True Qu Youjia frowned slightly, visibly annoyed. The noble ladies standing beside her quickly seized the opportunity to flatter her by scolding, “Her Ladyship is hosting a moon-viewing party at Huaiyue Pavilion today. How dare you slaves be so presumptuous as to block Her Ladyship’s way!”
However, Ye Pei remained kneeling on the ground, calmly replying, “Please forgive us, Your Ladyship. Our Frost Consort is playing the xiao at Huaiyue Pavilion. We hope Consort Jia will understand her homesickness and choose another place to view the moon.”
Upon hearing this, the noble ladies behind Youjia burst into laughter. One of them kicked Ye Pei, nearly sending her rolling into the grass by the path. Fortunately, Lian Huan’s quick hands pulled her back, preventing her from falling. Ye Pei wiped a trickle of blood from her lips while in Lian Huan’s arms, then knelt properly to the side again, her expression cold. “Please, Your Ladyship, take another route,” she said.
Youjia silently observed the eight guards and three maids kneeling on the ground, neither resisting nor speaking much. Her thoughts were unsettled. Among the three palaces and six courtyards, no other consort’s servants would behave like these eleven – respectful and courteous, yet imposing in their demeanor.
“Oh my! Still stubbornly refusing to make way? How lowly! Mere Frost Consort, without even a palace title, dares to recklessly obstruct the noble carriage of Hua Palace!” This was a perfect example of a fox assuming the tiger’s might. As the outspoken noblewoman beside Youjia spoke, she was about to kick again, but Lian Huan was alert and swiftly pulled Ye Pei away, causing the aggressive woman to kick at empty air.
“You dare to dodge? Ill-mannered thing!” the woman raged.
“Who’s ill-mannered?” A cool, clear voice suddenly rang out, instantly silencing everyone on the hillside. Huang Beishuang tugged at her collar, seeming a bit chilled. Her slender figure approached with graceful steps, standing before Youjia. Just as she was about to speak, she couldn’t help but sneeze. Her maid, Zai Ping, quickly took the jade xiao from her hands, while Dao Qiu draped a fox fur over her shoulders.
“Greetings, Elder Sister Consort Jia,” she said with a graceful smile like the moon rising above her eyebrows. Her cool demeanor washed away the vulgar opulence of the other women. After a moment, as someone was about to speak up in protest, a figure slowly emerged from behind Huang Beishuang. Upon closer look, everyone, including True Qu Youjia, suddenly knelt.
“Long live Your Majesty!” The proclamation echoed through the Chang’e Mountain valley.
Na Zhan looked at Huang Beishuang and said, “Go rest. We’ll speak another day.”
Huang Beishuang nodded and left directly, with the eleven closely following her.
That night, all was quiet, with no one speaking until Huang Beishuang had gone far. Na Zhan then helped Youjia up from the ground, smiling, “The moon is waiting for you, my beloved consort!” Saying this, he took her hand, and the group ascended to the square pavilion where the xiao had been playing earlier. Soon, the sound of tender voices and laughter could be heard, full of joy…
A beautiful woman often possesses divine charm!
When the moon rose in the sky,
I saw you kissing the xiao, your lonely shadow about to fly,
Only then did I realize,
In the vast sea of humanity, there is no paradise.
And loneliness had long since reached supreme heights!
The moon seen from the Cloud Swamp Oasis was so gentle, while the moon seen from the Great Desert Frontier was obscured by cool clouds.
Twenty days ago, this place was still desolate. Within twenty days, Mang Liu, with his swift action, had built a low-lying castle nearly two li wide. It lay hidden between the dunes, rarely discovered. At night, it became even more ghostly and eerie.
“Your Majesty, according to our spies, the Hugu ambassador arrived in Cloud Swamp three days ago. Currently, Na Zhan has not formally received him,” a black-clad official reported respectfully, kneeling before Qingyun, who was studying a map at the table.
“Hmph! There’s an eight or nine out of ten chance that Na Zhan won’t send troops!” Qingyun said.
“What makes Your Majesty say this?”
Qingyun smiled, “If you ask the root of it, he won’t attack Hugu at all!”
The black-clad man was puzzled and asked in a deep voice, “If not attacking Hugu, could it be attacking Cloud Swamp? That’s too bold. Cloud Swamp is not Ma Sui, and Na Zhan’s Red Cavalry is not a group of paper dolls!”
Qingyun put down the animal skin map in his hand and stood up, saying, “General Ji Hua, time is of the essence. Tonight, under the pretext of being reinforcements from Tiandu, lead your troops into Hugu. If you can take it without bloodshed, that would be best!”
Hearing this, Ji Hua straightened up and replied, “Your Majesty can rest assured!” He was about to leave when Qingyun called him back.
“Wait!” Qingyun stopped him, and Ji Hua knelt again.
“The Guanghan Palace… has there been any movement recently?” Qingyun asked, picking up the map again and pretending to study it, a gesture that seemed somewhat childish.
Ji Hua was momentarily stunned, then replied, “Nothing, except I heard that Na Zhan is exclusively favoring one woman, causing a stir of three rebukes in Hua Palace.”
Qingyun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and asked, “Which clan is the woman from?”
Ji Hua pondered silently, wondering why His Majesty was suddenly interested in Na Zhan’s bedroom affairs. Although he found it strange, he still answered truthfully, “It’s said she was sent by the True Qu clan.”
“Exclusive favor?” Qingyun asked with an ambiguous smile.
“Ah! That’s what they say!” Ji Hua was quite surprised, thinking the king might say more.
But Qingyun just waved his hand, “Alright, you may go.”
After Ji Hua left, only Qingyun’s pensive shadow remained in the room, his dark eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight on the table.
Soon after, Qingyun looked again at the map on the table. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a detailed architectural plan of Guanghan Palace, covered with dense annotations and side notes.
This was likely the first secret about Na Zhan revealed after Rong Huo’s surrender.
About Na Zhan:
In the year 318 CE, the 34th king of Cloud Swamp, Na Jing, died suddenly. His father, Emperor Emeritus Na Qida, on his deathbed, looked upon his seventeen kneeling legitimate grandsons and appointed Na Zhan as king, secretly entrusting him with a brocade scroll and great responsibility. Na Zhan ascended the throne at the age of nineteen and ruled with great power, governing the realm extensively. The wise man of Ningdu bestowed upon him the honorific title of King Zhan, with a two-line verse: “Blood does not obstruct fate, the people do not perish in obedience!”
In the thirteen years of King Zhan’s rule, Cloud Swamp showed signs of great prosperity. The lone king promised to establish an empress, drawing national attention, and marriage alliances increased manifold.