Before the grand hall, a magnificent felt tent was set up, with golden carpets covering the ground and curtains fluttering gently. Snow-white banners adorned with golden patterns flapped vigorously in the wind.
Civil and military officials, dressed in splendid attire, stood at the foot of the steps, watching as Mobi Duo, clad in armor, rode into the palace on horseback. Behind him, the Northern Rong princes, led by Jin Bo, carried letters of surrender, treasures, and maps as they entered the tent to pay homage to Tanmoroqie.
After the ceremonial music concluded, Jin Bo presented the letter of surrender. The ritual officials accepted the offerings and read aloud the edict appointing them as kings.
The front hall was filled with laughter and joyous chatter, accompanied by the clamor of drums and music.
Ministers gathered around the noble-born generals, engaging in lively conversation. Mobi Duo, finding little common ground with them, drank a few cups of wine before being guided by his personal guards toward the inner hall.
The inner hall was filled with the fragrance of agarwood incense, with wisps of blue smoke drifting in the air.
Bi Suo and Yuanjue stood at the entrance of the hall.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with them, Mobi Duo entered the inner hall and knelt on one knee to pay his respects.
Tanmoroqie sat upright at the front of the hall, not lifting his head as he continued writing an edict. Dressed in a kasaya, he exuded an aura of dignified grace.
Mobi Duo held his breath, not daring to make a sound.
Bi Suo and Yuanjue, who had followed him into the hall, stood solemnly and silently.
With a soft sound, Tanmoroqie set down his brush, raised his eyes, and gestured to Yuanjue.
Yuanjue hurried forward, picked up the freshly written edict, and handed it to Mobi Duo.
After reading the contents of the edict, Mobi Duo’s eyes widened in unconcealed astonishment.
Tanmoroqie looked at him and asked, "Can you shoulder this responsibility?"
Mobi Duo straightened his chest and declared loudly, "Yes!"
"Good." Tanmoroqie nodded slightly, his deep green eyes gazing down at him. "From today onward, you are promoted to the rank of Grand General of the Military Command and will govern Sa Zhou from afar."
Mobi Duo felt a surge of passion, bowed his head, and said, "Your servant will fulfill his duties with utmost loyalty and will not betray the King’s trust!"
He was a member of Wujili Bu, not of noble birth, and did not follow Buddhism. According to tradition, he could not join the Military Command and thus could not remain in the Holy City permanently, always being regarded as a prince of an external tribe. Upon his triumphant return with the army, the noble-born generals were flattered and fawned over by officials along the way, while he was neglected. Now, the King had promoted him exceptionally, allowing him to stay in the Holy City henceforth!
Bi Suo and Yuanjue exchanged smiles and congratulated Mobi Duo. Rising to his feet, Mobi Duo grinned brightly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze and continued reviewing memorials.
As the group took their leave, Mobi Duo suddenly scratched his head, turned back into the hall, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have a personal matter to report."
"Speak."
Mobi Duo said, "I previously sought permission to marry Princess Wenzhao... but the Princess has already rejected me."
Tanmoroqie lifted his gaze.
Mobi Duo continued, "On the very day after I made the proposal, Princess Wenzhao wrote a letter refusing my request. At the time, I did not receive the letter. It was only on the second day of my journey to Gaochang that the Princess explained her reasons to me in person. She said her heart already belongs to another and cannot accept my feelings."
Tanmoroqie tightened his grip on the memorial.
When she left the Holy City with Li Zhongqian, she had also rejected Mobi Duo at the same time.
After finishing his report, Mobi Duo withdrew from the hall.
Tanmoroqie sat in a daze for a while.
A short time later, Bi Suo entered the hall and said, "Your Majesty’s appointment of Mobi Duo as Grand General of the Military Command may provoke criticism."
Tanmoroqie replied calmly, "Without breaking, there can be no building. Mobi Duo is not of noble birth, nor is he from an influential family. The military needs someone like him. You, as the grandson of a princess, have too many ties to the noble families. With Mobi Duo in the military and you commanding the Imperial Guards, one operates openly, the other covertly; one inside, the other outside.""In times of chaos, we must use chaotic methods. That was then, this is now. The Northern Rong have been destroyed, leaving only Haidu Aling. We should start planning for the future."
