Chapter 286 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Live and Die Together (11)
The people of the tribe rose early. After breakfast, they began packing up their tents—they were relocating to another place for the winter.
They needed to find a location sheltered from the wind and snow. The place they used last year hadn’t been good enough, so this year, they had to find a new one.
Tuoba Jingyao dressed the young boy and wrapped him up in a soft, warm blanket. “We’ll be crossing the mountains soon. It’s windy at the top. If you feel cold, you must tell me. Don’t try to tough it out.”
“Mhm~ I’m already nice and warm, I won’t get cold,” Bai Tang replied. Wrapped up by Tuoba Jingyao like a little ball, he looked round and puffy—adorably so.
Before setting off, Gong Na, still worried about Bai Tang, came over to check on him. Seeing that Bai Tang was bundled up warmly, he nodded in approval. “That’s more like it. The more you wear now, the better—it’ll get cold later.”
Bai Tang had actually been thinking of taking off a couple of layers, but after hearing that, he didn’t dare to anymore.
Never ignore an elder’s advice, or you’ll pay the price.
Gong Na’s father had plenty of experience—he wouldn’t lie to him.
“I’m not cold at all. Ready to go anytime!” Bai Tang told Gong Na. “Don’t worry, Gong Na’s dad. Ah Yao will take care of me.”
Once everyone was accounted for, Tuoba Jingyao helped Bai Tang onto the horse, then mounted behind him.
He wrapped his arms around Bai Tang and looked back at the tribe, ready and waiting. “Let’s move out—!”
The horn sounded. At the command, the tribespeople mounted their horses, gathered their belongings, and herded the cattle and sheep to follow the main group.
Under the clear sky, hawks cried sharply overhead, piercing the clouds. Across the grassland, a long line of people slowly made their way up the mountain. Beyond the mountain lay their winter haven.
The mountain was steep, and the road was rough.
The tribespeople had to watch their footing while also making sure the livestock didn’t stray and fall. The terrain was dangerous—falling meant almost certain death.
They started the journey chatting and laughing, but as they ascended the mountain path, a heavy silence fell. The atmosphere gradually grew solemn.
The biting wind stung their faces. Tuoba Jingyao held the boy in his arms more tightly. “Are you cold?”
“Not at all~” Bai Tang whispered, nestled snugly in Tuoba Jingyao’s embrace. Thank goodness he hadn’t objected to wearing thick clothes, nor ignored Gong Na’s advice by secretly taking any off. Otherwise, he would’ve been freezing now.
Tuoba Jingyao kissed the top of the boy’s head. “There’s some warm goat’s milk in the gourd hanging at the front of the saddle. If you get thirsty or cold, have a sip.”
In truth, alcohol would keep out the cold more effectively—but the boy’s body was too weak, and Tuoba Jingyao didn’t dare let him drink.
“Okay~”
How could Bai Tang possibly reject his husband’s thoughtful gesture? He hooked the gourd bottle hanging in front of him, pulled out the stopper, and the fragrance of warm milk drifted on the wind.
The people behind Tuoba Jingyao caught the scent. After walking for half the day, their breakfast had long since been digested, and the aroma instantly stirred up their appetites.
“Chief, how about we take a break? Everyone’s getting tired,” someone suggested.
Tuoba Jingyao glanced at the sky. Judging by the time, it was nearly midday. He said, “There’s a small plateau up ahead. We’ll stop there for a short rest.”
The order was passed down the line. When they reached the plateau, the group halted to rest and recover.
Bai Tang took small sips of goat’s milk while Tuoba Jingyao sat beside him, rubbing his hands and breathing warm air onto them. The boy’s hands were frighteningly cold.
“Are you really not cold, Tang Tang? Should I find you another layer to wear?” Tuoba Jingyao asked with concern.
