Da Zhao’s customs were open. Princesses, unlike ordinary women, were by general consensus entitled to be spirited and free. The customs of the foreign peoples were only more open still — when a man and woman took a fancy to each other, one could walk into the other’s tent.
Princess Baohua’s dance had carried the atmosphere to its peak. Her public teasing of the young general had been an inspired stroke of brilliance, dissolving the earlier tension and antagonism as if it had never been.
When the dance concluded and the dancers withdrew like a receding wave, the Emperor laughingly waved Xie Yuzhang over. “My Baohua, come to Father.”
Xie Yuzhang smiled and sat at the Emperor’s side, attending him just as Li Gu attended Li Ming.
The Emperor smiled toward Chancellor Zhang. “My daughter has also grown up.” She had even learned to tease handsome young men.
Xie Yuzhang held the jade vessel and smiled as she poured wine for the Emperor. In her past life the Emperor had not called her to sit beside him, but he had said these same words. At that time she had known nothing of what was about to come and had been full of happiness.
And sure enough, once the Emperor had made that hinting remark, an elderly, powerfully-built man with a salt-and-pepper beard rose from the envoy’s seats — the lead envoy, the man who had helped negotiate this arrangement already decided upon in advance. Formalities still had to be observed before the assembled guests.
Xie Yuzhang looked up. She recognized this old man — Abuha, the Great National Preceptor whom Ashina Khan trusted implicitly, the Great Shaman of the tribe. She also remembered he was the lead envoy of this delegation — the very man who had brought her to the frontier beyond.
But she did not remember that Xia’erdan had also been among the delegation.
She could not remember much more than that. From Yunjing to beyond the frontier, the entire journey — she had buried herself in the cart, a wreck of grief, mourning what she saw as the end of her life. For the her of that time, “the distant marriage” was already the ending. She had not known then that life’s hardships had barely begun.
Throughout that journey she had been listless and dull, not falling ill but lacking the energy to deal with anyone. All external matters had been handled by Lin Fei on her behalf. As for who had been in the delegation — she had no memory whatsoever.
“Esteemed Emperor of Great Zhao.” Abuha smiled and raised his cup toward the Emperor. “I have come representing the most valiant Khan on the steppe, bearing wishes of friendship and goodwill. Today, seeing Great Zhao has such a beautiful princess, I am reminded of a saying from our steppe — the most beautiful girl should be wed to the most valiant man. On our steppe, there is no man more valiant than Ashina Khan. And this beautiful princess — I hear she is the daughter of the Empress herself, the most honored of all the princesses. Your Majesty, I have come with sincere wishes for peace. Please allow me to humbly seek this beautiful and noble princess in marriage for our valiant and wise Khan.”
Preceptor Abuha regularly presided over various ceremonies on the steppe. His official language was quite serviceable, but it had a drawn-out, ecclesiastical quality that made him sound rather theatrical. He was a good match for the court attendant at the hall entrance whose job it was to announce arrivals in that specially projected voice.
At these words, the foreign guests’ expressions did not change. The senior Da Zhao officials positioned at the front similarly showed no reaction — clearly all had known in advance. It was the younger attendants beside them who mostly showed expressions of astonishment. One particularly young one nearly leapt to his feet and was firmly pressed down by his own grandfather.
Xie Yuzhang glanced up calmly, her gaze moving to Li Ming’s table.
She saw Li Gu’s expression change.
His eyes also moved toward her. Xie Yuzhang lowered her gaze and avoided that look.
Though the matter had been decided in private long since, the Emperor did not immediately agree in front of everyone. He and the Mobei Khaganate’s preceptor exchanged a few rounds — along the lines of “my daughter is still young,” “she is my precious jewel and I cannot bear to let her go,” and so on.
Abuha responded with promises — not lacking in somewhat exaggerated praise for Ashina Khan.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Ashina Khan was an old man of an age that could have made him Xie Yuzhang’s grandfather.
