BY THE TIME Cui Buqu had recovered his strength, five days had passed.
Within that span, the new envoy sent by the Khotanese king arrived in Liugong City. He brought a generous gift: another extraordinary jade. Khotan was abundant in high-quality jade; though the new gift wasn't an unrivaled treasure like the Jade of Heaven Lake, it was still a beautiful piece. This jade had been carved into a pendant with exceptional qualities. Keeping it on one's person, it was said, could calm the spirit, and it released a unique fragrance when worn, like a perfumed sachet.
Yuchi Jinwu had perished outside Liugong City; his death was not the fault of Khotan. But if the Khotanese king still wished to forge an alliance with the Sui dynasty, he had to make a great show of sincerity. Fearing the first jade was lost forever, he'd sent a second envoy carrying this new gift to demonstrate his earnest desire for friendship.
Feng Xiao sent Pei Jingzhe with the Jiejian Bureau eagle riders to escort the envoy to the capital. Su Xing, who remained in their custody, was to be remanded to the Jiejian Bureau for interrogation. Feng Xiao entrusted them with a memorial describing the details of the case, including, of course, the contributions of the Zuoyue Bureau.
As for Qin Miaoyu, whether intentionally or otherwise, Feng Xiao neglected to mention her. She was like a mirage, a brief yet lovely vision that, like a fleeting dream of spring, vanished without a trace.
Feng Xiao said no more, and Cui Buqu didn't ask. The case of the Khotanese envoy had been cracked, and the contributions of the Zuoyue Bureau documented. For him, this was sufficient. He had matters of greater importance to attend to. It was fine to keep some secrets from one another, to avoid asking unnecessary questions—knowing too much was never a good thing.
After all, their identities were both rather special.
The moment he was no longer dizzy, Cui Buqu refused to take his medicine, which was more bitter than goldthread. He instructed Qiao Xian to prepare for their journey west. When it came to choosing a travel companion for Cui Buqu, however, Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had a difference of opinion.
Zhangsun Bodhi considered himself the more skilled martial artist, and thus believed Cui Buqu would be safer if he came along.
But Qiao Xian considered herself just as adaptable in the face of the unknown as Zhangsun. More importantly, Zhangsun Bodhi was one of the two deputy chiefs of the Zuoyue Bureau. If he went with Cui Buqu, only a single deputy would remain in the capital, one with no knowledge of martial arts. Qiao Xian thought Zhangsun should return to headquarters to oversee things.
Watching them argue, Feng Xiao smiled lazily. "With me there, what difference would Zhangsun's presence make?"
Only then did Qiao Xian remember Feng Xiao was accompanying them as well.
This man was indeed a formidable martial artist, but Qiao Xian had never seen him as one of their own. Subconsciously, she worried Feng Xiao might purposely drag them down.
Finally Cui Buqu announced his decision. "Zhangsun will head back to the capital. Qiao Xian alone is enough."
"But…" began Qiao Xian.
"If Deputy Chief Feng is unable to guarantee my safety, the Jiejian Bureau might as well find themselves a new leader."
"Ququ, when you put it like that, I feel so stressed!" Feng Xiao sat with his chin propped in his hands, his posture careless and graceful. He showed no hint of stress.
Since it was Cui Buqu who'd made the call, Zhangsun had no objections.
Cui Buqu's mouth quirked in a half smile. "I'll be relying on your protection, Deputy Chief Feng. Though we solved the murder of the Khotanese envoy, the jade was still damaged. If the emperor decides to pursue the matter, I fear you'll find yourself in a difficult position. I suggest you earn yourself some credit on this journey or your thousand-mile trip will have been in vain."
"In that case, wouldn't it be better if I waited for you to finish and killed you on the way back, snatching all the credit for myself?"
Qiao Xian glared at him in alarm, but Cui Buqu wasn't concerned in the slightest. Anyone who said such a thing would never do it. "There's one more thing. As the four of us are traveling together, we'll need disguises and new identities."
Even if people these days were more open-minded than in the past, two men and two women running off to the Western Regions together would still raise some eyebrows. Feng Xiao's languid expression didn't change a mote. "Why don't we find a merchant group to travel with?"
"It's not easy to find a group of trustworthy merchants," said Cui Buqu. "Most only stop briefly in the city of Qiemo before continuing their journey west along other routes. We'll disguise ourselves as two married couples. Kucha isn't far from Apa Khagan's encampment; our story can be that we're visiting relatives in Kucha and conducting some minor business along the way."
Feng Xiao arched a brow. "Couples? Who's with whom?"
"Qiao Xian with me, and you with Jinlian," said Cui Buqu. "Our households have been friends for generations, and we make our living trading textiles. There's a family in Liugong City with the surname Ye. Years ago, their daughter married a businessman from Kucha, and they had a son. Now that the son is grown, he's bringing his own wife to Kucha to visit his paternal aunt at the behest of his parents."
Feng Xiao hadn't expected Cui Buqu to have made such thorough preparations; he'd already found this family and created identities to match. "Why would anyone bring their wife out so far?"
Cui Buqu smiled. "Because coincidentally, his wife happens to also be from Kucha. The same year she came to the land of the Hans with her father, she married into the Ye clan. So not only is he visiting his aunt, he's also bringing his wife to see her family."
"I object to playing half of a couple," said Feng Xiao. "Can you imagine someone as outstanding as myself—a man capable of toppling nations with my magnificence—marrying an older woman?"
"Not a problem," said Cui Buqu. "Qiao Xian is a master of disguise. Your appearance is too eye-catching anyway. We wouldn't want to draw the attention of bandits; you ought to be made up to look more ordinary."
