THANKS TO YUXIU'S conspicuous escape, everyone knew Apa Khagan had been murdered. The fate of the Black Moon Shaman's burnt corpse was discussed again—no one could be sure whether the corpse had really been that of the shaman, or whether Yuxiu had planted the body of the khagan there after he'd killed him. Unfortunately, the body itself had been caught in a fire, then burned to ashes with the cremation. Unless the khagan himself returned to life or walked in someone's dreams to reveal the answer, no one would ever know the truth.
Apa Khagan had been old and short-sighted, but over the years, he'd managed to maintain a delicate equilibrium within his domain. With him gone, dark thoughts and ambitions began to stir. At the same time, the two Sui envoys had transformed from suspects in the murder of Prince Ade to dignitaries worshipped and flattered by all.
The Kuchean beauty's attempt to win over Cui Buqu merely proved her intelligence. In the following days, wealthy people of all ranks came from across the Western Khaganate to visit Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao. The stream of them seemed endless, and at times, it was a miracle the yurt didn't rupture. The gifts they brought piled into mountains, and some visitors even brought livestock such as lambs and calves.
When Feng Xiao arrived, he found Qiao Xian giving orders to some Göktürk servants Prince Yixun had sent to help pack their bags. Cui Buqu was sitting on the sidelines, a cup of milk tea in hand. He looked even more haggard and listless than the day before.
"Does Daoist Master Cui so deeply regret turning away the Kuchean beauty yesterday that he can't sleep?" Feng Xiao didn't act like a guest. Without waiting for his host's invitation, he took a seat beside Cui Buqu and poured a cup for himself.
The milk in this case was actually cream, and the tea had been brought by merchants from the Central Plains. The people of the Central Plains often added salt and star anise to their teas, but in the Khaganate it was more typical to add cane sugar. The richness of the milk mingled with the sweet and refreshing tea to create a satisfying drink with its own unique flavor.
It was true Cui Buqu hadn't slept well. There were bruised purple smudges beneath his eyes, and his brows were heavy with fatigue, like a persistent cloud that refused to lift.
He'd turned away everyone who'd come bearing gifts to pay their respects, but no few had insisted on making a racket at the door. Combined with the effects of the poison that had yet to fade, the last two nights had been agonizing. He lacked the strength to argue even with Feng Xiao. Coolly, he said, "Once this matter is concluded, we can depart for the Central Plains in the next two days. What say you?"
"You're the lord chief," Feng Xiao replied nonchalantly. "Naturally you have the final word. I'm here to take a piece of the credit, not your job." He snapped open his fan and was about to wave it when he caught a sideways glance at the man swaddled in fox furs beside him. He paused and extended a hand, tilting Cui Buqu's chin up with his fan. "If you continue losing weight, you'll cross over before we even make it back to the capital," he said, voice thick with glee.
Cui Buqu pushed the fan aside. "I'll send these people to harass you instead. Then we'll see who can sleep. You only got any rest because I was serving as your shield. Enough with the verbal jabs!"
Daoist Master Cui had an awful temper, but he was usually capable of at least pretending to be calm and collected. That his emotions were so rawly out in the open now was a testament to how miserable this bout of illness had made him.
Feng Xiao withdrew the fan and took hold of Cui Buqu's wrist, feeling for his pulse. Though he'd anticipated the result, he managed to be surprised anyway. "Your pulse is so weak and irregular, yet you're still capable of snapping at me. Why, you're a medical miracle."
"My pulse has been like this every day for over twenty years," said Cui Buqu. "Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse, that's all." Irritated, he yanked his hand away and wrapped the furs tighter around himself. It was getting toward summer, and the days were growing warmer. Not only had Feng Xiao changed into thinner robes, even the Göktürks had removed their furs. The inside of the yurt was stifling. If not for Feng Xiao's martial prowess, he'd have sweated through his robes by now. Yet Cui Buqu was still cold.
"Don't be in such a rush to leave," said Cui Buqu. "The khatun and her son are sure to visit and ask for an alliance today. You're the deputy envoy. Let's receive her together."
