Desert Rhapsody - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Abal did not pester her for long that night. That condition had slipped out of his mouth far too smoothly; who knew how long the idea had been turning over in his head during the six months they had been apart? He knew Jiang Yuan kept herself clean and proper. Though he had never seen her pray, by the same logic, she would only ever like a man who was upright, devout, law-abiding, and equally clean-living.

Yes, that was naturally the complete opposite of Abal. No matter how handsome or rich he was, Jiang Yuan would never spare him a glance.

In short, they passed the night in peace. The next morning, they rose, packed their things, prepared plenty of water, rested for a while, then set out in the afternoon when the sun was less fierce, returning to the small village where they had been temporarily staying. Traveling with a camel caravan slowed them down considerably. The journey that had taken only most of a day on the way out took two full days on the way back.

They parted outside the village. Abal handed the entire caravan over to her and took only two camels for fresh mounts. His face was wrapped in a veil, leaving only his deep, bewitching blue eyes visible. With his curved blade, light armor, bracers, and the spirited Night beneath him, he looked no different from the Abal Jiang Yuan had first met.

“I’m going back to Nafud,” he said. His tone, however, was much more casual than before. “If you need to find me, draw a triangle in chalk on the wall by your house.”

Jiang Yuan: …Once he’d heard about Ali Baba, he really was never going to forget it, was he?

“That would stand out too much.”

“You can draw other shapes on ordinary days.”

“No. We stick to the original plan. Go to Old Yijin in the eastern market and buy two packets of salt.”

“Suit yourself.” Abal smiled brightly. “If you use flowers, I’ll knock off half a person each time. And I’ll come as fast as I can.”

Jiang Yuan paused, then remembered she still owed him a quota of more than twenty people. “…What do you mean by flowers?”

His blue eyes curved. “Spend the night with me.”

If Jiang Yuan had had a rock at hand, she would have smashed it into his face until it bloomed. Abal burst out laughing, acting so childish it was unbelievable. He nimbly changed camels and rode off with Night. Sun followed for a few steps, but when he noticed, he whistled and drove her back.

She truly had been well trained. Ordered to stay, she could only paw the ground forlornly, circling in place and gazing after them with reluctant eyes. Jiang Yuan stroked Sun’s neck. Sun lowered her head, flicking her tail, looking dejected.

“All right,” Jiang Yuan said. “Next time, I’ll bring you out to see Abal.” She fed her a few pieces of sugar and some bean cakes. “Or perhaps you miss Night too, don’t you?”

She had been separated from Abal for half a year without once missing him. Strangely enough, now that she was watching his figure shrink into the distance, the feeling was indeed a little odd.

She drove the camel caravan back into the village and told the servants who came to meet her, “This is a caravan I invested in over the past two months. I entrusted them to buy goods, so I went out to receive them.” No one suspected a thing. A month later, they finally arrived at the foot of Gazwan Mountain. At the base of the mountain, they changed mounts and followed the road upward, past countless orchards, farms, and green fields.

This place was so green it hardly seemed like the Middle East, with its endless deserts. Jiang Yuan almost thought she was seeing a smaller version of Baghdad. Small villages and post stations along the roadside had pools built everywhere; spring water burbled, and clear streams rang softly. Travelers, farmers, and merchant caravans flowed endlessly along the roads, and vendors selling fruit and flowers lined the way. Everything was ridiculously cheap too. After all, this was the most famous grain-producing region on the Arabian Peninsula. The air grew cool, and faint veils of cloud and mist could be seen higher up. If one gazed into the distance, one could sometimes even spot antelopes leaping through the green fields between the mountains.

Jiang Yuan settled down here. Adnan owned a property in the city of Taif and two farms outside the city. The stone houses and corridors were white, tinted a fresh pale yellow by sand and streaks of dust. Many flowering trees and plants spilled down between the stones, making one feel as if one could almost walk barefoot through the greenery, treading on the slightly warm stones.

This was something many high officials and nobles of Baghdad liked to do. It was fashionable to buy a house here and come in the summer to escape the heat. The house was about the same size as the one in Baghdad, so it felt rather empty now. Jiang Yuan chose a room with a grape trellis by the door. It was semi-open, with enormous windows. An inner chamber was screened off by curtains, while the outer room had space for a rocking chair where she could read. Soft carpets and sheets covered the room, and fresh flowers sat on the table. Most importantly, there was a small bathing pool beside it.

