...precisely when Xie Yuchan was so tactless. Cui Yi couldn't avoid her quickly enough, yet she insisted on visiting every day, practically wanting to sit on his lap and never leave. It was driving him crazy.
Xie Yuchan entered the yard with two maidservants, beaming. "Brother Yingrong, I had the kitchen prepare yam lamb soup for you. It's very nourishing!"
Cui Yi had been feigning illness for months and had become quite adept at it. As soon as he heard her voice, he slumped into his chair and rubbed his temples, looking as if he were about to die of weakness.
Xie Yuchan, concerned, approached the general's couch, holding a bowl of thick soup served by a maid. "The doctor said that eating lamb in winter is most suitable. Come, eat while it's hot."
Cui Yi stared at the large bowl of dark broth, internally beating his chest and tearing his hair out. He couldn't show it, so he weakly said, "Put it aside for now. I'll eat it later."
"No, you must eat it while it's hot. Let me feed you," Xie Yuchan insisted stubbornly. Seeing him not eating, she scooped up a spoonful and tried to feed him. The journey from the palace to the government office took no more than half an incense stick's time, and the soup pot was wrapped in cotton quilts, almost as hot as freshly cooked. Cui Yi nearly spat it out, hurriedly covering his mouth and pushing back.
Xie Yuchan asked eagerly, "How does it taste?"
Cui Yi swallowed the oddly flavored soup painfully, his tongue almost unable to straighten. He mumbled, "It's... fine. I'll eat it myself! I'll eat it myself!" If she continued feeding him like this, even tonic would turn into deadly poison.
Baili Zan, draped in piles of documents, commented calmly, "This flavor suggests that the Princess Consort added many good ingredients, didn't she?"
Xie Yuchan proudly replied, "Of course, Brother Yingrong is the Prince; he must have the best—Brother Yingrong!" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw blood flowing from Cui Yi's nostrils, screaming in fright, "Brother Yingrong, what happened? Why are you bleeding? Don't scare me! How do you feel? Is anything wrong?"
Cui Yi quickly pinched his nose and said nasally, "The weather is too dry... a bit... overheated." The maidservants scrambled to bring warm water to clean him and used silk handkerchiefs to stop the bleeding.
"While you're busy, let me check the soup," Baili Zan said, dipping his finger into the pot. He burst out laughing, "No wonder he bled from over-nourishment."
Xie Yuchan glared at him, "I warn you, don't steal any!"
Baili Zan waved his hands defensively, "Princess Consort, you misunderstand. I'm not that desperate."
At that moment, Cao Qian rushed in from outside, exclaiming joyfully, "Your Highness! We found her! We found the Lady!"
Baili Zan immediately gestured, "Shh!!"
But Cao Qian's voice was loud enough for Xie Yuchan to hear. She stood up abruptly, "What? Who did you find?" Noticing her presence, Cao Qian lowered his head and remained silent. Xie Yuchan erupted in anger, "What's going on? You've been secretly searching for that sl*t behind my back? Do you still respect me as the Princess Consort?"
"Princess Consort, please understand," Baili Zan pleaded desperately. After working so hard to keep it secret, Cao Qian's big mouth had ruined everything. He quickly tried to cover up, "His Highness is actually hunting down the Lady because although she was an insider sent by Changsun Tai, the little princess is still His Highness' flesh and blood. How could we just watch her being taken away and live in exile?"
Xie Yuchan sneered, "Flesh and blood? If she was an insider, how could she willingly bear children for His Highness? That girl must be a b*st*rd child born to another lover—"
A resounding slap echoed through the room, sending Xie Yuchan flying over the desk like a broken kite. Her tender cheek instantly swelled with the imprint of five fingers, leaving her completely stunned.
Baili Zan almost cried, "Your Highness..."
Cui Yi roared like a volcano erupting, "Chain her up and throw her into the dungeon! And those two maidservants too!"
"Your Highness, you can't do this!"
"If anyone says another word, they go in too!"
Soldiers waiting outside immediately rushed in, binding Xie Yuchan and the two maidservants tightly. The maidservants screamed and cried, but Cui Yi forced each of them to drink half a bowl of the scalding tonic soup. Finally, the room fell silent.
After they were led away, Cui Yi sighed deeply, feeling refreshed. "Zhonghang just mentioned finding the Lady. Where is she?"
Cao Qian quickly replied, "Your Highness, our scouts discovered several Busha people in Gan Prefecture city. They studied the wanted posters closely and whispered among themselves. We followed them to the Busha settlement near Selun River, and indeed, both the Lady and the little princess were there!"
"What are you waiting for? Gather a thousand men and follow me to bring the Lady home!"
As Cui Yi prepared to leave, Baili Zan asked worriedly, "Your Highness, what should we do about the Xie family after imprisoning the Princess Consort?"
