Yaoying’s arm, linked with Tanmoluojia’s, gradually stiffened. The cold wind mixed with snow struck her face, and despite the veil, her cheeks still felt icy.
She wasn’t afraid of Zhu Lüyun.
The Helung refugees, led by the Yuchi and Yang clans, had already allied with her. They trusted her not only for her status as a Wei Dynasty princess but also because they wanted to curry favor with Tanmoluojia. Zhu Lüyun was a princess of the former dynasty, unable to gather large armies and ignorant of the conflicts between various tribes. Whatever her purpose here, Yuchi Damo wouldn’t be swayed by her.
Zhu Lüyun wasn’t worth fearing.
The person Yaoying feared was Li Xuanzhen.
With Zhu Lüyun appearing in this foreign land thousands of li from Chang’an, Li Xuanzhen – who in the books could make all sorts of incomprehensible, obsessive gestures for her – would surely abandon everything to chase after her upon discovering she had come to the royal court.
No matter what difficulties they encountered, these two always managed to turn danger into safety.
Those unfortunate enough to get involved with them were different.
Getting entangled with them usually led to nothing good.
The reason Yaoying and Li Zhongqian had struggled so much these years was because of Li De and Li Xuanzhen’s transferred anger. With Tang dead, in the father and son’s view, everyone had to die with her, guilty or innocent.
After Xie Wuliang’s death, Yaoying, Li Zhongqian, and Xie Manyuan could have returned to Jingnan to live peaceful lives, but Li De wouldn’t allow it, and Li Xuanzhen wouldn’t let them go either.
Even if Li Zhongqian didn’t compete, he still only had death awaiting him.
Li Zhongqian hadn’t competed – he lived in a daze, wild and unrestrained. Yaoying understood that he didn’t compete because he knew once he did, he would only die faster. He didn’t want to implicate her and Xie Manyuan.
He thought his death would end everything, not knowing that in Li De’s eyes, they were his children, his subjects, destined to be exploited by him their whole lives until nothing remained.
The Xie family had died in battle for him, yet Li De merely commented on their loyalty.
Emperors were heartless, beyond reason.
Yaoying knew clearly that if she could safely return to the Central Plains and reunite with Li Zhongqian, the siblings would still have to face Li De and his son. This time, she and Li Zhongqian wouldn’t trade forbearance for survival.
But before that, she had to reunite with Li Zhongqian.
Yet now Zhu Lüyun had suddenly appeared before her as if falling from the sky, and Li Xuanzhen surely wasn’t far behind.
Where was Li Zhongqian now? Did he know she was at the royal court?
If he encountered Li Xuanzhen, would he be in danger?
A strong sense of unease swept over her. Yaoying felt cold, her heart trembling.
The melodious sound of camel bells drifted to her ears, mixed with calls of merchants in Hu, Turkic, Persian, and Sogdian languages rising and falling. Steam rose from the earthen walls along the street. A high-nosed, deep-eyed Hu person lifted a huge oven lid, reaching in with iron tongs to quickly pull out steaming naan bread from the glowing red furnace. Soon, the breads – each as long as a grown man’s arm – were piled up like a small mountain.
The freshly baked thin naan bread gave off an enticing aroma.
Yaoying came to her senses, realizing she had been standing before the eatery staring at the bread. She shook her head and looked up at Tanmoluojia, about to say something playful, when their eyes met and she froze slightly.
He wore a light-colored headscarf, his exposed jade-green eyes gazing quietly at her, as if able to see through all her fears.
His gaze was calm and light, yet had a power to soothe the heart.
Yaoying looked at Tanmoluojia, her heart gradually calming. She swallowed her playful words and said softly, “General, I just saw someone I knew from the Central Plains.”
After speaking, she added, “I didn’t want to see her… but perhaps it’s good to know early that she’s appeared at the royal court. I can prepare earlier for her and the Crown Prince.”
Having sorted out her thoughts, Yaoying let out a light breath, straightened her slightly raised chest, and regained her spirit. The worry that had suddenly appeared between her brows vanished completely.
She released Tanmoluojia’s arm and quickly walked to the eatery, buying several sesame-sprinkled thin naan breads.
One needed strength to plan countermeasures.
Tanmoluojia stood in place, gazing at Yaoying’s slender figure.
Yaoying returned to him with the bread but didn’t share any with him. They went to an inn in the market district, still using the identity of Akbaryan, but were told that the inn, which usually never filled up, was completely occupied.
They tried another, which was also full, with merchants even staying in the cellar.
After trying several inns without success, Yaoying couldn’t help asking Tanmoluojia, “Is there some festival at the royal court recently?”
