The next morning when going off duty, Huo Qi Lang carefully and quietly smuggled out Li Yuanying’s blood-stained undergarment, planning to wash it clean and keep it for herself to wear, just like the previous one. However, no matter how much she scrubbed, the stubborn bloodstains on the front could never be completely washed away. Even after rubbing until the warp and weft threads were loosened, a faint trace still remained.
Apart from that silk gauze undergarment, Huo Qi Lang had never worn similar high-quality silk clothing and didn’t know whether the fabric naturally resisted dyeing and washing. If she scrubbed any harder, it would tear. She was never one to overthink things, so she gave up, dried it, and casually tossed it into her chest.
On the day of the military demonstration banquet, they needed to decide who would accompany Prince Shao to the feast. The prince’s ceremonial entourage couldn’t all enter the banquet hall – only four people could closely attend him, including one interpreter for foreign languages. According to previous custom, Household Administrator Li Chengyin was required to go, and for the remaining two guard positions, Prince Shao specifically named Huo Qi Lang to accompany him.
Yuan Shaobai raised an objection: “When Huo Qi entered the mansion, we didn’t report the addition of new personnel to Liu Kun’s side. She has facial scars that make her too easily recognizable – this might be improper.”
Hearing this, Li Yuanying turned to the person in question and said, “Then restore your face. You should be able to do that?”
Huo Qi Lang nodded in agreement and sat before the bronze mirror, carefully filling in the scar, evening out her skin tone with powder, and restoring her damaged eyebrow. Thus she returned to her appearance from before the injury.
She straightened her clothes and appeared before Prince Shao’s confidants. Everyone was struck speechless, momentarily shocked into silence. After a long while, Li Chengyin cautiously advised, “This actually draws more attention than when she had the scar.”
Madam Li sighed, “These old eyes of mine aren’t sufficient – I don’t know whether to look at my lord or at Qi Lang.”
She secretly thought that even in the palace where beauties competed for attention, apart from Li Yuanying whom she had personally raised, she had never seen such androgynously handsome features. What a pity they were marred in the common world – she wondered what cold-hearted villain could bear to strike such a cruel blow.
Madam Li couldn’t help asking, “We’ve given you cosmetics and grooming tools – why don’t you usually apply makeup to cover it up?”
Huo Qi Lang smiled frankly, “Old Qi is naturally lazy. Without paid commissions, I’m unwilling to rise early every day to apply makeup.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized her paying employer was standing right in front of her, and quickly added to Li Yuanying, “Unless Your Highness commands it.”
Li Yuanying immediately responded, “I have no such requirement.”
His gaze dropped slightly, avoiding her restored radiant beauty, as he casually instructed, “Choose a guard you’re familiar with and disguise yourself as him.” After a brief pause, he added a condition: “It cannot be Yuwen Rang.”
Everyone secretly wondered why it couldn’t be Yuwen Rang, but Huo Qi Lang had some understanding and knew it was best not to ask too many questions. She obediently sat back before the mirror and disguised herself to look like the Xu brothers.
When Xu Lai received orders from his superior to accompany Prince Shao to the banquet alone, he felt inevitably anxious. Upon entering the main chamber, he discovered his younger brother Xu Xing was already waiting there. Xu Lai immediately became suspicious, thinking they had just parted – how had he gotten ahead of him so quickly?
He stepped forward to ask, but suddenly felt an indescribable sense of wrongness, involuntarily breaking out in goosebumps. The person before him clearly looked identical to himself, yet was not Xu Xing.
Xu Lai instinctively gripped his sword hilt and shouted in terror, “What kind of demon are you!”
“Xu Xing” burst into laughter and turned to Li Yuanying, saying, “No matter how perfect the disguise technique, it cannot fool those closest to someone. They can always recognize the truth – this is its greatest flaw.”
Yuan Shaobai stepped forward to calm Xu Lai, informing him this person was Huo Qi Lang in disguise, ordering him to keep the secret and accompany his brother’s substitute to the banquet to guard Prince Shao.
Xu Lai was so shocked his heart pounded wildly. After finally calming down, he reflected that these martial world strangers were truly bizarre – this kind of false resemblance was a hundred times more frightening than the green-faced, fanged demons in ghost stories.
At dusk, Li Yuanying rode in a carriage, escorted by his personal guard honor formation, heading to Military Governor Liu Kun’s headquarters. Past the inner city walls, they could see towering halls with fluttering banners. The fortress-like complex occupying four ward foundations was magnificent and imposing, like an impregnable stronghold. Liu Kun commanded his personal guard troops here, exercising military and administrative authority over all states in Youzhou Prefecture.
