Chapter 366: Throw Me to the Wolves

Jifeng ignored Bateer's sarcasm, only staring fixedly at Emuqi: "What poison did the Father Khan ingest?"

Emuqi shook his head: "It's not from the steppe; I can't tell. All I can do is use gold needles to temporarily block the poison's spread."

"Not from the steppe?" Jifeng turned to Aersi Leng: "Who poisoned him? Have you found out?"

Aersi Leng replied: "The Great Khan's food has always been handled by Baor Chi; last night I ordered her arrested and searched her tent."

"What did they find?"

Bateer exclaimed, "This matter concerns the Father Khan's life!" He stepped forward, cutting off their conversation: "Moreover it concerns the dignity of the entire Royal Court!"

"So I have ordered someone to tie Baor Chi to the hitching post under strict guard, waiting for all the elders and leaders to gather."

He looked at Su He and several senior officials: "Let's ask clearly in the face of Eternal Heaven; matters of the steppe should be investigated openly under the sun!"

He looked solemn and righteous: "The Father Khan is poisoned; my heart feels as if scorched by wildfire all night."

"But the more critical the moment, the less we can let hooves trample recklessly!"

"What needs to be asked should be stripped clean like skinning a sheep!"

"What needs to be investigated should be pursued like tracking prey to its lair!"

Several senior officials nodded slightly: "The Eldest Prince handled it appropriately."

Su He nodded repeatedly: "The Eldest Prince is absolutely right. Since everyone is here, why not bring Baor Chi forward?"

Jifeng stared at this uncle-nephew pair, wondering what they were up to.

He curled his lip: "Fine! Let's interrogate."

"I also want to know: who dares to stretch their claws into the Father Khan's Golden Tent?"

Bateer curled his lip: "Bring Baor Chi!"

A guard hurried in and saluted: "Report to the Eldest Prince, Second Prince, all leaders: the Cangling Great Witch requests an audience outside."

"Cangling Great Witch? How did she come?"

"At the spring festival, she was standing with the Holy Maiden; what does she want?"

Bateer's face stiffened, he glanced at Su He.

Su He naturally understood, cannot let her enter: "On the day of the spring festival, the Great Khan issued an order: divine authority is wholly in the hands of the Cangling Great Witch; the Royal Court and tribes must not interfere."

"Now the Royal Court's affairs should be settled within the Royal Court's tents."

"If the Great Witch interferes, it would probably be against the rules."

"I think we should ask the Great Witch to leave first. Once we've sorted this out as thoroughly as combing a horse's mane, we'll send the news to her."

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Jifeng glanced at him sideways: "Oh? This matter is actually rather interesting."

"Those standing here are either princes or elders and senior officials; how can Su He, the chieftain, also be here?"

Su He's expression changed slightly; he is merely a tribal leader, and without Bateer's order, he indeed lacks the qualification to stand here.

Bateer retorted: "Jifeng, I ordered Su He the chieftain to come; what's the problem? Do you still need to nod your approval?"

Jifeng chuckled: "That's not it; merely, since Cangling Granny is the Great Witch reinstated by the Father Khan's command to oversee divine authority..."

"Now that the Father Khan is poisoned, she comes to pray for his blessings and dispel evil—surely that's more useful than Su He's tongue?"

"If Su He can come, why can't the Great Witch? What kind of rule is this?"

"You!" Su He glared angrily.

The two princes could not resolve their dispute.

Aersi Leng turned to the several elders and senior officials: "What do you all think?"

Several people looked at each other and nodded:

"The Great Witch should enter the tent."

"Yes, the Great Witch is a messenger of Eternal Heaven and can point us the way."

"Exactly, we should invite the Great Witch into the tent!"

Aersi Leng looked at Bateer.

Bateer grit his teeth silently, waved his hand: "Please invite the Cangling Great Witch into the tent!"

Cangling Granny leaned on her bone staff and entered the Golden Tent; Jifeng hurried over to support her: "Cangling Granny, quick! Look at the Father Khan."

Cangling Granny walked straight to Menggen's couch, leaned in for a close look.

