WHEN CUI BUQU awoke, he suspected for a moment that, while unconscious, he'd been transported from the grasslands beyond the Great Wall to the misty plains of Jiangnan. Why else would a beautiful woman suddenly appear at his bedside?
There were all types of beautiful women in the world. Some were bold and striking, some composed and refined, some humble and sweet. Cui Buqu had seen them all, and in fact had one by his side. Qiao Xian was aloof and untouchable, a plum tree blooming atop a lofty mountain.
But the beauty before him now was different. She was a brook babbling through the grasslands, limpid, fresh, and sparkling. In contrast to Qiao Xian's cool loveliness, she had an air of fragility like a snow lotus swaying in the breeze. Anyone who saw her would want to protect her.
At this moment, she was dreamily watching him from the side of the bed. When she saw he was awake, her eyes lit up. "Is my lord thirsty?" she asked softly. "Allow me to pour you some water."
Cui Buqu watched as she picked up the kettle and filled a cup to the brim. She approached him, the cup clasped carefully between her hands. "Please drink, my lord."
He didn't move.
The beauty fidgeted slightly under his gaze. "I don't mean anything by it, my lord," she said. "Qiao-niangzi is preparing your medicine right now and had to step away. That's why I came to help. Ask me for anything you want, my lord; just don't send me away!"
"Anything I want?" Cui Buqu's throat was dry, his voice low and hoarse. But the beauty was right at his side; she had no trouble hearing him.
"Of course! Anything you want!" She leaned closer, her eyes shining. The faint scent of orchids hung around her.
Cui Buqu thought for a moment. "Get on the table and dance."
"What dance does my lord wish to see?"
"You choose."
The beauty had hoped to speak with him further rather than dance. But Cui Buqu wasn't interested. He'd just woken up yet insisted on watching a dance. The beauty had no choice but to set down the teacup and step barefoot onto the table. Kucheans were known to be excellent dancers. The woman bent at the waist and spun on her toes, clapping out a rhythm as she danced. The bells at her ankles jingled, and the hem of her skirt fluttered in a graceful arc that revealed her alluring, snow-white feet. All that was missing was musical accompaniment—though beautiful, the performance felt incomplete.
Cui Buqu watched for a while until his eyes slipped shut again. But every time the girl thought he'd fallen asleep and she could rest, he'd open them again. All she could do was steel herself and keep dancing. This happened several times, until the beauty timidly said, "My lord, I'm afraid a bit tired. May I stop dancing?"
He yawned. "You can stop and do something else."
"Would my lord like something to eat?" she asked eagerly.
"You needn't go anywhere," said Cui Buqu. "Just do a handstand on the table."
The beauty was speechless.
"My lord, my apologies, but I'm wearing a skirt. Doing a handstand would be indecent," she protested feebly. She understood Cui Buqu had just woken up after grave injury. Even if he desired her, he lacked the stamina for any vigorous activity and could only feast his eyes on her. It had been the same with the old khagan, but at least he'd enjoyed having her wait upon him, indulging in the pleasure of eating and drinking from her delicate hands.
Why were her methods so completely ineffective on these two Central Plainsmen? If she hadn't seen the merchants from the Central Plains stop in their tracks to stare at her, she'd have thought a woman was only considered beautiful in the Central Plains if she had three eyes and two noses.
"Oh," said Cui Buqu. "Then why not pretend to be a monkey stealing a peach?"
The beauty blinked at him.
"Or mimic a chicken and stand on one leg?"
The girl's eyes welled with tears.
Cui Buqu regarded her listlessly. You said you'd do anything, but all you can do is dance. He coughed. "Go fetch Qiao Xian."
A soft chuckle drifted down from the rafters.
The beauty watched in shock as a black-clad man dropped down in front of her. "You'd have had an easier time with the first prince," Feng Xiao said.
The beauty bit her lip and glared sullenly at Feng Xiao, who didn't spare her a glance. He strolled over to the dresser and studied his reflection in the basin of water there, tilting his head this way and that and muttering words of appreciation. "The truly dazzling are pitifully few in number. Real beauty comes from within. Daoist Master Cui already has a pearl before him. Why should he be interested in you? Don't you agree, Daoist Master Cui?"