Tanmoluojia shook his head.
A nearby Hu merchant who also couldn’t find lodging passed by them and, hearing this, grinned broadly and asked, “You’re not from the royal court, are you?”
Yaoying replied, “My husband and I are from Yangma City.”
Yangma City was a Han Chinese settlement, formerly a place for stationing troops and herding sheep and horses.
The merchant laughed and said, “No wonder you don’t know. Next month’s beginning is the Buddha Son’s birthday. People from hundreds of li around are heading to the royal court to see the Buddha Son before his birthday. These days aren’t even crowded yet. When the weather warms up, the main road will be full of faithful coming to worship at the Holy City! That’s when it gets lively – the city can’t even hold everyone. Many people bring felt blankets and sleep by the roadside when tired.”
Yaoying looked astonished and glanced up at Tanmoluojia. He grew up in the royal court, yet didn’t know about such an important date?
Tanmoluojia’s brows furrowed slightly.
Yaoying turned back to continue asking the merchant.
Though she wore several layers of fur coats, her figure still showed graceful proportions. With her long, alluring eyes, she was a young and beautiful woman. Her speech was polite, her voice sweet, and the merchant was happy to show off his knowledge before her, answering whatever she asked without reserve.
After chatting with the merchant for a while, something occurred to Yaoying, and she casually asked, “I saw some Northern Rong people at the city gate earlier, carrying a grand sedan chair. Are they also coming to worship the Buddha?”
The soldiers escorting Zhu Lüyun had braided hair, curved sabers at their waists, and wore what looked like Northern Rong clothing.
The merchant nodded: “You must mean the Northern Rong princess.”
Yaoying’s mouth twitched: How had Zhu Lüyun become a Northern Rong princess?
The merchant proudly stroked his beard and continued showing off: “The Wakhan Khan of Northern Rong was frightened by our Buddha Son. Hearing his birthday was approaching, he sent an embassy with gifts. That Northern Rong princess came with the embassy. They say she’s a princess the Khan brought from the Central Plains Han lands…”
At this point, he coughed lightly, his expression suddenly becoming suggestive, “This Northern Rong princess, like the Buddha Son’s Princess Wenzhao, is also a Han woman.”
He emphasized the words “Han woman” particularly heavily.
Suddenly hearing her name, Yaoying’s eyelid twitched. Remembering the rumors she had heard in Gaochang, she felt inexplicably guilty and quickly changed the subject, exchanging a few jokes with the merchant before pulling Tanmoluojia away.
Half an hour later, Yaoying finally found an inn with vacant rooms. She immediately asked for a jar of clear water, filtered it, set it on the room’s stove to boil, and asked the attendant to buy several thick round naan bread without oil or filling, which she placed on a plate and handed to Tanmoluojia.
“General, please eat something and rest well.”
This was what Yaoying had learned from Yuanjue – she remembered his tastes.
Tanmoluojia didn’t sit down. Watching Yaoying bustle about, his gaze fell on the back of her left hand, and he gestured for her to extend it.
Yaoying held out her hand.
Tanmoluojia gently removed her leather glove. The mark seemed to have faded slightly. He took a clean cloth, used the clear water to wash her wound, dried the water drops, reapplied medicine, and put her glove back on.
“Princess should rest.”
His tone was cold, his expression blank, yet his movements while applying medicine to Yaoying had been very gentle, his long fingers deliberately light when brushing over her hand.
The colder he was now, the more it highlighted how gentle he had been before.
Like spring water hidden within ice.
Yaoying’s heart skipped a few beats. She looked at Tanmoluojia puzzledly several times, made a small sound, and moved to sit cross-legged opposite the fire.
Tanmoluojia ate some naan bread and continued his meditation.
Yaoying rested her chin on her hands, thinking about her concerns while watching over him. She had chosen the inn’s best room, set up felt curtains by the stove, warm enough not to need fur coats – much more comfortable than the icy snow on the mountain.
Without realizing it, the sky grew dark.
Yaoying went to the outer room, ate something, and returned to continue watching Tanmoluojia by the fire.
As the night deepened, strange owl calls came from outside the window.
Tanmoluojia slowly opened his eyes.
In the flickering yellow candlelight, Yaoying sat opposite him, one hand propping up her chin. She looked exhausted, her bloodshot eyes wide open but lacking spirit, shaking her head every so often trying to stay awake.
Tanmoluojia glanced at the candlestick, seeing piles of hardened wax drips beneath the short table.
She had watched over him another day.
Tanmoluojia’s sleeve moved slightly as he extinguished the candle, saying, “Princess should retire.”
