Chapter 6: The Bellyband (Dudou)
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The seeds scattered in the soil had just begun to sprout when an early winter blizzard buried them. They never poked their heads through again. Xia Xi wasn't too disappointed; he had expected this outcome and was simply glad he hadn't wasted too many seeds. He could try again in the spring.
Winter came early here. After the first snow, the world became a frozen wasteland. Xia Xi’s constitution was weak, and he couldn't handle the cold. He spent his days huddled in the palace by the charcoal fire, sewing clothes and shoes for Chu Lan.
While there were servants dedicated to making clothes, Xia Xi decided to sew a bellyband (dudou) for Chu Lan himself. The boy loved to kick off the blankets at night, often catching a chill that resulted in stomach aches.
Cai Huan thought there might be other reasons for the King’s stomach troubles. "The Great King eats so much meat every day," she whispered, "and some of it still has blood in it. Eating like that is bound to cause pain."
With no one else in the bedchamber, Xia Xi relaxed, a small smile playing on his lips. "They are used to it and can handle it. It must be the cold. Barbarians don't wear bellybands to sleep, and he doesn't like wearing much at all." When they first started sleeping together, Chu Lan had been shy enough to wear a thin inner robe, but now that they were familiar, he refused to wear anything but trousers to bed.
Cai Huan helped sort the thread. "Will he even wear it if you make it?"
"I'll have to coax him," Xia Xi said. "He’s had a stomach ache several times since the weather turned cold." Xia Xi used soft, warm fur for the bellyband, and cut strips from his own Xia fabrics for the ties. After a few days of careful sewing, he presented it to Chu Lan when the boy returned that evening.
The boy looked at the object with curiosity, flipping it over in his hands. "Why should I wear this?"
"It protects your navel at night," Xia Xi explained. "Even if you kick the blankets, your stomach won't catch a chill."
Chu Lan looked at him, incredulous. "I kick the blankets? Impossible. Every morning I wake up and the blankets are perfectly in place."
Xia Xi didn't know how to explain that he got up several times every night to tuck him back in. He only said, "It is better to wear it. Why? Do you not like it? I can make another one tomorrow."
Chu Lan’s gaze shifted from Xia Xi’s face to his body. Suddenly, he asked curiously, "Do you wear one of these too?"
Xia Xi nodded gently. "Yes."
Chu Lan stared with eager eyes. "Let me see."
Xia Xi froze, instinctively clutching his collar. His face turned a light shade of red. He wanted to shake his head, but his upbringing—the ingrained belief that one must never defy a King—stopped him. He felt a deep sense of shame. Though they had been married for five months, they had never done anything "improper" due to the boy's age and innocence. They shared a bed, but it was purely for sleep, with the most contact being Chu Lan occasionally cuddling him in his sleep.
The blush on Xia Xi’s face seemed to fascinate Chu Lan. He stared, dazed, forgetting to urge him further. After a moment, Xia Xi took the initiative to untie the knot at his waist and pushed his collar aside slightly, revealing a hint of apricot-colored fabric.
The smooth fabric hugged his white torso. There seemed to be embroidery on it, but Chu Lan only caught a glimpse before Xia Xi pulled his robes shut again. "It... it is like that," Xia Xi said, face burning. "Chu Lan, are you willing to wear it now?"
Chu Lan swallowed hard, not quite understanding why he felt so flustered. "Yours looks better. Is it made of Xia fabric? Your people weave very well; we barbarians can't compare. We have to trade cattle and sheep for your silks and porcelain every year. I had people send you fabric, did you not see it?"
"I received it, thank you," Xia Xi said. "I just thought fur would be warmer for the winter."
Chu Lan nodded and began to undress. "I want one for spring, too, and for summer. Can you embroider? If you can, stitch a wolf's head on mine." Barbarian clothing, even for the King, was quite informal except for rituals. Unlike the Xia, where every stitch of an Emperor's robe was strictly regulated, Chu Lan’s wardrobe was simple.
