In-Laws and Outlaws: Matrimony and Mayhem 3
"So the rules of military operations is not to count on opponents not coming, but to rely on having ways of dealing with them; not to count on opponents not attacking, but to rely on having what cannot be attacked." – Sun Zi, "Adaptations" in The Art of War (Trans: Thomas Cleary)
A/N: Not too long now everyone... the end is near...
As soon as the ceremony was over, the bride was promptly led to the nuptial chamber while guests made their way to the great hall for the wedding banquet. There was a glittering array of personages present, every single one invited to make a point about the bride and her elevation to the ranks of the nobility. The groom lingered a while among the guests, sincerely thanking each one for gracing the occasion with their presence. No personage in this guest list was more exalted than a prince of the realm. He heartily congratulated his friend and comrade-in-arms, for proving him wrong, for finally snaring the elusive flower and planting it in his own garden in blatant display to the whole world. The prince's comment was instantly rewarded by a smile from the groom who was reminded of a conversation in the past at a time when the prospect of any kind of a relationship with the woman of his dreams seemed completely out of reach.
As soon as he had performed his duty as host, the groom eagerly went to his bride who was sitting on the nuptial bed awaiting his attention. Still veiled, she had been patiently waiting, wondering what the future would hold for them. She could hear the chatter outside the room, shouts of laughter and the buzz of revelry. The wine was having its effect and the guests were getting into the spirit of things. She had, in good humour, accepted the friendly teasing of her female companions and had demurely scoffed when they playfully stated everyone's expectations for her imminent success in childbearing. It had been fortunate that no one was able to see her reaction under that veil.
The groom took his natural place by his bride. Both were obviously moved by the occasion and seemed oddly shy. Nothing was said initially although the groom slipped his hand over the bride's and grasped it with unmistakable fervor.
"Aren't you going to take the veil off?" The bride said after the silence became unbearable. "At least you should be sure that you've married the right woman."
The couple moved around to face each other and the groom slipped the veil off the bride... the woman who was now officially his fu ren… his Lady and his Wife.
"Would I not know it was you even with the veil?" He muttered wryly. "Even when you were pretending to be an escort on that island health spa, I knew the moment you spoke that it was you."
The bride made a show of being annoyed. "You've never told me that before."
"If I had said anything you'd have run away at once. I couldn't let that you do that. Also if you had run away, we'd never had that week together. All those precious moments. I had no knowledge when I'd ever see you again."
"I will never run away from you again. I swear." She promised, tightening her grasp on his hand.
"I will definitely hold you to it."
They each took a goblet of honeyed wine that had been prepared earlier and sipped from it before exchanging goblets and drinking from each other's vessels. When that was done, the groom proceeded to carefully remove the pins from the bridal headdress... one at a time, taking the time to savour every moment with his new bride.
"I want to remember every single moment of this." The young master said, as if explaining a quirk. "You in this gown, you looking as beautiful as you have always been."
The bride was pleased but didn't show it. "Who would have thought, the Young Master Yuwen Yue being so sentimental?"
"I am only sentimental about you."
The bride smiled but there were hints of tears breaking through the corners of her eyes.
When the groom was done he reached over to touch the bride's face, closing the distance between them. Reacting to the tremors emanating from his hand, the bride grasped it tenderly rubbing it against her cheek.
"You can't possibly be nervous about this. It's not exactly our first time." She said softly.
"Our first time was born out of necessity, not exactly something I would consider an achievement to boast about. Why do you think I never forced myself on you even while you were my chambermaid? To be intimate with you was reassuring and a pleasure. To be your first was my privilege. But for you to be by my side for the rest of my life is the best gift that I will ever receive you."
The words took her breath away. The bride opened her mouth to say something but nothing was forthcoming. What could she say? Anything she could say or wanted to say seemed feeble in light of this declaration.
Stroking her cheek, the groom spoke again. "But I'm not nervous."
"Then why's your hand trembling so much?"
"Because I am truly happy, my dearest, most beloved fu ren. You have made me a very happy man by staying and being part of my world. You're helping me change it little by little and perhaps together we can make it better for those who have no voice. "
"Oh…" was all she could say. There was clearly something different about the groom that evening. Something about the way he made that declaration. He was transparent with his feelings in a way that was both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. It was as if a revelation from Heaven had been given to her. It was her turn to shake. Unbearably and joyously.
