In the Moonlight

The first light of dawn filtered through the felt tent, and the neighing of horses could be heard outside.

Li Xuanzhen sat gritting his teeth, his face haggard and cheeks sunken, his gaze resolute as he stared at Tanmoroqie's terrifying visage.

"Return Princess Wenzhao to me, and I will tell you where the main forces of Northern Rong are."

Tanmoroqie met his scrutinizing gaze calmly. "Princess Wenzhao is a guest of the Royal Court, not a prisoner."

Yaoying turned to look at him.

Tanmoroqie was also watching her, his green eyes lowered to meet her trusting, affectionate gaze. His expression remained composed as he continued, "The princess's stay or departure is her own decision. At no time and in no place will the Royal Court use Princess Wenzhao to make any deals with Wei."

If she wished to stay, she could stay. If she wished to leave, he would send escorts to see her off safely. Even though desire had stirred in his heart, he had no reason—nor should he—make her stay.

If she stayed, she would inevitably face the scorn of the Royal Court's believers.

The corners of Yaoying's lips lifted slightly, and she blinked at Tanmoroqie.

The two exchanged a silent look—one not smiling, yet with shimmering eyes and a subtle radiance at the brows and corners of the eyes, a floating smile, enchanting and tender; the other serene and expressionless, seemingly calm as still water, yet with a gentle warmth in his gaze. Between them existed a subtle connection that belonged solely to them, one no one else could penetrate.

Li Xuanzhen's expression darkened, a faint smile curling at his lips. "Who are you, sir? Can you represent the Royal Court's Buddha Prince?"

"I am the Regent of the Royal Court and can represent the Buddha Prince," Tanmoroqie replied, lifting his eyes to glance at Li Xuanzhen before countering, "Can the Crown Prince represent Wei? Can he represent Princess Wenzhao?"

Li Xuanzhen's expression stiffened.

Yaoying turned to him, her brows slightly furrowed. "Li Xuanzhen, if Wei can seize the opportunity to attack Northern Rong and reclaim the Western Regions, it would be a monumental achievement for the state, benefiting future generations. As Crown Prince, you should understand the gravity of this. Diplomatic relations between two nations are no trivial matter."

Li Xuanzhen frowned deeply. "You are Wei's Princess Wenzhao. Your safety is no small matter. I am not joking."

Yaoying looked into his eyes, her face indifferent.

"Li Xuanzhen, you are utterly unreasonable."

"I was captured by Haidu Aling and fled to the Royal Court, where I found refuge under the Buddha Prince's protection. Only then did I escape disaster. The Royal Court has never detained me. If I wished to return home, no one would stop me! It is Northern Rong that stands in my way! For you to propose such terms to the Royal Court is absurd!"

"You are the Crown Prince of Wei. If you use me to bargain with the Buddha Prince, would Li De agree? Would the court agree?"

"If I were truly made part of a transaction, then upon my return to the Central Plains, would my life, death, honor, and disgrace not be dictated by Li De and you?"

"What right do you have to say such things?"

Her tone was cold. After a pause, she added, "Moreover, what does it matter to you whether I return home or not?"

Li Xuanzhen looked as if he had been slapped hard across the face, his face pale and his phoenix eyes turbulent with emotion.

He trembled slightly, gradually calming from the fervor of having found her, all emotions receding into the depths of his gaze.

"It does matter to me," he said, staring unblinkingly at Yaoying. "No matter what you think, no matter whether you care or not, Seventh Sister, I was the one who sent you to the Yelu Tribe. I must bring you back."

Yaoying remained unmoved. After a moment of silence, she said, "My affairs are none of your concern."She had once believed Li Xuanzhen to be a righteous man and a benevolent commander who cared for the people, thus treating him with sincerity in hopes he could untangle his hatred and misplaced blame. Yet all she reaped was disappointment. Li Zhongqian had retreated step by step, asking for nothing but to live an ordinary life, yet Li Xuanzhen refused to let him be, resorting to despicable means—even poisoning. Long stripped of any expectations, she now regarded him as a stranger.

