Li Gu told Xie Yuzhang: “Jingshan sent back two letters — one for you, and one that has already been given to Chamberlain Yang.”

Xie Yuzhang opened the letter in front of Li Gu and skimmed through it quickly, then said: “Sure enough, Second Elder Brother is anxious too. He says the letter to our uncle asks him to go to the Lin residence to propose a marriage. Very well — it’s enough that our uncle knows. The rest is the Yang Family’s affair.”

Li Gu studied the expression in her eyes and asked: “What have you been doing these past few days?”

Xie Yuzhang said: “Teaching my younger sister to ride horses. Once she’s practiced a little longer, I’ll take her riding through the streets. And when she’s riding well enough, I’ll take her hunting.”

When Xie Yuzhang chatted idly with Li Gu, she often mentioned this younger sister of hers. Li Gu knew she was very protective of her sisters — not only her sisters, but also Lin Zi’s younger sister Lin Shi, and even toward his own consorts, she was always remarkably understanding.

Toward the women around her, she did her utmost to treat them well. Even when Li Zhenzhen had done what she did, she had been able to forgive her.

If Li Gu had not known what she had endured in Mobei, he might have thought this perfectly natural — that women were simply meant to be gentle and yielding. But Li Gu knew what she had gone through, knew that she had even killed her own husband with her own hands. And so the softness that Xie Yuzhang still managed to preserve within her heart was all the more rare and precious for it.

It was something that could only be sustained by an extraordinarily magnanimous spirit — otherwise, the accumulated murderous fury from all those killings alone would have been enough to render a person utterly unrecognizable.

This, Li Gu understood deeply.

He listened as Xie Yuzhang spoke unhurriedly about the affairs of her household — Jia You learning to ride horses, Yaya and Niuniu being mischievous — all the small, mundane details of daily life that he would ordinarily never pay any attention to, yet when she recounted them, they became strangely interesting, the kind of thing one could listen to with pleasure.

He watched her snow-white hands pinch a silver ladle and gently sprinkle salt into the boiling water. Her movements were delicate, her fingers graceful as orchid petals.

Li Gu was not particular about food and drink — especially when it came to tea, which he habitually gulped down like an ox. This was something about the northwestern generals that Yunjing’s literati had long laughed at.

Even within the Zichen Palace, Li Gu would have the attendants brew the tea directly, then add salt himself and drain it in one go, purely to quench his thirst.

But Xie Yuzhang came to him three times every month, detained within the Zichen Palace. The two of them could hardly just sit there staring at each other — there had to be conversation, something to do. And so Xie Yuzhang had the attendants prepare a tea set, and personally brewed tea for Li Gu herself.

The water came to a rolling boil — the second boil. Xie Yuzhang ladled out a scoop of the boiling water and set it aside. She used a bamboo whisk to stir the water, then gently added the powdered tea.

Her fingers were slender and lovely. Whether she held the bamboo whisk or pinched the silver ladle, it was a pleasure to watch. Li Gu greatly enjoyed watching her prepare tea.

The third boil came. Xie Yuzhang poured the ladled water back in; the boiling subsided, and foam formed on the surface. She skimmed away the froth and divided the tea into two cups. She reached out to pick up one of the cups.

A strand of hair slipped loose from beside her temple.

Li Gu had been gazing at her all along. When he caught sight of that stray lock, he reached out his hand.

Just as Xie Yuzhang lifted the cup and raised her eyes, Li Gu’s hand arrived beside her cheek. Xie Yuzhang held her breath.

Time seemed to freeze — though in truth, it was only that both of their hands had simply stopped where they were.

That hand — it was unmistakably the same one that had reached to lift the tent curtain in the moments before her death. Even the calluses were exactly the same shape.

Yet the emperor before her now was no longer that man who had only known how to stand rooted in the middle of the road.

After a brief pause, Li Gu’s hand continued forward and tucked that loose strand of hair behind her ear. Then he withdrew his hand — without touching her cheek or her skin.

But Xie Yuzhang understood. Li Gu had made his position unmistakably clear: the terms of how the two of them would conduct themselves between each other — from now on, it was he who would decide.

He was indeed a gentleman and would not force her. But he would no longer tolerate Xie Yuzhang toying with him.

Xie Yuzhang’s hand had paused for only a moment as well. The instant Li Gu withdrew his, she set the cup of tea before him and smiled: “Your Majesty, when it is still warm like this, the broth is at its most savory and the tea is at its most tender.”

Li Gu looked at her unchanging smile, gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment, and raised the cup.

In his heart, there was a faint trace of disappointment.

Xie Yuzhang rode her horse back to the Princess’s residence. The gatekeepers came forward to meet her and reported: “Your Highness, Yuan Ling has been summoned to the Office of the Capital Magistrate.”

Xie Yuzhang was mildly surprised: “The Capital Magistrate’s Office?”

