CH 42

It had already been seven days since the arrival of the Eastern Xia delegation, and they would depart in three. They had to catch the murderer as quickly as possible.

Xia Yujin and Ye Zhao fixed the guest list very quickly, summoned all their stewards, told them to put their other tasks on hold for the time being, and directed people to finish the preparations overnight.

They chose to set up the banquet in the summer residence bestowed by the Emperor to Ye Zhao, with its unique scenery, bordered by mountains on one side and water on the other. Now that spring had arrived, the willows by the lakeside were budding and the lotus flowers on the water were growing out their leaves. On one flank of the hill were planted peach blossoms, and on the other one, pear blossoms, pink and white, clustered together as the petals drifted down. It was a bloom of magnificence before decay.

When Prince Yinuo received Xia Yujin’s invitation, he carelessly threw it aside. Fortunately, the steward who’d delivered the letter was clever and immediately added, “His Highness and the general jointly invite Your Royal Highness to a banquet.” The matter was immediately solved. The prince promptly accepted the invitation and happily replied he would bring everyone in his delegation to the prince of Nanping’s banquet.

Xia Yujin was gritting his teeth out of hatred for his schemes and rapacious designs.

On the day of the banquet, under the peach and pear trees, spread many exquisite rugs to let the guests sit freely. Beautiful maidservants and young children flitted among them like butterflies, holding drinks. Extravagant music and the fragrance of flowers drifted in the air and, in the middle of it all, the beautiful entertainers unfurled their long, flowing sleeves as they danced gracefully.

As the host, Xia Yujin personally accompanied Prince Yinuo, golden pot in hand, adamantly pouring him three cups of his strongest wine. “You are as strong as a bear, Your Royal Highness. I admire you. We will part ways tomorrow,” he deplored with a smile, “and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”

Prince Yinuo immediately and honestly held up his cup to him. “Your looks are even more startling and otherworldly. They are unforgettable. I can’t help but sigh at the thought that we will hardly be able to see each other over the thousands oflithat will separate us in the future.”

“May you triumph in every battle.”

“May you be the hero of your country.”

The two of them merrily laughed, drank, and, each in his own language, inwardly cursed the other’s ancestors over eighteen generations.

Many of Ye Zhao’s former officers had come to the banquet, and they each took turns to toast with Prince Yinuo.

Prince Yinuo refused no one. He drank twenty or thirty cups, then noticed that it had been more than a shichen since the banquet had started, but Ye Zhao was still nowhere to be seen. “Is the general still dealing with military work?”

“She came home early,” Xia Yujin said casually.

“If she’s here, why don’t I see her?” Prince Yinuo asked, puzzled.

Xia Yujin pointed at the curtain encircling the hill, with a smile like a fox’s. “The lady of the house is with the womenfolk, so she can’t see the men.”

The guests who heard this all looked at each other, seemingly unable to understand what he meant.

Xia Yujin slowly put down his cup, shook his head sadly, and explained to these rude barbarians, with a tone as though he was talking to three-year-olds, “Women in the Great Qin are very reserved. A lot of officials’ wives and daughters attended our flower-banquet today, but they can’t easily mix in with men, so the lady of the house is hosting another banquet for them on the hilltop. They’re exchanging gossip, talking about clothes and jewelry. They’re having a good time.”

No one said anything.

“Is it that you all wanted to see the women?” Xia Yujin asked in a low voice. “Is this not enough? Are you skirt-chasers…”

No one said anything either.

“Don’t worry,” Xia Yujin reassured them, “everyone wants to see beautiful women. I’ve invited the famous flowers and dancers of the Qin River, all of them beautiful and alluring. I guarantee you that all the men who aren’t afraid inside will enjoy themselves to their hearts’ content!”

Prince Yinuo pleasantly followed along and gave a genuine smile. “How could General Ye be on par with ordinary women?”

“My wife does have a fierce name,” Xia Yujin agreed. “I heard that you fought against her before, Your Royal Highness. How did it happen? Can you tell everyone about it?”

Prince Yinuo was brave and battle-wise. He was defeated only once in his life, and it was by a woman, which he deemed a great humiliation.

He secretly clenched his fists, a small hitch in his breathing. He wished for nothing except to tear apart that asshole who poked in corners he shouldn’t. But Xia Yujin was still recklessly showing off.

“Although Ah-Zhao’s words and behavior aren’t very decorous, she listens to me at home and is most virtuous. I can’t really picture her fierce ways of the past, how her prestige shocked the Northern Desert and scared all men.”

“Isn’t it easy?” Qiu Laohu staggered up to them, winking at Prince Yinuo. “I know I’d be scared if I got beaten by her.”

The officials of the Great Qin all burst into laughter.

“Did I say something wrong?” Xia Yujin asked innocently.

In a moment, Prince Yinuo’s breathing had evened out again. The smile on his face had not moved an inch. When he spoke in the language of the Great Qin, his words had a slight accent, and his smile was hearty. “General Ye’s prestige has led people to humbly admit defeat for a long time. The fact that Your Highness was able to subdue the general makes men admit it even more. Eastern Xia once believed rumors and calumny and went to the Man Jin’s help, which really is a reason for shame. But today we are all good friends, so let us not mention it again, lest feelings be hurt.”

Xia Yujin smiled insincerely and offered him another cup of wine.

