Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 93: Retrieval

 Banruo rode out of the Holy City, straight to the Yunfu City. Halfway there, he met Princess Chima returning to the Royal Court.

    Sand and dust were surging and flying on the road. The young man walking in the front of the caravan had a high nose and deep eyes, his body tall and sturdy astride his steed. With a long sword at his waist, he wore a peacock blue elbow-length brocade robe, knee-high boots, a short dagger on his belt, and a white robe with gold patterns around his shoulders, the attire of an army general of the Royal Court.

    Banruo greeted him: “General Ashina!”

    Ashina Bisha recognized Banruo. Letting go of the reins, his turquoise eyes flashed with worry: “Why did you leave the king’s side?”

    Banruo urged his horse forward and whispered in a choked voice: “Venerable Mondatipa said that the king would not last for many more days!”

    Ashina Bisha raised his head. Looking in the direction of the Royal Court, with tears shining faintly in his eyes, his hands clenched into fists.

    Banruo wiped the corner of his eyes, taking out the letter written by Li Yaoying: “Now the only way to save the king is to find the water anise herb. This Wei Empire princess said her dowry had water anise, and Northern Rong’s Prince Haidu Aling took her dowry. We must retrieve her dowry in order to find those herbs.”

    He finished the story in a few words.

    While they were talking, the procession stopped. Princess Chima, with red hair and brown eyes and a light veil over her face, got off the carriage with the help of her maid. Frowning slightly, she asked, “Why did we stop?”

    Bisha instructed the maid to retreat and told Princess Chima about the water anise herb.

    Banruo anxiously scratched his head: “Princess, what should we do now? Should we try this Wei Empire Princess’s method? The Venerable Master said that if it were not for the Princess of the Wei Empire who handled the customs clearance paperwork for him and generously gave him a carriage and horses to travel, he couldn’t have crossed the blockade to arrive at the Royal Court. He said that this was all Buddha’s arrangement.”

    He was certainly angry because Li Yaoying blasphemed Buddha’s son, but in a life-or-death situation, he preferred to believe that it was really as the rumors were saying: Buddha’s son was Ananda, the Wei Empire Princess was Buddha’s son Mordenga Maiden, and she was sent by Buddha to test Buddha’s son.

    Then, that meant that Buddha’s son could be saved; Ananda ultimately passed the trial, Buddha’s son could do it as well!

    Yaoying’s letter was written in Chinese characters and the Turkic language. Bisha was a descendent of the Turkic royal family, so he naturally recognized the Turkic language.

    He looked down at the letter, wrinkling his brows in contemplation.

    Princess Chima coldly sent a glance at Banruo and said angrily, “Roga is a prince of the Royal Court, a noble Buddha’s son! How could he be involved with a lowly Han girl!”

    At her words, Bisha smiled and raised his head, his gaze slightly cold: “Roga is very sick. Only the Anxi Pill can temporarily ease his pain.”

    Princess Chima laughed coldly: “More than two hundred people from my clan have lost their lives at the hands of the Han Chinese. They are the Royal Court’s enemy. I hate that I can’t consume their flesh, drink their blood! Roga is the monarch of the Royal Court; he will not forget the Royal Court’s blood feud!”

    Banruo remembered Tumoroga’s life history and did not dare to make a sound.

    Bisha’s face did not change. Pivoting his horse, he turned a different way, “Princess, do you know why Roga asked me to send you to Yunfu City?”

    Princess Chima did not speak.

    Bisha tucked the letter into his arms and slowly said, “I am a knight of the Central Army and should have been beside him. However, Roga was afraid that he would not be able to defend the Royal Court, that you would be humiliated by the Northern Rong. So, he had me take you to Yunfu City until he made an alliance with the Northern Rong before bringing you back. With the covenant, whether he is dead or alive, you will always be the princess of the Tumo family, and even if the city is captured, Wakhan Khan will treat you well.”

    He paused for a moment and looked back at Princess Chima.

