A vast expanse of the great North Prairie Ridge, endless in magnitude, was enveloped in an ink-colored hue, blending with the verdant green of the abundant grass. The fragrance of the grass and the whispers of the Qing County air slowly dispersed in the open.
Under the moonlight, a white-coated giant tiger frolicked freely, with a young girl mounted on its back. Pressing her lips together, she gazed out towards the barely visible royal city in the distance. She was nearing the tent of the Khan of the Meng Slaves. Tonight, she was going to accomplish something for the Great Jin, the civilians and the soldiers of Lingbei -- she was going to persuade the Khan to surrender.
Although she didn’t expect Tuoba Kui to surrender immediately, she hoped that, at the very least, she could instill fear and desperation into him tonight as a precursor for future thoughts of surrender. If he was willing to surrender, it would help prevent the demise of the myriad lives in the Great Jin and Lingbei and it would also facilitate the completion of her man’s mission. Therefore, he must surrender.
By this time, the night was advanced and the Royal City of the Meng Slaves was enveloped in silent tranquility. People had succumbed to their dreams of the night, except for a hundred elite Meng Slave soldiers dutifully stationed in front of the royal tent, safeguarding the safety of the Great Khan.
Riding the bouncing white-coated tiger, Cai Wei easily entered the Meng Slaves’ Royal City and in no time was in front of the Khan’s tent.
Her sudden appearance left the soldiers standing guard outside the tent dumbfounded. They didn’t know how to react. The mountain-like white giant tiger and the magnificent and beautiful maiden formed an imposing duo under the moonlight, creating an aesthetic yet eerie sight before them.
"Go, tell your Great Khan that someone wishes to see him," said Cai Wei, as she dismounted from the tiger, loftily addressing the stunned soldiers.
At this moment, one of the soldiers who could understand the Jin language regained his composure and scurried towards the royal tent in a frightened manner.
Seeing this, Cai Wei couldn’t help but laugh within herself. She finally experienced the true meaning of the phrase ’borrowing a tiger’s might’. If it weren’t for the presence of the white tiger beside her, who would deign to announce her arrival, or permit her to safely stand and give orders to these Meng Slave soldiers? Without the tiger, they would have probably captured and beaten her half to death by now!
Although the Meng Slave soldiers were awed and fearful of the white tiger, they were, after all, warriors selected personally by the Great Khan. The sight of the ferocious tiger standing in front of the Khan’s royal tent posed a threat to the Khan’s safety, so they all simultaneously unsheathed their curved knives and assumed a defensive stance towards the white tiger.
The Meng Slave guard who had gone to relay the message returned shortly and with an intricate expression said to Cai Wei, "The Great Khan has granted you an audience, but the tiger cannot follow."
Nodding in agreement while smiling, Cai Wei replied, "Well said," and then patted the tiger’s head before following the Meng Slave soldier into the royal tent.
The royal tent of the Khan of the Meng Slaves, spacious and brightly lit, was filled with opulent grandeur. Persian carpets adorned with intricate floral designs, branched candelabras forged from pure gold, overlapping layers of bed curtains, each aspect manifested the Khan’s nobility.
Followed by the Meng Slave Guard, Cai Wei finally came face to face with the renowned Khan of the Meng Slaves, Tuoba Kui.
At this moment, dressed in the splendid and colorful robes of the Meng Slaves, Tuoba Kui had his inky hair cascading casually down his back. He was seated on a woolen carpet behind a table, his gaze filled with mixed emotions as he stared at Cai Wei.
Despite being not even thirty, Tuoba Kui had a robustly built physique with imposing looks. Under his thick eyebrows were a pair of bright eyes, displaying not only gloominess but also a myriad of complex emotions.
Meeting his complex gaze, Cai Wei calmly approached him and jestingly said, "I apologize for disturbing your peaceful night with my unsolicited visit, hence, I hope for your magnanimity in pardoning me for my transgression."
Tuoba Kui, however, was not in the mood for such idle chatter and coldly demanded, "Who are you and what audacity leads you to intrude upon my royal tent?"