After a long while, she rose, striking her bone staff on the ground: "The wrath of Eternal Heaven has burned to the top of the Golden Tent."

"The poisoner's soul will sink into endless abyss, forsaken by Eternal Heaven."

Bateer heard this, his Adam's apple rolled.

Cangling Granny turned to the crowd: "Everyone, please bring the Holy Maiden over."

"Impossible!" Su He blurted: "The Holy Maiden is ultimately a person of the Fierce State; how could she interfere with my West Lu Royal Court?"

Cangling Granny slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on his face: "The words the Great Khan spoke on the day of the spring festival still echo in the wind; are your ears plugged with grass?"

"She is the Steppe Holy Maiden; seeing her is like seeing the Great Khan."

"Now that the male eagle has fallen, how could the Holy Maiden not be present?"

Jifeng frowned tightly; Tuan Tuan has repeatedly almost lost his life because of him.

He bowed with fist to palm before Cangling Granny: "Cangling Great Witch, there's no need to summon the Holy Maiden for this; I don't want to drag her into it."

Cangling Granny looked at him, her gaze softening: "Child, when the storm comes, the eagle does not push its chicks out of the nest; it lets them spread their wings."

She tapped her bone staff: "The Great Khan once issued an order: to see the Holy Maiden is to see the Great Khan!"

"Now the Great Khan lies here, his tongue frozen, his body as if tied to a hitching post."

"The Holy Maiden shares Eternal Heaven's gaze with the Great Khan; her figure should stand within the Golden Tent!"

She swept her gaze over the several elders and senior officials: "Is this how the steppe's rules are?"

Several elders and senior officials nodded in agreement: 'The Azure Feather Grand Shaman makes sense.'

Bateer and Suhe exchanged a glance, and neither had anything to say.

Aersi Leng shouted: 'Someone! Go fetch the Holy Maiden!'

'Yes!'

As Tuan Tuan stepped into the Golden Tent, she still held the drowsy Fanfan in her arms: 'Uncle Jifeng! Grandma Azure Feather! You're all here!'

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ran stood to her left and right, while Xiao Er and Lu Qi followed closely behind.

Jifeng led her to the edge of the couch.

Ah! Why is there such a huge mass of black aura on Grandfather Great Khan's body!

The purple aura was already scarce, and now it's almost impossible to see.

Tuan Tuan's eye rims instantly reddened: 'Great Khan Grandfather!'

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ran looked around the tent and clasped their hands in salute to everyone.

Bateer suppressed his inner agitation and shouted: 'Since everyone is here, bring Baor Chi!'

Two guards escorted Baor Chi into the tent.

Baor Chi knelt on the ground, hair disheveled, robe stained with dust and grass, face full of exhaustion and panic.

A guard produced a small blue porcelain bottle: 'This was found in her tent.'

Emuchi reached out, took it, opened the stopper and sniffed: 'The poison in the Great Khan must be this.'

'Baor Chi,' Bateer said with a heavy heart, 'you have served the Great Khan for over twenty years; when has the Royal Court ever shortchanged you on meat or a robe?'

'Why did you poison Father Khan? Who ordered you to do this?'

Baor Chi trembled all over, bowed to the ground, stifling sobs.

Suhe looked at her: 'All your family's tents are pitched on the grasslands of my Baihe tribe!'

'Speak up quickly! Who whispered evil into your ear, making you do such a shameful foolish act that brings disgrace to my Baihe tribe!'

'Don't you realize that once this is exposed, the grasslands of my Baihe tribe will no longer tolerate your whole family?'

Several senior officials also shouted in agreement:

'The Great Khan has never mistreated you; why would you poison him?'

'Who gave you the poison?'

'Who ordered you to do it?'

Baor Chi slowly lifted her head, her face as pale as paper.

She slowly swept her gaze over everyone in the tent, finally settling fixedly on Jifeng's face.

Tears streaming down her face, she shouted loudly: 'Second Prince! Second Prince! Please save me!'

'I put my whole family's lives on the line for you, throwing them into the wolves' jaws!'

'How could you treat me like an old horse saddle and toss me to the wolves?'