amaotonovel Chapter 327: Appeasing Khalkha
Chapter 327: Appeasing Khalkha
Chapter 327: Appeasing Khalkha
Buerhe knew Kejing's temper too well. During those years in the palace, he knew that she had a domineering and awkward personality. Seeing that even though the child was so old, she still hadn't changed, he nodded at her with a bit of a smile: "You, you are so old, and you still pick on Ha Lin. That little girl is just well-behaved. If you bully someone else, why don't you try it?"
Ke Jing couldn't help but pout: "Why did you say that to me, sister? How could I do that? Harlin is my only daughter. I love her so much and I won't bully her."
"Really?" Bullhe expressed disbelief.
Seeing this, Ke Jing immediately made a solemn promise: "Sister, I promise, I won't bully her."
Seeing Ke Jing's expression, Buerhe nodded and said, "Okay, I believe you. It just so happens that Ha Lin's marriage has been arranged right here on the grassland just as you wished. I brought a lot of goodies with me as a dowry. Since you just promised not to bully Ha Lin, then all these things belong to Ha Lin."
As soon as Buerhe finished speaking, Qi'er came in with another list. It was obvious that it was Buerhe's list for Harlin's makeup.
Ke Jing stretched out her hands and slowly took the list. She flipped through it gently, her eyes gleaming with surprise and emotion.
Qi'er also took this opportunity to have the servants bring in the dowry boxes and open them.
These dowries have everything, including glittering gold, colorful cloth, and precious jewelry, which emit charming brilliance under the sunlight.
Particularly eye-catching was the exquisite music box imported from the far west. When Ke Jing gently turned the spring, clear and melodious music instantly flowed out, seemingly making one forget all worries. Also on display were exquisite dolls specially made for the palace, dressed in gorgeous attire and so lifelike they were irresistible.
In addition to these exquisite handicrafts, the dowry list also included a large amount of high-quality wood and several ginseng roots with excellent medicinal properties. This long list of dowry items, written down in a lavish manner, was actually half a meter long!
Faced with such a generous and affectionate dowry, Ke Jing could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her heart and tears welled up in her eyes.
She knew full well that according to custom, Ha Lin's marriage should have been arranged by the imperial court after she returned to the capital to participate in the imperial selection. However, because of her, her brother and sister-in-law had unhesitatingly agreed to let Ha Lin choose her partner freely and had already agreed to the marriage. Now, they had gone to great lengths to personally deliver such a grand dowry. How could such deep affection not be moving?
Ke Jing quickly raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, a bright smile appearing on her face again. She stared at Burhe and said firmly, "Sister, we are blood relatives, and I will not say any more unnecessary polite words or words of gratitude. But please believe me, as long as I am in Mongolia, as long as my bloodline still inherits the Khalkha tribe, then the Khalkha will always be loyal to the Qing Dynasty and will never betray!"
Buerhe smiled and patted the back of Kejing's hand, expressing his approval and satisfaction at her words. "My dear sister, your brother and I understand your feelings. Besides, Harlin is also my niece. We are a loving family. This is what she and I should do."
Time flew by unnoticed, and before I knew it, it was already dark. A bonfire had been lit in the center of the open space in front of the yurt, and dinner was ready. On the grasslands, Mongolian specialties like roasted whole lamb, hand-pulled pork, beef jerky, milk tofu, and kumis are indispensable.
At this time, Yinreng sat calmly on the main throne, with Buerhe sitting beside him, while Kejing and her husband were accompanying him on the left, and the husband's brother led many clansmen and waited respectfully on the right.
Yinreng, smiling, slowly lifted the exquisite jade bowl before him, filled with fragrant wine. He gazed intently at the warriors on the field and shouted in encouragement, "You are all the most courageous and fearless Baturu on my vast grasslands! For years, you have defended Khalkha, refusing to yield an inch to the Great Qing, safeguarding its stability and its people."
Today, I have come all the way to this beautiful grassland, to personally visit Khalkha, to personally express my condolences to all the heroes who have worked so hard here, and to celebrate this grand feast with all the Baturu.
As soon as Yinreng finished speaking, the prince consort quickly stood up and took a step forward, responding with a flattering expression: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your care and love for the Khalkha. We are willing to sacrifice our lives for the Qing Dynasty, even until our death. The Khalkha will follow the Qing Dynasty forever and unwaveringly for generations to come!"
Then, the cry of "We will follow the Qing Dynasty until death, forever and ever" resounded across the grassland. In an instant, the previously empty grassland was filled with a dense crowd kneeling, shouting this oath in unison, the sound like thunder, deafening.
Seeing this, Yinreng was overjoyed, his eyes curved into crescents as he smiled. He waved his hand generously and said, "Very well! My dear ministers, please rise quickly and let us drink this cup to the full. We must not stop drinking tonight!"
