Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 490 Xiz City

The wind in Chishui City is harsh, carrying sand and gravel that stings the face.

This ancient city, severely eroded by time and sandstorms, exudes a sense of desolation, like a hero past his prime.

Xue Sui and his entourage arrived at sunset.

The setting sun casts its slanting rays upon the earthen-yellow battlements, sinking into the vast desert and adding to the desolation.

The royal court of Siz received the news two days ago, and the welcoming entourage they sent was already waiting at the city gate.

The leader was a tall, burly general with a full beard.

His name was Balu, and he spoke with a thick Dalian dialect, but his attitude was very respectful.

"Welcome Princess Mayila." Balu placed his right hand on his chest and performed a siz salute. His gaze swept over the dozen or so burly wolf guards behind Xue Sui, and his pupils contracted slightly.

These wolf guards are elite assassins carefully trained by the royal family, and they only recognize the wolf bone talisman of their leader.

"General Balu, you've worked hard."

Xue Sui did not get out of the carriage. He only lifted a corner of the curtain to reveal half of his face, nodded slightly to Balu, and spoke in a calm and smiling tone, but could not hide his aloof demeanor.

"My mother is exhausted from the journey and is unwell. She needs to rest immediately. Please lead the way, General."

"Yes, Princess." Balu withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and waved for the honor guard to turn around.

"His Majesty has prepared accommodations for the two royal family members in the former palace of the princess. Please make yourself at home, Princess."

The convoy slowly drove into the city.

The buildings on both sides were mostly adobe houses, interspersed with a few brightly colored domed buildings. Occasionally, the camel bells of caravans would ring out softly, and the wind would carry a gust of dust, a stark contrast to the ornate buildings of the capital.

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks and cast inquiring glances.

They were filled with curiosity about the legendary Princess Mayila—why would a woman who was so popular in the Daliang Imperial Palace suddenly return to her homeland? Was her mentally challenged mother the same Princess Ayinur who disappeared more than 30 years ago?

The convoy traveled for about 15 minutes before stopping in front of a somewhat desolate palace garden.

The old palace has been cleaned.

The courtyard walls were high, the paint on the gate was peeling, and several jujube trees stubbornly stretched out their branches. A faint smell of dust filled the air.

Two guards with curved swords at their waists stood at the door. Seeing Xue Sui alight from the carriage, they placed their right hands on their chests, bowed, and stammered in the Liang language:
"Welcome, Princess! Welcome, Lady of the County!"

Xue Ji was carefully helped down by Ruyi and Jinshu.

The bumpy ride left her looking listless, and her already pale face became even more bloodless...

However, as she stepped onto the cold stone floor of the old palace and looked at the familiar gate, her eyes welled up with tears, her lips trembled, and she uttered very soft murmurs.

“I’m home… Father… Mother… Ayinur is home…”

Xue Sui felt a pang of sadness and stepped forward to tightly grasp her mother's cold hand.

"Mother, let's go inside and take a look."

Perhaps it was because she had returned to her homeland, but Yukihime was unusually happy that day. She was as excited as a child, pacing back and forth in the courtyard, sometimes touching the mottled walls, sometimes looking up at the sky, humming off-key Xizgu folk songs, until she was exhausted and fell asleep.

After settling Xue Ji in, Xue Sui stood alone on the highest earthen platform of the old palace, gazing at the indistinct outline of Chishui City under the night sky.

The night wind howled, causing her clothes to flutter.

Jinshu quietly stepped forward and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

"Your Majesty, the wind is strong in Chishui City at night. Be careful not to catch a cold."

“Here, there is no Her Majesty, only Princess Mayila.” Xue Sui didn’t turn around, her voice carried on the wind, but her hand unconsciously went to her heart…

Since leaving the capital, the place has been experiencing increasingly frequent palpitations, like a silent alarm bell.

"Jinshu, what do you think His Majesty is doing right now?"

Jinshu looked at her slender and upright back and sighed inwardly.

"His Majesty must also be thinking of the Empress."

She could almost picture the young emperor in the capital city at that moment, consumed by rage and anguish over the departure of his beloved woman…

Xue Sui remained silent for a moment, suppressing his emotions, and then asked her.

"How's the situation outside?"

Jinshu said in a low voice, "The royal court sent daily necessities and a few servants. They seem to be quite well-behaved, but their eyes are too sharp... Just now, a maid wanted to serve the lady her medicine, but Ruyi stopped her."

“As expected,” Xue Sui said calmly. “Turgutai only ascended the throne with the support of the High Priest. He wanted to use my status as the daughter of a princess and the favored concubine of the Liang Emperor to counterbalance the Xiz old tribe. However, he was also afraid that I would turn the tables, so he naturally had to keep a close eye on me.”

