Yixing

Yixing pulled his horse to a stop and gazed down at the twinkling lights of the Northern Zhou military camp below. It was a scene of complete peace, quiet save for the movement of soldiers keeping guard around the camp perimeter. Yixing had been right to choose an early morning time to attack; the Northern Zhou leader seemed to have concluded he needed fewer scouts watching due to the timing, which made traveling far easier for Yixing and his men. The short time between when Zhiruo had created the right medicine until now also meant that the enemy was probably still under the false impression that Yixing was currently weak and powerless in bed. It was almost a given that their security would be lower than it otherwise would have been. A nighttime ambush seemed almost below his level, but given the time limits on his strength, it was the best that Yixing could do.

“Everything seems perfectly in place.” Yifan commented. Yixing turned and looked at his brother, who was currently a perfect double of the Prince of Lanling.

“Be careful, Brother.” He said, “If anything looks wrong, pull back immediately and let me take the rest.” Yifan chuckled.

“Zhang Yixing, this is not my first battle, nor will it be my last.” He said, “I’ll be fine.” Yixing returned the smile, but still couldn’t help but feel nervous. The timing behind the Northern Zhou army’s movement was too perfect, as was the peace on the journey here; as soon as Zhiruo had successfully made the medication, they had begun moving forward again. If that was all there was, Yixing could have overlooked the timing. But this time, he had fallen sick as well, and the Northern Zhou army moved as if they knew when he had gotten better but not fully recovered. Someone could have called it a coincidence, but Yixing knew better.

One of my men is a spy.

Of course, Yixing wanted to trust each of his men under his command, but there was no saying who could fall to the temptation of bribery. Who knew? Perhaps even Yiwei had a role in all of this. His cousin would stop at nothing to see Yixing fall from grace. To keep the spy from leaking all of his plans, Yixing had told his men only that Yifan would be dressed like him. Besides the two brothers and Zhiruo, no one knew the army was going to be split into two. Yixing hadn’t told Zhiruo in order to keep her from worrying; she had been stretched to the limit ever since she came to his military camp, and he wasn’t going to stress her out more with news of a possible spy. He exchanged glances with Yifan, who nodded and proceeded to leave half the men away. After waiting a little while for Yifan to travel a good distance away, Yixing led his men down the hill and towards the Zhou camp. Everything was quiet as he and his men traveled, a little too quiet, just like the way it had been on the journey here. Then, as Yixing’s group approached the Northern Zhou camp, the sound of running footsteps filled the air, and Yixing found himself facing a large group of enemy soldiers. A laugh reached his ears as a young man approached, parting the enemy soldiers into two.

“How nice of you to visit, Prince of Lanling.” He commented. Yixing narrowed his eyes, but was careful to refrain from speaking. He recognized the man who was speaking to him.

General Yuwen of Northern Zhou.

As nephew to the king, Yixing had faced him in battle multiple times before. It was surprising that the man was still alive; perhaps it had to do with how he often fled when it became obvious that the tide was turning against him. Today though, Yixing would make sure he didn’t have the chance to flee.

“I’m surprised you can even ride.” General Yuwen commented, “I heard you were so sick you were about to die!” If Yixing hadn’t been wearing a mask, he would have rolled his eyes.

Yes, keep talking. I’m just biding my time here. While he’s at it, he might as well tell me who the spy is.

“You must be wondering why I knew you were coming.” General Yuwen continued, “But tonight, you will not find the answer to that question, because-” In one fluid motion, Yixing leapt from his horse and sliced a deep mark across General Yuwen’s chest, the sharp edge of his blade cutting easily through the weakest parts of his armor. The younger man’s eyes widened as Yixing pressed him to the ground. The Northern Zhou soldiers moved forward at the sight of their leader being attacked, but a single glare from Yixing made them freeze in their tracks. The younger general fought against Yixing’s grasp, but his efforts were rendered futile. Yixing leaned forward and growled into General Yuwen’s ear.

“Listen here, I don’t have the patience to listen to your incessant babbling.” He snarled, “I could care less if you want to tell me how you know everything, because I already know how. But remember this: no matter how many spies you try to place in my military, I will never lose to the likes of you. Even if my body has been attacked by a plague and weakened beyond its usual strength, I still will not lose to you. Do not try to underestimate my abilities and the people I have by my side.”

The sound of burning material filled the air, cutting off General Yuwen, and Yixing smiled as he smelled the acrid scent of burning oil.

It seems like Yifan moved faster than I thought.

A soldier ran forward and stopped near where Yixing had General Yuwen trapped.

“Report! Multiple fires have sprung up among the camp!” He gasped. General Yuwen stared at him in shock.

