As the newly betrothed couple were in deep conversation with each other their tete-a-tete was suddenly interrupted by the loud voice that Weiwei knew all too well calling out for her. Weiwei groaned and slipped her fingers under the beads of the headdress to massage her forehead.
"I take it, you know the owner of the voice calling for you?" her new fiance asked with an annoying upturn to his lips.
Weiwei glowered "Yes, and if she's making this much commotion here I hate to know what she did back at her estate. I should have known better then to send such a vague note to her." Taking a moment to compose herself by taking a deep fortifying breath. "The person who is yelling like a crazy person just happens to be Feng Teng's future bride. Most likely inadvertently giving away my location." the warrior princess gracefully rose to her feet. "Would you care to join me as I chastise my dear cousin?" Weiwei asked her future spouse with an arched eyebrow and a sarcastic smirk on her lips.
Her cheeky demeanor was highly amusing to Xiao Nai. One thing was for sure life with his red goddess will never be dull. "By all means. I am curious how calm and collected Feng Teng is going to handle such a spirited wife." Xiao Nai stood up and offered his arm to his lovely future bride and escorted her to where the quite vocal female was coming from.
When the two royals located the source of the racket Weiwei didn't know if she should be amused or horrified at the situation. There was Shanshan climbing on a short end table that Weiwei just knew that her cousin took the liberty to pull over just so she could be at eye level with the tall Feng Teng as she properly berated him. If the princess has to guess her spitfire of a cousin had no idea she was chastising her future husband. The woman in red took a glance at the purple-faced Duke before sighing and calling out Shanshan's name.
The woman in question stopped mid-sentence and turned her head to the person who called her. Never leaving her well manicured finger once centimeter from the face of the man she was berating. It took a moment for Shanshan to register that it was her cousin. Once she did she bounced off that table and rushed over to her most beloved cousin checking for any injuries or direst. When she found none she pulled Weiwei into a tight hug. "Weiwei, I was so worried when I got your letter. Are you alright? You are not being held prisoner are you? Tell me what happened to Auntie and Uncle. Your letter was so vague. Are they feeding you enough here? You're so skinny. Where are Sisi and the others?"
"All in good time, Shanshan." Weiwei left the tight embrace of the other woman and turned to bow in apology to her host. "Your Grace, I sincerely hope my dear cousin's abrupt arrival does not reflect poorly on her. She allowed her worry for me to override her normally sound judgment. I humbly request your forgiveness for her behavior."
The Duke looked down coldly at the she-devil who moments before verbally attacking him. "This is your cousin, I take it." addressing the princess in red. His eyes never leaving the demoness.
Shanshan had the decency to look chastised under the duke's cold stare. She had just realized whom she had spent the last few minutes berating. "Du-duke Feng Teng?" Shanshan stuttered and wished the floor would just swallow her up. "I apologize for my poor behavior, I was just too disturbed by the letter I received and feared the worst about my most beloved cousin. She is like a darling sister to me." Twisting her hands in anxiety.
Feng Teng chose not to reply and simply sharply gestured his head towards his study so they could all discuss this in private and left everyone in his angered wake. The prince gave a small wink to his newly betrothed before following the duke and leaving the two cousins where they stood. Weiwei turned to her cousin and told her "Shanshan, I know you have many questions but let's follow the duke and get somewhere more secure before we continue this conversation away from prying ears." Shanshan looked tearfully at Weiwei and meekly grabbed Weiwei's sleeve with both hands. The two followed their future husbands at a more sedate pace due to how upset Shanshan was. Weiwei didn't mind; it gave her time to think as her cousin got her emotions under control. Poor Shanshan really did make a mess of things with her future husband. She just hoped that the duke didn't treat Shanshan too harshly because of her earlier outbursts.
Back in the stronghold of the Rising Jade Sea's tribes, Zhen Shaoxiang and his party finally arrived back with great fanfare. A message was sent for the younger Zhen nearly one week ago for him to hassend his return back to the Rising Jade Sea's seat of power. With him he brought his new consort, a beautiful enchantress who was well known for her healing skills along with her three other sisters who were noted beauties on the borders of the two kingdoms. Zhen Shaoxiang was smitten the moment he laid eyes on the beauty and decided that she had to be his. It was just his luck when he went in search of a healer to bring back to the tribes after he heard that his noble father was injured in a glorious battle. One look at Enchantress of the Border and he was smitten. Xiaoyu Yaoyao was indeed everything he had ever wanted in a consort. She was beautiful, kind, demure, and talented.
