On the endless snowy plains stood undulating hills, with a clear river winding out from the valley and flowing across the plain. Scattered along the riverbank beneath the hills were felt tents nearly buried in snow. As Princess Wenzhao, whom the Khan had received in marriage from Great Wei, arrived, people poured out of the tents in jubilant celebration. The area before the tents were packed with people, filled everywhere with laughter and cheer – though in strange languages and unfamiliar accents.

The Li siblings stood before the Khan’s tent, wordless. Just like years ago when they discovered each other’s identities, standing at the ship’s bow, silently gazing at one another. At Chibi’s rocky point, smoke and waves as far as the eye could see.

The wooden door of the Khan’s tent opened from within, and Yelu Khan emerged. His gaze fell upon Yaoying who, though travel-worn and weary-faced, still maintained her beauty. Delighted, he rubbed his hands together, his aged face creased with wrinkles, and patted Li Xuanzhen’s shoulder, saying, “Princess Wenzhao has arrived safely. The Crown Prince can now be at ease.”

Without waiting for Li Xuanzhen to speak, he eagerly pulled back the curtain, inviting Yaoying to enter. Yaoying walked past the grim-faced Li Xuanzhen into the Khan’s tent without a sideways glance.

After Li De had set the wedding date, Li Xuanzhen led troops to Liangzhou. He should have been guarding Liangzhou now – why had he returned to the Yelu tribe with Yelu Khan? Did he need to personally witness her marriage to Yelu Khan to be satisfied?

Yelu Khan followed into the tent, seemingly somewhat awkward. He gave a dry laugh and said, “Princess must be tired from the journey. Rest well tonight – tomorrow night we can hold the wedding ceremony.” His Chinese was not fluent, his pronunciation was slow and deliberate.

Yaoying lowered her eyes in silence, showing extreme fatigue.

Yelu Khan gazed at the strip of snow-white delicate skin visible at her neck, thinking it must be even more tender than sheep’s fat, desperately wanting to taste it right away. But seeing the weariness between her brows, he felt distressed. Thinking that Han princesses were delicate and shy, particular about etiquette, and young, he didn’t want to frighten her with roughness. He rubbed his hands together and left with his people.

As soon as the tent flap closed, Yaoying collapsed onto the felt carpet. Tali and Aiyi knelt beside her, removing the heavy crown and ornamental hairpins from her head.

Tali said sympathetically, “Princess, though the Khan is elderly, he is healthy and cherishes you deeply. Your servant has heard the Yelu people say the Khan has never been so attentive to any other consort.”

Yaoying remained silent, removing the hairpins and jewels from her temples as her jet-black hair cascaded down.

Her entire body ached to the bone. She didn’t want to think about anything. She lay down by the long couch and closed her eyes to rest. After a good sleep and regaining her strength, she could face this unfamiliar environment.

There was a sound at the tent entrance. A crescent-shaped blade lifted the curtain, letting in wind and snow, and black leather boots stepped into the Khan’s tent.

Yaoying heard the sound and opened her eyes. Glancing at those boots, she gestured for the foreign maids and Xie Qing to leave.

Only she and Li Xuanzhen remained in the tent.

Yaoying was still curled up beside the couch, her luxuriant black hair cascading down like a waterfall, covering half the felt carpet, like a lazy cat.

“Does Elder Brother wish to stay for the ceremony?”

Her tone was so flat and calm as if she weren’t about to marry an elderly foreign tribal leader.

The black leather boots moved to Yaoying’s side. Li Xuanzhen bent down and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look up. His phoenix eyes stared at her unblinkingly as he said word by word: “Seventh Sister, I’ll give you one more chance to choose.”

Yaoying’s eyelids lifted slightly, her gaze clear and bright.

“Very well, I choose Elder Brother. Can Elder Brother take me back to Chang’an?”

Li Xuanzhen was stunned.

Yaoying smiled, saying mockingly: “Elder Brother, at this point, you can’t give me any choices. The Yelu tribe has not broken any promises. Tomorrow is the wedding. Does Elder Brother intend to ruin the diplomatic relations between our two nations?”

“You’re not this kind of person.”

Li Xuanzhen wouldn’t do such a thing, nor would he offend the Yelu tribe and anger Li De for merely her – she wasn’t Zhu Lvyin after all.

Yaoying glanced toward the tent entrance. “You don’t have that ability either.”

This was Yelu tribe territory. He couldn’t take her away.

Li Xuanzhen silently watched Yaoying, turbulent emotions churning in his phoenix eyes.

“Elder Brother, I made my choice that year. I am Li Zhongqian’s sister. If Elder Brother harms my brother, we will become mortal enemies.”

Li Xuanzhen’s grip tightened further.

