Mobiduo’s embrace came so suddenly that Yao Ying was caught off guard. His embrace was burning hot and tense, carrying both nervous uncertainty and the fearlessness of youth, like a freshly forged blade with sparks flying, igniting fierce flames wherever it touched.
Before Yao Ying could react, Mobiduo released his arms, stepped back, rubbed his nose, and flashed a brilliant smile.
“I couldn’t help myself and have offended the Princess. When I return, I’ll properly apologize and accept whatever punishment you decree!”
He gave Yao Ying a deep bow, ran away laughing, leaped onto his horse, pulled the reins, and galloped to catch up with his tribal cavalry.
Yao Ying stood rooted to the spot, watching as the lone rider merged with the departing army under the azure sky.
Her guards rushed over with drawn swords, looking at each other in confusion. Before they could decide whether to chase off Prince Mobiduo or just stand by like scenery, the prince had already vanished!
Yao Ying smiled and shook her head at the guards. “It’s nothing.”
The guards sheathed their swords and returned to their posts.
One quietly asked the others, “Does the Princess fancy Prince Mobiduo?”
Another answered, “Even if she doesn’t fancy him, the Princess doesn’t dislike Prince Mobiduo. Back in Chang’an, some so many young lords admired the Princess, but she never smiled at any of them…”
“You’re overthinking it. When the Young Master returns, he won’t agree to the Princess marrying a foreign prince…”
“Right, the Young Master would never agree! If he had been here just now, he would have drawn his sword and cut off Prince Mobiduo’s hands!”
…
The horn calls ceased. Several thousand cavalry rode down the hillside, raising dust several zhang high, yet without a single human voice—only the pitter-patter of horses neighing.
The guards’ conversation carried on the wind. Though not particularly close, every word was clear.
Tanmoluojia’s expression remained unchanged as he turned his horse, the wind lifting his robes to reveal a gleaming long sword at his leg.
Bisuo followed him, wanting to speak but hesitating. After a long pause, he said, “Mobiduo is full of vitality and promise. He will surely achieve great things in the future.”
Tanmoluojia made a sound of acknowledgment.
The youth had its wildness, like an unsheathed blade revealing its sharp edge.
Mobiduo was only a few years older than her. When she stood with him, her smile was bright.
When she smiled, the wind would stir, and heavenly flowers would rain down like scattered petals.
As the two rode down the hillside, Bisuo couldn’t help asking softly, “Does the Regent want to bid farewell to the Princess?”
Tanmoluojia glanced at him and adjusted his face covering.
Bisuo broke into a cold sweat under his gaze, loosened his reins, rolled off his horse, and knelt on one knee.
Tanmoluojia tightened his reins. “Bisuo, this is the last warning—don’t test me.”
“This subordinate acknowledges his offense.”
Bisuo prostrated himself.
Tanmoluojia gazed at the majestic mountains on the horizon and said, “The royal court and Wei have allied. Regarding matters involving the Western Regions’ prefectures, the royal court won’t interfere, but every document must bear both the Wei Crown Prince’s and Princess Wenzhao’s seals. Without either one, the royal court won’t respond. I’ve already written the orders—send them first to the Holy City, then to the army.”
Bisuo was startled but acknowledged the command.
Guards carrying military banners gathered around, escorting Tanmoluojia as he left.
He spurred his horse forward, his posture straight and proper, never looking back.
Several advance units galloped after him.
Bisuo stood up, watching Tanmoluojia’s departing figure with mixed emotions.
Given Tanmoluojia’s nature, when he wanted to do something or keep someone, no one could stop him.
All Bisuo could do was continue to remind and advise.
This was precisely the outcome Bisuo had hoped to see.
Princess Wenzhao’s brother had arrived at the royal court and would take her away.
Tanmoluojia’s will was firm and hadn’t been swayed by emotions. Even knowing Princess Wenzhao might leave at any time, he hadn’t wavered or indulged. From beginning to end, he didn’t show any unusual behavior in front of Princess Wenzhao.
Neither had crossed any boundaries.
Yet Bisuo felt no relief in his heart.
Severing [feelings] could indeed leave Luojia without weakness and prevent him from going astray… but the price was Luojia’s eternal solitude.
Before, Bisuo hadn’t thought Luojia was lonely.
Luojia was too exceptional—his solitude seemed more like the lofty detachment of a Buddha’s Son looking down on the mortal world. He was wise and clear-minded, unconcerned with others’ opinions, not need anyone’s companionship.
Now, Bisuo realized Luojia was lonely.
Because when with Li Yaoying, Luojia seemed so different.
Bisuo couldn’t help wondering: was all his effort to prevent Li Yaoying from staying good for Luojia?
…
It wasn’t until nightfall that Yao Ying learned Sudan Gu and Mobiduo had broken camp and left together—he wouldn’t return to the tent tonight.
The news came from Bisuo’s trusted personal guard.
She asked in surprise, “Will the General return tomorrow?”
The guard shook his head.