“How?” His gaze switched from the soldier to Yixing and then back again. The sound of hoofbeats sounded from behind the enemy army, and Yixing smiled as he spotted Yifan’s group approaching. In short order, the entire Northern Zhou army was surrounded. General Yuwen stared in confusion from one Prince of Lanling to the other, utterly unsure of which was his old foe. Yixing raised an arm into the air and let it hang there for a brief moment before he let it drop forward. Both sides of the Qi army surged forward, and Yixing smirked down at General Yuwen.

“Because I am the Prince of Lanling.” He replied simply.

Let the battle begin.

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When the battle was over, the Northern Zhou army lay completely destroyed by the Northern Qi army. In one final symbolic motion, Yixing drew an arrow and aimed at the Northern Zhou flag that had somehow managed to keep standing the entire time where it had been planted into the ground. His men cheered as the flag fell, and Yixing gazed around at his soldiers. He felt drained from the short battle, but at the very least, he had been successful. The plan had worked perfectly, and Yixing doubted that Northern Zhou would dare to attack for a while. He took a deep breath as he gazed at his men.

“Soldiers of Northern Qi!” He called, “Today, we have been victorious!” His soldiers roared in delight, but Yixing continued speaking.

“However!” He called, “Although we were victorious, I must say that I am disappointed in one thing. There is a spy among our army, who has been feeding information to the enemy army.” Startled murmurs spread among the Qi soldiers. A spy? Few would dare to betray the Prince of Lanling. That is, unless they had a far stronger backing.

“I will not ask who the spy is.” Yixing declared firmly, “But I will say this right here: whoever that person is, he can crawl back to his real master and tell him how his plan to sacrifice his own people to Northern Zhou failed. That man is not welcome back into my camp anymore. That man has decided his own fate, and I will not save him from it.” Yixing called for his horse, and gazed at his men once more before swinging onto his mount.

“Let us go home!”

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Zhiruo

Zhiruo awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the window, and looked around to realize that she had fallen asleep on the small balcony outside her room, where she had been waiting for Yixing to return. The sun was now high in the sky, the streets bustling with noise and motion as street vendors called out their wares. Zhiruo sighed as she realized the Qi army was still nowhere to be seen. Zhiruo knew that battles typically took a while, but Yixing’s time was rapidly dwindling. What was taking so long? A few moments later, the sound of hoofbeats reached her ears, and Zhiruo hurried to the edge of the balcony to see who was approaching. In the distance, she saw a group of men on horseback, a large flag flying near the front. Zhiruo’s heart leapt in her chest as she recognized the deep yellow color of the flag.

Yixing!

Sure enough, as the group drew closer, Zhiruo spotted the young prince leading the group of men, waving as the citizens cheered at their triumphant return. Picking up her skirts, Zhiruo hurried down the inn steps to greet him. A warm smile spread across Yixing’s face as the Qi army pulled up at the entrance, and he swung neatly to the ground, arms opening towards her.

“Come here, little kitten.” He said softly. Zhiruo laughed and ran into his arms. Yixing smelled like sweat and grime, but at that moment, Zhiruo could care less. All that mattered was that he was back in one piece. Yixing’s soft chuckle next to her ear made her heart flutter.

“So this is how it feels.” He murmured softly. Zhiruo looked at him curiously.

“How what feels?” She asked.Yixing grinned.

“To have your beloved waiting for your return, and to see your beloved as soon as you return.” He replied gently. Zhiruo blushed and hit him lightly on the arm.

“What nonsense are you talking about in front of your own men?” She muttered. Yixing grinned and poked her on the nose.

“Truthful nonsense.” He replied smoothly. His men laughed in amusement at their leader’s romantic side, and Zhiruo buried her face into Yixing’s shoulder in embarrassment. He chuckled softly and patted her on the shoulder.

“Let’s go inside.”

___________________________________________________________________________

A little while, after Yixing had cleaned up, he lay on his bed to rest, his head resting gently in Zhiruo’s lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“That feels nice.” He murmured softly. Zhiruo laughed.

“Has my prince turned into a cat overnight?” She teased. Yixing chuckled.

“I’m only speaking the truth, Lady Shangguan.” He replied. Then, a slow smile spread over his face as he reached out and took her hand in his.

“Ruo’er, did you just refer to me in the possessive?” He asked. Zhiruo thought about his question for a moment, then her eyes widened as realization settled in. She had made a habit of either referring to Yixing formally or with his name, but without thinking about it, she had slipped into another term of endearment.

“I...I suppose I did.” She admitted, ducking her head as a blush spread across her cheeks. Yixing chuckled and pulled her down for a brief kiss.

“Silly girl,” He murmured, “Don’t be shy. You should say it more often to get used to it. After all, you are the woman who will become my princess very soon.” Zhiruo’s cheeks flushed redder at his words, and she slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

“The king hasn’t even said anything yet.” She muttered. Yixing grinned and traced his thumb against her bottom lip.

