Chapter 6
“Very well, let’s proceed with your suggestion. Even if Tatulai has no children, as long as we capture him alive, we can find a way to bring him down.”
Khan’s golden eyes gleamed meaningfully.
Beside him, Argana, who shared the same golden eyes, offered a serene smile.
“A wise decision, Father.”
“Then who do you think should be appointed as commander-in-chief?”
Argana hesitated for a moment before replying.
In her previous life, her father had named her for the role, and she had followed his decision without question. But this time, she had no intention of wasting her efforts on a conflict with Jindan.
‘He must’ve chosen General Orchai from the Cavalry as the commanding officer, aiming to utterly destroy Jindan. Orchai is a skilled warrior, but far too hot-blooded. He’ll need someone to temper him…’
What truly mattered now wasn’t who the commander-in-chief was—it was who would serve as his adjutant and strategist.
They needed someone steady, patient, and brave enough to speak candidly even in the face of Orchai’s fiery temper.
‘Ah, now that I think about it—’
Argana recalled a general she had encountered during many large and small battles in her past life—Tuhua.
Though he had never risen far in rank before her death, Tuhua had unmatched loyalty and never feared speaking the truth to anyone. Despite having no powerful connections, he had served diligently as a mere “Yongbuwi”—the lowest rank among military officers.
At a time when it was unclear who might next point a blade at her, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone trustworthy watching her back besides Kartak.
“Father, how about naming General Orchai as commander-in-chief, and appointing Tuhua as his deputy?”
“Tuhua? That man….”
Khan paused, surprised, and gave Argana a curious look.
“Isn’t he just a low-ranking officer? Why do you recommend him?”
“During the last joint training between soldiers and generals, I saw for myself that Yongbuwi Tuhua had outstanding spirit and martial prowess. I believe he would be of great support to General Orchai in the field. Wouldn’t it be worth giving him a chance?”
Khan sank into thought for a moment before nodding seriously.
“If you say so, then Orchai shall be appointed commander-in-chief of the cavalry, and Tuhua will be his deputy.”
“Yes, Father. I will not disappoint your expectations.”
After her meeting with Khan, Argana stepped outside to find Kartak waving at her from around the bend in the corridor.
“Kartak! You were waiting for me?”
“Yeah. I went to your quarters and Barta told me you were meeting with Khan. What did you two talk about?”
“Nothing much. Tatulai attacked the eastern front again. Father said this time he plans to eliminate him once and for all—but instead…”
Argana briefly summarized her conversation with Khan.
Kartak listened intently, then nodded and let out a small “Ah.”
“So, Tatulai has a child… That’s certainly plausible.”
“Right. Killing Tatulai outright wouldn’t cause immediate issues, but the Jindan people are vengeful. It’s best to cut off the root of future trouble now. That way…”
“Not only for Darmans’ sake, but also for the civilians of Jindan. It’s the safer way.”
Hearing him voice a thought she hadn’t dared say aloud, Argana’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How… How did you know what I was thinking?”
Kartak simply laughed.
His voice had deepened after puberty, but it still rang with a boyish freshness.
“I’ve known you too long, Wihui. You’ve always been like this—even as a child. You’d charge headfirst at enemies bigger and stronger than you, but when facing the small and weak, you’d hold back or let them win.”
A slight blush tinged Argana’s earlobes.
“Well… what’s the point of beating someone weaker than me? There’s no benefit, so I let it slide.”
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
His tone was teasing. Argana considered throwing a retort but decided instead to just clear her throat.
“So anyway, why did you come to my quarters?”
“I was thinking about what you said the other day.”
“What part?”
Kartak glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then took Argana’s hand and led her into a quiet inner corridor of the palace.
“Seriously, Kartak. We don’t have to be this secretive.”
Argana chuckled, but Kartak didn’t release her hand and shook his head.
“There’s no such thing as being too careful.”
“You’re something else. Fine, go on. There’s no one here to eavesdrop.”
Kartak nodded. Each time he moved, the strands of his hair swayed gently over his shoulder, releasing a subtle scent of golden marigolds.
“When you were poisoned, you said you ate something. Do you remember what it was? Anything at all?”
Argana frowned deeply, her brows knitting in frustration.
She tried desperately to recall the moment—but it was all a blur, like trying to see through thick fog.
“I was exhausted and overwhelmed. I don’t even know who brought me the food, or what exactly I ate…”
As her voice trailed off, Kartak’s eyes lit up. He squeezed her hand.
“Rice cake soup! You mentioned rice cake soup. But it wasn’t the kind you usually had. The rice cakes were flat and round—and made from rice.”
They both stood there silently, still holding hands, each lost in thought.
Then Kartak suddenly gasped—and at the same moment, Argana’s eyes flew wide in realization.
“Tureggen Bi.”
“Flat, round rice cakes in soup—that’s a custom from western Dar. Of course… Tureggen Bi was from the west.”
“In that case…”
Argana’s lips tightened, her expression sharp as a leopard’s.
“Yoshmut. That bastard is definitely capable of doing something so low.”
Tureggen Bi was one of Khan’s six wives. Excluding the principal consort, she had been the fourth to join his harem.
Because she was of foreign blood, she was never granted the title of Empress and remained merely a “bi”—a concubine.
Though beautiful, her cold demeanor and insatiable greed were evident in her expression, and her son, Yoshmut, was known for being both lazy and cruel—people avoided him whenever possible.
“When you became Khan, was Yoshmut still alive? What about Tureggen Bi?”
“They were both still alive. At that time… the only one who had died was Tirsalan. And his mother, Consort Sorkate…”
“Lady Sorkate? She was still young. She had a frail constitution, yes, but…”
Argana shook her head.
“It wasn’t her health. After little Tirsalan died, the cause of death was never clear. Even afterward, there was something off. She grieved so deeply that her heart gave out… and then…”
Lady Sorkate, the fourth imperial consort, had hanged herself not far from where her son had died.
Argana closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead as the image of that frail body swaying in the wind resurfaced in her mind.
Tirsalan had been much younger than her, and his mother so timid that even a strong wind could startle her. She couldn’t possibly have been someone capable of murder.
‘But Yoshmut… He absolutely could have done it.’
Kartak, too, had come to the same conclusion. But one doubt still lingered in his mind.
“I agree that Prince Yoshmut might’ve acted out of jealousy. But Argana—think about it. With his reputation and no supporters, could someone so petty have really pulled it off alone?”
