Meng Zheng returned and told Yan Tongshu what had happened. Yan Tongshu looked toward Princess Xing’an. She was like a fledgling who had just left the nest, or a butterfly newly emerged from its cocoon, flitting all around Kaifeng Prefecture. Everything she saw seemed novel to her, and she wanted to try her hand at it all.
She had thought her stay would be brief and that she would soon leave. She had never imagined that Bianjing would become the place where she would spend the rest of her life.
Yan Tongshu sighed and asked, “Since this is a peace negotiation, why didn’t they choose a princess who was willing from the start? Why deceive Princess Xing’an?”
Besides, a marriage alliance was a matter of great importance to both countries. She believed that, with neither side currently in a position to gain any advantage, both countries were more than willing to pursue peace.
Even if there had been no princess to marry off at the outset, it would not have affected the negotiations between the two countries.
What would truly determine the success or failure of the talks was sincerity, negotiation, the treaty, and the terms.
Meng Zheng explained, “Xie Li said that King of Liao hopes Princess Xing’an will use her beauty to enter His Majesty’s harem and bear a child with the bloodlines of both countries. Empress Dowager Xiao, meanwhile, hopes that this child will also carry the bloodline of her Xiao clan.
“Although we don’t know what their purpose is, this is indeed what King of Liao and Empress Dowager Xiao want at present. Princess Xing’an is the only person in Liao who can fulfill this mission. She is innocent by nature, and both Empress Dowager Xiao and King of Liao dote on her dearly. They also hope she can remain happy for as long as possible.”
“Isn’t that just burying their heads in the sand?” Yan Tongshu asked bitterly.
They claimed to cherish her, yet they had sold their own daughter and granddaughter for their personal interests.
They could have simply negotiated peace without a marriage alliance, with the two countries exchanging terms and concessions. Instead, they had to sacrifice an innocent and beautiful young woman for the sake of politics.
Were these people out of their minds?
Meng Zheng sighed once more. “This is Liao’s internal affair. We cannot interfere, much less disrupt it.”
The disgust in Yan Tongshu’s heart deepened, but Meng Zheng was right. She was a citizen of Wu; she could not interfere in another country’s internal affairs.
In the end, Yan Tongshu said, “I understand.”
At least she could be happy for one more day.
After bidding Yan Tongshu farewell, Meng Zheng immediately went to mobilize the Divine Guards and redeploy them throughout the surrounding area, taking precautions against anyone who might seize the opportunity to cause trouble.
When Yan Tongshu returned to the inner compound of Kaifeng Prefecture, Yan Liangrong had already left. Princess Xing’an was circling Lady Qing’s room, looking around in every direction.
“So this is where the legal wife in the consort case lived?” she asked. “Look, there are paintings here too. Did her two children draw them?”
Xu Qiu nodded with a smile. “Yes. They were drawn by Lady Qing’s daughter, Yingge. That day, she accidentally rubbed something dirty onto the wall. Yingge wanted to cover it up, so she used charcoal powder to draw a few kittens. Later, Lord Yan found the cats lively and charming, and instructed us not to destroy them. They’ve been preserved just as they were.”
Princess Xing’an cupped her face in both hands and squatted down to examine them. “They’re beautiful. Though I’m more skilled at riding and archery, I studied painting for quite a long time as well. I can tell that, despite having no technique and being drawn entirely on a whim, these pictures are remarkably lifelike. That means Yingge must be a prodigy when it comes to painting.”
Xu Qiu said with a smile, “Then I wouldn’t know. However, when Lady Qing left, she received a generous compensation payment. She kept saying that she wanted both children to attend school and learn to read and write. I imagine Yingge has already started studying. Schools surely teach drawing as well, so her talent shouldn’t go to waste.”
Xie Li leaned against the doorframe, his sword clasped in his arms, gazing at Princess Xing’an with an indulgent expression.
Yan Tongshu walked over.
Xie Li straightened, lowered his sword, and respectfully saluted Yan Tongshu.
“Lord Yan.” The moment Princess Xing’an saw Yan Tongshu, she fluttered over like a butterfly. “Lord Yan, I’ve heard people talk about the Consort Case. The arguments presented in court those times were absolutely brilliant, but I’ve never heard anything about the compensation afterward. What was that compensation payment about?”
