Exchanging gifts is a common practice in Mongolia. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Timur hesitated for a moment before agreeing. He took the jade Pixiu from Zhuang Rui with both hands and carefully hung it on his waist.
After carefully putting away the jade Pixiu, Timur looked at Zhuang Rui with hopeful eyes and said, "Brother Zhuang, I want to form an alliance with you as sworn brothers. Do you agree?"
Zhuang Rui knew that "Anda" meant sworn brothers, so he nodded and said, "Brother Timur, I agree. Let's consider these two gifts as a token of our sworn brotherhood..."
"Haha, good, it's wonderful that I, Timur, can become sworn brothers with the hero who won over Brother Batel..."
Timur was overjoyed to hear Zhuang Rui agree. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Brother Zhuang, come to my house for lunch. We'll be paying homage to Heaven and Earth..."
The ceremony of exchanging vows and gifts is a very important custom among the Mongolians. Although it has been simplified a lot in modern times, the procedures of kowtowing, drinking wine, and exchanging gifts are still necessary, so Timur had to make preparations.
After Timur left in high spirits, Batel leaned close to Zhuang Rui and whispered, "Brother Zhuang, how much is that jade you gave Timur worth?"
This was also because Peng Fei gave his son a jade yesterday, which made Batel think of this matter. He always felt that the item Zhuang Rui took out was definitely not an ordinary item, and its value might be even higher than this precious sword.
"Brother Batel, let's not talk about money, it's just a small token of my appreciation..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and shook his head.
Seeing that Zhuang Rui refused to answer, Batel quickly explained, "Brother Zhuang, don't overthink it. I was just asking. If it's very valuable, I'll let Timur know, so he doesn't accidentally break it..."
Before Zhuang Rui could speak, Peng Fei grabbed Batel and said, "Old Batel, Zhuang got this jade at a bargain price. It's probably worth over a million RMB right now and would sell easily. You really should give Timur a heads-up..."
Having followed Zhuang Rui for so long, Peng Fei had heard Zhuang Rui mention the rarity and preciousness of this jade before, and knew that Zhuang Rui was very fond of it. So when Zhuang Rui took out this jade to exchange for it, Peng Fei was truly surprised.
"More than a million?"
When Batel heard Peng Fei's words, he was stunned again. He wondered if the two people in front of him were from Mars. They could casually pull out a piece of jade worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan. This was simply unimaginable for Batel, who could live comfortably on just a few thousand yuan a year.
Seeing Batel's expression, Peng Fei guessed what he was thinking and immediately said, "Old Batel, I'm not exaggerating at all. Brother Zhuang owns a jewelry store in Beijing, selling jade and emeralds. Everything he brings out is top-quality stuff. If you don't believe me, you can take it to Ordos and have someone check it out..."
Batel knew Peng Fei never lied, so he nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice, saying, "I believe you, I believe you, Fei Zi, you stay with Brother Zhuang for a while, I'm going to find Timur..."
This is something worth millions. If Timur, that roughneck, were to accidentally break it, he'd probably regret it and have nowhere to turn. Batel had to inform him first.
Around noon, Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei arrived at Timur's yurt. However, he noticed that the jade Pixiu that had been hanging on Timur's waist had been taken down and placed in a brocade box on the table.
Although the Mongols are generous, they are not stupid. They ride horses and herd livestock all day long, and often stumble and fall. If Timur were to go out wearing this jade, he probably wouldn't even know how to ride a horse anymore.
The ceremony for Zhuang Rui and Timur to become sworn brothers was presided over by Old Man Batel. After the two kowtowed to each other and drank a bowl of wine, the ceremony was considered complete. As for the gifts, they had already been exchanged.
"Brother, I'd like to offer you a bowl of wine."
Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan were such good friends, yet they had never sworn brotherhood. Now that he had become sworn brothers with Timur, he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship.
Of course, the consequence of this joy was that Zhuang Rui drank too much again, and his plans to go to the ranch that afternoon were also delayed.
Chapter 1133 Horse King
"Zhuang Rui, did you come to the grasslands to drink or to do archaeology? It's been three days already, and we agreed that if we didn't find anything within two weeks, we'd be heading back to Beijing..."
Dr. Ren had gotten completely drunk the day before, but when he woke up the next day at noon, he found that Zhuang Rui had also gotten drunk. As the team leader, he was unconscious, so the archaeological work could not continue. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed on the grassland.
"Hehe, Brother Ren, no rush, there are still more than ten days left, right? Come on, take a look at this Wootz steel knife made with Yuan Dynasty craftsmanship, what do you think? It can absolutely cut through iron like mud..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand dismissively. He felt that his trip to the grasslands had been worthwhile, as he had made friends with Timur and Batel, among other generous people. Even if he found nothing in the archaeological work, Zhuang Rui believed it was still worthwhile.
