Chapter 132: Calculations

"Who told you to come out? Go back."

Li Siye spoke in the Tang language, and to his surprise, the woman understood him. She obediently turned around, intending to retreat inside.

Unexpectedly, Liu Ji suddenly spoke in the Tibetan language: "Your Majesty the Queen, please stay."

Upon hearing this title, Li Siye’s bull-like eyes bulged wide. The Tang people stationed in Anxi were all expected to learn a little Tibetan, and Li Siye was no exception; he understood such simple terms without needing a translator.

With her identity exposed, the woman straightened her back. As she turned around, she seemed like a different person from the night before. Gone was any trace of fawning; even draped in nothing but thin gauze, she possessed an indescribable air of authority.

Liu Ji caught a glimpse of Li Siye from the corner of his eye. The man’s complexion had shifted, his fists were tightly clenched, his breathing grew heavy, and his eyes burned with sparks of rage—he was on the verge of an explosion.

This was the reaction of an experienced man who had been played.

"Please wait inside, Your Majesty."

Liu Ji quickly pulled him back and addressed the woman. She smiled faintly and turned into the house.

Li Siye was dragged to the city wall, still looking deeply resentful. Liu Ji stared at him without a word. The situation was suspicious, diverging from his prior expectations, and he had to be cautious. Human hearts were the most difficult to fathom; who was to say whether this seemingly boorish man wasn't just putting on a performance for his benefit?

"I didn't know her identity. When she was sent here, she claimed to be a relative of a high-ranking official in the city whose male family members had all been killed. She sought shelter with us Tang people, hoping to trade her own person for the safety of her family. I was hot-headed at the time, and so... who knew she would turn out to be..." Li Siye’s look of profound regret made Liu Ji even more suspicious. Could he truly be ignorant of the truth?

"Wait, you mean she delivered herself? She wasn't brought in by our own men?"

"How could it not be? The city is in such chaos. A woman like her, with such beauty—she would have been abducted the moment she stepped outside. It was a squad leader from the army who brought her to me. Otherwise, how could I have been ensnared so easily?"

"Was that squad leader part of the detail guarding the royal palace?"

Li Siye looked at him in astonishment: "How did you know?"

So that was it. Liu Ji suddenly understood. This matter had nothing to do with Li Siye or Lifei Yuanli. Because of their status, all these women lived in the royal palace. The Tang forces had merely posted guards around the perimeter, partly for protection and partly for surveillance. Without Liu Ji's orders, neither the mountain tribesmen nor the Tang soldiers could enter.

That included Lifei Yuanli. Of course, such restrictions did not apply to a commander like Li Siye, but if he had intended to do something, he would have had no need to orchestrate such a scheme. He could have walked straight into the palace; who would have dared to refuse him? And it would have kept the matter quiet.

There was another reason for this conclusion: the woman’s performance just now was far too strange. She hardly looked like a victim of coercion; her manner was clearly one of extreme seduction. Considering her identity, even Liu Ji realized that if he were in Li Siye's position, he might not have been able to resist.

"What is to be done now?" A murderous aura suddenly appeared in Li Siye’s eyes. Although he was asking Liu Ji, the latter knew clearly that he had already begun to think of silencing her.

"If this woman has calculated this carefully, she must have something to rely on. The journey here involved too many people. Does the Commander intend to dispose of them all?"

"I don't care about her schemes. Anyone who tries to toy with me, even if they have the backing of the heavens, must first answer to my blade."

Li Siye’s face was leaden, his speech rapid and sharp. The rage was written plainly on his face. Liu Ji had no doubt that if necessary, he would kill everyone who knew, including his own soldiers.

And perhaps that list included himself?

"Commander, do not worry. The truth of the matter remains to be seen. In my opinion, it would be better to first hear what the woman has to say."

"Hmph. If she dares to deceive me, and if she cannot give a straight answer, then those remaining in the palace need not live either."

Li Siye walked ahead with his hands behind his back. Liu Ji followed closely, fearing that if they disagreed, Li Siye might take the woman's life on the spot.

The room had no furniture other than a large bed and some chests. Both men knew full well what might be inside. Li Siye stood with a gloomy face, staring silently at the woman sitting on the edge of the bed. She showed little fear, and when she spoke, it was in broken, accented Chinese.

"My Tang language is poor; please forgive me."

"Besides you, who else did you send, and where?" Liu Ji asked before Li Siye could.

"Two others. They went to a general’s tent," the woman replied calmly.

"Is that man square-faced, with curly hair and a full beard?"

The woman nodded. Liu Ji understood. The women had first been sent to Lifei Yuanli’s tent, and he had then forwarded them to his own office. Although it wasn't his intent, there was a clear desire to shift the trouble. That fellow was not simple either; he likely saw through the ruse and wanted to drag Liu Ji into the mess as well.

