Chapter 453: Da Yu'er Serves in the Imperial Bed (Part Two)

Looking at Bumbutai with some helplessness, Zhu Youxiao now didn't know what to say.

Did he look like a pervert?

How had this little girl conjured up so much in her head? She was overthinking things too much, wasn't she?

In truth, it wasn't that Bumbutai was overthinking—it was that there were many perverts in this era, only people usually didn't pay much attention to it.

People who liked young girls were numerous in the Great Ming, and numerous on the grasslands too. Such people not only liked them young, but also liked tormenting them, all sorts of messy business.

Some people even adopted girls from childhood, simply raising them and training them to serve others. Mongol nobles did the same, and also exchanged them as bargaining chips for cooperation.

Thinking she might end up in such a situation, how could Bumbutai not be afraid?

And from the very beginning, Zhu Youxiao had made her his banner, acting as if he absolutely had to have her. Now that she was already in his hands, how could he possibly not make his move?

Zhu Youxiao looked at Bumbutai and said, "There are two things I need to explain to you. First, it's not that I don't want to marry you openly, nor that I don't want to make you a consort. But because we've formed an alliance and need to keep it secret, this matter cannot be known to others, which is why it isn't made public."

"But rest assured, before your brother leaves, I will write two edicts of enfeoffment for him to take back. One is the edict enfeoffing your father as Prince of Shunyi, and the other is the edict making you a consort. So there's no problem with your status—on that point you can rest easy."

"Once our alliance is announced, your status as consort can be made public. Rest assured, when that time comes I will surely marry you with full ceremony, and hold a grand wedding for you both on the grasslands and in the capital."

Zhu Youxiao had actually long had a plan for this matter—after all, this was for show, what would be called a model project, and in later ages, the model room of a property sales office.

If you didn't make it look good enough, beautiful enough, how could you make people believe?

So the matter of marrying Da Yu'er absolutely had to be made big enough. Even if the Khorchin wanted to keep it quiet, Zhu Youxiao wouldn't allow it. Under such circumstances, the matter of marrying Da Yu'er would soon be put on the agenda.

Thinking of his scheme, Zhu Youxiao felt even more confident about marrying Da Yu'er—there was absolutely no way anything would go wrong.

Bumbutai never imagined Zhu Youxiao would say such things, and the expression on her face showed some hesitation.

In truth, Bumbutai felt that what Zhu Youxiao said made sense—it really was so. But that wasn't what she was objecting to; that was merely a justification Zhu Youxiao had found.

After all, for Bumbutai, the matter of the alliance was already settled. She could also imagine that this Great Ming Emperor would certainly make a big production of it, unless the alliance were voided.

But the problem was still with herself.

Bumbutai didn't want to serve in the imperial bed so soon. She was only ten years old, hadn't yet had her first menstruation, hadn't yet grown up. If she really did go to serve in the bed, what kind of scene would that be?

Bumbutai didn't dare imagine it. Perhaps by that time, she might even die on the bed.

In the past, when she went hunting with her brother, she would often see the corpses of young girls, their clothes torn and bodies exposed, gnawed by wolves and other animals. Her brother would always compassionately send his men to bury them properly.

Thinking that she herself might be treated like that, Bumbutai felt chills running through her entire body.

Bumbutai raised her head to look at Zhu Youxiao and said directly, "No, still no! I'm still young, you can't do this. We should at least wait a few more years!"

Zhu Youxiao looked at her and said with a smile, "This is the second thing I wanted to tell you. You don't need to worry about me doing anything to you. This matter is only for outsiders to see, to let them know how much I dote on you. This should be a good thing for you—you can rest assured."

"Once we're in bed, I won't do anything either. Looking at you like this, though you may become a beauty in the future, you're not one now. Besides, I have no interest in children."

As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao also glanced at Da Yu'er's chest—truly as flat as a plain, as vast as the Khorchin grasslands.

Having her serve in the bed was nothing more than placing her on the other side like an oversized rag doll.

Upon hearing this, Da Yu'er also lowered her head to take a look, and her face immediately turned red.

But she was still somewhat worried, and glancing at Zhu Youxiao, she said, "I've heard people say that words like this can't always be trusted. Once you're in bed, things are different."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao immediately coughed once and asked, "Who told you that?"

"I just heard it from people." Bumbutai shot Zhu Youxiao a glance and said.

"On this you can rest assured. I am the Emperor of the Great Ming, so naturally my words are as good as gold. You'll know when the time comes—at most I'll hold you while sleeping, I won't do anything to you. I keep my word." Zhu Youxiao looked at Bumbutai and said with a smile.