Ever since the Caliph had ordered public bathhouses to be built throughout Baghdad, that trend had spread across the country. Taif, known as the “Summer Palace,” was naturally no exception. Adnan’s farm also had a small bathhouse. Though small, it had everything it needed: hot and cold pools and a steam room. Taif did not lack water, so Jiang Yuan could finally live a life where she bathed every day.

After that, it was time to put down roots and get her business on track. The steward and servants had already tidied up the shop, stocked it with goods, and opened for business. But Jiang Yuan was in no rush to sell off her inventory. Paper and porcelain were both expensive. Culture was a hobby supported by gold coins; those without a wealthy household could not afford it. She properly stored away the unsold stock and, through introductions, used her capital for other businesses, investing short-term in other caravans that transported goods to Mecca and Medina. Aside from regularly supplying a portion of paper and porcelain to the shop, she held everything else back, waiting for a chance to create scarcity. From time to time, she would mix in some of the goods Abal had robbed, inquire about news among high officials and nobles, and filter out information on the Emir family and the campaign to exterminate the Blood Eagle Bandit Group. Every day, she doodled random shapes by the door. When it was time to divide the money, she drew a triangle. Once the people who saw the signal arrived, they settled the accounts and split the profits.

The accounts always ran at a loss in the beginning, and money flowed out like water, but Adnan had discussed the plan with Jiang Yuan beforehand, so she did not panic. Abal never came in person. Every month, when the profits were divided, gifts would arrive as well: a compass, a beautiful dagger, books from Great Tang, and the like. Whenever Jiang Yuan received a gift, she sent someone to deliver a little money to Old Yijin. Two months later, one of Abal’s men came by once to inform Jiang Yuan to go purchase goods. She understood perfectly. Taking two tight-lipped Black slaves with her, she set out, and half a month later, she returned with yet another camel caravan. With her foreign blood and her status as an adopted son, she was always surprisingly easy to pass off in a place like this. As long as she said, “These are my old connections,” no one asked further. Instead, they praised her for having broad contacts and a generous hand.
Doing business with bandits really was obscenely profitable. Even after a seventy-thirty split, she could take in dozens, even hundreds of gold coins in an instant. With prices in this era, ten thousand gold coins would be enough for a young couple to live comfortably and spend without worry for the rest of their lives. Adnan’s third letter arrived with the goods three months later, just as winter was about to set in. In it, he said they had reached Aden and were preparing to rest there. They had bought a great many spices, and he had sent some along to her.

Jiang Yuan kept the pearls Adnan had given her and sold off all the spices. Although Taif produced spices of its own, the frankincense from Aden still sold very well. That winter, she moved into the newly built workshop at the foot of the mountain. Papermaking had finally begun, but it failed twice. She was not sure if the cold weather was to blame. Taif’s summers were so cool that its winters were naturally a little colder than those of other cities, though at most the temperature difference between day and night was not as drastic. Jiang Yuan was in no hurry. She recalled the papermaking process from memory and discussed and experimented with the young artisan apprentices.

Of course, they could not hire real papermakers from Great Tang, nor did they have the means to do so. The people Adnan had managed to scrape together were only apprentices who had learned the barest basics. Because of her Great Tang appearance and her unique insight-not to mention that she could read and write and speak with effortless eloquence-they were inexplicably quite convinced by her.

By the spring of the following year, they barely managed to produce a batch of paper. It was fuzzy, poorly formed, and still full of fibers. Jiang Yuan thought it might be better suited for wiping one’s backside. For the time being, she put some in the shop as samples for sale and gave the rest away to the people around her. Abal came to see her once. They had not met for half a year. He had come to see whether she was finally willing to spend the night with him.

“If I go any longer without touching a woman, even my men will start thinking there’s something wrong with me,” he said with a rare smile that somehow carried a hint of gritted teeth. In broad daylight, he appeared at her door with a smile, knocked politely, and pretended to be a passerby asking for some water. Then, relying on that beautiful face of his, he got along splendidly with the maidservants.

