Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 410 Wanyan Guangzhi's Gift Money (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Song Zhe!

Song Zhe!!!

Wanyan Guangzhi would never forget this name in his life. It was this despicable and shameless Han Chinese who launched a surprise attack on the Jurchen royal court, killed his own younger brother, and even caused the allied forces that had finally gathered together to besiege Anchegu to fall apart in an instant.

Anchegu's resistance exceeded Wanyan Guangzhi's expectations, but Wanyan Guangzhi could also see that Anchegu was already at his limit, barely holding on with his last breath. At most, he could completely subdue Anchegu in three more days. But because of Song Zhe, he had to face his first and greatest defeat and humiliation in his life, covered in blood.

The authority he had painstakingly built up over many years among the various Jurchen tribes vanished in an instant.

Wanyan Guangzhi could never forget that it was that damned bastard Song Zhe who stole his queen.

The most beautiful woman on the Haixi Grassland.

call.

He exhaled forcefully.

The exhaled air quickly turned into fine ice shards.

Even though it's already springtime, the Haixi Grassland is still bitterly cold.

Wanyan Guangzhi glanced at the soldiers bustling about in the small tribe. Large quantities of food, animal hides, and tents were already loaded onto horses, and some soldiers were still dissecting the corpses on the ground. It was so cold here that, even though less than an hour had passed, the corpses on the ground were already frozen stiff. Even iron knives could hardly cut them open; only axes, with repeated and forceful chopping, could manage to chop off some chunks of flesh.

Food is precious, and no one wants to waste it.

Wanyan Guangzhi pursed his lips, grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, stuffed it into his mouth, and let it melt with his body heat, moisturizing his chapped lips and throat.

The environment of the Haixi Grassland is becoming increasingly unsuitable for survival.

It's getting colder and colder.

This winter, more than 50,000 of the remaining 130,000 people in the Wuji tribe froze to death.

This is a very exaggerated number.

Song Zhe, that cruel bastard, burned down almost all of the Wuji tribe's food and tents. Although Wanyan Guangzhi led his warriors to plunder everywhere, the tents and food they plundered were ultimately not enough.

What pained Wanyan Guangzhi even more was that of the 50,000 people who froze to death, apart from a number of elderly people, the vast majority were children... In order to save food and make room in the tents, Wanyan Guangzhi had no choice but to order all the old, weak, sick, and disabled to be driven into the snow-capped mountains to fend for themselves.

They're mostly dead.

Wanyan Guangzhi hated Song Zhe, but he had to seriously consider a question... Last year's winter was already so unbearable, what about this year, and next year?
Will the weather get colder and colder?
Will the snow get heavier?

The Haixi Grassland is no longer suitable for habitation.

Only the Central Plains, with its fertile soil and mild climate, is suitable for survival.

This is the only way out for the Jurchens.

Of course, if they wanted to conquer the Central Plains, the Wuji tribe alone was far from enough. Only by uniting all the Jurchen tribes could they possibly succeed... But this time, Wanyan Guangzhi would not be as gentle as before. After the ice melted, he was ready to take action and strive to achieve the goal of unifying the Jurchens within three years, followed by a war against the Central Plains.

He will make all the rebellious fools understand what true violence is.

Once he enters the Central Plains, he will definitely find Song Zhe. He won't kill Song Zhe so easily. He will tie that bastard up with iron chains and cut a piece of flesh off his body every day... With these thoughts in mind, Wanyan Guangzhi mounted his horse and led his soldiers back to the Wuji tribe. There were still some corpses on the ground that hadn't been cleaned up. Although he was reluctant, he had no choice but to give up under the current circumstances.

The body was frozen harder and harder.

Even if you chop it with an axe, you can only hear a cracking sound.

After about two days, we finally returned to the tribe. The former royal court now has less than a thousand tents left, each crammed with dozens of people, making for a terrible living environment.

Especially when the weather is too cold, people are reluctant to go out. When they can't stand being cooped up, they simply find a place to relieve themselves at the edge of the tent.

As a result, every single tent reeked of a foul stench.

Even though Wanyan Guangzhi repeatedly issued orders strictly prohibiting such behavior, the orders seemed to have little effect. Some people would rather be beheaded than defecate or urinate outside the tent.

