Yaoying had a dream all night.

The next morning, she combed her hair in front of a bronze mirror, raised her arms lightly, and braided her thick black hair into pigtails. Each pigtail was wrapped with golden silk and decorated with golden flowers and silver bells. There were a few knocks on the door, and the Sultan had arrived.

He put on the ghost face mask again.

Yaoying invited him into the house, and without waiting for him to speak, she sat down in front of him, rolled up her sleeves neatly, and stretched her arms in front of him. As she moved, the silver bells on her shawl and braid trembled slightly and jingled.

"General Su, I'm much better now. There's no time to lose. We'll go to the palace today."

Looking at her impatient look, she must have been waiting for him for a long time.

Sultan Gu said nothing, his fingers resting on Yao Ying's wrist.

His fingertips felt a thin layer of silk, rough and cold, and she couldn't help but shiver slightly.

Today is a nice, sunny day. It has just stopped snowing and the morning glow is reflected on the snow, creating a dazzling halo in front of the corridor.

Yao Ying sat cross-legged in a daze. This time she was conscious and didn't dare to touch the mask of Sultan Gu again. Thinking of the doubts she had before falling asleep last night, she asked softly, "General Su, does the Buddha need some medicine too?"

Sultan's eyelashes fluttered and he raised his eyes.

Yao Ying looked at him and said, "Master Munda Deva didn't cure the Buddha. The water moss only temporarily suppressed his pain. He will still get sick from time to time, right?"

Before Mundadeva left the holy city, she went to see him off and asked about Tanmaraka's illness. Mundadeva was vague and spoke with regret.

Yao Ying did not think much about it at the time, but now it seems that what Mondadeva regretted was that he could only use the water moss to alleviate Tanmaragha's pain, but could not completely cure Rāja's disease.

What disease did Tanmarajiva suffer from? Was he in retreat each time because he was seriously ill and unable to get up?

Mondadeva admired him very much, so why didn't he cure him completely, but only left the prescription of water hyacinth and returned to India?

These doubts have been lingering in Yao Ying's mind.

Sultan Gu looked at Yao Ying, his blue eyes were clear as a trace of emotion, and said: "The king's illness is a chronic disease, and it will take time to cure it."

Yao Ying glanced at him.

Even though his tone was as serious as usual, she could still hear the evasion in it.

This is normal. Tanmarajiva is of noble status and the ministers in the royal court had no idea that he was seriously ill. She was an outsider and knew the inside story, but she asked so directly. Sultan Kumarajiva did not warn her and was already very tolerant of her.

Sultan Gu raised his head and gazed at the white snow in the courtyard illuminated by the morning glow.

"Why did the princess ask this?"

Yao Ying frowned slightly and said, "Water moss is very poisonous. Although it can remove dampness and relieve pain, dissipate heat and detoxify, taking it regularly will harm the body. I add dried and ground water moss to the preparation of the Condensation Pills I take regularly. I only take one pill a month, and the dosage is small, but I still need to use it in powder form. I saw that the prescription that Monda Deva wrote for the Buddhist disciples used three times the amount of water moss as the Condensation Pills... If the Buddhist disciples take the medicine for a long time, it will definitely damage their foundation."

"I have reminded General Ashina and Yuanjue before, I wonder if they have advised the Buddhist disciples."

Yao Ying raised her eyelids and looked into Sultan Ku's eyes.

"General Su is knowledgeable in medicine, and doctors are kind-hearted. He should have taken care of Fuzi before. He knows the pros and cons better than General Ashina and Yuanjue, and can also better understand the pain Fuzi feels when he takes the medicine. Fuzi's illness can be cured slowly. General, please remind him not to rely on this medicine just because it can relieve his pain."

Her tone was sincere, without any temptation, only worry and concern.

Sincere and clear as snow.

Sudang Gu looked out the door, as if he was seriously considering Yaoying's words, and nodded.

Yao Ying sighed and said, "It's a pity that the herbs I brought don't have the ones that can control the water moss. Those herbs are only available in the Central Plains. I asked Lao Qi and searched the market, but found nothing. If I can return to the Central Plains, I can ask a miracle doctor to prescribe some pills for the Buddhist son. If he eats them, it can reduce the damage caused by the water moss."

When she mentioned returning to the Central Plains, she immediately thought of Li Zhongqian. Worry surged in her heart and her tone became a little lower.

The Sultan said nothing.

Neither of them spoke, and the room was as quiet as water.

The sun was shining brightly, and the melted snow on the roof dripped down the corrugated tiles, making a rustling sound in front of the eaves, forming a line of rain.

