Yang Ruoning woke up early and rushed to knock on the shop door before it opened. She bought a bunch of wigs and beards. She glued a thick beard to half her face, even sticking some onto her eyebrows. Then, she whitened her sideburns, transforming herself into a vigorous, weathered middle-aged man.
Han Danquan, seeing Yang Ruoning’s grotesque appearance, was shocked and bewildered. "Why have you made yourself look like this?"
"Don't you know people often underestimate women's intelligence? That's why I've dressed like this. It's to increase the chances of our negotiation succeeding."
"Nobody would suspect a mere maidservant, would they?"
"But you are the Khan. How can you venture deep into enemy territory with just a small maidservant? Wouldn't that seem suspicious?"
"What's suspicious about that? Khans sometimes go out in disguise," Han Danquan retorted. He argued with Yang Ruoning for a few more sentences before waving his hand. "Forget it. You've always been a strange woman."
As they spoke, Ah Jing came in from outside. When he saw Yang Ruoning, he frowned. "Why are you dressed like that?"
"Oh, God, I don't want to explain it to you again," Yang Ruoning felt speechless. "In short, I just feel like dressing this way today."
Ah Jing sighed softly. "It seems you're determined not to see him again." Yang Ruoning shrugged, offering no comment.
Ah Jing had only come to inform them of the meeting time. After giving Han Danquan the details, he left in a hurry.
Yang Ruoning and Han Danquan arrived at Lord Luo's mansion after lunch. After informing the guards at the entrance of their purpose, a young attendant quickly led them to see Luo Yuan.
It was a magnificent mansion. Yang Ruoning and Han Danquan walked through a garden, passed some corridors and halls, then crossed another garden. After a long, winding journey, they finally reached a reception hall. The hall was bright and overlooked a small pond where many plump koi fish swam.
After the two of them sat down in the hall, a maidservant brought them tea and pastries.
A few minutes later, another young attendant entered from outside. "General Luo is waiting for you," he said to Han Danquan.
"Wait, only me? Can she not come with me?" Han Danquan quickly asked.
"Yes, sir. This lady will have to wait here, please," the young attendant replied.
Upon hearing this, Yang Ruoning immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. She happily said to Han Danquan, "Han Danquan, don't be nervous. Remember you are the King. You represent your country and all your people!" Yang Ruoning clenched her fists and encouraged Han Danquan, "Go for it, Han Danquan, I believe in you!"
"Mm," although a little disappointed, Han Danquan nodded solemnly and then turned to leave with the young attendant.
After Han Danquan left, Yang Ruoning was alone in the small courtyard. She waited for a long time, sipping tea and eating pastries. In fact, she had wanted to go to the privy as soon as they entered Lord Luo's mansion, but she thought she could hold it. Unexpectedly, Han Danquan took so long that she couldn't bear it any longer. So, she got up to find a toilet.
This mansion was much larger than the one belonging to Luo Yuan in the capital, and there were many more servants. Everyone was busy with the wedding at the moment, and no one paid any attention to Yang Ruoning, the strange stranger. Fortunately, the privy was not far. After asking a servant in the mansion, she quickly found it. When she emerged from the toilet, feeling refreshed, she noticed the entire mansion was adorned in festive red. She even saw a gardener replacing the flowers in the courtyard with red ones. Yang Ruoning had never seen such deep-petaled flowers, red as fresh blood. She walked closer to the flowerbed, lowered her head to sniff, but there seemed to be no fragrance. She was a little disappointed.
She heard a string of silvery laughter behind her. Yang Ruoning straightened up and looked back. The laughter belonged to a young girl.
"Miss, look! That strange man is smelling the flowers," the young girl called out, laughing.
A gentle and beautiful woman emerged from the moon gate. "You girl, you can never change your impetuous habits. I could hear your loud voice from inside the room," the woman said softly, but with a hint of icy distance.
It was her, Luo Yuan's fiancée, the future Empress of Da Song – Luo Qianqiu. Why hadn't she thought that she would encounter her here? Luo Qianqiu's sudden appearance made Yang Ruoning feel a little panicked. She knew that her strange attire was not appropriate for this place. She looked around, intending to find an excuse to get away quickly.
"Apologies," she said in a rough voice, feigning the accent of a foreigner who didn't speak Chinese.
