Ashina Bisha strode up to Yaoying, having just dismounted from his horse. His face was pale and chilled, covered in the dust of travel, yet his smile remained as radiant as ever.
"Princess, I hope you’ve been well."
Yaoying lifted her veil, using her soft whip to brush the snow and mud from her long boots, her gaze settling on Bisha’s injured leg. When she had left the Holy City, he was still limping badly. The witch doctor had insisted he rest for several months—how had he recovered enough to ride so soon?
"General, has your injury healed?"
Bisha grinned, deliberately showing off by kicking his long leg. "Thank you for your concern, Princess. It’s almost fully recovered."
He looked at Yaoying, his emerald eyes brimming with gentle warmth. "I was worried about you, Princess. As soon as I recovered, I rushed here to escort you back to the Royal Court. I heard the noblemen of Gaochang are all exceptionally handsome, skilled in singing and dancing—surely you haven’t forgotten me?"
Yaoying lifted her eyes, her dark, luminous gaze resting on Bisha for a long moment before she smiled slightly.
"The weather is bitterly cold, General, and your leg injury isn’t fully healed. Let’s continue this conversation indoors."
Her voice remained soft as ever.
Bisha was momentarily speechless. Watching Yaoying’s resolute back as she turned and entered the house without hesitation, he slowly let his smile fade.
Yuanjue, who had been left standing to the side, seized the opportunity and hurried forward, asking in a hushed tone, "General, did you receive the letter?"
Bisha nodded, scanning their surroundings. "I set out three days ago and happened to receive your letter on the way. Where is the Regent?"
Ever since Yaoying and her party had departed, he had been restless, unable to eat or sleep peacefully. Several times he had wanted to set out for Gaochang, but Chima and the witch doctor had stopped him. Three days ago, guests arrived at the Holy City, and while Chima was busy hosting them, he seized the chance to slip away. He had just reached Sand City when he received the letter delivered by falcon, which only heightened his anxiety. He had ridden at breakneck speed and happened to meet them at this relay station on their return journey.
Yuanjue looked tense, his voice dropping even lower as he spoke in Brahmi, "The Regent has been keeping to himself these past few days. He’s often absent during the day but always returns at night. I didn’t dare get too close. This morning, the Regent headed east and hasn’t come back yet."
Bisha frowned deeply. "Did the Regent harm anyone?"
Yuanjue shook his head. "The Regent hasn’t harmed anyone. Only that night when he was undergoing Power Dissipation, I got too close in my panic and was shaken by his Internal Force. I suffered minor injuries, but I took a pill and recovered."
Bisha studied Yuanjue’s complexion, his expression growing grave.
Yuanjue patted his head. "Also... these past two days, Princess Wenzhao has tried speaking to the Regent, but he hasn’t responded. Strangely, Princess Wenzhao doesn’t seem to mind at all. Every day, she asks me where the Regent has gone and orders her guards to keep hot meals and flatbreads for him. She’s been doing this consistently."
Bisha’s pupils contracted sharply. "The Regent is ignoring Princess Wenzhao? How exactly? And how has Princess Wenzhao reacted? Tell me everything in detail."
Yuanjue slowly recounted the events of the past few days as he recalled them.
"No matter what Princess Wenzhao says to the Regent, he remains completely silent. Princess Wenzhao continues as usual. These last two days, the Regent has been disappearing entirely, only returning at night when Princess Wenzhao has already retired."
Bisha fell into a thoughtful silence, his brow furrowed.
No one understood better than he how terrifying Su Dangu could be when he lost control of his power. Why wasn’t Princess Wenzhao the least bit afraid?
And why... hadn’t Su Dangu shown any anger toward the Princess?In the room, Yaoying took off her cloak and fur gloves, brushed off the snow from her clothes, and peered through a narrow gap in the Felt Curtain at the door.
Bi Suo and Yuanjue were huddled together, whispering softly. She couldn’t hear what they were discussing, and even if she could, she might not have understood.
In the hall, a bright fire crackled in the hearth. Xie Qing swept the sitting platform clean and invited Yaoying to warm herself by the fire.
Yaoying’s legs were nearly numb from the cold. After leaning by the fire for a while, the soles of her feet gradually warmed, but soon a sore, swollen sensation set in—both painful and itchy.
Last year, her hands and legs had suffered from frostbite. Now, after days of braving the wind and snow, the itching had returned.
Restraining herself from scratching, Yaoying cupped a bowl of steaming lamb soup to warm her icy hands. She lifted her head and glanced at the thick Felt Curtain by the door.
A draft seeped through the cracks, leaving a puddle of melted snow on the floor.
In such bone-chilling weather, where had Su Dan Gu gone?
Spending the entire day in the wind and snow—didn’t he feel the cold?
