Imdiately,
the blind man bent over, leaned his face forward, and reached out to poke twice at the stone where Mo Wan was located,
said:
"Do you think my lord is unaware that Siniang's feelings for him aren't purely romantic?"
After a pause,
the blind man continued:
"Do you think my lord doesn't know that your greatest dream is to beco a filial son?"
...
Inside the room,
Shatuo Queshi, who had been sitting earlier, lay back down, closed his eyes, motionless, truly resembling an ordinary corpse.
Zheng Fan personally adjusted the cushion and pillow inside the coffin for him, then helped cover him with the precious silk blanket.
Then,
Zheng Fan sat cross-legged on the ground,
facing the coffin,
set out wine and dishes,
two pairs of chopsticks two bowls.
When he estimated that the blind man and Liang Cheng had already walked far away outside,
Zheng Fan raised his wine cup towards the coffin,
said:
"Let's have a drink together first."
...
The migration team of the Keyan Division was on the move.
On the north and south sides of the team, there were five thousand South Pacification Army cavalry escorts.
This was the treatnt this tribe had enjoyed ever since they entered the Yan State from Beifeng Prefecture.
For hundreds of years, many barbarian tribes have migrated into Yan State, and so even serve as officials in its court, but a large-scale tribal migration like the Keyan Division's was unprecedented.
The leader of the Keyan Division, Ke Yan Mu, rode on horseback, holding a wineskin filled with mare's milk wine.
He was half-drunk all the way through, and during the tribe's migration, any affairs that required the chieftain to handle were managed by his eldest son, Keyan Dongge.
The customs within Yan State and Jin State were undoubtedly much better than the desert's, but the desert was his holand; if it weren't for considering the young and the old of the entire tribe, he, Ke Yan Mu, would never have accepted the migration terms.
Moreover,
it was as a dowry for marrying off his daughter as a barbarian king!
But, there was really no other way; one must stay alive after all.
Keyan Dongge rode up to his father's side and reported:
"Father, several dozen tribesn fell ill today."
Such a long-distance migration, not adapting to the local climate and geography, was quite normal, not only for the tribe's young and old, but even the warriors could easily fall ill.
"Send them to the priests for care, and also, ask the Yan people to send more doctors to treat our tribesn."
"Yes, Father."
"Dongge."
"Father?"
"In the future, you don't need to report such matters to anymore. You have co of age, you are the young leader of the Keyan Division, and you are the future leader of our Keyan Division. You should learn to use your own wisdom and courage to lead the tribesn forward."
Whether in the Central Plains dynasties or among the desert barbarians, the contention among offspring was always a taboo and sensitive topic because it involved the most fundantal power struggle.
But in the Keyan Division, it was an exception. Ke Yan Mu had taken over the Keyan Division from his brother, and he only had Keyan Dongge as a son; the rest were all daughters.
So, regarding the future heir of the Keyan Division, there was no other choice.
When the team passed through Yanjing, Ke Yan Mu learned that the current Yan Emperor had as many as seven sons. Instead of being envious, he felt a bit sorry for the Yan Emperor.
Of course, such words shouldn't be spoken lightly because the forr Yan Emperor has now beco the emperor above him too.
Having entered Yan State, in the short term, it was unlikely for the Keyan Division to have a chance to return to their desert holand, so the entire tribe had to rely on the Yan people's goodwill to survive.
At the sa ti, it's clear that the Yan people didn't trust them either. Instead of migrating them from the west to the far east Snow Sea Pass, wherever the team moved, there were always at least ten thousand Yan State cavalry following nearby.
Though the Keyan Division could also muster a cavalry force of ten thousand warriors, with the entire tribe including the young, old, and won present, there was no way or courage to engage in any conflict with the Yan people.
"Father, you're still strong like an eagle on the desert. Besides, our tribe has seven elders whose experience and wisdom surpass all, and I still need to learn from you."
As the sole heir, what Keyan Dongge said wasn't empty flattery.
As an only son, why would he need to rush?
What should be his, would certainly be his.
Even if his father were to have another son now, due to the considerable age difference, it wouldn't pose any threat to him.
When one's position is firmly secured, they would naturally invest more thought into the public good.
"Phew..."
Ke Yan Mu smiled, shook his head, and took another big gulp of mare's milk wine.
"Dongge, my greatest worry now is whether Snow Sea Pass can provide our tribesn with enough food supplies. Throughout the migration, although our warhorses remain relatively safe, our cattle and sheep have dwindled significantly along the way.
If the Yan Lord at Snow Sea Pass fails to provide us with sufficient food and cloth, getting through the winter this year would be extrely tough for our tribe."
The cattle and sheep for the desert barbarians are a kind of production material, akin to farmland for the Central Plains people. Now, due to migration, the cattle and sheep have significantly dwindled. It's unfeasible for the tribesn to suddenly learn farming, right?
Even if they were to farm, timing-wise, it's already too late now.
Keyan Dongge appeared rather calm and directly said:
"Father, you don't need to worry about this. Didn't they say that north of Snow Sea Pass is the Snow Plains? The wild people on the Snow Plains also herd. If we lack livestock, when the ti cos, I'll take the tribe's warriors to seize from the wild people!"
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