Chapter 363

At midnight, Jiang Heng entered the tent.

He was respectful, and upon entering he clasped his fist to his chest in salute: "I pay my respects to the Great Khatun, the Crown Prince, and the respected chief of the Baihe tribe."

Urenna jerked her head up and stared at him, as if clutching at the last piece of driftwood: "Mr. Jiang, you'll have a way, won't you?"

Jiang Heng startled, looked at Bateer: "Your Highness, what's happened?"

Bateer hurriedly told him the news that the Great Khan would soon die.

The Great Khan is dying? This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!

If I can help the Crown Prince ascend to the khanate, that would be merit of aiding a dragon!

From now on, he will surely obey my every word!

Jiang Heng suppressed his joy, pondered a moment, then lifted his head to look at Urenna: "Great Khatun, please answer my question first."

Urenna hurriedly asked: "What?"

Jiang Heng walked up to the few people and said: "In the Royal Court, aside from the Crown Prince, is there anyone you can completely trust, who will absolutely not betray you?"

Urenna thought for a moment: "There is one."

Jiang Heng's eyes lit up instantly: "Who? What position does he/she hold?"

"She is the Great Khan's personal attendant, originally from my Baihe tribe, and she oversees the Great Khan's food and drink."

"Her son still owes three lives, all of which I personally suppressed."

Urenna twitched the corner of her mouth: "If she dares not to obey me, I will bury her whole family with her."

Jiang Heng's eyes shone even brighter: "Truly, heaven helps me."

Urenna furrowed her brows, showing doubt: "Just a servant—what use could he/she be?"

Jiang Heng looked at the three people before him, his face still wearing that mild expression, his voice as calm as ever: "Things have come to this; there is no retreat."

"The Second Prince's prestige is now great; the Holy Maiden and the five major tribes all stand on his side."

"Once the Great Khan passes," he paused, "the day Jifeng ascends will be the time of the Baihe tribe's extermination."

Urenna trembled all over, Bateer's face was full of terror, and Su He's brows were tightly knit.

"For now, there is only one path." Jiang Heng said each word deliberately: "That is, to have the Crown Prince inherit the position as soon as possible."

"But Father Khan is still alive!" Bateer blurted out, his face a mix of disbelief and confusion: "He's still here—how can I…"

Su He stared fixedly at Jiang Heng; he did not trust Central Plains people, but what this person before him said was indeed the only way to resolve the current predicament.

Urenna's face filled with astonishment: "No!" She instinctively refused, "Impossible!"

Jiang Heng looked at her: "Then may I ask, Great Khatun, what other clever plan do you have?"

Urenna was speechless; she glanced at her brother, then at her son, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.

Bateer looked blankly at Jiang Heng: "What do you mean, sir? Father Khan is merely ill!"

"There is an old saying in Zhongyuan," Jiang Heng said slowly, "A petty mind is not that of a gentleman; without ruthlessness, one is not a true man."

The tent fell into silence.

Su He's breathing grew heavy: "Urenna, you are no longer the Great Khatun; when he deals with you today, does he still retain even a shred of affection for you?"

Urenna lifted her head at those words, opened her eyes; the lingering tears in her eyes burned to ash, and she slowly nodded.

Su He rushed to the entrance, flung open the tent flap, poked his head out, and looked around.

He returned to the tent, looked at Jiang Heng, his eyes flashing: "Good! Let's do it this way!"

Bateer looked at them, vaguely understanding a few points in his heart.

His face turned deathly pale as he shook his head violently, throwing himself at his mother's feet: "No, impossible! He is my father Khan! Mother!"

"Impossible?" Urenna supported her son's shoulder, stared at his face, "Then just wait here!"

"Wait for Jifeng to sit on the khanate, then drag me to the foot of the Holy Mountain to feed the wolves!"

"Wait for him to slaughter all of your Abuga and the Baihe tribe! Just as your father Khan once did to the Bai Lu tribe!"

"Wait for the Baihe tribe's pastures and cattle, sheep, and horses to be all divided among other tribes!"

Her eyes were bloodshot: "Bateer, my son, by then you won't even have the qualification to kneel and beg him to kill you quickly!"

Bateer was struck as if by lightning, his mouth open, unable to make a sound.

Jiang Heng said slowly: "Your Highness, since ancient times, victors become kings, losers become bandits."

"Your father Khan also ascended the khanate by stepping on the blood of many; did he ever show mercy?"

"You are the hope of the Baihe tribe, the sole reliance of your mother."

"Once you pass this path, you will be the khan of Xilu; from then on, you may do as you wish, and no one will dare to defy you in the slightest!"

Bateer's whole body trembled violently, tears streaming down.

Urenna shook his shoulder: "Son! Father Khan is gone, but you still have your mother and your Abuga!"

Bateer collapsed to the ground, head drooping.

Urenna no longer paid attention to her son on the ground, looked at Jiang Heng: "Sir, what do you intend to do?"

The next day at noon, Menggen woke up.

Aersi Leng hurried forward: "Great Khan? Emuzi, quickly!"

Emuzi hurried over, checked Menggen's ankle and fingers: "Great Khan, how do you feel?"

Menggen's Adam's apple rolled once; Aersi Leng hurriedly helped him up and brought a bowl of water to his lips.

Menggen took a few sips: "Emuzi, how is my body?"

Emuzi briefly reported the cause of the illness, then advised: "Great Khan, even the mightiest eagle on the grasslands, when tired, must land on a tree to rest."

"You must not overexert yourself; you need to rest and recuperate."

Menggen asked: "How long must I nurture myself to return to my former state?"

Emuzi stared: "Return to former state?"

His eyes flickered: "... It will take a very long time."

Menggen's heart stirred, he nodded: "You may go down."

Eermuqi turned and left.

Menggen gazed at the sunlight filtering into the tent, dazed: "Aersi Leng, how long have I slept?"

Aersi Leng replied: "It's been a full day. What would the Great Khan like to eat? I'll have Baoer bring it up bare-handed."

"In a moment. How about Jifeng?"

Aersi Leng thought for a moment, then replied cautiously: "The Second Prince has been here all day yesterday, and he instructed me to take good care of the Great Khan, then he left."

Menggen pondered for a moment: "Bring him and the Saintess together."

"Yes!"

Soon, Jifeng held Tuan Tuan in their arms, Tuan Tuan held Munch in their arms, and lifted the curtain to enter.

Jifeng was still the same: "Father Khan! You're awake, yet still lying down? I'll go hunt a wolf to nourish you!"

Tuan Tuan looked puzzled: "Is wolf tasty, Uncle Ji?"

Jifeng shook their head: "Mutton tastes better."

Munch let out a "woo", as if protesting: "How can you eat wolf!"

Tuan Tuan quickly patted its head: "Be good, Uncle Ji isn't going to eat you, but those bad wolves on the prairie! No one is allowed to eat my Munch!"

Munch grunted and stopped crying, as if agreeing.

Menggen watched the two and the wolf, the corners of their mouth slightly twitching upward.

Jifeng set Tuan Tuan down, casually ruffled her hair: "Go play!"

Subsequently, they plopped down on the bedside: "Father Khan, why did you summon us?"