Chapter 292 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Milk in Place of Wine (17)
Scattered across the grasslands were many tribes, each representing a distinct force. Now that these forces had united, even the powerful country of Aixi could no longer ignore the fertile lands of the prairie.
Enough. There’s no point fighting Nanjia anymore — let’s settle the matter of the grasslands first.
With the arrival of spring, Tuoba Jingyao set a series of plans in motion and shared his views with the tribespeople.
The tribes had always cherished peace — but only on the condition that outsiders didn’t try to seize their land.
Now, the Aixi Kingdom had crossed the line. If even the grasslands were taken by Aixi, how were they supposed to survive? They would have nowhere left to live.
“I agree. I’m willing to follow the chieftain,” a young man stood up and said.
“I’m willing too.”
“So am I.”
At the tribal assembly, many young and able men stood up. They were determined to protect their homeland — to defend the grasslands.
“Good! You’re all true baturu (heroes) of our tribe — every one of you is outstanding!” Tuoba Jingyao’s words seemed to set the very air ablaze.
“Anyone willing to join the ranks, sign up with Aqi. We begin training the day after tomorrow. Let’s drive the enemies eyeing our grasslands back where they came from.”
The tribespeople were full of fighting spirit — it was as if they already held great blades in their hands, standing tall on the battlefield.
Bai Tang joined the crowd in shouting the slogans. He liked how Ah Yao shone when he was in command — he looked amazing!
Qiu’er muttered, “It’s over. My Tang Tang has become a total fanboy of the male lead.”
In order to better understand Qiu’er, Xiao A had watched recordings of the worlds where Qiu’er and Bai Tang had completed missions before A had been bound to Bai Tang.
He said, “Back when you first saw Hudson, you seemed even more starstruck by the male lead than the host was…”
That black history was something Qiu’er didn’t want to look back on. If he’d known the male lead would one day steal away his beloved and adorable Tang Tang, only a fool would’ve admired him!
“Please don’t bring that up…” Qiu’er covered his face. That system who used to swoon over the male lead definitely wasn’t him — absolutely not!
Military training was nothing new among the tribes. The Aixi Kingdom paid no mind to the recent shifts among them. In their eyes, the tribes were always fighting over territory anyway. Training their own troops and seizing land from each other was routine. Their internal strife never ceased — how could they possibly have the time or ability to scheme on a grand scale?
They even thought they could wait until the grassland tribes had fought each other to exhaustion, then swoop in and take them all in one go.
But Aixi could never have guessed — Tuoba Jingyao had already shared his grand plan with the other tribal leaders. What he sought had never been to become king of the grasslands.
His ambition was the Central Plains.
He wanted to cross the border and replace Aixi — to unify the entire realm.
Other tribal leaders had considered the same idea, but Tuoba Jingyao’s strength couldn’t be ignored. He was not someone who could be underestimated simply because of his youth. Under his leadership, the tribe’s standard of living and overall power had multiplied several times over within just a year.
His vision reached far and wide — he was clearly destined for greater things.
Of course, not all the tribal leaders were genuinely on the same page. Some agreed on the surface to ally with Tuoba Jingyao, but secretly harbored their own agendas. But for now, let’s set that aside. Spring passed swiftly in the midst of training, and time slipped into summer.
Summer brought with it a particularly important event — so important that Tuoba Jingyao found himself in a constant state of nervousness.
Very few things could make Tuoba Jingyao anxious — but this was one of them.
Tuoba Jingyao and Bai Tang were about to be married.
Rong Ningjing, who had learned Su embroidery from her grandmother, worked day and night alongside the tribe’s other skillful women. After rushing and racing against time, they finally managed to complete the wedding robes for the two grooms a week before the ceremony — almost to the point of exhaustion.
When Rong Ningjing saw Bai Tang put on his wedding robe — the bright red ceremonial garment setting off his fair, rosy complexion and enhancing his natural charm — all the hard work felt worth it.
“Not bad, not bad. This is the first time I’ve felt that my embroidery skills are truly presentable — even beautiful. Maybe I should quit being a healer and become a seamstress instead. Might earn more that way!” Educated in modern values, Rong Ningjing upheld the idea of female independence — that marriage wasn’t a necessity — and had already begun planning her own future.