The crescent-shaped scimitar that Timur gifted him was a favorite of Zhuang Rui. He played with the gems on the scabbard and felt the sharp coldness of the blade. Zhuang Rui then excitedly plucked a hair, preparing to demonstrate his ability to cut hair with a single blow for Dr. Ren.
Dr. Ren was both amused and exasperated by Zhuang Rui's antics. After waving his hand to stop him, he said, "Alright, alright, stop being so ruthless. Let's think about the next step of the work..."
“Brother Ren, there’s no rush. According to historical records, if Genghis Khan’s mausoleum is indeed in the Ordos region, it’s probably near the Alzhai Grottoes on the Ordos Plateau. We can go there to investigate…”
Zhuang Rui has conducted in-depth research on the history of the Yuan Dynasty and analyzed several possible places where Genghis Khan might be buried. Among them, the Arse Caves on the Ordos Plateau are the most reliable.
As for the inspection, it was nothing to Zhuang Rui. He could just spend a couple of days walking around Ordos and everything would be clear.
"But……"
"Zhuang Rui'an replied, 'You're awake?'"
Just as Dr. Ren was about to speak, the curtain of the yurt was lifted, and Timur and Batel walked in together, followed by the quirky little girl, Uyun Qiqige.
"Big brother, I have something I wanted to tell you..."
Zhuang Rui stood up and offered the two men chairs, saying, "Brother Timur, Brother Batel, you probably already know why we're here. We're from the Peking University Archaeological Team. We've come to the grasslands hoping to find the tombs of the Yuan Dynasty emperors and fill this gap in the history of the Yuan Dynasty in Chinese archaeology..."
Previously, Zhuang Rui had never dared to tell Batel their origins, since although he called it archaeology, what he was actually doing was digging up the graves of the other party's ancestors.
It is important to know that all Mongolians consider themselves descendants of Genghis Khan, who has enjoyed unparalleled prestige on this vast grassland for thousands of years.
After saying this, Zhuang Rui glanced at the two men and continued, "Brothers, this is scientific archaeology. You don't need to worry about disturbing the spirits of our ancestors..."
The country has always attached great importance to the religious beliefs and lifestyles of ethnic minorities. If the local residents strongly oppose it, even if the tomb of Genghis Khan is found, it may not be able to be excavated.
"I see..."
Batel hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Brother Zhuang, to be honest, in the past few years, quite a few archaeological teams have come here, also hoping to find the tomb of the Heavenly Khan, but none of them have found it. I think your hopes are also very slim..."
"Brother Batel, you don't object to us searching for Genghis Khan's tomb?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback when he heard Batel's words, but then he realized that the "Heavenly Khan" he was referring to was Genghis Khan. He was overjoyed, thinking that having these locals to guide him was much better than wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.
Batel smiled and said, "We don't want our ancestors' tombs to reappear in the world, but if you can find them, it's the will of the Eternal Heaven, and we won't object..."
In today's technologically advanced world, many Mongolians have long since abandoned their herding lifestyle, and the vast majority of Mongolians no longer even recognize the Mongolian script.
A nation worships its ancestors because of the great achievements they made. However, their national identity has undergone fundamental changes, so they are no longer so averse to the numerous scientific expeditions that come to search for their ancestors' tombs.
Moreover, if Genghis Khan's mausoleum can indeed be found, it will be a huge boost to the grassland economy, and at the very least, the tourism industry will definitely see significant development.
"Alright, let's not talk about this for now, Brother Zhuang. I've come to you with a wager today. Let's go to my ranch. You can choose any horse you want except Crimsonblood..."
Talking about excavating ancestral tombs with others is never a pleasant experience, so Batel patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder and changed the subject.
“Alright, let’s go take a look together. But Brother Batel, you said you’d give me a steed just like Crimson Blood…”
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. Galloping on horseback across the vast grasslands is every man's dream. Zhuang Rui had been "busy" drinking these past few days and hadn't had time for this, but now that he heard Batel mention it, he couldn't help but laugh.
Upon hearing their conversation, Timur, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but say, "Zhuang Rui'an, Brother Batel is fooling you. His ranch only has one king horse, Crimson Blood. No other horse can compare to it..."
"Timur, there's always the fear of traitors. What, you've accepted Brother Zhuang as your sworn brother, and now you're betraying your elder brother?"
Batel wasn't angry. He smiled and said, "I, Batel, keep my word. I will definitely find you a horse that is no less good than Crimsonblood. Let's go to the horse farm first..."
Upon hearing that there were horses to ride, Dr. Ren stopped worrying about archaeology and happily followed behind. Peng Fei, who had also come after hearing the news, along with the little girl Wu Yunqiqige, made up a group of five or six people who left the gathering place and headed towards the horse farm.
Batel's horse farm is not far from the gathering place, only a ten-minute walk away. When you are a hundred or two meters away from the horse farm, you can hear the neighing of the horses.
Batel suddenly stopped, hooked his right thumb and forefinger into a circle, put it in his mouth, and whistled loudly.