Instinctively he leaned over and brushed his lips gently over hers. "It's fine, we will take this slowly."
The groom reached for the sash around the bride's robe and began to unravel it. Encouraged in spite of the looming nerves, the bride reached for his sash and followed suit.
About three weeks earlier…
A certain Miss Chu followed a line of workmen and other assorted Yue guards and Xiuli men to an unused room right at the back of the manor. All morning there were men making a beeline to the room carrying building materials in and carrying out evidence of excavation and off-cuts.
The lady was mystified by the hive of activity all around her. "Yuwen Yue, what are you doing?"
"Preparing the nuptial chamber," was the concise answer she received.
"Why? We can just use your room, can't we? Why go through the trouble and expense setting up another room?"
"Because it means a new start… not just for you, me but us." The young master was deliberately emphatic at the end of the sentence.
"It's a thoughtful gesture but highly unnecessary. You already have so much to do as is, why concern yourself with such trivialities?"
"Trivialities?" The young master glared her with some ferocity. "Xing'er, this concerns our future together. It is a matter of immense importance."
"What a strange thing to say. It's just a room. We've both slept in places far less comfortable than this."
"It's not just a room and this won't be just any ordinary occasion. We will be spending our wedding night here. This room will give us the privacy we need."
The lady wasn't sure whether to frown or to blush. The young master was being loudly indiscreet in front of the other men so she took a different tack. "You are determined to go through with this, aren't you?"
"Absolutely." The young master did seem resolute.
"Alright." Xing'er was convinced that Yuwen Yue had gone slightly insane and feverish with wedding preparations but resiged herself to the fact that there was no point in continuing this argument for its own sake. "Fine, how can I help?"
"You don't need to. I have everything under control. Don't you have things you should be doing?"
"Like what?"
"Like buying new clothes, picking jewellery, choosing cosmetics. The sort of things that women do before the wedding."
"When have you known me to care about such things? Besides I already have my wedding dress."
"Can't you at the very least make an exception for this occasion?"
"This is very important to you, isn't it?"
"Yes. It's very important that a man has a bride he can be proud of."
"Alright, I'll humour you." Chu Qiao huffed. "I'm not sure what's the point of going that far when I'm wearing a veil anyway."
Noticing for the first time the streaks of dirt and grime on his face she exclaimed, "What in heaven's name have you been doing? You look absolutely filthy and your entire face is covered with perspiration."
"Just a bit of digging here and there." He waved a hammer and chisel around to prove his point.
From inside her sleeve, Chu Qiao whipped out the handkerchief that the great general had given her and started mopping her fiancé's forehead. "You look like such a little boy in this state."
Without any warning, he grabbed her arm and carefully examined the handkerchief she was using.
Chu Qiao protested at once. "Yuwen Yue, what now?"
"Where did you get this handkerchief?" He demanded.
"Your father, the great general, gave it to me."
"He did?" The young master released her arm and frowned. "So that's what happened to it."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"It was Mother's. It was placed in her coffin before burial and then it disappeared later."
"He didn't tell you that he took it?"
"I didn't even know he was at the wake. I really thought… That man is infuriating. He should have told me." The young master was clearly exasperated with this piece of revelation.
"So the person who embroided this was… your mother?"
"Yes. She was a well-known seamstress before she had me. Her needlework was unparalleled. Even when she lost her mind, there weren't too many who could match her ability."
"That's what your father said. The person who did this was the best embroiderer in the world. But he made no mention that it was your mother."
"I don't know why that man thinks he needs to be mysterious and indifferent about everything."
"Look who's talking. Like father, like son." The lady was snickering with no small amount of satisfaction.
Before the young master could say his piece, one of the Yue guards came flying in claiming to be bringing an urgent report.
"Young Master, there's someone at the entrance of the manor heckling and causing problems for the tradesman. If we've identified him correctly, it's probably Young Master Wang Ming. He seems to be drunk."
"This early in the morning?" Chu Qiao murmured sarcastically.
The Yue guard was flustered. "He's been mentioning you by name, sir and won't leave until you personally make an appearance. Since he's a noble, the men and I don't think it's appropriate for us..."