He praised the house as both beautiful and elegant, took out a gift, and asked to meet its owner, curious what sort of person lived there. Jiang Yuan happened to be at home reading. She had nothing to do, of course-and if he had not found out that Jiang Yuan was home, he would not have come knocking in the first place. Jiang Yuan was startled when she saw him, then pretended it was their first meeting and greeted him, ordering the servants to bring wine and food to entertain him.

“It’s been half a year. You’ve been stringing me along. Isn’t it about time you stopped?”

To be honest, Jiang Yuan had already forgotten… It was not as if she had accepted his gifts without sending money in return. She had thought that made her attitude clear. She had indeed underestimated his persistence, but why did he have to use that kind of ruthless determination in chasing a woman on her? Jiang Yuan thought being friends was perfectly fine. The sort of friends who never met for the rest of their lives, and after his brothers were all killed, simply never had anything to do with each other again.

She suddenly felt a little guilty. She had thought he would give up after a few days, that he was just playing around.

She looked at Abal. After half a year apart, he had grown taller again. He was already seventeen, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. Sitting cross-legged before her, his headscarf falling over both shoulders, his face was handsome and captivating, and his eyes seemed to carry hooks in them. He was practically a grown man now. “…Shall I call a maidservant to spend the night with you? They like you very much. They’d be willing.”

Abal looked at her for a while before smiling and saying, “Sure.” So Jiang Yuan summoned the maidservants. A beautiful man like Abal, charming in manner, silver-tongued, and generous with money, made each of them blush and giggle as they said, “The master may decide.” Jiang Yuan rubbed her forehead and left, letting them choose among themselves.

As a result, Jiang Yuan woke with a start that night. A knife, with a necklace strung on it, had been stuck beside her window. The maidservants wept and sobbed, saying Abal had robbed them of their clothes and jewelry before swaggering off. Jiang Yuan… could hardly mention that one of the necklaces was with her.

In the end, Jiang Yuan smoothed things over by saying the household’s reputation mattered most. She spent money on rewards and compensation, settled the matter, and did not report it to the authorities. No more gifts came after that. Jiang Yuan did not know whether her cooperation with Blood Eagle would end because of her tactlessness, but facts proved it did not. This time, Jamal even delivered the donkey caravan directly to her front gate and entrusted her with selling it off.

She gradually gained a firm foothold in Taif. With her modest temperament, her reputation for generosity, and her knowledge of Great Tang, she became a somewhat well-known young mixed-blood merchant in the area. Her social obligations also increased, forcing her to spend more time traveling outside on business in order to avoid contact with men.

Her persona was quiet, reserved, diligent, and practical. In an age that admired silver tongues and flamboyant social skill, her reputation was neither good nor bad. Fortunately, she had the advantage of an Eastern appearance and looked young, so others believed she truly was young and in no hurry to find a wife. If anyone tried to introduce her to a younger sister, a daughter, a sister-in-law, or the like, she would put them off by saying, “My adoptive father has already arranged a fiancée for me in Aden. I hear she is as beautiful as a celestial maiden and has a fortune to her name. Her father and brothers are all dead, leaving her with no one to rely on, and she is willing to marry me with all her wealth. But she has one condition: I must keep myself pure to prove my sincerity.”

Usually, after she said this, no one tried to introduce a wife to her anymore. Everyone would even show envious expressions and say she was blessed beyond measure in romance. With such a beautiful and wealthy fiancée, it was only right to behave oneself a little. After the bride entered the household, there would still be time to chase flowers and pluck grasses.

Taif’s busy season was in summer. As the weather gradually grew hotter, more people came and went, and business increased as well. As usual, Jiang Yuan put some of the paper and porcelain from storage on the shelves for sale. They had been preserved well in the warehouse. Once the dust was wiped from the porcelain, it was still delicate, glossy, and beautiful. That day, Jiang Yuan received a piece of business. A servant came to her shop and bought every sheet of paper on the shelves, then asked her to bring the porcelain to his master’s residence so his master could choose freely.

The accounts were still running at a loss, though the losses were somewhat smaller than before. At a time when she was opening up sales channels, every profitable deal was an opportunity not to be missed. Jiang Yuan put away Adnan’s letter. They had encountered the messenger she had sent to Aden and exchanged news. During the winter, they had been caught up in local unrest. Some people had died, and others had fallen ill or been wounded, but the mood was not too gloomy. Adnan and Abdul themselves were largely unharmed, and the goods had suffered no losses. For merchants, that was the best possible news. Human lives could not compare to gold.
According to the date they had agreed on, Adnan should have already set out from the Cape of Good Hope by now. It would likely be many more days before any news came from him.

