MLMD -Chapter 54 Dai Shan’s Scheme

“What did you just say?” Zaisang suddenly lifted his head and glared at Wudamu.

Wudamu, frightened, quickly lowered his head, pressed a hand to his chest, and apologized: “Respected Chief Zaisang, please forgive my recklessness. What I just said was unintentional. I beg you to pardon me!”

“I said, repeat exactly what you just said!” Unexpectedly, Zaisang seemed not to hear Wudamu at all. His face glimmered with a strange light as he continued to stare at him, pressing for an answer.

“I… I…” Wudamu was so terrified that he froze, unable to speak. After a long moment, he stammered: “I… I meant that rather than marrying the eldest miss to that old man Huang Taiji, it would be better to match her with that wealthy young man from just now. That way, maybe our Khorchin tribe won’t have to worry about surviving the winter in the future!”

“Yes!” Zaisang slapped his thigh, his face full of excitement. “Wudamu, you’re absolutely right! Every winter has always been the hardest time for our tribe—we lack clothes, food, salt, and grain—almost everything is in shortage. But if we could have a wealthy ally, life for our tribe would be much easier in the future!”

“Hmm, that’s true too!” Wudamu nodded in agreement with Zaisang’s words.

At this point, some might ask: Zaisang is Huang Taiji’s father-in-law, and the Later Jin is now quite powerful—wouldn’t they just ask the Later Jin for help in times of trouble? In truth, things aren’t that simple. The Later Jin is indeed stronger than before, but that strength is relative. Every winter, many people in the Later Jin still die from hunger or cold. Otherwise, Huang Taiji wouldn’t have sent Dai Shan to propose marriage while also trying to put pressure on the tribe this time.

Wudamu’s eyes widened as he stammered: “Chief… you’re not really thinking of letting that Han man become your son-in-law, are you?”

“Of course! I’m considering it!” Zaisang waved his hand impatiently, a bit troubled. “Our Khorchin tribe has fifty to sixty thousand people. Feeding them each day is like feeding a small mountain. All the salt, grain, cloth, iron tools, armor, and weapons for our warriors—all of them require silver. If I don’t figure out a way, how can I manage?”

“Sigh…” Wudamu heaved a long sigh. As Zaisang’s trusted aide, he fully understood the chief’s feelings.

After a while, Zaisang said to Wudamu: “I think that young Han man looks good. Tomorrow, you go and quietly find out about this merchant—see how wealthy he really is. If he truly has that much wealth, I wouldn’t mind taking him as my son-in-law!”

“That’s… isn’t that too direct?” Wudamu shook his head.

“Then what do you suggest I do?” Zaisang asked, a little anxious. At that moment, he looked like a poor man desperately hunting for a long-term meal ticket, constantly thinking about how to sell his assets at the best price. He had originally wanted to wait for the right offer, but Huang Taiji’s pressure was too great, forcing him to lower his standards for choosing a husband.

Suddenly, Wudamu’s eyes lit up. He quickly said: “Chief, isn’t our ‘Goat-Leaping Competition’ the day after tomorrow? Let’s find a way to have the eldest miss make a brief appearance at the competition. I don’t believe that guy won’t be smitten once he sees her. Once he’s interested, our chance will come…”

“Yes… let’s do that!” Zaisang slapped his thigh and quickly banged his head, making a decision.

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

Ao Bai still looked angry. “Grand Beile, why didn’t you let me kill that boy who dared insult our Later Jin warriors today?”

“You, servant, what do you understand!” Dai Shan scolded him unhappily. “That Han man came to do business with Zaisang. Do you think Zaisang would just watch you kill him? For the sake of his tribe’s reputation, he absolutely would not allow you to kill that merchant!”

Ao Bai lowered his head, scolded, but still protested: “Then… then what do we do? Just let the boy go?”

“It’s a small matter.” Dai Shan shook his head, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. He turned and asked: “Ao Bai, did you notice that the boy’s men were wearing very unusual armor today?”

Hearing this, Ao Bai nodded: “Grand Beile, now that you mention it, I do remember. The armor on those Ming men was indeed very special. It fully covered the body, leaving only the eyes, nose, and a few small parts exposed. And it looks incredibly sturdy. If my guess is correct, this armor must be extremely durable—ordinary swords or blades could hardly harm it!”

“Hmm, you have some insight, servant.” Dai Shan praised him, then continued: “Tomorrow, you find a way to probe them and see their combat strength. Most importantly, see whether that armor is as solid as we suspect. If it really is, then next we…”

Listening to Dai Shan, Ao Bai nodded repeatedly: “Yes… Grand Beile is wise. I will handle it tomorrow!”

Meanwhile, Yue Yang, sleeping in the tent, had no idea that two groups had already set their sights on him. Though their intentions were different, their focus was the same—him.

The sky over the grasslands brightened unusually early. While Yue Yang was still in his dreams, he was abruptly awakened by urgent shouting.

“Master! Master! Something’s wrong! Get up quickly! Our men are fighting with the Later Jin!”

Groggily, Yue Yang opened his eyes. It was Shunbao, shaking him vigorously. Yue Yang, still half-asleep and annoyed, kicked Shunbao in the rear. “Why are you waking me so early? If you don’t give me a good reason, from now on, you’ll feed the horses for me!”

Shunbao didn’t plead, but continued urging: “No, Master! It’s serious! Dozens of our men are fighting the Later Jin!”

“Huh? Fighting?”

Only now did Yue Yang’s mind fully clear. After a moment of shock, he leapt up. “Fighting? How did this happen? What’s going on?”

Shunbao didn’t answer, just pressed him: “Oh, my dear Master, don’t ask now—go see for yourself, or it will get worse!”

“Hold on, let me get dressed first!” Though anxious, Yue Yang quickly dressed and followed Shunbao to the scene…