In the Moonlight

As dusk fell, Yaoying moved a long desk between the wool blanket and the felt mat she slept on as a partition, then lay down on her side.

There was no movement from the other side for a long while. She poked her head out from under the felt mat, leaning over the desk to peer out, her eyes drowsy: "General, why aren't you asleep yet?"

The candle flame flickered, casting shadows. Her lustrous black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush, and her eyes shimmered like pools of water.

Tanmoroqie instinctively reached for his Buddhist beads, but his fingers only brushed against rough calluses. Remembering he wasn't wearing them, he raised his hand and gently waved, stirring a light breeze that extinguished the candle.

The tent plunged into darkness, yet faint torchlight seeped through the fabric, casting shifting, dim illumination. The maiden's delicate face remained clearly visible.

Tanmoroqie averted his gaze, pulled back the wool blanket, and slowly lay down.

Hearing him settle, Yaoying also lay back down.

Soon, her breathing became slow and steady.

Once she was sound asleep, Tanmoroqie sat up, rose, and stepped around the desk partition. He gently lifted the felt blanket covering Yaoying.

Yaoying lay motionless, eyes closed, her sleeping form innocent and charming.

He lowered his gaze, rolled up her sleeve, and placed a silk handkerchief over her exposed, fair wrist before resting two fingers upon it.

He wondered what exactly she had discussed with Princess Manda that day. According to Yuanjue and the others, Princess Manda had left radiant and without any trace of resentment. The physician, feeling grateful, had sent her many restorative medicines.

Back in the Asan tribe, he had gone to see her at dusk to ask about her medication, but Mobi Duo happened to be there. Mobi Duo had stayed in her room for a long time, laughing and chatting, showing no signs of leaving soon. Not wanting to draw Mobi Duo's attention, he had left.

Her pulse was calm, though slightly weak.

Tanmoroqie withdrew his fingers and the handkerchief, careful not to touch her skin.

She murmured softly in her sleep, suddenly shifting. With a soft thud, her arm flung off the felt blanket, her sleeve slipping down to reveal her arm. In the darkness, her skin glowed like snow.

Tanmoroqie shifted his gaze away, but the corner of his eye caught a gentle, lustrous glow.

His eyes drifted back.

Yaoying wore the string of Buddhist beads he had given her around her arm. The pale gray beads, cool and smooth, gathered like a handful of moonlight, each one pressed closely against her snow-white skin.

During the day, she wore a narrow-sleeved robe, so the beads weren't visible. It turned out she wore them tightly around her arm like a bracelet, ensuring they wouldn't slip off and be seen.

Tanmoroqie lowered his eyes, pulled the felt blanket over Yaoying, tucked her arm back underneath, and gently patted it down.

He walked back around the desk and lay down with his back to Yaoying.

...

Perhaps because there was someone else nearby, Yaoying did not have nightmares like the previous night.

The next morning, she was awakened by a faint flapping sound. She sat up, tied back her long hair, and glanced around.

The tent was bright with daylight. The wool blanket on the other side of the desk was neatly folded, showing no sign that anyone had slept there.

He had already risen and left.

Yaoying stepped out of the tent. General Jin swooped down and landed on her arm, chirping several times.

She patted the black eagle's head, retrieved the goatskin scroll, and went to the main tent to find Bi Suo.

The letter was from Yuchi Damo. Wahan Khan was truly fearful of Tanmoroqie and had acted very cautiously this time, not conscripting troops from Gaochang. However, Lady Yina had recently been frequently sending her personal guards to gather intelligence, and he suspected she might lead troops to assist Wahan Khan.The main tent was made of several layers of animal hide, tough and sturdy, difficult for ordinary arrows to penetrate, and several times larger than a typical military tent. The generals were discussing matters, with dozens of people sitting in a circle conversing, the atmosphere heavy.

Yesterday, the central army continuously sent out scouts and discovered that not only the Asan tribe had been ambushed—many tribes were reporting emergencies. Since many of these tribes had simultaneously pledged allegiance to several surrounding major powers, the generals were divided in opinion, believing there was no need to intervene on behalf of these tribes.

When Yaoying arrived at the main tent, the generals and advisors were still engaged in heated debate. Bi Suo glanced at Tanmoroqie beside him, who wore a windproof face covering.