"Alright, I'll be there soon."
After a some hesitation the Yue guard added, "I should also say that Young Master Ming is in a hostile frame of mind."
"Understood."
The lady looked annoyed. "I wonder what he wants. A storm in a teacup first thing in the morning."
"It's not hard to guess. Revenge, I imagine, for sending his father to the execution grounds."
Yuwen Yue let drop the hammer in his hand and dusted his outer garment. When he felt more presentable he took a few steps forward.
Chu Qiao stuck her arm out in front of him. "Where do you think you are going, Young Master Yue?"
"To greet my guest. Where else?"
"Shouldn't you have a sword or something?"
"Do you really think I need a sword to deal with Wang Ming?" The young master looked faintly amused. "Besides, don't I have you?"
The last comment seemed to mollify the lady. Despite the disgruntled expression, she let him pass without any further demurral. Now that he had her permission, Yuwen Yue gradually made his way to the front of the estate with Chu Qiao grumbling behind him about his general negligence and lack of concern for his own safety.
When they arrived at the entrance where the entire event was unfolding, a small crowd of bystanders had already gathered at the gate. Wang Ming was indeed in a hostile frame of mind but his drunken stupor rendered him largely ineffective in terms of physical violence. The moment Yuwen Yue stepped into view, Wang Ming came hurtling towards him with a dagger in one hand and a wine bottle in the other. Yuwen Yue comfortably stepped to one side and knocked the dagger off Master Ming's hand with ease.
"Yuwen Yue, you killed my father. Prepare to die." The Young Master Ming's declaration was decidedly slurred.
Undeterred Wang Ming made another charge towards him. But before he could get to his target, Chu Qiao stuck her leg out in his line of attack. This saw him trip over and sent him plunging head first into the ground.
"How can you kill anyone when you can't even stand straight, think straight and run straight?" With her arms folded the lady gave him a well-placed kick in his rear end, which sent him flying some distance. The entire crowd roared with laughter at the spectacle.
"Must you humiliate the man so?" With perfect equanimity, Yuwen Yue chastised. "He's already suffering."
"Why are you taking his side? He's trying to kill you."
"Not very effectively in the state he's in. Let's not kill him, shall we?"
The two of them strode over to the young successor of the Wang clan who was lying very still face down and examined him.
For the first time Chu Qiao sounded concerned. "He's not dead, is he?"
Yuwen Yue stuck a finger under the younger man's nose. "No, fortunately. He's just unconscious."
"What do we do now?"
"Wake him."
At the instructions of their young master, two Yue guards lifted the arms of the unconscious man and dragged him to the stable. They carried him to the water trough, pushed his head into it and quickly lifted him out. The entire exercise was repeated several times before the man started gasping for breath and screamed for help at the top of his lungs.
Miss Chu looked on with some satisfaction. "Well, he's awake. What now?"
"We should send him home."
"Whaaaat?" Chu Qiao was decidedly unimpressed. "Just like that? You've gone foolishly soft. What if he comes back?"
"It's fine. He can't do much damage."
"Maybe not. But he could be a waste of time." The lady wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully.
"What are you thinking?"
The lady's face brightened. "Leave him with me. This whippersnapper needs to learn a few home truths about his father and his cronies."
"Make sure he doesn't die." Young Master Yue narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
The great general, who had been watching the proceedings with keen interest, made his presence known. "I too am curious to see what Miss Chu does with Young Master Wang Ming. I will go along and ensure that nobody dies." He said this with the most serious tone of voice he could muster. Then he turned to her and winked conspiratorially.
Miss Chu tried hard not to grin. "There you go," She said to the young master,"The General will keep an eye on me. Don't worry, Yuwen Yue, we'll definitely send him home in one piece."
Watching those two go off with Wang Ming in tow, Yuwen Yue's felt his heart gradually sinking. The devil-may-care attitude of those two did not inspire much confidence that any good would come of that collaboration.
In Chang'an's most fortified prison, talk of another collaboration was taking place between half siblings. There was no love lost between the two despite attempts by either party to maintain appearances to the contrary. Xiao Ce kept up the pretence of being ignorant of his half sister's plots to unseat him through his foppish mask. On this occasion to boost the image he showed the world, he placed a scarf over his nose as he walked through the corridor that took him to his sister's cell. When their eyes met, he affected in the loudest possible way a voice of astonishment as he placed his hand over an open mouth.