“Who is your mistress?” she asked.

The servant lifted his chest with a trace of pride and answered, “Lady Fatini.”

Lady Fatini was a woman famous for her beauty and scandals, and she had quite a reputation in Taif. Supposedly, she had been married to a fabulously wealthy local merchant. The merchant had been old, yet still fancied himself a pear blossom pressing down a young crabapple. Then the pear blossom died on top of the crabapple, departing this world without leaving a will. Fatini fought her stepsons for the family fortune, and aside from one son who was still too young to understand anything, she sent the rest of them all off to Alexandria to become soldiers.

By rights, that should have been the end of it. But if it had ended there, Lady Fatini would never have earned such a dazzling reputation. Though she herself lived in seclusion, her name certainly did not. It was said that more than a few high officials and noblemen had been guests behind her curtain. She maneuvered among them, used their influence to conduct business, and took in gold by the day. These rumors of boudoir scandals and fragrant chambers never stopped spreading, and Jiang Yuan had no idea which were true and which were not.

In short, according to the servant, Lady Fatini happened to be looking for ornaments from the Great Tang. She had heard that Jiang Yuan had Tang Empire blood and was one of the rare people in Taif who knew the Great Tang well. She also wanted to hear Jiang Yuan tell stories of the Tang Empire. If she was satisfied, she would become a long-term patron of Adnan’s shop.

This was a major client. Lady Fatini might be mysterious, but who would ever complain that gold was too hot to hold? Jiang Yuan said, “All right.” They agreed on a date. Jiang Yuan would deliver the goods to her residence and let the lady choose for herself.

Jiang Yuan made some preparations. Strange as it was, she had been here almost a year now, and no one had ever recognized her as a woman. Perhaps back in the bandit den, Jiang Yuan had not yet thought of using mixed Great Tang blood as an excuse. Perhaps her skills at disguising herself as a man had improved. Or perhaps now that she had fine clothes to cover herself and gold coins to rely on, she no longer needed to earn money through physical contact with others. Since that was the case, no one cared much anymore whether she was male or female. Still, whenever she had to meet someone important, she became more vigilant. She practiced in front of the mirror several times, thinking through what she ought to say when the time came.

As long as she passed the first test, people would be less likely to suspect her afterward. Human beings were creatures whose eyes could be blinded by habit.

The day of her appointment with Lady Fatini fell on a bright, crisp summer day. Naturally, the meeting was in the evening; in this place, only the poor rose at dawn to work and socialize. Jiang Yuan brought carefully selected gifts of fresh melons and fruit, escorted the cart of goods with the servants, and stopped before Lady Fatini’s residence. It was a grand house tucked inside a deep, quiet alley, with imposing stone buildings and beautifully grown palms on either side of the arched gate. The steward and servants had received notice and directed people to help drive the cart through the entrance. Then Jiang Yuan had to bring people in and arrange the goods in the designated flower hall. To maintain her air of status, she could only sit there, drinking the chilled fruit beverage brought by the maidservant as she watched the servants sweat like rain over the work.

After sitting for a while, she felt a little too embarrassed to remain idle, so she stood and checked on the fragile porcelain piece by piece. “Put that one there. Be careful.” “Set it on this side. Mind that it doesn’t bump into anything else.” The porcelain pieces were all cushioned with soft velvet pads, and inside, jewels and gold wrapped layer upon layer in fine cotton cloth were gently tucked in as ballast. This was called packaging. She stood beneath the courtyard shade and worked intently for a long time, not noticing that someone had come to her side. Sweat dripped from the tip of her nose. She wiped it away. After all, in this era, it was not proper to wear short sleeves and shorts, she still had to wrap her head, and there was no air conditioning.

A snow-white hand, covered in pearl bracelets and rings that chimed crisply, passed Jiang Yuan a handkerchief from beside her. She thanked the person and took it naturally to wipe her face, then heard a soft giggle nearby. Startled, she turned her head and saw a beautiful young girl standing before her. Was this Lady Fatini? No, the age was wrong. The girl smiled and said, “My lady, look at him. He really does look like a fool!” Jiang Yuan turned back and saw a woman standing behind the gauze curtain of the veranda.