Inside each tent, there were also three or five women of marriageable age... but it was too cold, so basically no one had any thoughts about that kind of thing.

"Woo..."

The bugle sounded.

The tent instantly became abuzz with excitement.

One after another, figures surged out, men and women alike, all dressed in rags, emaciated, with sunken eye sockets that made their heads look like skulls.

Excitement, greed, and longing shone in his wide eyes.

They knew very well what such a bugle call represented.

Wanyan Guangzhi grinned, opened the animal skin package, and inside was a steaming, dark brown chunk of meat... Before arriving at the tribe, they would find a place to cook the meat, fill their stomachs, and keep their strength at its peak. This way, even if the tribe's starving madmen swarmed them, they could quickly control the situation and prevent any uncontrollable accidents.

When the piece of meat appeared, the crowd immediately stirred. Countless people were drooling, and their bodies unconsciously moved toward Wanyan Guangzhi.

Wanyan Guangzhi smiled, grabbed the piece of meat, and raised it high.

The next second, the Wuji tribe members knelt down with a thud, not even caring about the snow on the ground, pressing their foreheads tightly against the cold earth:

"Merciful Great Khan, thank you for giving me food."

Similar cries erupted throughout the tribe.

Despite being utterly exhausted and emaciated, his voice was exceptionally loud and resonant when he shouted these slogans, which resembled religious indoctrination. Wanyan Guangzhi was very satisfied. He wanted to use this method to make the Wuji people understand who gave them food and the chance to survive. He wanted to establish his unshakeable authority in this way.

With a casual toss, the piece of meat flew towards the crowd.

In an instant, a group of people pounced on the chunks of meat, tearing at it wildly with their fingers, howling, and scrambling for it.

Large and small chunks of meat, bones scattered like raindrops, included horse meat and other things. No one knew if the Wuji tribe could detect that there was something wrong with the meat... but even if they did, what could they do?

I'm so hungry.

As long as they can fill their stomachs, they will eat anything, whether it's cooked or raw and fresh.

The huge camp was in complete chaos. Some were weak, some were sick, and some had failed to get enough food. They were accidentally buried underneath and soon fell silent.

Wanyan Guangzhi understood the consequences of this, but that was precisely his purpose… He believed that only true warriors could survive in such a cruel environment, like wolves.

Just then, a sound of footsteps came from the side.

Turning around, he saw Chalu, the captain of the personal guard appointed by Wanyan Guangzhi after he regained power, and a trusted confidant. Chalu knelt on one knee in front of Wanyan Guangzhi, with one hand across his chest: "Respected Great Khan, congratulations on your successful return."

There's no need to kneel or kowtow.

This illustrates the difference in status between confidants and ordinary citizens.

"Get up." Wanyan Guangzhi's voice was unusually gentle: "My dear Chalu, tell me, what happened to the tribe while I was away?"

Chalu then stood up: "Your Majesty the Great Khan, yesterday evening, the patrolling cavalry left behind at the royal court discovered a caravan from the Han Chinese territory."

"A caravan?" Wanyan Guangzhi's voice rose slightly, clearly showing interest: "Take me there."

Wanyan Guangzhi had always treated Han Chinese merchants who entered Jurchen territory well. He knew the dangers of overexploiting resources, so he strictly prohibited the indiscriminate killing of Han Chinese merchants.

Chalu led Wanyan Guangzhi to a tent in no time.

Unlike the other tents, which reeked of feces, this tent was very quiet, and there were only seven people inside.

Leading the group was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in a cotton-padded coat with a magnificent long robe draped over it. However, after a long journey, his splendid robe had several tears, making him look somewhat disheveled. Strangely, there wasn't much cargo to be seen inside the tent; only at the very back could one see a few merchants carrying crates on their backs.

Wanyan Guangzhi frowned.

I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

What he needs is a caravan.

While these traveling merchants could bring some good things, their numbers were far too small to meet the tribe's enormous needs.

Although he was somewhat annoyed that Chalu was making a fuss over nothing, Wanyan Guangzhi did not lose face. In front of the merchants from the Central Plains, he did not put on any airs of the Great Khan. His face was full of gentle smiles, and he placed one hand across his chest: "I am Wanyan Guangzhi, the Great Khan of the Jurchen. Welcome to all the guests who have come from afar."

