Desert Rhapsody - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Once Jiang Yuan calmed down, the flaw became obvious. Lady Fatini had no real reason to murder Fashir’s two younger brothers. It did her no good. She had stopped belonging to Fashir’s side years ago, so why would she now? A woman whose caravans could sell as far as Kievan Rus had little incentive to kill for the governor of some small city. Fashir was a typical feudal ruler: decadent, extravagant, and indifferent to governance. His fief’s land was fertile enough, but rampant corruption and unrest meant trade there never truly developed. If there was no money to be made, what basis was there for interest or cooperation? There was only one possible reason.

“Fashir doesn’t have an adult son yet. You’re working with him only to kill Huasan.” Without a powerful heir, the Emir family would inevitably fall into turmoil again, Jiang Yuan said. Lady Fatini laughed.

“What a strange thing to say. You have no evidence, yet you accuse a frail woman like me, a mere merchant, of daring to murder imperial officials and nobles.”

Jiang Yuan said calmly, “I never said you wanted to kill Fashir. Everyone knows the one who wants him dead is his brother.” Abal was the perfect scapegoat. The gentle, alluring eyes looking back at her remained smiling. Abal said with a half-smile, “Was that messenger an assassin? No, I think the order he received really was to deliver a letter. Whether there was poison in the letter, however, I couldn’t say.” He spoke tenderly. “I assume you already know who I am. Since my brother’s life has indeed fallen into my hands, I absolutely must catch up and take a look for myself. Verify it, so to speak.”

The threat in his words needed no explanation. Jiang Yuan knew Abal had already understood her line of thought, so she rose and stepped away, leaving him to negotiate. She leaned by the doorway as a guard and could still faintly hear their conversation. Abal’s edge and eloquence were far more ruthless than hers, shifting smoothly between pressure and persuasion. After all, Lady Fatini was the one on the chopping block. Before long, she sighed and loosened her tongue. She had indeed intended from the beginning to capture Abal, restrain him, and cooperate with him. Ironically, because Jiang Yuan had unexpectedly tipped him off, Abal had surfaced before the information she released could fully spread, and in the end, she was the one who had been restrained.

Abal asked, “Then what about Fashir’s trap?”

“My apologies,” the beautiful merchant said. “That part is true. I cannot control Fashir’s actions. He believes that while you are off assassinating Huasan, it is a perfect opportunity.” Abal sneered. “And it also makes it easier for you to negotiate with me, doesn’t it? Stripped of my wings, I would either have to lie low while someone impersonates me, or accept your funding and go assassinate my brother.”

They did not continue the discussion. Abal stuffed Baitullah into the large chest behind the hall. Lady Fatini was allowed to get dressed and stand up, but her hands remained bound. When they walked out together, Jiang Yuan looked over. “She’ll escort us out of the city,” Abal said lazily. Jiang Yuan caught the key word at once. “Us?” A gloating smile immediately appeared on the bandit chief’s face.

“The letter that was sent out described the carriage I boarded.” Lady Fatini had indeed hidden a few things.

She simply did not know that the carriage had later come to her residence.

Jiang Yuan’s face went cold. “There won’t be a next time.” This truly was thrilling. Still, no matter how one looked at it, someone no longer had to die in her own home, and someone else no longer had to flee for his life. It counted as a happy ending for everyone. She placed her hand on Lady Fatini’s neck; that delicate bone would not withstand the wooden board behind it. Abal stood to the side with his arms crossed, entirely at leisure and showing no intention of stopping her. “How can I be sure you will keep your word?” Jiang Yuan pressed. “I really am liking you more and more,” Lady Fatini said gently. “But darling, this is Taif, the Summer Palace.”

Many nobles came here to vacation in the summer, and Lady Fatini was no exception. She chased the trends of high society in order to judge business opportunities. Although she had started in Taif, her foundation lay far away in Egypt. If that Emir’s fief lost its master, Lady Fatini would have plenty of time to stay there. Or perhaps she would have a husband, a puppet to manage the town’s taxes for her. Besides, “For a merchant, making enemies of bandits is the stupidest idea imaginable.”