At that time, his fingers had gripped Yaoying’s fragile neck so tightly – with just a bit more force, she would have died by his hand.

Between him and Li Zhongqian, she could only choose one.

Either completely sever ties with Li Zhongqian and Xie Manyuan, living on as Yue, or die alongside them.

Even when she could barely breathe, she chose Li Zhongqian without hesitation.

In these past years, he had repeatedly pressured Li Zhongqian, and repeatedly forced her to choose. Though he knew she would never give the answer he wanted to hear, he still asked again and again.

Li Xuanzhen’s fingers burned.

Yaoying lowered her head, her cold fingertips slowly prying his fingers away one by one.

She had once thought she could reason with Li Xuanzhen, but later discovered it was all futile. Before the strong, the reasoning of the weak was the most useless thing.

Tang’s words “Kill them all” were Li Xuanzhen’s demon. Xie Manyuan, Li Zhongqian, Li De, the Xie clan members, the Li clan members – whether innocent or guilty, none could escape.

So she no longer wanted to waste words.

What did it matter if Li Xuanzhen was Heaven’s chosen one?

Li Zhongqian would never abandon her, and she would never give up on Li Zhongqian. If truly pushed to the extreme, she would perish together with Li Xuanzhen.

Li Xuanzhen looked down at Yaoying, silent and motionless, his handsome features showing traces of ferocity.

Yaoying leaned against the couch, chin resting on her arm, expression indifferent.

“I’m tired. Elder Brother, please yourself.”

She closed her eyes, long lashes trembling slightly. Soon she seemed to truly fall asleep, her breathing even.

Li Xuanzhen stood in the tent, storms raging in his eyes, his hands slowly clenching into fists.

He shouldn’t have gone to Chibi.

Then he wouldn’t have met her, wouldn’t have felt pity for her, wouldn’t have thought to take good care of her, wouldn’t have been tormented between his mother’s instructions and her.

He was begging the daughter of his enemy to choose him.

And she dismissed him with contempt.

Li Xuanzhen’s whole body trembled as if awakening from a dream. He suddenly turned and strode away, his eyes bloodshot.

Soon after, Xie Qing entered the tent to tell Yaoying that Li Xuanzhen had left.

Yelu Khan had repeatedly tried to keep him, asking Li Xuanzhen to stay for the wedding, even saying Biemutie was waiting to drink with him. He said he had military affairs to attend to in Liangzhou and left with his guards.

Yaoying gave a faint “mm” in response.

Xie Qing sat cross-legged on the felt carpet, her gaze falling on Yaoying’s snow-white wrist where faint fingerprints remained.

“What happened between the Princess and His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Yaoying spoke slowly: “Nothing much… I have been sickly since childhood. That year, someone said there was a divine doctor in Chibi with excellent medical skills. My Brother immediately took me to Chibi to seek treatment. At that time Chibi was under Southern Chu rule. The divine doctor only treated Southern Chu subjects. Brother had previously attacked Chibi with Commander Pei, so fearing his identity would be exposed and the doctor wouldn’t treat me, he had the family servant take me to seek treatment…”

The dialects of Jingnan and Chibi were very similar. Yaoying spoke a convincing Chibi dialect. The divine doctor didn’t doubt her identity. Seeing she only brought a few old servants, he let her stay in his home and carefully treated her.

The divine doctor’s medical skills were indeed exceptional. Yaoying stayed at his home for several months, her complexion improving steadily.

It was there that Yaoying met a severely injured young man.

“He said his name was Yang Changsheng, from Southern Chu.”

Yaoying smiled.

When she was young, her legs were weak so she rarely went out. Li Xuanzhen had always harbored hatred for the Xie clan, never meeting with them, and often campaigned abroad. Though the siblings knew of each other’s existence, they had never met.

They both disguised themselves as Southern Chu people. Li Xuanzhen’s face was injured, so she didn’t recognize him, and Li Xuanzhen certainly couldn’t recognize her.

The divine doctor advised Yaoying to move around more. She often ran errands for him, helping care for patients. Seeing Li Xuanzhen alone with no one to care for him, she voluntarily took on the task of delivering his medicine.

Coming and going, they got to know each other as Yue and Yang Changsheng.

Later when Li Xuanzhen’s facial wound healed, Yaoying even joked with him: “Brother Changsheng, your eyes look a bit like my brother’s, and you’re about the same height too.”

Li Xuanzhen frowned: “Your brother left you in Chibi for months without care. Aren’t you angry?”

Yaoying lightly punched him in displeasure: “My brother hasn’t abandoned me! He has urgent matters to attend to, and besides, I’m grown up now – I can take care of myself!”

Li Xuanzhen smiled, lowering his head to make clay figurines for Yaoying.

