Yixing

Yixing stared at Princess Feiyan, shocked by her sudden declaration. When had she come into the room and how much had she heard? Whatever the answer to that question, it was clear to Yixing that she had heard enough to understand what he intended to do. 

“My Lady, you cannot be serious.” Yixing protested. Feiyan promptly glared at him.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” She replied. As much as Yixing didn’t want to admit it, the princess indeed didn’t look like she was joking. The princess’s hands were on her hips, her lips pursed in the way they were when she had no intention of backing down from her position.

“Rongxian, you are being ridiculous.” Emperor Kangxi scolded, “Yixing is not going there to play!” Princess Feiyan huffed and crossed her arms.

“I am well aware of that, Royal Father.” She replied, “But I know what I am doing. No matter what you say, it is at least partially my fault that Royal Brother is now sick. I will never be able to free myself of that guilt until I am able to play a role in helping him get better, and right now, the only way to do that is to go with Yixing to Mongolia to fetch the medicine for Royal Brother.” 

“Mongolia isn’t a place that you can easily go to just because you want to!” Emperor Kangxi protested. Princess Feiyan lifted a hand and pointed at Yixing.

“I’ll have him with me.” She replied simply, “No other imperial guard will make me feel safer than Yixing does. And besides, think about it, Royal Father. If a princess personally goes to Mongolia to ask for the medicine, won’t our true sincerity come through all the more clearer? The fact that Qing is trusting them enough to send a princess over to obtain the medicine means that we have no negative intentions, much less any desire to go to war.” Emperor Kangxi took a moment to consider his daughter’s words, and Yixing couldn’t help but admit that she had a point. With political relationships constantly tense, it was essential that every step be taken to avoid  causing trouble, which was why he had suggested that he go in the first place. With the crown prince’s life at stake, all precautions had to be taken. But if the princess went, that would make things even better, albeit not any safer though. After a long pause, Emperor Kangxi sighed and nodded.

“Very well.” He said, “But you must agree to a few conditions before you go. First, you must wear a silk mask over your face when you are outside. You are an unmarried woman, and I will not have your face exposed to so many people beforehand. Second, you must have at least one other person guarding you at all times. Third, no matter how I let you act inside this palace, you are still a princess of Qing and you must act with proper decorum at all times, do you understand?” Princess Feiyan grinned and nodded eagerly.

“Of course, Royal Father!” She said, “I know what I need to do.” Emperor Kangxi sighed and nodded.

“Very well then.” He said, “Go and come back quickly, Rongxian. And above all, you must be careful. I will not have two of my children in trouble one after the other. Do you understand?” Princess Feiyan smiled and bowed formally to her father.

“I will surely find the medicine to save my brother.” She replied. As Princess Feiyan and Yixing turned to go, the emperor’s voice called out again.

“Zhang Yixing.” The young man turned and looked up at his sovereign, whose gaze had fallen serious.

“Do not forget what you promised me.” Emperor Kangxi warned. Yixing thought for a moment, then realized what the emperor was referring to.

I am aware of my position and I do not intend to stray from it.

That was what Yixing had promised the emperor, and the sovereign clearly had every intention of keeping him to his word. Yixing smiled politely and bowed.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” He replied. Although the promise had flowed easily from his lips twice already, for some reason it left an odd taste in Yixing’s mouth, and a slight twinge in his chest. Not sure what was causing the odd emotion, Yixing pushed it aside and left Mentality Hall. Princess Feiyan stared at him for a long moment as he joined her outside. 

“Is there something on my face?” Yixing asked, noting the princess’s curious expression. Princess Feiyan looked up intently at him, her lips slightly pouted the way they did when she was concentrating.

“What was my father talking about? What did you promise him?” She queried. Yixing blinked in surprise and cleared his throat awkwardly. Sometimes, Princess Feiyan truly startled him with how perceptive she could be. Despite her usual playfulness and stubborn personality, she picked up on subtle things that other royal children would have missed.

“Nothing, My Lady.” He replied smoothly after collecting himself, “The emperor was just reminding me to keep a close eye on you.” Princess Feiyan gazed at him for another long moment, and for a second Yixing was afraid the princess would catch onto his lie. Then, she smiled and laughed.

