Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 155 Concubine Jingbei

Zhu Youjian knew that as long as the chain of interests remained intact, this lion of the grasslands would always tear at things in the direction he had set.

"Very well!" He personally stepped forward and helped up the steppe ruler who had already made his choice. "I grant your request!"

His voice was solemn and dignified, setting the tone for the future landscape of the north within the golden tent.

Those beautiful Mongolian women were brought to the tent once again.

This time, their eyes were no longer filled with fear and curiosity, but with excitement and anticipation. To be chosen by the Heavenly Khan, who was already revered as a god on the grasslands, would be the highest honor for them and their entire family.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, passing over those faces that were either charming, unrestrained, or shy.

Finally, his gaze settled on a unique figure in the group.

The woman was taller and more slender than the average woman, resembling a nimble female eagle poised to pounce.

Her features were three-dimensional and deep, bearing distinct Mongolian ancestry, and her wheat-colored skin shone with a healthy and captivating glow under the light.

Unlike the others who either fawned or cowered, she simply stood there calmly. Although her eyes were lowered, Zhu Youjian could sense a unique resilience and wisdom from her tightly pursed lips and straight spine.

Zhu Youjian walked slowly to her and asked in standard Mandarin, "Have you read Han Chinese books?"

Everyone around was stunned, and Lin Dan Khan felt a tightness in his chest, wondering what the emperor meant by asking this question.

The woman was clearly unprepared for the emperor's question, but she remained calm, stepped forward, curtsied, and answered in a slightly accented but exceptionally clear and fluent Mandarin:

"Your Majesty, I have read the Analects and some Tang poems. Confucius said, 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar?' I think this is the scene that Your Majesty and the Great Khan are in today."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the tent was shocked.

Lin Danhan was overjoyed. He knew the girl was intelligent, but he never expected her to be so quick-witted!

This answer was neither humble nor arrogant. It subtly revealed the speaker's talent, proving that he was qualified to speak with the emperor. It also aptly used a famous Han proverb, which not only highlighted the theme of the meeting but also cleverly flattered the occasion. It was truly a wise and watertight response!

"What a wonderful phrase, 'A friend has come from afar'!"

Zhu Youjian's eyes shone with genuine appreciation and a smile more sincere than ever before. He reached out and personally helped the woman up.

"What's your name?"

"Your subject is Borjigit Narentuya."

“Narentuya…” Zhu Youjian read it softly.

The emperor grasped her hand, turned to face Ligdan Khan and everyone else, and proclaimed in a tone that seemed to declare to the world:
"From this day forward, you shall be my 'Consort Jingbei,' and shall reside in Chengqian Palace! The Ming Dynasty and the Mongols shall forever be united as brothers!"

The phrase "Jingbei" has a double meaning: it signifies both the pacification of the north to deter enemy invaders and the wish for peace and tranquility in the north.

A single title reveals the emperor's skill and grand ambitions.

"Greetings to Consort Jingbei!" The surrounding servants and guards all knelt down in unison, their shouts echoing through the sky.

……

The night is darker.

Outside the golden tent, the cold wind howled, swirling up the remaining snow on the ground and making a mournful sound.

Inside the golden tent, however, was a completely different scene. Expensive tallow candles illuminated the tent as bright as day and made it as warm as spring.

Filled with immense satisfaction and boundless anticipation, Lindan Khan has already departed. This powerful figure of the grasslands is now eager to gather his confidants to discuss how to maximize the enormous profits he has gained today.

The two sides quickly agreed that when the ice and snow melted in the spring of the following year, the Ming Dynasty's Xuanda border army would form a joint force with the Chahar tribe to take the Khorchin tribe, which had completely sided with the Later Jin, as the first sacrifice of the new alliance!
The hustle and bustle has subsided, and the glitz and glamour have come to an end.

As the last attendant bowed and withdrew, gently lowering the heavy curtain, an eerie silence fell over the entire enormous golden tent.

The only sounds in the air were the occasional crackling of the candle flame and the barely audible breathing of the two people.

This silence weighed heavily on Narentuya's heart.

Borjigit Narentuya, now the Consort of Jingbei of the Ming Dynasty, stood quietly in the tent with her head bowed.

She could clearly hear her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest, as if trying to break free of its restraints.

Her life underwent a dramatic change in just one hour.

She went from being a daughter of a golden family who could be offered up as a gift at any time to becoming a concubine personally appointed by the emperor of the Central Plains, an honor that was unimaginable for women on the grasslands.

However, behind the glory lies an unknown fate.

She had made all the preparations.

Be prepared to face a conqueror who sees her as a spoil of war or a political tool; be prepared to learn the suffocatingly complicated court rules; be prepared to hide all your joys and sorrows and become a domesticated canary.

She waited, awaiting the young emperor's first command.

Should he make her serve him in bed? Should he bestow upon her a pile of jewels and send her to his side chambers? Or should he coldly give her a few instructions and then completely forget about her?