The servant said: “Yes. It seems a case has arisen that involves our Princess’s residence, and they have requested Yuan Ling to go and answer questions.”

Xie Yuzhang asked: “Did he bring people with him?”

The servant said: “Your Highness need not worry. Yuan Ling specifically brought eight guards with him.” This was a habit they had formed in Mobei — whenever anything came up, one must have people, and one must have blades.

Xie Yuzhang relaxed: “Then that’s fine.”

She waited in the residence for an hour before Yuan Yu returned.

Xie Yuzhang asked: “What happened?”

Yuan Yu said: “Does Your Highness still remember Qiu Niang?”

At the time when everyone was preparing to return to the Central Plains, a clever neighbor had brought Qiu Niang to the entrance of the princess’s great tent to seek help. Qiu Niang’s forehead had been covered in blood — she had kowtowed at the entrance of her parents’ felt tent until it bled. Even with blood on her forehead, her own mother and father had refused to return the twenty-sheep bride price to the husband’s family and bring her back.

She had been married to a man from the nomadic tribes. If her parents would not redeem her, she would be stranded in Mobei for the rest of her life.

Xie Yuzhang had stood at the steps of the great tent at the time, so furious her hands and feet had gone cold.

Later, a contract was signed and pressed with a red handprint. From that day on, Qiu Niang became Xie Yuzhang’s person.

Xie Yuzhang asked: “Is she not at the estate?”

Qiu Niang was already nineteen — older, and without any formal training. There was no position for her at Xie Yuzhang’s side. Fortunately, she was diligent and capable. During the journey back, Yuan Yu had arranged for her to care for the wounded soldiers, and she had done so with great dedication. Yuan Yu had noticed this, and once they arrived in Yunjing, he had settled her at the estate.

Yuan Yu replied: “Qiu Niang has been sold by her parents.”

Xie Yuzhang erupted in fury.

“What worthless creatures, daring to sell one of my people!” she raged.

Yuan Yu said: “Your Highness, please calm yourself.”

Yuan Yu then recounted the story slowly.

Among Xie Yuzhang’s guard, there were some soldiers who had been disabled — missing an arm or a leg. Those with families had their families to look after them. But there were some who had no one. These men were now being housed and supported by Xie Yuzhang at the estate, where Qiu Niang had been assigned to see to their meals, drawing a monthly wage from the Princess’s residence.

“Some days ago, Qiu Niang’s younger brother came to find her, saying that their mother had fallen gravely ill and wished to see her one last time. Qiu Niang went, and was gone for many days. Everyone assumed she was tending to the sick, and thought nothing of it. She came running back two days ago. When people asked after her mother’s condition, she only said she had recovered, and would say nothing more. What no one had anticipated was that her brother had lured her back, and together with their parents, sold her off in marriage.”

A woman without a husband — her parents or siblings from her birth family, or her parents-in-law or uncles from her husband’s family, all had the right to arrange her “marriage.” Sometimes, this “marriage” could amount to the same thing as being “sold.”

Upon returning to the capital region, Xie Yuzhang had disbanded everyone. Those who left had each received a settlement payment — enough for a family to find a place and put down roots. Qiu Niang’s parents and younger brother had also accepted the payment and left, choosing not to remain with the group and continue following Xie Yuzhang.

As it happened, Qiu Niang’s younger brother had still been young when he left Yunjing. Returning now, he was instantly dazzled by the city’s splendor. Someone like him — so obviously a country bumpkin who had never seen the world — was quickly targeted, drawn into gambling, and swept away beyond recovery. He lost every coin his family had, and ran up a massive gambling debt on top of that.

Qiu Niang’s parents had no other recourse. They sold their daughter-in-law to pay off some of the debt — but it still was not enough. And so they turned their eyes to Qiu Niang. They lured her home and gave her away in “marriage” as well.

When Qiu Niang could not fight her way free, she pretended to be meek and obedient at her new “home.” Seizing a moment when their guard was down, she slipped away and fled back to the princess’s estate. But she felt a deep sense of shame, and kept her lips sealed about what had happened those past few days.

Her new “husband’s” family, however, refused to let it go, and filed a suit against Qiu Niang’s parents with the Capital Magistrate’s Office.

When the magistrate’s officers came to the estate, Qiu Niang stated plainly that she had already sold herself into Princess Yongning’s service back in Mobei, and that her parents had therefore never had the authority to give her away in marriage.

It was only then that the Capital Magistrate’s Office summoned Yuan Ling to come and answer questions.

Yuan Yu said: “The situation has already been explained clearly to the Capital Magistrate’s Office. The hearing will be held tomorrow.”

Xie Yuzhang said: “Good. Then let us watch what happens tomorrow.”

