The Imperial Guards waited for Yaoying outside Wang Temple. Seeing her pale and distracted expression, they worriedly asked, "Princess, are you unwell? Should we rest for a couple of days before departing?"
Yaoying tightened her reins and glanced at the sky, shaking her head. "It's nothing serious. I can take medicine on the road... My brother took the trade route through Wuquan, and I'm uneasy about it. I'll go wait for him at Sand City."
She had dispatched guards to meet Li Zhongqian along all possible routes he might take, including the trade road to Wuquan. Originally, this route wasn't particularly dangerous, but given the current tense situation—with Wuquan belonging neither to the Royal Court nor Gaochang, and no Royal Court troops stationed there—no one could predict whether Northern Rong stragglers might pass through.
The Royal Court's forces were now divided: one part led by Mobi Duo in pursuit of Wahan Khan, while others were stationed at various posts to guard against Northern Rong ambushes and intercept their fleeing soldiers.
The main central army had returned to the Holy City with Su Dan Gu. No matter what happened, the Imperial Guards couldn't remain away from the Holy City for long, lest enemies exploit their absence. During the Samu Valley campaign, Tanmoroqie had deployed nearly all elite Imperial Guards—a considerable risk. Had the noble families detected this or had Wahan Khan managed to pin down all guards, the court could have faced turmoil.
Had it not been for Tanmoroqie's status as Buddha Prince and his repeated victories over Wahan Khan, along with the rampant folk legends about him, his decisions wouldn't have gained such swift support from military commanders.
Thus, after the major battle, he had to swiftly withdraw troops, exit the passes to stabilize public sentiment, and handle court affairs.
At such a critical juncture, Yaoying found it inappropriate to request troops from the Royal Court. Henceforth, Western Army matters would fall to her personal management—she ought to have departed long ago.
She had returned only out of concern that Haidu Aling might breach the Holy City and to verify Tanmoroqie's safety with her own eyes.
The Holy City had weathered the scare unscathed; he was safe.
Yaoying tugged her reins. "Let's go."
The guards ceased their persuasions and escorted Yaoying straight toward Sand City.
They rode tirelessly out of the city, pressing on for hours until darkness fell. Resting at a courier station while drawing water from a well, they heard hoofbeats at the gate. A fast horse galloped up, its rider dismounting before it fully stopped and rushing forward to kneel on one knee before Yaoying.
"I've finally caught up with you, Princess!"
Yaoying recognized the knight as Bayi, one of Wang Temple's guards. She sprang up in surprise. "Has something happened to the Buddha Prince?"
Bayi shook his head, clasping his fists. "The King ordered this humble general to deliver medicine to the Princess and escort her to Sand City. Though the Princess left a message upon departure, it didn't specify the route. I inquired with the city gate guards to learn you took this courier road."
Yaoying was taken aback.
Bayi produced a prescription and a porcelain vial from his sleeve. "The King said that while the Princess is taking the physician's pills, other medicines might cause conflicts. Even for wind-chill or fever, caution is needed—usual remedies cannot be taken, lest they harm the body. The prescription was personally written by the King, and the medicine prepared by the temple's monastic physicians. Please remember to take it and do not neglect this."
Yaoying examined the prescription—it was indeed Tanmoroqie's handwriting. Perhaps concerned she might need to obtain medicine in towns along the way, he had prepared multiple copies in Sanskrit, Chinese, Sogdian, and Persian.
The night breeze whispered through a sky full of stars, rustling lush grapevines on the courtyard trellis. Guards sat around a stove baking naan, the dark night permeated with tendrils of delicate fragrance.Yaoying held the porcelain vial, recalling how Tanmoroqie had dried her damp hair—solemn, reverent, and compassionate, as if performing a sacred ritual rather than merely tending to her hair.
The faint doubt that had surfaced in her mind vanished instantly.
He had always been meticulous in caring for her, with no ulterior motives.
A guard approached with a bowl of steaming lamb soup. "Princess, you mentioned yesterday you wanted to return to the city to ask the Buddha Prince a question. Did you?"
Yaoying snapped back to reality, accepted the soup, tucked away the vial, and smiled faintly. "Consider it asked..."
She hadn’t intended to ask, deeming it unnecessary. But after leaving the city, she hesitated and decided to return to the temple to confront him directly. Coincidentally, Bore invited her back, so she went.
Tanmoroqie’s refusal was swift and detached, without a hint of strangeness.
She had overthought it.
Sipping the rich lamb broth, Yaoying shook her head and buried her tangled thoughts deep within.
Now was not the time for such distractions.