Huo Qi Lang accompanied Prince Shao in the carriage, lifting the soft curtain to look outside. She sighed, “In Guanzhong I heard people say ‘The Son of Heaven in Chang’an, the guard troops of Weibo.’ This Youzhou military governor is on the same level as Weibo – truly an emperor of the frontier. How much must it cost to maintain such a mansion?”
Li Yuanying said quietly, “That’s calculated separately. In Youzhou city alone, there are two thousand guard troops stationed inside the city and four thousand distributed outside. Each person’s annual military expenses cost twenty-four strings of cash.”
Huo Qi Lang said in surprise, “Such high military pay?”
Li Yuanying shook his head, “The cost of maintaining troops and the wages received are not the same thing.”
Huo Qi Lang thought this person lived in luxury without leaving his residence, yet was quite clear about these expenses, calculating them precisely down to the last detail.
Liu Kun loved luxury – not only spending vast sums on troops, but also maintaining the inner city and constructing pavilions and towers for his mansion. Therefore, Youzhou’s taxes were quite high, and he was even more unwilling to pay tribute to the Son of Heaven in Chang’an.
The evening banquet was held in the main hall. Though Prince Shao as Youzhou Prefect ranked below Liu Kun in official position, his transcendent status due to imperial bloodline meant the powerful Liu Kun had to yield the main seat to him, sitting at his right hand. Surveillance Commissioner Ruan Ziming, whose position was slightly lower than the military governor, sat to Prince Shao’s left. Next came envoys from the Khitan and Xi nations, followed by various prefects, headquarters staff, and important generals.
Huo Qi Lang observed Li Yuanying, seeing him respond to others without showing the slightest fatigue, performing as if he weren’t ill at all. Only his words became even more sparse and refined, like a quiet iceberg sitting in the place of honor, radiating inviolable dignity.
She had thought such high-level banquets would have particularly complex etiquette, but after these dignitaries exchanged pleasantries and took their seats, Liu Kun immediately called for entertainers to perform music and dance. Apart from the particularly luxurious environment and cuisine, it wasn’t much different from dining at a restaurant.
The banquet atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed. Huo Qi Lang also relaxed, and when no one was watching, she reached over to take a pastry from Li Yuanying’s table, quickly stuffing it in her mouth. Household Administrator Li Chengyin silently reproached her rash behavior with his eyes, while she said in Xu Xing’s voice, “I’m testing it for poison.”
Xu Lai was displeased and said in a suppressed voice, “That wasn’t my brother’s doing.”
Huo Qi Lang laughed, “What, don’t I count as your colleague and brother?”
These two looked identical in appearance. Li Chengyin was seeing double from the real and fake twins, and seeing his master had no reaction, he let them be.
The accompanying interpreter was named Kang Simo, a descendant of Hu merchants whom Prince Shao had brought from Chang’an, fluent in multiple languages. He had brown curly hair, and despite the cap wrapped around his head, several disobedient curls still escaped from his temples. His personality was humorous and casual, somewhat similar to martial world people.
Because Li Yuanying was quiet and spoke little, Kang Simo had few opportunities to display his linguistic talents. Whenever new music and dance performances began, he would mutter a few words like announcing dishes. When the pipa sounded and the singing girls parted their red lips, he immediately announced: “Liangzhou Ci.”
This was Wang Han’s widely celebrated quatrain, known by everyone under heaven. Because it depicted themes of battlefield warfare, its rhythm was stirring and soul-moving.
Kang Simo lightly beat time on his knee. After listening for a while, he said with a hint of mockery to the Xu brothers, “I heard Commandant Yuan forbids his subordinates from drinking alcohol. Even if you have the chance to go to battle, you probably won’t experience the heroic spirit of ‘lying drunk on the battlefield – don’t laugh, my lord.'”
Xu Lai sighed softly, while Huo Qi Lang, contrary to her usual frivolity, said in a solemn tone, “The scene this poem depicts probably isn’t soldiers being drunk, but corpses strewn across the battlefield, as if all those people were drunk.”
Li Yuanying turned to glance at her, saying, “I thought you were illiterate.”
Perhaps because the disguise materials obscured fine facial expressions, she answered matter-of-factly, “I’ve only heard this one line.”
After three rounds of wine, the banquet atmosphere gradually reached its peak. The Khitan envoy began the main business, rising to bow to Prince Shao in the main seat and chattering away. Kang Simo finally got his assignment, perking up to listen carefully before conveying the message to Li Yuanying.
