In the Moonlight

Zheng Biyu's heartstrings trembled. After a long daze, she abruptly sat up: "Nonsense!"

Empress Xie was the legitimate daughter of a prestigious clan—how could she possibly engage in illicit affairs?

The maid dared not utter a word.

Zheng Biyu remained lost in thought for a while before asking, "Who else heard Rong Fei's ravings?"

The maid replied, "Only Consort Xue and a few palace maids present heard it. Consort Xue laughed it off at the time, saying Rong Fei had gone mad and was spouting nonsense. But these past few days, she quietly dismissed all the maids who were present, keeping only her confidante."

That confidante happened to be the sworn sister of Zheng Biyu's maid—one of the Crown Prince's Palace informants.

Zheng Biyu's fingers went numb as she instructed the maid, "Rong Fei has gone mad. Out of jealousy toward Princess Wenzhao, she deliberately spread these lies before her death to tarnish Empress Xie's reputation. Consort Xue handled it well—this matter must not be leaked."

The maid bowed her head in assent.

Zheng Biyu's eyes flickered as she whispered, "What exactly did Rong Fei say?"

The maid answered, "Before her death, Rong Fei cursed Princess Wenzhao, saying, 'His Majesty's sons are all tall and robust, his daughters all statuesque and full-figured. Why is Princess Wenzhao the only one frail since childhood, unable to walk until she was three? Why has she never been able to stop taking medicine since infancy, requiring monthly doses of Concentrated Dew Pill? Why are Princess Wenzhao's features the only ones that don't resemble the Li family's?'"

"Consort Xue refuted Rong Fei, saying it was because Princess Wenzhao was born with constitutional weakness."

"Rong Fei laughed scornfully and said Princess Wenzhao isn't actually His Majesty's bloodline because she wasn't born to Empress Xie."

Zheng Biyu's jaw dropped slightly in astonishment.

She had assumed Rong Fei was implying Empress Xie had been unchaste—it turned out she meant Li Yaoying wasn't Empress Xie's biological daughter.

The maid continued the account: "Rong Fei said back when the clan supported the second prince... Xie Zhongqian as heir apparent, Empress Xie's maid spoke some cutting remarks to Empress Tang. Empress Tang indignantly took her own life, causing His Majesty to turn white-haired overnight. He abandoned his military campaigns and rushed back to Wei County to handle Empress Tang's funeral. At that time, Empress Xie was also pregnant, which was why His Majesty didn't punish her."

"Rong Fei told Consort Xue that Empress Xie actually wasn't pregnant at all back then. The Empress's wet nurse, fearing His Majesty would vent his anger on her, instructed the Empress to falsely claim she was several months pregnant—which Empress Xie did."

Since Li De had returned to Wei County months earlier and stayed in Empress Xie's courtyard every night, and since Empress Xie lived in seclusion, no one suspected anything.

"Rong Fei said Princess Wenzhao is no imperial descendant—she was a child brought in by the Duke of Weiguo."

The Duke of Weiguo was Xie Wuliang.

When Li Yaoying married into the Yelu Tribe, Li De posthumously enfeoffed Xie Wuliang as Duke of Weiguo, while Li Zhongqian was adopted into the Xie family to directly inherit the dukedom—a prestigious title but without real power.

The maid concluded: "Rong Fei said she'd long suspected the Seventh Princess's origins but didn't dare expose it for fear of Xie Zhongqian's retaliation."

Zheng Biyu's mind raced. She leaned back against the armrest, remaining silent for a long time.

Her intuition told her Rong Fei's words were true.

Zheng Biyu warned the maid: "Wei Changshi must not catch even a whisper of this."

The maid assented, adding, "Your Highness, Rong Fei's ravings lack evidence. Even if leaked, it shouldn't matter."

Consort Xue obtained her deputy-empress position through Li Yaoying—she certainly wouldn't disclose this matter.Even if it were leaked, it wouldn't matter. Who would take the delirious ravings of Consort Rong on her deathbed seriously? Without evidence, no matter how convincing her words might seem, they were merely the ramblings of a madwoman.

Moreover, Princess Wenzhao was now marrying into a distant land as a princess of the Li family. Even if she wasn't the emperor's biological daughter, she was now.

Zheng Biyu murmured, "Whether others believe it or not isn't important..."

The key question was whether to tell the Crown Prince about this matter.

The Crown Prince despised Li Yaoying precisely because she was the daughter of the Xie family. If he were to learn that Li Yaoying wasn't actually born to a Xie woman...

Zheng Biyu frowned deeply.

