Li Yuangui had grown up in the deep confines of the palace, where he had—intentionally or not—seen countless women's bodies in the daily routines of life. Yet the two figures appearing in the guest room of Sart Kang Su-mi's residence instantly made his face burn and his hands and feet fumble in awkwardness.
Both were young and beautiful foreign girls, their attire "decent" by all accounts. The taller one appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, her tawny hair tied back and fastened with an emerald headband, her green eyes shimmering with laughter and dimples. She wore the common foreign-style robe of the time, with a small upturned collar, intricate brocade trimmings along the edges and cuffs, and a dazzling golden belt at her waist. Only... the robe itself, which reached down to her shins, was made of sheer gauze, and under the dim candlelight, everything was faintly visible.
The other girl was much younger, barely fifteen or sixteen, with black hair cascading over her shoulders and the same high-nosed, deep-eyed features of a foreign girl. She wore a thin silk skirt and jacket, though her looks paled in comparison to her older companion, and she followed along timidly. The tawny-haired foreign girl stepped forward with a radiant smile, curtsying to the host and guest as she spoke in accented tones: "Your servants, Mi Wei and Fen Dui, at your service."
Her stiff pronunciation carried a distinct foreign lilt, adding an exotic charm. Li Yuangui's face burned even hotter as he struggled to tear his gaze away from her, turning instead to the grinning Kang Su-mi.
"Sart Kang, this... isn't quite appropriate."
"Ah, Fourteenth Young Master, no need for formalities with old Kang here," the foreign merchant smoothly shifted from addressing him as "Your Highness" to the more familiar "Fourteenth Young Master." "These are just household maids, very obedient. How could a noble like you grace my humble home without servants to attend to you? Mi Wei, why are you just standing there?"
At the master's command, the tawny-haired foreign girl Mi Wei responded with a smile, kneeling before Li Yuangui and reaching to untie his waistband. The younger black-haired girl Fen Dui moved to help Yang Xinzhi undress, while other servants brought in a large basin of hot water to assist the two in washing.
The room quickly filled with steam and lively chatter. Amidst his flustered state, Li Yuangui faintly heard Kang Su-mi's laughter: "Fourteenth Young Master and Yang Dalang should rest early... don't overexert yourselves..." The old foreign merchant then vanished without another word.
A pair of jade-like arms wrapped around his neck as the tawny-haired beauty Mi Wei gazed up at him with sparkling green eyes, her intentions unmistakable.
Li Yuangui felt his heart waver, but as he lowered his head, an overpowering bodily odor struck his nose, instantly sobering him.
This alluring woman was nearly as tall as he was, and with their faces so close, he could now see the dense freckles beneath her heavy makeup, the fine golden hairs on her chin and upper lip, and the pungent body odor that even her perfumed robes couldn't mask. Disgusted, he pushed her away.
Mi Wei, confused, tried several times to resume her attentions while assisting with his bath, only irritating Li Yuangui further. It was Yang Xinzhi, having served him long enough to understand his lord's preferences, who stepped in with a grin and led the tawny-haired foreign girl away, instead pushing the timid black-haired girl toward Li Yuangui.
This girl, named Fen Dui, was far more reserved in her demeanor, and Li Yuangui relaxed as she quietly helped him undress, remove his boots, and wash his face and feet. Collapsing onto the bed, he felt as though every bone in his body had dissolved from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Yang Xinzhi's laughter continued unabated, the two already inseparable.
"Yang Da! Keep it down!"Li Yuangui was seething with anger and couldn't help but raise his voice in reprimand. They were guests in a stranger's house, and they hadn't even begun discussing serious matters yet. That old fox Kang Su-mi had presented maids to serve them—who knew what schemes or requests he had in mind? How could they so brazenly indulge themselves?
"My lord, have mercy," suddenly spoke the black-haired girl kneeling before his bed, her voice soft and low. "Our master ordered us to attend to the young gentlemen for the night. If we fail to please you, our master will surely punish us severely... I beg for your kindness."
Her words implied that if Li Yuangui and his servant refused the two foreign girls, the girls would be beaten and abused the next day. Recalling the late-night wails he had heard earlier in the courtyard, Li Yuangui felt a chill in his heart.
Merchants traveling between the Central Plains and the Western Regions traded not only in silk, gold, silver, and spices but also in slaves and livestock. The harsh deserts were fraught with dangers, frequented by natural disasters and human calamities. These merchants were accustomed to bloodshed and death, often treating their slaves with extreme cruelty when tempers flared.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Yang Xinzhi, by the screen, managed to free his face and gasped out to Li Yuangui:
"Fourteenth Young Master, don't play the overly righteous fool... Look..."
