Though no one in the Northern Rong delegation was injured, they had still suffered quite a fright.

Yuanjue summoned the guesthouse officials and ordered them to escort the delegation back to the guesthouse and keep them under guard.

The officials hesitated, saying, “How can we detain the Northern Rong people without cause? What if they cause trouble?”

Yuanjue took out the confessions from the guards and Zhu Lüyun, sneering, “Let them make trouble. With these documents, even if Khan Wahan himself came to the Holy City, these people would still be locked up!”

Seeing his confidence, the official complied with a “Yes.”

All the guards were led away with their hands bound. When they discovered their hands were perfectly fine, they realized they had been tricked. They began to protest loudly, claiming Yaoying had used torture to force their confessions.

The official pulled back the guards’ robes to look, coldly saying, “There isn’t a single mark on your bodies. What torture? This is the Holy City, with the Buddha’s Son watching over us. Your deceptions won’t work here!”

At the courtyard entrance, Yaoying slowly descended the stairs surrounded by her guards, adjusted her veil, and mounted her horse.

Zhu Lüyun lifted her skirt and rushed forward. “Seventh Lady… Li Xuanzhen, he…”

Before she could approach, the guards blocked her path. A light tap with a scabbard made her stumble backward into the snow.

Yaoying gripped her reins tightly atop her horse and looked back at Zhu Lüyun on the ground.

“Has Princess Fukang forgotten what I just said?”

Zhu Lüyun raised her head, her expression humiliated and resentful.

Yaoying spoke each word deliberately: “Remember this well, Princess. From now on, stay far away from me. Better to avoid me entirely. My guards won’t always be this polite.”

The guard stepped forward, making a motion to draw his sword.

Zhu Lüyun glanced at the guard’s long blade and shrank back.

Yaoying urged her horse forward a few steps, letting her soft whip drop down with a snap to catch Zhu Lüyun’s arm and pull her to her feet.

“Zhu Lüyun, have you remembered?”

Zhu Lüyun waved her arm, trying to break free of the whip, her face dark.

A crisp scraping sound slowly rose as the guard began drawing his sword, its cold aura pressing down.

Zhu Lüyun stopped struggling and nodded reluctantly through gritted teeth.

Yaoying said flatly, “What have you remembered?”

Zhu Lüyun suddenly lifted her head to glare at Yaoying.

Yaoying looked down at her, a crimson veil covering her face, only her autumn-water eyes visible, their gaze calm and steady.

An inexplicable shame and anger welled up. Zhu Lüyun’s face turned iron-grey as she forced out: “I won’t bother Seventh Lady anymore. When I see you, I’ll stay far away.”

Yaoying smiled slightly. “You’d better remember it well.”

Zhu Lüyun let out a breath of relief.

Yaoying glanced at her, suddenly changing topic: “Just now, were you going to say Li Xuanzhen would avenge you? Like that Mid-Autumn Festival when Li Xuanzhen took revenge for you by killing my hunting dog?”

Zhu Lüyun’s whole body shuddered, her lips pressed tightly together, face pale.

That had happened years ago.

After Mid-Autumn was hunting season. The young nobles of Wei Commandery would gather in fine clothes on horseback to hunt in the mountains. Noble ladies would join on horseback too, enjoying the autumn mountain scenery. Seeing the wealthy young men in their silk robes charging about surrounded by attendants, Zhu Lüyun was reminded of her family’s decline into ruin. Grief overcame her and she quarreled with the Li family ladies. When they mocked her for being dependent on others, she was both heartbroken and furious. She shook off her attendants and galloped into the forest, where she ran into Li Yaoying, who was out with Li Zhongqian to lift his spirits. Her hunting dog frightened Zhu Lüyun’s horse, causing her to fall and hurt her hand.

Later Li Xuanzhen arrived and, right in front of Li Yaoying, drew his bow to shoot and kill her hunting dog.

At the time, Zhu Lüyun was so full of bitterness that she only remembered sulking with Li Xuanzhen afterward, not speaking to him for months. She had long forgotten about the dog.

It was just a dog after all.

But now when Li Yaoying brought it up, Zhu Lüyun remembered.

Her face turned deathly pale.

Yaoying pulled hard on the whip, drawing Zhu Lüyun to her horse’s side. She leaned down to look her in the eye: “Zhu Lüyun, when you see Li Xuanzhen, tell him I’m waiting for him to come to avenge you.”

There needed to be a final resolution between them.

Zhu Lüyun’s eyes slowly widened – Li Yaoying wasn’t afraid of Li Xuanzhen?

Yaoying released the whip and turned her horse around.

Behind her, Zhu Lüyun stumbled several steps before falling to the ground.