Yaoying startled, instinctively sat up straight, eyes wide, and told an obvious lie: “It’s fine, I’m not tired.”
Even as she spoke, she yawned.
With the candle out, only the stove gave off a faint light. In the darkness, there was a rustling sound, and Yaoying saw a black shadow flash before her as the man’s tall, straight figure suddenly appeared before her.
She froze, her hand stopping in mid-air.
Tanmoluojia stood before her, gripped her wrist, and slowly bent down, his face covered with fierce scars drawing closer to her.
The stove fire was dim, the room filled with thick, impenetrable darkness. His tension-filled body pressed down toward her like a towering mountain, his breath cold.
Yaoying looked bewildered as she met those calm jade eyes, holding her breath.
At such close distance, his steady breathing fell on her face.
Yaoying tried to retreat slightly, but Tanmoluojia moved even closer.
She suddenly felt something strange at her neck. His left hand held her while his right gently pulled aside her collar, his fingers reaching in. The black leather glove had been removed at some point, and his dry fingertips pressed against her warm, smooth skin, applying pressure intermittently.
Yaoying’s body trembled twice. Before she could ask anything, his fingers touched some point, and a wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over her. Her whole body went soft, her vision darkened, and she fell into Tanmoluojia’s embrace.
Tanmoluojia caught Yaoying, his fingers continuing to press the acupoint. Hearing her breathing become deep and even, he withdrew his fingers, held her shoulders to lay her down, pulled over a felt blanket to cover her, and gently tucked in the corners.
The stove fire cast light on half of Yaoying’s face, her features as beautiful as a painting, with faint blue circles around her eyes.
Tanmoluojia returned to sit before the fire and resumed his meditation.
The wind howled outside the inn. An hour later, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the quiet night as someone walked across the roof tiles.
Tanmoluojia opened his eyes, glancing at Yaoying across the fire. She had turned over under the felt blanket, now facing him, sleeping deeply with no sign of waking.
He rose and left the tent, securing it before leaving the room and opening the outermost window.
A black figure climbed in, stood still, bowed to him, and raised his face, saying, “Regent, General Ashina has reached Sand City. Following your instructions, the General set traps in Sand City and caught three waves of assassins. Most were young captives from various tribes, with some royal court people among them.”
Tanmoluojia asked, “How is General Ashina?”
The person answered quietly, “General Ashina was well-prepared and only suffered minor injuries – a cut on his arm. The bleeding has stopped, nothing serious.”
He then asked, “The General requests the Regent’s instructions on how to handle these assassins?”
Tanmoluojia took out a scroll of sheepskin: “Tell him to proceed according to plan. No need to interrogate the assassins.”
The person respectfully accepted the scroll and tucked it into his clothing.
Standing by the window, Tanmoluojia suddenly asked, “Northern Rong sent an embassy to the royal court?”
The person quickly replied, “I was just about to report this matter. With the King’s birthday approaching, besides the Northern Rong embassy, delegations from other countries have also arrived at the Holy City… Not only did Northern Rong send a princess, but there are now several princesses in the Holy City. They say all the princesses are beautiful and unmarried.”
Tanmoluojia made a light sound of acknowledgment.
The person bowed and silently withdrew.
Tanmoluojia’s thick brows furrowed slightly as he gazed into the night, lost in thought for a moment.
The window creaked again as another figure carefully climbed and fumbled their way in, rolled across the floor, and then rose to bow to Tanmoluojia.
It was Yuanjue, the guard who had been ordered to notify the various city lords.
“Regent, I’ve inquired at various places. The city lords say there’s nothing unusual in their cities, though there have been troop movements at the horse farms and garrison inns. Because of the bitter cold, many herders’ cattle and sheep have frozen to death, and they haven’t had time to send people to investigate in detail. This year’s garrison movement register hasn’t been drafted yet. Only the Moon Dawn City lord is drafting a list of guard nominations this month, recording several guard rotation changes. I’ve brought the draft document.”
Tanmoluojia accepted the document.
Yuanjue lit a candle.
Tanmoluojia opened the document and, in the faint candlelight, quickly read through it before raising his eyes.
The relationships between the royal court’s five armies, the great families, and all city and town garrisons were complex and intertwined. The sheepskin scrolls recording annual transfers and rotation changes alone numbered more than ten. However, with his vast knowledge, he kept all this in mind, needing only a glance at Moon Dawn City’s register to know which movements were unusual.
His expression remained calm as he instructed Yuanjue: “You need not return to Moon Dawn City. Go directly to Sand City and tell Ashina to be careful of the Xue family.”
Yuanjue’s chest tightened as he quietly acknowledged the order.