Chapter 295 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Recognition (20)
Don’t assume the men of the grasslands are uneducated. At the alliance gathering, the tribal chiefs had already lost all loyalty toward the Aixi Kingdom. Even in casual conversation with the emperor, their words were laced with veiled mockery.
The emperor could see it clearly—they had united. It seemed they truly intended to rise against Aixi.
This realization left the emperor deeply unsettled. Although the empress was not a court official, she came from noble stock and could easily discern the lack of respect in the chiefs’ tone.
If the grassland tribes were to unite and attempt to overthrow the emperor’s rule, it wouldn’t be impossible. After all, his obsession with power and status had shaken public confidence. Many commoners were already dissatisfied with his reign.
Prince Nanyun was a prime example. The emperor, suspicious of him, had gone so far as to scheme against him, destroying his family. That he could be so ruthless even to his own brother showed just how narrow-minded he was. This incident had further fueled public resentment toward the royal family.
The emperor ruled with absolute dominance, and the empress herself had no voice. Tonight, she was nothing more than a decorative presence.
She observed everyone coldly, paying particular attention to Tuoba Jingyao and Bai Tang, taking in their every interaction.
The warm, tender scene between them stirred something in the empress—jealousy and envy. Once upon a time, she had known such happiness. But in the depths of the palace, she had slowly become the very kind of person she used to loathe.
Suddenly, her sharp eyes caught something: the deputy general in charge of the alliance’s security had been staring intently at Bai Tang, visibly emotional.
She made a mental note of this and instructed her maid to investigate after the banquet ended.
The emperor raised his cup. “Chief Tuoba, as expected of the grasslands’ number one Baturu — today you’ve taken the lead and that deserves a proper celebration. A few days ago, I received some fine grape wine, and today I’ve brought it out for all the chiefs to enjoy together.”
In saying this, the emperor implied that the other chiefs were merely basking in Tuoba Jingyao’s glory. As chiefs, they were all proud and stubborn — not ones to easily bow to others. The emperor paid close attention to their reactions, but not a single one showed any dissatisfaction.
What did that mean?
It meant that they had already accepted Tuoba Jingyao as their leader.
The emperor felt a sinking weight in his chest. Soon after, a eunuch brought out the treasured grape wine from his private collection.
The little squirrel had a keen nose, and fruit was his absolute favorite. The wine the emperor had prepared was sweet — exactly the kind Bai Tang liked.
As he watched the young eunuch pour the wine, he thought to himself that once the eunuch left, he’d have a little taste.
Bai Tang’s plan was beautiful in theory — but before he could act on it, Tuoba Jingyao shut it down.
“Tang Tang, you can’t,” Tuoba Jingyao said, snatching the cup from Bai Tang’s hands.
“I just want to try it — just a little sip~” Everyone knew the little squirrel was a glutton. At that moment, Bai Tang was staring longingly at the wine in Tuoba Jingyao’s hand, practically drooling.
It smelled so sweet. It must taste amazing.
When it came to Bai Tang’s health, Qiu’er was just as serious as the male lead. For once, he stood on the same side and warned, “Tang Tang, did you forget what happened last time when you drank plum wine? You really paid for it!”
Qiu’er was referring to an incident in the previous world. The next morning, Tang Tang had been sore all over (courtesy of the male lead), and his head was pounding (the price of sneaking plum wine). When no one was around, he had tearfully complained to both him and Xiao A for days, swearing he’d never drink again.
“I’ll just have a little bit, it’ll be fine,” Bai Tang insisted. “Besides, the grape wine looks really good. I’ll pour you some later too.”
The best way to deal with a foodie is with food — and this tactic had never failed Bai Tang.
Sure enough, Qiu’er hesitated. Although he’d tasted plenty of delicacies and fine wines, there was something special about the wisdom of the ancients. Traditional, old-style wine had a charm that was totally different from the kind produced in the system’s exchange space.
“…Alright then, just a tiny bit.” Qiu’er resisted for a long time but eventually gave in to the alluring scent of the wine.