Bi Suo felt a chill in his heart and respectfully acknowledged the command.
Back when Tanmoroqie was young, imprisoned by noble families with the Northern Rong watching covetously nearby, he had to rely on his identity as the Buddha Prince to suppress the noble families, then use Su Dan Gu's ruthless methods to intimidate the officials. Now that the Northern Rong had surrendered and the greatest threat was eliminated, it was indeed time to plan for the future.
After all, no one knew how many more years Tanmoroqie had left to live... He had long been secretly preparing to ensure a smooth transition of power after his death, preventing chaos that might allow external enemies to take advantage.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in front of the hall as Yuanjue rushed in.
"Your Majesty, Princess Wenzhao's guards came to report that the princess has matters to attend to today and will not be returning."
Tanmoroqie asked, "Where did the princess go?"
"The princess went to the posthouse. The guards said she needs to discuss matters with the Duke of Weiguo. She won't be returning to the residence tonight and may not be back tomorrow either."
Tanmoroqie frowned.
...
At the posthouse, Li Zhongqian was tormented with anxiety, unable to sit still.
The physician had applied medicine to Yaoying's eyes and wrapped them with bandages, instructing, "Change the dressing every two hours. Avoid greasy and pungent foods for one month."
Li Zhongqian saw the physician out, then turned to look at Yaoying with her bandaged eyes, his face dark as storm clouds.
Unable to see anything, Yaoying felt uneasy and reached out to feel the edge of the bed. "Elder Brother?"
Li Zhongqian clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and forced down his raging anger before grasping her hand. "Does your eye still hurt?"
Yaoying said, "The medicine has helped... it feels better now..."
Li Zhongqian raised his voice, "Do you realize that if Li Xuanzhen and I had been slower to pull back, you might have lost your life? Why did you rush in?"
Yaoying lifted her head and said softly, "Elder Brother, Li Xuanzhen is the Crown Prince. You can't kill him in the Royal Court..."
"He disregards all moral principles, harboring such filthy thoughts about you!" Li Zhongqian couldn't contain himself and roared, "I cannot let him live in this world!"
Whenever he thought about what Li Xuanzhen might be thinking while looking at Yaoying, his hair stood on end with rage, and he wished he could tear Li Xuanzhen to pieces. How dare Li Xuanzhen have the audacity to pursue her to the Royal Court!
Yaoying breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Li Xuanzhen would rather be misunderstood by Li Zhongqian than reveal her true origins.
Her letter probably hadn't reached Du Sinan yet. Before receiving Du Sinan's reply and confirming her background, she didn't want Li Zhongqian to know about this.
"Elder Brother, he wouldn't dare do anything to me, and neither would Li De. Let's send him back first—out of sight, out of mind."
Li Zhongqian gripped the corner of the table, his expression growing darker, his phoenix eyes burning red as if on fire.
Unable to see his expression, Yaoying tugged at his arm and shook it gently. "Elder Brother... Killing him carries too great a risk. Li De is the one we need to guard against... There are deep conflicts between Li De and Li Xuanzhen. Having Li Xuanzhen alive isn't necessarily bad for us..."
Li Zhongqian snapped back to reality, looked at the bandages covering her eyes, and closed his own eyes briefly. "Fine, I won't kill him for now."
Yaoying relaxed.
She couldn't reveal the whole truth to Li Zhongqian just yet. He already had thoughts of perishing together with Li De and his son. If he learned about the entanglement between her and Li Xuanzhen, he would undoubtedly sacrifice himself without hesitation.After calming Li Zhongqian, Yaoying asked the guards: "How is the Crown Prince's injury?"
The guard replied: "The physician just finished bandaging His Highness. The previous external wounds have mostly healed. Today, the young master beat the Crown Prince, adding some new injuries, but none are life-threatening."
Yaoying nodded. "Bring him here."
Shortly after, light footsteps echoed in the room as the guard escorted Li Xuanzhen inside.
Yaoying raised her hand to dismiss the guard to a corner, then asked: "What did you do? How could my brother have known your thoughts?"
Li Xuanzhen remained silent for a moment.