"Sister, you've lost weight since I last saw you. You look so malnourished. Why haven't you been eating?"
"You left me in prison for an entire week. How could you?" exclaimed his half sister who was trying with great difficulty not to show her deep displeasure.
"It couldn't be helped. Those Wei officials just don't trust me or you," replied Xiao Ce defensively.
"Meanwhile you've been out and about enjoying yourself." Xiao Yu's speech though calm had an underlying bitterness to it
"Enjoying myself?" Xiao Ce almost choked on his saliva. "You must be joking! I'm dying of boredom, to be honest. I cannot wait to get back to Liang. The women here are dead ugly."
For the first time in ten days, Xiao Yu felt hopeful.
"Is that why you're here? We're going back to Liang?" She asked eagerly.
Xiao Ce waved his scarf around with an exaggerated air of confidence.
"Of course, the officials here have decided not to prosecute you in the interest of inter-state relations but you are no longer permitted to remain in Wei or to return. If you do, you will be killed on sight. I'll have you know that I begged and pleaded for you. I told them how distressed Father would be if he knew you were suffering here. Negotiations took a long time. They finally relented when I said I would go on a hunger strike if they didn't release you."
"Father has forgiven me? Has he changed his mind about sending me on a marriage mission?"
Xiao Ce spoke in a kindly manner and tried to reassure his half sibling. "Father is quite soft-hearted as you well know. I'm sure we can talk him out of it. The two of us together. A united front."
Despite the smiling façade she was showing, Xiao Yu was inwardly sceptical of the claims. "When do we leave?"
"This afternoon."
A good day's work had been completed. He'd sent the workman home at sundown in the hope that they would get enough rest and replenishment to do it all again the next day. In the overall scheme of things it was only just the start. Refurbishing the nuptial chamber would take time and they were operating to a ridiculously tight schedule. Yuwen Yue foresaw some late nights in his future but this would not be such night. On this particular night he felt like a bout of drinking in the great outdoors, under the moon and the constellations, under the northern sky.
He sat and listened as Yue Qi came to give his report. "We sent Young Master Wang Ming home safely. He was fine. Miss Xing'er took him to Hong Shan Yuan and showed him all the homeless children and explained to him why they were there. Then she told him about Xiao Le and Shui Zhu and the part his father played in their tragic story. During the mid-day meal, she made him feed the children as his punishment. She's still there with the children. Guards at the refugee camp have informed me that in a day or two, we may see some families coming to collect their children. As instructed, we also did some checking about Wang Ming's movements last night and this morning. Apparently he was seen drinking heavily with a man in a hooded cloak who also paid for him to stay in one of their better rooms. They talked a while but no one knows what they talked about but they did hear crying and shouting. All they can confirm is that this morning Wang Ming stormed angrily out of his room at the inn causing quite a disturbance. There was a carriage waiting for him outside the inn and he got on it. I'm assuming that it was this same carriage that dropped him somewhere in this vicinity."
"I'm now wondering if he was really drunk or if he had been drugged. He was carrying a wine bottle and so we all assumed he was drunk." The young master speculated.
"Do you think he was being manipulated?"
"Perhaps. I've made a lot of enemies in recent times due to the corruption scandal. It could be one of them that put him up to it. However…"
"What are you thinking, sir?"
"There is something strange about it. Wang Ming isn't exactly a proficient pugilist and certainly not at the level that he's able to do any real harm to me. Why him? I could think of at least half a dozen other ways for someone to come after me even in broad daylight which would be far more effective."
"That's true."
"Wang Ming could be a distraction."
"To what end?"
"That's the question worthy of a hundred pieces of gold."
At that moment Yuwen Yue heard footsteps approaching and swung around to see who it was.
"What is a question worthy of a hundred pieces of gold?"
Echoing the question was was the great general's way of announcing his approach while avoiding the accusation that he was eavesdropping. Seeing him, Yue Qi bowed respectfully and begged to be excused.
"Don't let me interrupt this intriguing conversation." The general insisted trying to prevent Yue Qi from leaving.
