CUI BUQU LOOKED back at him in confusion. "What is the prince trying to say? I'm afraid I don't follow." He turned to Jinlian. "Who is the Black Moon Shaman?"
"The most prestigious and respected sage in our Western Khaganate, as well as an important counselor to our khagan."
Of course, she'd already told Cui Buqu all about the Black Moon Shaman, and was also beginning to wonder if Feng Xiao was behind this. But here in public, she gamely played along and answered Cui Buqu, donning a look of shock. She turned to question Ade: "Who dares disturb the Black Moon Shaman? I shall report it to the khagan this instant!"
Ade snorted. "I've sent my own people to inform him."
"What happened?" Yixun asked.
The attendant who entered with the report stepped forward. "A fire broke out near the stone house, and we heard sounds of fighting—if you step out, you can see it from here. The fire's been put out, but the villain who set it has yet to be caught. The shaman has been injured; a physician has gone to tend to him!"
"I'll go see him at once!" Yixun declared.
Ade held a hand out to stop him. "No need. The physician is with him; what more could you do? Such a thing is unprecedented. Tomorrow is the day of the Eight Tribes Conference. These outsiders arrived today, and this incident occurred this very evening! There's no need to search—the criminal is among us here!"
Yixun frowned. "Everyone here is an honored guest invited by our father himself!"
This second prince never held his elder brother in high regard. He immediately dismissed him. "Several people here were not invited." He glanced at Cui Buqu and Qiao Xian, then said darkly, "If I find you had a hand in this, you won't escape my wrath!"
Jinlian felt a spike of irritation. What did he mean, not invited? Cui Buqu had been invited by none other than herself. Ade might as well have said her word meant nothing. Though she'd found things changed on her return, she was still a concubine of the khagan. This went beyond a lack of respect; Ade regarded her as a thorn in his side and wished to rid himself of her.
She was considering what to do when a loud bang cut through her thoughts: Cui Buqu had slammed a hand on the table and risen to his feet.
"Though the khagan has yet to form an alliance with the Sui dynasty, he has welcomed us as honored guests. You've accused us without evidence, spitting in the face of Great Sui. Even if we should be convicted, the khagan must do it himself! I demand to see the khagan!"
Ade sneered. "If the khagan were here, he'd say the same as me!"
"Do you represent the khagan?" asked Cui Buqu, his tone cutting. "The khagan called us his honored guests just this afternoon. Are you saying his words hold no weight?!"
Ade too slapped the table and roared, "When did I say that?"
Cui Buqu raised his voice. "Your father yet lives! He is the ruler of the Western Khaganate, and you have an elder brother ahead of you. You have no claim to any authority here!"
Though the volume at which one spoke had little to do with the righteousness of one's arguments, when it came to men like Ade, the important thing was to grasp the momentum. Cui Buqu was a tall man. Though he was somewhat thin and frail, his stormy expression was fiercely intimidating. Ade flushed with rage and reared back, ready to strike him.
Qiao Xian and Jinlian would never allow such a thing; they sprang up and blocked Ade.
Watching, Prince Yixun prickled with envy. Not, of course, over the women who stepped forward to protect this man—he was envious that Cui Buqu, despite being a foreigner, had the courage to stand up to his arrogant younger brother inside the royal yurt, and the presence to hold his own.
Still, Prince Ade had no fear of this wan and sickly Sui envoy. If the Sui dynasty had sent him as their representative, that only demonstrated the Central Plains were stretched so thin they had to send a woman and an invalid to plead for them in foreign lands. Their Khaganate held the upper hand.
As for the beautiful woman at Cui Buqu's side, she'd managed to stomp him into the ground earlier today, so he conceded that she had some skill. Once he'd dealt with Cui Buqu, however, she would have no choice but to throw herself at his feet and beg for mercy.
He laughed savagely, summoning his guards with a wave. "When the khagan isn't here, I call the shots! Guards, seize the Sui envoys. The third one is missing—he must be the culprit behind the fire!"
"Wait!"
Before Jinlian could protest, Yixun had spoken up. "They are the guests of my father the khagan," he said, voice rising. "No matter what's happened, we must wait for Father's arrival to make any decision!"
Yet at that very moment, Apa Khagan's personal attendant slipped through the door. The khagan was feeling unwell, he said, and had retired early. He left the two princes to host the banquet; anything else could wait until the conference tomorrow.
Those who knew the khagan's habits glanced at each other, all thinking the same thing. Unwell? As if. He was obviously drowning himself in the pleasures of the flesh with his new woman.
Prince Yixun drew himself up. "In that case, we shall wait until my father the khagan arrives tomorrow before interrogating these envoys!"
"No!" cried Ade. "The Black Moon Shaman is the religious leader of our tribe; any aggression toward him must be punished. By tomorrow, the culprit will have slipped away. If he suffered fighting the shaman, he may be injured and unable to run tonight. I've sent out my guards, but who's to say he's not hiding in one of the yurts? Search every one and we'll find him!"