"Does your eye hurt?"
His face was bruised and swollen beyond recognition as he limped toward her, gazing at the cloth strip covering her eyes.
Unable to see, Yaoying sat upright without moving and said coldly: "None of your concern."
Li Xuanzhen smiled bitterly. How could it not be his concern? She had rushed to intervene during his argument with Li Zhongqian, which led to her eye injury.
He leaned down and took her hand.
Yaoying instinctively jerked away. Li Xuanzhen's face twitched in pain, but he swallowed his anguish and firmly grasped her palm. "Don't move. I want to show you something."
He retrieved an object from his sleeve and pressed it into Yaoying's hand.
Frowning, Yaoying felt the object in her palm but couldn't identify it after prolonged examination. "What is this?"
Li Xuanzhen stayed silent for a long while.
Memories of the past surfaced one by one in his mind. He had tried to deliberately forget those times, but those recollections remained stubbornly rooted in his heart. Even when he carved at them blade by blade, leaving his heart bleeding and scarred, he could never erase the memories of knowing her. He could only bury them deep within, filling the void with hatred.
Later, he realized he remembered everything.
"It's a clay figure..." Li Xuanzhen said softly. "Your clay figure."
While confined during his recovery, he had molded several clay figures, all resembling her. When Li Zhongqian saw the figures bearing her likeness, he understood everything.
Not a ripple of emotion crossed Yaoying's face as she casually set the clay figure aside on a velvet rug. "I will immediately arrange for your return to Gaochang. Your subordinates should be searching for you by now. Take care of yourself."
Li Xuanzhen closed his eyes briefly.
She didn't remember the clay figures.
Or perhaps she remembered, but simply didn't care.
He had exhausted all her expectations. Now, no matter what he did, she remained indifferent.
"Why..." He clenched his fists, the physical pain paling in comparison to the ache in his heart. "Seventh Lady, why did you stop Li Zhongqian from killing me?"
Yaoying replied tonelessly: "Because I don't want anything to happen to my brother."
A self-mocking smile tugged at Li Xuanzhen's lips.
It was the expected answer, yet he had insisted on asking. Knowing he would only humiliate himself, he had still clung to a sliver of hope that she might harbor some trace of compassion for him.
Just one trace would have been enough.
"Seventh Lady, you needn't worry about Li Zhongqian discovering your origins..." Li Xuanzhen turned and limped toward the exit. "Until you decide to tell him the truth, I won't reveal it."
His voice sounded calm, even somewhat lighthearted.
What did it matter if Li Zhongqian and her guards misunderstood him? What did it matter if the whole world laughed at him?
He didn't care.
Fearing complications, Yaoying urged the guards to depart quickly. That evening, the guards escorted Li Xuanzhen out of the Holy City.She stayed at the relay station to watch over Li Zhongqian, insisting that he personally change her bandages to prevent him from secretly leaving the city to pursue and kill Li Xuanzhen.
The moment he saw her eyes covered with a cloth strip, Li Zhongqian’s fury dissipated entirely, and he no longer mentioned immediately taking Li Xuanzhen’s life.
Yaoying sent her guards to Wang Temple to see Bi Suo, instructing them, "If there is any urgent matter at Wang Temple, you must report to me immediately."
The guards returned with a reply: "General Ashina said everything is fine, and the princess need not worry. If anything arises, he will certainly come to seek your assistance."
Reassured, Yaoying tidied up and settled down to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Yaoying had a nightmare, trembling uncontrollably.
A hand gently brushed across her forehead, its touch cool.
Half-asleep, Yaoying recognized the familiar scent and clung to the hand, nuzzling it as she murmured, "Master…"
Her voice was drawn out, soft and delicate.
The figure beside the bed stiffened slightly.
Yaoying turned on her side, curling up and pressing close to the silhouette.
The sound of chanting Scriptures reached her ears, its tone melodious yet cool.
Yaoying tightly clutched the sleeve, but just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly awoke and reached out with both hands.
Empty—she grasped nothing.
She sat up. The room was utterly silent, as if the chanting had been an illusion.
Her eyes still covered, Yaoying could see nothing. She reached out and felt the edge of the brocade blanket—not a single crease.
