On the way back to the courtyard, Yaoying removed the Yaksa mask, recalling the gaze Su Dan Gu had given her when she deliberately showed him the mask before entering the palace.
Did he know about the customary rule of the Gaochang Palace banquet?
If he did, would he misunderstand that she had done it on purpose?
At that time, he had stared at her for a while—was he hesitating whether to remind her to change the mask?
Yaoying had indeed done it intentionally—but she truly hadn’t known about such a custom; she only wanted to tell him that she had bought a mask just like his.
Should she explain it to him?
The thought had barely surfaced before Yaoying dismissed it. Su Dan Gu had only glanced at her a few times without any further reaction—he might not have given it a second thought. Deliberately explaining would only make things awkward.
A person like him, free from attachments, wouldn’t care about a mask on her face.
So there was no need to explain.
Having reasoned this through, Yaoying didn’t hide her mask. After getting off the carriage, she intended to discuss Yuchi Damo and Haidu Aling’s meeting with Su Dan Gu when a figure approaching from the corridor caught the corner of her eye. She paused, then broke into a delighted smile.
“A-Qing!”
Xie Qing stepped forward, saluting Yaoying stiffly and expressionlessly, her demeanor respectful and solemn.
Beaming from ear to ear, Yaoying hurried into the corridor, taking Xie Qing’s hand to examine her closely. “Are your injuries healed?”
Xie Qing replied, “Your Highness need not worry. I am much better.”
Still concerned, Yaoying stood on tiptoe, leaning closer to scrutinize her complexion.
Xie Qing was stubborn by nature, never complaining of hardship or fatigue. Rain or shine, she rose early every day to practice her sword skills, her hands covered in calluses. This time, she had suffered severe injuries while saving Jin Bo, forcing her to flee the city to recuperate. Xie Chong and the others said she had taken a sword strike for Jin Bo, was drenched in blood, and remained unconscious for a full day before waking. They had feared the worst—how could such serious injuries heal so quickly?
In the dim lamplight, Xie Qing’s face remained composed, her back straight. Yaoying couldn’t tell if her injuries had truly healed.
“A-Qing, I am very safe now. With General Su here, nothing will happen to me. Focus on recovering properly—don’t push yourself. Lingering health issues would be troublesome. Aren’t martial artists like you most wary of injuries and illnesses?”
Xie Qing’s expression remained wooden as she stated solemnly, “I am healed and can return to protect Your Highness.”
Knowing it was futile to persuade her, Yaoying sighed and glanced around, hoping to consult Su Dan Gu, but he was nowhere in sight.
He seemed to have walked past her earlier, but she had been too preoccupied with Xie Qing to notice.
Yaoying turned back and continued speaking softly with Xie Qing.
As they conversed, guards and attendants moved about the courtyard. A gaze fell upon them, lingering for a long time on Yaoying’s tightly clasped hands with Xie Qing.
Sensing something unusual, Yaoying looked up.
Yuanjue stood deep in the corridor’s corner, his grayish-brown eyes fixed gloomily on her hands, a cold smirk at his lips and a faint trace of anger on his face.
Noticing her glance, he snapped back to awareness, his expression vexed, and turned away with a sharp pivot before striding off.
Yaoying was bewildered: Why was Yuanjue angry when she was only talking to Xie Qing?Among the personal guards around Tanmoroqie, those led by Bore regarded her as if she were the naked demoness from the "Subduing Demons Transformation" trying to seduce Shakyamuni, openly displaying their utter contempt for her. Only Ashina Bisha and Yuanjue had treated her politely from the start. Over the past few days, Yuanjue had grown increasingly familiar with her, his attitude becoming more respectful—so why had he suddenly turned hostile?
Could he have argued with Xie Qing?
Yaoying couldn’t figure it out and set the matter aside for now, focusing instead on questioning Xie Qing in detail about the events at the post house that day.
Xie Qing’s voice was hoarse as she replied, “After you warned me to protect Jin Bo, Princess, I kept an eye on his movements. The assassins among the dancers were the first wave. His guards and I dealt with them, but it turned out his own guards were the real assassins. Jin Bo was caught off guard and nearly fell into their trap. I saved him, but our commotion drew too much attention, so we had to retreat from the city. In the days that followed, the city was under strict lockdown, with checkpoints everywhere. Old Qi and the others couldn’t contact you, Princess. Now that the surveillance has eased, I was worried about your safety and came into the city as soon as my injuries allowed.”
Yaoying asked, “What about Prince Jin Bo? Are his injuries severe?”
A flicker of disgust crossed Xie Qing’s face. “He only suffered minor wounds. The Royal Court’s men escorted him back to the Northern Rong. He was tearfully grateful, swearing he would repay the Buddha Prince’s life-saving grace someday.”
Xie Qing seemed reluctant to discuss Jin Bo further, so Yaoying did not press the matter.
Jin Bo was Wahan Khan’s most beloved youngest son. Having narrowly escaped death in Gaochang, he would undoubtedly suspect Haidu Aling first. Now that he had returned to the Khan's court to lodge a complaint, how would Wahan Khan respond?
