Chapter 68

Holy Monk 34 (Grassland War-weary)

The third prince wore a bored expression as he picked up his youngest son: "Oh, my good son, when you grow a bit older, Father will teach you to ride and fight, to go to the Central Plains and raid the autumn winds……"

"Nonsense!" the third prince's consort retorted unhappily, slamming a palm on the table, fierce and menacing, "What fight is that? So dangerous! Come, Mother will mark out a large plot of land for you, and we'll go farm." She said to the child staring up with wide eyes, "Those wheat stalks are treasure from head to toe; as long as the slaves plant several dozen mu, people will have food, and the cattle and sheep won't go hungry."

The third prince's face darkened as he snapped, "What do you know? Riding and fighting is our tradition; Heaven Longevity only favors brave warriors! Farming is work for the weak-bodied, qi-deficient people of the Central Plains."

Then he couldn't help adding, "The Central Plains folks are right—you women have long hair but short sight……"

Perhaps because of her pregnancy, the third prince's consort has lately become very short-tempered; she, who usually could wield a big blade with deadly skill, had people put away her weapons, fearing she might lose control and kill someone.

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At this moment, seeing her frown, the third prince's voice grew softer and softer—one could tell he was cowed.

The third prince's consort said expressionlessly, "You're not allowed to go to the Central Plains to raid the autumn winds; if something happens to you, how am I supposed to raise your son on my own?!"

Their eldest son is only seven, still far from adulthood.

She earnestly reasoned with her husband, laying out the facts: "Even if we wait for our eldest son to grow up, it will take at least ten years—can he become an adult without a father's protection?"

The third prince's consort and the third prince were childhood sweethearts, very close; if her husband died, she would surely follow the second prince.

The second prince is lecherous, already with a pile of women; she certainly wouldn't want to become one of his Hougong.

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The steppe tribes value offspring greatly; his father is the Chanyu, so his son is born nobler than other Hu people, but if he dies, his second brother will surely raise his son to adulthood—yet the second brother has his own biological son, so the brother's son would receive only a very limited share.

Finally, the third prince's consort said, "I don't care if you want to fight; first raise your son, then talk."

After his wife left, the third prince dared to say to his young son sitting there eating, "Your mother truly lacks vision; the steppe's customs are worsening, and I, your father, hope to reverse this trend that looks only at profit."

The little son was drinking milk‑powder‑cooked wheat gruel, utterly unaware of the murderous intent in his father's words.

He blankly glanced at his father, shoved a spoonful of the gruel into his father's mouth, and said, "Dad…… Dad eat……"

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Having been fed a mouthful of gruel, the third prince had no choice but to set down his little son and go out to find his second brother.

He and the second prince are both war hawks of the steppe, and each has gathered a few militant warriors around them.

Not everyone likes a peaceful life; some always yearn for a life of iron and blood.

The second prince had full confidence in this, and he sneered, "Since Father doesn't want to wage war against the Great Qing, then we won't fight; we can save the nation by indirection—first unify the steppe."

The third prince's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered whether this could succeed.

The second prince analyzed carefully, "You know, these past two years, the Tieman tribe and the Black Bear tribe's herders have been full of contradictions; many small tribes have fought over various matters, and many herders have died. The spark of these fights is land; now there is no shortage of oat seeds, and the herders all want to seize more land to plant oats and black feather grass."

The second prince felt that, in this regard, he ought to thank Monk Xuanji.

If there had been no monk, there would be no such conflict, after all, previously no one on the steppe would have thought of farming, or of seizing land.

"The Great Qing may have heaven high and the emperor far, but they are still tough; the tribes profit from trading with Qing merchants, so they surely won't want to fight the Great Qing." The second prince curled his lips into a smile, "But if we fight the Black Bear tribe, it's not certain—everyone knows that defeating them makes their steppe ours, and the land suitable for planting oats becomes ours as well."

With land as that carrot dangling before them, the tribespeople will surely be willing to go to war.

The third prince couldn't help but stare at his second brother and sigh, "Second brother, you're not having it easy either! The tribespeople have been obsessed with making money and farming these past two years—how long has it been since they drilled? If we don't see some blood soon, I fear the blades will dull and the horses will grow sluggish."

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At this moment, a trusted subordinate beside them couldn't help but say, "Second prince, third prince, keeping this from the Chanyu…… is that really alright?"

The subordinate felt uneasy; if they were to wage war in secret, to the old Chanyu this would count as a betrayal.

Betrayal actually coming from his own son—when the time comes, the old Chanyu would be reluctant to kill his son, and we subordinates might not necessarily be okay.

The second prince's eyes flashed, and then he said, "It's not like we'll keep it secret forever; once we've taken down the Black Bear tribe, Father will surely be pleased!"

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"Tie Mu, Tie Mu, let's go see big brother together!"

A handsome Hu girl with slightly dark skin, her arms wrapped around two chubby tots, lightly mounted her horse.

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The boy on horseback chasing from behind had a dark complexion, an honest smile, and looked at her hopefully, saying, "I picked a bunch of wildflowers on the road and give them to you!"

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Last autumn her father had raised several earth‑kang work crews; to this day those crews have further developed into a massive steppe‑scale construction team, with manpower multiplied many times over.

Since their family business also multiplied many times over, her status has risen dramatically, and now every warrior on the steppe wants to marry her.

Her parents are also considering her marriage, openly and secretly letting her meet many Han men.

Sang Ya had her arms around the two chubby younger brothers, letting the horse walk slowly across the steppe.

She said to the two brothers, "Oh, I don't necessarily have to insist on a handsome husband these days, but why is there no one with a fairer complexion?"

In fact, she really isn't greedy.

Probably because she's gotten used to the pale complexions of Master and Batu, this father‑son pair has influenced her taste, so when looking for a man she also wants someone with white skin.

The two chubby tots clapped their hands and laughed, mumbling along with their sister, "White…… we want a white brother‑in‑law!"

Sang Ya also laughed, ruffling their heads, "Fine! Sis will find you a white‑skinned brother‑in‑law! Later your nephews will definitely be white." She lowered her gaze to the two chubby babies, who resembled her father—fair‑skinned even at a young age—"They'll surely be whiter than you!"

The two chubby tots giggled again, "Black…… like Dad!"

"Sis, the merchant is white!" they recalled the yearly visitor, Manager Zhang, who was white and plump, and added, "And fat!"

Sang Ya couldn't help but laugh; she had indeed seen plenty of Great Qing merchants coming to the steppe, some fair and clean‑looking, which pleased her and stirred her thoughts.

Those Great Qing youths, faced with this steppe pearl beautiful in a way unlike Central Plains women, also showed admiration on their faces.

But every time her father would jump out to break up the mandarin ducks, telling her that the Great Qing people observe the practice of three wives and four concubines, and are not allowed to go out.

On the steppe, powerful and influential Hu also take many wives, even taking over the wives of deceased fathers or brothers; the whole three‑wives‑four‑concubines thing, Sang Ya doesn't think it's a big deal.

But not being allowed to go out is absolutely unacceptable.

She is used to running freely across the steppe; being locked indoors and forbidden to go out would drive her mad.

"Ah, I hope Master Xuanji can calculate which one will be my destined partner!" Sang Ya placed her hope on the Master.

It is said the Master can divine, so he will certainly work it out.

Actually she isn't in a hurry, but her mother is; ever since the family became wealthy, her mother grew worried, thinking people come for their money, not for her.

"Honestly!" Sang Ya muttered, "I'm not that unattractive; maybe they like me for who I am?"

Sang Ya's home isn't far from the temple, and the ride on horseback is swift.

In the distance she saw the temple and a handsome, pure‑white boy standing before it.

"Tie Mu, Tie Mu." Jiang Siyin smiled, scooping up the two chubby kids with no effort.

In the past year he had trained martial arts especially seriously, gaining a lot of strength, so lifting the two chubby kids was no trouble at all.

"Brother!" the two plump children pressed their little faces against him, calling soft, sweetly.

Though still very young, they have heard their sister looking for a white‑skinned brother‑in‑law so often that their taste follows mother and sister, and they like a brother who is fair and good‑looking.

Jiang Siyin's heart softened from their cuddles, "Brother will get some snacks for you to eat."

The two chubby kids said in unison, "And grandma, sweet grandma!"

Jiang Siyin replied disapprovingly, "Kids shouldn't have that much candy!"

Even so, when preparing their milk powder, the spoon twitched and he couldn't help adding a bit more sugar.

The two chubby kids played happily in the vast temple.

Today is the temple's day off; if nothing serious, the Hu people usually don't intrude. Since the sister unusually brought her two younger brothers, Jiang Siyin paused his studies and played with the two plump kids.

Jiang He welcomed the arrival of Sang Ya and her siblings.

Recently the children study too hard; he worries just watching, almost tempted to kill those two Hu spies so they wouldn't overwhelm his son.

The childish and restless aura on Jiang Siyin has largely vanished over the year; the teenage rebellion typical of a middle‑schooler has almost disappeared as he interacts with the two spies, and he is growing in a positive direction.

Probably because of that, Jiang He softened his expression toward the two "whetstones."

However, the unaware two Hu spies thought they were about to pass the Master's test and be taken as disciples; the fatigue in them vanished, and they resumed frantically memorizing Buddhist sutras.

This forced Jiang Siyin to join the frenzy.

"My poor little brothers!" the Prince exclaimed with sympathy, his eyes full of amusement.

