THE MOON AND STARS were above, wine and tea below. Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu sat facing each other. Outside the pavilion, a gentle breeze blew, and new grass sprouts peeked from the cold ground. If one ignored that the house had collapsed and Fo'er had taken his disciple and fled, it was a beautiful night.
Feng Xiao looked at Cui Buqu, who sat across the table from him.
He was in fact drinking neither tea nor wine; instead, he picked up a bowl of medicine. He hesitated. Then, with the expression of one bravely facing his death, he closed his eyes, tipped his head, and poured the medicine into his mouth. Anyone watching would have thought him committing suicide via poison. Cui Buqu had drunk many bitter medicines before, yet he believed the doctor who'd prescribed him this one might have a grudge against him. The sharp bitterness on his tongue made him shudder.
When he returned to his senses, he saw Feng Xiao watching him with great interest.
"How are things going with Qin Miaoyu?" Cui Buqu asked.
"We've retrieved the jade." Feng Xiao didn't add that the jade was only half its original size thanks to Qin Miaoyu absorbing its powers, nor that the pool of blue-green at the center had grown fainter. Those things had nothing to do with Cui Buqu. Searching for the jade had always been Feng Xiao's business, along with all the subsequent difficulties.
The case of the Khotanese envoy's murder was now considered closed. Though some unknowns remained, Su Xing and Qin Miaoyu had been captured and the jade retrieved. And, in line with their agreement, Feng Xiao was to acknowledge the Zuoyue Bureau's contribution in finding the jade and the murderer.
Cui Buqu was slightly surprised. "So Qin Miaoyu survived? I'm curious. What kind of secrets does she know that convinced you to let her live?"
"Am I naught but an indiscriminate killer in your eyes? Your words have shattered my heart! Even if I patch it, it will never be as it was!"
"Please speak in human tongue."
"A single woman traveled to the Central Plains as a Goguryeon spy and remained incognito for many years. That alone demonstrates her extraordinary fortitude."
Cui Buqu immediately took Feng Xiao's meaning.
The Khotanese king had no children, and Yuchi Jinwu had been his most valued nephew. If not for his death, he'd probably have inherited the throne one day. Considering Qin Miaoyu's abilities and Yuchi Jinwu's love for her, she may have very well risen to the rank of royal consort and become capable of effectively manipulating the royal court of Khotan.
The Goguryeons had placed such a pawn thousands of miles away. Of course their goal hadn't been merely to control the royal consort of a tiny nation far from their borders, but to use her to stir up the political situation in the Western Regions and thereby affect the Sui dynasty and the Khaganate. With the region's great powers at each other's throats, Goguryeo would be at an advantage. Whoever had hatched this plot must possess great foresight—though Goguryeo was a small nation, it clearly wasn't lacking for talent.
Unfortunately, the Goguryeon king's strange illness and the appearance of the Jade of Heaven Lake had made the Goguryeons impatient. They'd mobilized Qin Miaoyu and Su Xing much earlier than planned. If not for this, they might never have been discovered.
"Who sent Qin Miaoyu and Su Xing to the Central Plains?" mused Cui Buqu. "And whom else did they send?"
When the wise spoke to the wise, much breath was spared. Feng Xiao gave Cui Buqu an appreciative look. Though he had certainly caused the Jiejian Bureau a heap of trouble, it was rare to meet such a worthy rival. He had only one life, after all, and a peaceful and uneventful one would be far too dull.
Feng Xiao had previously surmised that, given Cui Buqu's abilities, many would want to recruit him even without martial arts. People like Cui Buqu had clear goals and the drive to achieve them. As long as he was offered a high enough position, Cui Buqu surely would have come. But fate laughs at the plans of men: Feng Xiao had ended up trying to recruit the chief of the Zuoyue Bureau.
Needless to say, Cui Buqu would never give up his position and lower himself to become the fourth deputy chief of the Jiejian Bureau. He might even hold a grudge for the way Feng Xiao tried to recruit someone out from under him.
There were so many grudges between them now that Feng Xiao found he didn't mind.
"The one who sent them is Go Un, the master of Go Nyeong. He's the brother of King Go Tang of Goguryeo and said to be the only martial arts grandmaster in the country."