If she couldn’t find someone she genuinely connected with, then financial security would be her greatest safeguard.
“I think it’s really beautiful too. Ningjing and all the other sisters did an amazing job~” Bai Tang said happily.
Most of the women who helped with the wedding robes were already married. So when Bai Tang called them “sisters,” it made them all feel younger. After all, no matter the age, women always enjoy being told they’re young.
And Bai Tang really was too cute — the kind of boy none of them had ever seen before. One by one, they couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his soft, youthful face.
No wonder Rong Ningjing loved pinching the future chieftain’s husband’s cheeks. They were so soft! If she didn’t take the chance to touch them now, she wouldn’t get another once the two were officially married.
“Mmm… Sisters, please don’t pinch my face anymore…” Bai Tang protested weakly. His cheeks had only just filled out nicely thanks to Tuoba Jingyao’s care — and now they were under siege.
Aqi, meanwhile, was eyeing Bai Tang’s wedding robe with wide, admiring eyes. The embroidery was vivid and lifelike. He’d heard Rong Ningjing taught everyone how to do it — so beautiful! If it were up to him, he’d marry someone just like Rong Ningjing: capable and talented. A few years older? Not a problem. As the saying goes, “A woman three years older is a treasure.” Rong Ningjing was exactly three years his senior.
“Aqi, did you wash your hands? Don’t get the wedding robe dirty,” Rong Ningjing said sharply, catching his sneaky move and swatting his hand away.
Come on — it was all just playful teasing. Everyone was only joking around, pinching the little cutie’s cheeks. But if Aqi dared to touch the wedding robe — and heaven forbid, accidentally touched little cutie Tangtang’s body — Tuoba Jingyao would definitely kill someone.
Aqi chuckled sheepishly. Once a little thought takes root, it’s hard to get rid of it.
He suddenly realized that Rong Ningjing was actually quite pretty too — just not as fair-skinned as Tangtang. But then again, most of the girls in the tribe had the same complexion, so she was still pretty decent.
“All right, all right, enough fooling around. The chieftain is going to be here soon,” Rong Ningjing said.
Only then did Bai Tang manage to escape the clutches of those strange “sisters” and “aunties.”
The chieftain was seriously possessive — if he found out about this, he wouldn’t punish the women directly, but he would increase the training loads for their husbands. That would definitely not be worth it.
Just as Rong Ningjing finished speaking, Tuoba Jingyao walked into the tent from outside.
“Greetings, Chieftain.”
No matter how charming the girls were, none of them could compare to one glance and a smile from Bai Tang.
“Tang Tang, your face is red,” Tuoba Jingyao said as he approached him.
But really, Bai Tang’s face wasn’t just red — it was practically glowing. And everyone around knew exactly why. They all chimed in noisily:
“It’s because the chieftain is just too charming!”
“Look, the little husband is all shy~”
“We won’t disturb the chieftain and his bride any longer. We’ll leave now.”
The girls quickly found excuses to sneak away, and even A1i got shoved out. Soon, only Bai Tang and Tuoba Jingyao were left inside the tent.
“Tang Tang, you look so beautiful,” Tuoba Jingyao said, taking the boy’s hand in his own — leaving him nowhere to run.
“R-Really…?” Bai Tang mumbled softly. It wasn’t the first time his husband-to-be praised him, but it still made his heart race and his cheeks flush every time.
“It’s true. Soon… I’ll finally have the right to call you mine.”
Tuoba Jingyao’s words made Bai Tang burst out laughing.
He made it sound like he was the one being married off.
But honestly, it wasn’t that far off. In the tribe, when two men got married, the one with fewer assets would be considered the one “marrying in,” and their property would merge into the wealthier party’s household.
Tuoba Jingyao’s assets had long been transferred under Bai Tang’s name. You could say that aside from his title and position as the chieftain, Tuoba Jingyao didn’t own a single coin — he had nothing and was entirely “supported” by Bai Tang.
“Then as you promised — tonight, you’ll be on the bottom,” the boy declared, baring his little fangs playfully. His lively, animated expression made Tuoba Jingyao’s heart flutter.
