Due to having patients, Yun Ye’s itinerary had to be temporarily postponed. With this tower building, it was simply the best haven on the grassland. The fatigue from many days of traveling could finally be relieved, suspended worries could be temporarily set aside, and the entire convoy was enjoying this brief moment of comfort.

Learning from Na Rimu, they set up a city of sleds. The horses were placed beneath the tower building, and guards stood on the platform gazing far into the distance. There were no more Turks here. Na Rimu’s father, mother, and younger brother had all been swept away by Turkish nobles, leaving this grassland and retreating to the foot of the distant Yin Mountains, preparing for a decisive battle with the powerful Great Tang army.

Yun Ye knew that there would absolutely be no scene of large-scale slaughter between the two armies. After a heavy fog, the Eastern Turks would never again appear in the historical records.

As an envoy, Tang Jian was despicable. He came to Xie Li’s camp with unspeakable ulterior motives, conveying to him the good news that Great Tang was preparing for peace and friendship with the Eastern Turks. The foolish Xie Li, upon hearing this good news, no longer wanted to flee. He was reluctant to leave the fertile grasslands below the Yin Mountains, and even more reluctant to give up the hope of plundering Tang civilians at any time. He had misjudged Li’er’s ambition and also misjudged Li Jing’s cunning.

Tang Jian felt that trading his own life for the destruction of the Eastern Turks was worthwhile. This madman, disregarding his own life, used himself as a hostage to delay Xie Li’s continued flight. The negotiations continued, and the Turkish nobles remained arrogant and domineering, gesticulating as they pleased. They believed that the Tang Dynasty no longer had the strength to advance toward the Yin Mountains, and that the great Turkish wolf clan only needed to endure this harsh winter. When autumn came and the warhorses grew fat again, those Tang people, as docile as lambs, could once more be burned, killed, and plundered at will. They gleefully toyed with Tang Jian, wanting to see the Great Tang envoy tremble like a quail before their scimitars.

Tang Jian was indeed trembling, but he seemed to feel the approaching footsteps of Great Tang’s iron cavalry crushing everything. He hoped these iron cavalry would trample over his corpse and tear the Eastern Turks to pieces. Whenever he thought of the glory of his name appearing in the illustrious historical records, he wanted to sing aloud, to dance…

The conspiracy fermented and matured under the sunlight, but who knew who would ultimately drink this cup of finest wine? The air was filled with the scent of conspiracy. Yun Ye smelled it. He looked with pity at Na Rimu, who was still singing, wondering whether her parents and younger brother would survive.

It would be best if she could forever live in joy, forgetting the cruelty of the grassland. Yun Ye couldn’t forget those eyes that had cheered with delight upon seeing him appear, even though she was about to face the most brutal slaughter.

This grassland journey had yielded Yun Ye much. Xi Tong’s free-spirited nature, Na Rimu’s purity, and Xuanzang’s persistence had all left deep imprints on his life.

The limping Cheng Chumo lit a huge bonfire. Orange-red flames shot up into the sky. The auxiliary soldiers beat their chests and sang the song “Chu Che”: “The Son of Heaven commanded me to fortify that northern frontier. Illustrious Nan Zhong drove back the Xianyun. When I went forth, the millet was in flower. Now I come back, rain and snow cover the road. The king’s affairs are difficult, there’s no time to rest. How could I not think of returning? But I fear this written command. Chirping grass insects, hopping mole crickets.”

One verse, one cup of wine. Those skilled in dance had already begun dancing to the singing. Today was New Year’s Day, a good day to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Yun Ye had specially relaxed the restrictions. Aside from rationed alcohol, everything else was theirs to enjoy freely. He Shao was also rarely generous, contributing much food.

Na Rimu smiled most brilliantly. She had learned a Chinese phrase, though no one knew which scoundrel had taught her. She called everyone “older brother,” and each person addressed this way beamed with joy. After He Shao was called this, he pulled out a hairpin from his bosom and gave it to Na Rimu. Just as she was about to grab Sun Simiao and call him “older brother,” Yun Ye hastily pulled her over. She naturally leaned against Yun Ye’s lap, lifted her face, and with perfect enunciation called out: “Older brother.”

Yun Ye’s jade pendant was tied around her neck with an ugly leather cord. Under the firelight’s reflection, it was coated with a layer of rose red. The girl’s collar had been pulled quite open when Yun Ye had just pulled her over, and one could vaguely see that pair of fair breasts—perhaps because she was still young, they were not yet full. Yun Ye turned his head away and helped her adjust her collar properly, but this only made the young girl laugh loudly. Women of the grassland were always passionate, like fire itself…

The starry sky hung low, and the stars were far more abundant than in later generations. After completing his rounds, Yun Ye stood on the tower building, wanting to try looking toward Chang’an, but unfortunately it was blocked by distant mountains. He couldn’t see Grandmother, couldn’t see Auntie, and didn’t know whether Xiao Ya and the others were happy now.

In winter, Guanzhong was desolate with all things withered, yet the markets of Chang’an still teemed with people. The sun was about to set, and the curfew drums would soon sound. Barbarians were hoarsely hawking their goods. Alluring barbarian girls had filled various wines in gourds and held them against their chests, letting customers choose. Their half-exposed ample bosoms had turned somewhat purple from the cold wind. Some kind-hearted customers would use their hands to warm them a bit. The barbarian girls would giggle and dodge left and right, yet there were always one or two hands that achieved their wish.

A green-oil carriage slowly passed by. The barbarian girl, disregarding the customer’s wandering hands, rushed to the carriage shouting loudly that her wine was the best and cheapest, hoping to make the noble passenger in the carriage pause briefly. The guards beside the carriage pushed the barbarian girl aside, then kicked over the scoundrel who had taken advantage of the opportunity to grope her. The scoundrel was just about to curse when he inadvertently saw the rolling cloud pattern on the carriage and immediately shut his mouth, shrinking back into the crowd.

