Wanxiu went nonetheless, and informed Ashina: “Your Highness is putting on her outer garments. The khan is kindly requested to wait a moment.”
Ashina did not remember her at all. He noticed that this maidservant had a pleasant face and spoke in a soft, gentle manner, and thought to himself: the maidservants around Baohua are indeed all good-looking — no wonder she guards them so carefully.
He was in good spirits today, and said with a laugh, “Tell her to be quick.”
Wanxiu bowed her head and retreated back into the great tent. Between the wooden door and the interior lay a small space with a thick felt curtain hanging across it; she lingered there for a moment, steadying her breathing and letting her heartbeat calm, before she lifted the curtain and went inside.
Xie Yuzhang was already dressed and ready — a blazing red fox-fur cloak, paired with a fire-red fur hat, vivid and enchanting, radiant with a noble air.
She gave Wanxiu a nod, then led Yuan Yu, Ma Jianye, Wang Zhong, and a string of others outside.
Wanxiu went to the inner quarters. Lin Fei was there with the maidservants, setting out Xie Yuzhang’s belongings one by one, and she looked up: “Are you feeling better?”
Since that day, Wanxiu would tremble with fear at even a distant sight of Ashina, which was why during this period Xie Yuzhang had not brought her along on any visit before Ashina.
Wanxiu thought for a moment and said, “When I went outside just now, my hands and feet still felt ice-cold, and once I was outside I began to shake. But after I finished speaking with him, I found I was not so frightened anymore — the trembling stopped.”
Wanxiu paused, then asked, “Sister Afei, was it like this for you back then too?”
In those years when Lin Fei had taken refuge at the Zhaoxia Palace, the person she had feared most was the Emperor. She had been terrified that the Emperor might see her, remember who she was, and send her away — and so she had often been tormented by nightmares.
Later, when the Emperor came to the Zhaoxia Palace to watch a performance of dance, Lin Fei had steeled herself and not hidden away. She had stood in an inconspicuous spot along the corridor, posing as a palace maidservant.
The Emperor’s gaze had swept past her without pausing at all — he did not know who she was in the slightest. Once the Emperor had passed, Lin Fei was afraid no more, and the Emperor never appeared in her nightmares again.
Lin Fei nodded and said, “Fear often arises from within the heart — it does not come from outside. In truth, it can be overcome and conquered.”
Wanxiu was quiet for a moment, then said with a sense of calm acceptance: “Indeed it can.”
A maidservant said, “Seeing the way the khan is now, who would have thought that that night…”
Lin Fei said evenly, “Just because he now dotes on Her Highness — does that make you forget that he still possesses the power to harm her?”
The inner room fell suddenly quiet.
Lin Fei said, “Think about that night — even Wang Zhong could not hold him back. If General Li had not been there, what would have happened? And then think about the favor being shown now — how did Her Highness earn it? What did it cost her?”
Even someone as beautiful and noble as Xie Yuzhang had to play along and pretend, to force a smile before an old man…
The maidservant who had spoken broke into tears: “I was wrong.”
The eyes of the other maidservants reddened as well.
“Do not cry.” Lin Fei said. “For women as powerless as we are, tears are the most useless thing of all.”
To a tribe, cattle, sheep, horses, and slaves were all forms of wealth — and population was the foundation of prosperity. Only with enough people bearing enough children could there be enough warriors.
Xie Yuzhang’s dowry retinue numbered over a thousand — nearly equivalent to a small tribe on its own. She had brought so many people, mostly able-bodied men and women in the prime of their years, and every person beyond the guards had their own craft skills — precisely the artisans that Mobei lacked most sorely — which made Ashina enormously pleased.
Just as he had done before, he had Xie Yuzhang sit before him, and the two of them rode together on a single horse, leading everyone to go and inspect these newly arrived people.
The area was newly allotted and specially prepared for Xie Yuzhang’s people. The felt tents were all newly built, orderly and uniform — looking at them gave an impression of vitality and flourishing life.
When Xie Yuzhang’s group arrived to inspect the place, people were busy at work, having set up pots to melt the accumulated snow and using the hot water to thaw the frozen ground and mix clay.
Ashina asked, “What are they doing?”
Xie Yuzhang said, “I would not know myself — I have never done such things.”
Ashina urged his horse forward, and when the people saw Princess Xie Yuzhang and the old khan riding together toward them, they all put down their work and bowed in greeting.
Xie Yuzhang’s expression was gentle as she asked, “What is it you are doing here?”
The one addressed was an elderly man, apparently a craftsman of some kind, and he answered respectfully, “In reply to Your Highness — the fire pits have all been dug inside the felt tents, but we are not very accustomed to cooking over a fire pit, so we thought to make a simple modification and build a proper stove.”
Xie Yuzhang asked, “Are you a stonemason?”
The old man smiled and said, “This humble one is a carpenter. This sort of work is simple — most men can manage it. There is no need to be a stonemason.”
“That is good, then.” Xie Yuzhang said. “Manage it as you see fit, but do not make it too elaborate. The tribe does not know when it may be on the move — if it cannot be taken along, do not let it interfere with dismantling and reassembling the tent.”
In truth, Xie Yuzhang knew that the Khanate’s royal court would be migrating back to its ancestral homeland the following summer.
It was during that migration that her child had been lost — and she herself had nearly been lost along with it.
Xie Yuzhang turned and translated for Ashina, who was greatly pleased: “Your people will adapt to life here quickly and become true children of the grasslands.”
Something stirred within Xie Yuzhang, and she seized the moment: “And what of my guards, then?”
Ashina asked, “What of them?”
