Huang Beishuang couldn’t guess Nazhan’s thoughts at this moment, so she could only remain silent.
“Do you know who wrote this book?” Nazhan asked. His silhouette against the moonlight seemed as if half his body had entered another world.
“I’m not quite sure. The book was given to me by someone named Rongruo when I was young,” Huang Beishuang replied.
“Hmm! This was stolen by Rongruo. The person who wrote this book was my great-grandfather, the 33rd King of Yunpei, Na Qida!” His words undoubtedly shocked Huang Beishuang greatly, cold sweat forming on her forehead.
“Have you read this book completely?” Nazhan asked.
“Yes, I have,” Huang Beishuang responded.
“‘The Great Desert Collection’, Chapter 3, Line 10, what does it say?” His tone was casual.
“‘The Great Desert Collection’, Chapter 3, Line 10, supplements the manifestation of sandstorm activity and the period of greatest erosion in wind-eroded areas,” Huang Beishuang answered precisely.
“Chapter 5, Line 3!” Nazhan questioned again.
“‘The Great Desert Collection’, Chapter 5, Line 3, describes the distribution and activity rules of fixed, semi-fixed, and mobile dunes in the North Desert, and predicts three different large-scale quicksand activities crossing the Zhungeer Desert of the North Desert. The first occurred in 311 AD, the second in 320 AD, both have already happened. The third will occur in three years,” Huang Beishuang’s answer remained confident.
“Chapter 10, Line 13!” Nazhan continued enthusiastically.
“‘The Great Desert Collection’, Chapter 10, Line 13, recounts the formation of five major political ethnic groups and various slave ethnic groups and nomadic ethnic groups, and makes a fairly complete inference and estimation about the Celestial Empire in the desert a thousand years ago! I remember it says: ‘A thousand years of decline, who could have foreseen the vicissitudes of the previous life! The land of the Celestial Empire, spanning millions of miles, surrounded by green mountains and flowing rivers, nurturing hundreds of millions of people, with only sixty-one ethnic groups. The supreme ruler of the human world is called the Emperor, wielding the power of life and death, and holding the advantage of rewards and punishments!'”
Huang Beishuang was particularly interested in this passage, so she remembered it especially clearly.
Hearing her incredibly accurate answers, Nazhan couldn’t help but clap his hands and say, “Not bad! It seems you have indeed read it thoroughly and memorized it well!” At this moment, his expression was very bright, making it somewhat difficult to adjust to. Of course, what surprised Huang Beishuang most was that Nazhan was equally familiar with “The Great Desert Collection”, every word etched in his heart. Presumably, there must have been a copy of this book in the Yunpei royal palace for a long time. She had painfully parted with it to offer it as a tribute, which now seemed rather foolish.
“Then can you tell me what’s written on page 501 of ‘The Great Desert Collection’?” Nazhan smiled, then suddenly asked a question that Huang Beishuang could not possibly answer, childishly waving the book in his hand.
“Your Majesty! Since the day Huang Beishuang received this book, page 501 had already been torn out! Moreover, looking at the entire book, all-important content had concluded within the first 500 pages. This last page should be of no concern!” Huang Beishuang answered very calmly.
“Hehe!” Nazhan gave a light chuckle.
“Huang Beishuang, do you know why I haven’t touched you?” Nazhan asked.
“Because this humble concubine is unwell today!” Huang Beishuang replied.
Hearing this, Nazhan suddenly reached out a hand to touch her cheek. She trembled slightly.
“You showed no fear when fighting Ruowen, yet why are you like this before me?” Nazhan withdrew his hand, looking at Huang Beishuang who didn’t know how to answer, and said something that seemed almost unreal, “Huang Beishuang, I need a woman like you. So, I can choose not to possess you. If you’re willing, we can be husband and wife. If you’re not willing, we can be confidants!”
Huang Beishuang’s heart was in turmoil. Nazhan had thoroughly investigated her entire journey, yet he said this. She didn’t know whether it boded well or ill.
The two sat by the window at the tea table, silent for a long time.
The next day, Huang Beishuang returned to her palace chamber, exhausted. The three maids quickly came forward to support her.
“Last night, Naoxiu…” Yepei was very concerned but didn’t dare to speak openly about bedchamber matters.