Although Go Un didn't hold any official position, according to Feng Xiao's information, he exerted significant influence on Go Tang's government. He'd also founded the Buyeo Sect, which played a role similar to the Jiejian Bureau. He was a spymaster acting in the interests of his own country, arranging infiltration into other nations and ferreting out secret intelligence.
There was no doubt about it. Su Xing and Qin Miaoyu were members of the Buyeo Sect.
"Qin Miaoyu holds a low position in Buyeo Sect. Go Un has always looked down on women; he relies on their sex appeal to perform low-level intelligence work. Only Su Xing had the power to contact the Buyeo Sect, but he doesn't know much either. All he could tell us was that the person who brought them to the Central Plains was called Yi-xiansheng."
A woman like Qin Miaoyu might be too timid and afraid to act out while young and inexperienced. But during the years she'd spent as Yuchi Jinwu's concubine, she'd had plenty of practice deflecting the schemes of his other wives and fighting to stabilize her own favor and position—all while collecting intelligence, contacting Su Xing, and seeking out advantages for Goguryeo. After all she'd learned, how could the Buyeo Sect possibly restrain her? It wasn't surprising she'd longed to throw off their yoke.
"Yi? As in ease?" Cui Buqu didn't care what plans Feng Xiao had for Qin Miaoyu. He was more interested in this "Yi-xiansheng."
Feng Xiao dipped his finger into the tea, then drew a single horizontal line on the table. "Yi as in one."
All came from one, and to one all would return. That one. One was the origin of all things, the starting point of all numbers, yet in its singularity, it could be infinitely great. Laozi18 said, "Embrace the one, and set an example to all." In the beginning, the cosmos was one before splitting into heaven and earth, transforming into all things.
Anyone who'd use such a word as their codename was no ordinary person. This Yi-xiansheng wasn't just Su Xing's contact in the Central Plains. They likely held a high position in the Buyeo Sect. And whoever they were, they'd hidden themselves in the Central Plains for many years. If Qin Miaoyu had almost managed to become a Khotanese royal consort, Yi-xiansheng's false identity could not be a humble one.
The lesser hermit hides in the wilderness, while the greater hermit hides in the marketplace.
Things were getting interesting. They'd solved a case only to uncover another thread buried deep within. If they followed that thread, where would it lead them?
Cui Buqu trusted Feng Xiao had reached the same conclusions and was similarly intrigued. Perhaps he'd only told Cui Buqu this much in order to drag him into the snarl. But Cui Buqu had always been a restless person. The thornier the problem and the more difficulties he encountered, the more fascinated he became.
"I've told you so much," said Feng Xiao. "Shouldn't you return the favor?"
Cui Buqu smiled. "Of course. That's why I invited Deputy Chief Feng to come with me to the Khaganate to meet Apa Khagan."
Feng Xiao raised a slender brow. "So this is how you 'return a favor?' Aren't you just making trouble for me for the sake of it?"
"How could you think so?" said Cui Buqu. "I ask you, didn't you promise to bring me Fo'er's head?"
"I promised to kill Fo'er for you, but I didn't say when. Whether I kill him today or tomorrow, it still counts. I could even kill him a year from now. Right?"
Cui Buqu smiled without pleasure. "You heard what I told Jinlian tonight. Though she is the khatun of Apa, she has little power. Her role was simply to travel here on Apa's behalf and deliver the letter he penned. If we wish to negotiate further, to try and grab more benefits for the Sui dynasty, I must personally make this trip to the Khaganate. Fo'er escaped you, so he'll definitely ambush Jinlian and me on the road. If we die, will you still get credit for cementing an alliance with Apa Khagan?"
"So you're saying I absolutely must go?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. If Deputy Chief Feng wants the accolades, he must make the trip."
Feng Xiao smiled. "You're not afraid I'll kill you on the return trip and take credit for all your work?"
Cui Buqu returned his gaze. "If that happens, I can only lament my fate. However, if I'm dead, then Deputy Chief Feng might find himself missing out on some interesting news."
"Such as?"