Cui Buqu closed his eyes. His head was swimming and he wanted to vomit, but his stomach was empty, so he merely sat in agony.
As far as the Kuchean beauty was concerned, one of these men was a narcissist who looked down his nose at everyone he encountered, while the other was not only unmoved when a beauty fell into his lap, but even looked for fresh ways to torment her. Both of them were insane.
She waited a while, but neither asked her to stay. At last, she excused herself and left, dejected and humiliated.
"The king of Kucha sent that woman to serve the khagan," said Feng Xiao. "Anyone close to the Göktürk nobles lives a cushy life by the standards of the Khaganate, but it hardly compares to the luxuries of the Central Plains. Now that the khagan is dead and the Western Khaganate is in turmoil, she's unsure where she stands. Rather than staying to serve a new khagan, she'd prefer to travel to the Central Plains with us. Unfortunately for her, she tried to seduce first me and then you, and came up empty both times. If only that fool Pei Jingzhe were here, she might have gotten her wish."
Cui Buqu had suspected as much. As soon as he'd seen she was only looking for a meal ticket, he'd lost any interest he might have had in her. Feng Xiao had merely validated his opinion. He opened his mouth and said hoarsely, "I'm thirsty."
Feng Xiao gave him a puzzled look. "What does that have to do with me? I saved your life. Instead of getting out of bed and kneeling at my feet in thanks, you want me to serve you water?"
Fatigue weighed heavily on Cui Buqu. He stared blankly at Feng Xiao and counted silently: ten, nine, eight…three, two, one.
Feng Xiao picked up the kettle. "One question per sip."
It was a fair deal. Cui Buqu nodded.
Feng Xiao poured some water into a cup and handed it to Cui Buqu. When Cui Buqu looked down, he saw the water barely covered the bottom of the cup. It really was only one sip, no more and no less.
"What did you uncover about Yuxiu while you were with him?" Feng Xiao asked.
"Not much."
Feng Xiao's lips twitched. "With that attitude, you must not want a second sip."
"He's a member of the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai—and not a low-ranking one, either."
"Yi-xiansheng?"
"Water."
"We're still on the first question," Feng Xiao drawled. "Don't even think about cheating. Keep stalling and I'll gag you and take you up to the roof so you can sip the northern winds instead. We'll see how long it takes Qiao Xian to find you."
Cui Buqu considered this seriously and decided Feng Xiao would do it. "He said he wasn't. Under the circumstances, I don't see why he'd lie."
Satisfied with this answer, Feng Xiao helped him take a second sip of water. "Tell me your theories. All of them."
"Princess Qianjin adopted and raised him, and he's deeply indebted to her for her kindness. The princess loathes the Sui dynasty, so he is determined to overthrow it. His position as the Prince of Jin's counselor helps him implement his plans."
Feng Xiao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He wants to overturn nations, and the Thirteen Floors are ambitious as well. Their goals happen to coincide. But people like Go Un and Feng Xiaolian wouldn't be content with simply causing chaos. They must have a larger goal. Perhaps Yuxiu is simply seeking revenge for his princess, or perhaps he's lying. It doesn't matter. The members of the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai are big names themselves; they're unlikely to indulge Yuxiu's lunacy for the sake of it. They must have a grander plan, one they've been executing step-by-step—don't you agree?"
Beneath the surface where they couldn't see, a massive conspiracy was taking shape. They couldn't predict where or when it would rear its head.
The cryptic verses they'd found on Duan Qihu were a crucial clue. Feng Xiao was sure Cui Buqu had been privately mulling them over. Some parts that had made no sense at the time must have become clear to him by now.
Yet when Feng Xiao turned to ask his next question, he found Cui Buqu had closed his eyes and lain back down. The blanket was tucked up beneath his chin, the picture of peaceful slumber. All his face was missing were the words, I don't know.