With this in mind, Anari threw everything to the back of her mind, except that she was not to turn to violence. She lowered her voice. “Come with me, husband,” she warned. “If you need to ask her anything, have one of your subordinates do that for you. We return to the capital tomorrow. If you continue to pay her so much attention when we return, I’ll kill her!”
Chapter 479: Khanbaliq
Thanks to Anari's antics, Qin Yining was at long last granted a day of peace and quiet. Siqin seemed to be kept on a tight leash, since he didn’t have the opportunity to bother her, giving her frazzled nerves a bit of respite.
The next morning, before the sun or Qin Yining had risen, the door curtain to her tent was pushed aside for dawn’s autumn wind to burrow in without mercy. Qin Yining shivered her way awake and swiftly sat up to watch the doorway, raising her guard.
Her visitor was a stocky, middle-aged woman donning indigo, narrow-sleeved robes under a black vest. Her hair was sleekly tied up behind her head. Blatant contempt colored her features when she saw Qin Yining, and the woman scoffed at her in an accented rendition of the Great Zhou tongue.
"It looks like you slept very well. The khan has ordered me to supervise you. She and the consort have already risen to prepare for departure, but a prisoner such as yourself is still shamelessly sleeping in! Get up and get dressed!
Qin Yining understood at once—Anari could no longer stand the sight of her living comfortably, so arranged for a granny servant to torment her. As for the maid whose eyes sparkled whenever she looked at her, it seemed Qin Yining would never see the attentive girl again.
The princess consort remained silent as she rose to groom herself. After washing her face with cold water, she haphazardly rubbed some lotion onto her face, then did her hair in a simple updo and put on her hat of red agate tassels
As she was all by her lonesome, she didn't have any belongings to take with her save from her medication, which she packed into a small bundle.
"Let us go." Now ready, Qin Yining turned to address the maid and exited the tent.
The old maid hadn't expected the princess consort to be so adept at caring for herself—not only did the girl not try to bargain for better treatment, her movements were quick and efficient. She was completely unlike the expected vixen, the one who’d dared seduce the khan's consort in exchange for days of comfort.
For a moment, the older woman couldn't keep up with her thoughts, but still remembered the khan's orders full well and chased after Qin Yining with long strides.
"Hurry up, don't dawdle! Who do you think you are? What place does a prisoner have strutting around arrogantly before the khan?" A hard push emphasized her words.
Qin Yining stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. When she regained her balance, she turned around angrily and drew back her hand, promptly slapping the maid across the face.
"And what do you think you are? How dare you address this princess consort like this!"
The old maid spun around in place from the force of the slap and fell dizzily to the floor. Astounded, she cupped her check and looked up at Qin Yining. "How, how dare you strike me?!"
"You are a servant, and I am your superior. Why should I not slap you for insubordination to your betters?! I am a guest of your khan's consort, yet you, a lowly servant, step completely out of line. Do you think this will be overlooked when you Tatars speak with Great Zhou?!" Qin Yining did not yell, nor did she speak quickly, but the threat in her voice was extremely clear.
Those hustling with preparations outside drew close to see what the commotion was about. Seeing the granny servant scolded after a failed attempt to teach Qin Yining a lesson, the people muttered and gossiped amongst themselves.
Qin Yining continued to berate the maid, "If you will not attend to me properly, then go back to wherever you came from and send someone who knows their manners! I’ve always heard the Tatars prided themselves on their hospitality and spoke reason. The excellence your people have to offer is tarnished by insubordinate things like you who bully the weak!"
Among those who understood the language of Great Zhou, some thought Qin Yining spoke too severely while others thought the old mama was out of line and had angered their guest.
The flurry of conversation among the bystanders grew louder.
Just then, Anari rushed over in a bright scarlet cape, whip in hand. She flew into a rage at the sight of the person she’d arranged on the ground with a swollen cheek. "How dare you, displaying such impudence on my territory!"
"Khan." Qin Yining addressed Anari with utmost formality. "As a woman, I am ignorant on many fronts. However, I still know of how one should treat guests.
"For a woman as well-educated and far-sighted such as the khan, a servant’s disrespectful conduct will only serve to unjustly tarnish your good name. Some will know that a servant is responsible for their own misconduct, but those who do not will think the servants are acting on the khan's orders to abuse a helpless guest."
Seeing the swollen handprint on the maid's face, Anari's face grew white with anger. "How thick-skinned you are! You dare call yourself helpless after hitting someone's face like that?!"
Qin Yining looked at the leather whip in Anari's hand and smiled. "Khan, I respect you as a heroic woman. Though your consort forcibly brought me to your country to be your guest, I am still Great Zhou’s Faithful Princess Consort of the First Rank, and the daughter of the Minister of Rites. You can kill me, but you may not insult me!
"I am a person of little patience and a bad temper. What's more, I am quick to act on my impulses. If any of your people tries to disrespect me again, I shall end myself instead of subjecting myself to your torment. I will not be able to guarantee that you will succeed in discussing terms if it comes to that."
