The clamor and noise were left behind in the hall. The evening breeze was cool, clearing Ji Yingying’s mind further. She lifted her face to see Sheng Fengze’s eyes, as bright as the stars in the night sky.
“Wondering why I did this?” Sheng Fengze continued walking, carrying her down the steps. “I suddenly understood. Du Yan’s schemes run deep—he’s merely testing me. The Prince Bai of Nanzhao, protecting a Tang woman and debasing himself? The military prestige I won in this battle would be diluted by this matter. Given Du Yan’s calculating nature, he must have more than just this planned for me. Rather than guard against him, why not let him have his way? Then I can discover his next move.”
Ji Yingying remained silent.
Outside the palace gates, Sheng Fengze lifted her onto horseback, curious: “Why so docile today?” Something occurred to him, and he tilted her face up, frowning as he asked, “What did he do to you?”
Ji Yingying yanked her face away: “He told me to find an opportunity to kill you. I’m still considering whose side would be more advantageous.”
“Haha!” Sheng Fengze laughed heartily, shaking the reins as the horse galloped forward. Ji Yingying fell against his chest, “Hold tight! If you fall, I won’t care!”
Make her willingly embrace him? In his dreams! Ji Yingying refused to hold him, instead bracing herself against the saddle, turning her face away.
Sheng Fengze whipped the horse’s flank, making it neigh and gallop faster.
Sitting sideways on the horse, Ji Yingying couldn’t maintain her balance and suddenly began to slip.
Her waist tightened as Sheng Fengze bent down to pull her into his embrace, chuckling, “Never seen such a clumsy assassin. Breaking your neck before even attempting the assassination. Too precious about my life to take it?”
Ji Yingying’s anger suddenly flared, and she turned her head to bite his arm.
Sheng Fengze hissed and pulled the reins tight, gradually bringing the horse to a stop. He didn’t withdraw his arm, letting her bite with all her might as he joked, “Planning to bite me to death? That’s quite an innovative assassination method.”
Tasting blood between her teeth, Ji Yingying finally released her bite, tears falling unbidden.
“Want another bite?” Sheng Fengze offered his arm to her mouth.
Her tears fell on his hand, burning him enough to make him withdraw it.
Though she didn’t sob, her trembling shoulders told Sheng Fengze she was crying. He lifted his head to the horizon.
A shooting star streaked across the sky like a needle, its brilliant tail vanishing in an instant. The wind rustled a tall magnolia tree by the road. Deep pink blossoms released their fragrance silently into the deep blue night. Ji Yingying kept her head down, her slender white neck as delicate as a flower branch. Sheng Fengze felt his heart soften inexplicably, and without thinking, he said, “I’m sorry.”
Hearing these words, Ji Yingying turned back in surprise.
They saw bewilderment in each other’s eyes.
He was the Nanzhao King’s brother, the enemy who attacked Yizhou. Why should she hate him for not protecting her mother and brother’s family?
Why should he apologize to her? Did he have any obligation to protect her family? The gleam of tears in Ji Yingying’s eyes pierced his heart like a passing meteor. Sheng Fengze yanked the reins, and the horse galloped away.
Arriving at a brightly lit location, he roughly pushed her off the horse. Soldiers at the gate ran over, recognized Sheng Fengze, and bowed to him.
The horse, seeming to sense its master’s mood, stamped its hooves restlessly.
“The King has ordered her to dye silk. She’s been delivered to the dyehouse—without the King’s written decree and my token, she is not to leave the dyehouse!” Sheng Fengze said coldly.
“Yes!” Two soldiers stepped forward to help Ji Yingying up.
She must have twisted her ankle in the fall. As soon as she stood, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, but she forced herself not to cry out.
Sheng Fengze turned his horse and galloped into the night. When the hoofbeats faded, Ji Yingying lifted her head and cried out in pain: “Don’t pull me, it hurts terribly! I’ve twisted my ankle! Didn’t you hear Prince Bai? The King sent me to dye silk for you, go find a physician!”
Her fierce demeanor was unlike the other captured dye workers. The soldiers dared not treat her roughly, calling for a wooden board for her to sit on as they carried her into the dyehouse.
The Nanzhao royal family didn’t reside in Taihe City. Sheng Fengze’s palace was at White Cliff, north of Taihe City. All the buildings were constructed of white stone. The polished stones revealed naturally formed, brilliant patterns—white-like misty clouds, black-like ink, constantly shifting. He returned to his palace and lay down on a tiger-skin couch, staring absently at the patterns on the floor.
Aning entered carrying clothes. Already accustomed to Sheng Fengze’s contemplative moods, she reported softly, “Master, let Aning help you change.”
Sheng Fengze stood and spread his arms, his gaze still fixed on the floor. He tried to determine whether the pink patterns resembled birds or butterflies, but as his vision sank into them, he found the gentle lines looked like flowing water.
Removing his formal robes revealed the white inner garment beneath. Spots of blood had seeped through the white silk sleeve.
“Master! You’re injured?”
Aning’s cry brought Chihu running in from the hall entrance like the wind.
Sheng Fengze came to his senses and glanced casually at it: “It’s nothing.”
“Master, was it an assassination attempt?” Relying on his martial prowess, Sheng Fengze often went out alone, dismissing his guards. He had been safer in Great Tang—back in Nanzhao, attempts on his life were countless. There were restless tribal chiefs from the other Five Zhao who never accepted Nanzhao’s rule and officials like Qingping who disagreed with him politically. Chihu’s face darkened as his hand tightened on his sword hilt.
Aning carefully rolled up his sleeve. Two clear rows of teeth marks were visible on his arm.
Teeth marks! Clearly from a woman. Chihu and Aning exchanged bewildered looks. Who had bitten him? Which woman would Master allow so close? Aning’s mind was in chaos as she stammered, “Master, let your servant clean and bandage it.”
Just two rows of teeth that barely broke the skin needed cleaning and bandaging? Chihu glared at Aning, about to rebuke her for making a fuss. But seeing her flustered expression made his mood darken, and he swallowed his words.
Sheng Fengze glanced at it again: “Bring the parrot blue.”
Among the brilliant blues extracted from madder root, the finest blue—like the enchanting gleam of a parrot’s wing feathers—was called parrot blue. Mountain tribes often used it for tattoos.
“Master! Please reconsider!” Aning fell to her knees with a thud.
Others got tattoos to show their might. But their master wants to dye teeth marks… Chihu broke into a sweat, his mind working unusually hard: “Master, let this humble one kill that presumptuous person!” His fingers tightened, making his sword spring from its scabbard. “Guards! Follow me to avenge our master!”
A group of guards rushed into the hall: “Master! Commander Chihu! Who dared harm the master?!”
“Chihu!” Sheng Fengze’s face darkened as he barked, brushing down his sleeve.
“Master is injured? Who did it?!” Seeing the spots of blood on the white silk sleeve, the guards became as agitated as cats with burning tails, their anger rising collectively.