“My father simply worries too much.” Princess Feiyan said, “There is no need for him to remind you of that. Zhang Yixing, I always feel the safest around you.” Yixing felt a small smile spread over his face at the princess’s words, his chest growing warm. 

“Thank you, My Lady.” He said softly. Princess Feiyan laughed.

“Zhang Yixing, let’s save my brother together, okay?” She said. Yixing gazed at his mistress, and noticed that the sun was beginning to set right behind her. The final warm golden rays of the day’s sunlight stretched across the courtyard and over Princess Feiyan’s small figure, dyeing her hair a soft golden brown color. In the light of the setting sun, her eyes seemed to sparkle more than usual, the glittering light turning her cheeks a rosy pink. With a start, Yixing realized that his heart was pounding as he was looking at the princess.

What’s wrong with me?

“Yixing?” Princess Feiyan waved a hand in front of his face, “Are you okay?” Yixing cleared his throat quickly and shook himself out of his daze. 

“I’m fine, My Lady.” He said, “And yes, I will surely help you save the Crown Prince’s life.” Princess Feiyan grinned.

“Perfect!” She declared, and promptly began hurrying down the stairs towards the courtyard, no doubt in a rush to pack for their trip to Mongolia. Yixing sighed as he watched her go, his mind lingering on the odd feeling that had overtaken him a moment ago.

Zhang Yixing, get a grip!

____________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, a small group of carefully chosen people set out from the royal palace and headed for Mongolia, including Princess Feiyan, Yixing, and Yifan. As promised, the princess kept a silk mask over the lower half of her face as soon as they left the palace, effectively shielding her face from common view. Still, that didn’t stop her from peeking out of the horse carriage she was riding in as soon as they left the capital city. 

“Yixing!” Princess Feiyan called cheerfully, “The world outside of the capital is so big! There are so many trees and animals!” Yixing looked over at his mistress from his place near the front of her carriage, and couldn’t resist smiling slightly as he took in her wide-eyed gaze. Anyone could tell that the young princess had never been outside of the capital city before. Despite the serious nature of the current situation, the smallest thing she set her eyes on right now was sufficient to make her exclaim in delight or ask Yixing what something was. 

“My Lady, please stay inside the carriage.” He said, “It is safer that way.” Although he hated to ruin the princess’s fun, Yixing knew he could take no risks. It was clear that Prince Luhan’s illness was no accident; for such a rare disease to have befallen the prince, somebody had to have made a very clear plan to bring down the prince. It would do no good to the country to have two royal children in trouble. Princess Feiyan pouted up at him but did as she was told. 

“You should let her have some fun, Yixing.” Yifan chided from his place a little further away near the other side of the carriage, “It’s not every day the princess is allowed to leave the palace.” Yixing sighed.

“I know.” He replied, “But in a situation like this, I cannot take any chances.” Although Yixing didn’t say it, he wasn’t sure who among the gathered group he could trust. While the emperor had personally chosen the group to travel to Mongolia, there were still many questions left to be answered that left Yixing uneasy. Just the fact that two favored royal children ran into troubles within a short period of time was enough for Yixing to know that it couldn’t have just been a coincidence. While fighting amongst concubines was a well known occurrence which often implicated the children of the fighting concubines, both Princess Feiyan and Crown Prince Luhan’s mothers had died long ago. Whatever was going on, it was definitely something beyond simple fights for power inside the red walls of the Forbidden City. As for who it was...Yixing stole a quick glance over at Yifan before looking back at the path ahead of them. Yixing had done a little investigating before they had left, and if the results were pointing him in the right direction…

I hope I’m wrong. 

That night, Yixing carefully stepped away from the rest of the group after they had fallen asleep and released a messenger pigeon into the air. He had written a message to Princess Sarnai under the emperor’s careful eye to tell her of their intention to visit the main Mongol camp. Normally, he would have sent the messenger pigeon before they had even left the royal palace, but with so many questions in mind, Yixing didn’t dare to risk it. The rest of the trip to Mongolia passed by uneventfully, and as Yixing had expected, the token from Princess Sarnai allowed them to pass smoothly through each checkpoint on the way to the main Mongol camp. As they stopped to take a rest after the third checkpoint, Yixing caught Princess Feiyan looking at him curiously from where she was sitting on a large rock by the side of the road.