However, Bai Tang had forgotten — he didn’t have just one system anymore. He had two.
Qiu’er was easy to coax. Xiao A, on the other hand, was not so easily swayed.
He knew very well that if Qiu’er saw Bai Tang feeling unwell afterward, he would blame himself. So he firmly took the male lead’s side and opposed Bai Tang drinking alcohol.
“Host, for the safety of both you and the male lead, I strongly advise you not to drink,” Xiao A said bluntly, striking straight at Bai Tang’s weak spot.
Bai Tang cared deeply about Tuoba Jingyao — he couldn’t bear for him to be harmed, not even a little.
Xiao A continued, “Host, you get drunk as soon as you touch alcohol. If you get drunk, the male lead will be distracted trying to take care of you, and the emperor might seize the chance to strike.”
Bai Tang: !!!
If the emperor tried to harm Ah Yao — absolutely unacceptable!
Suddenly, Bai Tang snatched the wine cup from Tuoba Jingyao’s hand and pushed all the cups on the table aside. “Not drinking, not drinking~”
His movement wasn’t particularly dramatic — just a casual shove — but it didn’t escape the emperor’s ever-watchful eyes.
“Chief Xingluo’s consort doesn’t like grape wine?” the emperor finally found an opportunity to speak with Bai Tang. He didn’t want Bai Tang to become Lady Tuoba. As far as he was concerned, Bai Tang was his to claim, and he had no intention of letting the other chiefs see him as being tied to Tuoba Jingyao.
Normally, anyone faced with a question from the emperor would be flustered and quickly offer flattery, saying anything from the emperor was surely excellent. But Bai Tang, like his beloved, didn’t follow the usual script.
The young man softly parted his rosy lips and said in a sweet, gentle voice, “I like it… but it doesn’t taste good.”
Xiao A had just warned him that the emperor had drugged the grape wine with something that would leave people weak and limp — his plan was to use the tribal chiefs’ lives as leverage to force the various tribes to sign a treaty.
He dared to do this precisely because things hadn’t yet escalated openly. He assumed everyone would still give him face and drink the wine, which gave him the confidence to act.
In truth, there was one more thing Xiao A hadn’t told Bai Tang: the emperor’s motives weren’t just about ambition — he also wanted to steal someone else’s spouse, namely Bai Tang. If Bai Tang found out, the Xiao squirrel might burst into tears from anger on the spot, and Qiu’er would never forgive Xiao A for upsetting him.
Bai Tang’s blunt refusal made the onlookers want to laugh, though no one dared to laugh out loud. Wasn’t this clearly mocking the emperor’s taste?
The thing the emperor treasured like a jewel — Bai Tang treated like trash.
In an effort to save the emperor’s dignity, the empress spoke up, “Chief Tuoba’s consort may be drunk. Have a maid escort him to the back to sober up.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor’s eyes lit up, and he cast the empress a look of approval. If the young man was brought to his territory, wouldn’t that mean he could do as he pleased?
The empress’s expression froze — she had forgotten the emperor was a lecher. She hadn’t thought this through.
Those two up above were casually deciding Bai Tang’s fate — but had anyone bothered to ask the person involved?
Tuoba Jingyao narrowed his eyes, his presence suddenly radiating a dangerous, overwhelming aura.
He gently patted the back of Bai Tang’s hand, silently reassuring him not to be afraid. Meanwhile, his right hand moved quietly to grip the dagger at his waist. If one more word came out of the emperor’s vile mouth that he didn’t like, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him on the spot.
The deputy general, who had been paying close attention to Bai Tang this entire time, saw what was happening and silently cursed — this was bad.
“Someone, take Chief Xingluo’s consort to the back to sober up,” the emperor ordered, now a few drinks in. Seeing that everyone had already consumed the wine, he assumed they were no longer capable of rebellion. His head was beginning to float with arrogance — he believed he would soon enjoy a night of pleasure with the beauty.
