The arrow is definitely pointing up for Tenmaku no Jaadugar. The footing is surer as we get into the complicated politics of the Mongol Empire and the rivalries within the royal family. The story still hasn’t made it clear why Genghis Khan made the choice he did in making Ögedei his successor (in defiance of ultimogeniture). But what is clear is that it’s created a tense situation, with Tolui commanding the largest army and Chagatai more or less on the outside looking in. But not as a neutral, which it a crucial point to remember.

The fact that women were quite influential in Mongol society – at least by the standards of the 13th Century – is also a crucial point to remember. Fatima is seemingly comfortable transferring her allegiance to Töregene despite being well-treated by Sorghaghtani – they share a common purpose after all. Her idea is to sow dissent between Ögedei and Tolui, forcing Chagatai to side with Ögedei. Soon, she reasons, the next great military campaign will begin (the Mongols were like sharks – lack of movement would be fatal). An assault on the Jin Dynasty in what’s now China – ancient enemies of the Mongols now facing internal strife. And this provides a great opportunity.

A Kurultai is called – a great council of the Mongol chiefs. And the wives attend this. Töregene is clearly not a fixture at these things and her fellow consorts are surprised (though not delighted) to see her. But she has to report the goings-on to Fatima. Another wife that’s present is Möge, seemingly the youngest of the Kha-an’s consorts. But one who isn’t is Boraqchin, the first and eldest of the Kha’an’s consorts. She’s very ill (and studying Chinese medicine looking for a cure), and Möge is there as her eyes and ears.

Also present is Temüge, youngest brother of Genghis Khan, and his son Otai (whose name he can never remember). Temüge is also a power broker here clearly, commanding an army of his own. Ögedei’s grand proposal for the Kurultai is not a conquest, but the building of a capital. The others are horrified at the notion of settling down in one place in permanent structures, but Ögedei assures them that it’s not for them to live in. It will be a city of artisans and craftsmen, meant as a lure for traders from all over the world and a symbol of Mongol power. This mitigates their shock, but the lack of enthusiasm is palpable.

This is actually a good idea, but it’s not red meat for the Mongol masses. What Tolui proposes is – the aforementioned Jin campaign. He – quite disrespectfully – steps onto the Kha’an’s dais and lays out the full details of the conquest, including what role each power broker will play (which for Chagatai and the late Jochi’s children is effectively none). The vibe here is that Ögedei is too nice for his own good, and Tolui is acting as feels natural rather than outright rebelling against him. But for the the takeaway for the others that’s pretty much irrelevant, and anyone with sharp eyes and mind can see the storm brewing here.

We already know how sharp Fatima’s mind is, and when Töregene reports back she’s already thinking about how to seed the clouds. But Fatima is not the only one with smarts and a spy on the inside. Möge reports these events to Boraqchin and she sees the same future in them that Fatima does. But her aim is the opposite – to prevent the strife that Fatima seeks to foment, and preserve the order than Fatima seeks to undermine. These two brilliant women now stand in opposition to each other even though neither is aware of it, which is sure to lead to some interesting twists and turns.

I would speculate – as a non-expert on Mongol history – that Genghis chose Ögedei specifically because he feared too much power winding up in Tolui’s hands. Irrespective, jada stone or no a storm is brewing. What’s more, a group of merchants from Sitara’s homeland of Khorasan arrive – bearing Möge’s earrings as a testament to Ögedei’s cleverness. They also tell Sitara that in fact, contrary to what she thinks selling to the Mongols is anything but scary. They police their territory to make it safe for traders and pay the highest rate for goods (things that were true of the Romans, too).  From their perspective, the Mongols are making the world a better place.

We now have a dual thread of grey morality being unspooled here. Fatima schemes to disquiet society while Boraqchin schemes to stabilize it. The Mongols bring peace and prosperity to their lands while at the same time ruthlessly crushing those who dare to oppose them. Who’s right and who’s wrong? These weren’t called the Dark Ages in Europe for nothing – this was hardly an enlightened time in most of the world. Unlike the slavery issue these are genuinely nuanced and challenging questions of morality here, both historically and within the confines of Tenmaku no Jaadugar.