An Da Khan had countless wives and concubines in his lifetime. Third Madam Jin Ying was only his third principal wife. He had a total of eight sons and several great-grandsons already. But the child in Third Madam’s belly gave the aging An Da Khan renewed youth and confidence. The old emperor of Ming was the same age as him and died last year, yet he could still become a father again—what did this mean?

This old man was more capable than Ming’s emperor!

An Da Khan regarded the child in Third Madam’s belly as a treasure, reluctant to look away. He constantly accompanied his young wife, completely forgetting about Sect Leader Zhao Quan.

Zhao Quan waited and waited in An Da Khan’s great tent. He drank three pots of milk tea and even made a trip to the latrine, but still An Da Khan didn’t return.

By dusk, the tent guards forcibly sent him away. Unwilling to give up, Zhao Quan slipped silver to a guard: “Please inform the Great Khan that I have urgent matters to discuss.”

In these famine times, everyone’s life was difficult. The guard took the silver but didn’t help Zhao Quan, saying: “Zhongjin Khatun is pregnant and the Great Khan is overjoyed. Who dares spoil his mood? You’d better leave quickly and come back another day.”

Hearing this, Zhao Quan hurried back to White Lotus Sect headquarters to send gifts to Zhongjin Khatun.

News of Zhongjin Khatun’s pregnancy spread throughout Fengcheng. The people celebrated wildly, court and countryside rejoiced. The Great Khan was about to have a child in his old age—clearly the Great Khan’s body was robust. Heaven blessed their Tartar tribal alliance.

On the Daming defense side, Qi Jiguang was new to the post. After several training sessions and military exercises, he gained new understanding of his new subordinates—they were too weak!

The southeastern Qi Family Army was a divine force forged through countless battles with Japanese pirates.

The northwestern army was a cowardly force beaten into complete lack of confidence by countless defeats to Tartar armies.

Before the Jiajing years, the Ministry of War focused mainly on pacifying Japanese pirates along the eastern seacoast. The northwest was almost left to fend for itself, with military pay often in arrears. To make ends meet, some Daming soldiers even stooped to herding for Tartar tribes!

The morale, weapons, and combat effectiveness here were far inferior to his familiar Qi Family Army.

Qi Jiguang accepted this dangerous appointment to train troops here, hoping to quickly forge another version of the Qi Family Army. But he needed time—currently it was like forcing ducks onto perches. They simply couldn’t fight.

Qi Jiguang told Lu Ying: “Your plan to lure the enemy into a trap is excellent, but we can’t execute it. Even if you could lure An Da Khan’s army into an ambush circle, our army couldn’t defeat them. Currently, being able to defend would be good enough.”

Lu Ying was frustrated with their failure to meet expectations but had no solution. This was a chronic ailment from the Jiajing years. Even encountering a famous general like Qi Jiguang couldn’t instantly transform a pile of tofu dregs into diamonds.

Lu Ying hurried to Fengcheng to communicate with Ding Wu. Plans had changed—they must prevent An Da Khan from attacking the capital this year. Daming’s northwest defense line was like eggshells, breaking at a touch.

Ding Wu frowned deeply. “Understood. I’ll find a way.”

Having familiarized himself with various Mongol Tartar tribes over seven years, Ding Wu immediately conceived a plan. He bought many items from Wang Daxia’s Red Makeup cosmetics shop and rode through wind and snow to the grasslands to meet with A’duo Si, leader of the Ordos tribe.

A’duo Si was Third Madam’s former fiancé. Just before their wedding, An Da Khan had stolen away the grassland’s greatest beauty, his fiancée Jin Ying.

In recent years A’duo Si had become tribal leader with numerous wives and concubines. The rouge, powder, silk, and satin Ding Wu brought pleased his wives and concubines greatly. When Ding Wu came to the Ordos tribe, he received warm hospitality.

A whole sheep was roasted over a bonfire, marinated with pepper, cumin, and other spices. The rendered fat dripped onto charcoal, creating dancing flames. A’duo Si cut a piece of mutton and placed it on Ding Wu’s plate. “Try it—how’s the taste?”

