The custom of the Muchan tribe is to shoot geese in autumn, which means a group of people shoot geese in the wilderness, which means to bid farewell to autumn. After the Wutu tribe took over the grassland, they had a good relationship with the Muchan tribe. As the king, Wotu would invite him to the Muchan tribe's annual goose shooting event.
Because Yin Ruxu had to take care of her pregnancy, Wo Tu hadn't taken her out for a long time. This time, when there was a rare occasion for her to go out, Wo Tu secretly stole her out and brought her to Muchan tribe to see the world.
By the time the princess's physician and maids discovered that the princess was missing, all the people in Yin had already arrived at Muchanbu. Wujizhu'am was skilled in comforting these Yin people who were easily alarmed, "It's nothing, they just went to watch a wild goose shooting and will be back in the evening."
The doctor shook his head and tilted his beard: "Oh! Princess, it's not good to go out for a ride in the wind!"
Wu Rizhu Amu: "Don't worry, our clan leader will take good care of the princess. No one is more worried about the princess than he is."
Because she was "stolen" by Wo Tu early in the morning, Yin Ruxu did not wear Yin country's skirt. Instead, she wore a robe made for her by Wu Rizhu Amu. It was a red and black robe with blue and gold patterns embroidered on the hem. She also wore a pair of deerskin boots on her feet.
Her waist had grown thicker recently, so she didn't tie the ribbon tightly. On her chest hung a string of red coral and beeswax beads given to her by Wotu. She had braided her hair herself, and because the temperature had dropped recently, she had a headache, so she wore a hat to cover half of her face.
Wotu brought her to the Muchan tribe. Along the way, everyone who knew Wotu couldn't help but look at her a few more times. This Yin princess was very mysterious to most people from other tribes who didn't often go to Wutu. It was said that when she came to the grassland, she brought a lot of carriages and horses, a long procession of ceremonies, and a lot of jewelry and curios. Wutu King Wotu liked her and regarded her as a treasure. Everyone knew it, so some people speculated that she must be very beautiful, so everyone wanted to see her.
This time Wo Tu brought her to Muchan tribe in a swaggering manner. Muchan tribe was already lively today, and after hearing that they were coming, it became even more lively.
"Hey, is that the Princess of Yin?"
"It seems so. It looks like his waist is not as thick as my arm!"
"I heard that the princess always sat behind a curtain in Wutu. Is that true?"
Wo Tu heard the discussions around him and laughed twice. When he arrived at the place, he went down first and then moved his pregnant wife down. "I'll find a place for you to sit."
The reason why the Muchan tribe invited him to the shooting geese was not only because he was the king, but also because he was a recognized archer. No one could beat him in archery. The Muchan tribe believed in the bow, and they admired warriors with good archery skills the most. Therefore, Wotu was more popular here than in the Wutu tribe. Both men and women were very enthusiastic when they saw him.
Wo Tu and the chief of the Muchan tribe discussed shooting geese. Yin Ruxu sat in another specially prepared tent, and someone brought her hot water and food. Although the hospitality was thoughtful, the people in this tribe were too enthusiastic. Yin Ruxu sat there and saw that the door outside the tent was surrounded by children and women who were peeking at her. From time to time, a new group of people came. Only women and children came to secretly look at her. The men were too embarrassed to come over and stood far away.
Among the girls who came to watch, most of them came with the intention of "looking for a love rival". Wo Tu had never married before, saying that he had not met someone he liked. He was not in a hurry, but many unmarried women in the tribe were anxious. When someone asked him what kind of women he liked, Wo Tu said that he appreciated the kind of women who were cool and generous, who could go hunting and drinking with him, and who were tall and fit.
As soon as he said this, more and more strong women who could hunt on horseback and kill people on foot appeared in the tribes. However, year after year, the women in the tribes became more and more fierce, and Wo Tu still didn't like any of them. In the end, he married a Yin princess who was completely different from the type he liked before. She was neither tall and muscular, nor cool and generous, and she didn't look like someone who was good at drinking and hunting, but he still liked her as much as his eyeballs.
"King Wutu is lying! He obviously likes women like this, women who look as bright and clear as pearls!" After watching for a long time, a woman from the Muchan tribe said angrily.
The other women nodded in agreement, and denounced Wo Tu one after another, "What a wicked man!" "Don't listen to a man!"
They were so engrossed in their conversation that their voices were a little louder, and Yin Ruxu heard them. She knew this too, and she found it funny every time she thought about it. When she saw the young girls outside the tent grimacing and kicking their legs in anger, she couldn't help but smile at them.
A group of young girls screamed, their faces blushed for unknown reasons, and they stepped back to a place aside where Yin Ruxu could not see them.
"Oh, the princess looks so beautiful when she smiles, like a flower. I would like her too." The woman who had previously waved her fist and cursed Wo Tu suddenly changed her tone and said, "I wonder if there is a man like the princess in Yin Kingdom."
The chief of the Muchan tribe walked nearby holding Wo Tu's shoulders. Hearing a few voices of condemnation, he laughed and said, "Did you hear that? They are talking about you again."