"How dare you threaten me?! Let me tell you something, Tatar's forces are strong in numbers and well-fed. It would be as easy as breathing to stomp all of Great Zhou’s chicken-hearted cowards into the ground! Go ahead and die. You can die. We won't negotiate anything—I will lead my warriors in a charge and kill your people without leaving anything behind!" She swung an arm into the air as she spoke, her servants cheering her on.
Worry clawed at Qin Yining.
She could now say with certainty that there was something wrong with Siqin and Anari's relationship. Anari seemed so sure of herself that she didn’t seem particularly concerned about the prospects of going to war—in fact, she seemed to wish for it.
When it came to Great Zhou, Pang Xiao was already in an awkward predicament. Knowing him, he would certainly rally his troops to avenge her should the worst happen to her. The question of whether the emperor would give him the authority to do so or not aside, the amount of suffering that war would bring wasn’t something she wished upon anyone.
Shifting her thoughts, Qin Yining showed no sign of backing down. "The khan has many people to do her bidding and a loud voice, I have no wish to compete with you in these regards. Did you not say we were to return to your capital? I will be going to my carriage, then.”
The princess consort nodded, then headed straight toward a flatbed cart. Lu Heng was already seated inside. Seeing Qin Yining approach, he smiled and moved aside to make space for her.
"You best not aggravate them," he muttered, "or they may physically retaliate. It seems to me their motives for kidnapping us aren’t as simple as obtaining ransom."
"You’ve noticed as well?" Qin Yining murmured back.
They wordlessly came to the same conclusion. It seemed that Lu Heng had already grasped some of their situation, thanks to his sharp wits.
Seeing Qin Yining fawn over Lu Heng as soon as she boarded the cart, Anari’s suspicions about the integrity of the girl’s character grew. With a dark look, she announced their departure. No one was allowed to rest throughout their day-long journey, and they finally reached the gates of Khanbaliq after nightfall.
Out of habit, Anari turned her head back to brag, "We Tatars have a long history—it's almost un
fair compared to your tiny nation. Today, I shall broaden your horizons."
Chapter 480: Reminder
The streets of Khanbaliq were lit brightly. It seemed that the Tatar capital had no curfew, for the streets still bustled with activity as men and women strolled around in their traditional garb. Tea houses and bars remained open for business—open doors and windows offered glimpses of patrons clinking ewers full of wine with each other.
When the khan's convoy arrived at the city gates, the guards standing watch immediately bowed. The crowd of civilians on the street also parted ways and bowed, passionately welcoming the khan in the Tatar language.
Looking at the lively crowd from their cart, Qin Yining and Lu Heng couldn't help but glance at each other.
Back in Great Zhou, Li Qitian would’ve never chanced such a public appearance in front of his people. Such rambunctious gatherings would leave him wide open for assassination.
Apparently, Anari was held in considerably high regard by the general populace and often engaged with them normally—their honest enthusiasm warmed even the hearts of outsiders like the hostages.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lu Heng muttered into Qin Yining's ear.
Qin Yining knew what he was about to say. She nodded. "Those who possess true skill have nothing to fear, I suppose."
Anari was a formidable force to be reckoned with on her own, but Tatar's war god, Siqin, also stayed closely beside in protection. Her bodyguards were even more diligent in ensuring her safety. It would’ve been strange if someone as who enjoyed showing off as much as she did took the care to hide herself.
The convoy set course for the magnificent historic beauty that was the Tatar royal palace. Yet as soon as they turned a corner, two teens dressed in rags ran out from the crowd and dropped to their knees before the entourage.
Anari raised a hand to bring them to a halt. The surrounding crowd looked in their direction, equally curious.
"What is it now?" She sneered. "I let you off last time, but you come back looking to die?"
“Great khan, we beg you to spare our aav and eej! Please spare our aav and eej!"
"I already let you off once, how dare you come to me again? Your parents committed serious crimes, so it serves them right to be slaves! The same goes for the rest of your tribe!"
"No, the Minuo tribe submitted to the khan's rule when you were still regent, yet the khan still showed us no mercy! We were once a great tribe of over twenty thousand, but we’ve been massacred to where less than four thousand of us remain—our elderly, sick, women and children. Our father and mother already serve you, so why does the khan continue to persecute us?"
"It's what your people deserve!"
......
Anari proceeded to recount all of the times the Minuo tribe had obstructed her rise to power.
The scene was dead silent, save for the bickering between the khan and the two young teens.
Qin Yining had no idea what they were saying because they were speaking in the Tatar language, but she noticed Lu Heng appeared to understand.
"Do you know the Tatar language?" she whispered.
Lu Heng met her bright gaze and nodded with a smile, then murmured a brief summary of their quarrel in her ear. Qin Yining fell deep into contemplation.
The people of Tatar were different from that of Great Zhou in that most lived grueling lives as nomads. Though they appeared united under the khan, they were a fragmented nation comprised of several tribes.
The Minuo tribe once boasted a population of twenty thousand people, making it an exceptionally large Tatar tribe. However, power struggles had that number cut down by Anari's hand to the current four thousand elderly, vulnerable and disabled.
Qin Yining also knew full well how political conflict was a survival of the fittest—showing weakness meant forfeiting your life. Despite this knowledge, her heart hadn’t hardened completely.
