In a vast, snowy field, Xue Feiyan stood straight, his cloak snapping in the wind. One hundred and twenty paces away stood a target. He held a longbow in his hand.
"You're saying my fifth brother put Murong Jin under house arrest?" he asked, nocking an arrow.
"Yes." Ling Yan stood behind him, dressed in black, her long hair whipping in the wind.
A small smile touched his lips. He focused on the target, drew the string, and released. The arrow was a streak of light, striking the bullseye with a solid thud.
"Well?" he asked, turning to her, his smile bright against the snow.
She looked away. "My lord's archery has always been excellent."
Her detached, almost emotionless response made him sigh. He was trying so hard to bring her back into the light, to have her stand beside him as a woman, not a shadow. But he could feel her pulling further away.
He set the bow on its rack and walked to her side. "This time on the frontier… your cough, it hasn't worsened?"
"No, my lord." She took a step back, her heart quickening.
But he followed, stepping close and pulling her into his cloak, wrapping it around her small frame. "I told you to wear a cloak," he chided.
"A cloak impedes movement," she answered crisply. Even if she could no longer move like a ghost, she would not be a burden. If danger came, she would still fulfill her duty as the leader of Night Blade.
"You stubborn girl," he said, his arms tightening around her. "All these years, and you haven't changed a bit."
She just pressed her lips together, her head bowed. His scent was all around her. The wind was so fierce, but it couldn't tear through the tenderness of his embrace.
"Tell me, what do you make of Murong Jin's confinement?" he asked, walking slowly with her through the snow.
"All of Jindu knows the Fifth Prince took a concubine. This subordinate believes it is a simple domestic matter."
"Oh?" he asked, his tone light, as if they were discussing common gossip.
She glanced at him. "When the Fifth Prince fought over Die Man, everyone knew he was infatuated. Now he has married her. With Murong Jin's temperament, a fight was inevitable. And when the wife and the concubine fight, a man will always side with the one he loves."
"Not entirely wrong," he nodded, then smiled. "But you've overlooked one thing."
"What?"
"Murong Jin is pregnant," he said, a knowing look in his eyes. "That is why he has confined her."
What? She stared at him, confused by his logic.
"There are many ways to protect someone. Sometimes, it can even look like harm." He gave a small, sad laugh. "The day I injured Murong Jin in the prison, I knew she meant something to him. I have never, in all my life, seen that kind of panic in my brother's eyes. But I saw it that day."
"So, my lord means… he's confined her to protect her? To keep the outside world from getting to her, and her from getting out?" She finally understood.
"And so, Ling Yan, the saying 'time reveals a person's heart' is not just an empty phrase," he said, looking at her pointedly. "And one should not pretend not to understand, don't you think?"
"I…?" She was speechless. Is he reprimanding me for my avoidance? But my lord, I can no longer help you. All I can do is not be a burden.
Just then, a Yanyun soldier approached.
"Seventh Prince, the Khan requests your presence."
They were in a Yanyun military camp on the border. Xue Feiyan had thought he was being sent to accept their surrender. He hadn't expected to be drawn into a month-long stalemate. The Yanyun were willing to talk peace, but only if the dynasty paid an annual tribute of two million taels of silver and ten thousand bolts of silk.
"I understand," he said. He and Ling Yan walked back to their tent.
"They've ignored us for a month. Why summon you now?" she asked, worried. They were deep in enemy territory.
"It means it's time to negotiate." He took off his cloak. "The Yanyun are nomads. They can't stay in one place for long, especially not in a blizzard like this."
"But they've taken Qishi Town. The taxes from that city should be enough to support them."
"Their system is not like ours. The town is just a fortress to them, not a source of income." He changed into his formal robes. "Well?"
She looked him up and down. The purple robes were regal, the jade belt emphasizing his tall, straight posture. His hair was bound in a matching crown, his face handsome, his smile bright, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
She stepped forward and carefully straightened his collar.
He watched her, then covered her cold, slender hands with his own. "Wait for me here."
She startled, pulling her hands back as if burned. "This subordinate will accompany you."
"This could be an invitation of knives. It's too dangerous." He looked at her, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. That moment of intimacy was shattered.
"It is the duty of Night Blade to protect you, my lord," she said, her voice once again cold and sharp.
He touched the soft sword at his waist. "Fine. But change your clothes."
"Change?"
"Black is too conspicuous. And if they truly intend to make a move, I don't need them to know I've brought a master assassin with me."
The new Yanyun Khan, Moke, sat staring into the fire.
"Is the Khan troubled?" his Left Pillar of State asked.
"Mm."
"The men are starving, the horses have no fodder. Of course he is troubled," the Right Pillar of State snorted. "Khan, why are we still wasting time with this Seventh Prince?"
"We are waiting," Moke said, finally looking up. "Left Pillar, the task I gave you. How goes it?"
"The men are on their way back, my lord. It will take some time."
The Right Pillar, a gruff military man, bristled. "Waiting for whom?"
Moke just looked at him.
The Left Pillar stepped in. "Right Pillar, be patient. The Khan will tell you when the time is right."
"Are you flaunting his favor, you scholar?"
"Right Pillar," Moke said, his voice cold. "This is a matter of great secrecy. That is why I cannot tell you."
"I am loyal to you! Do you think I would leak it?"
"Of course not," Moke laughed. "But you are a straightforward man. You have no city in your heart. The men from the dynasty are as cunning as foxes. They could read the entire plan from a single careless word. I am doing this to protect the mission, and to protect you."
The general's anger faded, replaced by admiration. The gaze of an eagle, he thought.
"This subordinate understands," he said, bowing. "The Seventh Prince has been summoned, as you commanded."
"Good." Moke smiled. He had been surprised by Xue Liulan. Now, it was time to see if this famously virtuous Seventh Prince was truly what he seemed.