In fact, Wo Tu himself was also innocent. Before he met Yin Ruxu, he didn't think he would like this. Who would have thought? But he ignored these complaints, went to the tent to lead Yin Ruxu out, and took her to watch the wild goose shooting.
During this time of year, many geese would pass by here, and this year was no exception. Yin Ruxu sat aside and watched Wo Tu take the lead, put a black arrow with a red tail on the bow, and shot at a line of geese in the sky. He shot down the last goose in the line, which was also the tradition of the Muchan tribe. They would never shoot the leading goose when shooting geese.
"Oh!!!" A wild goose fell from the sky, and Wo Tu rode his horse to catch it, and caught it in his hands, which caused another round of cheers from the crowd.
The group of girls who had scolded him before cheered especially loudly, forgetting their previous anger. There were also a few girls who were going to participate in the subsequent goose shooting. After Wo Tu rode back, the girls and other warriors mounted their horses and chased the flying geese, drawing their bows and arrows. Although not everyone could shoot down a goose, every time someone shot one down, there would always be a burst of cheers, and all the people in the tribe cheered for them, and the atmosphere of joy filled every corner.
If someone shoots down a wild goose and takes it to express his love to his beloved, most of the time he will get a happy ending. The wild goose is one of the tokens of marriage for the Muchan tribe, so every year after the wild goose is shot, there will be several new couples in the tribe. This year, there are more, because Wo Tu is married, and seeing that there is no hope, of course he has to find another partner.
Their habits are more like the rules of nature, and the people here have always been like this, making Wo Tu look like an alien.
"Xuxu." Wo Tu had come to Yin Ruxu's side without knowing when. He held a wild goose in his hand and handed it to Yin Ruxu. "This is for you."
Yin Ruxu just happened to hear a young man who had shot down a wild goose in the distance shouting to a young girl: "I'll give you the wild goose. Be my wife!"
She looked up at Wotu and said, "But I am already your wife, why are you giving me this?"
Wo Tu squatted beside her and said, "I hope you like me more."
Yin Ruxu held his hand and leaned against him, "It's already a lot."
…
After playing in Muchanbu for a day, the weather turned cold not long after we returned.
Winter comes early on the grassland, and they have to migrate to another place. It will take more than half a month to get to their winter camp. Wo Tu said that it is closer to the Hengduan Snow Mountains, and they have to arrive before the heavy snow falls.
This was Yin Ruxu's first winter on the grassland. She was somewhat unaccustomed to the cold weather, which was different from that in Yin and Zhao. Before the snow fell, she put on fur clothes made by Wu Rizhu Amu and others using the furs collected by Wo Tu. Because she was wearing thick clothes and she looked rounder due to pregnancy, she looked like a ball. Wo Tu always liked to hug her, probably because he thought it felt so good.
The tribesmen were preparing for the migration in an orderly manner. They had to dismantle the fixed tents and use cattle and horses to pull the big tent. It was the first time that Yin Ruxu knew that the king's tent could be pulled directly.
Except for the ignorant Yin people, the Wutu tribesmen were already used to such migrations. Adults and children were very agile and they demolished a large settlement in just a few days. The palace maids had told Yin Ruxu before that it would take a long time to move so many people away, but they were stunned to see the earth-shaking changes in the tribe in just two days.
Most of the Yin people lived in the same place for their entire lives. They could not understand the behavior of constantly migrating and changing their place of residence. People always have a kind of awe for things they don't understand. The group of palace maids were curious and ran out to see how others packed up their things. They watched with relish and came back to talk to Yin Ruxu about it.
"I wonder if the place we are going to is even more remote and desolate. We are going to the foot of the snow-capped mountains over there. Won't it be colder there in winter?" Some palace maids couldn't help but worry.
Yin Ruxu couldn't answer her because she herself didn't know. This was a life she had never experienced.
But Wotu could tell her. He said, "Winter is not scary, nor are the snowy mountains. On the contrary, there are many fun places there. Remember the warm water lake I told you about? There is steam on the surface of the lake, and the lakeside is full of flowers. I have wanted to take you to see it for a long time."
So Yin Ruxu went there with expectations. Winter, in addition to being colder and more snowy, also has a unique charm for the Wutu people.
It’s a pity that when they arrive at the winter garrison, the caravan cannot go there as frequently as in the summer. After all, the distance is far, and it is easy to get lost if there is a strong wind and snow, so it is really difficult to travel.
Yin Ruxu could be said to be the one with the most relaxed time. She stayed in the royal tent to rest most of the time. Wo Tu would come back after he finished arranging things, and occasionally take her for a slow ride on horseback.
The towering snow-capped mountains were getting closer and closer to them, and the closer they got, the more they could feel what a natural barrier it was. The tops of the snow-capped mountains were covered with snow all year round. If the weather was clear, the snow-capped mountains looked particularly clear under the blue sky, giving them a sense of holiness. On rainy and foggy days, half of the snow-capped mountains were covered in clouds and mist, making them extremely mysterious.
Wo Tu sang the song of snow mountains to her, and Yin Ruxu followed him and learned it.
The author has something to say: I have selected the rankings for the Lantern Festival Poetry Contest, there are six people in total, you can appoint me to write the sequel, wait for the notification~