A Vow Made
Bai Jingyan pressed her lips tightly together and struggled to pull her hand free, but the more she struggled, the tighter Xiao Rongyan held on, until she could not move at all and her heart pounded furiously.
"You know perfectly well that it isn't as though I feel nothing for you. Just as you say... each of us carries a heavy burden, and it's true that we're walking on thin ice without a clear view of the road ahead. So I understand why you'd rather not waste your emotions. I have no intention of doing so either. I am merely speaking of what comes after."
Xiao Rongyan's manner was firm yet tender. It was plainly obvious that he was retreating a single step in order to gain what he wanted. He was pressing her now, hard, to secure a promise for the rest of their lives.
He gazed quietly at Bai Jingyan, then slowly bowed his head and asked in a low voice.
"Will you accept?"
It was as though someone had seized her by the throat; the words would not come.
It wasn't that Xiao Rongyan held no place in her heart. In her past life, she and Xiao Rongyan had been enemies, and at the moment of her death he had saved her from the Jin army's hands. Then he had pressed the Jade Cicada into her palm and told her to flee for her life.
Because she had owed him that debt in her past life, her gratitude had carried over into this one, and her respect for him had only deepened. She admired how he had raised impoverished Yan into the mighty empire of Great Yan, and how he shared the very same dream of unifying the realm that the Bai family had yearned for across generations. And she found herself uniquely drawn to him — to the extraordinary strategies he set forth with his brilliant mind.
It was not easy to remain unmoved by a man of such depth and such unyielding resolve.
The faint scent of magnolia drifting from Xiao Rongyan lingered at the tip of her nose. The hand gripping the hem of his robe clenched tight. Bai Jingyan looked up into his dark, fathomless eyes and spoke.
"At my grandfather's memorial altar, I swore a solemn oath — that I would never marry in this lifetime."
"When peace comes to the realm and Yan is stable, I intend to entrust the affairs of state to my brother."
Xiao Rongyan slowly lowered his head, and the two faces drew closer and closer. As if to try once more, he brought the bridge of his nose to the tip of hers. His voice, soft and utterly restrained, washed over her ear again.
"If you do not wish to marry out, then I will come to you as a groom who marries into your family."
From beginning to end, Xiao Rongyan had never once used the word 'marry out.' He had only ever said: let us become husband and wife.
Bai Jingyan's hands, still clutching his robes, were damp with sweat. Her ears were burning hot as well.
"If the day ever comes when we must fight each other on the battlefield... I will show you no sentimental mercy then."
"Yes. I expect you never will."
Xiao Rongyan said it with perfect courtesy.
His firm arm cinched tight around her waist. Just as he could finally restrain himself no longer and bowed his head toward her lips, Bai Jingyan held her breath and shoved hard against his chest with her palm.
"A gentleman's word is his bond. Swear it with me — palm to palm."
The moment Xiao Rongyan raised his hand, Bai Jingyan stepped back and lifted hers as well.
A faint smile crept into Xiao Rongyan's eyes, which were struggling to contain his boundless joy. He lightly met her palm with his own.
"A gentleman's word is his bond. I swear it."
"...Go on, then."
Bai Jingyan turned and walked ahead of him. Then she clenched tight the hand that had just met his palm. Nothing felt quite real.
She had never once imagined that one day she would suddenly promise her whole life to a man in the street. No — she had never even thought she was capable of feeling anything like a man and woman's love in the first place.
Xiao Rongyan fell into step beside her and walked with her. A long silence passed between the two.
"I received word this morning that Physician Hong will likely enter the city at early dusk."
Xiao Rongyan's voice was gentle and even. Not a trace of the forcefulness from moments ago remained.
"Physician Hong is surely a man devoted to the Bai family through and through. He set out on the road without rest because he feared something might go wrong when Lady Jin gives birth."
"He watched us all grow up, after all. To us sisters, Physician Hong might as well be our own flesh and blood."