"It's fine, General. I've completed my report. I'm sure you and the young master have a lot to talk about. Meanwhile I have other duties to attend to."
Yue Qi bowed again and sprinted off to bolster security around the front gate.
The general scanned the scene and a whiff of alcohol emanating from the stone table reached his nostrils. It was a heaven-sent opportunity.
"A man should never drink alone if he has companions. Can I join you?"
"Suit yourself." His son spoke neither cordially nor inhospitably. As he was not averse to the idea he flung his father a cup.
The general caught it with a backhand and took a seat beside his son, who swiftly reached for the wine jar and poured his father a cup.
The general imbibed the drink with a certain amount of relish and was full of praise for the drink. "Good stuff! It's a while since I've had anything this good. But out in the border one takes what one can get. Some of the village brews aren't too bad but nothing in this league."
After some silence in which the men drank companionably, the son spoke.
"I was at the border too. For three years."
"I heard. You performed well and received the highest commendations for your efforts."
Apparently the great general had found his son in a talkative mood and took up the unspoken invitation. Undoubtedly the alcohol was weaving its spell and effectively loosening the younger man's lips. "In some ways it was the worst and best three years of my life." The young master remarked.
"How so?"
"I thought I'd lost Xing'er forever before then. It helped me to take my mind off her, shift my focus elsewhere. All the regrets I had about us… there were too many. Not being able to protect her when she needed me the most would haunt me for nights. But being out there in the border fighting for my life and for others was the distraction I was in desperate need of."
"I know what you mean."
There was a discernible softening in Yuwen Yue's disposition towards his father. Cessation of hostilities had begun days earlier and it seemed that his father's attempts to reach out to him was chipping away at his sullen reticence.
Yuwen Yue downed another cup before saying, "Why didn't you tell me that you came back for Mother's wake?"
"Because… because I couldn't face her… and I couldn't face you either. I didn't want to justify myself to you because there was nothing to justify. Mostly I didn't want you to follow my path."
"Why not? Isn't it every father's wish to see his son emulate him? To bring glory to his family?"
"Your mother is the reason why I didn't want you to follow me into the military. It's enough for one woman to have to suffer the way she did. Mind you, she never complained but I knew she felt lonely."
For the first time in a long time, the son faced his father squarely and looked him in the eye. "Did you love my mother?"
"Yes... I did." The father hesitated. "I know it's hard for you to understand, I don't expect you to but I cared about her very much. It's been my greatest regret that I couldn't be the man I needed to be for her sake."
Both men basked in the quietness of the surrounds save for the water falling in the background. Confessions made… the son finally privy to his father's heart.
"But it's different for you, Yue'er," The father continued after the silence. "My choices don't have to be yours. My path isn't yours. Miss Chu is a loyal and kind-hearted woman. You could have done a lot worse."
"I am surprised." The son commented, not looking especially surprised.
"What about?"
"That you don't object to her. That you're so trusting."
"I pride myself on being a good judge of character and she's someone I wouldn't mind fighting alongside."
The son's face contorted an expression of incredulity. "Really?"
"Really. Take this for example: Last week when I first met her outside the refugee camp, her only concern was for the children. She didn't think about the danger that they posed or the inconvenience of having twenty children with her. She just wanted to find a way to help them. This afternoon, when she dragged that poor boy Wang Ming over to Hong Shan Yuan to lecture him over finer truths of virtuous living, she gave him a chance to redeem himself. When he left, she played with the children, told them stories and helped some of the younger ones who were having trouble sleeping to settle down.
"But truthfully, what I'm really proud of is… my son. My son is a good judge of character. My son chose a fine woman who cares about people and puts them ahead of herself. My son doesn't mind that she has these impulses that inconvenience him. It is also true that the woman he likes does these unexpected acts of charity and imposes on him. But he goes along with all of it, good-naturedly. All this tells me is that my son has grown up to be a good man."
Yuwen Xuan said no more. He let his words sink in and to do its work. Whatever his son was thinking at that time, he didn't know and he didn't ask. In due time, Yue'er would come to understand the complexities of his position. The son made no comment but the words had an effect. He didn't know what to say or if anything that had to be said then. He needed time... to think. Silence was the choice they both made. The conversation was at an end. All that remained was for the two men to pass the rest of evening away with a newfound rapport.