“Oh, that? I asked the Empress Dowager for it,” Yan Tongshu replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Princess Xing’an blinked. “The Empress Dowager? You mean the Empress Dowager who was childhood friends with Uncle Jiang?”
“Uncle Jiang!” Yan Tongshu’s eyes widened abruptly.
That one offhand remark had actually blown open such a huge piece of gossip?
Could this Uncle Jiang be the same Liao man mentioned in Venerable Yu Ping’s notes—the one who had supposedly shared an old romance with the Empress Dowager, whose relationship with her had been rather ambiguous, and who had allegedly fathered a daughter with her before she entered the palace?
“Princess, let’s trade gossip.” Yan Tongshu immediately became animated. She invited the princess to sit down, then ordered Pearl and Jinbao to prepare tea and pastries so that she and Princess Xing’an could chat for three hundred rounds.
Yan Tongshu asked eagerly, “Who is this Uncle Jiang you mentioned?”
Princess Xing’an had no intention of keeping it secret. She answered frankly, “Uncle Jiang is simply Uncle Jiang. I heard the Empress Dowager say that he used to be the most outstanding spy there was. Xiao Jing, who had not yet been promoted to marshal at the time, sent him to Bianjing as an undercover agent. In order to gather intelligence more effectively, he defected to a Court Counsellor and became a retainer under him. The family next door to the Court Counsellor belonged to the Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs, so he naturally came to know your Empress Dowager.
“Later, the two of them became intimate and, quite naturally, arranged to marry. Unfortunately, at that very moment, one of our Liao spies in Bianjing was exposed and gave up Uncle Jiang’s identity. Uncle Jiang was forced to flee, and the marriage had to be called off. But twenty years ago, Uncle Jiang brought a boy back from the Central Plains. We all guessed that the child was his and your Empress Dowager’s. Uncle Jiang has never admitted it, of course. But…”
Princess Xing’an lowered her voice. “I secretly asked Uncle Jiang about it once. He didn’t deny it.”
Wow!
Yan Tongshu was stunned all over again.
Venerable Yu Ping’s notes had said the child was probably a daughter. Who would have thought it was actually a son?
The more Yan Tongshu listened, the more fiercely her gossiping spirit burned. She asked, “Who is that boy? Is he still alive?”
Princess Xing’an nodded. “He’s my master.”
Yan Tongshu stared in shock at Xie Li, who was standing by the door.
Holy crap.
This man was the Empress Dowager’s son, born before she married the late emperor!
Yan Tongshu silently calculated their ages.
The late emperor’s seventeenth son, born to the Empress Dowager, was seven years younger than Qin Yi and was nineteen this year.
Xie Li had been eighteen when he began teaching Princess Xing’an horsemanship and archery. He had taught her for six years, which meant he was twenty-four now—nearly two years older than Qin Yi.
Twenty years ago, Xie Li had been four years old. He was five years older than the Seventeenth Prince.
The timing matched.
After satisfying his curiosity about the gossip, Princess Xing'an continued pressing Yan Tongshu about the compensation money. Yan Tongshu told her how she had used the Empress Dowager’s decree to make money.
Princess Xing'an was dumbfounded.
You could do that?
Yan Tongshu looked at her in confusion. “Why not?”
Princess Xing'an was speechless.
When she thought about it, well... it did seem that no one had ever said she couldn’t.
The two exchanged more gossip. By noon, Yan Tongshu warmly invited Princess Xing'an to have lamb hotpot with her.
In the chill of autumn, a bowl of lamb hotpot warmed one from head to toe.
“Lamb?”
Princess Xing'an proudly declared that the lamb from Northern Liao was the best. She immediately had Xie Li return to the official guesthouse and sneak out a large packet of the lamb they had brought along as provisions for the journey.
Yan Tongshu promptly told Jinbao to bring out the knife they usually used to slice lamb rolls. They cut the lamb into thin curls and swished them in the pot as they ate.
And so Yan Tongshu, Pearl, Jinbao, Princess Xing'an, and Xie Li sat in a circle, happily enjoying milk tea, palmier pastries, tuckahoe jelly, donkey-meat flatbread, and all manner of delicious food, while savoring Northern Liao’s specialty lamb.
At the end of it all, Meng Zheng even sent over a bottle of chrysanthemum wine.