“He will agree.” He said firmly, and as Zhiruo gaze into Yixing’s warm eyes, she knew that he would certainly convince the king to grant them marriage. Before that happened though, there was something else she needed to do.

“Yixing, I said that when you returned, I would tell you everything.” She said, “I think now would be-” She cut off as Yixing pressed a finger to her lips.

“Silly girl.” He said, “I already know everything. How your love for me is true, no matter how anyone tries to tell me otherwise. I know it all.” Zhiruo stared at him in confusion. What was Yixing going on about? Yixing took her hand and silently began to trace characters over her palm.

There is a spy in my military. Don’t say anything that can’t be safely overheard.

Zhiruo’s eyes widened, and she spoke to cover the sudden silence as she wrote a reply out with her finger on Yixing’s palm.

Why didn’t you tell me? She wrote.

“You’re going to embarrass me if any of your men hear you saying that.” Zhiruo said out loud, making Yixing laugh.

“My princess, there will be many things in the future to embarrass you with.” He replied teasingly. Zhiruo’s eyes widened, her heart pounding as she slapped him again on the chest.

“You’re awful!” She cried. Yixing grinned and wrote on her hand.

I didn’t want you to worry.

Zhiruo sighed softly and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Then...when we’re truly alone?” She whispered. Yixing smiled and pulled her closer for a proper kiss.

“I will look forward to it.” He replied.

____________________________________________________________________________

Some time later, the capital city of Northern Qi, Yixing

The Prince of Lanling’s return to the capital city was greeted with cheers of delight from the Qin citizens. The city folk lined the streets to welcome his return, flowers tossed to line the road along which he and his army passed. In the middle of the procession, Zhiruo sat in an elegant palanquin drawn by two horses. She had insisted she could ride on a horse with Yixing, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. She had worked hard enough over the past weeks, he had reasoned. Now was the time for her to rest, and for everyone to know who should be given the honor of stopping the plague.

“I took a headcount of the soldiers after we entered the city.” Yifan said softly from his place next to Yixing in the procession, “There’s one less than before we left on our return trip.” Yixing sighed and pressed a polite smile to his lips as he waved to his people.

“It is as I expected.” He said, “The spy wouldn’t have waited until I told the king of his existence. If he ran away now, perhaps he could still find a way to survive.”

“That would depend on his master.” Yifan reasoned, “Both of us know of one master who would not let a failed spy survive.” Yixing scoffed.

“Indeed.” He agreed, “If that person is his master, then the spy has only himself to blame for his demise.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The Northern Qi Palace

“Useless thing!” A teacup smashed into the wall next to the shaking man’s head, and he immediately fell to his knees behind the elaborately clothed man standing in front of him.

“Please give me one more chance!” He cried. Crown Prince Yiwei turned and glared at the soldier groveling on the ground.

“Another chance?” He scoffed, “I gave you a simple task: tell the enemy army about Zhang Yixing’s attack plan. You failed to do something that easy? With another battle under his belt and a genius physician by his side, it will become even harder to get rid of Zhang Yixing now!” The man whimpered as Crown Prince Yiwei kicked him in the stomach.

“How useless you are! I never should have trusted a simply foot soldier!” Crown Prince Yiwei growled, “Men! Get rid of this piece of trash!”

“Your Highness! Please spare me!” The soldier cried as he was dragged out of the prince’s rooms and out of sight. Yiwei growled and kicked at the table as he sat down with a huff. Princess Rinchen entered the room and handed the prince a new cup of tea.

“Come husband, drink some tea to calm yourself down.” She chided. Yiwei snarled and slapped the tea cup from her hands.

“Who told you to come in?” He snapped, “Call Liluo here!” Princess Rinchen huffed.

“Husband, you only ever care about your concubines rather than your  main wife.” She protested, “I am still the mother to your heir, and-” She cut off as Yiwei glared up at her.

“Mother to my heir? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rinchen.” He growled, “You may be a foreign princess and mother to my first son, but in the end, you are still nothing but a political pawn. That will never change. And if you think I will ever have any feelings for you, then you are highly mistaken.” He pointed at the door firmly.

“Now get out!”

____________________________________________________________________________

Zhiruo

After Yixing and Zhiruo had cleaned up from their journey, both were summoned to the king’s library for a private audience. Both bowed as they came to stand in front of the king.

“Your Majesty.” They greeted. The king laughed and personally came to lift them both to their feet.

“Please, do not bother with such formalities today.” He said, “You both must be tired from your journey. Go ahead and sit.” After Yixing and Zhiruo sat down, the king gazed down at his nephew.

“Yixing, I heard that you caught the plague while you were out there.” He said, “How is your body doing now?” Yixing smiled and bowed his head.