Yang Ruoning turned to leave, but Luo Qianqiu stopped her. "Who are you?"
"I am a subordinate who came with my master to see General Luo," Yang Ruoning replied.
"To see General Luo? Then why are you here?" The beauty's slightest frown was still captivating.
"I was looking for the privy... and then I got lost."
"Why would the privy be in the West Wing, by Miss's quarters?" The young girl beside Luo Qianqiu interjected with distaste.
"Ah, yes, yes. I am from beyond the pass and am not familiar with this place. My apologies, my apologies," Yang Ruoning said with a smiling apology, backing away, preparing to leave quickly.
"Wait!" Luo Qianqiu said sternly. She walked closer to Yang Ruoning, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes appraising her from head to toe.
Yang Ruoning felt a pang of guilt under her gaze. She thought, *She is truly a woman with a powerful aura. No wonder she can be an Empress.*
"Are you from beyond the pass?" she asked.
"Yes."
"From where beyond the pass?"
"A very, very distant place, a place called Da Jing."
"Da Jing?" Hearing Yang Ruoning mention Da Jing, her eyes widened, clearly surprised by this place. "Did you come with your Khan?"
"Ah... this... I don't know..." Yang Ruoning stammered, hesitating on how to answer.
Fortunately, while she was hesitating, Han Danquan's voice came from that direction. "Ah, Yang... why are you here?"
Yang Ruoning turned and saw Han Danquan walking quickly towards them, followed by a familiar tall figure.
"Yes, sir, I am here," Yang Ruoning called out loudly to Han Danquan.
Han Danquan and Luo Yuan walked over. Han Danquan stood between her and Luo Qianqiu, shielding her from Luo Qianqiu. He said to Yang Ruoning, "Why didn't you stay put?"
"I came out to find the privy..." Yang Ruoning said.
Han Danquan turned and bowed to Luo Qianqiu, saying, "My attendant is a crude person and is new to Da Song, so he doesn't understand the rules. He has disturbed Miss. I apologize on his behalf."
Looking past Han Danquan's shoulder, she saw Luo Yuan also step closer. Their eyes met briefly, and Yang Ruoning felt her heart skip a beat again. She quickly averted her gaze.
Tears once again filled her eyes. She lowered her head, trying hard to keep them from falling. She hated herself for this, for not being able to turn away gracefully and let go. It wasn't cool at all.
She heard Luo Yuan say, "It's just a misunderstanding. I hope cousin Qianqiu won't take it to heart."
"So, you are Brother Yuan's guest," Luo Qianqiu's voice suddenly became incredibly sweet. "Since it's a misunderstanding, we won't delay Brother Yuan's important business."
"We weren't delaying anything," Han Danquan said. "We were just about to leave." He then said to Luo Yuan, "It's getting late. We should be going back."
"This way, please," Luo Yuan gestured for them to follow. So, Han Danquan and Yang Ruoning followed Luo Yuan through a maze of turns towards the main gate.
As they bid farewell at the entrance, Han Danquan said, "General Luo's fiancée is truly a beauty."
Luo Yuan's gaze swept over her faintly.
Yang Ruoning lowered her head, looking at her toes, trying not to look at him. She secretly tugged at Han Danquan's sleeve behind her, reminding him not to chat further.
But Han Danquan ignored her. He continued, "You two are truly a match made in heaven, a perfect couple, a blessing from the heavens."
Yang Ruoning's face turned dark. She glanced at him sideways. *Are you serious, Han Danquan? At this moment, in front of Luo Yuan, you're using four-character idioms?*
"Thank you, Khan, for your praise," a faint smile appeared on Luo Yuan's lips.
"Do you love her?" Han Danquan suddenly asked out of the blue. "I heard that marriages here are arranged by parents?"
Yang Ruoning rolled her eyes and moaned inwardly. Just as she was preparing to tug Han Danquan's sleeve again, she heard him say, "Someone told me that love is like a ghost story..."
"One hears of it but never experiences it," Luo Yuan surprisingly picked up his words. His gaze locked onto Yang Ruoning behind him. "Someone once told me that too. But, I think, that person was wrong. There are 'ghosts' that 'appear out of nowhere and disappear without a trace', and there is also love that lasts until death."