Amid the constant arguments in the tent, Tanmoroqie seemed oblivious, focused on calculating and simulating maneuvers on the sand table. Finally, he said, "Notify as many tribes as possible. Saving one more person means one less enemy. Let the Asan tribe take the lead, but do not leak the news yet."

Although the strength of individual tribes could not compare to the elite Northern Rong forces, if all tribes formed a coalition, they would become a formidable force that could potentially change the course of the war.

"Focusing only on ourselves will eventually lead to being surrounded by the Northern Rong. We must unite all forces we can and ensure neutral tribes remain neutral."

Bi Suo quietly acknowledged the order.

Yaoying entered the main tent with her head bowed, standing in a corner to whisper with advisors she knew. She handed over a sheepskin scroll, scanned the seated generals, and her gaze lingered on Tanmoroqie beside Bi Suo.

He was deep in thought, still dressed in a blue shirt and white robe, a leather belt cinched tightly at his waist, outlining his lean and upright figure.

Yaoying withdrew from the tent.

Footsteps sounded behind her as Yuanjue caught up, staring at her for a long moment with a conflicted expression.

"Princess, did you see the Regent last night?"

Yaoying nodded.

Yuanjue looked astonished, hesitating as if wanting to say more. After a moment, he said, "Princess, the Regent’s energy circulation was suddenly interrupted during his last practice. I’m not sure if there will be any adverse effects. I’ll give you the Regent’s medicine. If you notice he looks unwell, please remind him to take it."

He took out a porcelain bottle.

Yaoying agreed, accepting the bottle and carefully storing it. Bi Suo had mentioned to her that he arranged for her to accompany the army precisely because he was worried about Su Dan Gu, bringing her along as a precaution.

"Who interrupted the Regent’s energy circulation?" she asked.

Yuanjue looked away, answering vaguely, "A minor accident."

Seeing he didn’t want to elaborate, Yaoying didn’t press further and instead asked about the medication’s precautions, which Yuanjue answered one by one.

As they spoke, a messenger hurried over and asked Yaoying to go to the stables: "General Ashina recently captured a batch of warhorses and isn’t sure if they belong to Haidu Aling’s tribe. He requests Young Master Bayan to come take a look."

Yaoying immediately perked up.

Yuanjue said, "I’ll show you the way, Princess."

The stables were on another hillside, and the two walked a long distance, leaving the central army’s encampment.

The entire camp resembled a town, with thousands of tents densely scattered across the sun-facing slope, battle flags fluttering in the wind. Soldiers in various uniforms moved among them. Despite tens of thousands stationed here, everything was orderly and methodical.

The tents were meticulously arranged, with straight, interconnected paths. However, after walking awhile, Yaoying noticed that none of the paths were straight—they twisted and turned in winding patterns. Without guidance or the ability to read the battle flags’ directions, it was easy to get lost.Yuanjue led Yaoying through the labyrinthine paths, explaining to her: "There's a reason the camp is arranged this way. The Northern Rong excel at surprise attacks. If all paths were straight, their warhorses could charge right through. Before setting up camp, the Regent ordered multiple turns with checkpoints and passcodes between camps. Even if enemies break in, they can't launch a full charge, buying our forces time to counterattack."

They passed through several campsites, where guards indeed demanded passcodes. After responding correctly, they reached the stables. The groom took Yaoying on a lengthy circuit, revealing why Bi Suo had sent her there.

Each tribe typically brands their horses on the left hipbone with unique markings to distinguish their property. Different tribes use different symbols.

In the Central Plains, every horse farm also brands their steeds with detailed stamps indicating age, breed, and origin for easy identification during conscription and breeding.

The groom remarked, "We've never seen these particular brand marks before."

Yaoying examined the marks and shook her head: "I haven't seen them either. They might belong to other nomadic tribes."

The groom recorded this and sent someone to inform Bi Suo.

As they rode back to camp, distant mournful horn blasts echoed through the air. The Royal Court army maintained relay stations every few dozen miles, with increasing density near the main camp. Whenever scouts detected enemy movement, they'd sound horns to relay warnings, reducing the need for couriers.

The camp remained orderly despite the horns, with no panic in the flank positions. Soon, thunderous hoofbeats erupted as a contingent galloped from the central camp - dozens of archers bearing longbows, waist swords, and bulging arrow quivers, charging toward the horn's direction like storm clouds sweeping across the land.

Yaoying recognized Su Dan Gu leading the party and reined in her horse, watching him disappear into the distance.