As Xia Xi helped him into the bellyband and tied the knots, he smiled. "Very well. Though my skills are clumsy, I will try my best."
Chu Lan looked at him intently. "It's fine. I won't hold it against you!" The seriousness in his tone made Xia Xi want to laugh, but he took the task to heart. He spent the rest of the winter sewing clothes, trousers, and shoes for his "little husband."
The young King wasn't idle either. Despite the cold, he went to the training grounds every morning after breakfast to practice horsemanship, archery, and combat. In the afternoons, he attended lessons on state affairs, returning only at night to study Han script under the lamp. By spring, the Western Barbarians were causing trouble at the border, and war seemed imminent. Chu Lan grew even busier.
After living there for half a year, Xia Xi finally understood the political landscape. The Barbarian Kingdom was a confederation of nomadic tribes unified forty-five years ago by Chu Lan's grandfather. Thirty years ago, the King’s cousin had led a failed rebellion and fled west to form the Western Barbarian Kingdom. The two nations shared the same roots but had fought constantly since, often spurred on by the Xia Kingdom's interference.
Xia Xi also learned that three years ago, the barbarians had almost reunited the lands, but the previous King had died suddenly of illness within two weeks, halting the campaign.
Chu Lan’s father had died at only thirty-five. Because the succession in barbarian culture wasn't strictly father-to-son (it could go to a brother), Chu Lan had faced a challenge from his uncle, Mugerhan. Mugerhan was thirty and a seasoned warrior, while Chu Lan was only ten. Chu Lan only won the throne because of his other uncle, the realm's greatest warrior, Zha Ha, and a divine decree from the Great Shaman.
Terrified by the talk of war, Xia Xi didn't dare ask questions. Instead, he used his earthenware pots to simmer soups, keeping them warm for when Chu Lan returned.
Chu Lan had never really had soup before—mostly just meat broths. Barbarian tastes were bold and spicy. At first, he pouted at Xia Xi’s soups, which had a slight medicinal scent. Xia Xi had to reduce the amount of herbs to coax him into drinking a bowl or two.
One night, Chu Lan returned particularly late. Xia Xi had already bathed, and his loose hair was still damp. He brought out the soup. "Today is beef bone broth. I added some herbs to nourish your spirit. The taste is very mild, you can hardly smell it. Try some."
"Why do you have so many tricks?" Chu Lan grumbled, but he sat down obediently to be fed. Xia Xi gently blew on the spoonful of soup before offering it to him. Once the boy drank it, Xia Xi asked, "How is it? No medicinal taste, right?"
Finding the taste acceptable, Chu Lan nodded and opened his mouth for a second spoonful. In barbarian culture, even princes were expected to be independent from age three—if a child fell, they were expected to get up on their own. But Chu Lan loved let Xia Xi do these things for him. Watching Xia Xi carefully blow on the soup made him feel content. It took nearly half an hour to finish the bowl, and he didn't show a hint of impatience.
As he drank, he noticed Xia Xi’s damp, flowing hair. He reached out to twist a lock around his finger. "Why do you never wait for me to bathe together?"
Xia Xi froze, his face filling with panic. Chu Lan, still looking quite youthful, asked, "Wouldn't it be easier if we bathed together?"
Xia Xi tried to steady his nerves. "I... I feared you wouldn't be used to it. And... and the tub is too small for two people..."
The excuse seemed reasonable enough, and Chu Lan didn't dwell on it. He continued to play with Xia Xi’s hair, bringing it to his nose. "Even your hair smells so good." He remembered something. "In your books, they talk about 'tying the hair' (jie fa). They say if a husband and wife tie their hair together, they will be together for all eternity. Do you know how to do that?"
The soup was finished. Xia Xi set the bowl aside and looked down at his black hair tangled in Chu Lan’s fingers. "Do you wish to tie your hair with mine?"
"Of course!" Chu Lan said.
Xia Xi looked at him with a soft smile, his voice growing even more tender. "Then let me wash your hair first."
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