The case was clear-cut, and the following day at the Capital Magistrate’s Office it took less than half an hour before the gavel struck and judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff, ordering Qiu Niang’s parents and younger brother to return the bride price.

The three of them walked out of the yamen, heads bowed in defeat, making their way home. The crowd of onlookers slowly dispersed as well.

Then suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats rang through the street — swift and sharp, drawing everyone’s gaze. A party of riders came galloping forward, their leader slender-waisted and striking in bearing. It was none other than Princess Yongning, renowned throughout Yunjing for her beauty.

Xie Yuzhang reined her horse, drew an arrow, and nocked it to the bow.

Before the family had time to react, the arrow flew like a shooting star — and pierced straight through Qiu Niang’s younger brother’s calf.

The young man howled in pain and collapsed to the ground writhing. The watching crowd erupted in uproar.

The officers scrambled to report the commotion. The Deputy Magistrate of the Capital Office rushed out at the news, frowned at the scene before him, clasped his hands, and called out: “May I ask, Your Highness Princess Yongning — why have you injured someone?”

Xie Yuzhang said: “My apologies for disturbing the Deputy Magistrate. My hand slipped just now.”

The Deputy Magistrate: “……”

Xie Yuzhang smiled: “Please don’t be vexed, Deputy Magistrate. Since it was my fault, I will take responsibility for it.”

She called out: “Treat him.”

At once, a middle-aged man swung down from his horse. He carried a medicine box on his back — he was a physician.

Several sturdy guards went forward and held Qiu Niang’s brother down. The young man panicked wildly: “What are you doing?! There is no law anymore?!”

The physician stepped up, stuffed a piece of cork into his mouth, and said: “Bite down.”

He directed the princess’s guards to hold him steady, then broke the arrow shaft, cut open the flesh, extracted the arrowhead, applied medicine, sutured the wound, and bandaged it — all in one fluid sequence. It was work they had been doing throughout Mobei, and though they had not practiced in six months, there was no rustiness in it.

The onlookers watched as he worked swiftly through the whole procedure, the injured man’s leg already fully dressed and bandaged by the time they could take it all in. The man had gone completely bloodless from the pain and had fainted.

When Qiu Niang’s parents saw their son was unharmed, they let out a cry and began to wail loudly: “There is no law! There is no law! Injuring someone in broad daylight in the open street! Your Honor, save us!”

That “Your Honor” was addressed to the Deputy Magistrate.

Xie Yuzhang said: “The Deputy Magistrate can only judge cases — not save lives. Only a physician can save lives. Your son’s life is not in danger.”

The Deputy Magistrate said: “Ahem, Your Highness…”

Xie Yuzhang said: “Do not worry, Deputy Magistrate. Since it was a mess I caused, I will naturally answer for it.”

She said: “Give him compensation.”

The maidservant beside her immediately untied a small pouch from her waist and tossed it onto the ground. Plump and full, it struck the earth with a heavy, muffled thud.

Xie Yuzhang said: “I just had a slip of the hand and injured your son. I have now treated him, and I have compensated him. How does that sound? Are you satisfied?”

The couple picked up the pouch, looked at each other, and nodded: “Satisfied, satisfied.”

Xie Yuzhang said: “Good. Then don’t go around saying I abuse my power to bully people.”

Having said that, she pressed her heels into her horse’s flanks. The horse surged forward to the entrance of the yamen, and Xie Yuzhang brought her riding crop down — lashing it across the two of them again and again without mercy.

The crowd on the street erupted once again.

The Deputy Magistrate, bound by his duty, had no choice but to intervene: “Your Highness, Your Highness, this is the Capital Magistrate’s yamen!”

Xie Yuzhang lowered her crop and said: “Precisely because this is the Capital Magistrate’s yamen — that is why I have come to the Deputy Magistrate to see justice done.”

She leveled her riding crop at the two of them, now covered in welts and blood, on the ground: “You two — in eight years in Mobei, what lengths did I go to in order to keep everyone alive! I gave you land to farm, I gave you cattle and sheep! When the fires of war broke out, I shielded you! Only because we were all people of the Central Plains — only so that one day we might all live to return to Yunjing together!”

“You two are devoid of human feeling and righteousness. Your own daughter was married off to a man from the nomadic tribes — for twenty measly sheep as a bride price — and you let her kneel at your door until her forehead bled, and still would not redeem her. You were willing to leave her stranded on the steppe forever. How dare you call yourselves her father and mother? Do you deserve those names?”

“You two had no heart. But I could not stand by and watch a woman of the Central Plains spend her entire life stranded beyond the frontier. You did not want your daughter — but I did.”

“I paid to redeem her. You both pressed your handprints onto the contract and pledged that from that day forward, Qiu Niang would be mine in life and mine in death. Who gave you the audacity to abduct and sell what belongs to me?”

“Yuan Ling — present our petition to the Deputy Magistrate!”