Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight - Chapter 161.1

Yaoying dreamt through the night.

The next morning, she sat before the bronze mirror, raising her arms lightly as she braided her long, black, lustrous hair into individual braids. Each braid was wound with golden ribbons, adorned with golden flowers and silver bells. A few knocks on the door signaled the arrival of Sultan Gu.

He wore the Yaksha mask again.

Yaoying invited him inside. Before he could speak, she sat down before him, briskly rolled up her sleeves, and stretched out her arm towards him. As she moved, the silver bells on her braids quivered, chiming softly.

“General Su, I am much better. There is no time to lose, let us enter the palace today.”

From the look of her impatience, she must have been waiting for him for quite some time.

Sultan Gu remained silent, his fingers pressing lightly against Yaoying’s wrist.

The pads of his fingers were calloused, rough and cold. She could not help but shiver slightly.

It was a bright and clear day after the snowfall. The morning glow reflected upon the snow, casting dazzling ripples of light before the veranda.

Yaoying sat cross-legged, staring into space. This time her mind was clear. She dared not reach for Sultan Gu’s mask again, but recalling the question she had before falling asleep last night, she asked softly, “General Su, does the Buddha’s Son also need dispersing medicine?”

Sultan Gu’s lashes trembled, and he lifted his gaze.

Yaoying looked straight at him. “Master Mondatipa did not cure the Buddha’s Son. The water anise herb only temporarily suppresses his pain, but he still suffers frequent relapses, does he not?”

Before Mondatipa left the Holy City, she had gone to see him off and asked about Tumoroga’s illness. Mondatipa had been vague, his tone filled with regret.

At that time, Yaoying had not thought much of it. Looking back now, his regret must have been that he could only use water anise herb to ease Tumoroga’s suffering, but could not cure his disease completely.

What exactly was Tumoroga afflicted with? Each time he went into seclusion, was it because his illness became so severe that he could not even rise?

Mondatipa admired him deeply. Why, then, did he not treat him thoroughly? Why leave behind only a prescription of water anise herb before returning to Tianzhu?

These doubts lingered endlessly in Yaoying’s heart.

Sultan Gu gazed at her, his turquoise eyes showing no ripple of emotion. He said, “The King’s illness is a chronic malady of long standing. Recovery cannot be achieved overnight.”

Yaoying cast him a sidelong glance.

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

It was only natural. Tumoroga’s status was exalted. The ministers of the Royal Court were not even aware that he suffered from a grave illness. She was an outsider. For her to know the truth and question him so bluntly… Sultan Gu had already shown her great leniency by not reprimanding her.

Sultan Gu lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the snow outside the courtyard, now glowing beneath the dawn light.

“Why did the Princess suddenly think to ask this?”

Yaoying frowned slightly, “Water anise herb is highly poisonous. Although it dispels dampness, eases pain, reduces heat, and neutralises toxins, its frequent use will harm the body. The Ninglu Pills that I take are mixed with dried and ground water anise herb. I take only one pill a month, in a small dosage, and still require dispersing medicine. I saw the prescription that Mondatipa gave to the Buddha’s Son. The amount of water anise herb used was three times that in the Ninglu Pills. If the Buddha’s Son takes it long term, his very foundation will be damaged.”

“I once warned about this to General Ashina and Yuanjue. I wonder if they ever advised the Buddha’s Son.”

Yaoying raised her eyes to meet Sultan Gu’s.

“General Su understands medicine. A physician is meant to have a benevolent heart. You must have taken care of the Buddha’s Son before, so compared to General Ashina Bisha or Yuanjue, you know better the pros and cons of this matter, and you also understand more deeply the pain he endures when dispersing the medicine. The Buddha’s Son’s illness can be treated slowly. Please, General, be sure to remind him that he cannot rely on this single herb simply because water anise herb eases his suffering.”

Her tone was sincere. There was no probing, only worry and concern.

An honesty, as clear and pure as snow.

Sultan Gu looked outside the door, as if carefully weighing Yaoying’s words, then gave a soft hum in response.

Yaoying let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the herbs that can counteract the water anise herb. Those medicines exist only in the Central Plains. I asked Old Qi and searched the markets everywhere, but found nothing. If I could return to the Central Plains, I could invite a divine physician to prepare medicine pills from dispersing herbs for the Buddha’s Son. Taking them would lessen the harm caused by water anise herb.”

At the mention of returning to the Central Plains, she immediately thought of Li Zhongqian, and worry surged in her chest, and her voice sank slightly.

Sultan Gu remained silent.

Neither spoke, and the room settled into stillness as deep as undisturbed water.

Bright sunlight blazed outside. Melted snow dripped from roof tiles along the eaves, pattering steadily like rain, forming a curtain of droplets.

After a long pause, Sultan Gu withdrew his fingers, “The Princess need not take medicine today.”

Yaoying came back to her senses. Knowing this was his agreement to enter the palace today, she immediately summoned a trusted guard to send word to Yang Qian.

…

Sultan Gu rose and stepped outside.

Yuanjue respectfully stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Regent, all preparations have been made.”

With that, he bowed his head and withdrew to the side.

“You often follow Princess Wenzhao to the markets?”

Yuanjue had just been peering curiously toward Yaoying’s room. Startled by the question, he straightened his back and answered, “Yes.”

Sultan Gu, his back still turned, asked, “What does Princess Wenzhao look for in the markets?”

Yuanjue thought carefully before replying. “When Princess Wenzhao goes to the markets, she almost always goes one shop after another. Shops selling bolts of silk and brocade, jewellery and jade, horses and livestock, white diè cloth, and… medicinal herbs. The Princess stopped by every shop that sold herbs. The Princess doesn’t speak Hu tongue well; she can’t understand the names of those herbs, so she often asks me to help her inquire with the Hu merchants where she might find Central Plains herbs.”

After finishing, he suddenly recalled something and could not hold back a grin.

“The Princess also asked where falcons were sold. She said she wanted to raise one too.”

Sultan Gu suddenly came to a halt.

Yuanjue instantly froze in place.

Sultan Gu turned back, the turquoise eyes behind his mask sweeping over him calmly. “Did Princess Wenzhao ever mention water anise herb?”

Yuanjue was taken aback. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “The Princess did speak of it to this subordinate… She said long-term use of this herb is unwise, and told me to try and persuade the King…”

At first, both he and General Ashina Bisha had worried Yaoying might leak the secret or use it as leverage against them, so they kept their guard up. Later, they realised not only did she keep the matter close, she was also truly concerned about the Buddha’s Son’s illness. Their hearts, which had been strung tight, finally eased.

Since no one had asked, he never reported it on his own.

Yuanjue believed he had done nothing wrong. General Ashina Bisha had instructed him that Princess Wenzhao was only a guest, and that matters concerning her, big or small, need not be reported to the King. Even so, when Sultan Gu asked about it, he instinctively felt a little guilty, and his voice grew lower and lower.

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

Yuanjue was somewhat puzzled. He let out a quiet breath and cautiously followed behind.