Yuanjue murmured nearby: "We still haven't located Wahan Khan's main force. Several generals grew impatient, but the Regent insists we must remain calm especially now. After he disciplined three commanders the day before yesterday, the generals settled down. Now even if horns sound from all directions, the camp won't panic."

Yaoying thought to herself that the smallest details could determine victory or defeat - indeed, this was no time for rashness.

At dusk, steady prolonged horn blasts announced Su Dan Gu's return. They'd encountered a small light cavalry unit. The main force stayed hidden while scouts alerted nearby tribes to intercept.

"Upon encountering large forces: avoid exposure and return immediately to report. Upon encountering scouts: capture if possible, never let escape. Upon encountering small units: let tribes intercept."

"Judging by the horse brands, Northern Rong has summoned tribes from farther regions. Avoid approaching unfamiliar tribes."

As these orders circulated, soldiers gradually adapted to the rotating patrol system over following days, continuing to search for the Northern Rong main army.

Bi Suo daily gathered attacked tribes from nearby areas, relocating them to alternate campsites.

...

Each evening, Yaoying bent over her desk writing letters to Yuchi Damo, Yang Qian, and Xie Qing, then organized documents while assisting Bi Suo with paperwork - recording soldier rewards, punishments, and other trivial matters.Other aides were eager to offer strategic advice and grew impatient with handling trivial matters. Since she had joined the army under Bayan's name, she usually stayed in the tent organizing documents, bearing all hardships without complaint and never competing for credit. The other aides were delighted and gradually entrusted her with minor tasks unrelated to military secrets.

At first, she was a bit clumsy, but after gaining familiarity, she gradually managed everything in an orderly manner. Having previously handled military logistics for Li Zhongqian, these tasks were not difficult for her.

Tanmoroqie returned late every night, and Yaoying also worked until late.

Each night, when he lifted the felt curtain, the candlelight in the tent flickered slightly. Yaoying sat cross-legged before the desk, writing. She would look up, smile at him, and wait for him to push aside his headscarf so she could study his expression.

"The General has returned."

This was how it went every night.

Sometimes, even after finishing the day's military duties, she would still sit at the desk holding a scroll, waiting for him. Only after he returned would she tidy the desk, confirm that he was not unwell, and then lie down to sleep.

Early one morning, before dawn, the camp suddenly erupted with the sound of horns. Someone had discovered traces of one of Wahan Khan's sons. Bi Suo and Tanmoroqie led several thousand men out of the camp. Warhorses neighed, and the atmosphere in the camp grew tense.

By the time the red sun sank below the horizon, the thousands of men had not yet returned. Yaoying felt restless. After handling a few miscellaneous tasks, she stood at the entrance of the tent, gazing toward the vast, boundless wilderness in the distance.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted, and a fierce wind began to blow. Shivering from the cold, she returned to the tent, spread out the blankets, and tucked several heated stones inside.

Under the deep night sky, a troop returned to the camp under the moonlight, their horses' hooves muffled with felt cloth, moving silently.

Tanmoroqie dismounted and returned to camp drenched in blood, his aura heavy and fierce, like a vengeful spirit. Even those unaware of his identity were too terrified to approach him, and the soldier helping with the horses trembled in fear.

Seeing the soldier's legs shaking, Tanmoroqie paused, then turned and left.

Beside the camp flowed a river winding down from the mountains, the army's water source. The water was icy and piercingly cold. He removed his clothes, walked directly into the river, washed off the sticky blood, and immersed himself in the frigid water, reciting scriptures.

When the war ended and peace prevailed, the tribes could coexist harmoniously. The sins from his blade would rest solely upon him.

Yuanjue found him and brought clean robes. Noticing a shallow knife wound on his waist, he hurriedly fetched medicinal ointment.

Tanmoroqie applied the ointment, changed his clothes, and returned to the camp. Standing before the tent, he did not enter.

The lamp inside the tent remained lit.

He turned and went to inspect the armory. After making a full round, he returned to the tent to find the lamp extinguished. He waited a while longer, then lifted the felt curtain to peer inside.

A soft rustling sound came from the darkness as Yaoying abruptly sat up. "General, you're back!"

Tanmoroqie entered, moved to the blankets in the dark, and turned his back to her as he removed his long boots.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

He asked softly, his tone as calm and detached as ever.