Feng Xiao brought a hand to his own face. Cui Buqu expected him to protest, but instead he said, "Ququ, do you also find my face eye-catching? Tell me the truth: did you fall for me at first sight?"
"I did."
Feng Xiao scrutinized him as if he suspected an imposter. After a moment, he said suspiciously, "Why didn't you argue?"
Cui Buqu was unruffled. "Anyone who claims to be unmoved by Deputy Chief Feng's face is an obvious liar. However—"
"Now, now," said Feng Xiao. "No need to continue. I'm sure nothing good will follow."
Cui Buqu smiled. "However, after spending a day with you, any normal person would be forced to give up their fantasies, no?"
Feng Xiao was speechless.
He spent the entire day ruminating over Cui Buqu's words. On the way back to his residence, he couldn't resist asking Pei Jingzhe, "What do you think? Was he praising or insulting me?"
The corner of Pei Jingzhe's mouth twitched. "From a certain point of view, it could be considered praise."
Feng Xiao hummed in affirmation. "I knew it. He's trying to cover up his faltering heart." He chuckled. "The chief of the Zuoyue Bureau, a rare genius, has fallen for me. Surely anyone in my shoes would be delighted. In deference to his feelings, my venerable self shall deign to travel with him!"
Pei Jingzhe wished very much to remind him, Sir, did you forget the last part of what he said? The first part was hypothetical—the last bit was the main point!
What Cui Buqu had been implying was this: no normal person would fall in love with Feng Xiao.
But Feng Xiao had already selectively forgotten both the last half of the statement and Pei Jingzhe's reaction. He hummed a little tune as he sauntered toward his quarters—tonight, he was sure to have a lovely dream.
Cui Buqu didn't know what wonderful dream Feng Xiao had. But he did observe the next day that Feng Xiao's face was bright and dewy, his complexion practically glowing. Jinlian was no blushing maiden, and she'd looked at Feng Xiao plenty the day before. Yet upon seeing him in the light of a new day, she was overwhelmed. It was as if someone had shoved a bouquet of flowers in full bloom right before her eyes, their splendor and radiance stamped into memory for the rest of her life.
Göktürks had strong features, and they valued strength of the body as well. Their men were broad and strapping—none were like Feng Xiao, so stunningly beautiful. Feng Xiao's beauty was all the more exceptional because it wasn't the delicate kind. His lovely face concealed a power capable of ending anyone's life. Even at her age, Jinlian Khatun couldn't stop her heart from fluttering.
Cui Buqu shot Feng Xiao a glance. Why did he feel this oleander spirit had grown more provocative overnight? Now he was flirting in broad daylight!
Catching him looking, Feng Xiao returned his gaze with a brilliant smile. Because you admire me so, he thought, I'll let you take a few more glances.
For his part, Cui Buqu found the exchange entirely baffling. What was this man thinking?
Feng Xiao had been blessed by the heavens from birth. His appearance was dazzling, his martial arts incredible. His intelligence outshone the vast majority, and he naturally viewed everyone else as beneath him. Over the twenty-plus years of his life, countless men and women had fallen for him—even a royal princess among them—yet he considered none deserving of his attention. Those he saw as intellectual equals and worthy opponents were fewer still. If Fo'er, the foremost martial expert of the Göktürk Khaganate, learned Feng Xiao only considered him halfway to an opponent, he'd probably fall down dead from rage.
Cui Buqu was the exception. The pair of them had gone head-to-head several times, and though Feng Xiao had never suffered unduly, neither did he gain much advantage. He'd even been roped into this journey to the Khaganate with Cui Buqu. Such a thankless errand hadn't featured in any of Feng Xiao's plans, but here his perfectionist tendencies had fully manifested. He'd been involved in this matter from the start and was unwilling to abandon it halfway. Plus, if he used this opportunity to observe the arrangements the Zuoyue Bureau had made within the Western Regions, perhaps he could turn the situation to his advantage.
Time and again, he found himself making exceptions for Cui Buqu—this alone was proof of the man's singular status. In Feng Xiao's eyes, though Cui Buqu could not be considered a friend, he could be counted as a worthy opponent. The man lacked even the strength to truss a chicken; he was plagued by illness and spent half his time at death's door. Yet this contrast made his perseverance and resourcefulness shine all the brighter.
Feng Xiao had to admit he was growing more and more interested in Cui Buqu. He was looking for more chances to challenge him, and this trip to the Western Regions ought to provide plenty of opportunities.
At Cui Buqu's insistence, Qiao Xian disguised Feng Xiao. Unfortunately, Feng Xiao had been born with a pair of exquisite eyes. No matter how she adjusted his appearance, it was impossible to conceal them. She could only direct her efforts elsewhere, darkening his skin and dressing him in a set of rough-spun clothes.
But Feng Xiao's expression turned stormy when Qiao Xian tried to rub dust and grass into his hair. He rejected her firmly.
"That's enough." Turning the porcelain of his skin into sun-beaten tan was already pushing the limits of what he could endure.
Qiao Xian was dissatisfied. "What kind of merchant family could produce someone with hair like yours? A family busy trying to make ends meet wouldn't pay that much attention to their appearance!"
Cui Buqu had changed his clothes, but his face was delicate and refined; he looked no more like a merchant than Feng Xiao. Qian Xiao had made several adjustments, and now he appeared appropriately crude and sleazy. He knew Feng Xiao's neurotic obsession with cleanliness had flared up again, so he took a slow sip of tea before saying, "I have a proposal. A way you won't need to dirty your hair or darken your skin."
Feng Xiao raised a brow and waited. He knew with absolute certainty that Cui Buqu's idea wouldn't be to his liking.
Sure enough, Cui Buqu said, "Disguise him as a woman. Let's have a beautiful young lady."