While the inhabitants of Qing Shan Yuan and Hong Shan Yuan were retiring for the night, a qing gong exponent, hooded and cloaked flew into Hong Shan Yuan unnoticed by the sentries positioned around the outer perimeter. He also managed to evade the attention of former soldiers guarding the temporary housing occupied by almost two dozen children. He heard and saw the flicker of flames that lit the courtyard as he scurried across the rooftops covering that once grandiose manor housing the Third Branch of the Yuwen family. The architecture did not interest him in the slightest. The only thing that held his gaze was the woman who was accompanying the sleeping children in the great hall. She was looking altogether well and perhaps happy too. As everyone's focus was on the children, he was able to move freely and continue following her every move without being seen by others.
Not long afterwards he saw that she was getting up to go and was ambling towards the exit. As she doing that she continued to look over her shoulders every step of the way, presumably checking on the sleeping children. When she reached the outer entrance she bade the sentries good night and received the expected replies. Outside, a man was waiting for her, presumably to accompany her home. From his vantage point, the hooded figure was able to identify the man as his greatest rival. This rival took the woman's hand and spoke to her in low tones. She immediately became more relaxed as they conversed while walking towards Qing Shan Yuan. The hooded figure reacted by leaping from surface to surface and finally finding a treetop that gave him a better view of what the couple was doing. His eyes continued to trail their every move and no attempt was made to avert his eyes even while the couple was locked in a loving embrace outside the walls of the manor. Witnessing this intimate moment, a familiar emotion rose from the pit of his stomach. He recognized it as jealousy from the time when she rode off declaring that she would never forgive him if his rival were to die on that icy lake. It was the same sensation that took hold of him when he saw her carry the Can Hong sword that first time. That same feeling engulfed him when she had returned from being with his rival for an entire day pretending to be his maid one last time. The look on her face… he had no doubt she had been hiding something at the time. The hooded man had suspected then what she had not guessed herself… that her feelings for the young master of Qing Shan Yuan were as strong as ever despite her claims to the contrary.
Confronted by the spectacle in front of him, the hooded figure was tempted to strike at his rival and carry the woman off to a distant place where she would never be found by any other living soul. Seeing her again in the arms of that man was a worse aftermath than being defeated in battle. Not only was his pride was bruised but it felt like his heart had been ripped out. The pangs were excruciating and instinctively he winced when he observed his rival leaning closer to the woman intimately. His discomfiture caused him to shift position thoughtlessly and as a result, he accidentally broke a branch, which tumbled down through the foliage and eventually on to the ground. His targets were alerted that instant and they swung round to where the noise was coming from. Realising instantly that he had given himself away, the hooded figure stood still and tried to blend into the foliage.
His rival had done his calculations and marched up to the tree where he was hiding. Fortunately for the hooded man, the cover of darkness shielded him.
"It's probably a bat or an owl." The woman commented as she followed behind.
"Probably."
"Let's go back. It's getting late." The woman spoke again. The hooded figure was glad to hear her speak. He had missed her voice. "You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow."
As they started to walk away from the tree, he managed to catch the tail end of their conversation.
"Yes. You need to rest too. You've had a busy day with the children."
"That's not hard work. Being with the children is fun."
"Well, good. I'm glad to hear it because I expect us to have many children together."
The woman stuck her tongue out and then smiled. "Not that many, I hope." She pointed in the direction of the manor they had just left.
The man muttered something that was inaudible even while the hooded figure was straining to listen. The woman giggled in response and they both made their way back to Qing Shan Yuan hand in hand.
When he saw that they were clearly out of sight and earshot, the hooded figure breathed a sigh of relief. He then jumped off the tree and landed softly on terra firma. While a confrontation with them was inevitable in the long run, he was not prepared in that moment to deal with his rival just yet. There was something else he had to attend to first.