The Yang Changsheng that Yaoying knew was quiet but righteous. When Chibi had heavy rains for a month straight and floods ravaged the area, he jumped into the water to save people despite his serious injuries, nearly being swept away by the flood due to exhaustion.

So when they took the boat back to Wei Prefecture together and saw Li Zhongqian and the Tang family waiting on shore, realizing each other’s identities, Yaoying didn’t immediately shrink away from Li Xuanzhen.

She always felt that someone who could risk their life to save strangers should also be able to sort out hatred rationally.

Li Xuanzhen’s reaction was far more intense than Yaoying’s. Standing at the ship’s bow, he glanced at Li Zhongqian on the shore, then at her, the smile on his face gradually turning cold and rigid, his eyes clouded with dark thoughts. Suddenly he grabbed her, clutching her throat.

Yaoying nearly died by his hand.

Even today, she still remembered the feeling of Li Xuanzhen’s rough, cold fingers gripping her neck.

Xie Qing commented expressionlessly, “The Crown Prince is too obstinate.”

Yaoying rubbed her wrist, and smiled slightly, “Enough, let’s not speak of these things anymore.”

She turned her attention back to her current situation: “Ah Qing, what exactly did the First Prince do that night?”

Xie Qing came back to herself and said, “I’ve inquired about it. The First Prince plundered several cartloads of goods that night.”

Yaoying frowned.

After they had regrouped that day, the First Prince said he had robbed some herdsmen. She had observed and noticed that the First Prince and his followers had all changed to new saddles and horse gear – how could ordinary herdsmen afford such valuable saddles?

“I suspect the First Prince robbed and killed that royal court merchant caravan.”

Xie Qing showed surprise: “The Yelu people say no one dares to rob caravans flying the Buddha’s Son’s banner.”

Yaoying’s lips twisted: “Others don’t dare because they know their place and understand what’s at stake. The First Prince isn’t that kind of person.”

She had been puzzled before – how could the mighty Yelu tribe fall so quietly?

The reason likely lay here – the First Prince was greedy and brutal, angering too many tribes. Now he had likely robbed Dharmaraja’s subjects. Even if the royal court didn’t retaliate, neighboring tribes would use this as an excuse to attack.

Yaoying pondered for a while, then instructed Xie Qing: “Find an opportunity to see what those cartloads of goods contain.”

Xie Qing agreed.

The next morning, before dawn, festive voices could be heard outside the tent.

Tali helped Yaoying wash up, telling her the tribe’s people were preparing for tonight’s wedding. At night, bonfires would be lit in front of the main tent, and men and women of the tribe would come to congratulate them.

Yaoying changed into her wedding clothes. Tali gathered up her long hair and braided it.

Looking at her slightly pale face in the bronze mirror, she ignored the fear and unease in her heart, repeatedly encouraging herself.

Xie Qing slipped into the tent, signaling with his eyes for Tali and Aiyi to leave. He walked behind Yaoying: “Princess, I found this.”

Yaoying turned around to see him pull out a blood-stained banner from his clothes.

The intricate golden patterns could still be faintly seen on the soiled fabric.

The First Prince had indeed defied orders and robbed that caravan.

Yaoying’s mind raced: “We must tell Yelu Khan about this… but I can’t speak up myself. Yelu Khan might not believe me, thinking I’m just trying to sow discord. Moreover, if the news leaks out, the First Prince will retaliate… Ah Qing, find more evidence and leak this information to the Second Prince.”

Tali had mentioned that the First and Second Princes had never gotten along.

Xie Qing acknowledged and left.

The Second Prince didn’t disappoint Yaoying’s expectations. After hearing the news, he immediately reported to Yelu Khan.

Yelu Khan flew into a rage, summoning the First Prince: “You robbed and killed the Buddha’s Son’s caravan – you’ve brought disaster upon our Yelu tribe!”

The First Prince, seeing his deed exposed, remained unperturbed: “I’ve killed everyone and even slaughtered all the livestock. Who knows it was my doing?”

Seeing his eldest son so ignorant of the consequences, Yelu Khan grew even more furious: “By the Heavenly Spirit, if the Buddha’s Son’s wrath descends upon the Yelu tribe, you’ll be the tribe’s criminal!”

The First Prince said carelessly: “The Buddha’s Son is far away in the Western Regions. He can’t suddenly descend from the heavens with divine powers! Besides, what if he comes? Let him fight me three hundred rounds if he has the ability!”

Yelu Khan’s face turned purple with rage. Just as he was about to draw his sword, footsteps were heard outside the tent.

“Khan, Biemutie has returned!”

Yelu Khan immediately said: “Quick, let Biemutie enter.”

