Chapter 54

"What did you say?" Zaisang suddenly raised his head and looked at Wudamu.

Wudamu, frightened, quickly lowered his head and apologized, "Respected Chief Zaisang, please forgive my rashness. What I said just now was unintentional. Please forgive me!"

"I want you to repeat what you just said!" Unexpectedly, Zaisang seemed not to have heard Wudamu's words. His face glowed with a strange light as he continued to stare at him and ask.

"I... I..." Wudamu was so frightened that he panicked and couldn't speak for a moment. After a long time, he stammered, "I... I meant that instead of marrying the young lady to the old man Huangtaiji, it would be better to betroth her to that wealthy young man. This way, perhaps our科尔沁部落 won't have to worry about the winter anymore!"

"Right!" Zaisang slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "Wudamu, what you said makes a lot of sense. Every winter is the hardest time for our tribe. We lack clothes, food, salt, and grain, almost everything. But if we can have a wealthy partner, our tribe's future will be much better!"

"Hmm, that's true!" Wudamu also agreed with Zaisang.

At this point, someone might ask: Zaisang is Huangtaiji's father-in-law, and the Later Jin is now quite prosperous. Wouldn't they seek help from the Later Jin when they encounter difficulties? The situation is not that simple. Although the Later Jin is indeed more prosperous than before, it is only relatively so. Every winter, many people in the Later Jin still die from hunger and cold. Otherwise, Huangtaiji wouldn't have sent Dai Shan to propose marriage and also to seek aid.

But then Wudamu widened his eyes and stammered, "Chief, you... you don't really want to let that Han man be your son-in-law, do you?"

"Of course not, I'm just considering it!" Zaisang waved his hand impatiently and said with some distress, "Our科尔沁部落 has over fifty thousand people, and the grain we need every day is like a small mountain. All those salt, grain, cloth, iron, armor, and weapons for our warriors require money. If I don't think of a way, how can we manage?"

"Ah..." Wudamu sighed deeply. As Zaisang's confidant, he understood Zaisang's feelings very well.

After a while, Zaisang said to Wudamu, "I think that young Han man is not bad. Tomorrow, go and probe the merchant's intentions and find out about his wealth. If he is really that rich, I don't mind making him my son-in-law!"

"Is that appropriate? Won't it be too direct?" Wudamu shook his head.

"What do you want me to do?" Zaisang was getting impatient. He was like a poor man desperately looking for a long-term meal ticket, always trying to get the best price for what he had. Originally, he wanted to wait for the right price, but Huangtaiji was pushing too hard, forcing him to lower his standards for choosing a son-in-law.

Wudamu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly said, "Chief, isn't it the sheep-grabbing contest the day after tomorrow? We can find a chance to let the young lady make an appearance at the contest. I don't believe that young man won't be moved by her. Once he is moved, our opportunity will come..."

"Right... let's do it!" Zaisang slapped his thigh and quickly made a decision...

While Zaisang was racking his brain to find a wealthy son-in-law, not far away in a tent, Dai Shan and Ao Bai were discussing matters under a dim oil lamp.

Ao Bai was still fuming, "Great Prince, why didn't you let me kill that boy who dared to insult our Later Jin warriors today?"

"You fool, what do you know!" Dai Shan glared at him and scolded, "That Han man came to do business with Zaisang. Do you think Zaisang would just let you kill him? For the sake of his tribe's reputation, he would never let you kill that merchant!"

Ao Bai lowered his head, but still said不服地, "Then... what should we do? Are we just going to let that boy go?"

"It's just a small matter." Dai Shan shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. He turned and asked, "Ao Bai, did you notice that the armor worn by that boy's subordinates today was quite special?"

Dai Shan's words made Ao Bai nod, "Great Prince, now that you mention it, I remember. The armor worn by those Ming dogs was indeed very special. I have never seen such armor before. It covers the entire body, leaving only the eyes, nose, and a few other places exposed. It looks extremely sturdy. If I am not mistaken, this armor must be very well-protected, and ordinary swords and spears would find it hard to damage it!"

"Hmm, you have some insight, after all." Dai Shan praised Ao Bai with a glance and continued, "Tomorrow, try to probe these people and see how strong they are. Most importantly, check if that armor is as sturdy as we think. If it is, then we..."

Listening to Dai Shan, Ao Bai nodded continuously, "Yes... Great Prince, you are wise. I will take care of it tomorrow!"

At this moment, Yueyang, who was sleeping in his tent, had no idea that two groups of people were already watching him, though their motives were different, their target was him.

The sky on the grassland brightened early. Just as Yueyang was still in a deep sleep, he was woken up by a series of urgent shouts.

"Master, Master, something bad has happened, get up quickly! Our people are fighting with the Later Jin people!"

Yueyang opened his eyes groggily, and it was Shunbao who was shaking him vigorously. Still half-asleep, Yueyang was immediately angry and kicked Shunbao's buttocks, "You little brat, what are you up to so early? If you don't give me a good reason, from today on, you will feed my horses!"

Shunbao, who had been kicked, did not beg for mercy but continued to urge, "No, Master, something serious has happened. Dozens of our brothers are fighting with the Later Jin people!"

"Huh? Fighting?"

Only then did Yueyang's mind clear up. He was stunned for a moment before jumping up, "What, they are fighting? What's going on?"

Shunbao did not answer Yueyang but continued to urge him, "Oh, my dear Master, don't ask, just go and see quickly, or it will be too late!"

"Don't rush, let me get dressed first!" Although Yueyang was also anxious, he quickly got dressed and followed Shunbao to the scene...

PS: Lately, the number of recommendation votes has been pitifully low. Brothers, please give your votes to this hungry wolf!

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