A faint smile touched her lips. "Master?"
No response.
"I know you’re here," Yaoying said with certainty. "How did you get here? Are you feeling better?"
After a moment of waiting, a faint rustle came from beside the bed.
A figure sat down beside her, long fingers brushing her cheek as they untied the cloth strip.
Yaoying sat obediently, completely still and trusting.
Tanmoroqie leaned closer, carefully examining her eyes, his brows furrowed deeply.
Yaoying whispered, "Master, don’t worry. It’s just temporary blurriness—it’ll clear up in a few days. Today, I pretended to be in pain to scare my brother and calm him down."
She had even deliberately collapsed to the ground, urging the physician to exaggerate her injuries.
Tanmoroqie remained silent.
She had ordered her guards to conceal the news. It was only after he sent his own guards to investigate that he learned her eyes were injured and she couldn’t return.
She had deceived him.
The moment he discovered her injury, he had nearly lost control, wanting to come and take her back himself… The obsession in his heart grew deeper.
Tanmoroqie picked up the cloth strip and gently retied it over her eyes. "Don’t hide things from me in the future."
His tone was unusually stern.
Yaoying nodded. "I’m fine, but I need to stay at the relay station for a couple of days so my brother can rest assured… Master, you should return quickly. Don’t delay your duties."
As she spoke, her brow furrowed with concern.
"You haven’t been using your inner energy, have you?"
The new prescription brought by Mengda Ti Po was taking effect. He needed to persist with the medication and refrain from using his inner energy.
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze and helped her lie down. "I haven’t used it. Sleep now. I’ll leave soon."
He had many responsibilities to attend to—she didn’t know that those duties were his burden, something he asked nothing in return for. And she was the only personal desire he allowed himself outside of those obligations.
Yet he could only visit her secretly in the dead of night.
Yaoying lay back on the pillow.
As Tanmoroqie sat by the bed, she tugged at his sleeve. "Master, what Scripture were you chanting earlier?""The Sutra of the Hundred Buddhas Spoken by the Buddha... By reciting these Buddha names, one shall always have pleasant dreams, be kept from all calamities, and attain supreme enlightenment..."
He had been chanting in Brahmi earlier but switched to Chinese upon realizing she couldn't understand it. His voice remained cool and clear, like the chime of jade, noble and elegant.
Unable to see his face, Yaoying listened to him recite the Scriptures line by line, her heart growing profoundly calm. She relaxed and gradually fell asleep.
Silver moonlight spilled through the latticed window into the room. She slept on her side, her face bathed in a hazy glow, a cloth strip covering her eyes. Her lips were moist and crimson, like newly bloomed petals, as if waiting to be tasted.
Tanmoroqie leaned down, brushed aside the strands of hair at her temple, and drew closer to her bit by bit, his fingertips gently grazing her cheek.
A creak sounded.
A dark shadow flashed past the window.
Tanmoroqie snapped back to his senses, tucked the brocade quilt around Yaoying, rose, and stepped out of the room.
A tall figure stood deep in the courtyard, turning to cast him a glance. A pair of phoenix eyes reflected the cold moonlight, their gaze somber.
"What is your relationship with Bright Moon Slave?"
Li Zhongqian asked.
Worried about Yaoying at night, he had come to check on her and saw a man sitting by her bedside. He immediately drew his blade, but she was speaking softly and smiling at the man, clearly intimate with him.
Tanmoroqie remained silent, unwrapping his face covering. Under the moonlight, a face covered in scars was revealed.
Li Zhongqian frowned. "Su Dan Gu?"
This man was fine in all other aspects, but that scarred face... Yaoying herself was beautiful and didn't care about others' appearances, but she shouldn't have chosen someone so unattractive... How could she take him out to meet people after they married?
Moreover, Su Dan Gu's enemies were each more fanatical than the last. If Yaoying stayed with him, she would have to live in constant fear.
At this thought, Li Zhongqian snorted coldly. "Sneaking into a young lady's bedchamber in the dead of night is improper and against the rules. What do you take my sister for? She is the leader of the Western Army—there are plenty who admire her besides you."