After a while, Sultan Gu withdrew his finger and said, "Princess, you don't have to take the medicine today."

Yao Ying came to her senses and realized that he agreed to enter the palace today, so she immediately called her personal soldier and asked him to deliver a message to Yang Qian.

…

Sultan Kumar got up and went out.

Yuan Jue stepped forward respectfully and whispered, "Regent, everything has been arranged."

After saying this, he lowered his head and stepped aside.

"Do you often go to the market with Princess Wen Zhao?"

Yuan Jue was peeking in the direction of Yao Ying's room. When he heard his question, he was stunned, straightened his back, and answered, "Yes."

Sultan Gu turned his back to him and asked, "What is Princess Wen Zhao looking for in the market?"

Yuan Jue thought about it carefully and said, "When Princess Wen Zhao was visiting the market, she visited almost every shop one by one, including shops selling cloth, brocade, jewels, horses, livestock, white cloth... and medicinal herbs. She visited all the shops selling medicinal herbs. The princess didn't speak the Hu language well, so she couldn't understand the names of the herbs, so she often asked her subordinates to help her ask the Hu merchants where they could buy medicinal herbs from the Central Plains."

After saying this, he remembered something and couldn't help grinning out loud.

"The princess also asked where she could find eagles for sale, as she wanted to keep one."

Sultan Gu suddenly stopped.

Yuanjue immediately stopped in his tracks.

Sultan Gu turned around, and the pair of green eyes under the mask glanced at him calmly, "Did Princess Wen Zhao tell you about the water moss?"

Yuan Jue was startled, hesitated for a moment, and nodded: "The princess has talked to me about it... The princess said that long-term use of this medicine is not good, and asked me to persuade the king..."

At first, he and Ashina Bisha were worried that Yaoying would leak the secret, and they were afraid that she would use this secret to capture them, so they were very cautious with her. Later, they found that she was not only keeping her mouth shut, but also very concerned about Fuzi's illness, and they put their worries back in place.

No one asked about this matter, so he didn't report it.

Yuanjue thought he had done nothing wrong. General Ashina had instructed that Princess Wen Zhao was just a passer-by and that the king did not need to be informed of any matters concerning her. However, when Sultan Gu asked him about it, he subconsciously felt guilty and his voice became lower and lower.

Sultan did not blame him. He stood in the corridor for a while and then turned and left.

Yuan felt a little confused, so he let out a breath and followed carefully.

…

In the afternoon, Yao Ying changed into the attire of a Gaochang noble girl, left the courtyard with Sultan Gu, and came to the place where she had agreed to meet Yang Qian.

Yang Qian was tall, wearing a short-sleeved brocade robe, a turban on his head, and brocade boots. He stood on the busy road, like a crane among a flock of chickens.

Yao Ying had her face covered with a veil. She lifted the felt curtain and gestured to him across the crowd.

Yang Qian did not recognize her and continued to crane his neck to look at the crowd. It was not until the carriage arrived in front of him that he reacted and looked at Yao Ying, who was wearing a yellow dress with a round-nest flower tree and eagle pattern and a lapel with short sleeves. He smiled, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth.

"This is the perfect make-up for the princess. I prepared some clothes for her and was just about to remind her to change into them, but it was unnecessary."

Yao Ying smiled. Lady Ina held banquets in the palace every night, and the princes and nobles who attended were all dressed in formal attire and wore masks. She had inquired in advance and even had the masks prepared.

Yang Qian glanced at the masked and stern Sultan Gu and realized that he was not a simple person and must be skilled in martial arts. He wanted to compete with him and could not help but look at him a few more times.

Yao Ying didn't want him to discover Sultan Gu's identity, so she took a step forward, stood in front of Sultan Gu, and signaled that he could set off.

Yang Qian retracted his gaze, nodded, and said, "After entering the palace, the princess said that she was my cousin. I have more than ten cousins, many of whom are about the same age as the princess. People in the palace can't tell them apart."

Yao Ying nodded, put on the mask, and turned to look at Sultan Gu.

The mask covered her face, and only a pair of crescent-shaped eyes could be seen.

Just from her eyes you can tell she is smiling; her clear eyes are moving and full of smiles, like shattered sunlight falling into a deep pool, with twinkling stars in them.

Sultan looked at her in silence.

Yao Ying pointed at the mask on her face.

The mask she wore was a ferocious Yaksha ghost face, exactly the same as the mask he usually wore, also half green and half red.

Sultan lowered his eyes, stared at the mask on her face for a while, then walked away.

Yao Ying laughed, spread her hands, and followed him with a smile.