In a flash — just as Tuoba Jingyao drew his dagger — the deputy general kicked a small stone at his feet, toppling the fire rack and knocking it down right in front of Tuoba Jingyao.
Before anyone else could react, he rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside Tuoba Jingyao, begging the emperor for forgiveness while subtly using his movement to press down Tuoba Jingyao’s dagger.
The two exchanged a glance, and Tuoba Jingyao withdrew his hand.
“This subordinate failed in his duties and did not keep the fire rack secure. It nearly injured an honored guest. I await Your Majesty’s punishment.”
With that one move, the deputy general had not only prevented Tuoba Jingyao from assassinating the emperor — he had also disrupted the emperor’s plan.
The emperor had always prided himself on being a benevolent ruler. He couldn’t publicly lash out over something so minor. “Though the guest was not harmed, it was still a mistake on your part. You are fined three months’ salary.”
“This subordinate accepts the punishment. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace,” the deputy replied promptly, kneeling and bowing before getting up to set the fallen fire rack upright again.
Tuoba Jingyao spoke coldly, “The fire rack just now spilled ash and dirtied my wife’s clothes. I’ll be taking him to change. Everyone, please carry on.”
With that, he led Bai Tang away.
If it had been a banquet filled with blades and bloodshed, Tuoba Jingyao wouldn’t have minded. What he couldn’t stand was that Bai Tang was being leered at by that lecherous emperor of Aixi. Bai Tang clearly felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and that alone made Tuoba Jingyao so furious he wanted to kill someone.
Once they stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air, Bai Tang let out a long sigh of relief. “It’s much nicer out here. Ah Yao, I really didn’t like that banquet. Let’s go home.”
Tuoba Jingyao kissed him gently. “Alright, let’s go home.”
Neither of them had any intention of returning to the banquet. They were just about to head toward the carriage when a male voice called out from behind:
“Chief Tuoba, please wait!”
The two turned around and saw the deputy general — the same one who had just stopped Tuoba Jingyao from assassinating the emperor — step out from the shadows.
“Chief Tuoba, may I have a word in private?”
Bai Tang tightened his grip on Tuoba Jingyao’s hand and eyed the deputy with wariness.
Tuoba Jingyao gently stroked the young man’s hair. “It’s alright. I’m here.”
Back in the banquet hall, Tuoba Jingyao had sensed that the deputy general wasn’t particularly loyal to the emperor. And the enemy of an enemy… might just be a friend. He was curious to see what this Aixi deputy general wanted to say.
The three of them walked away from the crowds into a secluded forest.
Before a single word was spoken, the deputy general suddenly dropped to his knees with a heavy thud — not in front of Tuoba Jingyao, but in front of Bai Tang.
His voice was choked with emotion, and he spoke with a deep sense of relief.
“Your Highness… I’ve finally found you.”
Bai Tang: ???
“I don’t know you, uncle. You must have the wrong person.”
Bai Tang shrank back, half-hiding behind Tuoba Jingyao. A stranger had just knelt before him, tearfully calling him young master — his first reaction was that this man had clearly mistaken him for someone else.
Tuoba Jingyao frowned briefly, then eased his expression and helped the deputy to his feet. “General, you may speak standing.”
“Young Master, y-you don’t recognize me?” the deputy asked in disbelief. The boy in front of him looked exactly like the young heir — how could he possibly not know him?
“Last year, Tang Tang was rescued from a river by someone from my tribe,” Tuoba Jingyao explained. “He only remembered his name. Everything else about his past… he’d forgotten.”
The deputy’s eyes lit up with hope. “Tang Tang — is your full name Bai Tang?”
“Yes~” Bai Tang nodded cheerfully.
At that, joy lit up the deputy’s face. “Then it’s true.”
Author’s Note:
So sleepy. I’ll stop here for today. I saw some typos earlier, and I’ll fix them tomorrow after I get some rest. Off to shower and sleep now. Goodnight, my sweet readers~ 💕