Chapter 2: The Long Journey
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A few days before the departure, the Emperor granted Xia Xi a final mercy: permission to see Consort Qun.
Consort Qun lived in the Cold Palace, but she didn't look wretched. She remained dignified, though her clothes were plain and her jewelry gone. Xia Xi had little concept of money; though he had read about the cost of living in books, those were just numbers to him.
Seeing him, Consort Qun gave a bitter smile and took his hand. Her first words were: "Are you afraid?"
Xia Xi never lied to his mother. He nodded and rested his head on her knees. "Mother, can I choose not to go?"
She stroked his dark hair. "If you don't want to go, the only way is to die within these palace walls."
Xia Xi shuddered.
"A wretched life is better than a good death," she whispered. "Go, Xi'er. See the world outside. Perhaps there will be a turning point."
She knew, however, that this journey was likely a death sentence. He wasn't truly a woman. If the Barbarian King discovered his body, even if he didn't kill him, the humiliation would be unbearable.
"I tried so hard to keep you alive because I couldn't bear to see you die so young for a 'crime' you didn't commit. And I was the one who birthed you this way... I always wondered if it was because I drank too much while pregnant. Xi'er, your life is hard. If your sister were still alive, she was so good at pleasing the Emperor... perhaps she could have saved you."
Xia Xi listened to her voice—the most comforting sound in the world to him. He was terrified, but as she said, he had no choice but to obey.
Consort Qun brought out the items she had prepared: a small gold hairpin with a green emerald, several books, and a few porcelain jars.
"We may never see each other again," she said. "This pin was given to me by my mother when I entered the palace. I meant it for your sister, but her blessings were thin. You keep it. These books are for the long journey. And these... this is an ointment for headaches, this one for wounds, and this for colds. I’ve saved them for you."
She picked up the largest jar—a red porcelain one painted with a plum blossom. Her voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with both sadness and embarrassment. "This one... I had a physician prepare it specifically. Use it there. During the... wedding night... it will help dull the pain. You are smaller than others, and those Barbarians are fierce..."
Xia Xi was somewhat perplexed. "What place is Mother referring to?"
Lady Qun had no choice but to explain in greater detail. Once Xia Xi understood, his face flushed a deep crimson, and he nodded obediently.
Outside, the eunuchs were urging them to hurry. Xia Xi could only bid a tearful farewell to his mother.
A Princess’s marriage for peace was a massive event. On the day Xia Xi left the city, nearly all the citizens of the capital turned out to watch the spectacle. Sitting inside a carriage draped in thick curtains, Xia Xi felt restless and anxious, nervously biting his lip. Beside him, a young maidservant was weeping uncontrollably. Xia Xi didn't know her; his own palace quarters had been dilapidated, staffed only by two old eunuchs. He had never had a maid until this marriage, when she was assigned to him.
The girl looked to be only twelve or thirteen, still carrying baby fat on her cheeks. She was fair-featured, but because she had been made up for the journey, her tears had smudged the rouge everywhere. Having been dressed in heavy ceremonial robes and a crushing headpiece since the Hour of the Tiger (3:00 AM–5:00 AM), Xia Xi’s thin frame was so weighed down he could hardly straighten his back, leaving him with little energy for sorrow. Seeing the young maid crying so hard, he offered her a plate of candied fruits and whispered, "Please don't cry. Would you like a piece of fruit?"
The girl shook her head through her sobs. "Th-this is for you, Princess... I... I cannot eat it... hic..."
Despite her refusal, her eyes were glued to the plate, and she visibly swallowed. Xia Xi picked up a piece and popped it directly into her mouth. "It is a long road ahead," he said softly. "Are you going to cry the whole way?"
After eating the fruit, her sobbing gradually subsided. Xia Xi asked, "What is your name?"
"Reporting to the Princess, this servant is called Cai Huan," she replied.
Xia Xi knew Cai Huan hadn't come by choice. In truth, no one would. The barbarian lands were far away—rumored to be nothing but scrubland and sandstorms where even bathing was difficult. People from the Xia Kingdom couldn't get used to it. Cai Huan likely had no status or money to bribe the head eunuchs, so she was sent away.
Xia Xi felt quite guilty, knowing that if it weren't for him, this girl could have stayed safely in the palace. He treated her very well throughout the journey, and more than half the box of candied fruits ended up in her stomach.
Leaving the capital, they headed northwest. Their escort was a squad of thirty imperial guards on horseback, surrounding three carriages: one for Xia Xi and Cai Huan, one for his dowry, and one for the gifts meant for the Barbarian King.