Tanmoloqie said gravely, "Duke Weiguo is right... My identity is sensitive, and I have caused the princess distress."
"It is only because I came late at night that she can rest peacefully."
Li Zhongqian narrowed his eyes, finding the man's tone somewhat familiar.
Tanmoloqie raised a hand. "Duke Weiguo, my men are outside the posthouse. Please accompany them to a certain place."
Li Zhongqian lifted his gaze, scanning the direction he pointed—distant flickering torches dotted the darkness.
"Where to?"
Tanmoloqie said, "To catch up with Li Xuanzhen."
A spark ignited in Li Zhongqian's eyes as he looked at Tanmoloqie, his expression one of admiration.
"And you?"
"I am injured and unable to travel." Tanmoloqie stood before the corridor, his presence steady and imposing. "Duke Weiguo, rest assured—my men should have nearly caught up with Li Xuanzhen. This matter is my doing alone and has nothing to do with you."
Li Zhongqian gave him a deep look, smiled, sheathed his blade, turned, and strode out of the corridor.
A group of guards in narrow-sleeved robes, carrying longbows over their shoulders, stood waiting outside the posthouse with torches, holding his horse ready.
The wind howled. Over an hour later, Li Zhongqian and his party quietly left the city from the back hills and caught up with Li Xuanzhen, who had been intercepted in a valley. Several advance guards blocked their path.
Li Zhongqian, wearing a face covering, reined in his horse on the slope.
The guards nocked arrows to their bows. In the darkness, several whooshes sounded as a rain of arrows descended, all aimed at Li Xuanzhen. Li Xuanzhen's guards hurriedly raised their blades to parry.Yaoying's personal guards were baffled by the sudden interception. One spurred his horse forward and produced a bronze tally: "We carry General Ashina's Secret Decree."
"We bear the Regent's handwritten order, requesting the Crown Prince of Wei to relay a message to the Wei Emperor! Do not take offense."
The royal guards answered clearly.
Several personal guards exchanged bewildered glances.
After speaking, the royal guards simultaneously drew their blades, viciously spurring their horses. A dozen riders thundered toward Li Xuanzhen, hooves pounding like thunder. Upon reaching him, they raised their long sabers.
Under the moonlight, steel glinted coldly. The dozen riders advanced in perfect formation with murderous intent. Li Xuanzhen's guards paled in terror, urgently surrounding him on horseback. The Royal Court guards grinned ferociously as their sabers descended.
Horses neighed wildly, panicked shouts erupted, and several men fell from their saddles.
Multiple sabers sliced toward Li Xuanzhen from different directions.
"Your Highness!"
His guards watched with eyes wide with fury.
In the next instant, locks of hair from Li Xuanzhen's temples drifted to the ground.
A Royal Court guard retrieved the severed hair, placed it in an embroidered box, and handed it to Li Xuanzhen's guard: "Please deliver this to the Wei Emperor on the Regent's behalf. Princess Wenzhao is an honored guest of the Royal Court. As long as she remains here, our alliance stands. Central Plains tradition holds that hair and skin are inherited from parents—these strands belong to the Crown Prince and should be returned to the Wei Emperor."
Li Xuanzhen's guard received the box with trembling hands, drenched in cold sweat and heart still racing.
They were within Royal Court territory. Had those blades truly been aimed at the Crown Prince's neck moments ago...
The Royal Court guard turned to Li Xuanzhen with a faint smile: "Your Highness, Princess Wenzhao wishes never to see you again. For the sake of diplomatic relations, it would be best if you never set foot in the Royal Court again. The Royal Court lies ten thousand li from the Central Plains—we ought to maintain peaceful distance."
Li Xuanzhen's face was too bruised to reveal any expression. He cast a final icy glance toward the Holy City's direction before turning away.
She came to the Royal Court for Su Dan Gu. Su Dan Gu had identified Li De's weakness—though he'd never visited the Central Plains, he understood the Wei Dynasty with unnerving precision.
The guards shakily remounted, grasping his reins as they escorted him away.
Not far off, Li Zhongqian watched Li Xuanzhen's party vanish into the vast night, then patted the saber at his waist.
At least Su Dan Gu was preferable to Du Sinan and Zheng Jing.
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