Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 244 What a pity
"presumptuous!"

The current Khan of the grasslands, the mighty lion Sachi, slammed his fist on the table, causing the bronze wine vessels on it to bounce and nearly fall! This shows the immense strength and deep fury of this grassland lion.

Even as he grew up, Muldur dared not pluck his father's beard when he was angry; he could only suppress his thoughts and kneel down to beg for forgiveness.

Sachi Khan stared at him for a long time. His old but still very intimidating eyes made people anxious. Murdon broke out in a cold sweat, realizing what he had done.

"Father Khan, I... I didn't mean to..."

How could he have been so bewitched as to say those things? Wasn't that blatantly implying that his father, the Khan, was getting old? As the lion of the grasslands, the ruler of the entire grasslands, and the Khan who was also getting older, Sachi was most sensitive to anyone saying that he was old and frail.

This year alone, more than a dozen women from the grasslands and the Great View have joined Sachi Khan's camp. Who wouldn't say that the Khan is strong and healthy?
Seeing that sweat was beading on Murdon's forehead, and feeling that he had intimidated him enough, Sachi Khan withdrew his gaze and shook his head helplessly.

"Multon, you only know that the Northern Frontier Army is short of food and pay. Do you think we have enough food? The grasslands are not suitable for growing grain. No matter how many cattle and sheep we have, we still have to raise them one by one and slaughter them one by one. Beef and mutton cannot be stored for long periods of time. In this respect, we are at a disadvantage. Moreover, the autumn harvest is approaching. We can't grow grain, but Da Jing can. In particular, the grain grown by the families of the border soldiers in Da Jing is all outside the city. We can plunder it first and then worry about other things after we have enough to eat."

"But……"

But haven't we done this every year? And yet we still haven't gotten enough food. There is indeed a large area of ​​unclaimed land between the grasslands and Beian Pass, the gateway to the Great Jing, but the soil there is barren, and without careful cultivation, there's no good harvest at all. The Great Jing military households do have many families, but they are afraid of being raided by the grasslands while farming, so they don't cultivate carefully, resulting in poor harvests. Moreover, to avoid losses, they always harvest before the grain is fully ripe, forcing the grasslands to go ahead of time to obtain food.

As time went on, the autumn harvest came earlier and earlier, but the amount of grain obtained decreased, and none of them profited. If it weren't for the rule in Dajing that military households and their families had to cultivate land, it's estimated that this little bit of grain wouldn't have been enough to feed both Dajing and the grasslands.

The Khan is just making excuses now. It's just that his father was angry, and Murden doesn't want to contradict him further. But judging from his expression, he's still unconvinced.

Sachi Khan sighed, about to say something, when someone quietly walked in. He looked up and saw that it was his most beloved youngest son, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Namtso, you've arrived."

Multon, who was kneeling on the ground, frowned immediately, stood up, turned around and stared at him with an unfriendly expression.

"Ha, you're quite well-informed. I've only been here a short time, and you already know. Is this Father Khan's camp or yours?"

Sachi Khan's eyes flickered, but he remained silent for the time being, simply watching the struggle between the two brothers.

Namtso was slender, unlike the tall and imposing Murden; he looked more like a scholar from the Great Jing Dynasty. Naturally, this unique air made him less popular, especially among his own elder brother, who disliked him intensely.

At this moment, Namtso smiled slightly, not resenting her elder brother's instigation. It seemed harmless, but it was very effective in lowering people's guard.

“Brother, I made an appointment with Father Khan to go hunting with him a long time ago. You know I’m physically weak and can’t compete with you in hunting or fighting, so I’d like to find some free time to ask Father Khan for advice. Of course, if you’re willing, could you please teach me?”

"It's no use!"

Murdon snorted coldly, got up and left, refusing to speak to his younger brother at all. Namtso was already used to it, and as he watched him leave, he gave a soft smile, then looked at his father with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

Sachi Khan quickly offered a long speech of reassurance.

After a long while, Namtso finally emerged from the Khan's tent. After a moment's thought, she turned and went to the Great Qadin's tent. Sure enough, there she found her foolish elder brother complaining about himself and the Khan. The Great Qadin, a gentle and kind woman, listened quietly, occasionally smiling, which worked well and quickly calmed the agitated Murdon. But this tranquility vanished the moment Namtso appeared.

"You have the nerve to come here? Do you even remember your mother? You haven't come for so long, and now you finally show up? Ha, why don't you stay in Father Khan's camp?"

"...Brother, I was just trying to connect with Father Khan normally, so why do the things you say sound so strange?"

"What's so strange about it? It must be that your own heart is dirty, so you find everything other people say strange."

Namtso had nothing more to say to his elder brother, so he whispered a few words to the Grand Khatun. The Grand Khatun watched his two sons with a smile.

The two, who had been fighting even in front of their mother, gradually calmed down under the gentle gaze of the Great Khan. They glanced at each other, then angrily turned their faces away, not wanting to see each other again.

Dakhun took his two sons' hands and put them together.

"You are my children, and there is no one in the world closer to you than the two of you. As children of the grasslands, your vision cannot be so short-sighted, focusing only on this land. Not far away, another vast and fertile land awaits your conquest. My sons, you should be the bravest and most fearless people in the world. Do not waste time on these family matters, keep moving forward towards the distance, your destiny is not here. And your achievements will not stop here."

The two brothers, unusually quiet, exchanged a glance and tacitly agreed with their mother's actions.

This brief moment of warmth lasted only a short while. After leaving the Khan's tent, the two brothers quickly shook off each other, not even wanting to exchange a glance, and went their separate ways.

This scene was accurately observed by the person watching from the shadows, who quietly returned to the largest tent and told the aging lion on the grassland everything that had happened.

Sachi listened silently, but the look in his eyes as he looked up at the tent entrance was not pleasant.

After a long silence, Sachi Khan let out a deep, heavy sigh.

The lion of the savanna worries about not being able to feed his cubs, and about his sons growing stronger and driving them away when they reach adulthood. Alas, he is not a true lion; he is a human.

You know, time flies! How come my sons have grown up so fast? I wish they could slow down...

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve, everyone! Wishing you all a prosperous new year filled with good fortune and happiness every day! May the new year bring you abundant blessings, wealth, and success in everything you do!

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(End of this chapter)