Xie Yuzhang said with a frown of concern, “Back home, they all farmed the land while serving in the military at the same time. But here, there is no land for them to farm — so what are they to do?”
Ashina burst into laughter: “You little fool — our Mobei people do not farm the land and yet we have a mighty army of tens of thousands, do we not? If there is no land to farm, then herd animals instead. Raising cattle and sheep is our way of living.”
Xie Yuzhang pressed further, “But how are they to train as soldiers? My guards are all infantry. How can they all be turned into cavalrymen like the khan’s warriors?”
Ashina looked at the small beauty nestled in his arms — delicate and finely made, like a figure carved from white jade — opening her mouth to ask about how cavalry was trained.
“You want to turn them into cavalrymen?” He asked with an amused and curious air.
Xie Yuzhang asked in apparent surprise, “Are not all of the Khanate’s warriors cavalrymen? Now that I have entered the Khanate, my people are the khan’s people, and my guards are the khan’s warriors. They are too weak as they are — if they follow the khan into battle one day, would they not shame the khan terribly?”
Ashina laughed so hard his chest shook.
At his age and with his experience, how could he not see through Xie Yuzhang’s approach? But the small cunning that this beauty was deliberately letting show was particularly charming.
“Good child, do not be in such a hurry.” He said with a laugh. “If you want to train cavalry, you must first have good horses. It is still too cold now — let your people adapt to life here first. Once spring comes, I will send you a batch of warhorses!”
A generous promise, freely given.
In truth, Xie Yuzhang was his woman, and just as she had said moments before, her people and her wealth actually all belonged to Ashina.
Whatever Ashina gave her — cattle, sheep, slaves, or warhorses — it was, from his perspective, nothing more than moving things from one hand to the other.
For Xie Yuzhang, however, it was an exceptionally good beginning.
Her smile bloomed as sweet as a flower opening for the first time, and she spontaneously embraced Ashina: “The khan is the most generous man on all the grasslands!”
Ashina was old, and deep down he was not without self-awareness of this.
In his youth, women had fought bitterly among themselves over him. Now that he was old and wished to be with young women, they dared not defy him — they still smiled along, but those reluctant, unwilling smiles — how could they compare to Xie Yuzhang’s face, alight with genuine joy and happiness?
She did not find him old in the slightest, and was willing to be close with him. Her refusal to share a bed was surely only out of fear of dying in childbirth — indeed, too many women had died that way. Young as she was, having come all this way far from her parents and her home, she would naturally be frightened.
Ashina’s heart bloomed with happiness at the affectionate closeness Xie Yuzhang showed him without reservation, and he felt himself grow several years younger.
“Come, let me take you to see the cattle and sheep I have given you!” Full of vigor and high spirits, he pressed his legs against the horse’s flanks and rode with Xie Yuzhang toward the pastureland.
Yuan Yu and the others had already dismounted; they scrambled back into the saddle and spurred after them. Their horsemanship was far inferior to that of Mobei’s people — Wang Zhong still had to keep an eye on Yuan Yu as well — and by the time they had steadied themselves, Ashina had already carried Xie Yuzhang some distance ahead.
Seeing the gap between them and the ones up front, and taking advantage of the fact that none of the Mobei people could understand the Central Plains tongue, Ma Jianye gave a couple of low chuckles and said in a hushed voice to Wang Zhong, “Our Highness — young as she is — certainly has a way with men, I must say!”
Wang Zhong only lifted his eyes and glanced at him.
But Yuan Yu’s face darkened: “Ma Jianye — enough of your nonsense!”
Ma Jianye was left thoroughly deflated, and gave a hollow laugh: “Yes, yes — this mouth of mine needs washing.”
In his heart, though, he thought: first she had that Li fellow from Hexi utterly spellbound, and now she has the old fool Ashina over the moon with happiness — and neither of you can see what this little princess is doing right in front of your eyes, can you.
Hmph!
Ashina took Xie Yuzhang on a great circuit, and after they had taken a meal together, he finally let her return to rest.
Yuan Yu was getting on in years and was feeling somewhat worn from all the exertion, yet he still followed her back to the princess’s great tent.
“As for the New Year celebration — I ask for Your Highness’s instruction.” He had to get this settled first. “Yesterday was already the Minor New Year.”
Xie Yuzhang was startled: “Yesterday was already the Minor New Year?”
“Yes — since we were on the road, I did not bring it up.” Yuan Yu said. “This is the first New Year festival we will spend away from home.”
Xie Yuzhang was silent for some time, then said, “Let everyone have a meal of meat.”
Then she added, “Also distribute some rice and grain to everyone — but we will not observe the New Year this time. Wait until the third month, and celebrate the New Year together with the khan. Make it clear to everyone so they understand — there will be another meal of meat for them then as well.”
The nomadic people of Mobei had their own calendar. Unlike the Central Plains calendar, their year began in spring, with the New Year falling around the onset of spring in the third month when all living things began to revive.
In making this decision, Xie Yuzhang had Yuan Yu’s full and genuine approval.
Ever since he had become Xie Yuzhang’s household steward, he had barely once seen her make an ill-considered decision. Her knowledge of Mobei ran deep — there was no need for him to guide her.
“That means everyone will get to eat meat twice.” He said with a smile. “Everyone will be absolutely delighted.”
Xie Yuzhang smiled as well.
“The khan gave me a thousand head of cattle and a thousand sheep — more than enough. But we must not kill the hen to get the eggs. It has been bitterly cold these past few days, and surely many cattle and sheep have frozen to death. Have everyone go first and purchase those that have died in the cold — they will be cheap.”
To think that the most treasured and noble Princess Baohua would let the words “they will be cheap” pass from those lips of hers — it was truly too much to keep a straight face.