Madam and Sister
Li Yin put on his Western Frontier clothes, and finally raised his hand to gently put on his veil in front of the mirror. He was dressed in purple, with a silver chain and a bell at his waist.
Her waist was graceful, the bells swayed gently, each step she took rang out, light fell upon her, kissed her eyelashes, and caressed her hair.
She raised her hand, pushed open the door, and went out into the yard. Then she walked slowly into the yard and saw the door that had been knocked on and was trembling. She locked the door and gently pulled it open.
However, the person in front of him did not hold back, and the punch still came straight at Li Yin, accompanied by a strong wind.
The wind came quickly, blowing the strands of hair at Li Yin's temples. She calmly looked at the fist that was inches away, without any fear in her eyes.
He gave off an air of composure, like a pine tree or bamboo. Sangiague was momentarily stunned, whether by Li Yin's face, which was identical to Princess Shangya's, or by Li Yin's calm demeanor. He stood there dumbfounded, staring intently at Li Yin.
Li Yin asked, "What is this?" As she spoke, she looked up at the person in front of her. The person had slightly wheat-colored skin, three-dimensional features, and deep-set eyes. Like her, he was also wearing Western Xinjiang clothing, with half of his arms exposed and his waist open. The color of his clothes was the same as hers, and even his accessories were identical.
Li Yin was certain that this person was most likely a prince or nobleman from the Western Frontier.
Santiago gave an awkward smile and withdrew his hand, saying, "I knocked on the door, but I couldn't control my strength."
Upon hearing this, Li Yin looked at the person next to him who was wearing the same clothes, only slightly different in color. That person also had the appearance of a Western Frontier person, with deep-set features and a high nose bridge.
Behind this person was a group of people dressed in white Xinjiang clothing.
The man respectfully performed a unique Western Frontier etiquette on Li Yin, placing his hand lightly on his chest, then bowing slightly and murmuring, "We greet Your Highness Shangya."
Li Yin was at a loss for what to do, only to see that the people beside him paid no attention to or even ignored this etiquette.
Li Yin then learned it as well, and sure enough, the etiquette in the Western Frontier was different from that in the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, one had to obey the master's wishes before bowing, and if the master did not allow it, one was not allowed to rise. But it was not like that in the Western Frontier.
Instead, they stood up immediately after performing the act, and they did not kneel in worship.
Li Yin lowered her eyes slightly, a gesture she was somewhat accustomed to.
But this appearance surprised the two people dressed in purple and black.
Not for any other reason, but because Princess Shangya genuinely liked Li Yin's actions. Furthermore, Li Yin's face was exactly the same as Shangya's. Originally, she thought that the man was just a swindler who cheated people out of money, but she didn't expect that he was actually real.
Sangdiqi gestured for Li Yin to proceed, and Li Yin stepped forward.
She was slightly puzzled, and then Santiago quietly came to her side. He frowned slightly, as if struggling, his lips moved slightly and then closed again. After struggling several times, he still weakly said, "Sister."
This was the first time he had called someone who wasn't his elder sister "elder sister," and the thought that Li Yin was someone else made him feel incredibly awkward.
His face flushed red instantly, and he had no choice but to turn his head away.
But Li Yin's thoughts were wandering, and she hadn't heard clearly. So she looked up at the person beside her and asked, "What did you just say?"
It would have been better if he hadn't asked. The question made Santiago blush even more. He coughed lightly and said, "No, no... nothing."
In the culture of Western Xinjiang, "A-jie" also has another meaning, similar to "Lady" in the Central Plains.
Sangdiqi broke Sangdiag's silence with a single sentence: "In the culture of Western Xinjiang, walking is a way of praying for blessings, so what we need to do is pray for Emperor Yingzong of Ming and walk to the palace."
Li Yin then understood, and stepped out. She had been to the palace many times before, so she knew the way very well.
As they walked along the main street, their large group stopped what they were doing – people buying things, picking out fabrics, and hawking their wares – and all looked straight in their direction.
Li Yin remained calm and composed under the slightly judgmental gazes of these people.
Santiago was worried that this person wouldn't be able to adapt, and if he panicked and gave himself away, they would all be finished.
Fortunately, Li Yin's performance did not worry him. He felt a sense of admiration and goodwill towards Li Yin. Li Yin's composed expression surprised him and aroused his curiosity about what kind of person he was.
Thinking this, my thoughts were wandering, when I heard someone say, "This person is so handsome."
"Well, but compared to our Young Master Wen, this person is still slightly inferior."
Santiago laughed upon hearing this. He lowered his head and leaned closer to Li Yin, gently touching Li Yin's shoulder as he asked curiously, "Do you think I'm handsome?"
Li Yin nodded perfunctorily, and Sangiague immediately raised the corners of his mouth. He looked at Li Yin with bright eyes and continued to ask, "Then, if I were to compare myself to that Wen something, who would be more handsome?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yin slowed her pace. She looked at Santiago and said, "Aren't you childish?"
