Chapter 365: with translation of chapter title

Three days later, at night, in the Golden Tent.

Menggen sat alone on the throne, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the gold cup in his hand clanged and fell to the ground.

"Great Khan!" Aersi Leng rushed over and caught him,

Menggen tried to speak, but only a hoarse 'heh, heh...' sound came from his throat, his cheeks collapsing rapidly, saliva uncontrollably dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Aersi Leng watched in horror as Menggen's whole body went limp, as if his bones had been pulled out, sliding down from the seat, his two arms curled and twitching, while his legs remained stiff as wood.

Only his eyes remained fixed, staring, yet he could not utter a word.

Aersi Leng scooped him up and rushed to the rear bed, shouting loudly: "Quick! Call Emuqí!"

"Yes!" the guards outside the door responded, swiftly bringing Emuqí over.

After examining him, Emuqí gasped in shock: "Great Khan, this is poisoning!"

Aersi Leng asked: "Poisoning? What poison?"

Emuqí shook his head: "This is not a poison from the steppe; I can only try using gold needles on the Great Khan."

"Not from the steppe?" Aersi Leng stared.

Emuqí replied: "Exactly, I can't tell what poison it is either."

First, quickly try to see if you can detoxify the Great Khan.

Okay.

Aersi Leng stood to the side, his heart filled with anxiety.

If the Great Khan's poison can be cured, then it's fine.

But what if it cannot be cured?

This matter must be reported to the two princes, as well as the several elders and senior officials.

How was this poison administered?

The Great Khan's food and drink are all brought by Ba' er chi; could it be her?

Although she comes from the Baihe tribe, she has already served in the Royal Court for nearly twenty years!

After a moment, Emuqí put away his needles and wiped the sweat from his face.

Aersi Leng hurriedly asked: "How is it?"

Emuqí's face was grim: "I can't neutralize it; I can only do my best to prevent the poison from spreading further."

But, the Great Khan's constitution is already... I think we should make preparations early.

Aersi Leng's heart sank as he walked to the entrance of the Golden Tent: "Hurry! Go fetch the Great Prince and the Second Prince!"

You, take ten people! Go arrest Ba' er chi, then thoroughly investigate the Great Khan's food and drink and her quarters!

Yes! the guards received the order and departed.

In the Wolf-head Tent.

Bateer received the guards' report and looked toward Jiang Heng: "Sir?"

Jiang Heng slowly rose: "The time has come."

Great Prince, please quickly order people to spread this news throughout the Royal City as fast as possible.

Then, please have the Suhe chieftain come over; I should not show myself, but he can assist you by your side.

Good! Good! Bateer exclaimed, somewhat at a loss from excitement.

Jiang Heng adjusted his robe: "Great Prince, everything has been arranged; you need not worry, just act boldly."

Jifeng will not escape this calamity.

At sunset tomorrow, you will be the supreme Great Khan of the steppe.

Yes! Tomorrow! I will be the Great Khan!

Father Khan can no longer press down on me!

Jifeng, you will forever be the disgrace of the steppe!

Bateer's heart surged hearing those words; he nodded and walked toward his father's Golden Tent.

He lifted the curtain and entered, his face full of concern as he asked: "Father Khan, haven't you slept yet? Have you been eating more or less these days?"

Aersi Leng performed a fist-and-palm salute, then quietly told him what had just happened.

Bateer looked astonished: "How could Father Khan have been poisoned?"

We must get to the bottom of this! Whoever harmed Father Khan, I will exterminate his entire clan!

Aersi Leng replied: "The Great Khan's food and drink are all attended to by Ba' er chi; I have already sent people to investigate her."

Bateer's heart leapt: "Good! Well done!"

Hey, Jifeng—didn't you send someone to fetch him?

We have already sent people to look for the Second Prince; he should... still not be found.

Bateer walked to the bedside and gently grasped one of Menggen's hands: "Father Khan?"

Emuqí whispered: "Great Prince, the Great Khan cannot speak."

Menggen's eyeballs twitched slightly.