Sang Ya's popularity meant that, knowing she was studying medical arts with the Master, when they saw her Hu little daughter‑in‑law and elder lady, the first thing they did was ask her to help with pulse diagnosis.

The actions of the Second Prince and the Third Prince were very secretive.

The Second Prince heard this and rejoiced, leaving in high spirits.

He only wants to enjoy his twilight years, living a comfortable life, but his strong young sons disagree.

In the house, Sang Ya listened to the laughter outside, unfazed, and read a medical book with great interest.

Reaching seventy is rare in history; on the grassland, living to fifty is already a miracle. He is exactly fifty this year—how many more years can he have?

Among them, Sang Ya became the legendary "witch doctor"—a shaman who treats women, and this news spreads fastest among women.

Ake Shan and his group have also set out; despite their youth, they earn much by assisting livestock births and treating illnesses, raising their status at home.

After a while, the Old Chanyu looked up at him, expression inscrutable: "Do you think these days are hard? The grassland can't grow grain, only raise cattle and sheep, but not every household can afford meat; they survive on bitter wild vegetables and roots, barely half‑starved all year. Now people still can't afford meat, but at least they're full. What exactly do you dislike about such a life?"

The subjects all praised this Chanyu, saying the grassland has never been so prosperous; everyone eats enough, stays warm, and no longer has to risk their lives as before, which didn't always yield such good results.

"Therefore this battle cannot be avoided! If we don't fight now, when both sides become wealthy later, the war will be even more brutal."

"I clearly can treat men's ailments too," Sang Ya muttered softly, wondering why no men seek her care.

Probably because she cured many daughters‑in‑law, young women, and elder ladies, Sang Ya's reputation among women is especially high, and her patients repay her by matchmaking for her.

Sang Ya's father, seeing this, set up a yurt beside the house to serve as her clinic.

In his youth, Shu Wu Chanyu also dreamed of unifying the grassland, as did the Black Bear Chanyu. Now both are old, and their mortal enemies are also old, each facing threats from their vigorous young sons.

"Father, even if we halt, Black Bear won't settle peacefully; the grassland is so vast it can't sustain this many people. If not war with the Central Plains, there will be civil war," the Second Prince tried to persuade the Old Chanyu.

Sang Ya misunderstood him, thinking these medical books aren't that rare, that they're everywhere in the Central Plains.

Nevertheless, that's fine; there are already enough witch doctors on the grassland, but none specialize in gynecology. Women's ailments are too painful and taboo; even on an open grassland, after a woman suffers an unspeakable condition, she dares not seek a witch doctor.

The Old Chanyu let out a long sigh, his expression weary, and conceded to his son: "You have a point; then you may conscript warriors for training!"

Over there, the twins laughed and joked with their brother, and Jiang Siyin patiently kept them company.

This year's newborns are twice last year's, and three times those of a few years ago.

The Second Prince fully understood the current state of the grassland: "Father, in twenty years the population may double; with so many tribes, they will surely fight over the land."

The Second Prince, while persuading the Old Chanyu, omitted that the herders now have silver, having bought many luxuries from Central Plains merchants; if they later waste their will and grow weary, even if no one wants civil war, the watchful Central Plains will not let them be.

Not long after, many secret rumors spread across the grassland.

The Old Chanyu now enjoys going out; whenever he does, he hears the people's praise.

After lunch, Jiang He handed several medical books to Sang Ya.

Sang Ya, flattered and surprised, said, "Master, I will return them as soon as I finish copying."

Of course, provided the Master does not betray the grassland.

The Old Chanyu let out another long sigh.

After she personally rescued a cow in difficult labor, many herders, when faced with such situations, like to seek her help, believing she can manage. After Sang Ya went a few times, she stopped, attributing these matters to Ake Shan and his group.

They know how revered the Master is on the grassland; once they become his disciples, their future will surely be as bright as the sun in the sky, radiating countless rays.

He twirled the prayer beads, his voice mellow and elegant, "As for these medical books, they need not be treated as treasures. If someone wants them, as long as their character is sound, there's no need to hoard them as secret manuals."

However, the warriors have been gathered, the warhorses fed, Black Bear has heard the wind, sharpening his blade, and no one may halt their steps!

The Second Prince kept his gaze steady, never looking aside, for he had never been so clearly aware that the Father was old.

First, for the warriors' surging fighting spirit; second, the sword cannot be sheathed, the horse cannot rest; third, his own safety.

The Central Plains and the grassland, that is a generations‑long feud! Each seeks to crush the other!

"No rush!" the Master replied with hidden meaning, "If anyone wishes to learn medicine, you may also pass it on."