The blond foreign girl in his arms had already bared most of her back. Under the light, dozens of faint red whip marks crisscrossed her skin. Though long healed, the scars were still shocking to behold. A few strands of curly, light brown hair fell messily down her back, making her appear even more pitiful.
Li Yuangui lowered his gaze to the young foreign girl before his bed. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, tied back with a headband, and her clothes were still neat. As if sensing his thoughts, she gently lifted the gauzy sleeve at her elbow, revealing three coin-sized burn marks on her forearm—clearly branded there deliberately.
With a long sigh, Li Yuangui abandoned the idea of sending the two girls away. He decided to let them stay the night... But though the room now held only the two men and two girls, with the other servants having carried out towels and basins, there were undoubtedly still Kang family servants waiting outside the corridor. The windows were covered only with thick paper, and any movement—or lack thereof—inside would not escape the ears of those eavesdropping outside.
Mi Wei let out a startled cry, followed by a fit of giggles.
Li Yuangui glanced toward the screen and saw the tall pair becoming increasingly indecent. Well... perhaps it was for the best. With such commotion, those outside likely couldn't discern the truth of what was happening inside.
Amid his busyness, Yang Xinzhi flashed a grin at Li Yuangui:
"Fourteenth Young Master, rest easy... Xinzhi is loyal to the state—how could I spare myself?... Leave this task to me... I'll charge ahead first, and you can follow later..."
"Follow your big-headed ghost!" Li Yuangui snapped irritably, unable to bear the sight of such disgrace. "Get lost!"
Yang Xinzhi laughed heartily, carrying the girl behind the screen, but not before nudging his chin toward Fen Dui, still kneeling by the bed, as if urging Li Yuangui not to "waste the opportunity."
Li Yuangui sighed again. The black-haired foreign girl looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Her face flushed, and she quickly lowered her head in timid fright, her small hands clutching her skirt and clenching into fists, seemingly even more nervous than Li Yuangui.
The girl's skin was as white as snow, with deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge—undoubtedly of foreign descent. Yet her hair and eyes were jet black, and she spoke fluent Chinese with only a slight Western accent. "Fen Dui" was a common nickname among Han people in Hexi at the time, and she seemed likely to be of mixed Han and foreign heritage."Are you Kang Sabao's family-born servant, or were you purchased by him?" Li Yuangui asked her.
Fen Dui lowered her head further and replied softly, "This servant only came to the master's household at the end of last year and has not yet learned proper service. Please forgive this offense, my lord..."
"Where is your hometown? Who taught you such fluent Han speech?"
The dark-haired girl raised her head and bit her lip, her expression a mix of anguish, fear, and a trace of defiance. Tears welled up in her eyes. Li Yuangui suddenly found her expression familiar—he had seen it more than once, always when he questioned women about their origins, met with the same hesitant reluctance to speak.
"My lord inquires, and this servant does not wish to lie... but..."
Fen Dui glanced toward the window, her meaning clear—she feared someone outside might be eavesdropping. In truth, she worried needlessly. Behind the screen, Yang Xinzhi and Mi Wei were making such a commotion that the girl's whispered words would never carry beyond the room.
Li Yuangui forced himself to focus, sitting cross-legged on the bed and leaning closer to Fen Dui.
"Was one of your parents Han?"
The girl nodded, her eyes reddening as a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.
"This servant's birth mother was surnamed Liao. She was originally the daughter of a prominent family in Wuwei, Hexi—educated and well-mannered, betrothed to a noble household of the region..."
It turned out her maternal grandfather had once served as the governor of Wuwei under the former Sui dynasty. During the chaos of the Sui's collapse, her family was ravaged by roving bandits and displaced refugees. Her mother drifted to Dunhuang, where she was sold as a servant to a merchant of Hu descent, and there gave birth to Fen Dui. Her father had doted on both mother and daughter, and Fen Dui had grown up learning to read and write under her mother's guidance. A good marriage had even been arranged for her—until two years prior, when the Tuyuhun, Gaochang, and Turks joined forces to raid the four commanderies of Hexi. Fen Dui's family was destroyed, her loved ones lost, and she herself was sold into servitude, changing hands several times before ending up with Kang Su-mi at the end of last year.
In these chaotic times, human life was worth less than a dog's. Though her story was tragic, it was hardly unusual—among servants, it was almost commonplace. Fen Dui recounted it without much emotion, quietly wiping away her tears with her shawl, over and over, with practiced despair.
"Slave-born bastard!"
The cold, scornful voice of Consort Yin suddenly sliced through Li Yuangui's mind, sending a chill down his spine as if a basin of snow water had been dumped over his head. It was the curse she had spat at him after his mother hanged herself in her chambers. Stricken with grief, he had barely regained his senses before charging toward the Great Peace Hall, intent on killing Consort Yin—only to witness the vile woman taking away his younger half-sister. Two or three guards held him immobile, and in his helpless fury, that single venomous insult had lodged in his heart like a steel blade.