Since words had already come to this point, there was truly nothing more she could say.

Bumbutai nodded gently and said, "Then I'll follow Your Majesty's arrangements in everything."

Although she was still very worried inside, she couldn't show it too obviously. If she really said she didn't believe this man before her, the situation might become even worse. Provoking his anger, he might do the opposite. For now, she could only trust him, hoping that this Son of Heaven of the Great Ming would keep his word.

Zhu Youxiao nodded, then turned to Wei Chao beside him and said, "Though the conditions here are crude, we still need to make preparations. Arrange things and hold a banquet tonight, to count as a small ceremony. You should understand how to do it, right?"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, this servant understands." Wei Chao hurriedly agreed, a brilliant smile on his face.

Handling this kind of matter truly presented no difficulty. In plain terms, it was done according to the rites of a wedding, only on a small scale—even smaller than taking a concubine. It just needed to convey the meaning. It represented having a proper, legitimate status, which was why this process existed.

In Wei Chao's view, handling this kind of matter was absolutely no problem.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Then go make the preparations."

At the same time, in the city of Zhangjiakou.

Wang Dengku also left his home and boarded a carriage.

This was a carriage not usually ridden, looking somewhat crude. Along the way, he circled around several times before heading to the destination.

Only after confirming that no one was following did Wang Dengku get off the carriage and enter a tavern.

At this time, the tavern had no one left. Except for a waiter lying asleep on the counter, the surroundings were very quiet.

After finding a seat and sitting down, Wang Dengku waited quietly.

According to what the other party had written in the letter, Wang Dengku was to sit here and wait, and then the person would appear.

Wang Dengku didn't have to wait long before a figure walked out from the back and came directly to sit across from him, saying, "Master Wang is punctual as always."

"Stop with the nonsense." Wang Dengku looked at Agutai—he knew this man, and only after confirming it was him did he say, "What exactly is the matter in calling me here?"

"Close the door." Agutai didn't answer his question but said directly instead.

The waiter who had been lying on the table stood up at this point, walked directly to the door and closed it, then retreated and disappeared into the back of the establishment.

Only after the room was left with just the two of them did Agutai say, "Master Wang, let me first explain to you how things really stand."

So Agutai told Wang Dengku everything he knew. Of course, it was naturally his own edited version.

In this version, Zhu Youxiao's identity hadn't changed—he was still the eldest son of the Duke of Ying, and his purpose in coming to Zhangjiakou was to catch Fan Yongdou and the others.

Everything about Bumbutai was omitted by Agutai. In his version, Zhu Youxiao had simply brought people to investigate the smuggling case, and Fan Yongdou was merely the beginning.

Now Agutai's immediate superior had been arrested, and the Khorchin people had been arrested too. The reason Zhu Youxiao dared to move against Fan Yongdou was that they had obtained evidence of collusion between the Khorchin and Fan Yongdou.

After finishing the account of events, Agutai looked at Wang Dengku and said, "The situation is extremely critical now. We absolutely cannot sit and wait for death. We must find a way to turn things around, or else we'll all be finished!"

Hearing these words, although Wang Dengku still had doubts in his heart, he truly didn't know what to do about the matter before him.

He looked at Agutai and asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"

"At this point, we naturally have to resort to force." Agutai thought for a moment and said, "You should be able to help."

"Help with what?" Wang Dengku looked at Agutai. Hearing him say they would use force, although shocked inside, he also knew this was the only option before them.

But Wang Dengku was still very worried, because once they used force, the risk would be even greater.

"It's very simple. I'll have you scout out the situation around that inn and the comings and goings of people there. I need to sneak in. Don't worry, I'll help you kill Fan Yongdou." Agutai looked at Wang Dengku and said, "By then, it'll be dead men tell no tales."

"You want to go in to rescue people?" Wang Dengku looked at Agutai and said with a frown, "There are heavily armed troops guarding that place right now. How could it be so easy to rescue anyone? Even if you did manage to get people out, you still wouldn't be able to escape Zhangjiakou."

"I'm not going in to rescue people—I'm going in to kill." Agutai said with a grim face, "Fan Yongdou knows too many secrets, and the Irgen Gioro know too many secrets as well. These people cannot be allowed to live. We're going in to kill those two. As for the Khorchin people, they must die too."

"Once everyone is dead, no one will know this secret anymore."

Wang Dengku looked at Agutai and drew in a cold breath.

This was something Wang Dengku truly had not expected. The other party was so ruthless and merciless—charging straight in just to kill.

Looking at Wang Dengku, Agutai continued, "This time when I go in, I have no intention of coming out alive."