The next day, the group pressed on.
Though still ill, Yaoying insisted on maintaining pace, eager to see Li Zhongqian. Despite taking medicine, she refused to slow down. The guards, knowing persuasion was futile, relented.
After days of urgent travel, they reached Sand City. Yaoying dismounted and hurried to the courier station.
The station was crowded with envoys from various nations. After scanning the area, she found the Gaochang envoys. "Where is the Duke of Wei?"
The envoy replied blankly, "Princess, the Duke of Wei isn’t here. We were ordered to await him but haven’t seen him. He might still be on the road."
Yaoying’s heart tightened. "He hasn’t arrived?"
Li Zhongqian’s hastily written letter, sent before his departure, stated he would meet her and urged her to wait at the Royal Court, warning her not to go elsewhere.
Upon receiving the letter, she had left the Holy City for Sand City. By her calculations, he should have arrived by now!
Yaoying examined a map, frowned, then instructed the envoys to present their credentials and seals before heading to the local garrison.
A soldier escorted her to the military hall.
Surveying the surroundings, Yaoying noticed the camp’s tense atmosphere—guards moved briskly, ballistas were positioned along the walls, and everything indicated preparations for imminent battle. With the Royal Court forces pursuing Northern Rong remnants, who would dare attack now?
The garrison commander "recognized" Bayan, Bisuo’s aide, but not Yaoying in feminine attire. Seeing her credentials, he identified her as the Han princess rumored to be infatuated with the Buddha Prince. After a dismissive glance, he spoke politely: "Princess, your timing is unfortunate. Refugees fleeing to Sand City are increasing, and we may impose martial law. I cannot spare troops to help you search."
Yaoying replied, "I wouldn’t trouble you to find someone. I only seek clarity on one matter."
"What is it?"
"Which army are you preparing to defend against?"
The commander hesitated. Bayi, standing behind Yaoying, stepped forward to speak, but she shook her head subtly. Understanding, Bayi retreated.
The accompanying Gaochang envoy interjected, "Princess Wenzhao is the West Army Commander. Our Western Army and your nation are allies. Surely you’ve received orders from the Holy City regarding her arrival. As we jointly resist the Northern Rong with Royal Court forces, we ask for your candor."The garrison commander shrugged and said, "We are guarding against the Northern Rong army, the Khanate allied forces, and rebel troops. With the Northern Rong in chaos, various tribes are taking advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters. The Khanate has also dispatched troops to annex smaller tribes. Countless refugees have fled to the Royal Court, and their pursuers have followed them here. Although they only harass us and dare not actually attack the city, we cannot afford to be careless. All border cities have strengthened their defenses, and the border troops have returned to guard them."
The Khanate allied forces were a coalition composed of troops from various small states. They were vassals of a powerful dynasty further west, and the allied forces were mostly Persians and Turks. The smaller tribes in the regions west of the Royal Court had long been exploited and enslaved by them. Their greed knew no bounds, and they sought to annex the northwestern territories of the Northern Rong.
The garrison commander concluded, "It is unsafe outside the city. All merchant caravans and diplomatic missions have withdrawn. Princess, it would be best for you to stay within the city and not wander around."
Yaoying thanked the garrison commander and left the main hall.
Bayan caught up with her and asked, "Princess, why did you stop me from speaking earlier?"
Yaoying looked serious. "You are the Buddha Prince's personal guard. Others will interpret every word you say as the Buddha Prince's decree. I was speaking with the garrison commander as the leader of the Western Army, not as the Buddha Prince's guest. It is better to be cautious and avoid causing trouble for the Buddha Prince."
She had not even used the identity of Young Master Bayan, precisely to avoid unnecessary disputes.
Bayan suddenly understood and nodded in agreement.
Returning to the posthouse, Yaoying was consumed with anxiety. She sat before a lamp studying the map, gulping down several bowls of tea to calm herself.
The situation was even more severe than she had imagined.
Would Li Zhongqian encounter rebel troops on his journey?
The desert was vast and boundless. Previously, she did not know which route Li Zhongqian was taking, so she could not go looking for him and could only wait at the Royal Court for him to find her. Now that she knew he was taking the Wuquan route, perhaps she could go to Wuquan to meet him?
But she was afraid he might change his route along the way, causing them to miss each other.
The more critical the situation, the more important it was not to act rashly. Yaoying summoned her personal guards and ordered them to leave the city immediately for Wuquan, searching for any trace of Li Zhongqian along the way. As soon as there was any news, they were to send a fast horse back to Sand City to report.