Yixun was furious. "All the envoys here are honored guests. How could you be so discourteous toward them!"
Kucha and Qocho, though ostensibly separate nations bordering the Western Khaganate, were effectively vassal states. Regardless of their displeasure at the second prince's orders, there wasn't much they could say; their silence was expected. It was the first prince's behavior that was surprising: at times like this he had always been practically mute, never uttering a word of protest.
Ade narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, looming over his elder brother. "Father is not here, so I'll give the orders!"
But Yixun didn't back down; in fact, he spoke up again. "You're not even a yabghu. Father's given you no position at all. I am the elder! If anyone has the final say here, it's me!"
Ade laughed in anger. "You're so set on protecting these Sui envoys? What kind of deal have you made with them?!"
"Silence!" A woman entered, hair tucked beneath a beaded headdress. "You claim Yixun has no say? Then what about me? Surely I do!"
Though this was Cui Buqu's first time seeing her, it wasn't hard to guess her identity. The first prince who never dared speak up to his younger brother had opposed him for the first time tonight. Now the greater khatun, who rarely dipped into politics, had shown herself as well.
The Göktürk khatun held immense power. In the khagan's absence, she could command his authority in the tribe. Though she'd never made use of this privilege, that didn't mean it had lapsed.
Ade stared at this mother and her son. Two people who had never stepped out of the shadows before today were now barring his way, as if to intentionally provoke him. His anger turned into fury. "The Black Moon Shaman has been harassed and injured by foreigners! Who will take responsibility for this?! Does the khatun wish to shoulder the blame? Can you bear to?!"
"When the khagan is not here, the authority to make decisions is mine," the khatun said coolly. "Sit down."
It seemed the khatun's sudden appearance hadn't merely been to support her son. But if Ade conceded here, it would erode what small authority he held. "I refuse!" he said resolutely.
Cui Buqu stepped forward. "I have nothing to do with this attack on your shaman," he averred. "I'm willing to swear an oath to heaven before your Wolf God. If I speak any falsehood, may lightning strike me where I stand. May the avatars of the Wolf God tear me to pieces the moment I step from this yurt!"
Everyone gaped at the sheer ruthlessness of this oath. Even Ade was briefly stunned into silence. The Göktürks placed great importance on oaths; such words weren't to be taken lightly.
Yet Cui Buqu didn't stop there. He fixed his gaze on Ade, eyes blazing. "Your Highness has been targeting us since the moment we arrived. You've already decided we're the culprits. Do you dare claim you have no ulterior motives? Animosity between the Sui dynasty and the Göktürk aristocracy is what Ishbara wishes to see. Is the second prince Ishbara's man?!"
Ade was furious. "Nonsense!" he roared.
"Then you swear as well!" Cui Buqu pressed him. "Swear that all you do is for the good of the tribe—that you have no ulterior motives!"
Before the eyes of all, Cui Buqu had turned the tables on the second prince and put him in a difficult position. Several of his close friends opened their mouths to speak, but Jinlian beat them to it: "I agree. Envoy Cui has sworn. The second prince should swear as well if his conscience is clear!"
A Göktürk attendant rushed in looking flustered. When he saw the standoff within the royal yurt, he stopped in his tracks.
Ade reacted as if a blade had been lifted from his neck; desperate to move the focus off himself, he shouted, "What's happened now?! Quickly, speak!"
The attendant knelt on the ground. "The Black Moon Shaman's injuries were severe," he said in a quavering voice. "He's…he's departed for the heavens!"
The assembly stared in shock. The shaman's injury had been presented as a minor incident. Yet in the blink of an eye, it'd become a murder? All color had drained from the khatun's face. Cui Buqu and Jinlian both frowned, and even Qiao Xian was speechless. Feng Xiao, she thought, had really overdone it this time.
Ade had frozen when he heard the news. Now he exploded. "These people killed the shaman; whoever defends them is their accomplice!"
"We are innocent!" exclaimed Cui Buqu. "Investigate us as you will! However, I have one request." He stared at the second prince. "If His Highness finds no evidence, he must make a public apology and treat us as his honored guests!"
Ade sneered. "And if I find that your companion killed our shaman, I will cut off your heads and hang them from the flagpoles, then toss your corpses into the wilderness to be gnawed by wolves!" He waved a hand and called for his men. "Search. I want that man found!"
Turning on his heel, he strode toward Cui Buqu's yurt with his men in tow.
Qiao Xian stepped up to Cui Buqu. "This second prince has had his sights set on us since the beginning," she whispered. "Could he have killed the shaman himself?"
Cui Buqu hummed noncommittally.
Behind them, the Göktürk guards had moved to surround their party, sealing off any escape—undoubtedly another order from the second prince.
The envoys of the other tribes didn't disperse, nor did the khatun and her son. The whole group followed Ade to the Sui envoys' yurt. Yet even with the camp in such an uproar, Apa Khagan didn't once come out for a look.