Bai Jingyan slowly loosened her clenched fist. Under Xiao Rongyan's gentle tone, her own heart seemed to be settling little by little.
Xiao Rongyan recalled the news sent from Yan. While treating his brother, Physician Hong had repeatedly made his way into the harshest frontier regions to gather medicinal herbs that could cure cold illness. He must have done it to treat Bai Jingyan's ailment.
"Are you aware that Wei has sent envoys in secret to Jin?"
Bai Jingyan asked.
Xiao Rongyan had originally intended never to mention this matter to her. He did not want to give her the false impression that he had spoken of love merely to extract information from her.
But since Bai Jingyan had brought it up herself, there seemed no harm in telling her.
"Wei's envoys have gone not only to Jin, but to Xiliang and Liang as well."
"As swift with news as ever, I see."
Bai Jingyan laughed quietly.
"When Wei's envoy entered Jin, he came in traveling with my merchant caravan."
Xiao Rongyan laughed as though the whole thing were absurd.
Bai Jingyan suddenly understood. The reason Xiao Rongyan's news traveled so fast was that he controlled the very sources of that news.
"Liang and Yan are separated by the sea, and Jin lies between them — so to travel from that distant land to Yan, Wei must either go by water or pass through Jin's territory, and the cost of that is far too great. Even if they went to war, there would be little to gain, so they will not form an alliance with Wei.
Xiliang's Empress Regnant only just managed to sort out her chaotic situation, and her court has barely found its footing — but the strength behind her comes from the troops Yun Paxing holds, so she will not be able to move soldiers easily.
And Jin... Jin and Wei both have their eyes on the fertile lands south of Yan. If they cannot divide the spoils of war evenly, an alliance between them will hardly come easily, I imagine."
Xiao Rongyan laid out the analysis in detail.
"But take the thought one step further. Jin sits at the very center of the warring states. To its south lies Xiliang, to its north Liang, to its east the Rong and Di tribes, and to its west Great Yan. If Yan were destroyed this time, then later, when Jin unsheathed its sword to win the whole realm, at least its western flank would be free from attack. And that land would become the ground Jin could fall back upon. So the most advantageous first move would be to eliminate Yan in the west, or annihilate Liang in the north."
That Bai Jingyan's words struck straight to the heart of the matter showed at a glance just how extraordinary her strategic eye was.
"Lady Bai's strategy is one worthy of admiration — but I doubt the Emperor and Crown Prince of Jin would accept it."
Xiao Rongyan said with a smile.
The Crown Prince of Jin watched the Emperor's every mood and moved exactly as the Emperor wished. The Crown Prince thought of nothing but winning his father's favor, and the Emperor sought nothing but comfort and ease. He was, decidedly, not a ruler of great ambition.
"Indeed."
There was a trace of frustration in Bai Jingyan's voice.
"I've done all I can. The rest is up to the Emperor and the Crown Prince."
Xiao Rongyan escorted Bai Jingyan all the way to the Zhenguo Commandery Princess Estate.
He did not blame her in the slightest. The two of them were, after all, people of different nations, bound to stand opposed to each other. The reason Bai Jingyan could not easily promise him a lifetime together was precisely because she had weighed these circumstances.
Until the great cause was achieved, they would be rivals. His own choices would surely bring hardship upon her — and perhaps that too was only right and proper.
Only when the great cause was accomplished could the two of them truly gaze upon each other with tenderness.
Xiao Rongyan raised his hand in farewell, his eyes brimming with reluctance.
He stood watching until Bai Jingyan disappeared inside, when Yue Shi brought his horse over and spoke in a low voice.
"My lord, why do you not go in with her?"
Promising his life to Bai Jingyan today had been more than enough to satisfy Xiao Rongyan. A man, after all, ought to know the meaning of shame.
Bai Jinxiu was sitting in Qinghui Courtyard waiting for Bai Jingyan, and when Bai Jingyan entered the garden, she rose to her feet with a smile.