The personal guards acknowledged the order and left the city in waves until only seven or eight remained by Yaoying's side.
When she wanted to send more people out of the city, the guards stopped her. "Princess, Sand City is a border town and not entirely safe. You must keep a few guards with you."
Yaoying relented. She then gathered a group of Sand City merchants and asked them to help inquire among the refugees, to see if anyone had seen or heard of Li Zhongqian.
Days passed, but no news returned.
Yaoying tossed and turned every night, plagued by nightmares as soon as she closed her eyes.
In her despair, she was submerged in a bloody mountain of corpses. The young Li Zhongqian knelt before the pile of bodies, digging through corpse after corpse, tightly grasping her hand. "Bright Moon Slave, your elder brother has come for you."
Yaoying looked up in pleasant surprise, but the young boy before her suddenly transformed into the grown Li Zhongqian. His hair was disheveled, his body pierced with iron arrows, and he spat blood as he collapsed to the ground, crawling toward her inch by inch. She reached out to grasp him, seizing his hand. He looked at her, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"Don't be afraid, your elder brother is here."
Yaoying woke from the dream in a cold sweat. She sat dazed for a while, her heart pounding wildly.
Dreams are not necessarily real. The last time she had a dream, the person she ended up meeting was Li Xuanzhen.
This dream surely would not come true either.
Yaoying's mind was in turmoil. She could only light a lamp and flip through the military reports sent from Gaochang to distract herself from her wild thoughts.Late into the night, she grew drowsy when suddenly a shrill, piercing horn shattered the silence. Crossbows fired in unison from the city walls, roof tiles trembled, and the air filled with the clamor of men and horses.
Yaoying jolted awake, threw on her robe, and sent guards to the city gate for news.
Soon, the guards returned on horseback: "Rebel forces are attacking under cover of darkness!"
"Northern Rong?"
"Judging by their armor, it appears to be Northern Rong."
Sand City had long fortified its defenses. The garrison was well-prepared—before the enemy could approach the gates, alarm horns blared. The defending general shot down an enemy commander with a single arrow, scattering the rebels. By dawn, the roaring battle cries faded to sporadic clashes before silence finally fell.
Yaoying rushed to the gate and questioned refugees entering the city about news from Wuquan.
After extensive inquiries yielded nothing, the defending general summoned her with grim tidings: "According to prisoners, Wuquan was seized by bandits days ago, blocking the routes."
Yaoying’s heart raced, cold sweat beading on her skin.
The general stated, "Princess, my duty is to defend Sand City. I cannot dispatch troops to Wuquan."
Returning to her quarters, Yaoying paced restlessly. Gritting her teeth, she assembled her guards and summoned the Gaochang envoy: "Gather all merchant caravans in the city—offer high prices to hire their guards. How many of our people are in nearby towns? Send messenger hawks to summon them all!"
The caravans, lodged near the posthouse and familiar with Yaoying’s subordinates, gradually provided their guards upon hearing of generous rewards.
Yaoying assembled a force of four to five hundred men, paid half in advance, and requested escort to Wuquan.
Disguised as commoners, they left the city. Dozens of miles out, thunderous hoofbeats echoed from hills ahead. Figures in fur coats and face coverings swarmed from all directions, brandishing scimitars as they charged fiercely.
The guards instantly drew blades, encircling Yaoying tightly.
"Raise the banners!"
Cavalry promptly hoisted several Western Army flags.
Bayi scanned the surroundings sharply. "Do not panic, Princess. Their bows and blades suggest bandits, not soldiers."
He nocked an arrow and loosed a Whistling Arrow—its shriek piercing the clouds as it soared.
Guards drew swords in unison, charging forward to form battle lines. With disciplined ferocity, they shattered the bandits’ first assault. The raiders, realizing these were no ordinary civilians, wavered.
Bayi and the guards escorted Yaoying away, quickly outpacing the bandits. Distant sounds of whizzing arrows and guards’ shouts trailed behind.
Yaoying glanced back from horseback: dust clouds rose, and a few straggling bandits galloped down the slopes in pursuit. Their leader—tall, wild-haired, clad in beast pelts—radiated menace.
Guards fired successive arrows at him. The chieftain deflected them with his blade, his gaze locked on Yaoying shielded within her guard’s formation.
Flanking sword-bearers moved to intercept him, steel glinting.
Ignoring them, he spurred his horse onward. Nearing the group, he shockingly threw aside his only weapon, leaped from the saddle, and charged forward unarmed.
The guards exchanged bewildered glances.
