Chapter 246

“Kill you?” Helian Zheng repeated, suddenly stopping short. “Why would I dirty my hands?”

“Gentlemen.” Helian Zheng turned from the old man. “As the Shunyi King appointed by the Son of Heaven, I depose Kulcha Patriarch of Golden Lion and strip him of his Irgi name. On the pain of death, he will never set foot again in King’s Court. Let those willing to take in homeless strays... feel free.”

The silence that followed was soon broken by Kulcha’s miserable howl: “No! No! You can’t! You cannot! I am Patriarch Irgi, you have no right to take my title...”

“Now I am Patriarch!” Helian Zheng turned and roared, his purple eye deep and deathly cold. “There is no kindness for traitors! From today onwards, the Irgi Family will never have two masters!”

Kulcha screamed with fury and pain, unseating his blade and rushing forward only to be intercepted by Hotega’s powerful kick. The old man flew several meters, collapsing in an unstaring pile.

“Now.” Helian Zheng ignored the small patriarchs and turned to Hongji Le. “It is our turn to settle our debts.”

“You can’t kill him...” A tender, sweet voice called out as a red robed figure rushed into the tent. She leaped towards Helian Zheng with arms spread to hug him. “Jadran, he is your father-in-law, the grandfather of your child!”

“Grandfather my ass!” Helian Zheng instinctively replied, slapping the rushing figure.

After his knee-jerk swearing reaction, Helian Zheng finally took a good look at the speaker and stepped back. “What grandfather! Narta, when did I sleep with you? F*ck off!”

The young woman spread her arms, protecting Hongji Le as she cried out: “It’s true! It’s yours!”

“Where would I sleep with you!”

“Gan Zhou!”

“Gan Zhou...?”

“The Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion!”

“When?”

“Eight months ago on a rainy day, you said it was hot and called me inside to take off my robes...”

“Bullshit... I said that to the singing girl...”

“I was that singing girl, and I changed and followed you!”

“...”

Feng Zhiwei glanced sidelong at Helian Zheng — as soon as he had heard ‘Gan Zhou City,’ he had looked more and more guilty and his voice and grown weaker and weaker...

She examined the Narta girl. She looked quite decent, maybe a few too many freckles, but quite cute.

“Jadran, my mother is Han and so is yours.” Narta added aggressively, taking advantage of Helian Zheng’s dumb shock as she looked down, her hand affectionally rubbing her huge belly. “We were made for each other.”

“A devil was made for you!” Helian Zheng called out, all of his prestige and wit out the window as he shouted: “The Han woman I married is the one made for me! Who how you got pregnant, and now you’re framing me!”

“You can kill me! You can even abandon me and our child! But you cannot humiliate me!” Narta yelled in anger, all of the fondness disappearing from her face. “The Central Plains has a saying, the righteous prefer death the dishonor! All the uncles here are my witnesses — Jadran forced me!”

She screamed in terror and determination as she smashed her head down towards the edge of a desk, clearly intent on death. Hongji Le cried out in terror, grabbing at his daughter, but he slipped on a misplaced slice of meat and fell to the ground. With no one able to pull her back, Narta fell forward like a falling bolt of lightning, her head nearing closer and closer to the sharp desk corner.

“Hua La.”

The desk was swiftly pulled away out of Narta’s path, and the young woman fell into waiting arms.

Warm hands held her gently as a smiling voice warned soothingly: “Don’t get too excited, be careful of the baby.”

Narta looked up into Feng Zhiwei’s misty, thoughtful eyes and immediately pouted. She struggled upright and pushed Feng Zhiwei away, her voice cold: “Get away from me! My mother says that Central Plains women are only good for causing problems and hurting people!”

“You’re too unimportant for her to cause you problems!” Helian Zheng snapped disdainfully. “You are not worthy of entering my King’s Court!”

“Jadran I am willing to die for you and you won’t have me?” Narta cried out, turning once again to the others in the tent. “Uncles, women are nothing in the steppes, but our wombs hold treasured babies. No one can despise this child! Can Jadran disregard all rules simply because he is King?”

Everyone nodded in approval at her words. All the steppe tribes worried about growing their sizes and children were incredibly valued. One could abandon a wife, but never abandon children[1].

“King.” Hotega began, frowning. “Since Narta carries a child with Irgi blood, spare Hongji Le. He killed your Father King to avenge the deaths of his own family. Steppe men fight every year. Death is common, and we must move on or else our people will die out.”

“He’s right.” Yelye added. “King, as your elder pardon my arrogance in advising you, but now that Narta has your child, you would not want your son to avenge his grandfather would you? Rest assured, our decision today will be made together. If Hongji Le breaks faith, you will not need to move, we will all punish him for you!”

“The way I see it, Hongji Le’s crimes can be repaid with territory and gold.” Hunn advised. “He’ll contribute sheep and gold to the King’s Court every year and give up the land east of the Qing Zhuo Mountains... he can move to... the northern banks of the Chang River.

The barren land of the now extinct Pixiu Tribe.

The Patriarchs nodded in agreement. The steppe would lose no power in a bloodless resolution, and now that no easy victory was in sight, none of the Patriarchs wanted war.

Helian Zheng stood quietly, his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was cold as death and the weight and prestige of his Kingship slowly silenced all the noisy Patriarchs. The older men all exchanged awkward glances and the powerful Patriarchs began to frown worriedly.

Feng Zhiwei sighed silently. Though Helian Zheng had snatched victory in this Golden Alliance Meeting, he would not be able to avenge his father’s death. The King’s Court was still in disarray and his power base weak and untested. If he insisted against the advice of the Patriarchs and killed Hongji Le, many new uncertainties would emerge.

[1] Then what about kereyid