"You're back, Elder Sister."
Yesterday, Bai Jingyan had asked Bai Jinxiu to investigate the purchasing activities of the King Yang Estate, and the moment Bai Jinxiu obtained the information, she had come straight here.
Once the imperial edict came down today, they would have to return to Suyang tomorrow. Jin Lang, considerate of Bai Jinxiu, had prepared a carriage for her and sent word that he would come to fetch her a little later, so she should dine at the Bai Manor with an easy mind.
The sisters went into the inner chamber, dismissed the servants, and sat down at the smoking table by the window. Then Bai Jingyan instructed the maid to close both door and windows.
Bai Jingyan propped a small cushion behind Bai Jinxiu's back and examined the purchasing records from the King Yang Estate that Bai Jinxiu had brought.
"There was no trace of purchases of sulfur or pine resin — only saltpeter, and in enormous quantities. I sent the estate office to look into it, and the purchasing agent for the King Yang Estate said King Yang himself planned to carve sculptures out of ice to win the Emperor's favor, and that was why he'd bought so much!"
Bai Jinxiu rested her elbows on the table and leaned in closer to Bai Jingyan.
"It looks as though the King Yang Estate entrusted the purchase of sulfur and pine resin to the Wang family of Gugu Lane!"
"Have you looked into it?"
Bai Jingyan asked.
"I've already sent someone. They should be returning any time now."
Bai Jinxiu furrowed her brow as she continued.
"If King Yang really is refining the Emperor's elixir... what do you intend to do? I need to know, so I can prepare in advance."
"Not yet. King Yang is in the Emperor's favor right now. If we expose this at such a moment... it will look as though the Emperor is punishing King Yang, but behind the scenes he'll compensate King Yang all over again. That works against us."
A little later, the records of the Wang family's purchases over the past several months arrived as well.
When Bai Jinxiu kept fanning herself against the heat, Bai Jingyan ordered a basin of ice brought in.
Bai Jingyan was sensitive to the cold, so Qinghui Courtyard never used ice even in summer. But ever since her pregnancy, Bai Jinxiu had been uniquely unable to bear the heat, and summer had become an ordeal for her. Even at the Jin residence, she lived with ice on hand.
"I'm quite all right, Elder Sister. Oh — just a moment, what's this."
Bai Jinxiu said with a smile, worried that the ice might harm Bai Jingyan's health.
"Then at least have them bring me a nice, chilled bowl of plum soup instead."
"You've already drunk two bowls. While you're with child, it's better to hold back a little."
Bai Jingyan pored over the Wang family's purchasing records.
The maid came in carrying the ice and set it down close to Bai Jinxiu. The room seemed to cool in an instant.
There was sulfur among the Wang family's purchases, but nothing suspicious — the amount fell squarely within normal range. In fact, the past month's records showed less than the month before.
Then what could be the reason the Wang family and the King Yang Estate were in such close contact?
While Bai Jingyan was lost in thought, a maid from Qinghui Courtyard lifted the screen curtain, came around the jade-inlaid folding screen, and bowed to Bai Jingyan and Bai Jinxiu.
"Elder Lady, Second Lady. The young lady of the Dong household has come to pay her respects to you. Lady Dong asked me to convey a message to you both."
"Very well."
Bai Jingyan answered.
"Go to the Third Lady first, and then escort the three of us to the lakeside pavilion."
"Yes, my lady!"
After the maid departed, Bai Jingyan burned the Wang family's purchasing records in the flame and gave Bai Jinxiu her instructions.
"We need to find out in more detail why the Wang family and the King Yang Estate are in contact. But be careful — you must not be caught. If it becomes too difficult to move about, speak to Grandmother. Wei Zhong seems like a man who would be quite useful."
The Grand Princess, too, was wary of King Yang. If they asked her to investigate what relationship existed between the King Yang Estate's offices and the Wang family of Gugu Lane, she would surely spare no effort to find out.