“The Wugu Khan has a daughter of marriageable age who is not yet betrothed. The Khan deeply admires Your Highness’s talent and wishes to arrange a marriage alliance to strengthen relations between our two nations. What does Your Highness think?”
The household administrator’s face showed a weary expression of “here we go again.” Li Yuanying replied in a gentle but firm tone: “I am deeply honored by Wugu Khan’s kind intention. However, I have already married a principal wife. Tang law has never recognized the system of equal wives – how could I slight the Khan’s beloved daughter by making her a concubine? May the friendship between our nations not be shaken by personal matters. I hope the Khan will understand.”
Kang Simo fluently conveyed Li Yuanying’s meaning in Khitan. The several Khitan envoys huddled together to discuss for a few moments, then spoke again: “We hear Your Highness has no heirs yet. Our Khitan women are skilled at childbearing and would gladly bear sons for Your Highness to continue your lineage. This would be a beneficial marriage alliance between our nations. We hope Your Highness will consider deeply to fulfill the Khan’s sincere intention.”
These words were quite blunt. Kang Simo couldn’t soften them even if he wanted to and could only translate directly. Huo Qi Lang couldn’t help but whisper, “They’re mocking your inability to father sons.”
Li Yuanying remained expressionless, his lips barely moving: “I can tell.”
Though the music and dance performances in the main hall continued, when both sides conversed, all other attendees held their breath to listen, wondering if Prince Shao would become angry from embarrassment.
Li Yuanying reacted extremely quickly, responding calmly: “I am grateful for Wugu Khan’s sincere affection. I indeed have no heirs, but my mind is made up – I seek no more from the inner quarters. I hear the Khan’s family is prosperous with many branches. If he would graciously gift me a son, I would naturally treat him as my own, caring for him generously. This would also show neighborly harmony and mutual assistance.”
This time all attendees understood: Wugu Khan was trying to force a daughter on Prince Shao for a marriage alliance, but he had turned it around to request a son from the Khan as an adopted child. The value of sending a daughter for political marriage versus sending a biological son was naturally very different. The Khitan envoys fell into confusion, discussing in low voices, momentarily unable to make a decision.
Now regardless of whether they agreed or not, the initiative was in Li Yuanying’s hands.
Everyone present admired Prince Shao’s quick reaction and how he showed neither joy nor anger regardless of honor or disgrace. Liu Kun, hearing that he had rejected not only his own daughter but also held the Khan’s princess in equal disregard with the same cold arrogance, felt much more at peace. He thought this person loved visiting the outer residence in Yandu District – perhaps he was waiting for his mistress to bear him sons.
After this small storm passed, the banquet continued.
Huo Qi Lang quietly sighed, “So even when there’s no war, they still discuss political marriages.”
Li Chengyin said, “Political marriages and alliances never cease. Since Princess Dongyi was sent to marry into Tibet years ago, the court is now considering marriage ties with the Uighurs.”
Huo Qi Lang quietly asked Li Yuanying, “Is that Princess Dongyi your sister or aunt?”
Li Yuanying only slowly shook his head without speaking.
Kang Simo shifted closer to Huo Qi and whispered to her, “Princess Dongyi was not born to the current emperor – she was just a girl from the imperial clan who was granted the title of princess before being married off. When Tibet invaded Hexi and demanded a marriage alliance with tough negotiating, they requested Princess Wanshou, born to the current emperor and his noble consort. The emperor cherished his young daughter and selected an imperial clan girl, granting her a title before marrying her off.”
Huo Qi Lang asked in confusion, “And Tibet agreed to that?”
Kang Simo said, “People’s hearts are made of flesh – even emperors can’t bear to send their own daughters ten thousand li away. Since ancient times, the vast majority of marriage alliance princesses have been imperial clan girls or ministers’ daughters. Foreign nations know this perfectly well and call them ‘substitute princesses.’ Actually, the meaning of political marriage has nothing to do with one woman – it’s just a bargaining chip. The key points are the alliance and the generous dowry…”
Li Chengyin couldn’t listen anymore and softly scolded, “Kang Simo, you talk more than someone who’s drunk too much!”
Kang Simo immediately hunched his shoulders and shut his mouth.
Huo Qi Lang was stunned for a long time, recalling many years ago when she had just arrived in Chang’an. She happened to witness Princess Dongyi’s wedding procession to Tibet on Zhuque Boulevard. Dressed in rags and barefoot, she had squeezed into the crowd and seen from afar a figure in the magnificent phoenix palanquin who seemed to be crying bitterly. She hadn’t realized that person was merely a more noble substitute.