Wei Xun had indeed brought back a stack of sesame flatbread, while Shisan Lang had somehow begged two large purple pears. The three sat around the furnace, roasting bread and burning pears over the fire. The meal was simple with no meat, but this was all due to her own circumstances. The princess had no grounds for complaint, and was too hungry to complain anyway.

Shisan Lang said enthusiastically: “One-foot-wide flatbread costs two coins each in the market, but only Fuxing Ward’s old shop charges three coins per piece, five coins for two, and even then supply can’t meet demand. Their craftsmanship really can’t be matched! Princess, please see how generous they are with sesame, and the oil pastry filling is extremely fragrant.”

The princess glanced at him listlessly and said: “Even such good bread can’t stop your mouth. With such expertise, you should be appointed as a Food Service Director in the Palace Secretariat.”

Shisan Lang didn’t mind at all and asked curiously: “I heard the princess also ate melons in the palace. How were those melons different from what we eat?”

The princess replied helplessly: “The melons bestowed on officials and servants were the same, just without additional ice.”

Shisan Lang said enviously: “Summer ice costs hundreds or thousands of times more than the melon itself! So the difference isn’t in the melon, but in how it’s eaten.”

When the pears were cooked, Wei Xun used his dagger to cut them into sections for the three of them. The flatbread was fragrant and crispy, the pear juice abundant. In their hunger, these simple foods tasted remarkably delicious.

After eating until seventy percent full, Wei Xun took out a bulging cloth bundle. When opened, it contained several persimmons and tangerines.

Princess Wangshou, having enjoyed tributes from all directions, naturally recognized these as fire crystal persimmons from Lintong and Dongting oranges, and was startled.

Lintong wasn’t far from Chang’an, and persimmons weren’t considered precious fruit when they came to market in large quantities during autumn. But it was only June now, and being out of season made them precious. These early-ripened fire crystal persimmons must have been forced to ripen in imperial hothouses with warming rooms and braziers at any cost, specially supplied to the inner court.

As for Dongting oranges, these were southern products newly tributed from Wu region over great distances. Only when the emperor bestowed them on important ministers could they be tasted – even the wealthy merchants and magnates of the capital never saw them.

Though just two types of fruit for eating, they were rare treasures that no amount of money could buy. How had he, a commoner, obtained them?

The princess asked with surprise and suspicion: “Where did these fruits come from?”

Wei Xun smiled without answering.

Shisan Lang took out an orange and slowly peeled it, tasting it while saying: “With Senior Brother’s abilities, taking a few fruits from the imperial tribute storehouse isn’t difficult. Since you could eat them for free before, they’re still the same fruits now, aren’t they? Or does the princess want to arrest us and take us to see officials over these few fruits?”

The princess was stunned and couldn’t think of a rebuttal for a moment.

The imperial city had thousands of halls and buildings with strict guard security, yet he could take fruits as easily as reaching into a bag, while not touching other treasures. Having such ability yet still wearing worn old clothes was truly strange. From all these anomalies, she could be certain Wei Xun was no ordinary thief and must have some special qualities.

After eating the fruit, the princess learned something new: Shisan Lang carefully spread the peeled orange rinds by the furnace to dry, saying dried orange peel boiled in water cleared the lungs and was an affordable substitute for the expensive aged citrus peel sold in city pharmacies – it absolutely shouldn’t be casually discarded.

With full stomachs, they next examined the travel supplies Wei Xun had purchased, leaving the princess greatly disappointed.

There were no ready-made clothing shops in the city. Regardless of status, those wanting new clothes first had to buy fabric from silk and satin shops, either taking it home for female family members to cut and sew, or paying tailoring shops to make it. Even after paying rush order deposits, they still had to wait two days to receive the clothes.

This matter was set aside for now.

He hadn’t bought stone ink for drawing eyebrows. Wei Xun retrieved two pieces of charcoal with residual warmth from the extinguished furnace, saying: “This is excellent and costs nothing.”

This matter was also set aside for now.

Most hateful of all was that he hadn’t bought a horse, but instead bought an extraordinarily ugly thin donkey. Its mane was mottled, head large and legs short, and when it brayed the sound was hoarse and piercing, extremely noisy.

Princess Wangshou was an expert at evaluating horses, having once kept over ten purebred steeds in the imperial park, each a rare divine horse worth ten thousand gold. She felt that having fallen to common circumstances, she couldn’t be picky about mount quality – any ordinary horse for transportation would suffice. Who knew Wei Xun would actually bring back such a precious creature with flaws from head to toe, nearly making her spit blood with anger.

The princess raged: “If you served in the palace, you’d be stripped of rank and punished!”

Wei Xun removed the thin donkey’s bridle, letting it wander and graze in the courtyard, saying carelessly: “That’s why I don’t serve in office.”

The princess asked: “Was there not enough gold?”

“There was enough. An ordinary horse in West Market costs twenty-five strings of cash.”

“And this ugly donkey?”

“Three hundred strings.”

The princess was speechless, not knowing what to do.

No matter how she protested by jumping up and down, Wei Xun only had one response: “This is the best mount from the ghost market. I naturally have my reasons for buying it.”