Even though Jiang Yuan was a woman herself, she still felt that this woman was truly beautiful. Her figure curved in all the right places; just from her silhouette, one could feel a smoldering allure rushing toward them. People of Arabia compared women to the Sun, but of all the women Jiang Yuan had seen, this was the first beauty who made her feel the brilliance of a blazing noon-even through a gauze curtain. Lady Fatini walked over, her jewelry swaying with her body and chiming softly. She was full-figured, but not fat, absolutely the mature, icy beauty with ample curves that Arabian men loved most. A pale purple veil covered her face, and the jewelry all over her body rose and fell smoothly with the lines of her figure.

In this age without industry, purple was the hardest color to dye and the most precious.

She stood in the corridor and looked down at Jiang Yuan, her lovely eyes radiant and moving. Glossy, curling black hair fell over her chest, and her skin was white as snow. Jiang Yuan was, after all, a woman. She quickly came back to herself, withdrew her gaze, and calmly gave a salute. “Peace be upon you, Lady Fatini.”

Lady Fatini laughed, her voice clear and crisp. She was somewhat older, with all the charm of a mature woman, yet when she laughed, she was somehow still as innocent as a little girl. It was a sort of poise that only another woman could read, the ease of someone utterly at home among men. Jiang Yuan admired her greatly from the very first meeting. Even as a woman herself, when she saw a Goddess, she still felt admiration.

“Greetings, Jia Nan Adnan. Young porcelain merchant,” she said. “I have heard of your great name for a long time. I have always looked forward to your arrival, and now that I see you, you are indeed as spirited as a fine horse, as upright as a date palm, and as bright as the moon.”

The flattery was, of course, the usual polite routine, so why did it sound so pleasant? Jiang Yuan thanked her. Lady Fatini tilted her head and said, “Aren’t you coming up here to sit beside me? You are truly being rude, Baitullah.”

Baitullah said, “Look, my lady, he brought so many melons and fruits! They look so sweet. Why don’t I cut one for you?”
The little girl was rather crafty. Lady Fatini nodded and said, “All right.” Baitullah immediately skipped over to the gift baskets, picked out a small watermelon, and carried it up.

Then Jiang Yuan found it a little harder to keep smiling. The beautiful young maid who had been calling Lady Fatini “my lady” ran to her side, drew the knife at her waist, and sliced the watermelon for her. Set into the knife hilt, gleaming brightly, were blood-red gems and a One-winged Golden Eagle.

Abal had once told Adnan how to search for news of his brothers. The Blood Eagle Bandit Group was hardly ill-informed. If there was any movement on the road to wipe them out, they would be sure to catch wind of it at once. They were all people who lived with their heads on the line and blood on their blades. Spending a little money to turn around and sell out one’s comrades was perfectly normal. But there was one kind of information bandit groups who roamed the wilds did not easily obtain: the movements of the upper nobility.

The Emir’s sealed city was in the Egypt region, but the principle was much the same. In this era, there were no cameras or monitors. Finding someone by word of mouth and garbled rumors was extremely difficult. Even after spending a fortune, Abal could usually do no more than chase along behind his brothers’ heels. Even then, he often lost the trail. In this age, finding someone usually did not rely on facial features-unless the person’s face was unforgettable at first sight-but on the distinguishing features of the luggage they carried. What he had told Adnan to watch for was the family crest.

The Emir family crest was a One-winged Golden Eagle set with rubies. Possessing a family crest was a tremendous source of pride, and few people deliberately hid it, so the target was striking and easy to find. That was how Abal had slaughtered one of his brothers, Aklan, two years ago. But after Aklan, things had become less simple. His two remaining brothers had fallen into infighting. One of them, who was not the governor, suddenly realized his brother intended to kill with a borrowed knife, so he took his valuables and money, ran off, and hid himself away. Apart from regularly sending people home to ask for money, he had never shown his face again.

That hidden brother was his second elder brother, named Huasan.

Could the person who gave Baitullah the golden knife be Huasan? Jiang Yuan wondered. In any case, it could not be his governor elder brother Fashir, who was far away in Egypt indulging himself. Of course, it might also have been the dead Aklan. These things were hard to say. She pressed the matter down for the moment and pretended not to have seen anything. Out of a certain avoidance between men and women, she also had little motivation to inform Abal and have him come over only to stick a knife in front of her window again.