“I thank Your Majesty for asking.” He said, “Thanks to Lady Shangguan’s efforts, my body is fully healed now, although it might take some time before my strength returns to what it was before I became sick.” The king smiled and nodded.

“Indeed, Royal Physician Shangguan has played a pivotal role in stopping the plague this time.” He agreed, “It is only proper that she be rewarded.” A eunuch came forward and handed the king a rolled up scroll. The king picked up the scroll and smiled at Zhiruo.

“Shangguan Zhiruo, you may sit and receive your edict.” The king declared. Zhiruo raised her hands and bowed at the king.

“Royal Physician Shangguan Zhiruo has shown herself to be virtuous, kind, and extremely intelligent. She has saved the lives of many citizens, and shown herself to be a role model for all physicians in the country. As the king of Northern Qi, I declare that starting from today, she is innocent of all crimes that she has been accused of. Furthermore, from now on, she is to be a second rank royal physician, second only to the head of the Royal Physician Bureau. It is so ordered.” Zhiruo’s eyes widened in delight as the eunuch handed her the scroll.

“This subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace. May Your Majesty live forever!” She declared as she bowed to the king. The king smiled and turned to Yixing.

“Xing’er, you have also done quite well.” He said, “What would you like as a reward?” Yixing swallowed hard and exchanged a glance with Zhiruo.

“Your Majesty, it is my duty and honor to serve my country.” He replied, “As a loyal subject to Northern Qi, I do not think I need a reward. I merely have one simple request.” He took a deep breath before continuing.

“After experiencing both life and death with Lady Shangguan, we have come to realize that we hold mutual feelings of love for one another.” Yixing continued, “I can no longer imagine living without this woman, and nothing would make me happier than to call her my princess. As such, please allow us to marry so that we may spend the rest of our days together.” The king thought for a moment, a pensive look on his face.

“Tell me Yixing, what is it that you love about Lady Shangguan?” He asked. Yixing looked taken aback for a moment, then smiled as he thought over the question.

“Your Majesty, where should I even begin?” He replied, “To put it frankly, there is nothing about Zhiruo that I do not love. I am enamored by her bravery and intellect, I am charmed by her wit, I am moved by her devotion even in the face of death. My heart races when she smiles, I want to kiss her forever when she blushes. If I could hold her in my arms all day, I certainly would.” A warm smile spread over his face as he looked up at the king.

“In short, Shangguan Zhiruo is everything to me.” He said softly. Zhiruo’s chest grew warm at Yixing’s words, and it was all she could do to stop herself from stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. The king chuckled and turned to Zhiruo.

“Lady Shangguan, what do you love about my nephew?” Zhiruo thought carefully over the question before responding.

“Your Majesty, I love the prince’s kindness, his loyalty to his country, and his fearlessness.” She replied, “I love how he cares so much for even the lowest foot soldier and the youngest commoner. I am moved by how he always tries to protect me, even if that comes at the cost of harm to himself. He likes to tease me, but that is part of the charm of our relationship. Most of all, he doesn’t treat me like a piece of porcelain only useful for sitting on a shelf. In his eyes, I am a woman who can accomplish many things, and he acknowledges this fact by teaching me many things. I am not afraid to speak my mind in front of this man, and I know when I do, he will truly consider what I have said.” Zhiruo’s gaze shifted over to Yixing as she smiled.

“I will love this man, Zhang Yixing, for the rest of my days and into the next life as well.” She finished. The king looked from Zhiruo to Yixing, then back again before laughing.

“Well, when both of you have spoken so highly of each other, I see little reason to refuse Yixing’s request.” He declared, “The union of the country’s best warrior and the most intelligent royal physician will certainly be one to remember for centuries to come.” Zhiruo’s eyes widened.

“Then, Your Majesty is…?” She ventured hesitantly. The king chuckled.

“Go back and get some rest. I will have the astronomer pick an auspicious date, and once you are both feeling well, I will hold a lavish wedding to unite both of you in marriage.” He said. Yixing laughed and he took Zhiruo’s hand as they bowed to the king.

“We thank Your Majesty for your grace!” They cried together. The king laughed and waved a hand at them.

“Go and rest now.” He said, “And Lady Shangguan, perhaps you would like to stay at Yixing’s  manor for some time? After all, you know best how to treat the plague and its aftereffects, correct?” Zhiruo stared at the king for a moment before realizing what he was doing. A soft laugh escaped from her lips as she bowed.

The king is giving me more time to spend with Yixing!

“Your subject accepts your order, Your Majesty.” She replied.

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Author's note: Happy 2019 everyone! Here is the first update of the new year! By the way, are there any scenes or events in particular that anyone would like to see? (Besides getting rid of Yiwei, Rinchen, and finding out the answer to the big mystery of course). I'm always open to suggestions from my readers! ^_^