“Alright, whatever Tang Tang says,” Tuoba Jingyao replied with a smile. After all, status isn’t determined by position — it’s earned through strength. That was something Tang Tang didn’t understand yet.
When Bai Tang heard his response, he got even more excited. He had spent so long listening to Qiu’er go on about “taking the lead,” “taking the initiative,” and such — he hadn’t really cared at first, but Qiu’er had planted the idea in his head. Looks like tonight, he was finally going to find out what that felt like.
That night, bonfires roared as clusters of fireworks lit up the sky, bursting into brilliant displays.
Adults and children laughed and played, drinking wine, boiling milk from cows and sheep, roasting meat — the liveliness of the scene rivaled the tribe’s grand annual festival.
“And now, let’s welcome the newlyweds!” Aqi, acting as the master of ceremonies, ran up onto the platform and shouted.
The tribespeople turned to look and saw a radiant pair in matching red wedding robes, walking hand in hand toward the stage.
An elder named Xin Gong, respected for his age and good health, performed the blessing ritual, offering heartfelt wishes for the couple’s happiness, health, and everlasting love.
Tribal weddings weren’t complicated. After the blessings and the customary bows to heaven, earth, and their parents, the ceremony was considered complete.
There was no tradition of wedding-night teasing in the tribe. All the celebration and fun happened right at the ceremony.
As the chieftain, Tuoba Jingyao naturally had to receive many toasts.
Originally, Bai Tang was supposed to drink as well. But considering his health, Tuoba Jingyao insisted on replacing the wine in Bai Tang’s bowl with milk. Bai Tang gave him a slightly aggrieved glare in response.
Tuoba Jingyao leaned over and whispered in Bai Tang’s ear, “If you get drunk, then you can’t be on top tonight.”
All the onlookers saw was the little husband throwing a glare at the chieftain, who then scrambled to coax him, nonstop. The crowd laughed kindly, joking that Tuoba Jingyao was well on his way to becoming the tribe’s number one “wife-whipped” husband.
Tuoba Jingyao raised his brows at the remark and retorted, “I’m happy to — better than still being single like the rest of you.”
Now that hit where it hurt — not exactly the most tactful comeback.
The unmarried young men retaliated by pouring cup after cup of wine for Tuoba Jingyao. But no matter how much they gave him, he drank it all without even a change in expression. After all, the blessings that came with each toast truly touched his heart.
“Ah Yao, stop drinking already~” Bai Tang tugged quietly at Tuoba Jingyao’s sleeve. At this rate, even a cow couldn’t drink that much water, let alone wine!
“Madam — no, I mean, the chieftain’s husband — is worried! Chieftain, if you keep drinking like this, be careful or your husband won’t let you into the tent tonight…”
The crowd burst into playful jeers, making Bai Tang’s face flush bright red.
Tuoba Jingyao, protective as ever, immediately pulled Bai Tang into his arms. “No one’s allowed to bully your chieftain’s husband! It’s just a bit of wine — come at me instead.”
“Alright, alright, drink up!”
Tuoba Jingyao was handed several more large bowls of wine. Even Bai Tang couldn’t keep track of how many he’d had by now — yet Tuoba Jingyao showed no signs of being drunk at all.
After shooing away the current round of hecklers, and before the next wave could arrive, Tuoba Jingyao brought Bai Tang over to Gong Na.
“Tang Tang, go eat something with Father Gong Na. Dance with everyone, have some roasted meat. Once I’ve dealt with these little troublemakers, I’ll come get you.”
He turned to Gong Na. “Father Gong Na, I’ll leave Tang Tang in your care.”
Gong Na laughed. “Of course, of course.”
Bai Tang held Tuoba Jingyao’s hand. “Then don’t drink too much, alright? It’s bad for your stomach~”
Tuoba Jingyao was clearly moved by Bai Tang’s concern. He leaned in and kissed the corner of Bai Tang’s lips. “Alright, I’ll drink less. I definitely don’t want to be locked out of the tent tonight.”
Bai Tang’s face turned even redder at his words. As soon as Tuoba Jingyao walked away, the others immediately saw their chance — and a new round of teasing began.
This time, the target was Bai Tang.
Author’s Note:
Other people replace wine with tea — our Tang Tang replaces it with milk, hahaha~