Since the emperor had spoken, everyone naturally dared not neglect and sprang into action. For a moment, the grasslands were bustling with activity. Men surged forward like a tide, vying to toast Yinreng; while the gentle and virtuous women gathered behind Princess Kejing, fawning over Buerhe and showering him with praise.
After the dinner, there was the bonfire party, a signature event on the grassland. According to Mongolian tradition, everyone, young and old, male or female, sang and danced around the bonfire. Even Yinreng was pulled off the stage by Kejing.
That night, Yinreng and Burhe enjoyed themselves with the people, singing and dancing, which made the Khalkha tribe truly realize how approachable their monarch was. In addition, the rewards and grain that Yinreng brought with him further won over the people, making the Khalkha tribe's sense of identity with the Qing Dynasty even deeper.
Because they made a fuss very late that night, Bullhe didn't wake up until almost lunch the next day.
Buerhe sat in front of the dressing table, staring at herself in the mirror quietly, while Qi'er beside her gently combed her long hair like a waterfall and carefully dressed her up.
Burhe asked nonchalantly, "Has the Emperor had breakfast yet? He drank quite a bit last night! He absolutely must have the hangover soup today."
As the years passed, Buerhe noticed that they were no longer young, but recently she had been paying special attention to Yinreng's health. The kumis that seemed mild last night was actually quite strong, and she was really worried that Yinreng would have a severe headache when he woke up this morning.
Qi'er replied softly, "My Lord, the Emperor drank a bowl of hangover soup right after getting up, and the imperial physician came to examine him and said he was fine. Before he left, the Emperor specifically said he would be back soon, so I guess he should be here soon."
As expected, speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will appear. Just as Qi'er finished speaking, the curtain of the tent was suddenly lifted, and then Yinreng strode in, followed closely by He Zhu.
Seeing this, Buerhe quickly stood up, a gentle smile on his face. He extended his hand and handed over an exquisite handkerchief, saying softly, "Where has the emperor been busy? Look at the sweat on your head. Wipe it off quickly. Also, do you have a headache now? If you are uncomfortable, ask He Zhu to call the imperial physician to come and take a look."
Yinreng reached out, took the handkerchief, and then wiped his head roughly, trying to quickly wipe away the sweat.
He gasped and said, "I'm fine. I had a slight headache this morning, but after drinking the hangover soup you asked me to prepare, I quickly recovered.
I drank too much last night, and when I woke up this morning, I felt some discomfort in my arms and waist. So, while you were still asleep, I went to the racecourse alone for a few laps. But the sun was high in the sky, the heat unbearable. Even after just one short lap, I was drenched in sweat, like I'd just been pulled out of the water. So, I hurried back here.
Hearing this, Buerhe couldn't help but chuckle and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you must be sleepy! It's almost lunchtime, the hottest time of the day. You chose to go out for a horse race now, you'd be sweating profusely. I wonder if Your Majesty is hungry? Why don't you change into something fresh and clean so we can have lunch together?"
Putting aside other considerations, the beautiful scenery and delicious food along the way were already satisfying. What's more worth mentioning is that after spending time together day and night, the relationship between the two of them has become more intimate and casual.
Sometimes, Buerhe even secretly thought that maybe one day she would really be impulsive, forget those red tape, and call Yinreng "old man" without any scruples. Although she had not really put it into practice so far, just thinking about it was interesting.
Yinreng nodded slightly in agreement, then handed the used handkerchief to the servant standing by respectfully. He then led He Zhu into the inner room. The Queen was right. Simply wiping the sweat wouldn't do much. It would be better to change into something cooler.
On this day, they basically did not leave the tent until the sun set. Only when the sunset covered the grassland did the couple set up a simple tea table and enjoy the sunset and drink tea there.
"Your Majesty is going to race tomorrow?"
Bull hasn't gone out since he woke up today. If he stays in the tent all day tomorrow, it would be too boring.
"Well, tomorrow we'll split into two groups. The men will go deep into the grasslands to hunt wolves. As for the women, Ke Jing suggested you go to the nearby creek. I heard they want to have a picnic."
Buerhe heard that he wanted to go hunting, but also wanted to have a picnic with Kejing and the others, and for a moment he was a little torn about whether to choose. His brows were furrowed with confusion, and Yinreng couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"My dear, what are you worried about? Why don't you speak frankly? Perhaps I can help you have the best of both worlds."
Buerhe was a little embarrassed: "Master, I am a little greedy. I want to go hunting and have a picnic at the same time."
Yinreng burst out laughing. "That's not difficult. Qingqing, come with us tomorrow to hunt wolves. Once we've gathered all the prey, we can go for a picnic by the stream. It just so happens that several of Kejing's female relatives also want to go hunting, so we can go together."
At this time, Buerhe finally reacted and realized that he could definitely go hunting, but Yinreng had just been playing tricks and had not told him anything.
"Hmph" he punched Yinreng on the shoulder and turned his head away angrily, which made Yinreng laugh out loud again.