Chapter 74 - 74: Daughter, Do Not Marry the North Fre Kingi
Having heard Wu Yuan’s words, Xiao Wenyao became even more curious about the North Prince.
Recently, because her father was planning to attack North City, she often heard rumors about the North Prince.
This was one of the reasons why Xiao Wenyao had suddenly taken an interest in the North Prince.
On one hand, she had heard the name “North Prince” quite frequently, and on the other, she wanted a rather delicate-looking slave, a pretty boy, if you will.
Moreover, she thought the status of her slave should not be too low, as there’s no sense of achievement in conquering someone of low status. Since the North Prince was deemed a useless Prince, it gave her an idea.
Originally, she had thought the North Prince was completely a Prince who knew only how to indulge in luxury at the mansion, but Wu Yuan’s words made her realize the North Prince might still be of some use.
She was particularly fond of the perfumes and soaps from North Prince Mansion; the perfume helped cover the gamey smell of her fur, and the soap could clean her body thoroughly.
She now found herself completely unable to do without these two items.
Upon hearing that the North Prince had created both, her desire to capture him and turn him into her slave intensified.
Xiao Wenyao then commented, “So the North Prince isn’t entirely useless after all.”
Curiously, she asked, “By the way, what exactly is perfume soap?”
Wu Yuan explained, “Perfume soap is used specifically for bathing. After washing, it leaves a fragrance on the body that lasts a long time.”
Xiao Wenyao asked, “Isn’t that the same as perfume?”
Wu Yuan replied, “Your Highness, perfume can be applied at any time, but it can’t clean the body. Soap, however, is different; it cleans dirt from the body.”
Seemingly understanding yet not quite, Xiao Wenyao said, “So it’s like soap.”
Wu Yuan, somewhat speechlessly, said, “Your Highness, soap is actually used for cleaning clothes, not for bathing.”
Xiao Wenyao completely ignored Wu Yuan’s explanation and blurted out, “Who cares, as long as it cleans the dirt off the body, it works.”
Seeing Xiao Wenyao so determined, Wu Yuan couldn’t be bothered to correct her any further; as long as she was happy, it was fine.
As they walked on, they arrived in front of Wu Yuan’s caravan.
At that moment, Wu Yuan’s caravan was loaded with a variety of goods exchanged from Great Sum.
Ever since Yelv Nanyan had won over the merchants of Great Sum, some of the Sum’s caravans had been trading with the Barbarian Tribe.
Initially, they only traded common items like salt and tea. Gradually, as trade became more frequent, the Barbarians began buying iron directly from Great Sum, and later, they started trading for weapons and armor.
The Sky Wolf Tribe’s current strength was inseparable from these merchants of Great Sum.
Wu Yuan quickly approached one of the carriages, rummaged through it, and then brought out a piece of fragrance soap to present in front of Xiao Wenyao.
“Princess, this is the bath fragrance soap.”
“Your Highness, please make sure not to bathe with soap in the future; it’s bad for the body and can harm the skin.”
Hearing Wu Yuan’s explanation, Xiao Wenyao took the fragrance soap from his hand, curious.
Before she could even bring the soap to her nose, she smelled a fragrance and eagerly brought the soap under her nose to sniff it, then excitedly exclaimed, “It actually smells nice!”
“It seems the North Prince pays special attention to women’s products. If I can make him my slave, perhaps he could create even more useful items for women in the future.”
Wu Yuan wanted to say that the soap was for both men and women, but he didn’t say more; as long as the naive princess was happy, it was all that mattered.
At that moment, a man approached Xiao Wenyao.
“Princess, the Great King summons you,” said the messenger.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wenyao paused, then asked, “What does my father want with me?”
The man replied, “I don’t know, Your Highness. You will find out once you’re there.”
Xiao Wenyao then handed the soap to Wu Yuan, “Wu Yuan, deliver these items to where I’m staying.”
Wu Yuan responded respectfully, “As you wish, Your Highness.”
As soon as Wu Yuan finished speaking, Xiao Wenyao cheerfully proceeded to the King’s tent, which was the largest yurt of the Sky Wolf Tribe.
Upon entering the yurt, Xiao Wenyao noticed many people she had never seen before sitting inside.
Sitting at the center was a tall and burly middle-aged man, with a distinctively protruding forehead, who was none other than Xiao Wenyao’s father, Xiao Hongbo, the current Sky Wolf King.
As Xiao Wenyao walked in, just as Xiao Hongbo was about to speak, she immediately asked, “Father, what is the matter you wished to discuss with me?”
Seeing Xiao Wenyao take the initiative to ask, Xiao Hongbo didn’t beat around the bush and directly said, “Yaoyao, you have grown up, and it is time for you to marry.”
These words struck her like a bolt of lightning, leaving Xiao Wenyao completely stunned.
After a long moment, Xiao Wenyao came to her senses and quickly said, “Father, I am still young, I cannot bear to leave you, I wish to continue staying by your side.”
Xiao Wenyao might have been a bit naive, but she wasn’t a fool. For someone of her status, it was likely that she would only marry into another tribe, becoming a tool in a political union.
One only need look at the Queen to understand, married to a disgusting old man, tending to his every need, and Yelv Nanyan was one of the luckier ones, as she had managed to amass significant power for herself.
The fate of other women was different; Xiao Wenyao still remembered several who had married the previous Sky Wolf King, many of whom had been tormented to death.
If Yelv Nanyan had married the previous Sky Wolf King while he was still healthy, her fate would likely not have been much better.
Xiao Wenyao was profoundly fearful of marriage.
Seeing Xiao Wenyao so averse to the idea of marriage, Xiao Hongbo immediately said, “Yaoyao, it is customary for women of the plains to marry at your age. Even though you are my daughter, you are not exempt from this tradition!”
Hearing her father speak so firmly, Xiao Wenyao knew that no amount of talk would be useful, so she resigned herself to her fate, saying, “Father, I understand.”
Upon hearing her consent, Xiao Hongbo’s stern face instantly brightened as he said with a smile, “Since you agree, once 1 conquer North City, you shall marry the North Fre King and become his queen.”
At these words, Xiao Wenyao turned deathly pale.
The North Fre King was a recent arrival in the North Land, the ruler of a Barbarian Tribe.
With the disintegration of a centralized authority like the Great Chanyu, the barbarians had split into seven tribes, each with their own royal court and king.
Naturally, every tribe, including Xiao Hongbo’s, harbored the ambition to reunify the Barbarian Tribes as in the past.
After conquering North City, he planned to establish his own nation, then win over the North Fre King through marriage, subsequently declaring himself the Great Chanyu and demanding the other tribes’ allegiance.
Xiao Hongbo was a very ambitious king of the Barbarian Tribe.
At that moment, Xiao Wenyao knelt with a thud, “Father, I beg you, I do not want to marry the North Fre King!”
Xiao Wenyao had heard of who the North Fre King was. His tribe was unlike theirs, which, due to frequent interaction with Great Sum, had adopted many of its customs.
Never mind that the North Fre King’s tribe was impoverished, they still practiced cannibalism, and the North Fre King himself was an extremely brutal man.
Xiao Wenyao could not bear to think of the inhuman treatment she would endure once married to the North Fre King..