“Is something wrong, My Lady?” He asked. The princess pointed at the token that dangled from his waistband.

“Where did you get that from?” She asked suspiciously, “The moment you showed it to the border guards, they let us through without a second thought.” Yixing blinked and cleared his throat awkwardly. Despite the princess’s acceptance of what had truly happened with Princess Sarnai, it still didn’t seem right for him to outright say that the Mongol princess had given him a border token. 

“It was...a gift.” He mumbled, knowing that his excuse sounded lame. 

“From?” Princess Feiyan pestered, not one to be deterred. Yixing sighed. 

“Princess Sarnai gave it to me before we parted last time.” He finally admitted. Princess Feiyan stared at him for a long moment before responding.

“Why did she give it to you?” She demanded, “I thought you said everything was just a ruse! Why would she think you would ever need to go to Mongolia again? Don’t tell me she actually developed feelings for you!” Yixing sighed and quickly held up his hands to hold off the princess’s tirade. He had expected such a reaction from the princess and that was precisely why he had never mentioned the token to her before.

“My Lady, it is not what you’re thinking.” He protested. Princess Feiyan huffed and crossed her arms.

“That is precisely what every person says when it is exactly what I’m thinking it is!” She replied with a pout. Yixing peered over at the princess’s petulant expression and couldn’t help but smile slightly in amusement.

“My Lady...are you jealous?” He asked. Princess Feiyan turned around to look at him sharply.

“No!” She exclaimed quickly, “I am not jealous! Why would I get jealous over a little token? I’m...I’m...I am simply angry!” 

“But why are you angry, My Lady?” Yixing asked. Of course, he had some idea, but it was always better for the young princess to voice her concerns herself. 

“I...I...I don’t know why!” Princess Feiyan huffed after a moment, turning back around with another huff. Yixing chuckled softly and knelt down carefully in front of her.

“My Lady, look at me.” He said softly. Princess Feiyan peeked over at him, her eyes still stormy. Yixing smiled warmly at his mistress.

“You don’t need to worry about any of that, My Lady.” He said gently, “Please do not think too much about a small border token. Princess Sarnai holds no feelings for me whatsoever, of that I can be certain. My place is only to be by your side, and I won’t ever stray from that position. After all, I am your man, aren’t I?” The phrase seemed a little strange coming from his own mouth, but the princess’s eyes softened slowly at his sincerity. 

“Don’t you ever forget it, Zhang Yixing.” Princess Feiyan replied, “You will be my man for the rest of your life.” Yixing laughed softly.

“Of course, My Lady.” He replied. As the princess returned to the carriage, Yixing couldn’t help but continue to smile as he watched his mistress. While the princess had her moods and sometimes got angry at things that really weren’t worth the time spent being unhappy, he could never find it in his heart to be angry at his mistress. That was just the way she was, and he accepted all the parts that made up her personality, both the petulant and the happy energetic parts of her. Seeing that the princess was securely seated in the horse carriage, Yixing swung onto his horse at the front of the line.

“Set off!” 

__________________________________________________________________________

Feiyan

The rest of the group’s travels passed by quickly, and before long, they were approaching the main Mongol camp. A tall figure came out to greet them as they reached the entrance, and Feiyan frowned slightly as she recognized Princess Sarnai. Yixing slipped down from his horse and bowed to the princess.

“Your Highness.” He greeted. Princess Sarnai smiled at him.

“Welcome to our home.” She said, “Imperial Guard Zhang, I began making preparations as soon as I received your message.” Feiyan pushed back the flap of cloth covering her window and looked at Yixing with a raised brow, who in return smiled slightly awkwardly.

“I sent a message from His Majesty to the princess.” He explained, “It is a small matter, so I didn’t report it to you, My Lady.” Feiyan pouted and promptly stepped out her carriage.