In any case, as their hostage, Lady Fatini could only swallow the indignity, hitch up the carriage, and personally escort them out of the city. Abal showed no courtesy as he ransacked her gold, stuffed it into a leather pouch, and climbed into the carriage. Aside from the household’s branded riding horses, they made a special detour back to pack their simple luggage and lead out the more familiar, handier Night and Sun. Jiang Yuan told the servants, “I have received news and must travel to Alexandria overnight. Perhaps there is a channel through which I can obtain word of my father.” Dawn was nearly breaking when they stopped in the open space before the city gate, waiting with the other merchants and peddlers for it to open. The early morning air was filled with the rolling cries of camels and the neighing of horses. Many caravans wanted to take advantage of the last of the morning coolness to cover a few more miles.
Lady Fatini rubbed her wrists. Abal had not been gentle; he had tied her so tightly that even after the ropes were removed, deep marks remained, and before long they began to swell. Night and Sun seemed to have grown much fonder of each other. Standing side by side, they neighed and rubbed their necks together. A low horn sounded, and the city gates opened. They were leading the horses away when Lady Fatini called, “Abal.”

Abal had already covered his face with a scarf. Those blue eyes turned toward her, waiting to see what she wanted. Lady Fatini sat in the carriage, the first ray of dawn falling over her, so beautiful she looked like a Goddess emerging as sunlight broke through the clouds. The Goddess asked, “What method did you use to make Jia Nan fall for you?” Those blue eyes paused slightly, then looked at her with cold arrogance.

“Men,” he said. “What other method could there be?”

Jiang Yuan’s face was expressionless. She said nothing.

This was Jiang Yuan’s first forced march. The pace was far too punishing for her. On the mountain roads of Taif, they had to slow down because of the terrain, but once the trade road opened into the plains, they stayed bent low over their horses almost without stopping, galloping forward. In summer, the heat was fierce, so people chose to travel at night. The messenger had left the city yesterday evening; there was no telling how far ahead he was.

“His name is Saeed,” Lady Fatini said. “He is very fast.”

From here to the walled city of the Bakum Emir Clan, if one rode hard without sleep or rest, it would take roughly fifteen days. The messenger probably could not manage that, but the real problem was where to deal with him. He would need to change horses and take water, mainly to water the horses. He was traveling alone, but he would not leave the trade road. No wilderness meant no chance to strike.

The skin on Jiang Yuan’s thighs was rubbed raw again. When she dismounted, she limped. Abal noticed. “If you’re uncomfortable, you should tell me. It will affect our speed.”

“I’ll pay attention next time,” she said.

By then, the sky was bright, and the sun baked the unshaded ground with brutal heat. To avoid dehydration, they had no choice but to rest at an inn during the hottest hours. Abal still asked for one room and crammed in with her. They had gone all night without sleep; it was time to eat something and get some rest. He tossed her a jar of ointment that gave off a strange smell and said, “I’ll go find you something to eat.”

Jiang Yuan was left to guard the pile of gold. The only proof that Abal was not having an easy time either was that this time, he forgot to give her a share of the loot. She washed her wound with clean water and sucked in a sharp breath as she applied the medicine. But after waiting and waiting, Abal still did not return, so she could only take out some dry rations and gnaw on them with water. After a while, she heard a commotion downstairs. She leaned out for a look and saw music starting up among the crowd. In broad daylight, people were already drinking, with women in their arms, kissing and flirting.

Jiang Yuan pulled her head back in, shut the window, put on her eye covering, and lay down on the blanket to sleep. She thought she would not be able to fall asleep. Although she had stayed awake all night, she had also been tense all night and felt almost no drowsiness. Yet it seemed the moment she closed her eyes, she sank into darkness.

Abal was clearly well versed in the art of hunting someone down. At dusk, he poked her awake. They ate something, settled the bill, grabbed the horses, and left. He complained, “That fellow is so clumsy he left some valuables at home. The master is furious and insisted the two of us chase him down to check. If you ask me, just let him go! Even if he drops gold, it’s not my responsibility!”

Sometimes messengers only needed to deliver letters, so they traveled light. Unless they had received an extremely urgent order-there was usually a loophole to exploit-they would look along the road for people who needed things or messages delivered and earn a little extra money. Abal was no exception. Every place he reached, he pretended to be full of grievances, drank everywhere, complained to people, and solicited business. The waitresses giggled and flirted with him, while some people probed for information. “What kind of gift is it? Maybe we’ve seen it. What’s his name? But you have to pay the reward you promised first.”

Abal answered, “His name is Hassan.”

They rested for a day to adjust the horses’ strength. On the fourth day, they found Saeed. Someone said a new messenger had arrived at the inn next door, but he was not the man Abal was looking for. Abal said aggressively, “I’d like to see which bastard dares steal my business!” Then he rolled up his sleeves and went next door. That night, they did not continue their forced march. They had ridden too fast and had instead gotten ahead of Saeed.

