Murong Jin strode through the streets, finding herself in the East Market without realizing it. Throngs of merchants and shoppers pressed in, forcing her to slow her pace and move with the crowd.
"Yah! Make way!" The sound of hooves echoed as a wealthy young man shouted rudely from horseback.
The crowd surged, pushing Murong Jin to the side of the road. She frowned. The horse, driven to a frenzy, was galloping toward them. The screams grew louder, and through the rising noise, a single shriek cut through.
"Ah!"
No time to think. Murong Jin's hand landed on a nearby shoulder, and with a light push, she launched herself into the street. She grabbed a silk-clad youth who had fallen and sprang back up, coming face-to-face with the rider.
It was Guo Ren.
He saw her foot lashing out and threw up an arm to block it, the impact giving her just enough leverage to leap again. Still holding the youth, she spun in the air and landed squarely in front of the now-rearing horse.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Murong Jin released the youth and, hands clasped behind her back, looked up at Guo Ren.
"Master, are you alright?" He Chengjian shoved through the crowd. If she was hurt on his watch, his head wouldn't stay on his shoulders for long.
Murong Jin glanced at him, then raised her voice. "I've seen my share of battlefields. He underestimates me." Her words were for He Chengjian, but her eyes were on Guo Ren.
The man froze, then quickly dismounted. "Guo Ren greets the Princess Consort," he said in a low voice.
"So your name is Guo Ren?" Before Murong Jin could speak, the youth she had saved stepped forward. "Good. You nearly took my life. Someday, I'll make you pay for it with yours."
Guo Ren stared. Murong Jin was a princess; he had to be deferential. But who was this boy?
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice dripping with arrogance.
The youth's voice sounded familiar. Murong Jin looked closer and couldn't help but smile. The so-called 'youth' was none other than the Prime Minister's granddaughter, Deng Qinyu.
"Hmph. I am of the Deng family," Deng Qinyu snapped. "What's so great about Guo Shangzhong? A dog borrowing his master's power." She shot Guo Ren a venomous look, then turned to Murong Jin. "I'll never forget that you saved my life."
"Then do one thing for me," Murong Jin said with a smile.
"Hm?" Deng Qinyu hesitated, but a debt was a debt. "Speak."
"Since you weren't harmed, how about we let this drop?" Murong Jin said, glancing at a bewildered Guo Ren.
"'You'?" Guo Ren asked, looking from Deng Qinyu back to Murong Jin.
"The First Beauty of Jindu, Lady Deng Qinyu, is quite dashing in men's clothes, don't you think, General?" Murong Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" Guo Ren forced a smile. "Yes. Very dashing."
"So you recognized me," Deng Qinyu said, deflated. "Why help him? He was the one in the wrong. Why should I just let it go?"
Murong Jin laughed softly. "You owe me a life. Isn't this an easy way to settle the debt? Or do you feel it wasn't truly a debt of life?"
"I, Deng Qinyu, am a woman of my word. Since you saved me, I'll do as you ask," she huffed, shooting another glare at Guo Ren. "On the Fifth Princess Consort's account, I'll let you off this time. You won't be so lucky again."
"Yes, yes," Guo Ren said, bowing.
Murong Jin surveyed the crowd, then turned to He Chengjian. "Escort Lady Deng home. Then tell Xue Liulan I'm not so easily bullied, and he can spare himself the trouble of having me followed."
"Yes," He Chengjian said. After seeing her skills, he had to admit his protection was indeed redundant.
"General Guo, a word," Murong Jin said, gesturing to the side.
"Of course, Your Highness." By now, Guo Ren was sweating. Offending the princess and the Prime Minister's granddaughter? If his godfather found out, he'd be skinned alive.
They moved a few steps away. "I settled this on account of the friendship between your godfather and the Fifth Prince," Murong Jin said in a low voice. "But there's no telling what that young lady might let slip."
"Your Highness means…" Guo Ren made a slitting motion across his throat.
"Killing her would only bring more trouble," Murong Jin said with a shake of her head. "Go back and report this to your godfather. He'll know what to do."
Guo Ren finally got it. He bowed deeply. "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."
Murong Jin took a step back. "No thanks needed," she said with a cold smile. "Just send back news of victories from Sushen. That will be enough."
With that, she turned and walked away. Guo Ren stared after her, momentarily lost in a daze.
Arriving at Yumen Jiao, Murong Jin went to a private room on the second floor. To the servant who brought tea, she said, "Leave it. Go."
The door closed. Liu stepped out from behind a screen and sat across from her.
Murong Jin didn't look up, but simply raised her cup and took a sip.
"If the Dengs had used this as a pretext, Guo Ren would have lost his title," Liu said, a faint smile in his voice.
"He has his reasons for allying with Guo Shangzhong." Murong Jin set her cup down. "No matter how angry I am, I have to respect his strategy. He's the one playing the game."
Liu laughed aloud.
"What's so funny?"
"I never thought this forced marriage would become a real one for you."
"A real one?" she repeated. "What marriage? I'm just a pawn."
Liu looked at her, surprised. "How can you say that? Yi told me. He shielded you with his own body. Not many men would do that."
"True. He's about the twenty-ninth," she said with a careless laugh. "If I died, how would he explain it to my father? You think my father would let him live?"
Liu tapped his forehead. "The twenty-eight men of the Vermilion Bird Camp are different. Jin, are you blind, or do you just refuse to see?"
"They're all the same to me," she said, pushing open the window. She turned back. "No. Not the same."
"So you finally admit it?"
"Mm. One is family, the other is a tool." Her eyes darkened, but her voice was firm.
Liu froze. Just as he was about to speak, she smiled. "Enough of that. Where's Xing?"
"Procuring grain for Wuchuan." Seeing she didn't want to continue, Liu dropped it.
At the mention of grain, Murong Jin's smile faded.
"Don't worry too much. The Huaying Yang family can hold out for a while."
Murong Jin shook her head. "A month was generous. The Yang family's willingness—or Xing's influence—won't stretch that far."
Liu's silence was an admission.
"Jin, what about the Fifth Prince? Have you told him? He's a prince. Maybe he has a way."
Murong Jin looked at him. "He's trying to win over Guo Shangzhong. Since Guo Shangzhong is behind the grain shortage, if Liulan intervened now, it would be an open declaration of war. The Seventh Prince has the Dengs. That makes Guo Shangzhong an indispensable ally."
"So he's just going to stand by?" Liu asked, worried.
Murong Jin turned her gaze back to the dancers, to a world that knew nothing of the battles on the frontier.
Is the dynasty already rotting from within?
"There is one other way," she said suddenly, turning back.
"What?"
"The vassal states." Her hands on the table clenched into fists. "Yuling is situated between four of them, and it holds a strategic, defensible position."
"You want to trade Yuling's position for aid?" Liu's eyes widened, then he shook his head. "If we lose that pass, Jindu's only shield is Heluo. If one of the lords decides to back the Seventh Prince, we'll be powerless."
Murong Jin's brow was tight. "Right now, only they have enough grain. We have no other choice." Her voice was low and hard. "The dynasty's been unjust to my family. Why should I stay loyal?"