After marrying into the Li family, she had inquired about the circumstances of Tang Shi's suicide back then.

The men of the Li family were often away on military campaigns. Tang Shi and Xie Shi remained in Wei Commandery, and Li De would return home every few months to visit his two wives.

On the day Tang Shi took her own life, Li Xuanzhen happened to return home and witnessed his mother, burned beyond recognition, rushing out from the sea of flames and collapsing at his feet.

Actually, it should have been Li De returning to Wei Commandery that day. When he left home, he had promised to return to celebrate the festival with his two wives, but due to urgent military affairs, he only sent his eldest son home instead.

Therefore, a former servant of the Tang family secretly told Zheng Biyu that Tang Ying's original intention had been to burn herself to death right before Li De's eyes.

But through a twist of fate, it was Li Xuanzhen who witnessed her tragic death instead.

In her final moments, she was nearly deranged, repeatedly instructing Li Xuanzhen to avenge her.

For over a decade since then, Li Xuanzhen had suffered from nightmares almost every night, dreaming of his mother's dying moments.

Zheng Biyu had once tactfully advised Li Xuanzhen to let go of his hatred.

Although Tang Ying had committed suicide in anger after a dispute with clan elders and Empress Xie's maid, ultimately her death wasn't caused by Xie Shi. Why did he insist on targeting Consort Xie and her children?

He could accept advice on other matters, even compromise regarding Zhu Lvyun, but when it came to the Xie family, why was he so extreme?

Li Xuanzhen sneered coldly and didn't explain anything to Zheng Biyu.

Zheng Biyu had a vague suspicion.

There might have been some unknown details about what happened back then. To protect Tang Ying, Li Xuanzhen had concealed certain things.

Because of this, although he didn't actually dislike the Seventh Princess's character, he repeatedly harmed her.

After careful consideration and weighing the options, Zheng Biyu decided to tell Li Xuanzhen what Consort Rong had said.

The Seventh Princess was innocent.

She rose and went to the study, where she wrote a letter to Li Xuanzhen.

After the imperial marriage decree was formally announced, Li Xuanzhen had led the Wei army to Liangzhou, joining forces with various Hu tribe cavalry to attack the He family in a three-pronged assault. After their victory, he remained in Liangzhou and hadn't yet returned to the capital.

After finishing the letter, Zheng Biyu handed it to a household servant, instructing him to deliver it personally into Li Xuanzhen's hands.

The servant respectfully acknowledged the order.

...

Half a month after Qin Fei's departure, Yaoying arrived near Liangzhou with the Yelu Tribe.

The Yelu Chieftain had already set out from Liangzhou and would soon meet them at the riverbank where the Yelu Tribe camped each winter, where they would complete the wedding according to Yelu customs.

Liangzhou, anciently known as Yongzhou, featured vast, flat terrain and had been since ancient times a prosperous land described as "smoke from households covering the land, mulberry and paper mulberry trees growing thickly," an important northwestern commercial hub where "carriages and horses intersected, songs and music resounded daily." In ancient times, it was renowned as a crucial strategic point that connected the vast deserts and controlled the throat of five commanderies.

When the Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang journeyed west to obtain scriptures, he passed through Liangzhou. At that time, the region saw constant flow of monks and merchants, never ceasing.

Until a few decades ago, Liangzhou remained one of the most prosperous important towns in the north.Later, as the Central Plains dynasty declined and the world fell into chaos, the northwest was successively occupied by the powerful Tubo and various rising tribes. When the previous Zhu dynasty established its rule, it failed to reclaim the northwest, and the Silk Road, once bustling with merchants and the lingering sound of camel bells, had been severed for many years.

Yaoying sat in the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to gaze into the distance. All she could see was a vast, desolate expanse of wilderness.

For hundreds of miles around, there was no trace of human habitation.

The further northwest they traveled, the harsher the weather became. The gloomy sky gradually showed signs of wind and snow, and the distant mountain peaks were blanketed in white, resembling a slumbering dragon.

Clouds shrouded the Qinling Range—where was home? Snow blocked the Blue Pass—horses could not advance.

The road grew increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse.

Although she was attentively served by foreign maids along the way and did not have to endure the hardships of sleeping in the open, for Yaoying, who had been delicately raised in recent years, the journey was still quite arduous.

When they needed to cross the mountains, she had to dismount from the carriage and ride on horseback like everyone else.

Li Zhongqian had taught her how to ride and often accompanied her on gallops, but those were on flat, open plains under the bright spring sun—not on rough, treacherous mountain paths in the biting cold of late autumn.

