The air in the capital's main quarter resembled a thick fog that enveloped you the moment you entered its bounds: the sticky scent of fried flatbreads, the grating squeak of passing carts, and the loud singing of drunken barkers.
The red paper lanterns hanging here and there cast trembling, bloody reflections onto the time-cracked cobblestone pavement, merging the shadows of passersby into a single scarlet procession.
The moon was already high in the sky when Yang Yulan passed the hundredth lantern. Their bright light left blind spots in her eyes. She almost furiously pushed past people to quickly deal with the responsibility placed upon her. Amidst this crowd of drunken, merry people, she was searching for one single fool who had decided to drown herself in wine, forgetting all duty and pride. And she would find her, even if she had to turn over every tavern from the southern to the northern border.
The first thing Yang Yulan saw upon approaching a tavern with the telling name "The Falling Phoenix" was a familiar embroidered shoe lying helplessly on the ground. The second was the tavern owner disdainfully shoving its mate off his doorstep. The owner of these shoes sat alone in a dirty puddle by the entrance, her hair loose like a madwoman's.
All that remained of her originally elaborate hairstyle was a comb hanging by a thread of her hair. Amidst all this noisy bustle, her figure in black resembled nothing so much as someone's shadow.
Seeing the approaching person, the tavern owner addressed him.
«Is this lady with you?»
Yang Yulan nodded affirmatively.
«Then pay for the damages and take your mistress somewhere far away from here.»
«She tried to hit my favorite vase, and after my shouting and indignation, she smashed several others.»
Yang Yulan didn't answer. She looked at the blue-blooded girl who was supposed to be a model of nobility and restraint, and helplessly rubbed her temples. The girl sat alone in a puddle, trying with both hands to catch a passing red reflection.
The girl sincerely didn't understand how she could so neglect her own safety and go drinking without any guard. The renowned, wise princess hadn't even brought Xin, leaving the abandoned bodyguard to beg her to go search for the missing person instead.
Yang Yulan cast another pitying glance at the princess and, entering the tavern, began counting out coins to the owner with incredible contempt. Meanwhile, he pompously enumerated all the damages.
«You don't understand. She broke a vase that has been passed down in my family for generations, spilled her drink everywhere, and frightened all my songbirds.»
Yang Yulan didn't take her attention off her task for a second.
«That precious relic vase holds the dust of your family's dead, and crazed birds clearly have no need for coins,» she replied to his complaints.
After nearly a minute of counting her funds, Yang Yulan tossed only a couple of coins onto the table.
The tavern owner was beside himself with rage.
«True, the birds don't need coins! But I lost money from their singing. They won't sing until they regain complete spiritual harmony.»
Yang Yulan answered in an almost icy tone:
«They will find eternal harmony in my soup if you don't shut up immediately.»
Yang Yulan left the building and immediately realized that her charge had gone somewhere. Grabbing the still-lying-on-the-ground shoes, the girl set off on another search.
Around the corner, in a dead-end alley where the noise of the main street didn't reach, a different night reigned. The streets smelled of urine and sweat. Somewhere in the distance came muffled music and scraps of conversation.
Shin Zuzhou hobbled barefoot along the dimly lit houses, passing under shabby awnings and occasionally humming something under her breath. Yang Yulan walked right behind her, first observing with curiosity, then trying to catch up. Gradually, they reached the small houses of landowners. The neighing of horses and barking of dogs were heard.
When, tired from walking, the princess sat on the ground, Yang Yulan approached her and sat down opposite. Shin Zuzhou didn't notice her immediately.
«Why did you go into the city alone? Are you tired of living? Why didn't you at least bring Xin?»
Shin Zuzhou was silent. Yang Yulan waited a couple of minutes and, realizing she wouldn't get an answer, began putting the girl's shoes on her.
Touching the princess's icy toes, Yang Yulan began to angrily lament.
«And you've frozen your feet too.»
Yang Yulan tried to warm them, but Shin Zuzhou pushed her hands away.
«I'll do it myself.»
The princess tried to summon fire with a snap of her fingers, but nothing happened. After several unsuccessful attempts, the princess hiccupped a cloud of smoke.
Yang Yulan burst out laughing.
«I hate everyone. Even my own powers won't obey me.»
«They hate you because you poured so much wine into yourself. Try breathing fire; maybe you're turning into a dragon.»
Shin Zuzhou didn't find it funny. Her companion's teasing only made her angrier.
Trying to light a fire again, she nearly burned her own toes. Even more enraged, she attempted to set all the trees in the area ablaze, but Yang Yulan stopped her in time.
«I'm tired,» Zuzhou whined when her hands were grabbed.
«Tired of what? No one forced you to come here.»
«Tired of trying to please the pri-... the prince... the empress... hic.»
«You really need to learn to control your power and your anger if you want to please someone and not kill them in the process. Move closer.»
Yang Yulan took the girl's palms in hers and, while trying to warm them, instructed her hapless student.
«Here. Try to concentrate your inner energy in your hands.»
Shin Zuzhou stared at her uncomprehendingly.
«Imagine that your energy is not a raging tiger, but a tame nightingale. Persuade it to sing.»