Cui Yi pointed at him, "You're my chief strategist. Such trivial matters don't need my input. Handle it yourself."
"Ai—" Before Baili Zan could say more, Cui Yi dashed off like he was rushing to reincarnate.
Cao Qian sympathetically clasped his hands, "Sir, take care."
Baili Zan turned to find noodles, deciding to hang himself.
That evening, Cui Yi led a thousand soldiers out of Yan Prefecture, heading south along the Yan Gui mountain range towards the Borjigit grassland outside Juxia Pass in Gan Prefecture.
Meanwhile, in the Busha tribe, Chi Ying finally made up her mind.
The night-time grassland was illuminated by bonfires. Young Busha girls danced with tambourines and sand bells, their skirts fluttering in rhythm with the music from horsehead fiddles and Qiang flutes. Their smiling faces bloomed with youthful vigor.
A young man knelt before his beloved, singing love songs. The girl responded openly, and everyone around the fire clapped.
Bo Muer sat beside someone's cowshed, his thin lips reflecting the firelight. He seemed lost in thought.
"The Borjigit grassland is vast and open, and its children are as passionate and bold as it. They dare to love and hate freely," Chi Ying said, adjusting her braids blown by the wind, sitting beside him.
Bo Muer glanced at her, asking, "Where's Xiaonian?"
Chi Ying smiled, "She's asleep. Sangduo is watching her. Why aren't you drinking? Sitting here alone."
Bo Muer nodded absentmindedly without answering, continuing to stare blankly.
Chi Ying leaned against the cattle pen, gazing far into the grassland, "I've seriously considered that running away isn't solving problems. What needs to be faced must be faced."
"And your decision is?"
"I've decided to go back."
Bo Muer looked at her, trying to detect any hint of joking in her expression but failed. So he simply said, "Okay."
Chi Ying sighed, "Returning might mean being executed as a traitor, but it's inevitable. As the saying goes, 'a father's debt is paid by his son.' My father's sins will be avenged upon me, which seems fair. More importantly, staying here is unfair to you. I'm not as good as you think. I'm actually... quite foolish."
Bo Muer frowned slightly, "Why do you say that?"
"I married the Wu King initially to use him as a counterbalance against the Crown Prince, hoping to ensure my parents' safety. But driven by power and interests, they betrayed me, expelling me from the capital and handing me over to my rival's family to be tormented. Even so, I couldn't stand by and watch them die. As long as I remain by the King's side, the Emperor won't harm my family... oh, he's the Emperor now."
Bo Muer calmly said, "If you're worried about your parents' safety, I can bring them to the grassland. The Busha people are peaceful and uninvolved. Only here can you live without fear."
Chi Ying smiled gratefully but helplessly, "My father wouldn't agree. He spent his entire life striving to be the emperor's father-in-law. He even abandoned me for that. How could he give up his high rank and wealth to live with sheep and grasslands? Moreover, I no longer just use the King. I genuinely wish him well, happiness, and success."
"What about you?" Bo Muer interrupted, "What do you want?"
Chi Ying was silent for a long time before replying, "I want nothing. I don't even know when I'll die. Maybe three years from now, on New Year's Eve, will be my end. Until then, I just want to keep my family away from death and suffering."
Bo Muer nodded slowly, "I understand. After the Drum Festival ends in three days, I'll take you back to Gan Prefecture."
However, fate was unpredictable. While Cui Yi hurried to Selun River, Chi Ying left with Bo Muer through Juxia Pass. They narrowly missed each other.
The Busha people were extremely unwelcoming towards the Han Chinese prince leading an army. Anyone would react negatively to strangers showing up with weapons. Fewer than a hundred Busha knew fluent Chinese, and everyone pretended ignorance, pointing and chattering in their native language. Cui Yi could only stare helplessly.
The standoff lasted a day. The next morning, a pigeon from Baili Zan arrived. Cui Yi read the note detailing how to handle uncooperative Busha and memorized the script. Without finishing breakfast, he left the tent.
The Yan Prefecture troops camped close to the Busha winter grounds. It took less than the time to brew a cup of tea to reach the village. Cui Yi went alone with Cao Qian. Busha youths armed with crossbows blocked their path, speaking in their local dialect.
"I come in peace, merely to reunite with my wife and daughter who are stranded here. Everyone has loved ones. Can't you understand the longing?" Cui Yi recited from memory.
A Busha youth spoke halting Chinese, "You come to take wife home, why bring so many soldiers?"
Cui Yi continued, "Chu and Northern Di have been enemies for generations. I am a thorn in the Di's side. How could I come alone? Today, I came with only one trusted aide, showing my sincerity."
The youths conferred briefly, one responding, "There's no wife here. Please return."
Cui Yi raised an eyebrow, "My scouts saw your tribesmen studying wanted posters and followed them here. They confirmed my wife and daughter are here. Is there a Han woman with a baby girl among you? That's my missing family."