Honestly, Jiang Yuan had thought about it after last time. If sleeping with him once could make him keep his promise, stop pestering her from then on, and cut off all contact for good, she would consider it. But she was not particularly willing to sacrifice herself for a one-night stand with a man, nor did she think Abal would be satisfied with just that.

She simply maintained a polite smile and, guided by Baitullah, sat down, drank the cool and refreshing fruit beverage, and answered Lady Fatini’s questions.

“Your appearance is indeed quite rare.” Lady Fatini’s lovely, affectionate eyes gazed at her, making it difficult not to let one’s gaze slip down to the deep swell of her chest. “Judging by your bearing and your replies, you are also a person of learning and propriety. Among so many merchants nowadays steeped in the stink of copper, someone like you is truly unforgettable company.”

Such praise was enough to make one feel overwhelmed. Jiang Yuan left her seat to offer thanks. Lady Fatini invited her to sit again, then signaled for Baitullah to serve her more delicacies and fruit drinks. The porcelain wares were arranged between them, every bottle and jar exquisitely made. The sky gradually darkened. Her servants moved throughout the courtyard, hanging grass curtains to repel mosquitoes and waving broad banana-leaf fans to spread fragrance. The surrounding walls reflected the light, and Jiang Yuan discovered that they were coated with gold powder. …Now this was truly understated luxury. The stunning woman’s voice turned soft and melodious. “Why don’t you introduce your goods to me now?”

Jiang Yuan wiped her hands clean, bowed, and walked among the porcelain pieces, introducing them to her one by one. She found it a little strange. Lady Fatini did not seem interested in choosing. She asked a few questions, watched Jiang Yuan, and once Jiang Yuan answered or introduced some custom from a Great Tang place of origin, she would say without even blinking, “I like it very much. I’ll take it.” At this rate, she seemed ready to buy the entire lot, and she bought all the gemstones inside as well, without picking and choosing in the slightest.

“I believe you are a trustworthy person,” she said with a smile. “Today allowed me to make the acquaintance of a learned and talented man and to learn that there are still so many sights and so much knowledge in this world I have never heard of. That gain is worth ten million gold coins.” She did not even bargain, merely turned her head and ordered, “Bring the amount of gold he named.” Then she raised her cup to Jiang Yuan and signaled for Baitullah to go attend Jiang Yuan and serve her meal.

By all rights, a major client like this should have made one ecstatic, but for some reason, Jiang Yuan felt very uncomfortable. Everything was strange. This was not how normal business was done. Perhaps she had simply never done business with such a generous wealthy woman before, and one so beautiful at that. The expression with which she said, “I’ll take all of these,” carried more boldness than that of many men Jiang Yuan had seen.

Beneath Lady Fatini’s reputation as a beauty, there was probably something far more dangerous hidden. It matched the rumors quite well. But none of that had anything to do with Jiang Yuan. Earning the gold coins was enough. The gold was handed over readily. An entire chest was carried out on the spot and counted aloud, and beside it were thoughtful armed strongmen assigned to escort the gold coins back for her. Lady Fatini said, “It is late. Please do not stand on ceremony, and enjoy the food as much as you like. The man who cooks for me once came from the Caliph’s royal kitchens. I imagine his skills are still worth your tasting.”

One could not burn the bridge after crossing it. That was basic courtesy. Jiang Yuan thanked her, dealt with Baitullah, and did, in fact, enjoy a good meal. The cooks Adnan liked favored heavy oil, rich meat, heavy sugar, and more meat, just like the popular tastes of the time, and Jiang Yuan had never quite grown used to it. Here at Lady Fatini’s, perhaps because women cared more about a balanced diet and keeping slim, the flavors were much lighter, which left her very satisfied. It was only later in the meal that enjoyment began turning into the feeling of sitting on pins and needles. Aside from the eerie atmosphere, everything was excellent. Baitullah knew she could drink and kept urging her to have more wine, but Jiang Yuan only said, “If I drink too much, it will be inconvenient to get back on the road.”
“Huh? Then why don’t you stay here?” Baitullah said guilelessly. “My lady is very kind, and she likes you a lot. She’ll let you stay!”