Behind him, pursuing guards raised longbows, aiming at his back—a volley of arrows darkened the sky.Yaoying stared at the unarmed bandit leader sprinting desperately across the yellow sands, a sudden realization dawning on her. Her throat tightened for a long moment before she trembled out the words, "Hold your arrows!"
The guards immediately waved signal flags, and the twang of bowstrings abruptly ceased.
Hundreds of soldiers reined in their horses at the foot of the slope, watching the tall figure charge straight toward the forest of raised blades and dense volleys of arrows.
A mere lift of their longswords by the guards would be enough to chop him into mincemeat.
He ran with lightning speed, swift as the wind. Just as he drew near, perhaps stepping into a hidden sinkhole in the quicksand, he suddenly stumbled and fell hard. In the next instant, he rolled and leaped up, lunging forward again.
The guards, intimidated by his ferocious aura—one that seemed capable of slaying gods and buddhas alike—stood frozen in stunned silence.
The gale whipped at the banners, howling through the air.
Yaoying sat rigid in her saddle, unable to move for what felt like an eternity. The mournful wind swept sand against her face, stinging with a fine, persistent pain. Frantically, she kicked free of the stirrups, released the reins, slid from her horse, pushed aside the guard who rushed to assist her, and ran down the slope.
Her heartbeat suddenly slowed to a crawl. All surrounding sounds faded away—the wild plains, the guards, the bandits—everything vanished. Only the figure racing desperately toward her remained between heaven and earth.
In that moment, all her suffering became trivial.
As long as her brother lived.
She ran toward the bandit leader.
He saw her and accelerated, covering the distance in what seemed both an instant and an eternity. The sound of his footsteps grew louder until a pair of solid arms seized her, lifting her tightly with a force that threatened to crush her.
"Brother…"
Three years.
It had been three years since he went off to battle.
Yaoying clutched Li Zhongqian’s robes, realizing she was already drenched in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
She had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with Li Zhongqian. She had once believed she would see him any moment—repeated hopes and disappointments—yet none felt as real as this. Words failed her; she could only cling to him tightly, terrified this might be nothing but a dream.
Calloused fingers gently lifted her tear-streaked face.
She looked up at the man before her.
He was weathered, his hair tangled and disheveled, his appearance haggard and gaunt. His expression was somber and profound, like a snow-capped peak frozen for millennia, impervious even to the blazing sun of the Flaming Mountains. His narrow, crimson phoenix eyes gleamed with a dark, brooding intensity.
Yaoying barely recognized him.
Then, slowly, Li Zhongqian’s lips curved into a smile. After gazing at her for a long moment, the chill in his phoenix eyes melted away. "Don’t cry," he said softly. "Your brother is here."
Tears streamed down Yaoying’s cheeks as she reached up to wipe the dust and sand from his face. His gaunt cheeks emerged slowly, revealing a vicious scar between his brows.
He must have endured immense hardship.
"Brother."
Unable to form any other words, Yaoying called out to him again.
Li Zhongqian responded in a low voice, "I’m here."
Holding him, Yaoying tilted her head back, tears still shimmering in her eyes, yet unable to suppress a blossoming smile as she gazed at him with pure joy.
"Brother, you’ve grown thin."
Li Zhongqian chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Bright Moon Slave, you’ve grown taller."
The year they parted, he had returned triumphant, clad in majestic armor. She had stood on tiptoe, measuring herself against him—back then, she only reached the height of his breastplate.Accustomed to a life of luxury since childhood, she was as delicate as crystal glass, yet was sent to the savage Yelu Tribe...
How much hardship had she endured these three years?
Every time he thought of it, a sharp blade seemed to twist in his chest.
Li Zhongqian held Yaoying in his arms, his eyes glistening with tears. Suddenly tightening his embrace, he slowly closed his eyes. After a long moment, he opened them and said, "Your brother is here. We're going home."
In response came a few indistinct murmurs, and a burning heat against his chest.
Li Zhongqian shuddered, releasing his hold. Yaoying’s eyes were tightly shut—she had lost consciousness, yet her hands still clung desperately to his robe, her knuckles white.
"Bright Moon Slave!"
His voice cracked with urgency.
The guards had long gathered around. Seeing this, one quickly explained, "My lord, the princess has been traveling while ill these past days, exhausted from the journey. Her illness never fully healed, and in recent days she’s been constantly anxious for your safety, too worried to sleep for several nights. The sudden joy of seeing you overwhelmed her."
"My lord, let’s return to Sand City first."
Li Zhongqian took the cloak handed by a guard, wrapped Yaoying securely from head to toe, and carried her onto his horse.
"To Sand City."
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