Yan Tongshu felt that if Meng Zheng had not finished by telling Pearl and Jinbao to keep an eye on her and forbid her from drinking, she would definitely have given him two enthusiastic thumbs-up for sending the wine.
After the meal, the group sprawled across the benches in Kaifeng Prefecture’s inner courtyard, gazing up at the sky.
Life felt wonderfully comfortable.
“Lord Yan.”
Princess Xing'an’s tolerance for alcohol was about the same as Yan Tongshu’s. After only three tiny cups, her cheeks had flushed red and her head was already spinning.
In a hazy voice, she said, “Lord Yan, you are the person my master admires second most. I have never seen him long for anyone as much as he longs for you.”
Yan Tongshu had secretly drunk two cups herself. She was not completely drunk, but her head felt a little light. “Then who is first?”
Princess Xing'an shook her head. “Can’t say.”
Her words were slurred; she was clearly completely drunk.
Yan Tongshu had only asked casually and did not take it seriously.
Pearl and Jinbao got up to clear away the bowls and chopsticks.
Yan Tongshu let out a drunken hiccup and tilted her head toward Xie Li. “Do you really admire me? You’re not just flattering me?”
“No.” Xie Li’s expression was solemn, his tone resolute.
Xie Li shifted slightly and looked at Yan Tongshu and Princess Xing'an, who had both closed their eyes to bask in the sunshine.
Softly, Xie Li murmured, “Lord Yan, I truly admire you, and I truly yearn for you. But perhaps what I admire and yearn for is your country—the fact that it has you, and a ruler who supports you; the determination shared from top to bottom to root out factional strife. Under the gaze of the gods, far too many people have been sacrificed to power, suspicion, and partisan persecution. In truth, I also sincerely hope for peace between our two countries.”
Xie Li fell silent for a moment, then repeated, “I mean it sincerely.”
“Mhm.” Yan Tongshu answered in her sleep, rolled over, and continued dozing.
Xie Li rose and picked Princess Xing'an up in his arms.
It was time to take her back.
Meng Zheng brushed past him and carried Yan Tongshu into the inner courtyard. He laid her gently on the couch behind the office, where officials could rest.
Yan Tongshu slept until the afternoon before finally waking up.
Pearl and Jinbao had stayed by her side the entire time, taking care of her.
Yan Tongshu couldn’t help thinking, Fortunately, I only had two cups.
She had discovered that when she drank only a little, she generally didn’t get drunk. She merely grew sleepy—once she closed her eyes, she could easily drift off, and she always slept exceptionally well.
The next day, Yan Tongshu was summoned by the emperor. She went to the Guangzheng Hall, where she joined the other officials in negotiating and discussing the specific terms of the peace agreement with the Liao delegation led by Chancellor Yelu.
Generally speaking, at a first meeting of this kind, both sides would fully exchange their views.
In short, they would fail to reach any complete agreement, each side stating its own position while frantically probing the other’s bottom line.
Sitting among the assembled officials, Yan Tongshu quietly listened as the Liao envoys made outrageous demands, placing all their aggressive terms for peace on the table.
When they had finished, Chancellor Yelu smiled and said, “I presume Your Majesty already knows. To demonstrate our sincerity, after Empress Dowager Xiao and the King of Liao discussed the matter together, they decided to offer Princess Xing’an in marriage to Your Majesty.”
Chang Zhengzhang, who was presiding over the peace talks, rejected the proposal without the slightest hesitation.
He said, “Chancellor Yelu, our dynasty is rich in outstanding young men. Before you arrived in the capital, I had already discussed the peace negotiations with His Majesty, and we selected three suitable heirs from among the younger generation of the imperial family for Princess Xing’an to choose from.”
Chang Zhengzhang brought out portraits of the three candidates.
Each portrait was marked with the person’s name, age, height, and temperament.
Yan Tongshu also raised her eyes to look. These three were practically all the members of the imperial family whose ages matched that of Princess Xing’an.
Judging from the descriptions on the portraits, all three were among the finest of the younger generation.
But the most reliable of them was Qin Yunduan. As for the other two, one could only say that they were lowborn in character and ambition.