Before she could get up, Yaoying’s guard walked up to her and glared coldly: “Miss Zhu, we all heard what you just said. From now on, stay away from our Princess. Otherwise, every time we see you, we’ll beat you! We’re rough people – at worst, a life for a life!”

With that, he suddenly swung his sword at Zhu Lüyun.

The sword’s fierce wind thirsted for blood. Zhu Lüyun’s heart pounded in terror.

The glinting blade stopped just inches from her nose. The guard sheathed his sword with a sneer and strode away.

Zhu Lüyun sat in the snow, heart still racing, unable to recover for a long while.

The guesthouse official came forward, gesturing for Zhu Lüyun to return to the guesthouse with him: “Princess, please.”

Zhu Lüyun looked around.

Since arriving in Yizhou, all the attendants she had brought from the Central Plains had been reassigned by her aunt. The guards escorting her to the royal court were all her aunt’s people. She had no one she could rely on.

No one truly cared about her – only Li Xuanzhen indulged her every wish.

Zhu Lüyun bit her lip. With no other options, she could only follow the official away.

Deep in the long street, several furtive figures poked their heads out to observe before whispering among themselves.

“Quick, report back to the Princess!”

One person acknowledged and ran towards the guesthouse.

…

Before leaving the shop, Yaoying selected several pieces of Persian brocade with pearl patterns and had her guards deliver them to the Yuchi siblings.

Master Yuchi Damo’s children were staying with the merchant caravan, posing as the niece and nephew of a Persian merchant. The people in the caravan didn’t know their true identities.

In the first few days after leaving Gaochang, Yaoying had received several letters from Yang Qian, but then contact was cut off. Between the two places lay vast gravel deserts and great expanses of shifting sands. In all directions, there was only emptiness, and in the ice and snow, it was impossible to discern direction. They could only use animal bones and camel dung as waymarks. Travel was difficult and news traveled slowly.

Now using the merchant caravans was the most reliable way to pass messages, but the caravans moved so slowly. While situations could change in an instant, it took two or three months for news to arrive.

So Yaoying still didn’t know what had happened in Northern Rong these past days.

Whether good or bad, Khan Wahan must have blocked the news.

Yaoying frowned in thought.

Yuanjue followed beside her, seeing her furrowed brow, not daring to speak.

The group left the long street, slowly heading north.

The sounds of people faded away as buildings grew sparse. Long walls stretched across the rolling rocky hills. Yaoying emerged from her thoughts to find she could no longer see the two-story buildings of the market district.

She turned to ask Yuanjue: “Where are we going?”

With the confessions in hand, she had planned to return directly to the Royal Temple.

Yuanjue answered: “To the Sand Garden.”

“What place is the Sand Garden?”

Yuanjue teased: “The Princess will know when we arrive.”

Yaoying raised an eyebrow.

Yuanjue had several royal court guards return to the Royal Temple with messages, then led Yaoying further north. They rode up high earthen cliffs to arrive before a precipice with a flat earthen platform, covered in white snow with howling winds.

Yaoying pulled her cloak tight, shivering from the cold.

Yuanjue pointed to the valley below the cliff: “Princess, look, that is the Sand Garden.”

Yaoying looked where he pointed. A river ran below the cliff, its surface still covered in thick ice. Along the riverbank was a vast snowy plain scattered with many orderly rows of small conical stone piles.

“What are those?”

Yuanjue explained: “Those are hawk mounds. Eagles only nest in cliff faces and steep precipices, making them difficult to raise. These stone mounds are where young hawks can rest their wings and keep watch. The hawks haven’t returned to their nests yet – by evening, these mounds will be covered in young hawks.”

Yaoying’s expression showed longing.

Yuanjue continued: “Princess, the Sand Garden is where the royal court’s guard troops train messenger hawks and hunting hawks. The best messenger and hunting hawks in all the Onion Range, north and south, are here.”

He paused, looking at Yaoying.

“You may choose a hawk.”

Yaoying’s eyes widened.

…

Half an hour later, Yaoying returned to the Royal Temple with a hawk.

The whole way back she gripped its jesses tightly, afraid of accidentally letting her chosen hawk escape.

She had been worried about how to send messages to Yang Qian and Yuchi Damo. Now with this messenger hawk, she could solve the problem that had been troubling her.

Yuanjue was both amused and exasperated: “Princess, don’t worry. The Sand Garden’s hawks are well-trained. Even if you release the jesses, it will fly back.”

Yaoying considered this but still didn’t dare release her grip on the jesses. She stroked the hawk’s wings, saying softly: “What if this hawk doesn’t like me and flies away?”

Her expression was very serious.

Yuanjue was startled to realize she was genuinely worried and burst out laughing.

Yaoying knew he was laughing at her. The corners of her mouth turned up as she smiled along, feeding a piece of dried meat to the hawk on her shoulder.

