I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

When Xiao Jingshi woke up again, he found himself lying on a bed covered with thick animal hides.

The surroundings were no longer a cold riverbed, but a huge tent, ornately decorated and full of exotic charm. The ground was covered with brightly colored carpets, the walls were adorned with exquisite bows and arrows and animal skulls, and the air was filled with the mixed aroma of milk tea and roasted meat.

His wounds had been treated, his forehead was wrapped in clean linen, and he had been dressed in a soft, comfortable, barbarian-style robe.

A barbarian girl dressed as a maid ran out excitedly when she saw him wake up.

A moment later, the tent flap was lifted, and the fiery red figure of the grassland princess Yue Zhuo walked in.

She had changed out of her riding attire and into a more magnificent blue dress. The silver ornaments on her head and neck shimmered brilliantly in the firelight inside the tent.

"You're awake?" Yue Zhuo walked to the bedside, looking down at him with a triumphant smile on her face.

Xiao Jingshi struggled to sit up, but Yue Zhuo pressed down on his shoulder.

"Don't move, your injuries are severe. Our tribe's best shaman said you lost too much blood and suffered a serious head injury; you need to rest properly."

Xiao Jingshi ignored her "good intentions" and just looked at her coldly with his deep and wary eyes.

"Where is this?" His voice was hoarse from weakness, but the sense of alienation in his tone remained undiminished.

"This is my tribe, the Black Wolf Clan." Yue Zhuo sat down beside his bed without any hesitation, looking him over with interest. "I saved you. So, you are now my trophy."

"Spoils of war?" Xiao Jingshi frowned.

"That's right." Yue Zhuo nodded matter-of-factly. "On our grasslands, whoever finds something owns it. I found you, so you're mine."

As she spoke, she reached out her hand, and this time, Xiao Jingshi was unable to dodge.

Her cool fingertips gently traced his cheek, from his high nose to his well-defined lips, her possessiveness in her eyes undisguised.

"What's your name?" she asked.

Xiao Jingshi remained silent.

he does not know.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Yue Zhuo wasn't angry. Instead, she laughed and said, "It's okay if you don't say anything. Anyway, you'll be taking my surname from now on."

She leaned closer to him, her warm breath brushing against his ear, and spoke, word by word, in a tone that asserted ownership:

"My name is Yue Zhuo, and I am the only daughter of the Black Wolf tribe's leader. I've taken a liking to you, and I want you to be my man, my husband."

Xiao Jingshi suddenly turned his head, a hint of disgust and resistance flashing in his eyes.

Despite his amnesia, his inherent pride and dignity made it impossible for him to accept becoming a woman's appendage, especially a barbarian woman of unknown origin.

"I will not be your husband," he coldly refused, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Why?" Yue Zhuo raised an eyebrow, seemingly very interested in his reaction. "Wouldn't it be good to be my man? I am the most beautiful flower in our tribe, the pearl of the grassland. So many warriors want to marry me, but I refuse them all. It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you."

"I just want to go back to the capital," Xiao Jingshi repeated, the only obsession in his mind.

"The capital?" Yue Zhuo paused for a moment, then laughed even harder. "You mean the capital of Great Liang? That's very far away. Besides, aren't you Central Plains people at war with us? If you go back now, aren't you just walking into a trap?"

"I don't care," Xiao Jingshi said firmly. "I have to go back."

"That's not up to you." Yue Zhuo's face also turned cold. She put away her smile, and her beautiful eyes revealed an undeniable domineering attitude. "I saved your life, so your life belongs to me. You're not going anywhere until I'm done playing with you."

"You'd better behave yourself, heal your wounds, and then become my husband in style. Otherwise," she paused, a hint of threat in her voice, "we men of the grasslands don't know anything about tenderness and compassion. If you don't comply, I have plenty of ways to make you."

After saying that, she stood up, stopped looking at him, and walked straight out of the tent.

Xiao Jingshi was the only one left in the tent.

He looked at the ornate decorations on the tent ceiling and felt a chill run through him.

He could sense that this princess named Yue Zhuo was not joking.

He is now like a caged beast, still with claws and fangs, but without freedom.

No.

He cannot stay here.

He must escape.

He was going to a place called "Jing" to find a person named "An'an".

A strong, inexplicable longing and anxiety surged within him.

He closed his eyes and tried hard to recall the smiling face that had flashed through his mind, but he couldn't piece it together clearly.

But he could sense that the person was definitely waiting for him.

He has to go back.

For the next few days, Xiao Jingshi appeared outwardly compliant.

He stopped resisting fiercely and began to cooperate with the witch doctor's treatment, eating and drinking medicine on time every day.

Yuezhuo would come to see him every day, sometimes bringing some fruits and dairy products unique to the grasslands, and sometimes sitting by his bedside, enthusiastically telling him stories of the grasslands, how she tamed the wildest horses and how she shot the fiercest wolves.

She seemed to enjoy the process of conquering him, believing that this handsome man from the Central Plains was being softened little by little by her passion and charm.

However, she did not see that deep within Xiao Jingshi's seemingly calm eyes, a cold flame was always burning.

He was observing.

With his still sharp mind, even with amnesia, he silently noted the changing times of the guards outside the tent, the patrol routes, and the locations where the horses in the tribe were concentrated.

He pieced together information about the Black Wolf tribe from the maids' casual conversation.

Yue Zhuo is the leader's most beloved daughter. She is arrogant, domineering, and always has the final say.

The Black Wolf tribe is one of the most powerful tribes on this grassland, renowned for its bravery and skill in battle.

Recently, they seem to be allied with another powerful tribe to the south, preparing for a general offensive against the Liang army that has invaded their pastures.

This information intensified Xiao Jingshi's sense of urgency.

He couldn't wait any longer.

He had to leave this place, which could become a battlefield at any moment, as soon as possible.

Under the careful care of the shaman and with ample nutrition, his body recovered quickly. Although his internal injuries still needed time to heal, at least he now had the strength to walk.

That night was the "Bonfire Festival" on the grassland.

The entire tribe gathered in the central open space, singing and dancing around a huge bonfire, eating meat and drinking wine in large bowls.

The loud music and laughter carried far, providing Xiao Jingshi with excellent cover.

The guards watching his tent were also noticeably more relaxed, craning their necks from time to time to look enviously at the lively scene in the distance.

Xiao Jingshi knew that his opportunity had arrived.