Qin Yi probably had no intention of actually letting Princess Xing’an choose either of the other two. The annotations were merely for appearances, to make the imperial family’s younger generation look a little better. Thus, while Chancellor Yelu examined the portraits, Chang Zhengzhang deliberately steered him toward one choice.
“This Qin heir is honest and steady, with exceptional talent. He knows how to enjoy himself and is quite the engaging companion. I imagine he and Princess Xing’an would get along harmoniously.”
Chancellor Yelu looked from one portrait to another, his expression troubled. “Princess Xing’an is the cherished jewel of Empress Dowager Xiao and the King of Liao. Moreover, she has always admired His Majesty’s extraordinary talent and vision…”
The contempt in Yan Tongshu’s eyes deepened as she looked at Chancellor Yelu.
What an outrageous lie.
If Princess Xing’an were allowed to choose for herself, she probably wouldn’t be willing to remain in Bianjing at all.
Besides, Princess Xing’an knew nothing whatsoever about Qin Yi.
Chang Zhengzhang smiled. “Chancellor Yelu, the Qin heir was recommended by His Majesty. However, since he and Princess Xing’an are not yet acquainted, I believe we can introduce them at tonight’s banquet and give them a chance to talk and take a walk together. Perhaps their personalities will click, and it will be love at first sight.”
Chang Zhengzhang had once been Qin Yi’s tutor when Qin Yi was still Crown Prince. He was also one of the meritorious officials who had assisted Qin Yi in ascending the throne. His prestige, both at court and among the people, was plain for all to see.
Now that he was presiding over the peace negotiations, he represented the emperor’s will.
When it came to Princess Xing’an’s marriage alliance, he had refused to yield even an inch. That meant the emperor had no intention of agreeing to it.
Chancellor Yelu was confident enough in Princess Xing’an’s beauty. With a smile, he said, “Since that is the case, why don’t we set the matter aside for now? If, after tonight’s banquet, His Majesty still feels the same way, it won’t be too late to discuss it then.”
Although Chancellor Yelu had said this, Chang Zhengzhang showed no intention of giving way. In an indifferent tone, he said, “The Qin heir will also attend tonight’s banquet. His seat will be arranged beside Princess Xing’an. The Qin heir is excellent in both character and scholarship. I’m sure he will not disappoint Princess Xing’an.”
The smile on Chancellor Yelu’s face remained courteous, but his eyes were full of unconcern.
With a beauty this exquisite, he simply refused to believe that any man in the world could remain unmoved.
Sigh…
At the thought, he could not help but sigh inwardly. If Princess Xing’an had not been so beautiful, neither King of Liao nor Empress Dowager Xiao would have chosen to send her to Bianjing.
This was what happened when one possessed a treasure.
The negotiations had left everyone parched, but at last, they were over.
Yan Tongshu silently rose with the other ministers and saw Chancellor Yelu off.
Once their guest had departed, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief before heading to Chuigong Hall to report the details to Qin Yi.
After every matter had been reported, the ministers all took their leave. Qin Yi told Yan Tongshu to stay behind.
A moment later, the atmosphere in Chuigong Hall was solemn and grave.
Qin Yi sat upon the imperial throne, studying Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu stood with his eyes lowered, looking meek and obedient.
Qin Yi let out a soft scoff. “Yan Tongshu, I haven’t even said anything about what happened last time, and you’re already giving me attitude?”
Yan Tongshu raised his head and said resentfully, “I’m not. I’m simply in a bad mood today.”
“And what has put you in such a bad mood?” Qin Yi clearly did not believe him. He rose from his seat and walked down, staring directly at Yan Tongshu as though he insisted on getting an answer. “Are you disappointed to learn that the person arranging Princess Xing’an’s marriage alliance isn’t me?”
“I’m not.” Yan Tongshu chose his words carefully. “I just feel that this is clearly a major matter concerning Princess Xing’an’s own life, yet in the end, it is being decided through discussions between ministers from the two countries. Not a single person has asked for her opinion. I feel sorry for her.”
After Yan Tongshu finished speaking, silence filled the hall.
He thought for a moment, and was just about to ask whether the marriage alliance could be called off when Qin Yi unexpectedly spoke first.
“I overlooked that.”
“Huh?” Yan Tongshu looked up in astonishment.