Bateer lifted his hand and lightly placed it on his own face, only to find that his hand was both heavy and stiff.

When Bateer relaxed his grip slightly, Menggen's hand immediately slipped onto the bed.

He furrowed his brow and looked at Emuqí: "Father Khan, what is this?"

Emuqí's face showed reluctance: "The Great Khan can barely move anything but his eyes."

Bateer turned to Menggen, gazing blankly at his aged face as tears slid down his cheeks: "You all step back; I wish to stay alone with Father Khan for a while."

Aersi Leng nodded at Emuqí, and the two withdrew.

Bateer's sorrow faded from his face, his gaze instantly turning cold.

He stared at Menggen for a moment, then leaned in close to his ear.

"Father Khan," he said softly, "are you wondering why you suddenly can't move?"

Menggen's eyeballs struggled to turn in their sockets, staring fixedly at him.

Bateer broke into a smile full of resentment and triumph: "Mr. Jiang said, this poison is a treasure from the imperial palace; E'muqi hasn't even heard its name, there's no way to cure it."

He looked at the drool trickling from Menggen's mouth, frowned, and showed a look of disgust: "Father Khan, how do you still resemble a Great Khan now?"

"You're old, senile—what's so great about Jifeng? He's refused to call you Father Khan for all these years!"

"Yet for him you locked up my mother and punished the Baihe tribe!"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, his eyes reddening; all the fear, endurance, and resentment he'd long held toward his father burst forth:

"After you woke up, you summoned this one, that one—but never me!"

"You're paving the way for Jifeng, aren't you? You intend to pass the khanate to him, right?"

"But the son who's stayed by your side all these years is me!"

"My mother is a Grand Lady! I am your eldest legitimate son!"

"Back then you killed so many for the khanate—I'm your son; I could do it too!"

Menggen's pupils contracted sharply, narrowing to almost a slit.

Aersi Leng paused his steps as he left the golden tent, gazing toward Tuan Tuan's large tent.

The Great Khan honored her as the grassland's holy maiden; seeing her is like seeing the Great Khan. Moreover, Salin's Ude tribe now shares her honor and disgrace—this should be told to her.

He entered Tuan Tuan's tent, quickly recounted tonight's events, then hurried back.

Tuan Tuan looked bewildered: "Grandfather Great Khan has been poisoned?"

Xiao Er ignored everything, only concerned with Tuan Tuan: "Third Young Master, should we take the young lady away?"

Xiao Ran looked at Xiao Ningxun: "Poisoned? How could the Great Khan be poisoned?"

Xiao Ningxun's face grew grave: "I had thought the crown prince wouldn't resign himself, but I never imagined he'd resort to such vicious means."

Xiao Ran's eyes widened: "You mean... it was Bateer who administered the poison?"

Xiao Ningxun pondered a moment: "Quick, Xiao Er, go fetch Granny Cangling; tell her Jifeng and Tuan Tuan need her."

"Yes!" Xiao Er rushed out of the tent.

"Lu Qi, go find a few swift-footed men on the plains, give them silver, and have them deliver a message to the five tribes that have aided Tuan Tuan."

"Yes!" Lu Qi turned and left.

Tuan Tuan took Xiao Ningxun's hand: "Third Brother, isn't Bateer the Great Khan's son? Why would he harm his own father?"

Xiao Ningxun lowered himself to lift her: "It's fine, hurry and sleep; you still have your Uncle Jifeng."

Early the next morning, news of the Great Khan's poisoning spread throughout the royal city.

When Jifeng rushed into the golden tent, Bateer had already been guarding beside the bed all night.

Su He, several elders, and high officials had already arrived.

Jifeng flung himself to the bedside: "Father Khan!"

His robe's hem was stained with grass chaff, his eyes reddened, and he still reeked of last night's alcohol.

Menggen's eyeballs twitched, his throat emitting an indistinct "huh-huh" sound; his whole body was like a stiff stone statue, not a finger able to move.

Bateer slowly rose, dark circles under his eyes: "Father Khan's life hangs by a thread, yet you still have the heart to ride out and drink?"