This hawk was her own choice – its feathers were deep black with an ink-like sheen, with a streak of golden down on each wing and snow-white underwings. When it spread its wings, with sharp talons and fierce beak, it was truly magnificent.

When Yuanjue took her to choose a messenger hawk, she had picked this one at first sight.

They returned to the Royal Temple through a side gate guarded by the royal guards. Yaoying’s hawk on her shoulder drew many gazes.

A guard led Yaoying and Yuanjue to see Tanmoluojia.

A tall figure paced in front of the long corridor. Seeing Yaoying, he came forward, his gaze falling on the black hawk on her shoulder, startled.

“General Ashina!”

Yaoying quickened her pace, smiling as she approached to show him her chosen hawk.

“Thank you, General, for your generous gift of the hawk.”

Yaoying smiled as she spoke. Yuanjue had told her that the Holy City’s Sand Garden and Beast Garden were under Bisuo’s jurisdiction, and this hawk was a gift from Bisuo.

Ashina Bisuo looked bewildered.

Standing behind Yaoying, Yuanjue pointed at the hawk, then pointed upward, making a gesture of prayer with clasped hands. He kept making eye signals to Bisuo, blinking so hard his eyes nearly rolled back.

The King had ordered them not to tell the Princess the hawk was from him.

Bisuo’s eyes narrowed slightly as he understood. The corner of his mouth curved up as he smiled: “I’m glad the Princess likes it.”

There was a hawk perch set up under the front corridor. Yaoying placed the black hawk on it, secured its jesses, and fed it dried meat.

Ashina Bisuo stood beside her, reaching out to pet the hawk. As he raised his arm, he let out a cry of pain.

Yaoying glanced at him, seeing he wasn’t pretending. She asked with concern: “I heard from Yuanjue that the General was injured some days ago. Are you better now?”

Bisuo smiled and patted his arm: “Just scraped some skin by accident. It’s almost completely healed.”

He raised his other hand to stroke the hawk.

“Has the Princess named it yet?”

Yaoying pointed to the striking golden streak on the hawk’s wing, smiling: “Yes, I’m calling it General Jin.”

Bisuo laughed, having thought the Princess would choose an elegant name like “Chasing Wind” or “Soaring Clouds.”

Yaoying remembered something and asked: “What is the Master’s hawk called?”

She didn’t think she had ever heard Tanmoluojia call out to his grey hawk.

Bisuo answered: “The King hasn’t named the grey hawk, but the central army guards and common people of the royal court privately call it Garuda.”

Yaoying smiled lightly. Garuda was the legendary king of birds – in the eyes of the common people, Tanmoluojia’s grey hawk was truly a divine bird.

As they talked, sudden clamoring erupted from the front courtyard. The monk soldiers were struggling with someone, footsteps chaotic.

The arguing grew louder. A guard hurried through the long corridor, his expression grave.

Bisuo called out to stop him: “Who’s causing the commotion outside?”

The guard jogged over to his side and whispered a few words.

Bisuo’s expression changed slightly as he frowned, glancing at Yaoying.

“Princess, please wait in the side hall for now. The King has urgent matters to handle.”

He gestured for Yuanjue to lead Yaoying away.

Yaoying didn’t ask questions, immediately withdrawing with her black hawk.

Just as she turned into the corridor, a large group of people surged up from the other end. By their dress, they appeared to be nobles and aristocrats.

Bisuo went to meet them, quietly asking a few questions.

Those people’s expressions were agitated. Not bothering to explain to him, they clamored: “Where is the King? We must see the King!”

“Don’t try to stop me!”

“Time is of the essence – we only await the King’s command!”

“Is the King afraid? Now that Sudan Gu is dead, is the King hiding away?”

Bisuo couldn’t hold back the crowd, his face dark.

The group surged forward, lifting the felt curtains, rushing to crowd into the main hall.

The monk soldiers in the corridor made no move to stop them.

Yaoying withdrew her gaze and followed Yuanjue to the side hall.

The side hall was separated from the main hall by a courtyard. Though the walls were several layers of solid stone, Yaoying could still hear the shouting from the main hall as she sat by the fire pit.

For a full half hour, arguing, cursing, and shouting echoed through the spacious courtyard, passing through the courtyard walls.

Yuanjue wore a worried expression, frequently getting up to look outside the door.

Yaoying saw his restlessness and said: “I’ll wait here and won’t go anywhere. You go see if you can help the Buddha’s Son.”

Yuanjue shook his head: “The King ordered me to protect the Princess. Without the King’s command, I cannot leave the Princess.”

He looked extremely nervous, clutching his sword as he paced back and forth in the room. After countless circuits, the shouting gradually died down.

A while later, there came a knock at the door.

An armed monk soldier entered and gestured to Yaoying: “Princess Wenzhao, General Ashina requests your presence.”