"I know..."

Li Xuanzhen murmured softly, his cheek twitching as he let out a self-mocking laugh and turned to Tanmoroqie. "I wish to speak with my sister alone. I ask the Regent to step aside for a moment."

He emphasized, "It concerns Wei State secrets. I beg the Regent's understanding."

Tanmoroqie glanced at Yaoying. After a moment's thought, she nodded to him. "If anything arises, I will call for the general."

He gave a quiet hum and rose to leave.

Once only Li Xuanzhen and Yaoying remained in the tent, his tightly wound nerves abruptly slackened. With a heavy thud, he collapsed backward onto the felt rug, pain throbbing at his brow.

Yaoying immediately asked, "How severely is my elder brother injured? Has his martial skill recovered? When you parted, were you certain he was safe?"

Li Xuanzhen stared at the tent ceiling, silent for a long while.

After what felt like an eternity, he closed his eyes.

"Seventh Sister... I'm in so much pain..."

Her heart and eyes held only Li Zhongqian. Even if he were wounded saving him, even if he were dying in agony, she would spare him no sympathy.

He could no longer bear to hear her repeatedly inquire after Li Zhongqian's safety.

A faint frown touched Yaoying's brow as she stood and walked to the long desk. Retrieving paper and brush, she began writing a letter while asking, "What does the Crown Prince wish to discuss with me? Does the Crown Prince truly desire an alliance with the Royal Court or not?"

A wry smile tugged at Li Xuanzhen's lips—part ache, part recognition of her unyielding nature. "Given the current situation, returning to the Central Plains requires crossing Northern Rong territory. In the long term, Northern Rong is Wei's formidable foe. As they grow stronger each day, they will inevitably threaten the Central Plains. Of course I wish to ally with the Royal Court to weaken Northern Rong."

Without looking up, Yaoying replied, "Then why did the Crown Prince propose such an absurd condition earlier? If you seek an alliance with the Royal Court, you should demonstrate sincerity, not question whether the Royal Court is detaining me after being rescued. The Royal Court is far from the Central Plains and can easily disregard them. If the Crown Prince truly cares for the people of the Western Regions and wishes to achieve unparalleled feats, you must henceforth watch your words and actions."

Bracing a hand on the rug, Li Xuanzhen struggled to sit up, leaning back against a small table. "That was no absurd condition... I merely wished to test the Royal Court."

Yaoying did not lift her head.

Gazing at the crown of her hair, Li Xuanzhen said, "Seventh Sister... The Royal Court's Buddha Prince did save you, but he remains a monarch of another land. Have you considered what if he refuses to let you go?"

If the rumors spreading across the regions held truth—that a beauty like her would employ every trick to please that monk—what if the monk demanded she stay to serve him? How would she escape? Li De would eagerly seek favor with the Royal Court; should they make such a request, he would not hesitate to order her into another marriage alliance.

In some parts of the Land of Brahma, temples housed young women dedicated to serving elders. It was said they could not leave unless the elders grew weary of them.

On his way to find Yaoying, whenever Li Xuanzhen imagined her casting aside dignity to seduce a monk merely to survive, guilt and a dull ache gripped his heart."Has that monk treated her well? Did he... did he force her to do those things?"

But now that he had truly found Yaoying, Li Xuanzhen didn't dare ask how she had been faring.

Only Li Zhongqian had the right to care about her.

Bringing up those matters would be like rubbing salt in her wounds—it would only anger her and make her feel more pain and humiliation.

Therefore, he wouldn't ask a single question. He had to consider the worst possibilities and resolve all troubles before allying with the Royal Court, ensuring she could leave without any worries.

Yaoying paused her writing. "There's no need for the Crown Prince to worry about this. The Buddha Prince is compassionate, righteous, and noble—extraordinary among men. He has shown me immense kindness."

