“I’ve always considered Jiangnan scenery to be the finest under heaven, yet I never expected that even in this bitter cold frontier, there would be such heart-lifting and spirit-refreshing places.”
Qing Xia replied upon hearing this, “Jiangnan has misty rain and flowing water with small bridges, exquisite as paintings. The northern wastelands have vast grasslands that are open and bold with grand atmosphere. Each has its own merits and magnificence.”
Jin Shaohuang smiled slightly, turned his head toward Qing Xia and said, “Oh? Then in Your Excellency’s heart, do you prefer Jiangnan’s delicacy or the northern territories’ grandeur?”
The speaker likely meant nothing by it, but the listener immediately took notice. Qing Xia slightly raised an eyebrow, looking at Jin Shaohuang’s handsome face with its shrewd expression, and said indifferently, “I like neither. This official is naturally destined for a life of toil, only enjoying rushing about everywhere.”
Jin Shaohuang raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head away, and said with a smile, “So Your Excellency was once a carefree person who traveled through green mountains—no wonder your knowledge is so extensive.”
“In this world, who can truly achieve real freedom? Even someone as wealthy as Young Master Jin—don’t you still have to travel east and west for your family’s business prospects?”
Jin Shaohuang was startled. The setting sun shone on his robes with a misty, ethereal quality that for a moment seemed like another person’s shadow.
Qing Xia was briefly distracted, then quickly said, “The mutual trade initiative will be implemented sooner or later. Even if it’s just a pretense, it won’t be delayed much longer. Young Master Jin surely knows how much profit lies within this. On this journey, even if I hadn’t actively sought you out, you would surely have come anyway. Acting alone, the Jin family’s costs would be enormous. Having the imperial army provide protection and escort, while thoroughly investigating the relationships and economic conditions of all Xiongnu tribes—Young Master, this business deal isn’t a loss for you.”
After Jin Shaohuang’s brief moment of confusion, his eyes carried an increasingly sharp gleam that was hard to conceal. His voice was slightly deeper as he slowly said, “So Your Excellency played along with the situation and fulfilled this humble person’s wishes?”
“Not fulfilled—cooperation.”
“Cooperation?” Jin Shaohuang turned around, looking at the azure lake, his voice lightly mocking as he slowly said, “Your Excellency and I are not familiar with each other, have no understanding, and no trust. How can we cooperate?”
Qing Xia shook her head and said, “Those things aren’t important. Only mutual interests will make our cooperation seamlessly intimate. It happens that I have troops and you have money. The Xiongnu, Western Regions, Japan, and the Western Ocean—these are where our common interests lie. I truly can’t think of a reason you would refuse me.”
The breeze stirred gently, carrying the fresh scent of green grass. Qing Xia said in a low voice, “Young Master Jin is the wealthiest under heaven, with extensive connections. You store grain and supplies, have far-reaching ears and eyes, and can independently support giant ships sailing far without anyone’s knowledge. Others only say money can work miracles, but this official knows the depths involved—it can’t be accomplished with money alone. Wanting more after gaining some is natural human feeling. Young Master has a broad heart and mountain-swallowing ambitions, plus vast wealth and hidden power. How can you make me believe you’re content to be just a wealthy patriarch?”
Jin Shaohuang’s expression finally gradually grew serious. He turned his head to look at Qing Xia, his eyes containing restrained yet increasingly sharp intensity. Qing Xia turned around, looking directly into Jin Shaohuang’s eyes, and said in a deep voice, “I don’t care what you thought before or what you’ll do in the future, but at least now, you and I have common goals and interests. I hope we can cooperate fully and not undermine each other. As for the future, how the Jin family develops is up to you. If there really comes a day when we’re at odds, we can take up arms against each other—that’s not impossible either.”
With that, Qing Xia slowly raised her hand. Five small copper tubes rested in her pale palm, carved with intricate golden-winged bird patterns. This was the Jin family’s method of transmitting intelligence—letters sealed within the copper tubes. The wax on the tubes was still unbroken, proving Qing Xia hadn’t secretly read their contents.
With a splash, the copper tubes sank to the lake bottom. Qing Xia smiled faintly, extended her right hand, her expression radiating complete confidence.
Jin Shaohuang pondered for a long moment, then finally smiled freely and gracefully extended his hand to grasp Qing Xia’s palm.
“Perhaps we can be friends.”
Qing Xia smiled, “It would be my pleasure.”
A red cloud swept across the horizon. The earth stretched boundlessly, with swaying grass across the vast northern territories.
The night was too quiet, making sleep impossible. On the post-autumn grassland, one could faintly foresee decline after extreme prosperity. The oil-green pasture grass was everywhere filled with fresh grass fragrance, reaching to grown men’s waists. White tents embroidered with black dragons nestled among it like small mounds. Qing Xia threw on an outer robe, lifted the curtain, greeted the black-clothed guards on night duty, then slowly walked out of the camp. At a corner of the tents, Song Yang stood leaning on his spear. Hearing movement, he turned his head, saw it was Qing Xia, made no sound, and simply followed slowly behind.