Every tribe is busy making money—wool needs to be plucked, milk powder needs to be boiled, and there's black feather vegetable to be made into dried veggies; in a few days the wheat will also need to be harvested……

The Crown Prince has risen to fame on the grasslands over the past two years. He knows these two brothers of his can't match him in reputation, so he wants to start from another angle, for instance by provoking a war. As long as they win big, on this martial grassland they'll be heroes, and the herders whom the Crown Prince has dragged onto the merchant ship are likely to be won over.

Seated among the sandalwood, the Grand Master gave a faint smile, like a blooming lotus—Sang Ya thought, out of place, that from the first time she saw the Grand Master to now, his appearance hadn't changed at all; he remained just as young and handsome.

The Old Chanyu sipped the milk tea and jerky brought to his lips by the beauties, then munched on two bites of the delicious pastries made from the recipe passed down from Stone Orchid Temple, feeling that this life was truly delightful.

As for practice, that's even simpler.

In this examination, Sang Ya really spotted quite a few problems.

He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to go straight to the Old Chanyu and say these two brothers harbor ill intentions; he merely arranged for the Old Chanyu to discover his sons' movements himself.

The Second Prince sat to the side, silently awaiting the outcome.

When the Second Prince entered the Old Chanyu's tent, all he saw were several beautiful women attending to his father in complete comfort.

With so many chores, who has time to drill troops?

The Old Chanyu fell into contemplation.

The Crown Prince couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.

The Second Prince said, 'Father, if a blade isn't sharpened it will dull, if troops aren't drilled their skills will grow lax!'

Sang Ya was practically laughing and crying at once.

Before oats appeared, the grassland herders would fight several battles each year over the lush pastures; now, for the sake of oat fields, both sides want to go to war.

What angered the Second and Third Princes was that many medium-sized or small tribes weren't keen to join them, heeding their call, while some large tribes also prevaricated and obstructed the Chanyu's orders.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Crown Prince, who had been closely monitoring outside news, almost laughed himself crazy.

Now it's much more convenient for women to come and go.

He also hadn't expected the second and third sons to be so capable, able to raise such a massive force, when he had thought the tribesfolk didn't want to fight at all.

Even three- or four-year-olds aren't as clever as they are.

Actually, he misses the days when he rode his horse across Daqing, looting wealth and women as he pleased; if the father king disagreed, what could he do?

Sang Ya, on the other hand, grew quiet; now their family no longer lacked money, she didn't need to earn by treating livestock and delivering babies, so she devoted all her time to medical texts.

Women on the grasslands rarely observe postpartum confinement, leading to a multitude of gynecological ailments; after she treated a few people, every evening Hu women—married women and young daughters-in-law—would sneak over to ask her for treatment.

The Old Chanyu knew this war was unavoidable.

His eldest son is filial and obsessed with trade, but the second and third sons rely on their maternal family's power, eyeing his position covetously; the best outcome of this war would be for them to conquer the black bear, meanwhile crippling the power of the two sons, which would be more favorable to his rule.

The two chubby babies, one on each side, sweetly kissed their sister's cheeks: 'Sis is the best!'

Shuwu Chanyu is already old; he has lost the ambition of his youth and now has no desire to fight.

Next year, though, I'm afraid there will be even more!

Given this premise, they remain confident—how much the Grand Master loves their grassland! Just look at all he's done; the Hu people could sing his praises for generations.

Nowadays, every few days there are whispers of minor skirmishes on this matter.

His vision is far-reaching; yet the changes in the grassland fill him with dread, as the herders are immersed in raising cattle and sheep and farming, neglecting horseback riding and archery—can this still be called the mighty Hu people?

"The little brothers are so smart!" Jiang Sixin exclaimed delightedly while holding the two children and telling a story, "You're not even two yet, and your tongues are already so sharp."

He truly hadn't expected these two brothers to have so many warriors at their disposal!

Even on the open-minded grassland, this illness remains hard to speak of.

They did indeed keep the Old Chanyu in the dark, but they couldn't fool the Crown Prince, who had always been on guard against them.

He loves doing business, but as a man, who wouldn't want to wake up holding all under heaven? Yet he can't take the lead in war, because everyone sees that the grassland now loathes conflict, only desiring peace and prosperity.

Upon seeing the second son, he rose from the couch, waved at the beauties, and gestured for them to withdraw.

Nowadays life on the grassland is good eating and drinking; with oats, the days of hunger are gone forever, and the surge in reproductive desire is astonishing.

His father king, like the aging emperors of the Central Plains, has grown old and feeble.

Sang Ya stepped out to rest her eyes, and upon hearing this she felt proud: "Of course! I read to them every day; even while they were still in the womb I recited medical texts against my mother's belly! The Grand Master said one must not lose at the starting line, and indeed my efforts have paid off."

Only later, when the revered shamans of the grassland occasionally caught sight of them and went wild over them, did she learn the value of these medical texts.

"Remember, only victory is allowed, no defeat!"

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