Riding on mountain trails was far more exhausting than on level ground. Moreover, to evade the snowstorms and find a safe place to rest before nightfall, they often traveled from dawn till dusk.

Yaoying’s thighs were chafed raw, the wounds scabbing over only to be torn open again. Her delicate fingers were blistered from gripping the reins.

Whenever the procession stopped to rest, she sat slumped in the saddle, her bones feeling as if they had come apart, unable to even lift a finger. Tali and Ayi had to support her by her arms to help her dismount.

On this day, they finally crossed several large mountains and reached an open plain nestled in a valley. Yaoying moved back into the carriage, and Ayi knelt beside her to apply medicine.

Xie Qing, as usual, rode alongside the carriage. With the hilt of his knife, he lifted a corner of the curtain and handed in a small porcelain vial.

"Princess, this is the medicine I usually use. It’s more potent than the ointments you carry—it will sting when applied, but it heals faster."

After a pause, he added, "It won’t leave scars."

Leaning against the armrest, Yaoying took the vial and chuckled softly. "You’re quite thoughtful."

He usually wore a stern, expressionless face, like a blockhead, yet he had taken the initiative to offer her medicine.

The knife hilt withdrew, and the curtain fell back into place.

A moment later, Xie Qing’s voice came from outside: "Princess… today is your birthday."

Yaoying was stunned.

Faintly, she recalled her childhood, when she attended her cousin’s coming-of-age ceremony and lingered until nightfall, reluctant to leave. Li Zhongqian came to fetch her and, seeing her drowsy and unwilling to wake her, carried her home on his back.

Perched on Li Zhongqian’s back, she suddenly grew lively again, chattering excitedly about how lively the banquet had been.

Li Zhongqian laughed heartily. "When it’s Little Seven’s turn to come of age, your elder brother will hold a ceremony for you—even grander and more festive than today’s, with colored lanterns hanging from every tree along the entire street."

Yaoying nuzzled against Li Zhongqian’s neck. "I don’t want a coming-of-age ceremony. I just want Mother and you by my side, sharing a bowl of longevity noodles."

Back then, she was carefree.

Little did she expect that when her own coming-of-age arrived, even a simple bowl of longevity noodles would become an unattainable luxury.

Yaoying remained lost in thought for a long time—so long that Ayi had finished applying the ointment and excused herself before she slowly came back to herself."I'd forgotten..." She lifted the carriage curtain, tilting her face up to look at Xie Qing with a radiant smile. "Ah Qing, it's so thoughtful of you to still remember this."

She had long lost track of what day it was.

Xie Qing kept his head lowered, not looking at Yaoying.

"I understand why you didn't bring Chunru and the others to the Yelu Tribe," he said, gazing at the thin layer of snow covering the sand beneath the horses' hooves. "If you had brought them, they would weep all day upon seeing how much hardship you've endured."

Yaoying smiled faintly. From Xie Qing's tone, it seemed he rather disliked Chunru?

Xie Qing's fingers tightened around his sword hilt. "Moreover, if they were here... they would inevitably fall prey to the First Prince's clutches."

Yaoying's expression darkened.

The First Prince was crude and barbaric, his gaze toward her completely undisguised. Perhaps out of lingering fear for his father, Chieftain Yelu, he hadn't dared to show outright disrespect these past days. Yet every day, he would drag female slaves from the tribe into his tent right before her eyes. Soon after, unconcealed sounds would emerge from within.

A few days earlier, the First Prince had directly demanded Tali from Yaoying, but she had firmly refused.

Narrowing his eyes, the First Prince said nothing at the time, but later that night he secretly crept toward Tali's tent with ill intentions. Fortunately, Tali was alert and prevented him from succeeding.

Yaoying glanced around—her personal guards were all accompanying the carriage.

She said softly, "Ah Qing, the First Prince is trying to intimidate me."

A delicate Han princess, sent far away for a political marriage, encountering such things before even meeting her husband—she ought to be terrified and panicked. As long as she showed fear, the First Prince would likely make his move.

The veins on Xie Qing's hand bulged as he gripped his sword. "Princess, I'll kill him."

Yaoying frowned. "Ah Qing... you can't kill the First Prince."

The warriors of the Yelu Tribe were raised on horseback, skilled in archery and riding. Xie Qing was no match for the First Prince.

Xie Qing's face tightened. "What if I help you escape?"

Yaoying shook her head. "Ah Qing, we can't run..."