Most of the other officials of the Great Qin found Eastern Xia unpleasant. They were very happy to see Prince Yinuo forced to surrender, and some, who’d seen him endure so much, felt that this was the calm before the storm. Some officers had brought their young wives and daughters with them; they’d fought with Ye Zhao for years and experienced her formidable methods and the ruthless way with which she ruled her army. In a mere few months, it was difficult for them to change this way of thinking. They still regarded her as their general, invincible in love or war. Then, remembering the scorching hot looks of the Northern Desert widows, and thinking of their own wives and daughters drinking and making merry with her, they felt indescribable discomfort in their hearts. They had already been worried about their superior taking advantage of their wives, but now they worried about their wives wishing to take advantage of their superior as well. Feeling doubly awkward, they didn’t dare say anything, and only kept drinking their sorrows away.

The little beggar had changed his clothes for those of a servant, revealing delicate features. He ran around, using the excuse of serving food to hide his real purpose and, apart from occasionally drooling over the fish on his tray, he was being very conscientious. When he’d looked at everyone, he ran up to the hill to report to the general.

The Eastern Xia delegation counted no women, so all those on the hill were women from the Great Qin.

Ye Zhao sat in the middle, holding a cup of honey wine, pretending to be interested in the conversations of the others. When the little beggar slipped past the curtain, she knew that his search was over, so she made up an excuse and left everyone, following him to a hidden spot.

The little beggar shook his head in fright. “The ghost… he’s not here.”

“Including the prince, there are a hundred and forty-four people in the Eastern Xia delegation, and they’ve all come,” Ye Zhao said. “How could he not be here?”

“He’s really not…” the little beggar, shrinking his neck. “They’re all ugly and tall, but not as scary as the ghost I saw that night, and there was a scar under the ghost’s eye.”

Qiu Hua and Qiu Shui also came in for a report. “The officers say that, out of the five people in the Eastern Xia delegation who are left-handed or ambidextrous, none went out that night. The only one who did is a guard, and he went to Taibai wine shop to get two catties of stewed pig ears and three bottles of alcohol. That place’s far away from Yanzi Lane. It’s unlikely he did anything.”

Had they gotten it wrong?

Ye Zhao was lost in thought.

On the other side, Prince Yinuo, in a bad mood, had drunk too much. Pretending to be addled by the wine, he grabbed Xia Yujin by the waist. “You’re so open and honest, Your Highness, really admirable. I’m leaving tomorrow, but I can’t bear to leave you.”

“Be a man, bear it,” Xia Yujin said, batting his paw away.

Prince Yinuo shook his head and sighed, his breath smelling of alcohol. “Pretty boy, let’s drink two more cups?”

“Get lost!” Xia Yujin said, angry and embarrassed.

But Prince Yinuo wouldn’t let go. “You must come visit me in Eastern Xia and live in my tent. I’ll serve you the best sheep’s milk wine, the best meat. We’ll chat at night under the light of the candles and get drunk for three days and three nights.”

Caressed all over, Xia Yujin felt the moment turn to the worst.

He’d been harassed many times before and was still ridiculed for it. And now, in full view of everyone, he was being molested by an inebriated foreign prince. How many more years would he be laughed at? Out of desperation, he turned to the nearby Qiu Laohu for help.

In a loud voice, trying to uphold justice, Qiu Laohu said, “Your Royal Highness, you cannot do this. His Highness is the general’s beloved.”

“The general’s beauty?” Prince Yinuo’s drunken eyes were misty.

Xia Yujin furiously and desperately sent him a look.

Qiu Laohu wasn’t bright; he couldn’t understand Xia Yujin’s meaningful looks. Hesitantly, he asked, “Is that… Is that right?”

“Of course not!” Xia Yujin roared, flustered and exasperated.

“Why not?” Qiu Laohu stammered.

Xia Yujin was at a loss for words.

“As long as you’re beautiful, it’s fine,” Prince Yinuo indistinctly muttered in his ear.

It frightened Xia Yujin silly. Thankfully, the others found out that something weird was happening over there, and came to the rescue.

Prince Yinuo didn’t wait for anyone’s questions; he immediately slumped on top of the table and passed out. The captain of the guard hurriedly brought people to take him away to rest.

The captain and the interpreter stepped forward and awkwardly explained, “His Royal Highness does not have great alcohol tolerance. I’m afraid he confused Your Highness for someone else. Please be magnanimous, Your Highness, and do not take a drunk man’s actions to heart.”

Some unknown Eastern Xia man who understood the language of the Great Qin shouted from the crowd, “There are too many beauties, His Royal Highness got dazzled.”

Xia Yujin stalked away amidst laughter.

Seeing how furious their master was, the maids and attendants were afraid to serve upon the prince of Eastern Xia without instructions to do so, to avoid incurring their master’s wrath.

Once he was left alone, Prince Yinuo quickly opened his eyes, completely losing any sign of drunkenness.

“Have you gotten in touch with our contact recently?” he asked his captain in the Eastern Xia language.

The guard nodded. “Yes, we’ll settle this matter before we set off tomorrow.”

Prince Yinuo raised his head and looked at the hill, not far away. A woman’s laughter floated through the curtain of blooming flowers. He took a deep breath, but he couldn’t ease his anger.

The Great Qin, the Emperor, Ye Zhao, Xia Yujin…

Every bit of humiliation he’d suffered, he would pay back a thousandfold in the future.

Without exception.