Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 113: It’s Easy to Ask God
Cai Chang guessed she wouldn't.

This song to summon the gods was heard by the General of the Central Army during his mission to the western borders during the reign of the previous emperor. It was sung by the chief priest himself at the royal court in the old capital of Mohe. Unlike ordinary prayers or pastoral songs, the divine authority of Mohe was inextricably linked to royal power, both controlled by the royal family. Naturally, only the royal family could hear these words, which could reach the ears of the gods directly.

In his judgment, the princess at the banquet must be an imposter. Even if these people found a Mohe woman with matching appearance, she would definitely not sing this song to invite the gods.

Just as he was preparing his words, ready to expose the princess's false identity in public, he heard Tan Huaike finish the rest of his words after a brief pause: "But this song to summon the Monroe God...cannot be sung casually like this. One must change clothes, burn incense, put on a gilded mask, hold a bell in hand, and dance to music to show respect to the god."

Cai Kecao snorted in his heart, if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. No matter how many excuses he makes, fake things can never become real.

He pretended to be regretful and said, "Oh? Your Highness, do you think it's too much trouble and don't want to teach me?"

Aisha knew the trap, but he had no idea how Tan Huaike would handle it. They had made many preparations, but they hadn't anticipated the cunning trickery. He was quite familiar with it himself, but how could he teach Tan Huaike now?

He stood up and said, "Let's not talk about why we, the dignified Mohe royal family, would accept the invitation of the guest master and sing and dance for no reason. My sister is clearly ill and not in good spirits. Is the guest master so determined to offend us?"

Cai Kecao quickly took two steps back, feigning shock. "Oh, oh, your Highness, you're too kind. It's all Cai's fault for being drunk and reckless, causing trouble. Perhaps your Highness doesn't often participate in your country's ceremonies, so she's not very familiar with them. But I've heard that the Mohe royal family holds a grand sacrificial ceremony at the royal court every year. How could they have missed the princess?"

This almost made it clear that Tan Huaike was pretending to be a princess.

Aisha was anxious, wondering how to explain it away. Should he take the blame himself and force Cai Kecao to get drunk? Then, could he find a way to let him die suddenly without anyone noticing, and then cover it up so crudely?

Seeing Aisha getting restless, Zhou Wencong was also considering how to help Tan Huaike out. His presence could certainly force Cai Ke and Cao Yan to back off, but if they could avoid it this time, would they be able to do so again? The more they avoided it, the more suspicious the other party would become. If it were ever confirmed that the princess was a fake, they would be hard-pressed to explain themselves to the Eastern Palace.

The two of them couldn't help but look at Tan Huaike, only to see her stand up, propped up by the table, seemingly dizzy. She supported herself with the help of a maid and stood still for a moment before walking down to the stage and saying to Cai Kecao, "I just asked the maid to fetch the bell. I can't wear the high priest's robes, and there's no bell to wake me up here. But I've watched songs and dances for many years, so I know a few. Since Cai Kecao is interested in watching, A Lan will perform her shoddy work."

Aisha: "..." She could? How could she?

Zhou Wencong couldn't help but roll his eyes at Aisha. Wasn't his "Princess" confident? Why was this woman so nervous?
The bell was delivered.

Tan Huaike wrapped the bell around his wrist and earnestly instructed Cai Kecao: "There are two mistakes in the lines you just sang. One is 'Pudulu'er', which should be 'Podenlu'er,' meaning candlelight. In Daxuan dialect, this sentence means the bright white moon, shining like a silver candle in the night sky. The other is 'Yasusi, Kaduni', which should be 'Yasusi Ka, Dumenluoni,' meaning the righteous venerable one, sheds his pure light and caresses the earth."

Cai Kecao was stunned: "Ah? Oh... is that so?"

Did she really know how to sing? Or was she just correcting his Mohe dialect? After all, he had only hurriedly learned a few words before leaving Andu.

After everything was ready, Tan Huaike danced barefoot, chanting amid the ringing of clear bells: "Aidamu, Aiidamu, Potengluoer, Nalinyi... Mizarlu, Mizarlu, Yasushika, Dumenloni..."

Ring-ring-ring-ring

"Bnubia, Bunubia, Vonikchi, Kalizunir..." The soaring desert eagle pecked the eggshell of the god with its sharp beak.