Among all the purchased items, the only thing that satisfied her was a horn bow wrapped with ox sinew. Though plain in appearance, the size and draw weight were perfectly suited to her hands. The matching bow case, thumb ring, arm guards and such were quite complete, with a standard quiver of thirty arrows. Without these, she would have suspected Wei Xun was deliberately sabotaging her ability to travel.

Two days later, Wei Xun went to the tailor shop to collect the finished clothes.

It was a set of cream-colored Hu clothing with simple turmeric-colored circular flower patterns printed on it. The fabric wasn’t refined, and the patterns were barely acceptable as fresh and lovely. The only advantage was that the shoulders, neck, waist and body all fit perfectly. When worn, it was comfortable and well-fitted, with pants convenient for horseback riding.

Having sold her jewelry, removed her magnificent palace robes, and changed into these commoner’s Hu clothes, only a close-fitting sachet remained from her palace possessions – everything else was no longer connected to the imperial family.

The young woman pinched her arms, which had long lost their former plumpness. She thought that with future hardships and irregular meals, there was no possibility of gaining weight. She didn’t know when she might recover her former graceful flesh and elegant bones. Feeling sorry for herself, she couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

After changing clothes and walking into the courtyard, the two brothers were preparing luggage, saddles, bridles and other travel items.

“After losing weight, this outfit fits just right. That tailor has good skills – he cut everything to fit perfectly without taking measurements.”

After she said this, Wei Xun remained silent as if he hadn’t heard. Shisan Lang, who usually chattered constantly, also kept quiet, constantly glancing at his senior brother.

The princess didn’t understand and asked: “How much money is left? Will it be enough for the journey?”

“All the loose gemstones and pearls were sold. There’s still a packet of gold beads left, and I exchanged seven or eight strings of loose coins for immediate expenses on the road.”

One string of cash was a thousand coins, weighing about six pounds by official weight. These several strings filled an entire saddlebag, weighing nearly fifty pounds. Wei Xun placed the saddlebag sideways on the donkey’s rump, causing the thin donkey to grunt twice in dissatisfaction.

For all purchases, Wei Xun reported the original prices, discounts, and quantities of free gifts. Though the princess didn’t understand civilian prices, she could sense his careful money management and simply let him keep the remaining gold. But hearing so little remained, she felt uneasy, fearing it would all be spent in two or three days with no way to continue the journey afterward.

Road preparations were nearly complete, leaving only farewells.

The princess had earlier ordered Wei Xun to lift a stone slab in the main hall and dig a hole underneath. Then she solemnly buried her mother’s hairpin, palace robes and other items underground, while the hideous demon head was wrapped in prayer flags and stuffed into the rafters of a side hall.

After replacing the stone slab, she knelt and bowed once, saying through tears: “Your daughter is setting out now. May mother’s spirit in heaven bless your daughter’s safe journey.”

She put on her veiled hat, everything before her eyes shrouded in light mist, then mounted the thin donkey. Wei Xun walked ahead on foot leading the reins, with Shisan Lang following behind.

Wei Xun carried nothing, having prepared only a belt for the journey. The wide leather belt had multiple thin straps hanging at equal intervals, with metal rings and buckles holding commonly used small items like daggers, handkerchiefs, and flint pouches that could be grabbed at hand – very convenient.

With the belt fastened, viewed from behind his silhouette showed a narrow waist and ape-like back, tall and lean, with light leopard-like steps – completely different from her former thick-armed, broad-waisted ceremonial guards.

Seeing his light equipment, she asked: “You don’t want those bamboo strips anymore?”

Wei Xun shook his head and sighed deeply, as if freed from some invisible shackle: “They were useless things anyway – should have thrown them away long ago.”

Passing through the mountain gate, he suddenly howled toward the sky, his voice carrying far and clear. Birds within dozens of li immediately took startled flight, and dust fell from the stone beams of the mountain gate.

The princess felt her heartbeat accelerate and her ears ring. Thinking how he usually spoke softly and slowly, never raising his voice, she was shocked that such a lean chest could produce such a heroic sound. The howl seemed to carry a generous, melancholy meaning – clearly young and wild, yet somehow expressing such deep feeling.

She thought that if even she felt her ears ringing constantly, if the mount were a horse, it would have already bolted in fright, throwing its rider. Yet this ugly donkey remained completely calm and unmoved. When Wei Xun’s long howl gradually faded to silence, the ugly donkey swished its tail and followed with a long, hoarse, unpleasant bray of its own.

Wei Xun turned around, his face already restored to its cynical, relaxed smile. He gently patted the donkey’s head and said with barely suppressed laughter: “Who asked you to harmonize? Really knows how to join in.”

The three people and one donkey thus left Cuiwei Temple, setting foot on the road toward Youzhou. “Nine heavens’ gates open to palace halls, ten thousand nations’ robes bow to royal crown” – the former imperial favor, luxury and splendor, vanished like a yellow millet dream, dissipating like smoke and clouds.

Author’s Note:

Setting out!

LV is also a luxury brand, make do with it