"Such as that I know who sent the two assassins from the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai. I also know that Yuxiu, the Prince of Jin's most trusted counselor, didn't come to Liugong City solely for the jade. He had other objectives. After all, though the Zuoyue Bureau doesn't have the manpower of the Jiejian Bureau, we still have our ways of obtaining information. How else could we survive?"
"Ququ…" Feng Xiao's tone was affectionate now. "I want to ask one more question. What makes you think I wouldn't want to go with you? Just seeing you every day improves my appetite!"
"So, Deputy Chief Feng has agreed," said Cui Buqu. "I thank you on behalf of Jinlian Khatun."
They stared at each other, their mouths curving into matching fake smiles. As for what curses they were swearing in their hearts, only they knew.
"Why call me Deputy Chief Feng? Haven't I already told you? Call me Feng-er. Or, if you're willing, Erlang. That would be even better."
Cui Buqu coughed twice and promptly disregarded Feng Xiao's nonsensical request. "We're going to the camp of Apa Khagan. To get there, we must pass through Qiemo and Kucha, which is a long, wind-blown journey. Make sure you get some rest."
With that he stood, drew up his cloak, and swept out the door with Qiao Xian close behind.
As their footfalls gradually faded into the distance, Feng Xiao smiled. He murmured, "Who wants me dead so badly? And they didn't even come themselves; they sent people from the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai. Perhaps they don't know martial arts and are jealous of my unparalleled magnificence. Alas—only the mediocre fail to draw envy, and I can't help being so handsome. What am I to do?"
On the other side of the door, Qiao Xian, who'd secretly turned back to eavesdrop, almost hocked up yesterday's meal. How could someone so shameless exist? She couldn't comprehend it.
Cui Buqu had sorely overestimated the state of his health. After the chaos of that night, he developed a low fever and lay insensible in bed for several days. It wasn't until the third that he showed signs of improvement. Even Jinlian, who'd suffered a serious injury that night, recovered more quickly. She couldn't help but worry he'd keel over before they set a single foot in the Khaganate.
"Worry not, Khatun." Cui Buqu was sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket. He'd just drunk a bowl of medicine, and his expression was sullen. "I may be ill, and my body may be frail, but there's enough life in me yet to make it to the Khaganate. Qiao Xian will accompany us as well; she's skilled in medicine, so there's nothing to worry about."
He gestured for Qiao Xian to bring a scroll, which he slowly unrolled under the eyes of Jinlian and Feng Xiao.
"This is…a map?" Jinlian looked at the densely crammed annotations. The map looked familiar, though she couldn't tell precisely what it depicted.
"This is a map of the Western Khaganate, stretching from Qiemo in the south to the Sanmi Mountains in the north, and from Shule in the west to Gaochang in the east," Cui Buqu said. "It's not comprehensive, but even so, it's a more valuable gift for Apa Khagan than thousands of taels of gold or countless heads of livestock. The khatun's trip will not be vain."
Jinlian looked at him in disbelief. "You want to give me this map, then have me…offer borrowed flowers to Buddha? You want me to offer someone else's contributions in my name?"
She was a Göktürk, yet her Chinese was fluent enough to use an idiom like offer borrowed flowers to Buddha.
Cui Buqu's lips curved slightly. "I know the khatun strongly supports establishing a diplomatic alliance with our Great Sui. Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked your life and traveled here alone over thousands of miles. But surely there are scoundrels around Apa Khagan who will try to obstruct this goal. With this map in hand, will it not be that much easier for Khatun to achieve great things at Apa Khagan's side?"
Jinlian couldn't conceal her joy. She was a woman with intelligence and vision. She well knew that quality maps were closely guarded military secrets—such a treasure was far more precious than any gold, silver, or jewels.
Feng Xiao, watching coolly from the side, saw a deeper meaning in this interaction. Cui Buqu had offered the map to win over Jinlian, yet for any Göktürks with darker intentions, this map was also a warning: Great Sui has grasped the terrain of the Western Khaganate. We can become your ally, or we can become your enemy.
This move of carrot and stick, incentive and threat, was horribly clever. Feng Xiao couldn't help but sigh once more. Why couldn't such a talented man belong to the Jiejian Bureau instead?