In the night, a feast was held at the Ulaan Tribe's settlement in honor of Prince Tokhta, Lady Aynur's brother and the Khan's son.
The decision to pay an exorbitant tribute to the Khan had been made by Batu, and the next day, Prince Tokhta would return to the Serlun Tribe with the tribute. As a gesture of hospitality and goodwill, and to relieve the tension, Batu had ordered a feast. For the tribesmen, this was a joyous event.
It could be said that the Ulaan Tribe seemed very prosperous to the young prince of the Khanate, considering they could afford a feast in winter even after paying such a large tribute.
However, despite appearances, this was an extremely sensitive matter, and everyone had been on edge ever since Prince Tokhta had arrived with the 'request'.
The stars shone beautifully in the Eternal Sky, the moon was full, and in the presence of large fire pits and torches, the entire settlement looked very lively and joyous at this time.
In the heart of the settlement, near the Tribe Leader's Yurt, there was a large Altar in an open space. On this particular night, this place was crowded as the feast began.
The atmosphere was festive as beautiful young maidens of the tribe danced gracefully to the rhythm of the Dombra, a Sumerai musical instrument resembling a lute. As the singer skillfully plucked and strummed, a voice reminiscent of galloping horses echoed out, accompanied by the unique throat singing of the Nomads.
The sounds of clattering horn-made cups rang incessantly as everyone, young and old, man and woman, enjoyed the sour 'Arkhi'—a staple beverage of the Sumer people, made with fermented mare's milk or grain.
The tribe's elders, Batu's sons and daughters, as well as other family members, were seated under a canopy, presiding over the festivities.
Everyone had smiles on their faces as they ate, drank, and enjoyed this rare moment of peace.
A young man, sitting beside his mother, Lady Aynur, looked around as if searching for someone. His gaze fell on Lady Naran and Niryul who were sitting together. Furrowing his brows, he spoke to his mother in a low voice, "Where is Sixth Brother Noyan?"
Lady Aynur glanced at Lady Naran, their eyes meeting briefly in a polite smile. Then, she turned towards her son and shrugged, "Who knows what that child is up to... I haven't seen him much these days."
Oyuun, the young man, laughed disdainfully, "Must be reading books, hahaha!"
Lady Aynur frowned and shot a fierce glare at her son, "Idiot! Don't underestimate that child. His mother is not simple; how could the son of such an ambitious woman be mediocre? How many times have I told you not to underestimate anyone?!" She scolded sternly.
Oyuun lowered his gaze apologetically, just then, a chuckle came from the side, "Sister, don't be so harsh on the nephew. Oyuun is not bad at all!" Prince Tokhta said as he wrapped his arms around Oyuun's neck.
Lady Aynur's gaze softened, "Hmph, brother, you spoil him too much!"
Tokhta laughed spiritedly, then suddenly, his face became serious. Leaning closer to his sister and nephew, he spoke cautiously in a very low voice, "Let me tell you a secret, soon, there's going to be a good opportunity to let loose on the battlefield! All four Khanates will form a loose coalition! Just like seventeen years ago! This time, we're going to plunder the Liang Dynasty to the fullest!"
Hearing this, Lady Aynur's expression became pensive while Oyuun felt his hands tingle with excitement. He couldn't wait to ride southwards and attack the rich and prosperous cities of Liang. It was as if he could even see himself riding through the alleys of the border towns, plundering the richest.
"This is a good opportunity; you must perform well on the battlefield! I think the Covenant will take charge of this expedition; if you perform well, they might even notice you!" Lady Aynur said with an encouraging smile.
The rumors of a possible expedition to the south had not yet fully surfaced. But as the son of one of only four Khans in the Plains, Tokhta naturally knew more. But he was not the only one.
Nearby, a dignified, tall, and slender lady turned her head. She was the main wife of Batu Ulaan. Beside her sat a burly young man, his hair braided, his face handsome yet sharply muscular. An aura of the battlefield oozed from his every action. Most importantly, this young man had been baptized during the 'Pilgrimage' and was considered Lord Batu's unofficial heir. He was the eldest of all his children.
As though it were a badge of honor or a symbol of his status, the totemic tattoo on the young man's right shoulder drew countless gazes of admiration and respect. He was one of the very few individuals who had awakened their dormant Bloodline power. The tattoo was a manifestation of this noble bloodline.
The main wife of Batu Ulaan was called Cirina. She was a beautiful woman, her demeanor naturally exuding an aura of authority. However, next to her husband, she was like a blossoming flower or a docile cat.
In Sumerai culture, a man could have multiple wives and concubines, and a wife was allowed to have her own household that included the wife, her children, as well as their attendants and servants.