“You can have your little reunion later.” She declared, “I’m tired from traveling.” Her father’s words warning her to act properly rang in her head, but Feiyan couldn’t bring herself to be entirely courteous with the princess who had almost taken Yixing from her. Yixing had promised that there were no romantic feelings of any sort between the two of them, and Feiyan knew that the entire thing had been a ruse, but the sight of the Mongol princess smiling at Yixing still made her heart clench. Until the two of them could properly mark their respective positions towards each other, Feiyan could only manage the most minimal niceties towards the other princess. Princess Sarnai smiled graciously. 

“Your quarters are ready for you, Your Highness.” She said. 

“Perfect.” Feiyan huffed and promptly strode into the camp, making sure to step exactly in between Princess Sarnai and Yixing. It was petty of her, she knew, but she couldn’t help but do it all the same. She heard laughter coming from behind her, and turned to see Yixing laughing with Princess Sarnai. Feiyan growled and stamped her foot. It was childish, but she could care less at that moment.

“Zhang Yixing!” She snapped. Yixing chuckled softly and bowed to Princess Sarnai before hurrying to join Feiyan.

“Smile, My Lady.” He teased softly as they headed for her tent, “You are representing our people right now.” Feiyan huffed and made a face at him.

“You aren’t helping with that, Zhang Yixing.” She replied with a frown. Yixing smiled slightly in amusement despite her irritation.

“Yes, My Lady.” He replied good naturedly. 

“It’s not funny!” Feiyan protested, but Yixing simply kept his calm smile on his face.

“Of course, My Lady.” He answered. Feiyan sighed, unable to stay angry in the face of Yixing’s warm smile.

“Zhang Yixing, you are too tolerant, did you know that?” She stated. Yixing laughed softly, the sunlight behind him making his eyes sparkle in its bright golden light. 

“Only to you, My Lady.” He replied. Feiyan looked up at him curiously at that statement. 

“Why?” She asked. Feiyan had rarely thought about why Yixing was so tolerant of her, and it had never really occurred to her to ask. In the ten years they had been together, it had simply seemed so normal to have Yixing accept everything that she was. Yixing thought for a moment before smiling gently.

“Because you are my lady.” He replied simply, “And no matter what you do or what happens in the future, that fact will never change.”

__________________________________________________________________________

After a short rest, Feiyan was brought along with Yixing to meet the Mongol Khan. He was a tall and imposing man, dressed in leather and fur clothing with his hair tied into thick long braids. Feiyan immediately felt a little overwhelmed by the Mongol ruler’s sheer presence, but forced herself to straighten her back and tilted her chin up confidently. She was a princess of the great Qing empire; she was not about to be cowed by a foreign ruler of a country that was weaker than hers. 

“Your Majesty.” Feiyan greeted politely, careful to heed her father’s warnings on maintaining her image.

“Princess Rongxian, you are welcome in our home.” The Khan greeted her warmly, “It is our honor to have the empire’s most well known princess in our country.” Feiyan smiled and ducked her head demurely.

“You exaggerate, Your Majesty.” She replied humbly. The Khan laughed.

“The Qing Emperor has raised a good daughter.” He said. The Khan’s gaze moved beyond Feiyan to where Yixing stood carefully just behind Feiyan’s shoulder, his stance relaxed but his gaze alert as he continuously scanned the tent for any possible dangers to his mistress.

“Is this young man your personal guard?” The Khan asked. Feiyan smiled and nodded.

“This is Yixing, my personal imperial guard.” She said, “Yixing, say hello.” Yixing took a step forward and bowed with one arm crossed over his chest so that his hand touched the opposite shoulder.

“Your Majesty.” He greeted. The Khan looked slightly surprised.

“You know our way of greeting.” He noted. Yixing smiled and nodded.

“Princess Sarnai was kind enough to teach me earlier.” He replied. Feiyan looked over at him sharply; he hadn’t told her they had been together alone while she had been resting! Yixing smiled calmly at her and shook his head subtly.

It was nothing, My Lady, his expression seemed to be saying. Feiyan huffed and forced herself to maintain her composed expression.

It had better be nothing!