Inside the carriage, Aunt Yun listlessly fanned herself with a handkerchief. The small charcoal brazier in the carriage was really too hot. A maidservant was busily serving another person food. Between the tiny mouth’s opening and closing, countless nuts were cracked open—even more impressive than a squirrel.

“Xiao Ya, you’re already a grown young lady. You can’t keep biting walnuts like this. You just finished getting your adult teeth. Be careful or they’ll fall out again. How will you find a husband’s family with gap teeth?” Aunt Yun really couldn’t stand the sounds Xiao Ya was making and spoke to advise her.

“It doesn’t matter. If my teeth fall out, older brother will put them back in.” After saying this, she bit open another walnut and clumsily peeled out the kernel inside.

In her eyes, her older brother was omnipotent. Something as trivial as losing teeth was really not worth mentioning. Aunt Yun could only respond with a bitter smile. This was the little demon star of the household, spoiled by her older brother. She did everything according to her own whims. However, her nature was still kind. Not only did she not bully people, even the bird nests on the roof hadn’t escaped her clutches.

Wang Cai now avoided her whenever he saw her. She had dug out the copper coins from under Wang Cai’s neck and distributed them to the children on the estate to buy candy, causing Wang Cai to go two days without drinking. He kept crying out until the gap-toothed groom on the estate treated Wang Cai to a basin of thick wine, finally comforting Wang Cai’s wounded spirit.

Grandmother was thoroughly annoyed. Complaining that she made too much noise in the courtyard, early this morning she had Aunt Yun, who was returning to Chang’an, take her away. Only then did the household become somewhat quieter.

Much business had been conducted today. Behind the green-oil carriage followed a long string of carts, all purchases of New Year’s Day supplies for the household. Every year brought new additions. The household’s circumstances had turned upside down. Two years ago, they were still worrying about tomorrow’s meals. Today, they were clothed in silk and satin with people following before and behind. Aunt Yun looked at the crowds rushing about outside the carriage window, and a sense of superiority arose naturally within her. Having a man to support the household really made all the difference. Although he was only sixteen years old—no, after the new year he would be seventeen—he had firmly propped up a family that was on the verge of complete ruin and even made their days impressive and dignified. She only hoped Buddha would bless him and keep him safe and sound on the grassland.

Thinking of the appearance of those noble ladies at today’s noon banquet made her laugh. She was merely a divorced woman, yet those petty-minded noble ladies seemed to have collectively lost their memories and treated her wonderfully. All they sought was just a small bottle of perfume. Were these the ranked noble ladies of Great Tang? Just a bunch of pitiful creatures. To please their husbands, they would do anything, spending all day applying powder and rouge, flaunting their charms, forgetting that a woman’s most important task was to support her husband and educate her children. Without men, they would probably all starve to death.

What Aunt Yun hated most was hearing the curfew drums. They had to be struck eight hundred times without end. Now they were sounding again. Each drum beat seemed to urge people to leave quickly. Aunt Yun covered her ears and stamped her foot against the carriage door, telling the driver to leave the city quickly. The Yun family had a residence in Chang’an, but not one person liked living in the city. Even if it meant traveling at night, they had to return to their fief. Aunt Yun felt that the bed there was the most comfortable to sleep in.

Xiao Ya had already fallen asleep. A maidservant held Xiao Ya in her arms, afraid of jostling her. Only when the little girl was asleep did she have that tranquil, refined air.

They weren’t the only ones traveling at night. There were also many academy students and teachers. The Yun family carriage was spacious. When they saw female family members and young children from teachers’ households, they would stop and give them a ride. You had to know that if they traveled these fifty li by ox cart, dawn would break. As for the teachers, they would casually jump onto a cargo cart and chat with the driver from time to time, leisurely and content. The ox carts were left for servants to drive back. Some lazy students would take the opportunity to crawl in, lie down to sleep, and wouldn’t be awakened until reaching the academy.

Old Grandmother hadn’t slept yet. She was organizing account books. The He family had sent two thousand strings of copper coins before New Year’s Day, along with her grandson’s letter. Only after reading the letter did she learn that her grandson had done some small business with the He family. It was the He family who had taken the lead. Now they had sent over the first profit, with no discrepancies. This He family seemed worthy of continued dealings.

The cement kiln had been confiscated by the government. They always couldn’t successfully fire cement. Those craftsmen worked crudely. The ratio of clay to clinker was never properly mixed. They ruined kiln after kiln without learning their lesson. Such fools were actually officials—how embarrassing! They even had the face to come to the estate looking for craftsmen. The Yun family estate had no craftsmen, only honest, proper farmers. When not busy with farming, they helped the master’s household fire a few kilns for use in building their own houses—they weren’t craftsmen. If you have the ability, try forcibly registering the estate’s farmers as craftsmen! The Yun family was no longer a household that could be bullied by just anyone.

Even when His Majesty took the Yun family’s cement kiln, he had paid money and grain. If you couldn’t manage it well, that was your problem. The secret formula had long been submitted to the court. When handing over the cement kiln, Xiao Tai had personally mixed ingredients according to the secret formula and fired a kiln of good cement. Anyone who dared say the Yun family had given a false formula wouldn’t need the Yun family to take action—Xiao Tai would tear their mouths apart.

Xiao Ke had finally managed to put roofs on all the houses before the first snow fell. What remained was interior finishing. She heard that a family had come to the academy—descendants of Grandpa Lu Ban. She heard they were very capable. She didn’t know where her grandson had found such capable people.

Thinking of her grandson, Old Grandmother hurried to kneel before the Buddha statue, praying for Buddha to bless her grandson and bring him home safe and sound.