How could Tanmoroqie, who treated her so well, possibly force her to stay?

Li Xuanzhen smiled bitterly. "Seventh Sister, you're not a man. Monks are still men, and I understand men's minds better than you."

Yaoying frowned.

In her heart, Tanmoroqie was without personal desires and would never harbor any feelings for her beyond sympathy and compassion.

She sat in thought for a while, ignoring Li Xuanzhen. After finishing the letters to Yang Qian and Xie Qing, she placed them in small copper tubes and handed them to the guards outside the tent. "I've written a letter. Make copies and send one out every three hours."

The Northern Rong would shoot down messenger eagles, so sending just one letter wasn't safe enough.

The guards acknowledged the order.

Yaoying returned to the felt tent, looked at Li Xuanzhen, poured him a bowl of water, and spread out a map.

"Crown Prince, the Buddha Prince is the ruler of a nation, concerned with the welfare of his people. Matters between him and me will not affect the alliance between our two countries, and they are none of your concern. I am now speaking to the Crown Prince of Wei as a representative of the Western Army to discuss an alliance with the Royal Court. If you continue to pry into matters between me and the Buddha Prince, we have nothing more to discuss."

Li Xuanzhen looked up at her and sighed helplessly. "Fine, I won't interfere in your personal affairs."

Yaoying asked, "Do you know where the main forces of the Northern Rong are?"

"I do. The closer they get to the Royal Court, the more concerns Wahan Khan has. Disputes have arisen among the Northern Rong nobles, who believe he's being overly cautious and afraid to confront the Buddha Prince directly."

Li Xuanzhen's lips curled. "In the Northern Rong army, many have converted their faith and secretly worship the Royal Court's Buddha Prince. Li Zhongqian and I spread rumors to incite unrest among the slaves. To stabilize morale, Wahan Khan publicly executed a group of Buddhist slaves."

He and Li Zhongqian were no strangers to causing trouble in the Northern Rong army. They were well-practiced. Rumors that the Buddha Prince was protected by the Buddhist Dharma and invincible in battle were already circulating; the two of them merely added fuel to the fire, making the rumors even more fantastical.

Wahan Khan acted decisively, publicly executing those soldiers for "spreading heresy," but it still couldn't stop the rumors from spreading.

At this point, Li Xuanzhen and Li Zhongqian realized that someone within the Northern Rong was fanning the flames, making the rumors impossible to contain.

Hearing this, Yaoying lifted her gaze. "Was it Haidu Aling, or other Northern Rong nobles?"

Li Xuanzhen said, "It was the Northern Rong nobles."

Yaoying understood.

Conflicts had always existed between Wahan Khan and the Northern Rong nobles, and there were also tensions among nobles from different tribes.During the last internal strife of the Northern Rong, Haidu Aling failed to stir up much trouble. Instead, the nobles nearly installed a new chieftain, bringing the Northern Rong to the brink of fragmentation and intensifying conflicts. Thus, Wahan Khan had to defeat the Royal Court to solidify his rule. Many tribal chieftains among the nobles were illiterate, their minds filled only with gold, silver, treasures, livestock, and land. They had long been dissatisfied with Wahan Khan's cautious approach and, being shortsighted, it was no surprise they would hinder progress at such a critical moment.

Li Xuanzhen continued, "With the Northern Rong's military morale unstable, Haidu Aling advised Wahan Khan to change the route for caution. He even suggested seeking reinforcements from the west. Wahan Khan's forces split into roughly six divisions, each led by one of his sons, while he led the main elite troops to charge toward Sam Valley."

Sam Valley?

Yaoying was familiar with this place. Su Dan Gu and Bi Suo had mentioned Sam Valley several times and had even dispatched scouts to investigate it.