Zhu Youjian said nothing. He quietly observed her, his gaze no longer sharp and scrutinizing as when she chose the alliance bond, but instead softened, even carrying a complex emotion she couldn't understand.

Just as Narentuya was about to collapse under the weight of the silence, Zhu Youjian moved. He walked to a low couch covered with a thick layer of white wolf skin, pointed to it, and said:
"Sit down, you must be tired from standing for so long."

The emperor's voice was calm and gentle, like the breeze on a spring evening on the grassland, gently blowing by, yet stirring up a monstrous wave in Narentuya's heart!

sit?
Narentuya suddenly raised her head, confirming that she hadn't misheard; the emperor was telling her to sit down.

On the grasslands, even the most favored woman could only stand and serve tea to her man; she would never dare to sit down unless he specifically invited her. And yet, this emperor, who possessed the power to rule the world and command the might of all nations, was actually asking her if she was tired from standing?

This made her momentarily dazed, and she even wondered if this was a test under some kind of Central Plains etiquette that she did not understand.

Seeing her frozen in astonishment, Zhu Youjian smiled slightly. He knew how unconventional his behavior seemed in this era.

He picked up a warm silver teapot from the table, poured her a cup of warm mare's milk tea, and handed it to her.

"Drink something hot to warm yourself up."

When the warm, delicate porcelain cup was handed to her, and when she saw that hand that held the lives of millions of people in its grasp was now performing such an ordinary, even humble, act for her, Narentuya's mind went completely blank.

She was in a daze.

She thought of the most respected heroes in her tribe, those men who were the best eagles on the grassland. They loved their wives, would drag the biggest and fattest prey back to their tents, would sew winter clothes for them with the finest furs, and would hang the most precious spoils around their necks after defeating their enemies.

They will use every action to prove his power and possession.

However, they would never... would never pour a cup of tea for their woman in such a gentle tone as this emperor before them, simply because they were worried she might be cold.

With trembling hands, she took the cup of tea. The warmth from her fingertips sent a shiver through her body, as if an electric current had surged through her heart.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I dare not..." Her voice trembled slightly.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Zhu Youjian placed the teacup in her hand and casually sat down. "From now on, you are my woman."

He repeated the sentence, but this time, Narentuya heard a completely different meaning.

“Entering the palace means learning its rules, but I don’t want those rules to turn you into a soulless puppet.” Zhu Youjian looked at her with sincere and frank eyes. “I hope you will not forget the fierceness of the grasslands.”

“You are the light of the sun, Narentuya. The sun should be blazing and bright. The sky above the Forbidden City is high, but I hope it cannot confine your spirit. What I need is not only a beautiful Consort Jingbei, but also an ally who can understand my northern strategy, who can become a bridge between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols, and who has his own thoughts and wisdom.”

ally……

The emperor did not treat her as an object, an appendage, or even just a concubine; he placed her in the position of an ally.

Narentuya gripped the teacup tightly in her hand, the warmth seemingly spreading through her limbs, dispelling all the fear and unease in her heart. She raised her head and once again bravely looked directly at the man before her.

"Your Highness... obeys your order."

She spoke with utmost solemnity, and an indescribable warmth welled up in her heart, bringing tears to her eyes. She quickly lowered her head to conceal this emotional outburst.

Seeing her slightly trembling shoulders, Zhu Youjian stood up gently, walked to her, and lowered his voice, speaking with exceptional tenderness:
"Alright, go to the side tent to bathe and change."

He paused, his gaze lingering for a moment on her reddened earlobes, and slowly said:

"Get some rest."

Consort Jingbei's cheeks flushed instantly, and she lowered her head even further, almost burying her chin in her collar, and replied in a voice barely audible, "...Yes."

……

When the palace maids entered and led Consort Jingbei away, the trace of warmth on Zhu Youjian's face vanished instantly, as quickly as if it had never existed. What followed was the icy majesty of an emperor, like ancient ice.

The figure of Li Ruolian, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, appeared silently at the tent entrance, like a ghost blending into the darkness, as if he had always been there and had never left.

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the heavy tent, looking towards the vast and decaying prison in the distant south.

"Issue two secret decrees from me."

The emperor's voice was calm and undisturbed, yet it seemed to freeze the air inside the golden tent, carrying an oppressive atmosphere like the calm before a storm.

"The trade route between the Royal General Trading Company and the Chahar tribe is now open. Goods must be prepared in accordance with the alliance agreement, not a penny less. This is not only the chain that binds the Golden Family, but also my first annual revenue from the northern frontier."

Li Ruolian bowed: "As you command."

Zhu Youjian's gaze remained fixed on the south, pausing for a moment.

"Secondly, it was sent to the capital and given to Wei Zhongxian."

Upon hearing the name, Li Ruolian's body trembled violently, and she lowered her head even further, deliberately slowing her breathing.

"Tell him of the previous order to seal off all officials and forbid them from leaving the capital without permission..."

"It's solved."

(End of this chapter)