“Then we…” “No rush.” Xue Sui’s gaze was calm. “Let Mother rest for a few days first.”

"Yes."
-
The next few days were calm.

Xue Sui did not rush into action, but instead stayed at home and spent most of his time with Xue Ji.

Back in Chishui City, Xueji's emotions stabilized considerably. Although she still had moments of confusion, she could still recall fragments of her childhood memories—about the Holy Mountain, about Chishui City, and about her long-deceased relatives.

That afternoon, Xue Sui had a low wooden table and two rattan chairs moved to the jujube tree in the courtyard. He accompanied Xue Ji as they leisurely drank tea. Suddenly, they heard the crisp sound of horses' hooves and the shouts of a young boy coming from outside the gate.

"Make way! Make way—my horse is startled!"

A boy named Sidzi, about twelve or thirteen years old, rode a tall, chestnut-colored horse and rushed into the courtyard like a gust of wind.

The guards rushed forward but dared not stop them, their faces showing reluctance.

"Young Master, you must not be rude..."

"Let me take a look. I want to see what the princess from Daliang looks like..."

The boy reined in his horse and nimbly jumped off.

His hair was slightly curly, his honey-colored skin glistened with sweat in the sunlight, and his large, bright eyes looked at Xue Sui in the courtyard without any fear.

"Are you Princess Mayila who came back from Daliang?" The young man, afraid she wouldn't understand, switched to the stiff Daliang language and repeated himself word by word, full of youthful pride.

Xue Sui raised her eyes and walked over calmly.

“You should call me Aunt Mayila.”

The boy was stunned, his eyes widening even further.

"How come I've never heard my father mention this before?"

"Your name is Angge, isn't it?" Xue Sui smiled slightly, looking at the boy's puffed-out chest and surprised expression. "Your father is Prince Morile..."

The boy was greatly surprised.

"How do you know everything? Are the people of Daliang that powerful?"

Xue Sui smiled but remained silent.

Moril was Princess Tuya's elder brother, born of the same mother.

Their father was Ulji, the eldest son of the old King Siz, and also the old King Siz's preferred successor.

When Ashina seized power, the eldest son of the king died tragically. Later, Amenglahe supported Turgutai to ascend to the throne, restored the status of this branch of the royal family, and bestowed the title of prince upon his nephew Morile to appease the old subordinates, thus showing respect for the bloodline of the eldest son of the king.

The king's eldest son, Uliji, Ashina, Turgutai, her mother Ayinur, and Wenjia's birth mother, Princess Saina, though not born of the same mother, shared the same father.

In terms of seniority, Angge should call Xue Sui "aunt".

Seeing the boy in a daze, Xue Sui said gently, "Your horsemanship is very good, but next time you ride in the city, you'd better go slower."

When Ang saw that she didn't blame him but instead praised his horsemanship, he grinned, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth and shallow dimples on his cheeks.

“Aunt, you’re not like what they say.”

"Oh?" Xue Sui raised an eyebrow, picked up a lotus-shaped pastry he had brought from the capital, and handed it to him.

What did they say about me?

“They say you're a concubine of the Liang people, that your heart is with them, and that you've come back with ill intentions…” Angge, always outspoken, seemed to realize his words were inappropriate afterward, scratching his head as he added:
"But I think you're so fair-skinned and have such a pleasant voice, you don't seem like a bad person..."

Xue Sui smiled but didn't respond to that question. Instead, she asked, "How are your father and mother?"

When his parents were mentioned, Ang's expression dimmed, he kicked a pebble at his feet, and his voice lowered.

“My mother passed away last year… My father led his wolf riders to the northern valley… Those jackals from the Tatar tribe came to steal our pastures again and injured our people. The king sent my father to teach them a lesson, but it’s been almost a month and he hasn’t returned yet…”

Xue Sui smiled and raised his hand to pat the boy's thin shoulder.

"Your father is truly a remarkable hero. Don't worry, the Wolf God will bless him and ensure his triumphant return..."

Unger's emotions came and went quickly. Upon hearing the word "hero," his chest involuntarily puffed out again, and his eyes lit up once more.

"Yes, my father is the best!"

“Then you should also be like your father and become a hero who protects the people…” Xue Sui followed his words.

Ang scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking at the smile on Xue Sui's face, then suddenly glanced warily at the guard at the door, his expression full of excitement at sharing a secret.

"Auntie, you must be bored staying in the old palace all day, right? I know a nice place at the foot of the Holy Mountain where blue peacock flowers bloom in the summer, and deer come to drink water. Shall I take you there?"

(End of this chapter)