The nighttime grassland had a unique beauty. Sparse stars dotted the pitch-black canopy, the moon large and round, its clear radiance spreading across the four wilds. Night-flying eagles occasionally passed through the sky, their black wings tracing sinuous paths through the air as they soared toward distant mountains. Night winds arose, making the green grass undulate like ocean waves, one surge following another.
Qing Xia came to the foot of Baishi Mountain, leaning against a smooth stone. In her black cloak, several days of rushing and toil had made her increasingly gaunt. Her small, pointed face had bright, dark eyes like the black lake under the night sky before her. Tall grass swayed, hiding her figure within. Occasionally, one could only see her flowing hair, black and thick like the finest silk.
Melancholy flute music began to sound. On the mountainside of Baishi Mountain, a man in azure robes sat upright. Strong winds came, brushing through his loose hair and elegant robe hem, ethereal and floating like a great bird about to take flight.
Night enveloped everything with heavy mist. Green grass rustled, and everything seemed like an unreal fantasy. After a long time, the flute music from the mountainside gradually faded. The man in azure robes walked down gracefully and sat beside Qing Xia. His voice was mellow and gentle, sounding somewhat hoarse and tranquil in such quiet night.
“The long night is endless, with no desire for sleep. I didn’t expect Your Excellency to be the same as this humble person.”
Qing Xia didn’t turn her head, saying softly, “Someone I know is also very skilled with music and plays the flute extremely well.”
Jin Shaohuang was startled, his eyebrows slightly raised, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. His eyes were long and narrow, as if water flowed through them with rippling light. “Your Excellency, not sleeping late at night, are you here reminiscing about old friends?”
Seeing that Qing Xia didn’t answer, Jin Shaohuang said to himself, “Someone Your Excellency thinks of at this time must be very important. Let me guess—is it Your Excellency’s close friend? Relative? Or perhaps a beloved?”
Qing Xia turned to glance at him, seeing the man’s carefree features with an air of unrestrained nobility that couldn’t be hidden—not mercantile like merchants, yet not indifferent and harmonious either. Qing Xia smiled faintly, her smile carrying threads of bitterness and longing. Time passed in a blur, and now, thinking of it again, it no longer hurt as deeply as before. What remained was only vast desolation and helplessness.
Suddenly her lower abdomen cramped. Qing Xia’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her complexion immediately paling.
Jin Shaohuang noticed and asked in a deep voice, “Is Your Excellency feeling unwell? Would you like me to take a look?”
Qing Xia turned her head, eyebrows raised, saying, “Is Young Master skilled in medicine?”
“I understand a little. A friend of mine comes from a family of renowned doctors and is skilled in medical principles. Through exposure and influence, I’ve learned some basics too.”
Qing Xia stood up and said, “Thank you for Young Master’s kind intention. This official merely has an old ailment—it’s nothing serious. The grassland nights are cold and heavy with chill. Young Master should return early to rest.”
Jin Shaohuang nodded agreeably, watching Qing Xia’s departing figure with a smile.
“Your Excellency.” Song Yang stepped forward, clearly seeing that Qing Xia’s face, with her back to Jin Shaohuang, was completely bloodless, her eyebrows almost knitted together with deep traces of suffering.
Qing Xia shook her head slightly, extending her hand to stop Song Yang from coming to support her. With straight spine, she walked steadily step by step toward the central command tent.
Though the distance wasn’t long, it seemed infinitely far. Closing the tent curtain, Qing Xia leaned against a pillar, her clothing almost completely soaked through.
The oil lamp in the corner burned quietly, occasionally sparking tiny flames. Qing Xia wearily closed her eyes, her voice weak and barely audible, as if speaking to someone else yet also to herself.
“I definitely can.”
Time roared past, crossing life and death. Vast stretches of years withered within these five words.
High in the vast firmament, a lonely deity recorded this sentence, using a golden brush dipped in thick ink made from the blood of all living beings, leaving on China’s historical records that woman’s only lifelong faith. Many years later, when her beauty had aged and she looked back on her life once more, she would discover that her entire existence seemed to repeat this one sentence.
On that future day, the pale woman would grasp that man’s hand, and at life’s end show the reminiscent yet satisfied smile of her life’s enlightenment, saying softly: I always thought I definitely could, not knowing my strength was only so much, what I could accomplish was only so much. Why was I so foolish? Actually, as long as you are safe, that would be enough.
I have already lost once—I don’t want to be powerless even this time. As long as you are safe, that would be enough.
On the pitch-black canopy, clouds gathered and dispersed. You in the distance—are you well?
The great army departed afterward, passing through Luda Grassland and Huhan Basin, following Zhu Gorge River downstream into Mongolian territory. Two more days’ journey ahead lay Mount Baideng.
This Mount Baideng differed greatly in location from the Mount Baideng in Qing Xia’s memory, already deep within Mongolia, near the Khorchin Grassland. At this time, the Khorchin Grassland had lush green grass and fertile soil, far from the desolation in her memory. Wherever Qing Xia’s great army passed, all was silent and uninhabited—likely the local residents had already fled in advance.
Advance Officer Liao Bi came to report that scouts had captured Guli A’shu’s reconnaissance cavalry. Qing Xia sneered inwardly, ordered their release, then commanded the army to make camp in Khorchin.