Qin Yi’s eyes shifted slightly. “I was so focused on the fact that Qin Yunduan has a good character—that even if he did not love his wife, he would still respect and care for her properly—that I forgot to ask whether the two of them were willing.”
Yan Tongshu stared blankly at him. “Your Majesty means…”
Qin Yi sighed. He raised his hand, clenched it into a fist, and lightly knocked it against Yan Tongshu’s head. “I’ll have them spend more time together and give them a chance to develop feelings. If it works out, then everyone will be happy. If it doesn’t…”
He smiled faintly. “Peace negotiations are matters of state. They cannot be swayed by the romantic affairs of two young people.”
Now that was the sensible way to think.
Yan Tongshu was deeply moved.
How could anyone send a woman over for a marriage alliance and insist on staking peace between two nations on a single marriage?
Clearly, peace talks were the necessary means for the two countries—after years of war and immense suffering among the people—to recuperate and rebuild, something that both the common folk and officials on either side had long hoped for.
Yet they just had to drag all this tangled-up personal emotion into it.
They just had to sacrifice an innocent woman.
Who knew what those people in Liao were thinking?
She didn’t believe for a moment that a girl as beautiful and innocent as Princess Xing’an had the power to decide something this important.
From the bottom of his heart, Yan Tongshu said, “His Majesty is truly wise.”
Qin Yi let out a derisive laugh. “You spend all day worrying about this person and feeling sorry for that one. I haven’t seen you spare a thought for me.”
By the end, his voice had taken on a petulant edge. “Get out.”
“Oh.” Yan Tongshu cupped her hands in a formal salute. “This minister takes her leave.”
She had taken two steps toward the palace doors when she turned and came back.
Qin Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and snorted. “What now? Is there something else you need me to do?”
Yan Tongshu shook her head.
Qin Yi was just about to ask another question when Yan Tongshu reached out and hugged him. “Friends are supposed to hug when they say goodbye. I forgot just now.”
Qin Yi’s body stiffened slightly. Then he lowered his eyes and let out a long sigh. “Yan Tongshu.”
“Hmm?” Yan Tongshu answered softly.
Qin Yi raised his arms and hugged her.
*What am I supposed to do with you?*
That was what he said to himself.
After a while, Yan Tongshu let go. He gave a dissatisfied hum. “You still owe me one for the meteor shower last time. Make it up now.”
“Oh.” Yan Tongshu had barely loosened her arms when she wrapped them tightly around his waist again.
Outside the Hall of Diligent Government, the sky was clear and blue. White grasses and yellow flowers stretched across the land, while the leaves of the Chinese tallow trees had turned red. The autumn scenery was rich and boundless.
……
That evening, the banquet was held in Guangde Hall, the palace commonly used to receive foreign guests.
Yan Tongshu arrived at Guangde Hall on time and took her seat.
It was already late autumn, and the air was rather cold.
Yan Tongshu rubbed her hands together.
After a while, the Ministry of Rites’ Right Vice Minister—Pei Jin’an’s grandfather—entered with the other officials from the ministry, chatting and laughing with Chancellor Yelu.
He led the Liao delegation to their seats.
When Princess Xing’an and Xie Li spotted Yan Tongshu, they immediately waved to her. Yan Tongshu waved back.
The two stood behind Chancellor Yelu. He was the only person who could keep them under control, so when the others saw what they were doing, some were puzzled while others felt the princess’s behavior was improper. Just as they were about to speak up, Princess Xing’an shot them a murderous look, and the Liao officials immediately fell silent.
Princess Xing’an snorted at the Liao officials, then turned to Yan Tongshu and gave her a brilliant smile.
Yan Tongshu returned it with one of her own.
Xie Li stood to the side, his eyes filled with helpless fondness.
At last, everyone had arrived.
After a drawn-out cry of “His Majesty has arrived,” Qin Yi entered.
Everyone dropped to their knees in unison. “We pay our respects to His Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty!”
The Liao envoys bowed and performed the ceremonial rites of their country.
Once Qin Yi had taken his seat, he swept his gaze around the hall and raised a hand. “Rise.”
Everyone replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
They all took their seats.
As usual, Yan Tongshu quietly kept to herself.
The banquet for the envoys was a solemn occasion. Thus, even during the toasting, Yan Tongshu did not dare drink too much. She merely moistened her lips with the wine, then raised her cup here and there, pretending to toast without actually taking a sip.