Leaving now would mean breaking the agreement. Moreover, Southern Chu spies had already infiltrated Chang'an. If she fled and the alliance collapsed, Southern Chu would surely incite the Yelu Tribe to wage war. The land would be ravaged, the Central Plains plunged into chaos again, and her fate would be no better than now—either captured by Southern Chu and used as a tool to provoke war, or seized and brutalized by the enraged Yelu Tribe.

Yaoying patiently explained to Xie Qing, "We can't run now, and we wouldn't succeed. Why must the court ally with the various Hu tribes? Why must we rely on the Yelu Tribe's cavalry to reclaim Liangzhou?"

Xie Qing lifted his head, his gaze fixed intently on her face.

Yaoying said, "Because this is their territory."

The Central Plains dynasty had lost control over Hexi, Longyou, and the Western Regions decades ago. Without the assistance of the Hu tribes, the Wei army wouldn't even know how many forces were entrenched in Liangzhou—how could they possibly reclaim it in one stroke?

"Ah Qing, I am now a Princess of Wei, the future wife of Yelu Khan. As long as the alliance holds, the First Prince dare not treat me lightly."

She lifted her eyes, looking into the distance.

"If I run, the First Prince will capture us immediately. What fate awaits a Wei princess who has erred, once she falls into his hands?"

A shudder ran through Xie Qing's body.

The First Prince was doing this deliberately—frightening the princess, making her panic, all to wait for her to make a mistake!Xie Qing released his fingers, striving to suppress the restlessness that had plagued him for days.

Yaoying smiled faintly. "A-Qing, no matter what happens, I will survive."

Once her elder brother recovered from his injuries, he would surely come for her.

Until then, she must stay alive.

She turned to gaze eastward, where towering, majestic mountain ranges blocked her view. Beyond those peaks lay her homeland.

"Sooner or later, we will return to the Central Plains and reunite with our family."

She would go back.

No matter how arduous the journey.

Xie Qing nodded, tightening his grip on his sword hilt.

Wherever they went, he would protect the princess.

The procession continued westward.

Days later, Yaoying spotted a river meandering through the desert foothills. Its waters still flowed freely, flanked by sparse patches of withered grass, with occasional livestock drinking along its banks.

Tali informed Yaoying, "Follow this river for a few more days, and we'll reach the Main Tent."

They refilled their waterskins by the river and turned southeast along its course.

The river was the desert's sole water source. The farther southeast they traveled, the more livestock they encountered, sometimes crossing paths with migrating tribes or merchant caravans accompanied by the chime of camel bells.

Hearing the bells, Yaoying lifted the carriage curtain to observe the caravan trudging through the bitter wind.

Her guards suddenly surged forward, steering her carriage toward a nearby slope.

Tali glanced at the caravan, her expression tinged with pity, and explained to the bewildered Yaoying, "Princess, the First Prince intends to raid that caravan."

Yaoying fell silent.

Raiding was inherent to the Yelu Tribe. Born and raised on horseback, they knew nothing of farming or weaving. From birth, they followed their forebears in plundering the grasslands—seizing food, people, and wealth.

When the carriage reached higher ground, the First Prince reined in his horse and looked back. Through the crowd, his eyes locked onto Yaoying, veiled behind gossamer silk in her carriage. Slowly, he drew the Tibetan curved blade he had claimed in battle.

His unblinking gaze was sharper than a volley of arrows.

Domineering, savage, cruel, and cold-blooded.

A fierce desire to conquer radiated from him, crackling with palpable intensity.

A shiver ran down Yaoying's spine, her hands trembling slightly within her sleeves.

She knew showing fear would only gratify the First Prince. Digging her nails into her tender palms, she steadied herself and remained motionless.

Behind the thin veil, her exquisite face remained impassive, noble and aloof.

So elegant, so frosty.

Like a blossom blooming atop a snowy peak, like the moon suspended in the boundless sky.

It was precisely this unattainable, distant allure that made her more enticing, more captivating, fueling an uncontrollable craving to possess her.

How he longed to tear away the robes shrouding that beautiful form, to make this delicate flower bloom in his grasp.

To make her weep, to make her submit.

Heat surged through the First Prince's veins. He lowered his head to lick the cold blade, as if the sharp edge beneath his tongue were the Han princess's smooth, suet-like skin.

Intertwining lust and bloodlust, he shuddered with exhilaration, then threw back his head and laughed.

Hoofbeats thundered as the First Prince charged ahead, curved sword raised, plunging into the fray.

His guards followed closely, nineteen men forming a disciplined formation like a bloodthirsty beast baring its fangs. They swiftly tore an opening through the caravan's defenses.