Before these words, Feng Xiao had almost forgotten the purpose of their trip. They hadn't come to fight Yuxiu and expose the fake khagan, but to represent the Sui dynasty and forge an alliance with the Western Khaganate—an alliance they'd need to face off against another powerful force, Ishbara Khagan, who controlled more than half the Khaganate.
Cui Buqu had spoken of the devil, and soon he appeared. Minutes later, an attendant at the door reported that Prince Yixun and the two khatuns had arrived to pay their respects to the Sui envoys.
This was the Göktürk's territory. The first prince and the khatuns could simply have entered, but instead they followed the etiquette of the Central Plains and respectfully waited outside for an invitation. No, not the first prince—Prince Yixun was now the new khagan of the Western Khaganate. Even Qiao Xian marveled at his drastic change in circumstance.
With Cui Buqu's permission, Prince Yixun, the greater khatun, and Jinlian entered the yurt.
The great prince held his right fist over his heart and bowed to Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao. "If not for you both, that scoundrel would have pulled the wool over our eyes completely. I can't fathom what chaos the Khaganate would be in now. On behalf of the entire Western Khaganate, we thank you deeply for your help. This is a kindness we cannot repay. Tell me what you desire; as long as it's in my power to grant it, I will."
"The first prince need not be so courteous," said Cui Buqu.
Feng Xiao sneered. "We proposed an alliance the day we arrived, yet every one of you was full of excuses. You either shut the door in our faces or watched coldly from the sidelines. If Cui Buqu hadn't identified Yuxiu in time, we'd likely be dead now."
As Jinlian translated Feng Xiao's words, a look of embarrassment came over Prince Yixun's face. He hadn't endorsed the khagan's attempts to keep a foot in both camps when it came to Ishbara and the Sui dynasty, but neither had he lent a hand when Feng Xiao and his companions met with trouble. Now that Feng Xiao had put it so bluntly, his face burned with shame.
"Jinlian has shared a saying from the people of the Central Plains," the greater khatun said gently. "After a sheep is lost, mend the fold to save the flock—we can still remedy our mistake and prevent greater loss. It's true we have been at fault. Today we are here to apologize and ask that you be generous with your forgiveness. We extend our hand to the Sui dynasty with utmost sincerity, and swear we will never betray you."
No such promises could last forever. Today, Prince Yixun was wholeheartedly throwing his lot in with the Sui dynasty, yet who knew what the future might hold? But this had nothing to do with Cui Buqu. His job was to ensure the Western Khaganate was sincere in their pledge of friendship in the present, and that they'd assist the Sui dynasty in the looming war. That was enough.
Fo'er was dead; Yuxiu had fled, seriously injured. If Prince Yixun wished to secure his position as khagan, he needed strong allies to support him. Right now, the Sui dynasty was his only option.
Before Cui Buqu could respond, the first prince called for someone to bring the letter of alliance and a seal. The letter was earnestly written, one he'd personally penned. He read out the contents, then dripped wax onto the paper and used the horn-shaped gemstone he carried with him to stamp it with his seal.
"This is a special token of the khagan's," Jinlian explained. "It's only used for the most important matters. The first prince is demonstrating the depth of his sincerity. Cui-xiansheng, please take a look at the document before making your decision. It's not too late to do so."
Cui Buqu took the letter but merely glanced at it before handing it to Feng Xiao.
The prince thought Cui Buqu too angry to bother with a closer read. Displeased, he said, "Starting with myself, all new khagans will gladly receive titles of nobility from the Sui dynasty. Is that not enough for you, Cui-langjun?"
Prince Yixun was much more astute than his father. He'd spent the past few days asking Jinlian much about the Sui dynasty. He knew such titles were only decorative; Sui would never send troops this far, so the ruling authority would still belong to him. In this way, he could demonstrate his sincerity and encourage further trade between the Khaganate and the Sui imperial court. The Göktürk aristocrats could no longer live without their silks and porcelain, after all. The better their relationship with the Sui dynasty, the more goods would flow between them, which Prince Yixun could use to increase his popularity.
