Chapter 14: Mandukhai
A young lady with a stunning complexion and a delicate figure stepped into the ger with a glum look on her face. She downcast her eyes to the floor and was silent upon entering.
"Mandukhai, may I introduce you to Minister Dorj of the Ministry of Military Inventions?" Zuchi khankhuu interjected.
Mandukhai meekly bowed and rose. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Minister Dorj. My name is Mandukhai," she uttered, her gaze resting upon the Minister.
As Dorj pondered how to escape the arrangement, his eyes fell upon those of Mandukhai. In them shone a luminous clarity, exhibiting the intelligence and fairness of the woman. Though Dorj attempted to decline a marriage to a stranger, Zuchi khankhuu had already devised a plan to introduce the two.
"Servants! Please serve us some distilled vodka," shouted Zuchi khankhuu.
Soon two female servants with a jug of distilled milk vodka and some smoked fish entered the ger and put the beverage and snacks on the table. They bowed towards the lords and exited the ger.
"Dorj, I trust that you will help Mandukhai avoid her tragic fate. I will leave you two alone, you two may have a good time to know each other," said Zuchi khankhuu and patted his shoulder with serious eyes, and left the ger.
When Zuchi khankhuu left the ger, some keys clicked and the sound of the ger being locked from outside can be heard.
Dorj was in a state of embarrassment as he uttered, "Ah, I presume it's Mandukhai? Please, take a seat."
'I believed Zuchi was my friend. But he has sold me out to save his sister-in-law! How could I have such a pal who stabs me in the back?' he thought to himself, his frustration increasing.
Mandukhai, princess Ukhaa's sister, had taken a seat opposite the table. She was looking down with a gloomy look.
Dorj then sat in front of her and observed her expression.
Realizing that Mandukhai is also gloomy due to Zuchi khankhuu's arrangement, Dorj felt no more frustration. She is a girl who is about to marry someone who is three times older than her or is forced to marry a complete stranger in order to avoid the earlier arrangement.
"You can sleep on the bed today, I will sort out to sleep on the floor," said Dorj and tried to ease Mandukhai. When they are altogether locked in the ger, the only feasible outcome for them is Dorj to let the girl sleep on his bed while he will find a blanket and sleep on the floor. If not his pride as a male person would hurt.
Upon hearing Dorj's suggestion her eyes become wide and puzzled.
Mandukhai thought to herself that the Minister in front of her judged people based on their looks. She questioned him with a hint of sarcasm, "
Are you criticizing my appearance?" She might not be the most beautiful among the Mongolians, yet she had never done strenuous labor, so her skin was still fair and her hands were still delicate. She had her own pride in her looks, yet the Minister had derided her. If it weren't for Temuujin's order to betroth her to Yelu Bukai, she would never have come to this ger and encountered this Minister Dorj.
"Oh no, I apologize for any misunderstanding. It's not that I'm belittling your appearance. I can tell you feel the same as me about being here. Since you are a girl, you may sleep comfortably on my bed. I am giving my word to you that I will not take advantage of you while you sleep." replied Dorj while waving his hands.
Mandukhai's expression changed from ridicule to surprise.
'How can he understand me? He is not a woman! He will never understand how I feel when the khan decides my fate to whom I will marry or not!' thought Mandukhai,
"You are lying! You are a man yet you say that you feel the same as me? I think you are just pretending to be a noble man." replied Mandukhai.
'Ah. What is the problem with this girl? She thought I criticized her look at first, but now she assumes that I am lying! Respecting women is a basic courtesy in the modern era. Perhaps... then being dominant is a must-have stereotype about men in the medieval era.' thought Dorj in his mind.
When Dorj was pondering the socio and cultural differences between the medieval era and the modern era, Mandukhai looked at Dorj with unbelievable eyes and said with a shaky voice.
"See! You don't have any words to reply to. I am destined to marry someone I will never love anyway." said Mandukhai and felt powerlessness. She clenched hard and her fingernails struck into her palm leading to bleeding.
While Mandukhai and Dorj having a bad start in their conversation, a woman with a brown robe hide her face and get nearby the ger outside.
She put her hands inside the the robe to get a key out from the pocket. She turned her head left and right to see whether anyone is nearby and she is seen.
She has put the key inside the lock and clicked the lock open.
The door has creaked and opened. The woman with brown robe has entered the ger to find Mandukhai and Dorj standing and looking each other with gloomy eyes.
"My lady!" called the brown robed woman.
Mandukhai who were clenching her hands turned and saw her servant Chaalun standin in front of the door, gesturing her to come.
"Oh, Chaalun! You have finally come." replied Mandukhai and bowed to Minister Dorj.
"Minister Dorj, I apologize. Since we don't have any feeling between us, let's separate our ways. " said Mandukhai farewell to Dorj and left the ger with her servant.
Dorj was left behind all alone.
'Oh my god. I am glad that this event concluded as this way. With her gone away from my house, I will not take the responsibility to marry with Mandukhai and her betrothment to Yelu Bukai is not my issue anymore' sighed Dorj with relaxation.
'In this era, if I want to be the master of my own fate, I need to become powerful. Otherwise anyone can organize and scheme against me. I was just lucky that this time it was Zuchi khankhuu who wanted to arrange a marriage for me.' thought Dorj and locked his ger from inside.
When Dorj was heading to his bed, on the floor he could see that a few drops of blood stain is on the floor near the fire.
'Strange, did anyone bleed inside my ger? Why is there bloodstains on my floor?' contemplated Dorj for a while and got into his bed. He laid down and put a pillow under his head.
'I miss my family. I wonder what my old father and my mother would feel if they find me missing. Oh, I forgot that they are yet to be born but in the far future, after the exact moment when I travelled back in time, there should be still my parents finding me missing...' thought Dorj and sighed deeply. Getting stuck in a year where everyone is a stramger and every customs is fresh new for him is difficult. Especially he has no real political power and he is judt pretending to be strong and wise in front of people.
"I just want to go back to the 21st century." mumbled Dorj and saw the current time in his Neuralink interface. His Neuralink that is embedded in his brain is the only remainder technology he has right now.
'22:09PM' indicated the clock on the right bottom of his interface.
'Humankind has invented many great things. Even though I don't have any internet connection over here, i still have one of a pinnacle technology which humankind have invented, my Neuralink can recharge itself from the surplus energy my brain induces I can use the calculator, compass, camera, and all of the offline applications.' thought Dorj.
Dorj was subconsciously imagining the technologies the human kind would discover.in the future. Steam machine, Cars, Train, Airplane, Computers, Space rockets, AI chips... etc.
The moon has descended atop the sky and stars were shining bright. In his warm bed, Dorj felt his exhaustion of his mind and body so he fell asleep.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone