The north wind howled, freezing both heaven and earth.
The endless wilderness lay covered in snow half a foot deep. As far as the eye could see, there was only a bleak expanse of white. At the horizon stood towering mountain ranges, their peaks snow-capped and majestic as the sun rose in the east.
When Yao Ying saw the massive white hawk soaring overhead for the third time, she sighed and pulled her felt blanket tighter.
“Haidu Aling has come.”
Xie Qing looked up, following her gaze to spot the snow-white hawk.
High in the clear sky, the hawk stretched its powerful form among the clouds, its wings seeming to be coated in a faint golden light, fierce and imposing.
“Is that the hawk raised by the Northern Rong people?”
Yao Ying nodded, her voice hoarse: “I first saw it five days ago, then it appeared again yesterday. Today it’s been following us all day… It’s reporting our position to Haidu Aling.”
Not long after leaving the Yelu tribe, they had been ambushed by Haidu Aling’s men who had been lying in wait nearby. The Helan region had indeed been secretly occupied by the Northern Rong, and the road to the Central Plains had been completely cut off. Haidu Aling lay ahead, the Northern Rong behind – they could neither advance nor retreat, only carefully hide their tracks.
After wandering the desolate snowfield for who knows how long, that hawk suddenly appeared.
Yao Ying coughed several times, gesturing for Xie Qing and the other guards to find shelter from the wind and rest.
“I heard from merchants in the Western Market that in winter, the thousand-li journey from Liangzhou to Guazhou is treacherous. Merchant caravans wouldn’t choose to depart in this season. Haidu Aling must have blocked all the main roads in Helan. We might be the only ones heading east. This hawk only needs to circle a few times, return to report, and Haidu Aling will know which direction we’re in.”
The guards exchanged glances, at a loss.
Unlike the complex terrain of the Central Plains, this was an endless expanse of desert. They could find no place to hide. While there might be caves in the mountains for shelter, the weather was frigid, they had run out of food, and they were unfamiliar with the terrain. Northern Rong pursuers remained constantly behind them, and the occasional tribes they encountered could tell at a glance they were Han people and would offer no help.
They had to break through the blockade and return to the Central Plains quickly. No matter where they hid, Haidu Aling would eventually find them.
One man shielded his eyes and watched the hawk, saying: “Perhaps it’s just an ordinary hawk.”
Yao Ying shook her head: “This hawk has followed us for several days, appearing at dawn and vanishing at dusk every time, never hunting, just following us.”
“Princess, let me try to shoot it down!”
Lu Heng, the guard with the finest archery skills, shouted and loosed several arrows from his bow.
The hawk in the high sky let out a few contemptuous cries, suddenly diving down, its massive wings casting an ominously dark shadow, exuding an air of looking down upon all things with arrogance.
Lu Heng cursed several times and pulled out some remaining arrows wrapped with gunpowder: “These things scared the Yelu tribe people to their knees – could they frighten away this hawk?”
Yao Ying waved her hand at the guard.
The Yelu tribe people were unsophisticated and had never seen fireworks. She had deliberately cursed the crown prince in their language during the old Khan’s funeral, and only then did the Yelu people, who deeply believed in the fire god, become terrified out of their wits.
The hawk would not be frightened away.
When Haidu Aling was eleven, he had climbed a mountain peak, killed a fierce mother hawk, found a chick in the nest, and raised and tamed it himself.
That hawk later followed him from east to west, north to south. The Northern Rong people called it Abu and regarded it as the god of all hawks.
Haidu Aling had proudly declared that Abu was the fastest and highest-flying bird in the world, and that no one but him, its master, could kill Abu.
Many had tried to kill the divine hawk, all failing.
This divine hawk eventually died at the hands of its master Haidu Aling, only because it lost a competition and was no longer the world’s fastest hawk.
Yao Ying drank the last of the water in her water skin, looking eastward: “The hawk has found us. Haidu Aling only needs to send men in different directions to search, and they’ll catch up soon.”
Seeing the white hawk time and again, she could be certain that Haidu Aling had returned.
This meant he had failed to launch his planned surprise attack, and failed to successfully provoke war between Great Wei and Western Shu and Southern Chu. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned so quickly.
Yao Ying’s heart felt heavy.
This also meant that the failed Haidu Aling would come hunting for her with towering rage and all the elite forces from his eastern expedition.
Xie Qing found a dry spot and laid down a felt blanket: “Princess, rest for a while.”
Yao Ying made a sound of agreement, sat cross-legged, leaned against Xie Qing’s shoulder, and closed her eyes to sleep.
After days of fleeing, she had grown accustomed to catching brief naps in the freezing snow at any time.
They only rested for a quarter hour, shivering through a short nap in the cold wind before climbing back onto their horses and continuing east.
Even knowing Haidu Aling would soon catch up, they had to keep running.
The closer they got, the greater their hope.
Perhaps they could escape?
That day, the white hawk followed them again all day, disappearing again at dusk.
To shake off the white hawk, they traveled through the night. The snowy path was treacherous in the dark – several horses collapsed from exhaustion, while others suddenly spooked, throwing their riders violently from their backs.
A guard said: “We’re not familiar with the terrain, we can’t risk traveling at night anymore!”
Xie Qing had no choice but to let everyone stop to rest.
The guards hadn’t eaten for several days. They grabbed handfuls of snow to stuff in their mouths, turning their backs to Yao Ying so she wouldn’t see.
Yao Ying felt the leather bag at her waist. These days Xie Qing hadn’t eaten either, giving her all the dried food that could fill a stomach.
Both people and horses were hungry and cold. After days of trudging, several horses had already died, forcing guards to share mounts.
Even her beloved Wusun horse was barely holding on.
That was the horse Li Zhongqian had given her.
Yao Ying untied the leather bag and handed it to Xie Qing: “Take this and share it with them.”
Xie Qing refused to take it.
Yao Ying’s tone grew firmer: “They’ve worked hard for days, they need to eat something to keep up their strength. I’ve kept some feedcakes. Ah Qing, if anything happens to you all, I won’t get far on my own.”
Xie Qing took the leather bag and went to share it with the other guards.
The guards refused, saying they could endure.
Xie Qing said expressionlessly: “Eat it. If you don’t eat, the Princess won’t eat either.”
The guards had no choice but to accept.
Xie Qing returned empty-handed to Yao Ying’s side.
Yao Ying leaned against his shoulder, and handed him a dry, hard feed cake: “Ah Qing, I saved this for you.”
Xie Qing said nothing, took the cake, put it in his mouth, and chewed silently.
Yao Ying gazed at the pitch-black sky overhead and asked softly: “Ah Qing, do you think Xie Liang and the others are still alive?”
Xie Liang was among the first group of guards sent to deliver messages.
Xie Qing said in a deep voice: “Judging by the Northern Rong pursuers these past days, their chances are grim.”
Yao Ying’s lips curved: “You don’t know how to comfort people.”
Xie Liang and the others had likely already died at the hands of the Northern Rong. They had come to the Yelu tribe a thousand li away to protect her and risked breaking through layers of blockades to carry out her orders. In life they were only her guards; in death, the common people of the Central Plains would never know their deeds.
Yao Ying shivered violently with cold, curling into a ball.
Xie Qing bent down to tuck the felt blanket tighter around her, his dark eyes watching her: “Princess, even if Xie Liang and the others died, they died for loyalty and righteousness. They died without regret.”
Yao Ying recalled when Xie Liang first came to serve her – he was a simple, honest young man who would blush bright red and not know where to put his hands and feet whenever he looked up at her.
When laying out the escape plan for the Yelu tribe, Xie Liang accepted orders without asking a single question.
Yao Ying had asked if he was afraid of death.
He scratched his head: “Yes.”
Then why still follow my orders?
Xie Liang continued scratching his head: “Because you’re the Seventh Princess! When the Prince of Qin chose me back then, I swore an oath to heaven, earth, and the ancestors!”
He didn’t fully understand the grand principles of loyalty to family and state – he only knew he had to protect the Princess and obey the Princess’s commands. If the Princess ordered him to do something right, then he should strive to complete that order.
No matter how dangerous that order might be.
His loyalty was so simple, yet so profound.
Yao Ying was very cold and very hungry, her whole body stiff and aching, every bone feeling like it had been ground up and carelessly reassembled, pain spreading through her bones.
She wanted to live, to return to the Central Plains, wanted to bring back these guards who had shared both fortune and hardship with her.
Yao Ying clutched her fingers tightly, falling into deep sleep amid an intense will to survive.
When she awoke, the day was already breaking. Today would likely be another clear day – the red sun had not yet shown its face, but fierce winds had swept away all floating clouds, leaving the firmament azure blue.
Someone called out in a suppressed voice of joy: “That hawk hasn’t followed us!”
Everyone was elated. Xie Qing lifted Yao Ying and helped her onto horseback.
Yao Ying’s heart lifted slightly. After riding some distance, she looked back at the guards behind her and noticed Lu Heng was missing.
She reined in her horse and stopped, counting heads.
Not just Lu Heng was gone – four people were missing in total.
Yao Ying looked at Xie Qing.
Xie Qing tugged the reins, slowing down. “Princess, this was the only way.”
Yao Ying remained silent for a long while, then closed her eyes briefly.
To shake off the pursuers and the hawk’s tracking, splitting up to draw away attention was indeed the best option. The hawk could quickly discover their tracks, but it couldn’t identify who was who.
Lu Heng might not be able to draw away the white hawk, but he could buy her some time.
Just for these few moments, they went forward without hesitation.
Yao Ying closed her eyes, holding back tears that threatened to spill over, and whipped her horse to continue galloping.
She couldn’t let Lu Heng and the others sacrifice themselves in vain.
They continued racing eastward.
Suddenly, the Wusun horse let out a high-pitched neigh, its front legs giving way as it crashed toward the snowy ground.
“Princess!”
Xie Qing and the guards cried out in alarm, reining in their horses and leaping forward.
Yao Ying fell to the ground, rolling several times. Fortunately, the Wusun horse had struggled to support itself for a moment before finally collapsing, and the accumulated snow on the ground was thick – she wasn’t injured from the fall, only scraped up a bit.
Xie Qing helped her stand. She was dizzy, swaying several times before steadying herself.
The Wusun horse was still struggling violently, continuously letting out desperate cries.
A guard blocked Yao Ying: “The horse is spooked!”
Yao Ying’s eyes were red-rimmed as she pushed past the guard, choking out: “No, it’s just too exhausted.”
She knelt before the Wusun horse, reaching out with trembling hands.
This was the horse her brother had given her, her beloved mount of several years, gentle yet tenacious, very intelligent, loving sweet ping fruit most of all, never once losing temper with her.
Seeing its master, the Wusun horse gradually calmed, its dark wet eyes gazing at her, breathing heavily. Like when it would beg her for treats, it struggled to raise its head, nuzzling her palm.
Yao Ying’s hands shook as she searched the leather bag – the Wusun horse loved sweet fruit, it loved sweet fruit!
The leather bag was empty.
The Wusun horse stared motionlessly at Yao Ying. Not getting its favorite fruit, its gaze remained gentle. It wagged its tail at her one final time, then breathed its last.
The tears Yao Ying had held back for so many days fell.
I’m sorry, I wasn’t a good master, couldn’t let you eat your favorite fruit.
Xie Qing silently lifted Yao Ying, sharing his horse with her.
That afternoon, they lost two more horses.
Horse meat could fill their stomachs, but none of the guards would slaughter their beloved mounts. When the last horse fell, they could only cross the wilderness on foot.
Yao Ying’s stomach growled with hunger, her body growing weaker day by day. Xie Qing handed his sword to the others and carried her on his back as they pressed on.
Several days later, they finally saw the familiar mountain range spanning the horizon by the great river.
The guards rushed up the slope: “Once we see those steamed bun-shaped mountains, it means we’re near Liangzhou! We just need one day to cross that mountain! We’ve escaped!”
Yao Ying lay on Xie Qing’s back, raising her head in a daze.
Could she go home? Could she reunite with her brother?
Her whole body trembled, and before she could say anything, sharp cries suddenly rang out from the clouds as a huge snow-white hawk dove down from above.
Yao Ying’s face turned deathly pale.
As the white hawk’s wings cut through the air, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to shake, and the sound of galloping hooves came from behind.
Yao Ying turned around.
Rolling dust clouds rose over the endless plains. At the horizon, a red sun slowly sank, the sky blood-red. Hundreds of strong riders in dark armor thundered forward like a black flood, carrying an overwhelming aura that seemed to devour everything as they bore down on Yao Ying’s group.
The guards stood dumbfounded.
The force of several hundred rode like lightning, quickly reaching their position.
At the front of the formation was a man with thick arms and a powerful build, wearing a broad felt hat and black gold-embroidered brocade robe, holding an enormous bow. His pale golden eyes flickered with an almost beast-like cold light in the dusk.
He stopped not far from Yao Ying, his lips curving up at one corner.
“Seventh Princess, I didn’t expect you to last so many days.”
Yao Ying closed her eyes briefly, trembling slightly.
She recalled the Northern Rong people’s legend about how they trained their hawks through exhaustion.
Haidu Aling was a master at wearing down hawks.
He had found her long ago, following nearby, watching her suffer hunger and torment, then appearing at the moment she thought she could return home, ruthlessly crushing her hope of heading east.
Seeing hope one moment, plunging into darkest despair the next – how could she not break?
Haidu Aling was taming her.
She had nowhere to run.
Xie Qing set Yao Ying down, took back his sword, drew it from its scabbard, and stood before her.
The other guards silently drew their swords as well.
Haidu Aling’s lips held a playful smile. He made no move, seeming to pay Xie Qing and the others no mind at all.
Xie Qing stood before Yao Ying, gripping his sword, expression calm.
As if he wasn’t facing an invincible army.
They were just a handful of people, exhausted, and dizzy with hunger.
The enemy was strong and full of energy.
They were like eggs thrown at the stone, certain to die.
But what of it?
Xie Qing recited their original oath word by word: “I will follow Seventh Miss, protect her completely, to the ends of the earth, never shrinking from death.”
Not the Li family’s Seventh Princess, not the Little Seven of Jingnan.
Just his Little Seven.
He looked back at Yao Ying.
“Seven Miss, did you recognize me?”
Tears in her eyes, Yao Ying smiled faintly: “Ah Qing, I recognized you long ago.”
Xie Qing nodded, still expressionless: “A warrior dies for one who knows them. Though I, Xie Qing Niang, am in a woman’s body, I can still uphold the ancestors’ will, dying to protect Seven Miss. Xie Qing Niang dies without regret.”
And without remorse.
She faced the fierce Northern Rong army, raising her sword.
The other guards were stunned for a moment, then showed expressions of “so that’s how it is,” exchanging glances and laughing heartily: “In ancient times there was Hua Mulan, now there’s Xie Qing Niang. Being able to fight alongside you, we can brag about it to our brothers underground after death.”
“What a shame, we never took advantage of the chance to take liberties with you before…”
“Would you dare mess with her? With her build, she could kill you with one slap!”
They breathed weakly, holding on with their last breath, standing before Li Yao Ying, refusing to retreat.
In the dusk, their tall shadows stood firm and magnificent, like the mountain ranges behind Yao Ying.
These ordinary people, just because of a promise, protected her until now.
They viewed her as the object of their loyalty, willing to die for her.
She wanted to repay their loyalty.
Yao Ying stood behind Xie Qing and the others, smiling as she wiped her eyes.
Haidu Aling narrowed his eyes, raising that huge bow, and drawing it back full of power.
Yao Ying knew this battle was over before it began.
They didn’t even have a chance to struggle.
She wiped away her tears, her pale hand resting on Xie Qing’s shoulder.
Xie Qing turned back.
“Ah Qing, we must live, live well.”
She gazed at Haidu Aling on horseback in the distance, her eyes determined.
“As long as we can survive, we’ll surely have a day when we return to the Central Plains.”
Xie Qing realized what Yao Ying meant to do and grabbed her hand, shouting: “No!”
Yao Ying looked at the others: “Stop her.”
The guards looked at each other.
Yao Ying broke free from Xie Qing’s grip, brushing her temple hair: “I am your princess. Now I order you to restrain Xie Qing. Will you disobey?”
The guards’ expressions shook with emotion. After struggling a moment, tears burst from their eyes as they bowed in acknowledgment.
Xie Qing’s eyes blazed as she lunged forward shouting: “No! Seven Miss, come back!”
The guards blocked her path, holding her back firmly.
Xie Qing wildly slashed with her sword. The guards had no choice but to take the weapon from her, tackle her to the ground, and pin down her arms and legs to keep her from moving.
Yao Ying smiled slightly at Xie Qing, her tone gentle: “Ah Qing, I’ll be fine.”
The current Haidu Aling was still young, not yet the emperor who would conquer countless nations. He had his weaknesses and enemies he feared.
She would always find a chance to escape.
Where there’s life, there’s hope.
Yao Ying slowly walked out from behind her guards, standing before everyone, facing Haidu Aling.
“I’ll go with you.”
The cold wind swept her disheveled clothes and hair. Though worn and haggard from days of fleeing, she remained noble and beautiful, like a flower blooming in snow atop a mountain peak.
Haidu Aling raised an eyebrow, lifting his arm. The white hawk landed on it, nibbling his finger.
His lips curved up.
The process of taming this Han princess was so satisfying, even more than the feeling of conquering a hawk through exhaustion.
…
Yao Ying became Haidu Aling’s war trophy.
Seemingly satisfied with her submission, he agreed to spare Xie Qing and the others’ lives.
Before being put in the carriage, Yao Ying looked back one last time at the mountains standing in the dusk, layers of rock piled high, magnificent rivers and mountains.
She would return, she would cross those majestic mountains, and return to her homeland.
…
Although he had just ambushed Great Wei and made an enemy of them, Haidu Aling still showed no fear of Wei. After capturing Yao Ying just a day’s journey from Liangzhou, he unhurriedly led his forces back.
Yao Ying was confined in an iron-barred carriage, personally guarded by Haidu Aling’s men.
She finally got fresh food.
In the afternoon, the Northern Rong soldiers brought a barbarian maid to Yao Ying.
Yao Ying looked at her in surprise: “Why are you here?”
Tali wiped her eyes: “This slave remembered the Princess’s instructions. After you left, I also escaped in the chaos. Soon after, the Yelu tribe was absorbed by the Northern Rong, the Crown Prince, and tribal elders all died… I had just found a place to settle when the Northern Rong killed all the men in the tribe, and we women became their slaves.”
The Helan region had been occupied by the Northern Rong, all tribes forced to submit, men killed, and women enslaved.
Tali lowered her voice: “Princess, this slave heard them say the Northern Rong Khan was defeated attacking the royal court in the Western Regions and summoned Prince Aling back. Prince Aling is taking us to the Western Regions.”
Yao Ying sighed softly.
Not long ago, she had spoken with Tali about the Flowing Sand River, about Tali’s homeland. Then, she thought she would never go to that distant foreign land in her lifetime.
It seemed the desolate Yelu tribe wasn’t so far from home after all – the Western Regions thousands of li away were truly distant.
That evening, Yao Ying was brought to Haidu Aling’s tent.
“How did the Seventh Princess see through my identity?”
This man raised among wolf packs had a powerful build, standing by a long table like a mighty mountain, holding a knife as he methodically cut open a not-quite-dead deer.
The smell of blood was overwhelming.
Yao Ying stood before the table, saying coolly: “I heard my brother mention the Northern Rong prince.”
“Oh?” Haidu Aling didn’t look up as his knife skillfully stripped the deer’s hide. “I did cross swords with Li Zhongqian. He was very brave.”
His tone shifted. “But Li Zhongqian was gravely wounded and remains unconscious. The one guarding Liangzhou is your Crown Prince. As I understand it, you have a grudge against the Crown Prince. If not for the Eastern Palace’s schemes, you wouldn’t be in this situation today.”
Haidu Aling raised his head, his pale yellow eyes like luminous glass in the candlelight.
“Your father traded you for Yelu Hazhu’s loyalty, the Crown Prince had you marry in place of his beloved woman, and the ministers watched your brother get injured without helping. Why did you still warn them?”
Yao Ying replied coolly: “Because I am a person of Great Wei.”
Haidu Aling raised his brows: “I could avenge the Seventh Princess. After I kill the Crown Prince, I could help Li Zhongqian take the throne.”
Yao Ying laughed coldly: “The prince need not concern himself.”
The matters after the marriage substitution were grudges and grievances between her and Li De and Li Xuanzhen. After she escaped, she would settle accounts with the Li father and son herself.
She would never cooperate with an ambitious schemer like Haidu Aling.
Haidu Aling was faithless and cruel, killing the mother wolf that raised him when he was young just to use her pelt to gain acceptance into the tribe. Khan Wahan treated him like his own son, had his brother adopt him, and gave him noble status, yet he scorned his adoptive father as weak and useless. Even now he acts like a loving son to Wahan, but in the future, he would kill Wahan with his own hands, slaughter Wahan’s sons and grandsons, kill all of Wahan’s heirs, and then become the Northern Rong’s new leader.
How could such a ruthless person sincerely help her take revenge?
If she agreed, not just Great Wei’s realm but the entire Central Plains would eventually fall into Haidu Aling’s hands, and she and her brother would be mercilessly killed by him.
Haidu Aling laughed heartily: “Does the Seventh Princess not believe my sincerity?”
Yao Ying looked directly at Haidu Aling: “If the prince’s help with my revenge means trampling over the corpses of countless innocent people, we have nothing to discuss.”
Haidu Aling slowly cut open the deer’s belly. “Yelu Hazhu took one look at you and became obsessed with marrying you… Seventh Princess, you disrupted my plans. Princess Fukang was supposed to be the one to marry.”
If Princess Fukang had married, firstly, he could have used the opportunity to kill the Crown Prince and throw Great Wei into chaos, and secondly, use the Zhu family woman’s identity to disturb people’s hearts. Combined with the agents planted in Southern Chu and Shu territory, the Central Plains would certainly fall into chaos. Then the Northern Rong could destroy Wei without effort.
What a pity – Haidu Aling had calculated everything but never expected Yelu Hazhu would be overcome with lust, taking a fancy to a delicate Han princess, actually offering Liangzhou as the price for marrying the princess.
He couldn’t understand it at all, until that night at the palace banquet when he saw the Seventh Princess in her magnificent attire and finally understood why Yelu Hazhu’s heart had been moved.
Such beauty should belong to him.
It was her incomparable beauty that made him lose his vigilance and underestimate this woman.
Haidu Aling clicked his tongue: “I only sent a few letters, promised Princess Fukang to help restore her country, and she was willing to marry into the Yelu tribe. Then there was her aunt… that Princess Imperial Yijing who married the Turks. I promised to help restore her country, and she helped me plan, sending loyal servants to the Central Plains to contact old officials loyal to the Zhu family, persuading Western Shu and Southern Chu to attack your Great Wei…”
Yao Ying’s eyes slowly widened.
Haidu Aling smiled: “Seventh Princess, Princess Fukang is a princess, Princess Imperial Yijing is a princess, you are also a princess – why are you different from them?”
Yao Ying said nothing, her hands trembling slightly in her sleeves.
So that was it! That was it!
Haidu Aling shouldn’t have attacked the Central Plains so early, and Zhu Lüyun shouldn’t have inexplicably connected with the barbarians. She never understood why many things had changed – it turned out the source of change was Princess Imperial Yijing!
No wonder Haidu Aling understood the Central Plains countries so thoroughly, no wonder he could know Southern Chu’s movements at all times while in the north, no wonder Princess Imperial Yijing sent loyal servants back to the Central Plains for help, no wonder Southern Chu would get involved with Haidu Aling – this was all Haidu Aling’s plot!
Princess Imperial Yijing allied with him, sending spies back to the Central Plains to probe military intelligence, seek help for her, and disturb various court politics. The loyal servant who appeared beside Zhu Lüyun and urged her to marry the Yelu tribe was just one of them!
That princess who had married the Turks years ago wanted to restore the Zhu dynasty, actually forming an alliance with Haidu Aling, nearly letting the Northern Rong march straight in.
Yao Ying swayed, almost unable to stand steady.
She hadn’t known about Princess Imperial Yijing in the background, only warning Li Xuanzhen and Du Sinan in her letters to guard against Southern Chu. She didn’t know if they could root out Princess Imperial Yijing’s spies.
Haidu Aling chuckled: “Seventh Princess, you see, without the help of you Han princesses, how could I have smoothly raided the Central Plains and obtained such a beauty as yourself?”
Yao Ying collected her thoughts and raised her eyes. “Han people are people, you Northern Rong are also people. People can be good or bad. I am not Princess Imperial Yijing – I won’t cooperate with the prince.”
She paused, straightening her back.
“Not everyone can be tempted or intimidated by the prince. There are many people like me.”
“This time when the prince attacked Great Wei, Southern Chu – who should have attacked simultaneously and had a deep blood feud with Great Wei – held their troops back, because they knew the prince’s ambition wasn’t just for Guanzhong. When lips are gone, the teeth grow cold; when branches share the same root, they share the same fate. Though the righteous people of Southern Chu and Western Shu were temporarily deceived by the prince, once they know the truth, they will never compromise with someone like you!”
“The Central Plains are already unified. Great Wei will soon pacify the chaos. Southern Chu and Western Shu will both submit to Great Wei. With mountains and rivers united, ruler and ministers of one heart, though the Northern Rong is strong, Great Wei is not without mighty generals!”
Haidu Aling’s narrow eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curving. “The princess’s breadth of vision impresses me.”
Yao Ying said coldly: “The prince’s breadth of vision impresses me as well.”
Haidu Aling paused: “The princess is impressed by me?”
Yao Ying’s lips curved slightly: “The prince is not Khan Wahan’s natural son. To repay the Khan’s kindness in raising you, you fight in the vanguard, bathing in blood. How much territory did the prince gain for the Khan this time?”
Haidu Aling’s face stiffened slightly.
Yao Ying noticed his anger and thought silently: Indeed, Haidu Aling is very sensitive about his status – he is ultimately not Wahan’s natural son.
Haidu Aling seemed at a loss for words. He stopped what he was doing and gestured that Yao Ying could leave.
Yao Ying turned and left with a sweep of her sleeves.
Haidu Aling’s face darkened as he called his strategist, casually grabbing a cloth to wipe the deer’s blood from his knife. “Did you hear what the Seventh Princess just said?”
The strategist nodded.
“If even a delicate woman has such vision, are all Central Plains people really like this? Is now truly not a good time to attack the Central Plains?”
The strategist considered carefully, trying to use words Haidu Aling would understand: “Though Wei was established recently, it has won the people’s hearts. As they say, unity leads to division, division leads to unity. Southern Chu may appear prosperous in its corner, but inside it’s completely rotten – no match for Wei. Looking at the Central Plains, no other power can stop Wei from unifying north and south.”
Haidu Aling frowned in thought.
He wasn’t Wahan’s natural son – what could all these hard-won military achievements earn him?
If he stayed to attack the Central Plains, even if he took Guanzhong, Wahan wouldn’t grant it to him. In Wahan’s heart were only his natural sons.
He must first secure his position within the Northern Rong.
The Central Plains would be his eventually – no need to rush.
The Crown Prince didn’t seem as indifferent to the Seventh Princess as rumored, and the Second Prince and Seventh Princess depended on each other for survival. Keeping the Seventh Princess would be useful in the future.
Having made his decision, Haidu Aling instructed his strategist: “Starting tomorrow, order all units to abandon their heavy equipment and quickly join my uncle. You stay to govern Helan – don’t let people sent by other princes steal my achievements!”
The strategist acknowledged the order.
…
The next day, the advancing force suddenly increased its speed.
To make haste, they abandoned the large carts. Yao Ying was put on horseback with several strong, skilled barbarian women riders, following the force as they galloped westward.
They passed through Ganzhou, Suzhou, Guazhou, and Shazhou, through the endless plains at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, arriving at the Eight Hundred Li Flowing Sands.
The Moheyandichi, according to records, stretched eight hundred li. In ancient times it was called the Sand River – no birds flew above, no beasts ran below, no water or grass grew. At night, ghost-fires gleamed like countless stars; by day, fierce winds drove the sand, scattering like rain.
Yao Ying was cared for by the barbarian women daily and didn’t suffer much crossing the desert, but she worried about Xie Qing and the others.
They were confined with other captives, following at the rear of the column.
Whenever the force stopped to rest, Yao Ying would try to find chances to speak with the captives, hoping to send messages to Xie Qing, but the barbarian women watched her too closely, and the captives couldn’t speak the Han language. She tried several times without success.
Past the eight hundred li of the sand river, further north lay Yizhou.
During the previous dynasty’s chaos, Yizhou was occupied by various barbarians, attached to different powers like the Western Turks and Tibet. Now Yizhou was under Northern Rong rule, with the Northern Rong’s royal tent currently set up there.
As they got closer to Yizhou, Northern Rong scouts constantly brought messages from Khan Wahan. Busy dealing with Khan Wahan, Haidu Aling disappeared daily.
Tali told Yao Ying that Khan Wahan had been besieging the royal court for half a year, recently suffering another defeat at the Buddha’s Son’s hands. In his rage, he suddenly fell ill and had to retreat to the earth city, which was why Haidu Aling was rushing back to Yizhou.
Yao Ying quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
…
The Western Regions were vast with harsh climates, scattered with oases both large and small, each supporting limited populations.
This geography made it difficult for the Western Regions to produce a strong dynasty with powerful military might. They simply couldn’t support large armies, so when the Northern Rong attacked, the various tribes scattered like sand, powerless to resist.
When the Northern Rong conquered the Western Regions years ago, they were unstoppable. Khan Wahan believed he could crush the entire Western Region in just a few months.
The Northern Rong were invincible – wherever their cavalry reached, city-states and tribes large and small all submitted.
Flush with success, Khan Wahan decided to seize the moment and capture the legendary Holy City, making the Buddha’s Son his prisoner.
Everyone believed Khan Wahan would easily take the Holy City and capture the Buddha’s Son.
Yet in that battle, Khan Wahan with his powerful cavalry lost.
Three thousand men against the Buddha’s Son’s two thousand – not only were they badly defeated, but they fled in disarray. The previously invincible Khan Wahan fell from his horse, nearly trampled to death by his mount.
That victory of the few over the many made the thirteen-year-old Buddha’s Son TanmoLuojia renowned throughout the Western Regions, his prestige unprecedented.
It also left a deep mark on Khan Wahan’s heart.
The proud Khan was eager to emerge from the shadow of defeat and restore morale, but somehow after that battle, whenever the Northern Rong army faced the royal court’s forces – especially the central army loyal to the Buddha’s Son – something would always go wrong.
After another defeat by TanmoLuojia’s central army, Khan Wahan began to suspect TanmoLuojia truly possessed supernatural powers.
This became Khan Wahan’s psychological burden. From then on, he would unconsciously avoid confronting the royal court.
The Northern Route of the Western Regions thus knew peace for ten years.
Haidu Aling had been right by Khan Wahan’s side during both battles.
Khan Wahan’s psychological burden became Haidu Aling’s burden too.
Two generations of Khans had been defeated by TanmoLuojia, both grew suspicious of the Holy City, and both dared not easily attack it.
While TanmoLuojia lived, neither Khan Wahan nor Haidu Aling could breach the Holy City.
Only when TanmoLuojia died did Haidu Aling laugh loudly, saying to his subordinates: “Without the Buddha’s Son, is the Holy City still holy?”
He immediately mustered his forces to besiege the Holy City.
Soon after, the royal court fell.
…
Reflecting on the struggle between the Northern Rong and the royal court, Yao Ying could be certain that both Khan Wahan and Haidu Aling feared TanmoLuojia.
This time Khan Wahan had gathered his courage, sending tributary tribes to harass the royal court while he besieged from the outside. Not only had he failed to take the Holy City as planned, he had fallen ill from rage. When news spread, the Northern Rong cavalry would believe even more strongly in the saying: whoever dared attack the Holy City would suffer divine punishment.
Haidu Aling shared his uncle’s taboo about TanmoLuojia. With the Northern Rong’s great defeat, he was busy managing military affairs and temporarily forgot about her. This was her chance to seek an opportunity to escape.
However, before Yao Ying could find her moment, one day the barbarian woman suddenly brought her to Haidu Aling’s tent.
A tall pole stood in the open ground before the tent. A person covered in wounds was tied to it, blood flowing down their robe hem, pooling dark red on the sandy ground.
Yao Ying’s gaze fell on that person’s face, and her whole body trembled.
Haidu Aling lifted the tent flap and walked out, holding a knife. There was a wound on his right cheek, still bleeding, half his face covered in blood.