The seven men quickly stood up and returned the greeting.

However, the arrogance in his eyes could not be concealed.

The seven of them have special identities.

The Jurchen barbarians didn't really take it seriously, especially after witnessing the dilapidated state of the royal court. They scoffed at Song Yan's military exploits in conquering the court. The Jurchen royal court was practically no different from the Central Plains, where floods, droughts, and displaced people had gathered together.

Thousands of cavalry trampled the disaster victims?
Damn it, I could do that too.

Thinking this to himself, the middle-aged man did not show much on his face: "Your Excellency Great Khan, I am Yang Guokun. I am going to the Jurchens for two reasons. First, to inform you of an important message about your queen, Princess Nakhtoya. Second, on behalf of the Yang family, I would like to discuss a business deal with you."

princess?

Nakhtoya?

Wanyan Guangzhi's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. Now he finally understood why Chalu valued these merchants so much. He pursed his lips, showing no urgency. He first invited the group to sit down again, and then ordered Chalu to warm the wine.

After the wine was poured and they drank a cup together, Wanyan Guangzhi felt warm all over before speaking: "Mr. Yang, what kind of business would you like me to discuss?"

Yang Guokun frowned slightly, feeling somewhat surprised.

He is naturally a member of the Yang family.

This operation was also carried out according to Yang Hetong's instructions. As for revealing the Yang family's identity, it was partly to increase their bargaining power, and partly a reflection of the Yang family's arrogance and pride; the Yang family disdained to remain anonymous.

From Dongling to the Jurchens, the journey was more than a thousand miles.

In addition, the Haixi Grassland was blocked by heavy snow, making the journey difficult. It took almost two months to finally find the Jurchen royal court and the Wuji tribe's residence.

According to the information they had gathered beforehand, Wanyan Guangzhi valued Princess Nahtoya highly. But why did Wanyan Guangzhi seem more interested in business than business? With this in mind, Yang Guokun's brow relaxed and he smiled, "Your Majesty, there's no need to rush. We can discuss business matters slowly. In comparison, the matter of Your Highness's Princess is more important."

"Alright, so how is Nakhtoya now?" Wanyan Guangzhi smiled, his attitude casual.

"As you know, Nakhtoya was captured by Song Yan. Song Yan took her to Dongling and handed her over to the Emperor of Ningguo. To reward Song Yan for his meritorious service in conquering the royal court, the Emperor of Ningguo issued an imperial edict to bestow Nakhtoya upon Song Yan as a concubine. It seems that the two will be married soon." Yang Guokun shrugged: "I am very sorry, Your Majesty the Great Khan, for bringing you this terrible news."

Even with his gloomy mind, Wanyan Guangzhi couldn't help but stiffen upon hearing these words.

That damned Ningguo emperor.

He actually betrothed his queen to that bastard Song Zhe.

I'd rather be a concubine.

His queen could only be a concubine?
This is an utter humiliation for him, the Great Khan.

"Furthermore, as you know, Song Yan is an extremely arrogant fellow. He once announced in front of all the civil and military officials in the capital of Ningguo that he would send you an invitation on the day of his wedding to Nahetuya. In addition... considering that you were once Nahetuya's prospective husband, you will also need to pay a wedding gift."

"It's just a gift of money."

Wanyan Guangzhi swayed slightly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, the fat on his face twitching slightly, and even the fingers gripping the wine glass tightened involuntarily.

They stole my queen and now they want me to give them a wedding gift?

This is outrageous! This is outrageous!
"They also said that giving too little is not in keeping with your status as the Great Khan."

"He even said that if Nakhtoya gets pregnant, as her ex-husband, you should also contribute to the cost of raising the child."

Snapped!
At this point, Wanyan Guangzhi lost control, and the wine cup in his hand shattered with a crash.

The drinks splashed everywhere.

"Damn Song Zhe, you have insulted me too much!" Wanyan Guangzhi roared fiercely, his face contorted with rage, like a rabid, hungry wolf.

Yang Guokun's lips curled into a smug smile.

Then, I suddenly realized that something seemed a little off.

Song Zhe?

Wait, what does this have to do with Song Zhe?
(End of this chapter)