They followed him for another two days, gathering information about him and looking for an opportunity to act. Saeed liked women, but he did not drink. He was also very cautious and never left the crowd. If they made a reckless move, it would definitely cause a scene.

Under ordinary circumstances, bribing a woman would be the suitable method, just like when Abal had once had his gold stolen by a prostitute. But murder was different. Theft and murder were not the same thing. Prostitutes could easily see through that kind of setup, and then Abal and Jiang Yuan would be reported.

“We found him too late,” Abal said, displeased. “Tomorrow he boards a ship, crosses the Red Sea, and heads for Alexandria.”

For certain reasons everyone understood perfectly well, his reputation and bounty in Egypt were far greater than in Nafud, which meant the chance of someone betraying them out of greed was much higher. The risk in this matter was too great. Finding a woman beautiful enough, charming enough, willing to work for money, clever enough for schemes and acting, and still willing to stand on their side in a honey trap, perhaps even gladly risking her own life for it-dreaming would be faster.
Jiang Yuan said calmly, “Worst case, we give her all the gold.”

The bandit leader gave a cold laugh.

“Or kill one more person.”

But ideally, things would not come to that. Fashir had already laid his trap and was waiting for Lady Fatini’s letter. Right now, he would be at his most alert for retaliation from the Blood Eagle. At the slightest sign of trouble, he would pull back into his shell, and they would lose their chance.

“We know where his next stop is,” Jiang Yuan said. “If we know what type he likes, we can find the sort of woman he’s likely to seek out and bribe her in advance. Doesn’t he like dancing girls from Persia? We can find him one.”

“You probably don’t know the going rate for women, my dear Jia Nan.” Those blue eyes lifted, looking at her as if she had never seen the world. “That would be extremely expensive. Egypt is too far from Persia, and dancing girls from Persia are rare commodities. A beauty who could make him choose her without hesitation would cost at least several dozen gold coins for one night. He can’t afford that.”

Jiang Yuan’s expression did not change. “Then we stage a damsel-in-distress scene and have him risk himself to save her.”

“Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough,” Abal said mockingly. “We can’t afford that either.”

Jiang Yuan: “…We brought one hundred gold coins.”

Abal answered smoothly, “Getting Abal Emir safely through Bakum’s city gates and into the governor’s mansion will cost at least eighty gold coins. I’m terribly sorry, but in case the operation to stop him fails, I absolutely cannot economize on that expense.”

Then he added, “Your plan isn’t bad, though. We can find a woman to pose as a dancing girl from Persia. Blonde, blue-eyed, pretty, and able to dance-that will be enough. Tomorrow, we’ll set out before Saeed does. I know where he’ll go.”

He looked at her. In the dim glow of the oil lamp, those blue eyes were like a wolf’s, filled with killing intent and suppressed brutality. Abal was almost at the end of his patience. If the plan did not go smoothly, he would probably throw caution to the wind and personally butcher Saeed.

Propping his chin on his hand, the bandit leader tilted his head and stared at her, saying softly, “When the time comes, you’d better come with me to look for such a woman. Who knows, maybe she’ll like you so much she’ll pop out of a crack in the ground.”

Jiang Yuan looked back at him calmly.

“…No need to go out,” she said. “I’ve found one.”

I got so stuck I wanted to die. Writing 2,000 words had me on my knees.

I didn’t have time to research whether women from Persia could be blonde and blue-eyed. But judging from the fact that foreign women in the Tang dynasty could have green-blue eyes-and most of them were people from Persia, meaning the ethnic groups of present-day Turkey and Iraq-blonde hair and blue eyes could possibly appear among dancing girls from Persia. If my research turns out to be wrong, I can always change the hair color.

I keep feeling like there was one more thing I wanted to say, but I forgot… Kisses to everyone. I’m too tired to talk.

Rolling off to sleep.

Thank you to the little angels who threw Overlord tickets at me~

Thank you to the little angels who threw [land mines]: A Ye, 1; Jinzhan, 1.

Comrade silver, your nutrient solution got beaten. Today’s number one is little angel Jinzhan.

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

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution: Jinzhan, 50 bottles; silver, 40 bottles; superhero, 22 bottles; Mr. Elk, 20 bottles; Dongyue Twenty-Six, 10 bottles; Orange Meow Meow, 10 bottles; Little Grape, 5 bottles; Too Sleepy to Wake Up on Rainy Days, 5 bottles; Chick, Where Are You Running, 5 bottles; Yayayayaya, 2 bottles; Jiu Qingbo, 1 bottle.

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