Biemutie stepped into the main tent, his brows slightly furrowed: “Khan, why did the Great Wei Crown Prince suddenly leave? Wasn’t he supposed to drink with me?”

Yelu Khan, overwhelmed with problems, replied carelessly: “He and Princess Wenzhao aren’t born of the same mother, they have no close relationship. He left after exchanging a few words with Princess Wenzhao…”

Biemutie’s faintly golden eyes flickered twice, a hint of malice flashing in their depths.

Yelu Khan told him about the First Prince’s plundering of the caravan: “Biemutie, what do you think we should do? You’re from the Western Regions – is this talk of divine punishment true?”

Biemutie looked at the First Prince and smiled. “Though the First Prince was rash, he said one thing right – the Buddha’s Son is far away in the Western Regions and hasn’t left the Holy City for years. The First Prince merely killed some merchant guards; the Buddha’s Son won’t wage war over this.”

Yelu Khan glared fiercely at the First Prince and sneered: “Let’s hope so.”

The wedding proceeded as planned.

From noon, the tribe’s men and women began singing and dancing to drums, laughing and making merry. By nightfall, most were half-drunk. As bonfires blazed throughout the camp, Yaoying was helped out of her tent.

Countless gazes fell upon her, with several young princes’ stares more blatant than others.

Yaoying again noticed that gaze that had made her shudder before.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a tall, strong young man standing beside Yelu Khan – hawk-nosed with deep-set eyes, his gaze fierce, his pale golden eyes reflecting the firelight.

His smiling gaze now made Yaoying’s unease grow stronger.

She steadied herself and, following Tali’s guidance, completed the ceremonial bow. Just as she was about to rise, Yelu Khan suddenly made several muffled sounds in his throat and fell backward.

Everyone was shocked. Biemutie rushed forward to catch Yelu Khan, laughing: “The Khan is drunk!”

The princes looked at each other, hurrying forward to help Yelu Khan back to his tent.

Before turning away, the First Prince gave Yaoying a deep look, his lips curling: “Beauty, don’t be anxious. If my royal father’s illness prevents him from showing his prowess, I’ll cherish you well in his place. Tonight, just rest well in your tent.”

His expression suddenly darkened, showing murderous intent, “The Princess’s guards are no match for Yelu warriors. Don’t do anything rash later.”

He wiped his mouth corner and walked into the tent, laughing loudly.

Yaoying stood among the crowded people, her body ice-cold, looking around.

Yelu Khan’s guards were conveniently all absent, while the princes’ guards had dispersed. The bonfires still blazed, but the festive atmosphere had long dissipated, replaced by tense, oppressive anticipation of the coming storm.

Yaoying returned to her tent, immediately removing her wedding clothes, and sent Xie Qing to count their forces.

“Yelu Khan doesn’t seem drunk – something will happen in the Yelu tribe tonight.”

She had thought warning the Yelu chieftain would allow him to prepare, but hadn’t expected trouble so soon – clearly, the First Prince had made preparations long ago.

No wonder the First Prince had dared to harass her so boldly along the way.

In the First Prince’s eyes, she had long been his possession.

Xie Qing quickly gathered their guards – several dozen men stood ready, firmly protecting Yaoying’s tent.

No one else came to inquire. The tribe’s elders, surrounded by the Second Prince, Third Prince, and other adopted sons, went to Yelu Khan’s tent.

Soon, battle cries erupted from the tent.

Warriors hidden in the darkness drew swords and charged into the tent. The princes’ guards roared as they fought, blades flashing, blood and flesh flying.

Tali and Aiyi huddled trembling in a corner of the tent.

An hour later, the First Prince, covered in blood, strode out of the tent carrying several of his brothers’ heads: “They tried to assassinate Father Khan while he was ill, but Father Khan’s guards killed them!”

The Yelu tribe respected strength. Seeing the First Prince had killed the other princes, everyone except the slain princes’ guards knelt, prostrating themselves before the First Prince.

Biemutie walked out from the tent, stood beside the First Prince, and respectfully invited him inside.

The First Prince tossed away the heads and turned to enter.

Others gradually stood up and began methodically cleaning up the aftermath. The heads of the princes and tribal elders were thrown into the fire, crackling as they burned.

Xie Qing’s face was tense as he guarded the tent entrance: “Princess, what should we do?”

Yelu Khan wasn’t dead yet, but he hadn’t regained consciousness. The First Prince had killed the other princes, and now the tribe’s people all obeyed his commands. Yaoying would eventually fall into the First Prince’s hands.

Yaoying had no time to ponder when the First Prince had poisoned Yelu Khan’s wine cup. She had been wary of the First Prince but hadn’t expected him to act so ruthlessly.

“We have too few people…” Yaoying closed her eyes briefly. “Let’s wait and see for now.”