Anyone else would have been enraged, executing Haidu Aling to avenge their son. In that case, internal strife would plague the Northern Rong, giving her and Yang Qian’s people an opportunity to bypass the blockade and send messages.
Unfortunately, Wahan Khan was not that kind of man.
In his youth, Wahan Khan had been wise, decisive, and exceptionally courageous, enabling him to lead an obscure Turkic sub-tribe to rise, conquer the northern deserts, and annex the Western Regions. For decades, he campaigned north and south, sweeping through dozens of cities with few defeats. Such success bred arrogance and recklessness, leading to a devastating defeat at the hands of the young Dharmaraga, whom the world viewed as a puppet emperor. Not only did he lose a large number of elite troops, but he also had to abandon his position and disguise himself as a common soldier to escape. The humiliation left him deeply scarred, making him hesitant and cautious in his actions. Coupled with internal tribal conflicts and the daily burden of resolving disputes after military duties, he became overwhelmed. Later, he stubbornly besieged the Royal Court again but gained no advantage, worsening his mental strain and gradually shifting his approach toward conservatism.
Even so, Wahan Khan remained a force to be reckoned with. How he would handle the conflict between his son and Haidu Aling was still uncertain.
Yaoying pondered for a moment before shifting her questions to the injuries of the others.
Xie Qing reported that two guards were moderately wounded, while the rest were largely unharmed.
Hearing the weakness in Xie Qing’s voice, Yaoying could tell she had not fully recovered and sent her back to her room.
Xie Qing frowned in protest.
Yaoying said, “Aqing, please help me sort through the items in these chests. I’ve been exhausted all day and can barely lift my arms.”
Xie Qing immediately complied respectfully.After dinner that night, Yaoying did not retire to bed. Instead, she picked up a brush and wrote several letters to Yang Qian, dispatching Xie Chong to deliver them overnight. She sat before the lamp, lost in thought for a while, then rose to seek out Su Dan Gu.
Su Dan Gu was also still awake, his room illuminated by a faint, cold halo of light seeping through the window.
Yuanjue stood guard outside the door. When he saw Yaoying approaching, he tilted his chin to the side, his expression less warm than usual.
Yaoying recalled the incident from their return.
"Yuanjue, is there some misunderstanding between you and Xie Qing? She has a straightforward nature and isn’t very fluent in the Hu language. If she has offended you in any way, please tell me, and I’ll apologize on her behalf."
Yuanjue’s expression stiffened. His lips moved a few times as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.
Yaoying looked at him, her eyes clear and sincere.
Yuanjue relented, scratching his head and stammering, "N-no... it’s nothing. Xie Qing hasn’t offended me. I was just momentarily out of sorts. Please don’t trouble yourself over it, Princess."
He simply felt that the princess shouldn’t be so familiar with a guard.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.
If the princess grew close to another man, wouldn’t she naturally forget the Buddha Prince? Shouldn’t he feel relieved? Then why did his heart feel like a pot of boiling water, bubbling and churning, when he saw the princess and Xie Qing pulling and tugging at each other?
In that moment, a thought flashed through his mind: Since the princess is the Buddha Prince’s Girl of Matanga, she should devote herself wholeheartedly to admiring him...
Yuanjue shook his head, snapping back to reality. If Bore knew what he was thinking, he’d probably want to dig his brains out.
Yaoying’s gaze lingered on Yuanjue’s face, confirming that he didn’t seem to be at odds with Xie Qing. She smiled and stated her purpose.
Yuanjue didn’t dare let her in directly. He turned to enter the room and announce her, then shortly after pulled the door open and invited her inside.
Only a single candle was lit in the room, casting a hazy glow. Su Dan Gu sat by the couch, his pitch-black longsword resting across his knees. An aura of cold, lethal intensity enveloped him.
Yaoying’s brows furrowed slightly.
In just an hour or two, she sensed that the killing intent around Su Dan Gu had suddenly intensified.
And he seemed even more aloof.
This was the Regent she had seen on the city tower, the one who personally executed prisoners.
She watched him. He wasn’t wearing his mask, and his green eyes lifted, sweeping briefly over her face.
"General Su?"Yaoying took a step forward, tentatively calling out."
Su Dan Gu lowered his gaze, gesturing for her to sit.
Yaoying sat opposite him and said, "I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, General. There’s something I can’t quite understand: How is it that the Northern Rong have managed to set up layer upon layer of checkpoints, intercepting everyone trying to send messages to the Central Plains?"
Yang Qian and her people would soon embark on their journey east. They would have to pass through territories occupied by the Northern Rong and navigate the checkpoints they had established. During this time, many would inevitably be discovered and lose their lives.
She hoped to consider every possible contingency before their departure, enabling them to detect dangers in time.
Saving even one life would be a victory.
Su Dan Gu had fought against the Northern Rong and should be well-acquainted with their tactics and weaknesses.
Yaoying sat upright and said, "If it is convenient for you to share, General, I would greatly appreciate your guidance."
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