Once Zhen Shaoxiang and his beloved Yaoyao stepped into the tent they greeted his father with a grandiose sweeping bow. "Father word of your injury spread quickly down south where I was housed at during my travels. The moment that I heard I found the best healer known in the province to come and tend to your wounds. This is Xiaoyu Yaoyao and her sisters. Please allow her to take care of you."
Both General Zhen and Councilman Li Leng glanced at the pretty women and knew exactly why the woman and her siblings volunteered to come with the younger Zhen. The welp was handsome and his father had power, it was an ideal match for any woman. They would see what her usefulness was for now and let the boy moon over her until the time was right to pair him with the princess they had locked away at the Zhen Yi palace. With Zhen Shaoxiang marrying Bei Weiwei, General Zhen's rule of the tribes would be uncontested. The wench just needed some time to come around to it. A few months in the dungeons would do her good. For now young Zhen's little tart might have their use so they will bide their time for now. General Zhen gave the enchantress a fake smile and thanked her for her selflessness.
Yaoyao gave a coy blush and requested to be able to inspect the injury so she could make sure there was no infection before she fully healed the wound. Councilman Li Leng escorted the enchantress closer to the war lord but discreetly informed her that if she tried anything that the pretty little face that she treasures so much would be carved up so badly that no amount of witchcraft would be able to heal it. Yaoyao gulped but kept her smile firmly in place as she neared the general.
She nearly gagged at the mixtures of smells of the smokey milkvetch root, spoiled goat lard, and rotted blood. While she was a healer and was well aware of the healing properties of the milkvetch root and goat lard she never had to be in the presence of it being used before. Yaoyao softly requested a basin of water mixed with sopora root and cypress bark shavings so she could cleanse the wound before she used her magic on it. After the wound was cleared; the enchantress dabbed peppermint oil onto the surrounding skin and started to chant her healing incantation. The process was long and laborious for both parties but soon enough the skin over the general's kidney was covered with a lumpy bright purple scar. While she had healed the wound to the best of her abilities it would have made any regular healer shake their head at the shotty work. Not that anyone in the Rising Jade Seas tribe knew what a proper healer could do. The Xiaoyu sisters believed that they were smart in their choice of target with Zhen Shaoxiang. Their life was about to get much more comfortable in the future. Or so they thought.
General Zhen fakely smiled at the woman his naïve son is so infatuated with. "Thank you my dear. Please allow my son to find accommodation for both you and your lovely sisters." he smirked. "I'm sure that you will be well taken care of." He waved his hand in dismissal. Once his son and the wenches left his tent he turned to his trusted advisor. "His mother spoiled him too much. I should have been more strict and removed him from his mother's care but I was soft. But he is the only heir that I have, unfortunately. The pretty wench healed me but if that is the price to be magically healed I would gladly let that Bei-wench's maid stab me in the gut again then have to sit through another sessions with my son's pretty tart. It's a shame that she made it back to Luwei's camp and alerted them. Due to that the Luwei tribe will be a thorn in our sides until my son marries the girl. Is there any word on where they are hiding?"
Councilman Li Ling bowed his head in defeat "No my General, I have trackers sent in all directions but the Luwei tribe are good at hiding their tracks."
General Zhen frowned and ordered for the guards to be doubled at Zhen Yi palace. He planned to move the Rising Jade Sea's seat of power. It was just a matter of time at this point.
Zhen Shaoxiang, oblivious to his father's plans, escorted Yaoyao and her sisters throughout the camp. Making it a point to introduce them to every person that the merry little group passed. Many of his father's warriors looked at young Zhen with envy but the elder ones just shook their heads and watched as the younger man walked around puffed up like a peacock. The boy had always been a gullible fool to his father's veteran warriors. The elder warriors just gave patronizing smiles as the pretty party passed them. The man-boy saw himself as a charismatic and brave warrior. Hidden in the shadows of the camp Leishen Nini creeped around the shadows until she reached the forest bordering the camp. Checking for anyone else before she sent a message with her beloved pet raven. Weiwei needed to be updated with the situation after all.