Such calculations were typical of vassal states throughout history; the first prince's actions were in no way unique or greedy. From what Cui Buqu understood of the imperial court, the emperor would be only too happy to agree.
"I read it," he said. "You said you'll travel with me to the capital of Sui to demonstrate your intentions. When the emperor learns of this, he'll be delighted. I shall write my own letter to the imperial capital, and your words will be reported to the emperor. The Ministry of Rites will begin preparations to welcome the new khagan."
Cui Buqu then recited the entire letter of alliance from beginning to end, without missing a word. Realization finally dawned on the first prince. It wasn't that Cui Buqu hadn't read the letter properly; this man possessed the ability of total recall.
Prince Yixun's remaining doubts went up like smoke, and he saluted once more. "Then I'll leave everything to Cui-langjun."
Their people had already lost to Feng Xiao in martial arts, and even if they combed through the entire Western Khaganate, they wouldn't find a man as brilliant as Cui Buqu. What else could he say? He had to accept the situation with good grace.
With the support of Jinlian and the greater khatun, Prince Yixun swiftly quashed the dissenting voices in the tribe and took up the mantle of the new khagan. Cui Buqu and the others were guests of honor at the ceremony, where they were worshipped like immortals; no one dared show them an ounce of disrespect. The treatment was a stark contrast to the storms they'd weathered when they first arrived.
Afterward, the new khagan set off with Jinlian, Cui Buqu, and the rest of their party on their journey to the Central Plains. His mother, the greater khatun, stayed behind to watch over his domain.
The journey home was nothing like their journey to the Khaganate. Not only did they ride alongside a Göktürk khagan, they were accompanied by a winding convoy of Göktürk guards and gifts. Traveling in such a mighty procession, the road home was smooth and uneventful, devoid of any dangers.
As a gesture of goodwill and at Cui Buqu's request, the new khagan had also released most of the Han slaves they'd captured. These men and women also journeyed with the convoy, but they certainly couldn't follow them all the way to the capital. Cui Buqu arranged for them to stay in Liugong City.
County Magistrate Zhao of Liugong City had received word of their coming and appeared to greet them in person. He brought with him an imperial decree.
News of Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao reclaiming Qiemo had reached the capital. The emperor was said to be delighted and wished to reward them, but the pair had rushed off to the Western Regions before the imperial decree could arrive. Now they'd successfully treated with the Western Khaganate and returned with the new khagan, another remarkable achievement. That news, however, had yet to reach the capital; any further reward was still some ways off. The decree Magistrate Zhao held was one that rewarded them for their victory in Qiemo, raising them both to the rank of marquis and promising a sum of gold.
"My lords must have had a long journey. To think you'd have managed yet another amazing feat! When the emperor hears of this, he's sure to bestow another reward. How unfortunate that my humble self has duties here and cannot accompany you to the capital. All I can do is welcome you with food and drink. Please enter our city and claim your well-deserved rest!"
Magistrate Zhao's smile was more radiant than a summer peony. He called up all the compliments he'd learned over his decades of study and lavished them upon Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao. He'd completely forgotten the words he'd muttered to himself as he'd watched them leave for Qiemo: The only place those idiots are going is to their graves.
Though Qiemo was now part of Great Sui, it had been outside the empire's control for a long time; it lacked the flavor of a Central Plains city. Liugong City was a border town without even a tenth of the capital's bustling wealth, yet it wasn't until they passed through these city gates that they truly entered the borders of the Sui dynasty.
The moment they set foot in the city, Feng Xiao felt Cui Buqu relax.
Cui Buqu had been on alert the entire return trip, worried Yuxiu might rear his head once again. Now that they'd reached Liugong City, they'd have an escort of Sui soldiers for the remainder of the journey. Relieved of this worry, his illness crashed back down on him like a mountain, leaving him unable to attend Magistrate Zhao's welcome banquet that night.