As she watched the fight escalate to where Anari pulled out her whip to rush at the two teens, she couldn't help speaking up. "Khan, is this the planned demonstration of your famed hospitality for outsiders such as myself?"
All eyes turned toward her when she opened her mouth. As she spoke the language of Great Zhou, most of the spectators didn’t understand her. However, Anari did.
She spun around angrily and met the subtle taunt in Qin Yining's otherwise indifferent gaze, shouting, "What do you mean?!"
"I mean exactly what I said. The khan is very fluent in the language of Great Zhou, so I trust you understand."
Anari dropped her inclination to beat the two youths with her whip and instead turned to stomp over to Qin Yining, fuming.
Concerned, Lu Heng put himself between Anari and Qin Yining. In the Tatar tongue, he said, "Her Highness spoke out of consideration for the khan. There is no need to take her words to heart. Killing someone is but removing their heads. The khan has already persecuted so many of their people and captured their parents—why go through the trouble of beating two children in front of a crowd?"
Though Qin Yining was grateful for Lu Heng's support, she didn’t have a habit of relying on others to finish the fights she started. In the language of Great Zhou, she continued, "The khan is a hero and the leader of a nation. You have a great army and numerous talents on your side, yet you refuse to spare a tribe that has already bowed down to you. Now, you mean to harm two filial and innocent youths—do you not care if others think you heartless?"
Anari flew into a rage and cracked her whip viciously. "Who do you think you are?! How dare you point fingers at me! The Minuo tribe rebelled and lost, so they are my slaves to kill or slice up as I please. Since when do I need to explain myself to the likes of you?!"
"As you say, as you say, you are free to do as you please." Qin Yining waved a hand with the air of tolerating a child throwing a tantrum, and sighed. "However, are you not concerned with the sympathy for one of your kind? Look at your subjects—are you certain killing the weak is the only way to display your authority as the leader of a nation?
"Khan, I have always considered you a female hero with wit and method. However, it now appears you are nothing more than an upstart social climber blinded by her own power."
"What did you say?! Who are you calling an upstart social climber?!"
"Are you not? True rulers with class don’t flaunt the little power they hold, nor demonstrate their authority at the expense of the innocent. You are already the khan, why do you remain so quick to show off? You embarrass yourself by sauntering around like a new money upstart, showing off their big hairpin that’s made of three catties of gold. And yet, you lack actual wealth. This only hurts your image, and I fail to see the heroism you wish to display."
Each word stabbed at Anari's heart like knives. Cheeks ruddy with humiliation, she made a move to use her whip, only to see the civilians gathered around them staring quietly at her. Qin Yining's words echoed again in her head—if she did lash out, she would only be proving the princess consort right.
It was at this moment that the two pleading teens slipped away in the crowd, their movements as nimble as pond loaches. Slow to react, the guards cried out in alarm before pursuing them.
Anari looked back to see the two had already run far away and the guards chasing them had knocked the crowd helter-skelter. Her frustration grew even further.
Qin Yining shook her head. "To repay the khan for hosting us free of charge, I shall offer you these words of wisdom: 'The ruler is the boat, his people the water. Water can carry the boat, but it may also overturn it. Thus, rulers would be wise to take caution, for it is this awareness that will nullify the risk of being overturned.'
“I recommend 'Xunzi' for the khan to read in your leisure time. I am sure the khan's consort will understand any passages that elude you and would be amenable to explaining them to you."
She spoke with a smile, but her words held a reminder— if Anari could find it in herself to swallow her pride in the slightest, she would understand Qin Yining's i
mplications.
Chapter 481: Going Down
Qin Yining’s words immediately raised a frown on Lu Heng’s face and a tug on her sleeve. He too could tell something was wrong with Siqin, but this was Tatar internal affairs and no place for foreigners to meddle in. Not to mention, she was saying all this right in front of the khan consort!
He slightly resented her impulsiveness and was even more worried that she’d be dragged into the conflict. As expected, Siqin moved in front of Anari and looked at Qin Yining with eyes that glittered malevolently.
However, the princess consort hadn’t run her mouth without thought—a lot of consideration had gone into what she’d said. If the rulers of Tatar were a united front, what good was that for Great Zhou? It’d be best to set Anari and Siqin at odds with each other, leaving them no leisure to consider invasion.
She’d gleaned by now that Siqin was a man with a heavy craving for power. If Anari kept bumbling through her days, she would sooner or later be on the receiving end of a coup. If Siqin became the Tatar master, then this people’s pace to invade the south would only quicken. Great Zhou’s coffers laid empty, what strength could they muster to resist attackers?
Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu would have long and arduous battles ahead of them, not to mention the scores of soldiers whose blood would dye the fields and untold innocents who would die in war.
War was the last thing Qin Yining wanted to see, so it was best to keep Anari and Siqin busy fighting each other. She stared back fearlessly at Siqin and smiled faintly. “Does the khan consort also think my words make sense?”
“It seems the Faithful Princess Consort of the First Rank is well read. There is a saying in Great Zhou that asserts the greatest virtue of a woman is to be without talent. Are you not departing from your culture’s rules and manners to be a rebellious heretic?”
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