Upon hearing this, Santiago's smile faded, and he said, "Am I not more handsome than him?"
Li Yin smiled when she saw this person's childlike nature. Her smile was very gentle; she was smiling because she wondered why there were still such pure people in the world.
Santiago knew his older sister was beautiful when she smiled, but this was the first time he had looked at her so closely. His older sister was so beautiful.
He was momentarily stunned.
Their pace slowed, and they fell a step behind.
Li Yin caught a glimpse of the person slowly walking away out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and said, "Aren't you going to follow?"
Upon hearing this, Santiago immediately jogged forward and followed beside Li Yin.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at the capital city. The sun was high in the sky, and it was extremely hot.
Led by palace servants, they entered the palace. The maid who led them was someone Li Yin recognized; she was the one who served the Empress.
The maid was dressed in a purple dress embroidered with auspicious clouds, and wore pearls and jade in her hair. She looked just like a young lady.
The man escorted Li Yin and the others to a courtyard and said politely, "His Majesty is busy today, and the Empress is unwell, so we are afraid she cannot receive you. Please wait a while, and someone will come."
Li Yin nodded to the man, who then bowed, took a few steps back, and quietly left.
Li Yin and the others remained in the courtyard. She remained calm, but Santiago looked resentful and said, "Isn't this bullying our country because it is weak and unwelcoming?"
Sangdiqi frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid Emperor Yingzong's intentions are about to change. But isn't the Emperor of Dayuan always one to keep his word?"
Listening to their conversation, Li Yin roughly figured out what was going on. It turned out that she was originally supposed to be sent as a bride for political reasons, but Emperor Yingzong changed his strategy at the last minute without informing them.
The wind rustled through the trees, and after uttering a few soft complaints, Santiago shut up and went to the room that had been arranged for him.
Li Yin sat in the courtyard for a long time. She wasn't just standing there blankly; she was trying to recall the map of the imperial city that her master had placed next to his clothes, and she was thinking about how to sneak into the Royal Academy tonight without anyone noticing.
The map looked like a city defense map. After looking at it, Li Yin set the paper on fire.
Under the cover of darkness and in the middle of the night, when Sandiag, Sandiqi, and the rest of the Western Xinjiang people were all asleep, she quietly pushed open the door and went out.
She even deliberately took off the bells from her body and gently placed them aside.
The moon hangs in the sky, shining brightly all by itself.
Li Yin landed quietly, and under the soft, silent moonlight, she looked at the road. She deliberately tiptoed behind a palace maid, and gently patted the maid's shoulder, causing her to turn around.
Just as the man turned around, she raised her hand and delivered a sharp chop to the back of his neck. With a "thud," the man's eyes closed, and he immediately fainted and collapsed.
Li Yin gently pulled the man back into the room, changed his clothes with him, used medicine to remove the makeup from his face, put it in a drawer, locked it, and then quietly slipped out the door.
She walked with her head down, relying on the memory of the blueprints, passing a large ginkgo tree, and then a spring.
After walking straight for about three hundred steps, we finally arrived at the royal academy.
This is a well-known royal site, yet the guards at the gate are dozing off.
She still took light steps and walked in smoothly.
It was pitch black inside, with no light to be seen. Li Yin was incredibly grateful that he had brought a tinderbox.
She slowly crept in, circled the bookshelf, and then took out a tinderbox from her sleeve. With a gentle blow, a small flame appeared. She looked up and saw that the bookshelf was several stories high, stretching upwards.
Holding a tinderbox, she walked around the first floor and saw that the catalog contained nothing more than theories on how to govern the people and manage a family.
She then went up to the second floor, bent down, and brought the tinderbox close to her face, carefully looking at the rows of catalogs.
The handwriting is neat, but it is tiring to look at at first glance. After looking at it for a long time, it looks exactly the same, which is really dazzling.
Li Yin could only watch for a while, then stop and close his eyes to rest.
Just as she closed her eyes once, a familiar herbal fragrance slowly wafted to her nose, and her body stiffened instantly.
Her breathing slowed down, and she opened her eyes, but her body remained slightly bent as she deliberately reached out to block the light from the tinderbox.
But the light did not dissipate, and a long shadow was seen shining through the gap to the side.
She was only separated from the person by a bookshelf. The book in front of Li Yin suddenly moved as if someone was pulling it. Li Yin then put pressure on her foot, intending to leave, but just as she was about to lift her foot...
The book stopped again; the person hadn't chosen that one. The firelight moved to the right, gradually fading into the distance. Li Yin felt relieved; as long as they didn't meet face-to-face, everything would be fine.
The long figure stopped at the corner that Li Yin hadn't noticed.
Li Yin continued to bend slightly and looked to the side, but suddenly that smell filled his nose again, and it was getting stronger and stronger.
She froze instantly, and a soft laugh reached her ears, "Madam, what are you looking for?"
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