Yao Ying froze for a moment, put down her brush, walked to the chest, rummaged through it, hurriedly packed a bundle, and handed it to the guard: “Please trouble you to take these medicines and clothes to the General.”
The guard agreed but soon returned with the bundle, saying, “Princess, my master said the General is leading troops to Sam Valley for a decisive battle with the Khan of Wahan. The army didn’t bring any heavy equipment, marching at top speed through the night over the snowy mountains. By now they should be over a hundred li away. Our scouts operating alone don’t dare cross the snow mountains, and even taking the main road wouldn’t catch up to them in three days. Please keep these clothes for now, Princess.”
Yao Ying was stunned. Usually, when Sudan Gu went to other camps, even if he would return the next morning, he would tell her. This time he was going to face the Khan of Wahan in battle, yet he left so quietly.
“Is Yuanjue still in camp?”
“No.”
Yao Ying fell silent.
Sudan Gu had even taken Yuanjue with him. When he was injured or his martial arts technique rebounded, Yuanjue could take care of him. He had established the alliance with Li Xuanzhen and arranged the troops—he had planned everything before leaving.
Except for her.
Yao Ying sat lost in thought by the lamp.
Her guard, seeing her distracted state, asked, “Princess, is something wrong?”
Yao Ying came to her senses and shook her head. “No, I just…”
She had just thought that Sudan Gu would surely come to bid her farewell before leaving.
He hadn’t come, and her heart felt empty.
Yao Ying remained distracted for a while before forcing herself to focus on organizing documents.
Sudan Gu was busy with military affairs. Li Xuanzhen had brought news of the Northern Rong Khan’s main force’s location, and he was in a hurry to deploy troops. It wasn’t strange that he had no time for her.
After all, she was just an outsider.
Though she told herself this, when she heard the felt curtain move, she immediately looked up, thinking it might be Sudan Gu returning.
Li Xuanzhen, noticing her distraction from the corner, narrowed his phoenix eyes. “Are you worried about their Regent? How did you come to know him?”
Hearing his voice, Yao Ying suddenly remembered that only the two of them remained in the tent. She grabbed the documents and left.
Unable to move, Li Xuanzhen stared at the swaying curtain, his gaze dark.
Yao Ying went to find Bisuo’s tent.
Bisuo had just finished assigning supply transport duties and was about to look for Yao Ying. Seeing her enter, his eyelids twitched.
Yao Ying handed him the processed documents and asked directly, “General, did the Regent leave any message before breaking camp?”
Bisuo smiled and said, “I was just about to tell the Princess something. The Regent instructed me to take good care of the Princess, as you are our royal court’s ally and guest. The battle at Sam Valley might drag on for a long time. All the army units have departed for Sam Valley, but the Princess need not advance with the army anymore. Tomorrow, the Princess can withdraw to Sha City with the rear guard transporting supplies and help manage the weapons provisions there.”
This was meant to send Yao Ying away.
Yao Ying remained silent—these words seemed like Sudan Gu’s style.
Bisuo continued, “Now that we’ve cleared the area within a hundred li of Sha City, there won’t be any small Northern Rong cavalry units in the rear. When your brother reaches Gaochang, he’ll surely come to the royal court with the Gaochang envoys. If you wait in Sha City, firstly, someone needs to coordinate the weapons provisions; secondly, Western Army matters require your attention; and thirdly, you’ll be able to see your brother soon.”
Hearing this, Yao Ying frowned in thought for a moment before suddenly understanding: while all the reasons sounded reasonable, she instinctively knew the last one was the true reason. Sudan Gu knew she longed to reunite with Li Zhongqian and had arranged everything for her.
“Why didn’t the Regent tell me this himself?”
Bisuo lowered his eyes. “The Regent was too busy.”
Because telling you in person would mean personally sending you away, and he feared he might waver, that you might see through him. Only a hasty departure could dilute all the reluctance to part.
While Yao Ying was eager to meet Li Zhongqian, and she indeed needed to meet with Yang Qian and the others to discuss Western Army matters, after the initial joy, she still felt a faint melancholy.
She took out a letter and handed it to Bisuo: “This is a letter I wrote for the Regent. Please trouble the General to deliver it to him on my behalf.”
Bisuo accepted the letter, nodded, discussed some details with Yao Ying, and watched her leave. He picked up the letter, his expression conflicted, hesitated for a moment, then casually tucked the letter among the piled documents on his desk.
…
The next day, Yao Ying set out, withdrawing to Sha City with the rear guard units.
Li Xuanzhen would travel with them temporarily. Once his injuries improved, he could head south, taking a detour along the more convenient middle route back to the Western Regions, then proceed from Yanqi and Wufeng to Guazhou, which would be safer than taking the northern route directly.
Along the way, Yao Ying continued having her guards send letters to Li Zhongqian four times a day to ensure not all messages would be intercepted.
Yang Nianxiang and the others’ injuries gradually improved, and they began helping her handle Western Army affairs.
One day, Yang Nianxiang complained to Yao Ying that for any matters involving the Western Regions’ prefectures, the messenger guards required both her and Li Xuanzhen’s seals—neither could be missing.