It was the early hours of the morning but still dark when Xiao Yu woke up with a groggy head. Staring through her drugged state, it was clear that she was no longer in the carriage with that exceedingly untrustworthy Xiao Ce. As she tried to move, it became increasingly obvious that her mobility was severely restricted by the use of ropes around her body. It dawned on her that she had gone from one form of incarceration to another in a matter of hours. This time, however, the identity of her captor eluded her. She scanned her surroundings and it seemed that she was now hostage in a simply furnished peasant's hut. In the middle of the room, was a table with a lit candle sitting on it. There was no one around so her immediate thought was to struggle out of her bonds and cry out in the event a passerby or a neighbor would hear her.
Behind her a male voice with a familiar ring spoke for the first time.
"There's no point in yelling for help. We're far from nearest village and too far from the city for anyone to rescue you."
The princess from Liang tried to turn her head to look. "Yan Xun?"
What's he doing here? How did he find me?
"It's good to see that you still remember me." His monotone belied a disposition to inflict serious damage.
"Why am I here? Where's my brother?" The princess asked heatedly.
Did he go for help? Or did he take off at the first sign of trouble?
Her captor walked up to her and waved a dagger in front of her. "Your brother? Don't depend on him for help. He's probably half way to Liang by now."
"Is he responsible for this? For me becoming your prisoner?"
"Bravo," Yan Xun clapped with a slowness that hinted of a peril that was to come. "Yes, it doesn't seem like he likes you too much."
"The feeling is mutual." The princess asserted with feeling. "So why am I here?"
"I'm going to kill you of course."
"Then why am I still alive?"
"Because it needs to hurt. Because you need to be awake to feel every bit of it. I want me to be the last thing you see before you die."
The princess of Liang wondered seriously if this was to be her end. After everything that's happened, am I going to die in his hands?
"You're very simple-minded aren't you, Yan Xun."
The former prince of Yanbei did not react. "Was that supposed to be an insult?"
"Perhaps. Did it work?"
"Not especially."
The princess knew she had to think quickly if she wanted to survive this ordeal. "You want to kill me, I want to live. Is there any room for negotiation?" She said pleasantly.
"Not really." The former prince sounded bored.
"Is there something I can do for you so that I can get a little reprieve?"
"Nothing comes to mind."
"Is there anyone that you hate more than me?" The princess knew she had to persist and negotiate her way out of this.
"Perhaps."
"It wouldn't happen to be Yuwen Yue, would it?" As soon as she said it, there was a flicker in Yan Xun's eyes. Xiao Yu knew at once she'd hit the nail on the head. Yan Xun became more amenable.
"What do you have in mind?"
Xiao Yu took a deep breath and took the bull by its horns. "We have a mutual enemy. This calls for a mutually beneficial business transaction."
"Let's hear what you have to say first."
"Untie me first."
"I'm sure you can talk with your hands tied."
The princess knew it was strategically fatal to push Yan Xun too far. "Have it your way."
The next morning before continuing with the renovations for the nuptial chamber, Yuwen Yue examined the branch again, this time with the aid of the morning sun. Something about the freshness of the break caught his eyes so he took Yue Qi with him to the exact place where he found the broken branch. Using qing gong, he vaulted from one major branch of the tree to the other until he was able to identify from where the broken branch had fallen from. He swept the area and when he had completed his survey, he leapt back downwards until he reached the ground.
"Someone was definitely there last night," The young master concluded still holding on to the branch.
"Spying on us?"
The young master nodded. "The question is why."
Author's Notes:
I won't apologize for being mawkish because as someone who followed PA faithfully for weeks expecting more, I think I'm due for a large dose of it. As a rule I'm allergic to fanfic weddings but as I was to able to find an approach which didn't involve me drowning in too many cliches, it eased my conscience somewhat. It helps of course that YWY and XE's lives in canon has them constantly lurching from crisis to crisis.
I think I had a couple of Princess Bride moments while I was writing but in a fit of mischief I left them in there as a homage to the genre. In another act of mischief, I thought it fitting that Yan Xun should suffer pangs of torment from seeing YWY and XE together since YWY had to suffer much in the role of bystander on tv. A bit of tit for tat. :P Anyway, I had too much fun writing.
Janedelarosa - I can't thank you personally because you're a guest but thanks for identifying yourself. I'm very grateful for your beautiful and picturesque comment. It helped me understand what it was that drew you to the last chapter and how it engaged you.
Much appreciation to everyone else who swung by and commented. You have no idea how much of an encouragement to me you've been.