His expression was dark, and he strode toward Xie Qing.
Yao Ying rushed forward, but several barbarian women surged forward to grab her firmly, preventing her approach.
Haidu Aling looked back at Yao Ying, wiped his wound, hissed, and raised his long knife: “Seventh Princess, it’s not that I’m breaking my promise, but your person dared try to assassinate me. Don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Seeing he was about to behead Xie Qing, Yao Ying’s mind flashed like lightning, quickly turning over a thought.
“I know TanmoLuojia!”
The long knife had just touched Xie Qing’s neck when it suddenly stopped dead.
Yao Ying’s heart leaped: Haidu Aling did fear TanmoLuojia!
A strange look flashed through Haidu Aling’s pale yellow eyes as he turned his head to examine Yao Ying closely.
Everyone in the Western Regions knew TanmoLuojia’s reputation, but they usually respectfully called him Buddha’s Son or Master or Teacher. Ordinary people only knew his surname was Tanmo, not knowing the name Luojia. He had only learned TanmoLuojia’s full name by chance.
How did this Han woman also know TanmoLuojia’s full name?
Yao Ying steadied herself and met Haidu Aling’s suspicious gaze, saying calmly: “Has the prince ever wondered why the royal court’s merchant caravan appeared near Liangzhou?”
Haidu Aling’s brow furrowed slightly.
When he learned the Crown Prince had killed TanmoLuojia’s merchant caravan, he had indeed pondered this question: why had TanmoLuojia’s people crossed the Flowing Sand River to appear near Liangzhou?
The Buddha’s Son was noble and sacred, never stepping outside his temple except for a few military campaigns. He had thought long about it but couldn’t figure out why, and the matter had stayed on his mind.
Now that Yao Ying brought it up, Haidu Aling immediately recalled this.
Haidu Aling affected a casual tone: “Could it have been for you?”
Yao Ying nodded: “Indeed, it was for me. Right after I married into the Yelu tribe, TanmoLuojia’s merchant caravan appeared nearby. Could this be a coincidence?”
Haidu Aling’s frown deepened.
Yao Ying fought to keep from trembling as she continued telling her bold lie: “Not only do I know TanmoLuojia, but we have a deep friendship. The reason I agreed to make a deal with Li Xuanzhen was because I knew TanmoLuojia would send people to rescue me. If you release my guards and send me to TanmoLuojia, I can persuade him to ally with you.”
Haidu Aling smiled: “Why would I want an alliance with the Buddha’s Son?”
Yao Ying said coolly: “Khan Wahan will soon make a non-aggression pact with TanmoLuojia. When the Khan returns to the royal tent, how will you – someone without Wahan’s blood – compete with the other princes? Are you content to submit to them?”
Haidu Aling’s smile faded as his overwhelming aura slowly withdrew. He appeared to have suppressed his anger, but murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
Dark and gloomy.
This was when he was most dangerous.
Yao Ying was drenched in cold sweat. Glancing at Xie Qing from the corner of her eye, she continued: “Release me, and I’ll persuade TanmoLuojia to ally with you. If Khan Wahan dies, the other princes will surely kill you. Why not leave yourself a way out?”
Without a word, Haidu Aling changed the direction of his long knife, swinging it down at Yao Ying.
This woman had guessed his thoughts – she couldn’t be allowed to live!
The barbarian women screamed in fright, immediately ducking away.
As the cold glint descended, Yao Ying’s whole body went weak. Her fingers dug deep into her palms as she forced herself to face Haidu Aling: “Aren’t you afraid TanmoLuojia will avenge me?”
Haidu Aling’s movement paused.
Just then, hoofbeats approached. Several Northern Rong soldiers dismounted and hurried to the tent: “Great King, the Khan is making a pact with the Buddha’s Son!”
Haidu Aling froze.
The soldiers ran up, produced a letter, and bowed: “The Khan has already left for Sand City and requests the Great King join him.”
Haidu Aling withdrew his knife and took the letter, finding what was written matched exactly what Yao Ying had just said.
Khan Wahan was gravely ill. The tribal shamans said he might have been cursed by the Buddha’s Son. With the army’s morale shaken, Khan Wahan had no choice but to make peace with TanmoLuojia first – the Northern Rong and royal court would not interfere with each other.
Of course, this was just an expedient measure. To conquer the Western Regions, the Northern Rong must take the Holy City.
But how had the Wei princess known in advance about the pact between the two countries?
Though shocked inside, Haidu Aling’s face revealed nothing. He put away the letter and cast a cold glance at Yao Ying: “Take her away.”
Whatever strangeness surrounded this princess, keeping her would surely prove very useful.
If she truly knew TanmoLuojia, all the better.
Haidu Aling hurried away with the letter.
Before the barbarian women could approach, Yao Ying finally couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.