“No need, I’m really not cold.” The warm milk in his stomach had spread heat throughout his entire body. His once-pale face now carried a faint rosy flush. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered, “With Ah Yao holding me, I’m not cold at all~”
Tuoba Jingyao lifted Bai Tang’s hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. “Then I’ll hold you from now on.”
Blushing, Bai Tang withdrew his hand and offered the gourd to him. “You should drink some too, Ah Yao—it’ll warm you up.”
Tuoba Jingyao accepted it and took a couple of sips. Just then, someone came to report that there was a fight at the rear of the group.
Tuoba Jingyao stood up and told Bai Tang to stay and rest, then walked over to the commotion. “What’s going on here…?”
Bai Tang sat on a rock and craned his neck to look. Two young men had started fighting. The mountain road was treacherous, and a goat had nearly fallen off the edge. That had affected another goat belonging to the person in front. The tension built during the rest stop, and the two ended up brawling.
A goat was no small matter—it was worth a fair bit of money. Even if they weren’t sold, survival through the winter depended on them. Goat’s milk, wool blankets, or even meat—all were vital for staying alive. Livestock were not only property, they were life itself.
Tuoba Jingyao quickly resolved the matter and returned. Just then, Bai Tang suddenly remembered the original plot of this stretch of road—this mountain was the place where he died, all because of Long Qian’s scheming and manipulation.
He asked, “Ah Yao, where did Long Qian go?”
He hadn’t seen Long Qian just now. Although he wasn’t swayed by Long Qian’s manipulations, he still couldn’t help but worry.
Tuoba Jingyao wrapped the blanket around the boy again. “I assigned him to the rear of the group.”
Tuoba Jingyao had considered getting rid of Long Qian, but without solid evidence, expelling him from the tribe outright would raise suspicion. Still, he didn’t want Long Qian getting too close to Bai Tang, so he had no choice but to place him at the very end of the convoy.
He and Bai Tang were at the front, Long Qian at the back, with the entire tribe between them—there was no way Long Qian could hurt Tang Tang like that.
Bai Tang wasn’t someone who killed easily. He nodded, showing that he understood.
The group resumed their journey. By the afternoon, they had nearly reached the mountaintop. The wind was fiercer up there, and the path had narrowed. Everyone treaded carefully, terrified of making a misstep and falling off the edge.
Bai Tang looked down—a bottomless abyss was no exaggeration.
Once they made it through this stretch, the descent would be a little easier.
Just as Bai Tang thought nothing would go wrong, disaster struck. In the middle of the convoy, the tribe’s shared herd of cattle and sheep—too large in number and lacking someone to guide them—began to panic. Several sheep fell off the cliff.
The cries of alarm from the rear alerted those in the front.
Even in human form, Bai Tang had sharp eyesight, and he clearly saw the fear in the eyes of the sheep as they plummeted.
“Baa—!”
“Baa, baa—!”
The mother sheep had fallen, and the lambs were frantic with distress.
Bai Tang could hear the fear in their cries.
He turned to Tuoba Jingyao and said, “I want to go watch over the flock. Ah Yao, let me go down.”
When Tuoba Jingyao heard that Bai Tang wanted to go tend to the sheep, his expression turned cold. “No. It’s too dangerous.”
Just as he said that, another sheep lost its footing and fell off the cliff.
Bai Tang grew anxious. At this rate, by the time they reached their destination, how many sheep would even be left?
“I can communicate with the flock—they’ll listen to me. Ah Yao, please let me go. I can do this~” Bai Tang pleaded.
This was Tuoba Jingyao’s first time leading a migration since becoming chief. If they lost too many animals, his leadership could come under scrutiny.
“Ah Yao~ please let me go. I can do it. I’ll be careful…”
Bai Tang begged earnestly, his pure apricot eyes brimming with tears. “Please let me go…”
The people behind Tuoba Jingyao also knew about the chief’s consort’s “ability.” As long as Bai Tang spoke, the livestock would listen. If he went to guide the herd, the losses would only decrease, not increase.