His birth mother, Lady Zhang, had originally been one of Consort Yin's palace maids before gaining favor and bearing a son, earning her a title. Among his brothers, many had mothers who had also risen from servitude, and he had never thought much of it—until he realized how intensely Consort Yin despised him and his family, and how his own mother had cowered before her like a mouse fleeing a cat. In the end, it was a conversation with Yin Shi that had driven her to despair and suicide...
The night had deepened to its darkest hour, and dawn could not be far off. Exhausted in body and spirit, Li Yuangui wanted nothing more than to shut out the world. He collapsed onto the bed, pulled the covers over himself, and closed his eyes to sleep. Behind the screen, Yang Xinzhi and Mi Wei seemed to have finished as well, their noises gradually quieting.
As the world spun around him, he could not tell who had blown out the candles in the room.Li Yuangui slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking, though he still hadn’t slept enough. In his dreams, countless bolts of lightning had split the heavens, striking him one after another, leaving his ears ringing and limbs numb. A great thunderbolt crashed right above him, jolting him awake—its lingering power still reverberated:
"Boom—hrrrrrrr—"
Li Yuangui steadied himself, and the thunder sounded again—this time not in his dreams, but from the outer chamber.
Ah... Yang Rou-ta was still fast asleep. After last night’s pleasures, he was thoroughly satisfied, snoring loud enough to shake the earth.
The two beautiful foreign girls, however, were nowhere to be seen. Li Yuangui pushed aside the covers and sat up, rubbing his eyes. As he moved, the outer door creaked open, and Kang Su-mi’s laughter drifted in.
The old foreign merchant entered with five or six servants in tow, among them Mi Wei and Fen Dui, while others carried a breakfast table. A large silver tray held golden-fried cold pastries twisted like arm bracelets, steaming lamb-stuffed buns piled high, and a large pot of sour milk curds. Yang Xinzhi also startled awake and scrambled out of bed. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries with Kang Su-mi, the master and servant joined him for breakfast in the outer hall beyond the screen.
Other servants busied themselves tidying the bedroom, while the two foreign girls knelt by the table to serve. Both were now dressed primly and properly, showing no trace of last night’s allure. Yet Kang Su-mi wasted no time, pointing at them and asking Li Yuangui, "Did these two lasses serve Your Highness well?"
Under the pleading gazes of their green and black eyes, Li Yuangui’s face warmed again, and he could only nod vaguely and mutter, "Very well." The old merchant seized the opportunity, laughing heartily. "Both are blessed to serve a descendant of dragons and phoenixes—it brings honor to my whole clan. If Fourteenth Young Master doesn’t mind, take them back to your residence as my humble tribute."
Li Yuangui was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Kang Su-mi to be so generous—especially since the golden-haired Mi Wei was dazzlingly beautiful, exactly the type favored by wealthy Han nobles. If sold in the Western Market, she could fetch a fortune.
As a prince, it wasn’t unusual for foreign merchants like Kang Su-mi to curry favor by gifting slaves or land. However, he currently resided in the Great Peace Palace, and bringing servants back to the Seventeenth Prince's Residence required explanations, inquiries, and paperwork—a hassle he had little patience for. Moreover, foreign merchants were notoriously cunning; any girls placed by his side would almost certainly be spies. Why invite such trouble?
"These two beauties must be the Sart’s favorites. Yuangui wouldn’t dare take what you cherish—your kindness is appreciated..."
Before Li Yuangui could finish his refusal, Kang Su-mi waved his hand and laughed. "Your Highness, no need for modesty! The Son of Heaven’s younger brother gracing my humble home is an immense honor. If you refuse my gift, you’re saying I’ve been discourteous!"
"You flatter me, Sart..."
"Besides," the old merchant leaned in, clasping his hands apologetically, "my household reported urgent trouble in Songzhou this morning—it’s a blazing mess demanding my presence. I must leave the city today and regret I can’t accompany you further!"Though his Chinese was heavily accented with a Shu dialect, his meaning was quite clear. Li Yuangui was startled—the Tang army had divided into six routes to attack Tuyuhun, with the Chi River Route Commander Li Daoyan and Salt Marsh Route Commander Gao Zēngshēng both relying on Songzhou for rear support. When Kang Su-mi said "Songzhou has big trouble," could it mean the Tuyuhun campaign had taken another turn for the worse?
#####Chapter 9 Appendix explains the origins and appearances of two foreign girls' names. The book platform doesn't support image functions—please visit the author's Weibo to view them. Search for the ID "Tang Dynasty Travel Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo. Welcome to discuss.
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