…
After speaking for a while, Bi Suo and Yuanjue mounted their sturdy horses and, following the directions of the guards, headed east.
Bi Suo followed the tracks left by the merchant caravans but found nothing. As dusk fell and dark clouds loomed low, he sighed and turned his horse back toward the posthouse.
The courtyard was silent. The guards, exhausted from the day’s toil, had all retired. Only the hall with its lit hearth remained aglow. A large pot simmered on the stove, its broth bubbling softly.
Yaoying sat by the hearth. Hearing footsteps, she ladled a bowl of soup and handed it to Bi Suo.
"General, have some hot soup to warm up."
Bi Suo was taken aback for a moment, then strode over, took the bowl, and winced as his stiff fingers were pricked by the scalding heat.
"Where are Yuanjue and the others?"
He took a sip of the soup, gasping at the heat, then blew on the bowl and asked casually.
"I’ve had them settle down. Ah Qing is keeping watch tonight." Yaoying poked at the embers in the hearth with a pair of tongs, the crimson flames casting a glow on her strikingly beautiful face. "General, were you just out looking for the Regent?"
Bi Suo grunted in affirmation, then, as if remembering something, let his gaze linger on Yaoying’s graceful silhouette.
"Princess, staying up so late—are you waiting for the Regent?"
Yaoying looked up, meeting Bi Suo’s green eyes directly. She nodded, then shook her head.
"I’m also waiting for General Ashina."
Bi Suo was stunned.
Yaoying held his gaze. "General, earlier you said you came to Gaochang despite your injuries to escort me back to the Royal Court. Were those words sincere, or were you just placating me?"
Her eyes were clear and gentle, without any hint of accusation, yet Bi Suo found this more unbearable than a stern interrogation.
He nearly dropped the soup bowl, guiltily averting his eyes.
Yaoying smiled faintly and withdrew her gaze.
"I understand. You came to Gaochang for the Regent, for the Royal Court—not for me."
Bi Suo stammered, his face flushing with heat.
Yaoying gazed at the flickering flames in the hearth and spoke slowly, "Since I found myself at the Royal Court, aside from the Buddha Prince, you have also shown me much kindness. The people of the Royal Court harbor animosity toward Han Chinese, yet you claimed to regard me as a friend and worked tirelessly to save my guards. I am deeply grateful to you, General. I believe you mean me no harm and consider you a friend as well. I know you are charming and accustomed to bantering with young ladies, with admirers lining up from the palace gates to the city gates. Such sweet words to please women come easily to you…"A crackle burst from the stove.
Bi Suo’s handsome face grew increasingly flushed.
Yaoying turned to look at him, her expression serious, and asked, “Forgive my boldness, General, but I must ask—do you harbor feelings of admiration for me?”
Bi Suo had encountered many women—bold and unrestrained, shy and demure, fiery and willful. He had flirted everywhere, leaving behind a trail of romantic entanglements, and on several occasions, things had escalated into chaos. The most humiliating incident was when four or five women cornered him in an alley, demanding to know why he had betrayed them.
Yet even that situation paled in comparison to the awkwardness he felt now.
Facing Yaoying’s limpid, shimmering eyes, Bi Suo was so embarrassed he wished he could vanish into the ground.
He had deceived the princess.
Yaoying gave a faint smile. “I understand your answer, General. There’s no need for you to feel troubled. It was my own overthinking—it has nothing to do with you.”
Bi Suo’s mind buzzed, and he felt an overwhelming urge to crawl into a hole.
He was the one who had sweet-talked and deceived the princess, yet she claimed it was her own overthinking—both a subtle reminder to him and a graceful way to let him save face. She had brushed the matter aside so lightly, displaying a magnanimity that made him deeply ashamed.
From then on, he would never dare to flirt with the princess again.
Filled with guilt and a sense of defeat, Bi Suo slumped by the stove, cradling his soup bowl, his head drooping listlessly.
Yaoying glanced at him and added a ladle of hot soup to his bowl.
Instantly reinvigorated, Bi Suo took a sip, his eyes darting playfully as he grinned and asked, “May I also presume to ask you a question, Princess?”
“You may ask, General.”
Bi Suo straightened his posture, a smile dancing at the corners of his eyes. “I am handsome, tall, and dashing, skilled in horsemanship and archery. Countless young ladies in the Royal Court admire me. During the days we spent together, did you truly not feel even the slightest stirring of affection?”
Yaoying shook her head with a soft laugh.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Bi Suo’s face. “You truly never felt anything?”
He had never been so patient in trying to win a lady’s favor!
Yaoying gazed into the stove and said quietly, “General, you know my circumstances. My homeland is thousands of miles away… I long to return soon, to reunite with my elder brother…”
She feared Li Zhongqian might encounter Haidu Aling.