Xia Xi’s dowry wasn't much, and it was only full thanks to Xia Hui. Perhaps out of guilt, the real Princess Xia Hui had visited him before his departure. When she asked what he wanted, Xia Xi requested books and writing materials. He expected a few volumes, but the Princess’s influence was vast; she provided several crates of books, a chest of stationery, a year’s worth of preserved snacks, and crates of beautiful clothes and shoes.
She had been remarkably generous.
Having never left the palace, Xia Xi would peek through the curtains once the crowds thinned, seeing things he had never imagined. They passed through several large cities and traveled mountain paths for days. A month later, they finally reached the border.
By then, Xia Xi and Cai Huan had grown used to the carriage and no longer felt sore. Xia Xi had secretly traded his heavy robes for ordinary clothes, but as they reached the exchange point with the barbarians, he put the ceremonial dress back on.
During the handover, he wasn't required to appear; by custom, he wasn't even supposed to look. Though curious, Xia Xi was timid and stayed hidden. He heard a jumble of foreign tongues he couldn't understand. Half a day later, his escort leader knelt by the carriage and said respectfully, "Princess, I have delivered you as far as I can go."
Xia Xi acknowledged him. Cai Huan couldn't help but cry again, though she kept it quiet.
Once the army departed, the carriage moved again. Xia Xi knew his protectors were no longer his countrymen, but barbarians. He was terrified. Their loud, incomprehensible chatter filled him with dread, fearing that at any moment, beast-like men would burst in and tear him apart.
That evening, Xia Xi finally saw what the barbarians looked like.
Their military attire was loose and varied, unified only by the curved scimitars hanging from their waists. The sight of those swaying blades made Xia Xi’s skin crawl. An official who spoke the Han language approached. He looked to be in his thirties, with thick hair and a beard that nearly hid his face. "Princess," he said in halting but clear Han, "we rest here tonight. We move at dawn. In ten days, we reach Yudu."
Yudu was the royal capital. Xia Xi had read that it was a magnificent city built on the most fertile land in the northwest, protected by its geography from the sandstorms.
They stayed in an inn built in the Xia style, but it was filled with barbarians—tall, fierce-looking men with eyes as sharp as knives. During the short walk from the carriage to the room, Cai Huan was so terrified she dove under the bed covers as soon as they entered, only popping her head out when she struggled to breathe.
"They are so scary!"
Xia Xi agreed, but he didn't show it as openly, choosing instead to comfort the girl.
The fear was worst on the first day. Eventually, they grew accustomed to the routine. Since no one spoke to them outside of meals and lodging, they began to relax.
As they neared Yudu, Xia Xi’s heart grew heavy. He feared meeting his husband, and he feared the moment his clothes would be removed and his secret discovered. He imagined the King's certain rage...
His worries couldn't stop the inevitable. In fact, reality proved even more startling. Near the gates of Yudu, the procession stopped. The Han-speaking official appeared at the curtain with a pleasant smile. "Princess, our King has come to welcome you. Please come out to meet him."
Xia Xi trembled. His mind flashed with the image of a fierce, elderly face. He straightened his robes and stepped out, keeping his eyes downcast. The carriage was high and his clothes were cumbersome; as he struggled to descend, the sound of hooves approached. A man dismounted nimbly, standing even taller than his horse.
"Do you need help, Princess?" the man asked in the Han language.
Xia Xi looked up and saw a face as handsome as carved jade—well-defined features, deep captivating eyes, and a smooth chin without a beard. He offered a strong hand with calloused fingertips.
Xia Xi was confused. Was the rumor false? Was the Barbarian King not old, but young and handsome? His heart skipped a beat as he placed his hand in the man's and was helped down. Once steady, the tall man immediately withdrew his hand and bowed in a different direction. "Great King, the Princess of Xia has arrived."
He spoke in the barbarian tongue. Xia Xi didn't understand the words, but he understood the gesture. If this man was bowing, he wasn't the King.
The rumors were true after all.
Xia Xi suppressed his emotions and lowered his gaze, waiting for the King’s summons. A moment later, a pair of boots appeared before him. They were fine leather, adorned with two large pieces of jade—luxurious, yet... the size of the boots seemed small?
Startled, Xia Xi glanced up. Just a slight tilt of his head revealed the person standing there.
It was a boy wearing a crown, dark-skinned and thin-lipped, who looked to be only eleven or twelve years old.
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