Li Gu pressed his lips together, having now understood why Li Ming had said Princess Baohua was “beyond reach” and “what a pity.” He must have sought her hand and then learned the inside story in advance.
Li Gu’s hands on his knees curled into fists. Looking up at Xie Yuzhang — still as carved jade at the Emperor’s side above — a place inside him ached and choked, as though blocked by something.
A small person. He was a small, insignificant person.
Li Gu had never understood this with more depth than he did now.
In Hexi he commanded five thousand Flying Tiger soldiers and could cut down gods and annihilate Buddhas — his name alone made the foreign peoples of the steppe and desert tremble. He seemed, in some small way, to have some power. But here in this grand and magnificent hall, he understood to his very bones how powerless and lowly he truly was.
Li Gu’s fists rested on his knees, knuckles white with force — and then he heard a sweet, clear voice say, “I am willing.”
Li Gu’s head snapped up.
Xie Yuzhang had given the Emperor and the Preceptor sufficient time for their performance. When the moment felt right, she set down the jade vessel, raised her head, and called out in a bright, clear voice, “Imperial Father, your daughter is willing.”
The audience’s gaze shifted from the two main performers to Xie Yuzhang, who had been arranged to serve as background. Both the Da Zhao guests and the foreign ones looked up in surprise.
Xie Yuzhang stepped out from her seat, bowed deeply, and straightened.
“As a princess of Great Zhao, I have enjoyed all the wealth and splendor this dynasty has to offer. I have long been troubled that as a woman, I had no way to repay this. Today, having the opportunity to ease Imperial Father’s burdens — your daughter is filled with joy.”
Xie Yuzhang’s jade-pale face held a smile.
“Your daughter is willing to follow Princess Shanqi’s example — to offer this body in going to Mobei and joining the two families in alliance. Let Great Zhao and Mobei, from this day forth, be eternally bound as brothers, free from the sorrow of war.”
“My child…” The Emperor was deeply moved. His eyes shimmered with tears.
Chancellor Zhang rose, praising, “With a princess of Princess Baohua’s deep sense of righteousness and duty, this is a blessing for all of Great Zhao.”
“Imperial Father.” Xie Yuzhang looked up at the Emperor with a smile. “Imperial Father need not feel sorrow over losing this body. Since Baohua was born a princess, she ought to bear a princess’s responsibilities.”
In that other life, she had lain at her father’s feet and pleaded. He had said: you were born a princess, and should bear a princess’s responsibilities — then turned and left.
“Baohua only wishes that peace may reign across the four seas, and that all the people may live in safety and harmony.”
May the people of Yunjing and the people of Da Zhao suffer a little less in the warfare that was to come.
“May our Xie family be blessed, long-enduring, and protected from harm.”
May her younger sisters and the imperial clan — if they could be saved — live; if they must cling to survival by a thread, let them at least live long enough to meet again.
“Baohua has no other wish — only to pray that Heaven may protect our Great Zhao, and that this age of prosperity may endure forever.”
Princess Baohua Xie Yuzhang’s bowing figure burned itself into Li Gu’s vision, searing his eyes with pain.
In his ears rose the voices of all those gathered, crying out as one: “May Heaven protect our Great Zhao! May this age of prosperity endure forever!”
The image of a prosperous dynasty receiving tribute from all foreign lands — all of it in its full glory.
Li Gu’s memory of the banquet’s final moments was very hazy. He did not know how it ended, how it dispersed. When he returned to the Li residence in Zhuque Ward, he excused himself to Li Ming and walked away with long strides to his room.
This left Li Weifeng — who had been waiting up specially to hear about the excitement — entirely baffled. “What’s the matter with Eleventh?”
Li Ming was not bothered. He shook his head and said, “Princess Baohua is going to Mobei as a peace bride. He’s unhappy about it.”
Li Weifeng stared. “That Princess Baohua?”
Li Ming replied drily, “Who else would it be?”