When her life hung by a thread, how could she afford to indulge in romantic feelings?
Bi Suo looked at Yaoying, his heart swelling with pity. He lightly slapped his own cheek and said, “My fault for reminding you of such sorrows. May the Buddha protect you, Princess. You will surely reunite with your brother. Please do not grieve.”
Yaoying chuckled softly, exhaled deeply, and rallied her spirits. “Thanks to meeting the Buddha Prince, my situation has improved greatly. This time in Gaochang, I made many friends who, like me, yearn to return to the Central Plains. If the plan proceeds smoothly, news will soon reach Liangzhou.”
By then, she would be able to set out.
Bi Suo silently calculated in his heart. If all went well, that would be around the time when a full year had passed since Tanmoroqie took Yaoying in.
The Girl of Matanga ultimately attained enlightenment and severed her attachments. Princess Wenzhao would quietly leave the Royal Court and return to the Central Plains.
That would be best for everyone.
He thought to himself.
The two sat by the stove, speaking in hushed tones. Bi Suo drank three bowls of meat soup in succession. Outside, the wind howled beyond the felt curtain, but Su Dan Gu never appeared.
Yaoying stood up, lifted the curtain to glance at the vast, ink-black night sky, and after a moment’s thought, said, “There are naan bread and hot soup in the stove. If the Regent returns, General, please remind him.”
Bi Suo gave a vague murmur of acknowledgment.Yaoying returned to her room, extinguished the lamp, but did not sleep. Instead, she wrapped herself in blankets and dozed against the earthen wall.
After an unknown length of time, half-asleep and half-awake, she suddenly heard faint noises from downstairs. Immediately throwing on her clothes, she crept to the window facing the main hall and listened intently to the movements below.
There were murmuring voices in the hall, hushed and speaking in some strange language she couldn't understand a single word of.
One voice was deep and hoarse, sounding somewhat weary. The other was slightly clearer, speaking cautiously with utmost respect.
Shivering from the cold, Yaoying returned to her bed and wrapped the blankets tightly around herself.
Was Su Dan Gu avoiding her?
...
Downstairs in the main hall.
Bi Suo waited until deep into the night. The charcoal in the hearth had dwindled to mere ashes, and the north wind blew into the room, occasionally stirring faint red embers among the cinders.
Remembering Yaoying's words, he retrieved the naan bread and hot soup from the stove.
The clay pot was tightly sealed, and both the soup and bread were still warm.
Bi Suo lifted the lid to check - the broth was clear and light, without any scallions, ginger, or pungent spices, and the naan contained no flavored fillings.
This was different from the food prepared for other guards.
Bi Suo's heart raced for a moment.
Just then, light crunching sounds of long boots stepping on snow came from outside the door, followed by footsteps approaching the entrance. A hand lifted the felt curtain, and with a mournful howl of wind, a cold gust carrying snowflakes rushed into the hall, scattering the ashes to reveal faintly glowing embers beneath.
A cold sweat broke out along Bi Suo's spine. His chest tightened as he quietly set down the clay pot, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword as he raised his eyes.
The figure at the door stepped into the room one deliberate step at a time, his dark narrow-sleeved robe bearing traces of wind and snow.
The flickering flame of a small oil lamp cast faint light upon his face, illuminating the terrifying scars covering it and lighting up his pair of jade-green eyes.
A Yaksa face with compassionate eyes.
He looked at Bi Suo without a trace of surprise in his gaze, speaking calmly: "You've come."
The killing intent remained, but his internal force was restrained, showing no signs of raging fury.
The tension Bi Suo had carried since receiving the letter finally eased. Releasing his grip, he knelt on one knee in salute.
"My leg injury has mostly healed. I can escort the princess back to the Royal Court. The Regent may return to the Holy City first."
Su Dan Gu remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the sword at Bi Suo's waist.
Bi Suo broke out in goosebumps, sweating profusely.
This sword had been left to him by his master.
Steadying his nerves, he whispered: "Regent, you must return. Yuanjue said you nearly had an episode recently."
Su Dan Gu looked toward the hearth.
In the flickering firelight, the clay pot lay carelessly in the corner, steam still rising from its opening.
He recognized this clay pot.
His face showed no expression as he turned to leave, saying calmly: "We're still several days from Sand City. Don't let your guard down."
Bi Suo responded respectfully: "I will take good care of the princess."
The sound of hoofbeats echoed in the quiet night as Su Dan Gu mounted his horse and rode off into the distance, leaving only dust in his wake.
By the time Bi Suo looked up again, Su Dan Gu had already disappeared from view.
The night wind tore at the rolled-up felt curtain as he stared blankly into the ink-black night, his hands clenched tightly into fists.
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