Shin Zuzhou frowned at first, then began to sing in a drawn-out voice:
«Nightinga-a-ale, my nightinga-a-ale... sing with me, my nightinga-a-ale...»
Yang Yulan grabbed her head.
«Not literally! Mentally! Persuade it mentally!»
Shin Zuzhou again gifted her with a blank stare, and Yang Yulan burst into wild laughter.
«Silly.»
When Yang Yulan wasn't looking at her, Shin Zuzhou again cast a glance her way. A warm glance, full of all the fire that was in her body, but not burning. An intent glance, as if the girl was afraid to lose sight of this person even for a second. A bright glance, as if alive sparks played within it.
At that moment, Shin Zuzhou didn't look drunk. That was because she wasn't drunk. Since childhood, her body had become accustomed to all kinds of drink and food. Even poisons couldn't take her iron stomach, so why would simple wine? She had staged this whole farce only to see how her servant would behave when she was weak and defenseless.
But so far, all her attempts to expose him had led to nothing. Fishy behaved as usual, and seemed even gentler than before. Shin Zuzhou felt strange. She didn't know how to act or what to do with herself. Her limbs didn't obey her, her tongue stumbled. Maybe I am a little drunk, she judged, and continued her game.
The princess leaned slightly forward towards her companion's chest and yawned loudly.
«Don't you dare fall asleep,» Yang Yulan ordered when the princess fell into her arms. She caught the girl and, despite her indignation, pulled her close to warm her.
Shin Zuzhou didn't resist. On the contrary, she waited patiently.
Yang Yulan checked the girl's temperature, then abruptly pinched her nose, making her jolt up in shock.
«I said don't sleep. We're going home now. But first, I need to step away.»
Shin Zuzhou continued to look at her silently.
«I'll be back. I'll be watching you from behind those bushes, so don't relax and don't go anywhere.»
The princess nodded, and Yang Yulan disappeared from view. Silence fell.
Shin Zuzhou looked around for her servant but couldn't sense his presence. He had gone farther than he'd said. The princess finally relaxed and sat more comfortably. It was indeed cold. She tried to warm herself but again couldn't summon fire with enough force. She didn't even have to pretend here. She really didn't understand how to do it.
After several failed attempts, she again thought about Fishy's words. Shin Zuzhou still felt the warmth of his touch on her hands. Hot as flame, they traveled along her palms to her fingertips. She closed her eyes and snapped her fingers again. A small, barely noticeable flame appeared on her index finger. She looked at it for a while, trying to figure out how she had done it. But before she could arrive at an answer, she was jolted from her trance by an unexpected cry. She heard the stomping of feet. Shin Zuzhou extinguished the flame. Bursting from the bushes, eyes wide with horror and adjusting her undergarments, Yang Yulan ran out. A goat followed at a short distance behind her.
«Run!»
Shin Zuzhou barely got to her feet when the boy grabbed her and ran forward.
«Why did you anger it!?»
«I didn't do anything! It just charged at me and tried to butt me!»
Maybe because you climbed into its yard and bared your backside, Shin Zuzhou thought to herself and suddenly cheered up. I should continue my game.
Stopping in her tracks, Shin Zuzhou nonchalantly shouted to her servant:
«Don't be afraid! I'll distract it with my secret technique!»
With these words, Shin Zuzhou tore off her soiled robe and, with a cry of «Catch!» threw it at the pursuer's head. But the fabric fell a bit short and landed right in front of the goat's hooves, only disorienting it for a moment.
«And that's your secret technique?» Yang Yulan complained. Shin Zuzhou raised her head proudly.
«Exactly! The Drunken Robe Technique, borrowed from the Great Hero of the Last Century!»
The goat, which had been momentarily distracted by the piece of fabric, began stomping its hoof again and preparing to give chase.
Yang Yulan tried to grab Shin Zuzhou's hand, but the girl swayed playfully, as if about to fall. Then Yang Yulan scooped her up and ran as fast as she could.
Shin Zuzhou burst out laughing, and Yang Yulan, unable to help herself, joined in. And so they ran almost halfway to the main street, after which the goat finally tired out and went back.
Yang Yulan set the girl down and caught her breath. She'd had to run long zigzags while carrying a person to avoid getting gored in a certain sensitive area.
The two returned on a hired carriage.
The princess was carried into her room as well. She stubbornly refused to walk on her own. Falling onto the bed and closing her eyes, Shin Zuzhou began to think. After everything that had happened today, what did this guy actually want? Did he desire her body?
Shin Zuzhou made herself comfortable on her bed and opened the top of her robe. Noticing this, Yang Yulan immediately closed her clothes back up and cursed.
«You'll freeze.»
Then Shin Zuzhou tried a different approach. She calmed her breathing and pretended to be asleep.
Yang Yulan stood beside her for a while, doing nothing, then merely checked her temperature with her palm.
Frustrated for reasons she couldn't understand, Shin Zuzhou involuntarily frowned.
A soft chuckle was heard, and Shin Zuzhou felt the touch of someone else's lips directly on the wrinkle between her brows. Then came the quick footsteps of a departing person. He seemed to be in no less panic and shock than she.
***
The next morning was marked by the arrival of servants from the Empress. They demanded that the masked boy appear in the throne room as soon as possible.