Only the first wife and her children were honoured to accompany the Lord in social settings, representing the Tribe and the Lord's household. In this case, Lady Cirina naturally held this honour.
Lord Batu had three wives and four concubines. The official wives naturally had more status than the concubines, and even among the wives, Lady Cirina, as the main wife, held the most authority. While Lady Aynur was most favored due to her connection with the Khan. And as for Lady Naran, her relationship was most peculiar to everyone.
Speaking of which, Batu had met fierce resistance nearly fifteen years ago when he announced his intention to take Lady Naran as his third wife.
In Sumerai tradition, women who were not native to the Plains could only be taken as slaves, servants, or concubines. This made Batu's decision incomprehensible and rare.
Even though the elders and nobles of the Tribe resisted, what could they do? Batu was a very stubborn and unique man. He always believed that some traditions were holding the Plains back and even dared to disregard them completely. In this matter, even the Khan himself could not change his mind.
In the end, Batu married Lady Naran anyway, giving her the status of an official wife and making her days much more pleasant in the tribe. But in the end, she was still an outsider, and not many people could accept her. It's just that in front of the Tribe Leader's growing authority, no one could say anything.
Not only this, but very few people in the Tribe knew of all the intricacies of how Lady Naran, a foreigner, came to be the wife of the Lord. Most people only saw that the beautiful foreigner from the civilized world, who was a captive before; became an official wife and even enjoyed an unusually special status in the Tribe's heirarch and Lord Batu's heart.
Just to have her, the Lord had even made a certain compromises and open mindedly accepted her conditions. This was naturally unheard of, but to willingly make the woman marry him, Lord Batu had gone to all the lengths. This was where he differed from other Lords of the Plains.
This matter had left people speechless and dumbfounded initially. But eventually the stigma of Lady Naran's identity began fading as her talents found opportunities to shine. And as her influence grew, Lord Batu's harem could no longer simply ignore this woman who they thought was like a witch.
"Lord Husband, is that child Noyan sick again? I'm very concerned for his health," Lady Cirina spoke suddenly to her husband with a worried expression, also noticing the absence of Noyan.
Lord Batu's eyes shone momentarily, "No need to worry about him. After all… just whose son is he?" Lord Batu chuckled.
Lady Cirina immediately knew that Lord Batu was talking about Lady Naran.
It was widely known in the Tribe that Lady Naran was even better of a healer than the Tribe's Hakims. Lady Cirina laughed, realizing that worrying about the son's health of a Divine Healer was indeed a bit presumptuous, "I spoke wrongly," she said.
Hearing this conversation, the Eldest Son, Bartu, spoke mysteriously, "Mother, Sixth brother is not to be underestimated; a few days ago, I saw him by the Aanjin river coincidentally; at that time, he was hunting boar. His archery is not bad!"
Hearing this, Lady Cirina showed a surprised expression, "Husband, is this really true? Looks like the sixth son is not as the rumors then?" She asked curiously, her large eyes blinking as she looked at Lord Batu.
Lord Batu's eyes twitched. It was indeed not easy to keep Noyan's true abilities hidden for so long. The fact that Noyan had managed to stay lowkey for so long was already surprising. But some were starting to take note of him.
Thinking that it wouldn't matter anyway, especially since Noyan was going to take part in the Pilgrimage, he answered perfunctorily, "Hm, he's not too bad!"
After this, the topic changed, and Noyan was not mentioned again. The feast continued; the fragrance of tasty meat and alcohol spread in the air, the young maidens danced beautifully like flowing water, showing off their elegant curves, entrancing countless young men. The sound of merry music intensified as the bards sang of the tales of the Great Khan, the Northern Emperor. A heroic atmosphere began spreading as the warriors of the tribes and even the princes took initiative to spar in the ring.
Eventually, as the feast continued with increasing intensity and satisfaction, Lord Batu took his leave, urging everyone to enjoy themselves fully all night before departing.
Seeing him go, the crowd didn't think much of it, as the Lord consciously wouldn't accompany them all night. Instead, cheers erupted as everyone could act more freely.
Only Lady Cirina smiled mysteriously, her eyes glinting with a knowing look as she bid her husband farewell for the night.
Lord Batu left the feast quietly and went to the outskirts of the settlement where an empty space was enclosed with fabric covering, leaving only the ceiling open. This was the arena.
In the arena, Noyan alone was waiting patiently for his father, his eyes closed, his demeanor calm. His face shone with a silvery golden hue from the torches as well as the luminosity of the moon.
His heart however, was filled with excitement. This was the day he would begin to learn the special skill of the Ulaan Tribe from his father! Noyan thought as he recalled the top class movement technique his father often used.