Qin Yi lowered his eyes and chuckled softly.
Since peace talks were the shared objective of both nations, everyone at the banquet did their best to maintain a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere. Even when the occasional misunderstanding arose, it was quickly smoothed over with a laugh, and there were no deliberate provocations.
Once the toasting was over, Yan Tongshu began to enjoy the delicacies.
This time, her attention was caught by the plate of cherry pork.
This version of cherry pork was not prepared in the Jiangnan style. It was somewhat similar to the guobaorou of modern northeastern China, except that the meat had been cut into smaller cubes.
Crisp on the outside, tender within, and delightfully sweet and sour.
Yan Tongshu picked up a piece and was thoroughly pleased.
She loved anything with a sweet-and-sour flavor.
Yan Tongshu swiftly sampled and appraised every dish on the table.
Using a toast as an excuse, Xie Li came over to sit beside Yan Tongshu and chat with her.
Tonight, the Divine Guard Army, the Divine Might Army, and the Divine Strategy Army were keeping strict watch both inside and outside the palace. The regular and deputy commanders of all three armies were too busy to attend.
Princess Xing'an propped her head on one hand, bored out of her mind.
Before leaving, Prince Wuyang had repeatedly instructed Qin Yunduan to take good care of Princess Xing'an and fulfill his duty in this marriage alliance. Thus, the moment he noticed her boredom, he immediately brought over his most prized shadow puppets to entertain her.
Princess Xing'an had never seen anything so novel before. Her attention was captured at once, and Qin Yunduan began putting on a performance for her right there.
Chancellor Yelu glanced over, then carried his wine cup toward Qin Yi.
“Your Majesty.”
Qin Yi raised his cup slightly.
Chancellor Yelu pointed toward Princess Xing'an. “Look, Your Majesty. The princess and the Qin heir seem to be getting along wonderfully.”
Though that was what he said, when Qin Yi looked over, Chancellor Yelu carefully observed his expression. If the Emperor of the Wu dynasty showed even the slightest hint of astonishment at Princess Xing'an’s beauty, he would do everything in his power to help her enter the imperial harem.
Unfortunately, there was no such reaction.
Chancellor Yelu shook his head in disappointment.
He had not expected that this Emperor of Wu would remain entirely unmoved even in the face of such an incomparable beauty.
As the saying went, each generation surpassed the last.
If the current emperor’s father were still on the throne, he probably would not have refused a beauty in his arms even at the age of fifty.
Since Qin Yi had no interest, Chancellor Yelu smiled and drained his strong liquor, abandoning the idea of having the princess approach Qin Yi.
After all, peace was the most important thing in the negotiations. Everything else came second.
When the banquet was more than halfway over, Yan Tongshu felt the need to relieve herself. She took the appropriate token and went out, where she found a eunuch to lead her to the lavatory.
The young eunuch carried a palace lantern and walked ahead of her.
Yan Tongshu followed close behind.
After relieving herself, she stepped out of the palace lavatory—only to find that the young eunuch who had led her there was suddenly gone. The only thing left behind was a palace lantern lying on the ground.
Yan Tongshu picked up the lantern and raised an eyebrow.
Had something happened?
Could something really go wrong even inside the imperial palace?
Out of caution, Yan Tongshu did not search around. Instead, she retraced the route she had taken in her mind and headed back the way she had come.
She rounded a rockery and was just about to step onto the covered corridor when a figure flashed past her eyes.
The man was dressed in Liao attire, and his face was covered by an enormous beard that completely concealed the lower half of his face.
He was acting suspiciously.
Yan Tongshu had a vague impression of him. He seemed to be one of the guards accompanying the Liao delegation.
However, the Liao people favored wearing large beards, and many of them had one. She couldn’t be sure exactly who he was; all she knew was that he was quite tall.
Though suspicious, she did not follow him to investigate.
She wasn’t stupid. The little eunuch ahead of her had just suddenly vanished, and then a patrol-free gap had inexplicably appeared along the route back. The problem was obvious. Even if thunder were crashing and lightning striking right in front of her, she would not go over to take a look.
She continued along the same route. But after taking only a few steps, a dagger was pressed against her neck.
Yan Tongshu caught sight of a face covered in a thick beard.