    “Now, Roga’s life is at stake. Only the medicine of the Han princess can save him, yet you only remember your hatred of the Han, without any consideration of Roga at all? How he has lived all these years, you’ve witnessed it yourself.”

    Princess Chima did not say a word, her face under the veil cold as frost.

    Bisha spurred his horse to the front of the formation, called for his deputy general, and handed over his token: “Send someone to send the princess back to the city. You go and gather your men and horses and wait for my order at Sand City. I will send this letter to the Northern Rong.”

    He turned to his personal soldiers, “If Northern Rong does not acknowledge it, I will personally lead the Central Army to Northern Rong’s commanding tent to claim the dowry of the Wei Empire’s princess! The Royal Court’s Central Army will always be loyal to Buddha’s son!”

    “Loyal to Buddha’s son!”

    Everyone shouted in response, their voices shaking the skies.

    Banruo hurriedly followed Bisha and asked, “Should we send someone to Gaochang to inform the Regent?”

    The military and political power of the Royal Court was in the hands of the Regent Sultan Gu.

    Bisha stiffened and sighed softly: “No need. Sultan Gu is not in Gaochang… If he were here, he would have made the same decision as I did. Buddha’s son sacrificed so much for the Royal Court… as long as I can save Buddha’s son, all the guilt will be borne by me.”

    If the contents of the letter were false, he was sure he could get out in one piece.

    If the contents were true, he would risk his life to snatch back the water anise!

    Banruo responded yes and said, “Wei Empire’s Princess said she would prepare a registry and have her guard send it to the army. If the Northern Rong wanted to renege, her followers can identify the Northern Rong prince who had imprisoned her. Her followers also know where her belongings are hidden.”

    Bisha raised his eyebrows. He was so focused on the water anise that he hadn’t thought of this.

    “That Wei Empire princess is very smart.”

    Banruo pursed his lips contemptuously.

    Bisha did not dare to delay. Riding at full speed, it was not a few days later that he reached Wakhan Khan’s commanding tent. He single-handedly rushed into the Northern Rong’s barracks and presented the letter.

    Wakhan Khan had just left Sand City and was preparing to go to the Western provinces. After reading the letter, he was very surprised.

    When did Aling detain a princess of the Wei Empire?

    Bisha stood in front of Wakhan and said neither condescendingly nor submissively, “Have Haidu Aling come and confront me face to face! The princess’s followers are in Sand City. They can testify that Haidu Aling has been holding our Royal Court’s guest for half a year! He also seized the princess’ dowry! Our Royal Court has never made things difficult for the Northern Rong merchants. Even when our two countries were at war, the Northern Rong merchants could still go to Holy City to exchange goods. Great Khan, please respect the covenant and return the princess’ dowry.”

    Several princes happened to be in the tent as well. Hearing this, they exchanged looks with one other.

    The youngest prince walked up to Wakhan and whispered, “Father Khan, not long ago, Haidu Aling did hide a stunning beauty in the camp, and I heard people say that that beauty was taken by him from the Central Plains. I didn’t expect it to be a princess.”

    Wakhan Khan’s face was slightly dark.

    The young prince sneered twice: “Father Khan, Haidu Aling has the ambition of wild wolves. Do you still not believe me? What he hid was not an ordinary beauty, but a di Princess of the Wei Empire, a guest of the Royal Court’s Buddha’s son! He concealed from you for so long, his appetite is not small! Also, as a prince of the Northern Rong, he has embezzled property! Is he trying to rebel?”

    Wakhan Khan’s light brown eyes glanced coldly at his youngest son.

    The young prince’s face turned pale.

    Wakhan Khan withdrew his gaze, his eyes flickering twice. Making a quick decision, he looked at Bisha, and laughed loudly: “As expected of a son of Ashina, you are indeed valiant! This matter may be a misunderstanding.”

    After saying that, he sent someone to invite Haidu Aling.

    Not long after, Haidu Aling came over. Seeing the blond-haired and blue-eyed Bisha, with his majestic features, his light golden eyes narrowed slightly.

    Wakhan asked in a pleasant manner, “Lang Nu, did you detain the princess of Wei Empire?”