Agibai had never suffered the humiliation and snub of this kind before. At first he smoldered silently with displeasure. If he did not take the responsibility of helping the cause of Manas, he would draw his sword out of the scabbard at once in order to give the insolent khan a lesson. But now he did not want to make a botch of the business due to his rash impulse. Instead, he shrugged off the insults for the sake of Manas. He knelt down on the floor and submitted the confidential letter of Manas to Yoobee in a humble manner, with teeth clenched. “Please take a look at the confidential letter written by Manas to you,” he said. Yoobee opened the envelope and began to read after a long while. It read as follows: “Close friends might often squabble. But we should not be the kind of person to bear each other a grudge. A total of fourteen khans are meant to join in the expedition. I wonder if you are about to readily agree to my motion? If we are able to beat the hell out of Konurbai, you would likely mount the throne in Beijing as well.” After reading the letter, Yoobee was deep in thought for a while. He held the messenger in arms, blushing with embarrassment. “Oh, my dear Agibai, just stand up please. It is by no means a petty thing. I can’t sit back and do nothing while the other fourteen khans
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go on the expedition. I vow to make it to the grand army of Manas in seven days,” he said.
After performing his duty, the messenger returned back to the palace. He informed Kanikei of the upcoming expedition initiated by Manas. As a woman with a kind nature and foresight, she was somehow worrying about the result of the expedition.
All people got involved in the military preparations which were in full swing. Besides, Bakai was made the commander-in-chief of the grand army.
The generals, officers and soldiers were all set for a start on the following day. So was Queen Kanikei. A touch of grief caused by the upcoming departure tortured her naturally. She walked to Manas slowly and kept on advising her husband to take note of the potential hazards.
She said:
“An age-old saying goes that once one left home for the city of Beijing, he had little chance of returning.
Regardless of it, you are so stubborn as to go on the expedition.
Even if you succeed in capturing the city some day,
You’d better not be obsessed with the grotesque landscape right there.
If your stay right there for a total of three months,
You would likely lose your precious life at last.
Don’t let the beauties right there intoxicate you.
Don’t marry any Khitan woman.
Don’t get hurt by their curses.
Please don’t think I’m cursed with jealousy and say so.
For you, this year is a recurrent year in the twelve-year cycle.
The age of 61 is considered to be a critical age.
You’re determined to launch the expedition this year.
Why not move up or put off by one year?
Making an expedition on this year might bring us bad luck,
And has made me worry about the fate of grand army.
Oh, my dear khan I am so in love with!
Wish you success and triumphant return!”
Kanikei burst into tears and watched her husband passionately.
Manas might order not to proceed at that heartbroken moment if someone
Legend of Manas
made a request for a ceasefire. All the people kept silent though. In no time, Manas and his warriors set off on their journey.
The grand army of Manas went forward with great strength and vigour like a great flood. As the trail-blazing pioneers flocked into the Tablerg Valley in massive and streaming columns, the rear guards still trekked inside the Burana Basin in mighty formation. There was a sixteen-day walk from the basin to the valley.
On the way to the forefront, Almambet found some soldiers losing morale entirely. In order to savor the game, some soldiers dismounted from their horses in order to chase the argali sheep, white swans and wild ducks. Meanwhile, the others just went fishing in an idle way. He was unsatisfied with the morale of the soldiers so that he kept complaining about what was going on in the barracks. “Your Majesty, how can such an army without any morale behave well in the battlefield? The grand army should have been put in a better shape before the start,” he said to Manas.
Though Manas was able to catch what he meant, he feigned ignorance and still prompted the soldiers to proceed. In addition, he asked Almambet to have patience and endure to the end. But Manas was also doubting about the armymen’s morale at the same time. “Has Bakai become a bubblehead already? How could he have made all these soldiers lax in discipline?” he thought.
Almambet had a good command of the varied topography sheerly because he once ruled the territory as a Khitan prince. Manas and Bakai led the army in the company of the Khitan prince. He served as their tour guide who would detail what might happen on the route. Whenever the Khitan prince explained both the topographical advantanges and disadvantages to them, the old commander-in-chief would listen attentively.
The talented prince helped Manas develop much more confidence in the fighting. As a result, Manas set someone else to ask the old commander-in-chief whether he would like to resign as a commander-in-chief. The old man seemed to have a hunch that he would be urged to do so some day or other. As a result, he said merrily: “I totally would like to change the slots with the Khitan prince. As you know, Almambet is a peerless hero and just like my own son. I completely support him in assuming office.”
Shortly after that, the Khitan prince assumed the post of the commander-in-chief. On the way to the forefront, the grand army bumped into a bunch
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of Qalmaq bully-boys. An intense fight broke out back to back. Under the leadership of Almambet, the fight came to an end swiftly. After all the Qalmaq thugs were wiped out, the grand army of Manas marched forward in mighty contingents.