“Chief, let Bai Tang go,” someone in the back urged.
Tuoba Jingyao was torn. Of course he was distressed about losing the livestock—but if anything were to happen to the boy, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
“I said no, and that’s final. Come with me.”
Refusing to relent, Tuoba Jingyao scooped Bai Tang into his arms and carried him forward.
After walking a bit farther, yet another sheep fell.
The reins in Tuoba Jingyao’s hand were suddenly dampened by something warm—Bai Tang’s tears were falling, one after another.
The livestock were calling to him, pleading for him to save them… and he was powerless to help.
Tuoba Jingyao pulled on the reins to stop the horse. He dismounted, then gently lifted Bai Tang down and tenderly wiped away his tears. “Don’t cry. I’ll let you go—but you must promise to be careful. If the cattle or sheep fall, then so be it. What matters most is that you come back safe and sound. Can you do that?”
“Mhm~” Bai Tang smiled through his tears and wiped them away. “I promise.”
Tuoba Jingyao was the chief, and they were now at the most treacherous part of the journey. He couldn’t leave his post to follow Bai Tang into the middle of the convoy. He had to lead the tribe down the mountain—at the very least, past this steep stretch.
Under the tribespeople’s warm and grateful gazes, Bai Tang made his way to the front of the herd. He gently stroked the backs of the sheep. “Don’t be afraid. Just listen to me—we’ll make it through this road safely.”
“Baa—!”
“Baa, baa—!”
“Moo—!”
At Bai Tang’s call, the cows and sheep responded in unison.
Rong Ningjing was positioned a little ahead of the herd. She had been doing her best to guide the animals, but several had still fallen. It pained her deeply to see it happen.
Now that she saw Bai Tang had arrived, she couldn’t rest easy. She informed her parents, then got off her horse and joined him.
“The path is narrow—Tang Tang, move inward a bit,” Rong Ningjing said, worried. Bai Tang was walking on the outermost edge of the trail, and small rocks occasionally tumbled down the cliff. It made her heart pound with fear.
“It’s fine. You’re a girl—you go on the inside,” Bai Tang replied, gently urging her inward.
The group continued on for a long time, finally making it past the steepest part of the road.
Tuoba Jingyao, unable to wait any longer, stopped his horse, handed over command of the convoy to his personal guards, and rode toward the middle of the group in search of Bai Tang.
Meanwhile, Long Qian had long been consumed by jealousy, watching day by day as Xin Gong’s affection for Rong Ningjing grew. That envy had already eroded his reason.
During the midday break, he had secretly fed the livestock grain laced with a drug.
He had calculated everything carefully: Rong Ningjing was walking ahead of the herd. Once the drug took effect, the cattle and sheep would become disoriented. If they strayed even a little, they would surely fall. And Rong Ningjing—she would never just stand by and watch them fall one by one. She would definitely get off her horse to guide them.
To prevent further loss, she would either move to the outer edge of the path or lead the animals herself. Either way, her strength couldn’t match theirs. If even one animal veered off course, it would drag her down with it.
That way, he could get rid of the thorn in his side without lifting a blade.
His plan was flawless—except he hadn’t counted on Bai Tang showing up and joining the herd from the front.
Then, the drug began to take effect.
A mother sheep stumbled forward, nearly knocking a lamb off the cliff.
Bai Tang rushed two steps forward to steady the lamb, then nudged the ewe behind it to move closer to the inner edge.
But just then, the cow ahead of the lamb began to sway—and suddenly kicked the lamb off the edge.
“Baa—!”
“Tang Tang—!”
The lamb fell—dragging Bai Tang down with it.
Amid Rong Ningjing’s and the approaching Tuoba Jingyao’s terrified cries, they both plummeted off the cliff.
Without a second thought, Tuoba Jingyao leapt after Bai Tang.
Author’s Note:
I’m his real mom, of course Tang Tang will be fine~ QAQ