Yao Ying didn’t think much of it at first, but on this day, hearing subordinates mention again how the royal court’s requirements had reached the point of severity, with all non-compliant documents being returned, she wondered and asked the rear guard general, “Whose order requires seals on every document?”
The general replied, “General Ashina consulted the King about alliance matters. The written orders came from the direction of the Holy City, bearing the King’s signature—it’s the King’s command, so we subordinates dare not be negligent.”
Yao Ying froze.
If Tanmoluojia had issued the order, there must be deep meaning behind it.
She called Yang Nianxiang and had him find all the documents that royal court officials had approved or returned, examining them one by one.
Yang Nianxiang asked nervously, “Princess, did we make some mistake?”
Yao Ying shook her head and asked, “Are these documents archived?”
Yang Nianxiang nodded: “The royal court archives them, recording documents on leather paper and silk, storing them in the library. The climate here is dry—they say archived documents can be preserved for a long time.”
Yao Ying had a guess.
Tanmoluojia was helping her.
She was Wei’s Princess Wenzhao. After reuniting with Li Zhongqian, they would return to the Central Plains. By then, even if the Western Army successfully reclaimed lost territory and made Li De wary, she still had to guard against Li De’s appointing ministers to take over the Western Army.
That’s why she proposed the alliance between the Western Army, Wei, and the royal court. Yang Qian and the Hexi noble families were the first to agree—they trusted her more under the Buddha’s Son’s protection and didn’t want others taking over the Western Army. Other small tribes also requested she lead the Western Army because Wei couldn’t yet deploy large forces, while the nearby royal court could send troops to protect them. Under the Buddha’s Son’s protection, they thought she could easily borrow troops from the royal court.
Yao Ying did this both to appease Yang Qian and to win over more wavering noble families and tribes to make recruitment easier and for her private reasons.
She hadn’t mentioned this to Tanmoluojia, but he had already thought of it, requiring officials to have the Western Army’s seal on every document to help establish her authority and confirm her identity as the Western Army leader. This way, Li De would have no excuse to question her position later.
Tanmoluojia had even considered the difficulties she might face upon returning to the Central Plains.
Why was he so good to her?
Yao Ying sat lost in thought until Yang Nianxiang asked, “Princess, are there any problems with the documents?”
“No problems,” Yao Ying stacked the papers. “Follow the royal court’s requirements.”
…
After sending Yao Ying off, Bisuo led the remaining army units forward, finally catching up with Tanmoluojia after half a month.
Scouts continuously brought back intelligence, confirming that the Khan of Wahan’s main force was rushing to occupy advantageous positions, preparing for battle. Tanmoluojia ordered the army to enter Sam Valley in groups, camping with their backs to the gorge.
“No need to hide our movements anymore.”
Once this order was transmitted, the royal court’s army stopped being cautious. Northern Rong scouts soon discovered the royal court’s vanguard’s traces and, terrified, rushed back to report.
By then, Bisuo and Tanmoluojia’s group had already quietly climbed the mountain ridge using ropes, gazing at the distant Northern Rong camp. From the banners flying above the camp, they couldn’t tell if it was the Khan of Wahan’s tent location, but judging by the scale, there were about ten thousand men.
Bisuo said, “The Khan of Wahan will soon send one of his sons to test our strength. How should we fight the first battle? Should we win decisively to boost morale? I volunteer to fight!”
Tanmoluojia shook his head: “No, we must lose the first battle.”
Bisuo was stunned.
Tanmoluojia called for Mobiduo: “Tomorrow, you’ll lead three thousand vanguard troops into battle.”
Mobiduo clasped his fists and responded loudly, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.
Watching the excited Mobiduo leave, Bisuo’s expression was dazed.
Tanmoluojia glanced at him.
“You think I have ulterior motives?”
Bisuo quickly lowered his head.
Tanmoluojia stood facing the morning light streaming down between the snowy peaks, hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering.
“I have a desire for Princess Wenzhao.”
He said softly.
Bisuo’s heart jumped violently.
Tanmoluojia’s face was composed as he asked, “Bisuo, what do secular women seek in love?”
Bisuo recovered from his shock, closed his eyes briefly, and answered, “Naturally, they want to live together with their beloved, seek marital harmony, eternal union, the joy between man and woman—generally such things…”
Tanmoluojia said quietly, “I am not of the secular world.”
Princess Wenzhao was a secular woman pursuing mortal joys. He was a cultivator who had taken refuge in Buddhism and bore responsibility for the royal court. He could give her none of what she wanted.
That being so, why disturb her life?
Bisuo’s heart grew heavy.
Tanmoluojia was so clear-headed and rational that even though he felt a desire for Princess Wenzhao, he could control and endure it. Bisuo believed Luojia wouldn’t deliberately arrange for Mobiduo to be the vanguard out of jealousy, but precisely because of this, he felt even more distressed.
Luojia wouldn’t allow himself to be jealous, because he knew jealousy was also indulgence.
This precisely proved that he was jealous.