“Princess, can you tell me what brings you all the way here to Mongolia?” The Khan asked, drawing Feiyan’s attention back to the matter at hand. She smiled and bowed politely.

“Your Majesty, you must save my royal brother!” She exclaimed. The Khan frowned in confusion, and Feiyan proceeded to explain the situation to the Mongol ruler. The Khan looked increasingly concerned as Feiyan told him what had happened, and sighed deeply as she finished. 

“Princess, you don’t need to worry.” He said, “I will surely provide you with the medicine needed to save the Crown Prince. Since it is likely an animal from our country which caused this problem, it is only right that we do all we can to save him. I am grateful to the Qing emperor that he has not put the blame on our entire country.” Feiyan bowed politely.

“My father thinks that it was likely an accident.” She replied, “And he does not wish to ruin the peace between the two countries without properly investigating the matter.” The Khan nodded solemnly. 

“I will also send men to investigate what happened to the horses we sent to Qing.” He replied, “Our standard procedure requires that all animals be checked and clean of ticks or other issues before they are sent out of the country. It makes little sense that such an incident would occur. But if it was not a simple accident, rest assured Princess that I would not spare the perpetrator.” Feiyan smiled.

“I trust that you will do the right thing, Your Majesty.” She replied. The Khan’s gaze switched over to Yixing and lingered there for a long moment.

“Princess, before I give you the medication, I have one small request.” He said. Feiyan frowned and looked over at Yixing, who looked equally confused. 

“What is it?” She asked. 

“I would like to spar with your personal guard tomorrow night.” The Khan said, “Alone.” Feiyan frowned.

“I’m not quite understanding what Your Majesty means.” She said. The Khan smiled.

“I heard from Sarnai that your personal guard is an excellent fighter.” He said, “We Mongols are a warrior nation. As their leader, I cannot pass up a chance to see the skills of someone that even my daughter praises.” Feiyan tilted her head.

“That makes sense, Your Majesty.” She replied, “But why do you want to spar with him alone?” 

“Princess, there are many things about Mongolia you may not be aware of.” The Khan replied, “In Mongolia, we believe that if we fight with a member of an allied country under the gaze of another member of that country, then we will raise the anger of the god of the heavens. Thus, we must do it at night, and alone.” Feiyan raised an eyebrow skeptically. It was surely nothing she had ever heard of before; the logic itself seemed rather weak. But who was she to question something the Mongol Khan said was tradition? He was right after all; there were many things about Mongolia she didn’t know. Furthermore, now was not the time to argue with the Khan. It was an oddly simple request for a bottle of life saving medication, but one that could be easily done, and she was not about to put her brother’s life on the line just because she didn’t believe in Mongol traditions. 

“Yixing?” Feiyan said, turning to her guard, “What do you think?” The young man looked thoughtful for a moment before bowing to his mistress.

“I am willing to spar with the Khan, My Lady.” He replied. Feiyan sighed and turned back to the Khan.

“Your Majesty, I will allow it on one condition.” She said, “Please don’t hurt him.” On both occasions, something had gone wrong when Yixing had sparred with visiting royalty. If it happened a third time...The Khan smiled reassuringly.

“He will be safe, Princess.” He said, “It is only a friendly match.” Feiyan bit back another sigh and nodded.

“Then, I will leave him in your hands tomorrow, Your Majesty.” She replied. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Yixing

That night, Yixing entered the princess’s tent to find that his mistress was not inside her chambers. After searching for a little while, he came across the young princess sitting by a babbling brook on the edge of the camp with a lone soldier standing nearby. Yixing quickly dismissed the soldier and sat down next to Princess Feiyan.

“My Lady, it is getting late.” He said, “Why aren’t you in bed?” Princess Feiyan turned slightly in surprise then laughed.

“You found me.” She noted. Yixing chuckled softly.

“Of course.” He replied, “I’ll always find you, no matter where you are.” Princess Feiyan smiled and looked back over at the running brook. 