“Last night, I was just talking with His Majesty! It’s nothing!” Huang Beishuang replied. She was very tired and had already laid down on the bed as she spoke, her thoughts in disarray. What did Nazhan’s words mean? She vaguely felt there was a great deal of calculation behind them.
At this moment, there was a sudden knocking at the door. Zaiping hurried to open it, revealing General Wu Jihai, who rarely appeared in the harem. Seeing his serious expression and conflicted gaze, it was clear he felt somewhat uncomfortable appearing in this place where concubines gathered, his expression unable to hide his awkwardness. Swish! He presented a brocade box, “His Majesty commanded me to personally deliver this. Please, Consort Shuang, accept it!” His words were very quick, but each syllable was clear.
Huang Beishuang nodded, and Lianhuang, standing by the door, took the brocade box. For some reason, at the moment of this exchange, the two strong men carefully sized each other up, both intentionally emanating waves of killing intent to test each other’s true strength.
This person is not an ordinary guard, Wu Jihai thought to himself. Those who could still maintain such an aura before him were few and far between, yet here was one. He raised his eyes again to look at Huang Beishuang lying by the bed, having two maids massage away her fatigue. This woman was truly marvelous. Although he had only come here to deliver a gift from His Majesty, it felt as if he had entered another king’s chamber, an air of solemnity and profundity exuding from her. Who was she?
With no answer, Wu Jihai slowly retreated, his mind full of questions.
Opening the brocade box, inside was a book. Huang Beishuang’s heart settled, and without much thought, she turned to the last page. Sure enough, this was a complete copy of “The Great Desert Collection”. On page 501 was written the prophetic words of Nazhan’s great-grandfather, Na Qida:
Rain falls on the cold moon, and horsehide is seen,
One can only be called a king, unable to be called an emperor!
Seeing these words, Huang Beishuang’s hands trembled involuntarily. She gently placed the book back in the brocade box, then sat on the bed and sighed deeply. Seeing her furrowed brow, Yepei and Lianhuang looked at each other, not knowing what was written that could make their mistress fall into such deep thought.
Huang Beishuang raised her head to look at Yepei, suddenly asking, “If I asked you to get along well with the people of the Na’er tribe, could you do it?” She seemed to ask very seriously.
Yepei thought for a moment before answering, “Now that you are our mistress, if you want us to get along well with them, we will naturally do so. But to speak honestly, even if we appear to get along on the surface, it’s impossible to feel balanced inside. I imagine it’s the same for them. The largest political ethnic group in our North Desert is Tiandu, but Tiandu is isolated and rarely interferes in the struggles of other ethnic groups. The largest slave ethnic groups are our E’naqi and the southern Na’er. To speak of the faults between E’naqi and Na’er, it can’t be finished in a day or two! You rob me, I rob you, you kill me, I kill you… However, in the end, everyone just wants to survive. However, this servant knows that if it weren’t for both sides having the support of great nations, and keeping their strengths in balance, it would probably be impossible to calm down without fighting to the death. After all, everyone wants to live a bit better, but the land is only so big, and resources are limited. What can be done? This is all the will of heaven!”
At this point, Lianhuang seemed to think of something and replied, “Naoxiu, this subordinate has always felt that if the oases in the desert weren’t so scattered, with some places even changing location from time to time, if it weren’t like this, with all tribes living in one place, there probably wouldn’t be so many ethnic groups, and there wouldn’t be so many conflicts.”
Hearing this, Huang Beishuang smiled, “Although your experiences are limited, you have been through life and death situations, and it seems you have paid attention to some essential matters. I have underestimated you. However, Lianhuang, Yepei, remember, as long as I still live in this palace and am Nazhan’s woman, you must change how you address me to Consort Shuang, not Naoxiu anymore, understand? If overheard by talkative people, it could spread some unfavorable rumors.”
Lianhuang only then realized his earlier mistake and hurriedly agreed.
Huang Beishuang pulled at her clothes and lay down against the soft pillows at the head of the bed. Her eyes kept looking at the bed frame, the exquisite wood carvings and the sparkling jeweled ornaments seeming like an illusion, giving her a strange impulse. She very much wanted to lie there like this and never get up again…
Closing her eyes, she had another question.
“What kind of person do you think Nazhan is?” Her voice was very soft.