"Your khagan won't even bestir himself for the death of the Black Moon Shaman?" Cui Buqu asked Jinlian.
Jinlian laughed bitterly. "I had someone take me to see that Kuchean beauty earlier today. She's indeed an unequaled gem. No wonder the khagan is captivated by her!" She frowned at Ade's back, his fierce strides eating up the ground before him. "Do you really have nothing to do with this?" she whispered to Cui Buqu.
"Of course not." Cui Buqu answered her with a clear and limpid gaze. "I swore an oath, didn't I? Rather than doubting me, perhaps you should wonder about the second prince, who wouldn't even do that."
Jinlian's suspicions vanished. She apologized. "I was overly concerned about Xiansheng."
Listening to this exchange, Qiao Xian's mouth twitched, and she bit back a few words. She did speak some Turkic, though she wasn't as fluent as Cui Buqu. When Cui Buqu had sworn, he'd clearly said I, not we. The conditions of his oath didn't encompass any trouble Feng Xiao might have caused. But this wouldn't have occurred to the Göktürks; in their eyes, Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu were one entity.
Those who failed to pay close attention to Cui Buqu's words often found it came back to bite them. Feng Xiao understood this acutely; unfortunately, he wasn't present to remind Jinlian.
Ade led his men to search Cui Buqu's yurt; sure enough, they found no trace of Feng Xiao. Now certain that Feng Xiao was the culprit, he raised a clamor, calling for Cui Buqu and his company to be punished.
Jinlian once again stepped forward to oppose him. Feng Xiao hadn't been found, let alone caught red-handed. The prince's insistence on their guilt only proved he was champing at the bit to have them killed.
Since the start of the banquet, Fo'er had remained seated, not making a sound nor kicking them while they were down. Qiao Xian had almost suspected he'd swapped personalities. Now the foremost Göktürk expert suddenly emerged to watch the excitement.
More than the khatun and her son were witnessing this; in addition to Fo'er, envoys from the various tribes had all followed them. No matter how high-handed Ade might be, he couldn't convict Cui Buqu's group so hastily without drawing criticism. Tomorrow's Eight Tribes Conference was meant to consolidate the power of the Western Khaganate. After a brief conference with his confidants, Ade forced himself to calm. He stood outside Cui Buqu's yurt with his hands on his hips, waiting for news as his men continued to search.
"Prince Ade, that man is a powerful martial artist. No weaker than I." Fo'er had finally spoken. He hadn't had a change of heart at all; he'd only been waiting for the opportune moment. "If he weren't injured, he'd have appeared by now. He won't make it far if he's wounded; he must have hidden himself. Perhaps you should check the storerooms and stables."
"Right!" Ade perked up. "Do as he says, quick. Go to my father's yurt as well and inquire, lest the criminal snuck in!"
By this point, Qiao Xian had guessed Feng Xiao had met with something unexpected on his visit to the Black Moon Shaman, resulting in the shaman's death and his own injury. Feng Xiao was a powerful martial artist; he was unlikely to be caught, but he couldn't remain hidden forever. The moment he turned up injured, he'd inevitably be accused of the shaman's murder. Ade and Fo'er were both eyeing them hungrily; there was no chance they'd let them go.
Their situation had become rather thorny. Qiao Xian glanced at Cui Buqu, but his face was placid, as if nothing was amiss. She couldn't remember ever seeing Cui Buqu panic. Qiao Xian felt a surge of admiration as she whispered, "Did you think of a countermeasure?"
Cui Buqu shook his head minutely.
Then how can you be so calm? Qiao Xian looked back at him, puzzled.
Grabbing her hand, Cui Buqu sketched a few words in her palm: It's all an act.
Qiao Xian thought it best to say no more.
Just as the second prince was growing impatient, one of the men he'd sent out finally returned: they'd located Feng Xiao.
Overjoyed, the prince shot a look at Cui Buqu that practically screamed I'd like to see you wiggle out of this one. He turned to the guards. "Where is he?! Take me there!"
Yet unexpectedly, the guard looked conflicted and began to stammer.
"Out with it!" snapped the second prince. "Unless you want to be considered an accomplice as well?"
Incredible. They hadn't even laid eyes on the man, yet they'd already decided his guilt. But at the news that Feng Xiao had been found, Cui Buqu relaxed. His lips curved in a faint smile.
Ade raised the horsewhip he carried, ready to strike the guard where he stood. The man shrank away, blurting, "He's in Your Highness's yurt!"
"What rubbish! How could he be in my yurt?!" The second prince's expression was thunderous.
"Aha, so it's the second prince who has colluded with the Sui envoys," said Cui Buqu leisurely. "Why not say so before? You were attacking your own ally all along."
"Ridiculous!" Ade's expression was grim as he strode toward his yurt. Flanked by his guards, he viciously threw open the door. His face, previously dark as pitch, turned green from his collar to the tips of his ears.