“It’s hard for me to sleep in unfamiliar places.” She said, “I have never spent a night outside of the palace before.” A slight breeze blew across the plain as they sat in silence for a few moments, picking up the princess’s long hair and blowing it lightly off her shoulders. Yixing looked over at his mistress and wordlessly slipped off his cloak as he realized that she had only brought some thin spring dresses with her. Princess Feiyan looked at him in surprise as he laid the cloak over her shoulders.

“It is still chilly at nighttime on the Mongol plain.” Yixing explained before she could even ask, “It would be bad if you caught a cold, My Lady.” Princess Feiyan smiled warmly at the act and pulled the cloak tighter around herself. 

“The Mongol plain is so beautiful.” She said, “Green grass as far as the eye can see. It is a place full of freedom, unlike the Qing palace.” 

“The palace is beautiful as well, My Lady.” Yixing replied. Princess Feiyan laughed softly.

“Of course.” She replied, “But there are so many rules and expectations there. Here, it seems like everyone is so free and happy. It’s just so different.” Yixing gazed at the princess for a long moment.

“Do you like it here, My Lady?” He asked. Princess Feiyan thought for a moment, then smiled.

“I do.” She answered, “The open air is so refreshing. I feel like I can run across the plain without a care in the world.” 

“Then in the future, I will bring you here to visit more often.” Yixing replied. Princess Feiyan turned to him in surprise, then laughed.

“I’m grateful that you offered, Yixing.” She said, “But I will likely be married off to some foreign royal or a court official’s son at least in the future. When would I ever have time to come here anymore?” Yixing felt his chest constrict slightly at her statement. It was true; like all other royal children, Princess Feiyan’s marriage would likely be one that was carefully crafted and chosen to bring political benefits. And once married, it was unlikely she could even have the freedom she had in the palace, much less leave the country and visit Mongolia. Princess Sarnai’s words before they had last parted floated back up into Yixing’s mind.

“I hope you are my brother!”

If he really was Princess Sarnai’s brother, then that would make him the sole prince of Mongolia. And then...Yixing sighed and shook his head.

Where is your mind going?

“My Lady-” Yixing’s voice cut off as he felt something hit his shoulder, and he turned to see that Princess Feiyan had fallen asleep, her head falling against Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing felt a small smile turn up the corner of his lips as he gazed at his princess for a long moment. 

Silly girl. And she said she had a hard time sleeping in unfamiliar places. 

“My Lady.” He called softly, “If you want to sleep, let me take you back to your tent.” Princess Feiyan grumbled and mumbled something inaudible in response. Then, Yixing’s eyes widened as she promptly latched onto his arm and burrowed deeper against his shoulder comfortably, a content smile on her face. Yixing’s heart pounded loudly in his ears as he stared at his mistress, who was none the wiser about the effects her actions were having on him.

Why is my heart pounding?

Yixing swallowed hard and forced himself to calm down. Carefully, he reached out and pushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen over Princess Feiyan’s face and tucked it behind her ear. Yixing allowed himself to take a few moments to gaze at his mistress’s face. It was something he never dared to do while she was awake and they were in the Qing palace, but now, here in the freedom of the Mongol plains, it felt like it was alright to be greedy for just a few moments. He could still remember the little princess who had stood in front of him when he had been bullied as a child by the other new recruits. Even then, the princess had been a determined girl with a stubborn personality. Once she decided on something, it was difficult to convince her otherwise. But besides that...Yixing’s gaze traveled over Princess Feiyan’s long lashes, her pink lips that were parted slightly in her slumber. In the regularity of their day to day life together, he had barely noticed it, but…

When did that little princess grow up so much?

Yixing hit himself lightly on the side of the head. 

There you go again, letting your thoughts wander in the wrong direction.

After taking a deep breath, Yixing turned and carefully slipped his arm under the princess’s legs and picked her up smoothly from the ground, careful not to disturb her sleep. Then, he slowly walked back to the princess’s tent and tucked her into bed. After pulling her blanket up to her shoulders, Yixing turned and slipped out of the tent. After stepping outside, Yixing looked up at the clear starry sky and blew out his breath.

Keep it together, Zhang Yixing. Don’t forget what you promised His Majesty.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: Somebody's feelings are getting harder to ignore~~