Yang Ruoning had thought the annoying horse trainer had given up on taming the stubborn Black, but when she returned from drawing water by the river, Black was gone. Upon inquiry, she learned that the trainer had taken Black out again.
When Black returned, he was covered in whip marks. The most severe one was on his hindquarters. The wound, almost a full arm's length, had flesh turned outwards, bleeding continuously.
As Yang Ruoning led him to the river to clean the wound, she held onto his neck and wept uncontrollably for a long while. Then, she vowed that she would escape this place with Black.
The black horse, however, simply allowed her to hold him quietly. After gently nudging her, he walked off to graze as if he weren't the one injured.
Such a severe wound would surely require medicine. Yang Ruoning went to the shaman for some.
Shaman Grandma was both the clan's witch and their only healer. When anyone in the clan fell ill, they would ask the witch to perform rituals or seek "divine medicine." While she didn't believe in the efficacy of those superstitious and strange incantations for healing, the "divine medicines" concocted from herbs likely possessed some scientific basis.
Outside Shaman Grandma's tent, she unexpectedly encountered Han Danqun.
"Han Danqun, are you getting medicine here?" she said, preparing to enter.
Han Danqun grabbed her arm. "What medicine do you need?" When he saw her swollen eyes, he paused. "Have you been crying?"
"No."
"What do you need medicine for? Are you sick?"
"No, I'm here to get medicine for Black."
"Black? Your horse?"
Yang Ruoning sniffled. "Yes, he's injured again..."
Han Danqun put down what he was holding and said to Yang Ruoning, "Everyone inside has gone out. Come with me." He then led Yang Ruoning towards the western meadow.
Yang Ruoning followed him for a considerable distance. She saw Han Danqun with his head down, seemingly searching for something in the grass. She asked, "What are you looking for?"
"A type of grass."
"What grass?"
"I don't know its name, but Grandma told me it can promote wound healing."
"Oh..." Yang Ruoning replied, falling silent for a moment. She then asked, "Are you well acquainted with Shaman Grandma?"
"After my mother left, Shaman Grandma took me in."
"Oh... your mother...?" Yang Ruoning couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"My mother was like you, a slave sold here."
"Then you and Han Dan..."
"Prince A'Qi is my half-brother."
At this point, Han Danqun stopped, bent down, and plucked a sprig of a plant with small yellow flowers from the grass. "This is it. Remember what it looks like. Crush it daily and apply it to the wound."
Yang Ruoning skeptically took the sprig and looked at it, then smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Han Danqun."
By the time Black's wound had mostly healed, Yang Ruoning and Han Danqun had become good friends. Every night, they met under the sacred tree; one practiced martial arts, the other ate, and they often chatted idly. Yang Ruoning learned that Han Danqun, who was only sixteen years old, had been raised by the clan's shaman. Han Dan A'Qi had intended to kill this half-brother, but Shaman Grandma had fiercely protected Han Danqun's life, saying that killing him would anger the sacred tree. Shaman Grandma was the clan's divine conduit, a figure to whom even the king had to show utmost respect, which was why Han Danqun had managed to survive all these years.
Because Han Danqun's mother's hometown was Bianliang, he had always longed to go there. After Yang Ruoning became familiar with him, he often asked her about Bianliang, yearning for the prosperous Shengjing.
"What is Bianliang like in spring?" Han Danqun asked, sitting opposite her across the campfire.
Yang Ruoning took a deep breath of the night air in the forest. The spring night wind carried a faint fragrance of plants. "The entire city is filled with the rich scent of flowers, and young ladies can't wait to don their vibrant light silks. The banks of the Bian River are filled with the intoxicating aroma of wine all night long. The liveliest place is the Yanhuaxiang by the river, where music plays incessantly from dusk till dawn."
Yang Ruoning saw his eyes immediately light up, so she added with more vigor, "You know, Bianliang is a city where there's endless wine to drink, and Western merchants in strange attire with large beards; most importantly, Bianliang is full of beautiful maidens whose dresses are as light and flowing as water, and their skin is as fair as milk."
Yang Ruoning watched as Han Danqun's gaze became distant, as if lost in an infinite imagination of Bianliang in spring.
Yep, that's how it is. Young man, hurry and escape this place, and head for Bianliang. Yang Ruoning looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"How is your training going?" Yang Ruoning gestured with his spear.
"Practicing alone in solitude isn't enough for me. I need martial arts manuals."
"Ah, how much longer will it take to train?"
"One cannot rush martial arts training."
"Oh, but I hope you master it soon. Is there anything you need that I can help with?" Yang Ruoning didn't have that much time to wait for him to master it.
"No need, I've already asked Ah Da to help me buy one. I should get it tomorrow."
Although food and lodging here could be self-sufficient, they still needed many daily necessities, which had to be purchased from Da Song. The Ah Da he mentioned was the cart driver who delivered goods here monthly.