…

At dusk, hundreds of candles were lit in the largest hall of the palace. The lanterns seemed to be burning brightly, and the candlelight was so brilliant that it seemed like daylight.

In the hall, a curtain was hung high, and a group of musicians sat cross-legged under it, playing the pipa, konghou, bili, Qiang flute, dongxiao, small drum, and tongba in turn. There was a burst of sheng music, and a felt carpet was spread in the courtyard. Slender dancers danced to the tune, with soft and graceful waists. Maids and servants in light gauze were moving back and forth, and there were shadows of people everywhere.

There were several tables and couches in front of the hall. A long table covered with red felt was filled with delicacies and fruits, and bowls, plates, and wine glasses were piled up like a mountain. The guests were all dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing masks. They sat or lay down, enjoying the singing and dancing, clinking glasses, or walking back and forth holding gilded silver cups, laughing and chatting with others. From time to time, a burst of laughter broke out in the corner.

Yao Ying followed Yang Qian into the lobby.

Yang Qian saw that the palace was full of joy and happiness, and he felt disappointed and angry, and almost took off his mask.

The prince's siblings were sent to Beirong as hostages. Lady Ina used fine wine, delicious food, beautiful women, singing and dancing to lull the nobles into submission, but these people could not resist even this temptation and indulged themselves in it, living a life of drunkenness and debauchery. How could he not be angry?

Yao Ying was really afraid that he would overturn the long table in an impulsive manner, so she reminded him quietly: "Master Yang, where is Lord Weichi?"

Yang Qian remembered the important matter, suppressed his anger, and took Yao Ying through the noisy hall. He sent away a few strong servants, walked through a quiet path, and came to a felt tent with curtains.

Yaoying was waiting outside and saw him go in. She heard voices talking inside.

After a while, a dishevelled, dishevelled-haired Hu woman came out. When she passed by Yao Ying, she deliberately did not cover her clothes, revealing her snow-white skin with red plum spots on her chest, and glared at her fiercely.

The corners of Yao Ying's mouth twitched slightly. Obviously, this Hu woman thought that she was the new love that Yang Qian brought to Wei Chi Damo.

She turned around and glanced at the hall which was only separated by a corridor.

The dancers danced to the song, and all the guests were beaming with joy. When Yang Qian brought her into the palace, Sultan Gu disappeared, and no one knew where he was hiding. Although she was alone in an unfamiliar palace, she knew that he must be guarding nearby, so she did not feel afraid.

Yang Qian opened the curtain, stuck his head out and gestured to Yao Ying.

She walked in.

There was no light in the tent, the light was dim, and the floor was covered with a thick blanket. A man with red hair, brown eyes, and an unshaven beard was lying on the couch. He was only wearing a loose, wide-sleeved robe with his lapels untied and the belt hastily tied into a knot. A casual glance revealed his thin, pale chest.

Yang Qian's eyes were filled with anger. He picked up the cloak scattered on the ground and threw it at the man, saying, "Dharma, this is Princess Wen Zhao."

Wei Chi Damo slowly raised his eyelids, glanced at Yao Ying with his slender eyes, and sneered: "Princess Wen Zhao, who Prince Aling of Haidu is determined to get?"

Yang Qian was stunned.

Wei Chi Damo suddenly opened his cloak and sat up. His long fiery red hair fell down, his eyes were slanted, and his face was gloomy.

"I was just worried about how I would be able to explain to Haidu Aling, but Princess Wen Zhao just walked into the trap. It was really easy to get what she wanted."

As soon as he finished speaking, there were loud footsteps outside the tent, and several bodyguards came out from the corner and rushed towards the tent.

Yang Qian was shocked, and then flew into a rage. He drew his sword and blocked Yao Ying, pointing the tip of the sword directly at Wei Chi Damo, and shouted angrily: "Damo, you actually informed Haidu A Ling?!"

Wei Chi Damo looked up at him, his face pale: "Silang, do you think I have any choice?"

Yang Qian sneered: "You are the king, even if you are controlled by others, you should have the dignity of a king! Are you scared of a lady like Yina? You don't want to resist and you can just kowtow, but why do you want to sell out Princess Wen Zhao?"

Wei Chi Damo closed his eyes and was speechless.

Several bodyguards in the corner gradually surrounded him, long swords in their hands flashing coldly.

During the stalemate, Yao Ying suddenly clapped her hands and laughed.

"The son of the Wei Chi family is worthy of his reputation."

Yang Qian was stunned and turned to look at her.

Wei Chi Damo raised his head, narrowed his eyes slightly, and his pupils shrank.