Ding Wu cut it into small pieces with his knife, dipped it in salt, and took a bite. “The meat’s a bit tough.”

A’duo Si sliced off mutton, wrapped it in roasted flatbread, and rolled it up to eat. “Having anything to eat is good enough. The grasslands are drought-stricken—even sheep can’t eat their fill. This year’s sheep won’t put on weight. You White Lotus Sect people grow grain in Bansheng territory. When you have time, get me several cartloads. This winter won’t be easy. Learn from you Central Plains people’s methods—add water and boil it into porridge, distribute one bowl daily. Won’t be full but won’t starve to death either.”

Ding Wu said: “Though Bansheng territory’s farmland was somewhat saved by digging deep wells and irrigation channels, harvesting some grain in autumn, a few days ago An Da Khan demanded grain from our sect leader. The leader sent forty thousand dan, keeping only ten thousand dan for provisions. Fifty thousand Bansheng people worked hard most of the year and still must go hungry. I really can’t spare any.”

Hearing An Da Khan’s name, A’duo Si viciously bit into his bread-wrapped meat. “He moved early this time.”

Ding Wu observed A’duo Si’s expression and said: “The Khan’s court will soon have another mouth to feed. An Da Khan naturally must prepare early.”

A’duo Si stopped chewing, vaguely suspecting something but finding it unlikely. He asked: “What do you mean by that?”

Ding Wu said: “Zhongjin Khatun is pregnant.”

That old lecher!

A’duo Si angrily gulped wine to wash down the food in his mouth, cursing: “Truly shameless! Stealing his own grand-niece as a wife! And getting her pregnant! When this child is born, will it be his son or his great-grand-nephew!”

“Of course it’s his son.” Ding Wu picked up the tin pot and refilled A’duo Si’s cup. “Your marriage contract with Zhongjin Khatun became void long ago. Now that Zhongjin Khatun is pregnant, it’s a done deal. Your anger is useless—don’t damage your health over it.”

A’duo Si drank cup after cup, drowning sorrows in wine. Having one’s wife stolen was deeply humiliating, but the opponent was An Da Khan. The Ordos tribe’s ancestors had served An Da Khan’s father, the Young Prince. He was helpless.

Ding Wu seized the opportunity to advise: “However, Zhongjin Khatun did have a marriage contract with you—you have justification in this matter. Now an opportunity has come. Zhongjin Khatun is pregnant, your Ordos tribe faces drought. You should go to Fengcheng to find An Da Khan and ask for winter provisions—trading grain for a wife and child. This request isn’t excessive at all. An Da Khan is in the wrong—he won’t refuse you. He’ll give something, however much.”

As Ordos tribal leader, A’duo Si was responsible for feeding his people through this harsh winter. Finding Ding Wu’s words reasonable, he followed Ding Wu to Fengcheng the next day, bought some local gifts, and presented them to pregnant Zhongjin Khatun.

A’duo Si requested audience with An Da Khan, saying: “This year all pasture grass died from drought. Cattle and sheep have nothing to eat—we had to slaughter them early before they matured, leaving little meat. Winter approaches and tribal people will go hungry. I beg the Great Khan to grant some grain. Our Ordos tribe’s loyalty to the Great Khan will never change.”

As tribal alliance leader, An Da Khan faced drought affecting the entire grasslands. Every tribe requested grain, and the forty thousand dan just obtained from the White Lotus Sect definitely wouldn’t suffice for distribution.

But having stolen someone’s wife, he should provide some compensation. An Da Khan allocated two thousand dan of grain to A’duo Si.

A’duo Si was very disappointed. Given Zhongjin Khatun’s influence, he expected ten thousand… at minimum five thousand dan!

But he only received a fraction. Ding Wu consoled him: “Your Ordos tribe already received the most. Quickly transport the grain away before others steal it.”

“This still isn’t enough to eat.” A’duo Si said: “Vice Director Ding has Zhongjin Khatun’s trust—take me to see her. I’ll ask her to help obtain more grain to take along. I heard Zhongjin Khatun’s words carry weight with An Da Khan—she can persuade him.”