To the east of Sam Valley stood towering, precipitous mountains; to the west lay an endless expanse of Gobi grasslands; to the north, two great rivers meandered, nourishing oases; and to the northwest were deserts and inland lakes. Overall, Sam Valley featured a vast, flat terrain, higher in the east and lower in the west. To the east were layered, snow-capped peaks, while to the west lay crisscrossing ravines and canyons.

If Wahan Khan seized the advantageous terrain first and lured the Royal Court into sending troops, he could easily trap and annihilate the Royal Court's army in the canyon, then divide his forces to attack the Holy City. The Royal Court, fully aware that Sam Valley was a death trap, had no choice but to deploy troops. If Wahan Khan risked everything, crossed Sam Valley, allied with western tribes and nations, and attacked the Royal Court from the west, the Royal Court would be in peril, and the Holy City even more so.

For Wahan Khan, this was indeed a prudent choice. In the eyes of the world, Su Dan Gu was dead, and by striking unexpectedly, Wahan Khan held a winning hand.

However, he could never have imagined that Su Dan Gu was still alive and that the Royal Court had already dispatched troops, enabling them to adapt swiftly in the shortest time.

Even if Wahan Khan now deduced the Royal Court's movements, it was too late to change strategies. The arrow was already on the bowstring—he had no choice but to proceed.

Yaoying pondered for a moment and said, "With the Northern Rong and the Royal Court at war, the blockade in the eastern territories will surely loosen. This is our opportunity. Li De wants to recapture Shazhou and Guazhou, but he is even more eager to launch an attack against Southern Chu to achieve unification. The court cannot spare too many troops."

She looked at Li Xuanzhen.

"The opportunity must not be missed. The Western Army has secretly allied with various provinces, planning a joint uprising. However, the Western Army lacks supplies. Even if they capture cities, they cannot hold them for long. The court must send troops to cut off the Northern Rong's cavalry stationed on the grasslands, ensuring that Shazhou and Guazhou do not become isolated."

Li Xuanzhen narrowed his eyes. Even though she was not in the Central Plains, she could accurately describe the situation there.

"You are right. Over the past few months, I have observed the provinces in the Western Regions. The people everywhere suffer under Northern Rong oppression, living in misery and yearning to return east. The Western Army's uprising will gain widespread support. However, due to the constraints of the oasis terrain, no tribe can field an army of tens of thousands. The Western Army can capture cities, but if the Northern Rong turns back, the cities will change hands again. The Western Army needs the court as their backbone..."

He looked at the map. "What if the court sends troops?"Yaoying shook her head: "Haidu Aling understands the Central Plains situation. He must have made arrangements long ago. I suspect Southern Chu has already started a war with Great Wei by now. The court would never dispatch troops for a few volunteer armies and put themselves in a situation where they are attacked from both front and rear."

She looked up, gazing at Li Xuanzhen.

"Can the Crown Prince mobilize the Liangzhou army?"

Li Xuanzhen met her gaze.

"How do you know I can mobilize the Liangzhou army?"

Yaoying said indifferently: "Can you or can't you?"

Li Xuanzhen stared at her for a long moment before nodding: "I already sent word to Liangzhou on my way to the Royal Court. I can mobilize Liangzhou troops... As for the court, I can persuade Li De to change his mind."

Southern Chu could be left to Du Sinan - the agents he had planted there could be put to use.

Li Xuanzhen's tone shifted, "However, doing this requires me to take great risks."

Without hesitation, Yaoying responded: "The Crown Prince will choose to take the risk because you are determined to capture Guazhou and Shazhou, and such an opportunity comes once in a thousand years. The Western Army and the Royal Court are both your allies. If you miss this chance, you will regret it for life."

In the book, even on his deathbed, he had been obsessed with recovering lost territories. Unfortunately, in the book, Tanmoroqie died young, the Northern Rong quickly grew powerful, court officials didn't want to take risks, and he missed several good opportunities, failing to fulfill his wish to lead the expedition personally.