With Batel's whistle, a loud neighing sounded, and the once bustling and noisy riding arena suddenly fell silent. A fiery red horse leaped off the railing, its hooves flying, and in an instant it was in front of everyone.
This horse is quite different from ordinary Mongolian horses. Ordinary Mongolian horses are not large, with an average height of only 120 to 142 centimeters, while this horse stands more than 1.7 meters tall and is golden yellow all over, somewhat resembling the legendary Akhal-Teke horse.
Two hundred years ago, the President of Turkmenistan, as a symbol of peace and friendship between China and Turkmenistan, presented a Akhal-Teke horse named Ahdash to the country. After disappearing from the sight of the Chinese people for a thousand years, the Akhal-Teke horse returned to the grasslands.
However, Batel's horse is clearly not the Akhal-Teke horse that was given to him. It is estimated that the horse's parents have Akhal-Teke genes, which is why, under extremely low probability circumstances, they produced a horse that looks so much like an Akhal-Teke horse.
"What a magnificent horse!"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but praise it. This Crimson Blood was just like the White Lion, both being the strongest in their respective races. A single neigh could silence ten thousand horses, which showed its power.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui praise Crimson Blood, Batel's face showed a troubled expression. He thought Zhuang Rui had taken a liking to his prized horse and muttered, "Brother Zhuang, you can have Crimson Blood, but this horse is quite temperamental. No one else has ridden it except me, so..."
Upon hearing Batel's words, Zhuang Rui realized he had been misunderstood and quickly waved his hand, saying, "No, Brother Batel, I didn't mean that. A gentleman doesn't take what others cherish. Besides, Chi Xue should be galloping across the grasslands, not coming back to Beijing with me..."
"Hehe, Brother Zhuang, don't worry, the horse I'm giving you is guaranteed to be no worse than Crimson Blood..."
Upon hearing this, Batel felt relieved. If Zhuang Rui had been determined to have this Crimson Blood Horse, he really wouldn't know what to do.
Timur was clearly unconvinced by Batel's words, and said with a sneer, "Not inferior to Redblood? Brother Batel, are there any horses like that on our great grasslands?"
"Timur, have you forgotten the herd of wild horses we found in the ravine a while ago?"
Batel laughed.
Upon hearing Batel's words, Timur's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "What? You mean that lead horse? But Brother Batel, we've tried so many methods, and we still can't capture it. Even if you use some tricks to catch it, you still won't be able to tame it..."
"Hey guys, what are you talking about?"
Zhuang Rui was a little confused. It seemed that there was a horse that was comparable to Chi Xue, but it didn't seem to belong to Batel yet. He didn't know why this big guy had given it to him.
"It's nothing, Brother Zhuang, don't worry. Everyone will choose a good horse in a bit, we might be gone for a few days..."
Batel did not answer Zhuang Rui's question directly, but instead put on a confident look. In fact, deep down, he was not entirely sure that he could tame the lead horse and give it to Zhuang Rui.
"How many days will you be gone? How many days?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard this. He had been wondering why Batel had brought such a large package and several water bags to the horse farm. It turned out that he had made preparations in advance.
However, Zhuang Rui's grassland archaeology project only has twelve or thirteen days left, and he doesn't have that much time to waste on a horse.
Chapter 1134 Wild Horse Herd (Part 1)
"It'll be two or three days less, or four or five days at most..."
Batel placed the package containing food and water on Chixue's back. For people like them who live on the grasslands, it is common for them to be away from home for half a month.
It is important to know that with the increasing severity of desertification and the expansion of cities, the living space on the grasslands is becoming smaller and smaller. Many places that were once lush with water and grass are now barren.
Therefore, in order for their cattle, sheep and horses to graze on lush grass, the herders on the grasslands have to expand their grazing territory. Sleeping on the grasslands is a common occurrence for every herder.
"It'll take this long?"
Zhuang Rui hesitated upon hearing this. He was determined to find an imperial tomb on this vast grassland, and he felt it wasn't worth spending several days on a horse.
"Zhuang Rui, since you're here, why not experience the charm of the grasslands? Anyway, I don't think you're that interested in archaeology..."
Initially, Dr. Ren urged Zhuang Rui to get started on the work quickly, but now the situation has reversed.
Ren Chunqiang had come to terms with it. Since he figured he wouldn't gain anything from this trip to the grasslands anyway, he might as well have some fun with Batel and the others, which would make the trip worthwhile.
"Brother Ren, I...who said I wasn't concerned..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head with a wry smile. "My buddy's job is like 'a vast universe in his heart, where thunder can be heard in the silence,' he said. He got things done without even realizing it."
Seeing the hesitation on Zhuang Rui's face, Timur immediately advised, "Zhuang Rui, come along. The wild horse herds on the grasslands are dwindling. Sooner or later, they will be tamed, and then you won't even be able to see them again..."
"Brother Timur, please tell me what exactly happened..."