinary girls, Yimin's appearance carries a touch of the heroic spirit of a grassland girl. Her starry eyes are bright and piercing, and coupled with her naturally fair complexion, it's hard not to be captivated.

"Brother Zhuo, the Prime Minister has something to announce and needs everyone in the family to be there. Come with me quickly!"

"Imin said."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Erkang dared not delay.

Yimin mounted his horse, patted its rump, and said:
"Brother Zhuo, hurry up and get on, let's get over there quickly!" Zhuo Erkang blushed and followed the girl onto the horse, feeling quite embarrassed.

The two were not very old, and the little red horse had an extraordinary lineage, so it was able to support the weight of the two of them.

Yimin spurred her horse and galloped away with dashing grace.

Zhuo Erkang sat behind the horse, as if he might fall off at any moment.

Looking at the girl's slender waist, Zhuo Erkang longed to go forward, embrace her, and hold her in his arms, but...

"Brother Zhuo, if you can't sit still, just hold me!"

The girl's cheerful voice echoed in the air.

However, Zhuo Erkang simply squeezed his thighs together and placed his hands on the horse's back.

He likes Yimin.

However, the difference in their social status made him afraid to express his feelings, and he didn't even dare to reach out and hug them.

Imin was the only daughter of Qah Khan, while he was merely the son of a distant nephew. Not only was there a huge difference in their social status, but even according to the Chinese way of speaking, he had to call Imin his aunt...

Just wait, one day he will stand above everyone else and openly express his feelings to Yimin.

But before that, he needs to endure for the time being...

Yimin waited for the boy to reach out his hand, but nothing happened.

Even the bravest girl couldn't help but feel down at this moment.

The journey was not long, and the two soon arrived at the Kah Palace.

This is a city palace built by the Abukha family and named after Qah Khan. It is not large, roughly equivalent to half the size of a county town in Central China, and it has both defensive and offensive capabilities.

The Kahe Palace was originally modeled after the cities of the Central Xia people, but the decades of resources of the Abuka family could not support them in building a city of the same scale as the ancient city of the Central Xia. Therefore, the palace incorporated some castle designs from distant Mao people and was eventually built in this form.

The Kah Hall was already filled with members of the Abukha family. As a girl, Imin was not qualified to attend the gathering, so she went to a side hall to find her mother.

Despite his deep disgust, Zhuo Erkang obediently walked to Bazan's side.

Bazan had no wife or children, so he inherited the wife and children of his deceased brother. His former sister-in-law became his current wife, and his brother's son, Zhuo Erkang, became his son.

This is a long-standing tradition on the grasslands, even among royalty.

Soon after, the entire Abuka family gathered around.

Li Hao stood at the front of the stage, presiding over the gathering.

This was an internal meeting of the Abuka family. Chen Zhengdu and Gao Zhidu were both Han Chinese, so they could not attend. If Li Hao had not received the dying instructions from Khan Kah, he would also have been unable to attend.

Qah Khan's three sons had now stepped forward.

The eldest son, Tuolei, was tall and had a kind face. He was wearing mourning clothes and his face was filled with grief.

The second son, Dorei, was slightly younger and shorter than Tuolei, but he had raised eyebrows and was more unrestrained, with a sharp aura. He showed very little grief on his face, and instead had murderous intent in his eyes.

The third son is even younger and is only grieving over his father's death. He is immature and has no idea what will happen next.

The members of the Abuka family stared intently at Li Hao, knowing full well the purpose of the gathering.

Li Hao first delivered a eulogy for Qah Khan in public, recounting his achievements, before getting to the crucial point.

"Before his death, the Great Khan left a will bequeathing the Khanate to Tuolei!"

As Li Hao finished speaking, Tuo Lei was about to step forward.

suddenly!

Bazan stepped forward first.

"No, the Khan clearly said to pass it on to Dore!"

(End of this chapter)