As she spoke, she occasionally raised her hand to gently brush aside the hair at her temples, her expression serious.

Li Xuanzhen couldn't help but recall how he had deliberately harmed Li Zhongqian in front of her out of hatred. Back then, the look in her eyes was full of resentment, and the more resentful she became, the more satisfaction he strangely felt.

Thinking about it now, what he hated wasn't her, but her identity as Xie Manyuan's daughter.

Overwhelmed by mixed emotions, he smiled bitterly: "Yes, I choose to take the risk. The Liangzhou troops should already be prepared by now."

Long ago, he had vaguely sensed that she understood him.

Yaoying pointed at the map. Li Xuanzhen had been a general for many years and had been deep in the Western Regions for so long - it was no surprise he had ambitions. She wasn't surprised he had already secretly mobilized the Liangzhou army.

"When the Royal Court engages in decisive battle with Northern Rong, containing their forces, the Western Army will seize the opportunity to rise up. The Crown Prince will lead Liangzhou troops to intercept the grassland cavalry and provide support from the flank. If things go smoothly, we'll combine forces to launch a surprise attack on Northern Rong... Once the alliance is formally established, there can be no turning back. Consider this carefully, Crown Prince."

Li Xuanzhen sat up, reached out, and covered her hand on the map with his.

"Seventh Sister, I agree to the alliance."

Yaoying frowned, withdrawing her hand. "Li Xuanzhen, please don't call me Seventh Sister. I don't want a Crown Prince as an elder brother, and you don't want me as a younger sister either."

Li Xuanzhen withdrew his hand and remained silent for a long time.

"Fine."

Yaoying put away the map: "The journey is long. Once the Crown Prince's injuries have improved, we must depart immediately, riding fast horses to rendezvous with the Liangzhou army before the major battle concludes. Otherwise, this alliance is meaningless. I will request the Regent to send elite guards to escort the Crown Prince."

She stood up to leave.

"Li Yaoying."

Li Xuanzhen's hoarse call came from behind.

Yaoying paused in her steps and turned back.Li Xuanzhen gazed at her, his phoenix-like eyes veiled in shadow: "The words I just spoke hold no falsehood. I truly came to the Royal Court to save you. The times I risked my life to rescue Li Zhongqian were also because of you. You should understand that even without the enmity involving my mother, Li Zhongqian and I have reached a point of mutual destruction. Now that we are both in foreign lands, he is solely focused on finding you and temporarily won’t kill me. But once we return to the Central Plains, he will not spare me, and I will not wait passively for death. However, I can assure you—I will not take Li Zhongqian’s life..."

As long as he was strong enough.

Yaoying’s gaze remained calm, without a ripple of emotion.

In the shifting light, Li Xuanzhen’s pupils, dark as ink strokes, slowly deepened as he continued: "Three years ago, Li Zhongqian went off to war and was separated from you, each ending up in distant corners of the world. You and I have been apart for over two years as well... I thought you were dead. Later, when I learned you were alive but had fallen into Haidu Aling’s hands, I went to Yi Province to find you. There, I discovered you had escaped and encountered the Buddha Prince of the Royal Court..."

The torment and regret he endured during that time—he never wanted to experience it again.

"Now, I must go to Shazhou to lead troops in reclaiming lost territory. You stay here in the Royal Court and wait to reunite with Li Zhongqian."

He stared intently at Yaoying.

"I am resilient—not so easily killed—but I still fear missing the chance to explain myself to you. I don’t want a repeat of last time, where the words I meant to say went unspoken, only for our parting to turn the world upside down once more. So I am not deceiving you—everything I say is the truth."

"Believe me—I came to save you."

"Whether you accept it or not... I cannot let go."

Yaoying’s expression remained unreadable. She lowered the felt curtain and left.

Exhausted, Li Xuanzhen collapsed back onto the rug, curling into a ball from the pain.