Ding Wu shook his head. “That won’t do! You and Zhongjin Khatun are cousins and were betrothed. Central Plains people have a saying: ‘Don’t adjust your hat under plum trees, don’t tie shoes in melon fields’—avoid suspicion. Zhongjin Khatun won’t see you.”

A’duo Si’s face showed miserable worry. Ding Wu had another plan: “If nothing else works, I’ll help you find connections to trade for grain in Central Plains. Grassland fox fur, sheepskin, and other pelts, plus fine horses are urgently needed in Central Plains—sell as much as you have. But because An Da Khan frequently wars with Daming, all horse markets and cattle markets for trading with Central Plains were cancelled by Ming court. Money can make ghosts push millstones—if it can’t be done openly, we can smuggle secretly. I have connections to trade pelts and horses for grain, but we must hide it from An Da Khan. I can’t bear the crime of secretly communicating with Central Plains.”

A’duo Si grasped Ding Wu’s hand like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. “Good brother! It’s settled—I won’t let you work for nothing. If this succeeds, I’ll give you ten percent profit.”

Ding Wu said: “No time to waste—once heavy snow blocks roads, nothing can be done. Prepare your pelts and horses. I’ll open channels through Ming border passes to get goods across for delivery. Your people wait at the border to receive grain. This winter, I guarantee not one person in your tribe will starve.”

A’duo Si hurried back to his tribe to prepare goods. He had pelts and horses anyway—without grain and fodder to feed them, the horses would starve to death. Better to lead them out for grain trading.

While Ding Wu step-by-step lured A’duo Si into his trap, elsewhere at the Khan’s court, with Third Madam pregnant, An Da Khan was immersed in the joy of love and becoming a father again, concerned about his young wife’s belly.

Regarding motherhood, Third Madam felt both excited and anxious. As a young, beautiful stepmother, An Da Khan’s eight sons and grandsons all disliked her.

The more An Da Khan favored Third Madam, the heavier the hostility from her stepsons became. Now Third Madam was pregnant—this child would inevitably claim large portions of land, slaves, cattle, sheep, and various wealth. There wasn’t enough to divide among them already!

Moreover, White Lotus Sect Leader Zhao Quan came to the Khan’s court daily, instigating An Da Khan to campaign south against Ming’s capital, making Third Madam even more uneasy.

Ding Wu advised Third Madam: “When women give birth, half their body lies in a coffin—too dangerous. My sworn sister was a physician who said women giving birth pass through death’s gate. An unclean cloth, unboiled water, or rusty scissors could kill a woman in childbirth.”

“In such large-scale warfare, An Da Khan must personally lead tribal armies to war for at least half a year or more. If Khatun gives birth alone in the Khan’s court and someone takes advantage to cause trouble, what can Khatun do?”

Third Madam listened and refused to let Zhao Quan enter the Khan’s court. She complained of back pain today, stomach pain tomorrow, nightmares the day after—keeping An Da Khan frantically worried, focusing only on his young wife and her belly, unable to break away. He summoned subordinates to send troops northwest for autumn raids, grabbing nearby spoils for winter.

As for personally leading campaigns, An Da Khan had abandoned this idea. He’d wait for Third Madam to safely deliver their child. He still had reproductive capability—future opportunities would come.

This time, the White Lotus Sect collaborators targeted the prosperous region of Datong in Shanxi, leading Tartar armies toward Datong.

Meanwhile, Ding Wu had A’duo Si prepare to collect grain: “The grain has been transported over. We’ve bribed Daming border guards to let them through. The trading location is at Shanxi Datong’s border. Bring more men—be careful of highway robbery.”

A’duo Si was overjoyed and set out to receive the grain.

Author’s Note: Scheming Ding Wu and Lu Ying are the perfect match—raising the parrot CP flag unwavering. Also, seeing how diligent Zhou is, please leave some flowers and comments. Zhou loves reading everyone’s comments on plot and characters. Thanks to little angels who voted or irrigated nutrient solution during 2020-10-15 19:52:072020-10-16 02:28:44

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