"Heligis, Heligis, Dugasmei, Kundesiluyi..." The golden horseshoe was tempered in the endless waves of the Peacock River.

"Om Ma-Hoi-Monlokamiai, Jekaksus Buddha." O the supreme Monlo god, I saw Him quietly descending at the end of the sea of ​​sand.

Her dance steps were light and graceful, and her posture was elegant. She was not as solemn as the high priest, but it also fully demonstrated the Mohe people's reverence for the gods.

At the end of the chant, Tan Huaike rang the bell for the last time in front of Cai Kecao.

She panted lightly, holding onto a nearby pillar due to her weakness, and asked provocatively, "Master Ke Cao, this is the full song for summoning the gods. Have you learned it?"

Cai Kecao could hardly hold the wine cup in his hand.

Really? How could it be possible? Everyone knows that the Mohe royal family only has one princess. Wasn't she dead? Then where did this one come from?

Aisha felt relieved after hearing half of it, and gradually understood the key to Tan Huaike's response.

The dance that Tan Huaike was performing was not a dance for inviting gods and offering sacrifices, but the Mo He prayer dance that she had learned for the opening of Yan Zhi Si. She had only made some changes in the steps and gestures. Anyway, Cai Kecao had never seen a real dance for inviting gods, so he was sure that he would not be able to find any flaws.

That song to summon the gods was indeed a ritual hymn used in the Mohe royal court, and theoretically kept secret. However, after being passed down orally and modified by successive high priests, the lyrics had undergone numerous changes. The lyrics that Tan Huaike had just sung were not identical to those that the royal family had heard in recent years.

According to Cai Kecao, the two lines he sang originated during the reign of the previous emperor of Daxuan, and were copied from the accounts of the then General of the Central Army. Due to the wars caused by the Tirū, Daxuan and the western border had not had any close contact for many years, indicating that the song they heard was from a long time ago. Furthermore, after several changes, many of the words and phrases were recorded inaccurately.

The version sung by Tan Huaike happened to be quite similar to what he had heard. Whether it was right or wrong, Cai Kecao could hardly tell, let alone discover the differences in details.

As for why Tan Huaike sang, Aisha also had some guesses.

The high priest was supposed to serve the royal court for life, praying for the gods' protection for the Mohe royal family until their death, at which time their successor could send them out of the royal court and give them a sky burial.

But that year, Ti's wrathful cavalry raided the capital, burning the royal court to the ground. The high priestess and her disciples fled in panic. By the time they moved to the Nashi River Valley, the aged high priestess had long since disappeared, leaving only her disciples to take over the high priestess' duties.

It was during that period of displacement that this song, sung by the high priest, spread to the common people. The song, which was forbidden to be sung outside, was not only recorded in Daxuan, but many Mohe people had probably learned it long ago, but they simply didn't dare to sing it loudly in front of the nobles. It was ridiculous that these self-righteous royals regarded it as a special honor.

They are clearly just defeated soldiers struggling to survive.

Over there, Tan Huaike drank some hot tea to calm herself down, then took the initiative and said, "Master Ke Cao, I remember there's a saying in Daxuan: it's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. Since you've already used your drunkenness to question our Mohe royal family, you must consider how to bear the consequences of doing so." She turned to Zhou Wencong, "What is the intention of those who want to hinder our marriage, Your Highness the Third Prince?"

Now Cai Kecao was really panicked.

Who would have thought that this seemingly frail and delicate Princess Mo He was actually such a ruthless character! She couldn't stand even the slightest loss, yet she still wanted to embarrass him in front of the Third Prince? Is the Eastern Palace someone to be trifled with?

He immediately came to his senses and apologized quickly: "I was drunk and talked nonsense. I'm so bold. Please don't blame me, Your Highness! It's just that there are rumors in Andu that Mo He's marriage party was attacked and the princess's whereabouts are unknown. I saw that you were delayed at the border for so long, and I was worried that something might have happened along the way. Ultimately, I was worried about the safety of Your Highness."

Aisha looked bewildered. "Assassination? What assassination?"

Tan Huaike: “…” Well, this guy is better at acting than her.

　Next chapter: Treat boldly and treat serious illnesses.

　　(End of this chapter)