Hearing the steadiness in his voice, Yaoying relaxed and lay back down. Propping her head on her hand, she turned toward him and said, "If the General didn't return for a night, I would wait the entire night... Are you injured?"

Tanmoroqie shook his head, rolled himself in the blankets, and lay down. The blankets were warm, and his cold body gradually felt the heat, his wounds throbbing faintly.

Soldiers used this method to keep warm at night. After learning it, she remembered to tuck a few scorching stones into the blankets every night before bed.Wrapped in a woolen blanket, he felt the lingering scent of blood still clinging to him and cast a glance her way.

A long table between the blankets and felt rugs separated them, but the space beneath it was empty. When lying down, they could see each other.

Yaoying was also looking at him, seeming to catch a whiff of something, her brows slightly furrowed as she silently lay down to sleep.

Normally, she would exchange a few words with him—asking if he had eaten a late-night snack, inquiring about military strategies and tactics for overcoming enemies—but today, she asked nothing.

...

Tanmoroqie had a dream. Scenes from the Avīci Hell described in the Kṣitigarbha Sutra flashed before him one by one: black smoke billowing, ghosts wailing, flesh and blood flying everywhere.

He walked through it, holding his Buddhist beads, his steps slow yet composed.

In the dream, a skeleton brandishing caltrops lunged at him. He raised his hand to block, grasping the other’s wrist.

The skeleton suddenly transformed into a beautiful woman, who fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her face was radiant with a smile, her gaze enchanting, as she softly called out, "Venerable One."

His palm met softness.

Tanmoroqie opened his eyes and met a pair of bright ones, his palm sensing something delicate and smooth.

He came to his senses and realized he was gripping Yaoying’s wrist.

And Yaoying was lying face down on his chest, trying to break free from his grasp.

The blanket covering him had been pushed aside, and she was pressed directly against him. Even through layers of clothing, he could feel...

Tanmoroqie was dazed for a moment.

Yaoying, knowing he was awake, called out softly, "General, you’re holding my hand..."

Tanmoroqie snapped out of it and released her.

Yaoying tried to push herself up but, after much effort, flopped back onto Tanmoroqie’s chest with a thud, her posture stiff.

Tanmoroqie looked at her, his gaze cool.

Their eyes met and held for a while. Yaoying gave an awkward smile. "I think I’m stuck..."

She shifted, and the books on the long table rustled faintly.

Tanmoroqie glanced at the desk. It stood between them as a divider. She had probably been cold and tried to crawl under it to check on him but ended up stuck, unable to move, and could only lie on top of him.

Like the divine turtle depicted in books.

Tanmoroqie remained silent for a long while, but Yaoying didn’t seem embarrassed. She rested comfortably on him for a moment before whispering, "General, don’t move. I’ll crawl out from this side."

They had just been through a battle during the day, and more major fights awaited them tomorrow... Yet, at this moment, Tanmoroqie seemed to have forgotten all that, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Don’t move. I’ll get up."

He spoke softly, lifting his hand to grasp Yaoying’s shoulder as he slowly sat up. She had been lying on his chest but now ended up cradled in his arms. Holding her, he pulled away the tangled felt and woolen blankets trapped under the table—her legs had been entangled, leaving her stuck.

Feeling the pressure on her legs ease, Yaoying quickly crawled out from under the table, grabbing the felt blanket to wrap around herself. Earlier, afraid that forcing herself upright would topple the desk, she had tried to untangle the blankets, leaving her upper body exposed and chilled.

Tanmoroqie moved the desk back into place and lifted his gaze to Yaoying.

Yaoying, wrapped in the felt blanket, lay down and softly explained her earlier actions: "General, you’re injured. I heard you trembling in your dream and was afraid something might be wrong. I wanted to check your wounds..."She lifted his blanket to check if he was sweating, but he grabbed her wrist. As she struggled, her legs got tangled in the blanket and trapped under the low table. With a firm tug of his hand, she fell against his chest.

Now she knew—his body was dry, not sweaty, but icy cold except for a faint warmth in his chest.

Tanmoroqie lay back under the blanket.

"How did you know I was injured, Princess?"

Yaoying replied, "I smelled medicinal ointment when you first returned. Since you're wounded, you need more rest. I shouldn't have woken you. Please go back to sleep, General."

Tanmoroqie hummed in acknowledgment.

So her earlier silence wasn't indifference—she simply didn't want to disturb his recovery.