"If there's anything I can help with, you must tell me. I'll be more than happy to help you," Yang Ruoning reiterated to Han Danqun before leaving.
On the third day, several unfamiliar horses appeared in the stable. The steward instructed Yang Ruoning to lead these horses to the river to bathe and let them graze. After months of living and eating with horses, Yang Ruoning had come to understand these lovely creatures better. She could tell these horses were very tired, likely from a long journey.
When she returned with the horses in the evening, she coincidentally met their owners in the stable. Seeing her lead the horses back, one of them pointed at her and began to curse. "Why are you so slow? We're in a hurry to go back and deliver a message." Then another person said to him, "It's no use scolding her, she doesn't understand you."
They were both speaking in Chinese, which surprised Yang Ruoning. For the first time, she realized that besides Ah Da, the merchant, there were other Han people here who could come and go freely. Who were they?
Seeing her slow reaction, the man roughly snatched the reins from her hand and mounted a horse.
Yang Ruoning felt great pity for these horses. They had only rested for a few hours that afternoon, and now they had to travel again. So, she shouted at their departing figures, "Slow down! You'll be the death of your horses!"
In the evening, Han Danqun brought the martial arts manual he had bought. It contained no text, only illustrations of little figures depicting movements. Han Danqun held the book and mimicked the poses. Yang Ruoning sat nearby, watching him as she ate. As she watched, a sense of melancholy grew within her. She didn't know if it was due to the so-called "martial arts manual" or Han Danqun's inherent dullness, but she felt that her hope of him helping her break through and escape this place was fading further away.
Yang Ruoning sighed, took off her jacket, and began to jog around the sacred tree. Perhaps, in the end, she would have to rely on herself.
"Do you know Luoyuan?" he suddenly asked.
"What?!" Yang Ruoning's legs gave way, and she almost fell. "No... I don't know him."
"In Bianliang, you've never heard of him? He's the most handsome man in the capital."
"Oh... I think I've heard someone mention him..."
"I wonder if his beauty is truly unparalleled."
"Ha, how would I know? I've never met him."
"Na'mu said her brother met him. She said Luoyuan was still a youth then. After a fierce battle between two armies, he single-handedly rode back onto the battlefield. That youth in white with a black horse was like the bravest eagle on the plains."
"He has fought with you for so many years and killed so many of your warriors. Yet, you don't seem to dislike him very much."
"People of the plains respect warriors who are brave and skilled in battle the most. That's why everyone on the plains respects him."
Yang Ruoning pouted. Well, good-looking people are truly liked by everyone, even their enemies.
"However, Ah Da told me today that Luoyuan has been stripped of his rank and exiled by the Emperor of Da Song."
"Oh, really?"
"Ah Da said it was because the Emperor of Da Song was jealous of Luoyuan's talent and appearance that he was exiled," Han Danqun continued, not noticing Yang Ruoning's slightly strange expression. "Such a hero, indeed of noble birth. Ah Da says that in present-day Da Song, powerful relatives control the government, and the young emperor is merely a puppet. Someone like Luoyuan is worthy of the throne. If Luoyuan were to become emperor, he would wholeheartedly support it."
"Oh... besides being sent to the frontier, is... is he alright?"
Han Danqun shook his head. "Ah Da said the Emperor merely banished him to a distant place, and he is forbidden to enter the Central Plains even half a step without the Emperor's decree."
Ordered to never return to the capital? Yang Ruoning thought, could her unintentional actions truly have altered history? Or would he eventually return? But regardless, Qingye and Yuefeng were safe for now.
"The book says that the type of woman Luoyuan likes is rather special. He likes women older than him... supposedly like men..." Han Danqun suddenly said. "That's a strange choice."
"What kind of nonsensical book are you reading?!" Yang Ruoning's voice involuntarily rose.
Han Danqun glanced at her. "It's written in the reading material Ah Da brought me."
"Stop reading those absurd books! Reading too much of them is harmful to your physical and mental health!"
"I think you fit his taste quite well."
"I am not like a man! And I'm in the prime of my youth, I'm not old at all, okay? See? My muscle lines, my chest, my waist, my buttocks – aren't they much better than those young ladies who never exercise all day?!" Yang Ruoning said somewhat indignantly.
"Yes, yes, auntie, whatever you say." Han Danqun shook his head, unwilling to engage in a pointless argument.
"Hmph, forget it. You kids wouldn't understand." Yang Ruoning paused. "Why don't you go and practice your skills properly? Do you know why all the beautiful girls in the world like Luoyuan? Because he's good at martial arts! If you want to roam freely in the capital in the future, you must train hard."
"I know, I know. Why do you think I hide here with you every night? Isn't it because I want to master divine skills soon so I can enjoy myself in Bianliang?"