Jiang Yuan: “…” No. I do not want to stay.

And yet Lady Fatini did not step in to stop her. Instead, she continued chatting with Jiang Yuan with the same easy composure, asking about the customs and scenery of the Tang Empire. It was clear she was widely read and well traveled in knowledge, and knew a great deal about the West. From Baitullah’s scattered remarks, Jiang Yuan gathered that Lady Fatini’s caravans traded as far away as Kievan Rus. Lady Fatini said, “I am very interested in the wealthy Tang Empire. If one day I could go there and see its people and its landscapes for myself, how wonderful that would be.”

Jiang Yuan echoed her sentiment. “Your determination shines as brightly as your beauty.” And your wealth. “I am sure your wish will come true.”

Lady Fatini looked at her with a smile, and Jiang Yuan broke out in goose bumps under that gaze.

After enduring until she felt it was finally acceptable to leave, Jiang Yuan rose and took her leave. Lady Fatini sighed softly. “The night is deep and quiet, and the roads are hard to travel. As your host, I am almost embarrassed to say this. Am I truly so lacking in hospitality? Have you not taken Baitullah’s words to heart at all?”

Jiang Yuan froze for two seconds, looking at Lady Fatini’s smile. Baitullah had not yet had her fill of Jiang Yuan’s stories, but under her mistress’s orders, she had no choice but to stand up and see the guest off. She was quite unhappy, pouting as she said, “My lady already invited you to stay as a guest. How can you be so thickheaded that you still don’t understand?” Then she giggled and took Jiang Yuan by the arm. “I like you. Shall I keep you company tonight?” Jiang Yuan broke out in a cold sweat.

“Well,” she said, her mind racing desperately for a way out, “I am truly overwhelmed by your kindness! It’s just…” It’s just that I am a woman. “But I already have a fiancée, as you know… She is the wife my foster father chose for me. I promised to keep myself pure for her and wait for the day I marry her.”

Lady Fatini covered her lips and laughed. “Your fiancée is still far away in Aden. I hear their sea route must sail around the Cape of Good Hope, then come to Taif from Alexandria. During such a long separation, would she really not feel sorry for her husband? Baitullah is a child I have spoiled rotten. She likes you so much and is willing to serve you. You would only be staying one night here at my residence. Nothing will happen. Your fiancée may rest assured.”

Jiang Yuan felt as if she had been walking down the road only for a pot to drop straight out of the sky onto her head. Just from tonight’s meeting, she had already seen how much power Lady Fatini wielded. If she refused too rashly, she would only anger her and destroy the foundation Adnan had built. “I am grateful for your kindness!” After thinking helplessly for a while, she finally spoke. “It is only that I did not expect such an invitation today, and I have not made proper arrangements for the affairs at home.” She lifted her head and looked sincerely into Lady Fatini’s eyes.

“As you know, I am managing the workshop on my foster father’s orders. It has now reached a critical point and cannot be left unattended for even a single day. And… your beauty and magnanimity truly make me feel ashamed of my own inadequacy. I cannot help thinking of an attendant in my household, a man of handsome bearing and exceptional skill. Only his beauty and physique are worthy of your radiance.” Lady Fatini continued to look at her, her smile unchanged.

“A proper wait will make our reunion all the more memorable,” Jiang Yuan said. “Once I have handled these trivial matters, if you do not mind, I will bathe, perfume myself, send a formal note another day, bring precious gifts, and come solemnly as your guest.”

Under Jiang Yuan’s nervous prayers, Lady Fatini smiled in satisfaction and looked at her thoughtfully for a while. “That sounds rather nice as well. Your reasoning is perfectly sound, and you have fully convinced me,” she said at last. “Why not? You truly are a person who understands propriety. I can hardly wait for our next meeting with you and your attendant.”

VIP launch, three updates!

It is rare for me to post three updates so punctually and confidently.

Um… but as for daily updates starting tomorrow…

That is hard to say.

I am in the middle of my usual overtime.

I will do my best.

Kisses for everyone~

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution~

Thanks to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution: Twinkle Twinkle, 10 bottles; Suzi, 10 bottles; Sherlock’s Fangirl, 1 bottle.

Thank you all so much for your support. I will keep working hard! ^_^