This was not the time for settling scores. Liu Ji continued: "What are their identities?"

"The King's favorite concubines."

"Why do this?"

A look of sorrow appeared on the woman’s face, and her voice lowered: "My husband and sons are dead. If you had not come, would those mobs have let us live until now? In the palace, there is only a group of women left. I gave you the best among us to seek your protection. What else could I do?"

"You know full well that even without doing this, we would have protected you. So, tell the truth, or the consequences will be severe."

The woman looked up. The powerful man from the night before now seemed like a total stranger. There was no lust in his eyes, only unadulterated fury. It seemed the Tang threat was not mere talk. She stood up, swept her long hair back, and walked toward them with a graceful, swaying gait.

"I did not lie. How long can you stay here? A month? A year? When you leave, what will become of us?"

"You can rest assured. Even if we leave, we will take you with us." Liu Ji did not believe her rhetoric, nor did he think she hadn't considered the alternative. The laws of war in this era were universal: men were killed, and women were taken as slaves. They were not in immediate danger of death.

"Then let this be our reward. Are you two noblemen not satisfied? Elsieia is the most beautiful woman in Nepal; no man has ever touched her."

Li Siye turned to look at him. Liu Ji had to cough several times to steer the conversation back.

"Are there no boys in the palace?"

"My husband has not allowed a woman to conceive for ten years. My sons lived outside. Their homes were looted by the mobs, and they were killed. I do not know if anyone survived."

The woman’s answers were watertight. It was precisely because of this that Liu Ji was even more suspicious. Knowing that the Tang people had replaced their rule, and that the man beside him had even killed the last heir to the throne, could she really be this calm?

"Why do you know our language? As far as I know, few Han people come to Nepal, and learning it is useless."

"I am a Buddhist. Before I entered the palace, I lived in the western part of the kingdom. My family had great influence there. One day, a master from the Western Regions passed through our territory and stayed for three days. The scriptures he taught were in both Sanskrit and Chinese. It was from that time that I became interested in the language. Later, by chance, I accompanied my family to pay respects to the Tibetan queen. She was a Han princess, elegant and dignified, and well-versed in the scriptures. We hit it off, and I lived in her castle for a month. It was an unforgettable time."

It was evident that the woman's sigh was heartfelt. What shocked Liu Ji was that she had actually met Princess Jincheng and knew her residence. However, with Li Siye present, he could not ask further questions. He had to suppress his curiosity and nodded, acknowledging her words.

"Since you are so frank, we must also be direct. The Great Tang’s enemy is Tibet, not Nepal. To strike at the Tibetans, we fought them upon entering the city. The battle caused some casualties, including a prince. Is he your son?"

"Hedi Shiyepo? He is not my son, but the child of a lowly woman from a southern village. If he were to ascend the throne, none of us would have a good life. So, I do not care about his death."

Liu Ji stared into her eyes, not missing the slightest emotional shift. Her expression remained unmoved; most of what she said was likely true. The question remained: what was her true purpose in doing this?

Having asked what he needed to, Liu Ji pulled Li Siye along before leaving. The latter had not said a word from start to finish, and his expression remained grim as they departed.

"What now?"

Liu Ji walked with him to the wall, and once he estimated they were out of earshot, he sighed.

"This woman is not simple. She cannot stay, but she cannot die here either."

"What is your plan?" Li Siye asked urgently, seeing the gravity in his tone.

"There is a way. Let the mountain tribesmen do it. Kill everyone inside and outside the palace, then set a fire. No one will be the wiser."

Li Siye involuntarily sucked in a breath. The other man meant to include the squad of Tang guards as well. They were his own trusted men; how could he easily discard them?

Yet, if he didn't, what else could he do?

Before he could speak, Liu Ji continued: "The palace is only one part. There are people here, and people with General Lifei—the numbers are likely not small. To pay for such a trivial mess with all their lives is not worth it."

"You have another way?" Unknowingly, Li Siye had developed a sense of reliance, as if any problem, no matter how immense, could be solved by him.

"I have an idea, but it is not yet mature. I need to investigate further. However, for now, the people must be moved immediately. Daytime is out of the question—too many eyes. Let’s do it at night. Find a carriage to smuggle them out. As for the two with General Lifei, let the people there handle it. Do not let this spread further."

"Fine, I will leave it to you. Where should they be sent?"

"I have my own arrangements."

Liu Ji agreed without hesitation. This crisis could be large or small; he didn't actually care much about it, but being able to further strengthen his relationship with Li Siye was a gain.

There is a saying that the three great bonds of life include having shared a visit to a brothel. After this incident, they could be said to have shared a common experience.

That was fine by him.