The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

No matter how much Liu Sanlang couldn't believe it, the alliance ceremony was still held as usual.

After a series of ceremonies including offering sacrifices to the gods, reading the covenant, drinking blood oaths, and exchanging tokens, it was almost noon.

Now there is only one step left: feast and celebration.

Important figures from both the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Jinwu Khanate ate and drank together, and there were singing and dancing performances to liven up the atmosphere.

The scene suddenly became harmonious.

The scene of blood and flesh flying on the battlefield seemed so far away.

Both sides were willing to cease fire and had already formed an alliance, so no one said anything tactless at the banquet.

As one of the generals, Liu Sanlang also toasted the enemy Khan and several princes from other tribes.

While drinking, Liu Sanlang paid close attention to the expression on Guo Jia's face, but did not notice anything unusual.

I don’t know if it was because the other party concealed it too well or what, but Liu Sanlang was confused.

Zhao Renzhi happened to be sitting next to Liu Sanlang. Seeing Liu Sanlang paying so much attention to him, he leaned forward slightly and whispered gossipingly, "Brother Liu, do you know the origins of their new Khan?"

His network of contacts is much richer than Liu Sanlang's, and since he is also a curious person, he knows more details than Liu Sanlang.

Liu Sanlang was indeed very curious. Upon hearing this, he whispered, "Brother Zhao, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me what's going on! To be honest, their Khan looks so much like a Han Chinese that when I first saw him, I thought he was someone I used to know!"

"Haha, maybe you have really seen it," Zhao Renzhi said with a laugh.

Then he slowly told what he knew: "I heard that their Khan Bater does have Han Chinese blood, and his mother is a princess of the previous Daxia Kingdom. But this princess is not the real princess, she is a fake. The Daxia royal family randomly picked a concubine's daughter from the royal family, temporarily canonized her as a princess, changed the jade disc, and sent her to the desert to appease the Tatars!

But it was said that he was soon discovered. Han princesses are not favored in the desert, let alone fake ones. So even though he was a prince, he had no status in the tribe. Coupled with his Han Chinese appearance, he was even less popular with the tribe. It's quite sad to think about it!"

"Fake princess?" Liu Sanlang repeated softly, feeling that he had learned something new.

"Well, it's nothing. The royal family of the previous dynasty often did this," Zhao Renzhi shook his head.

"There are many reasons for this. First, real princesses are scarce, and the royal family is unwilling to sacrifice their legitimate bloodline. Second, the real princesses sent over in the early days all had a hard time, and over time, no one was willing to marry them anymore. Most importantly, after a long period of peace, the previous dynasty was no longer as wary of the Tatars. Therefore, this was just a temporary strategy to appease the Tatars and save face for both sides. It has been like this ever since. To be honest, it's a good thing that no palace maids were arranged."

"How can peace between the two countries be achieved by marrying off a woman?" Liu Sanlang shook his head, disagreeing. "Back when we were in our hometown, fighting for a good stall was a common occurrence, with bloodshed and bruises commonplace. The two countries have so many interests at stake, and the conflict will only intensify!"

"You're right," Zhao Renzhi smiled. "It's just a case of trying to cover up one's own mistakes. To put it bluntly, it's because our country is too weak and lacks the courage and strength to face a direct battle! It's said that Bater wasn't originally called Bater, but Artek, which means "redundant" in Chinese. He changed his current name himself, which is quite impressive!"

After hearing this, Liu Sanlang was not only surprised but also felt a little uncomfortable. Just from these few words, he could imagine how difficult Guo Jia's situation was in the tribe.

"By the way, what did you mean when you said we might actually have seen him?"

"Oh, because I heard that he had been active in various countries in the Western Regions and the Central Plains, so he actually speaks Chinese very well and can understand everything we say. Isn't your hometown in Huguang area? It's not surprising that you have really seen him," Zhao Renzhi explained.

"It's not easy for this man to reach this point. He's quite a character. Fortunately, he doesn't have the ambition to continue to dominate the Central Plains. Otherwise, he would definitely make us suffer a lot."

"After the covenant ceremony, they will return to the desert. I guess it will be difficult to see them again in the future," Liu Sanlang thought with some emotion.

I never thought that one day I would be so close to the Khan of a foreign race, and we had meals and worked together. At that time, I just thought that he was a little smarter and more capable than ordinary people.

Why didn’t I see that he was so extraordinary at that time!

Zhao Renzhi was concerned about another issue: "Just now when we were talking about marriage alliances, I just remembered that this Khan is still an older, golden bachelor. I wonder if His Majesty will arrange for a woman to marry him, following the old dynasty's practice!"

"But the emperor doesn't have a daughter of the right age. He is an only child and has no relatives. There is no question of him being adopted from the royal family. I don't think that's possible," Liu Sanlang replied.

While the two were gossiping, the banquet was slowly coming to an end.

Qin Qingshan was able to become a king of a different surname, and his abilities were outstanding.

I didn't forget my work while eating.

According to the prescription given by the Tatars, Qin Qingshan first ordered the imperial physician to prepare a batch of medicine and try it on the soldiers who were seriously ill.

Only after confirming that the prescription is correct will it be distributed to all infected soldiers on a large scale.

But within two or three days, the plague was gradually brought under control.

The covenant ceremony had ended, so it was not appropriate for Guo Jia and his group to stay any longer.

At the end of the banquet, Qin Qingshan expressed his meaning tactfully.

Guo Jia was also very understanding. Hearing this, he bowed and smiled, "That's exactly what I was thinking. The sorcerer has calculated that tomorrow is a good day. Then I will lead all the Tatars out of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Actually, there's no need to be so anxious," Qin Qingshan said politely, then stroked his beard and smiled, "But since the Khan has decided to leave, I won't stay any longer. May our two countries remain neighbors forever and prosper together! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Guo Jia also raised his glass with a smile, with ambition well hidden deep in his eyes.

After the banquet, Liu Sanlang and other generals had to return to the city to garrison, while Guo Jia and others had to retreat to the camp in the suburbs.

Before getting on his horse, Liu Sanlang glanced into the distance and knew that it was not appropriate for him to have too much contact with the Tatars at this time, as Guo Jia would be returning to the desert tomorrow.

How he completed the transformation of his identity and how he got from Lin'an to the capital, perhaps he will never know the answer.

Alas, everyone has their own destiny, so I just hope you all take care of yourself!

After thinking about all this, Liu Sanlang no longer lingered, got on his horse and rode away.

At this time, Guo Jia was sitting in a carriage leaving in the opposite direction and was also feeling emotional.

Everything today is hard-won. He will definitely seize this situation and change the history of the Tatars.

As for everything about the Southern Dynasty, let it disappear with the wind!

I can only say goodbye formally in my heart!