"Your Imperial Majesty, Chieftain Burat is requesting that you join him in the courtyard." Sze Chang informed Ye An.

"What? Right now?" Ye An quirked her head sideways, mildly astonished at the sudden request.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. If it's not an inconvenience." Sze Chang bowed his head slightly while Chieftain Burat stared straight at Ye An unflinchingly.

"Alright, let's go then." Leaving their food half-touched, the group went out to the adjoining courtyard.

When they stepped out into the courtyard, Chieftain Burat gave instructions to his men and both of them left after that. He then spoke softly to Sze Chang so that the Minister of Foreign Affairs could translate his words. "Chieftain Burat is saying that unfortunately, he doesn't have any great-granddaughters your age, only a great-grandson. So a marriage to strengthen this alliance wouldn't be possible. But he would like to present you with an offering of gifts."

"You're too kind, Chieftain Burat." Ye An said, guilt nagging at her conscience. The Northern chieftain only smiled and shook his head humbly. It was the first time Ye An saw this friendly side of Chieftain Burat directed towards her.

After a few minutes, Chieftain Burat's men returned. Ye An heard the clopping of hoofs on the cobblestoned pavement before the men reappeared. Both of them held the reins of eight white horses and a white camel between them as they walked towards the chieftain. Where the saddles usually go on the animals, glossy midnight blue silk covered them.

Sze Chang gasped at the sight, whispering urgently into Ye An's ears. "Your Imperial Majesty! It's the nine white gifts! The most sacred offering in Northern culture! And it is especially sanctified if the chieftain, the leader of all Northern tribes, is behind the gift! They are even covered in blue silk scarves which are only ever used for gifts presented to someone whom the giver highly respects."

The pale animals glowed ethereally under the moonlight. Ye An couldn't stop herself from reaching out and petting one of the horses closest to her. The pearly white horse huffed and shook his mane elegantly at the contact. Even Xi Chen couldn't seem to process what he was looking at. He had never witnessed such delicate yet imposing creatures even with all his years in the military.

Ye An couldn't seem to find the words to convey the weight of her appreciation for the chieftain's gift. "This is.. I'm absolutely lost for words, Chieftain Burat. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure." Chieftain Burat replied in the common tongue.

"I don't even know what I could present to you in return for such a generous offering, I'm not even sure we have anything we could offer that is quite to that level." Ye An exclaimed.

Sze Chang translated Chieftain Burat's reply. "The chieftain said that there is no need for a return gesture. This is his gesture to return Your Imperial Majesty's offering of friendship."

"That is quite a grand gesture of return." Ye An praised, still in awe of the gifts she had received from Chieftain Burat.

"He wanted me to pass along the message that no gesture is as grand as the offer of a friendship." Sze Chang smiled.

"Well, thank you once again, Chieftain Burat. Shall we head indoors? It's getting a bit chilly out here. You can ask your men to leave the animals here. The servants will tend to them."

Chieftain Burat nodded and the group returned to the warmth of the banquet hall. The food had gone slightly cold but it didn't bother Ye An at all.

"Now, while we eat, should we discuss our agreement terms? Have you informed the chieftain about the terms before I arrived, Minister Sze?" Ye An asked.

"No, I haven't. I thought that it would be better to wait until everyone's present." Sze Chang replied between sips of wine.

"Alright, then. Could you let him know about the details?" Ye An requested before trying one of the Northern dishes in front of her.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty." Sze Chang replied Ye An as he turned to speak to the chieftain in Northern. Chieftain Burat listened to him attentively before contributing to the conversation.

Once they were done with the discussion, Sze Chang turned to face Ye An again. "Your Imperial Majesty, Chieftain Burat is happy with the terms that we have drawn but would like to add something to it."

"And that is?" Ye An raised an eyebrow curiously.

"He would like to send his great-grandson here to the capital." Sze Chang stated.

"Oh. May I ask what for?" Ye An questioned inquisitively.

"To learn from you, Your Imperial Majesty. It seems that you have made a strong impression on the chieftain in the short amount of time that he was here. He admires your leadership and the way you carry yourself at your age, Your Imperial Majesty." Sze Chang said simply.

"Well, that certainly is a great compliment coming from such a long-reigning leader like Chieftain Burat." Ye An couldn't help but smile as she gave the request a thought. "Then, I can't deny that tiny request, can I? Besides, I believe it would do me good to have someone I could practice my Northern with. Is his great-grandson here in the capital?"

Chieftain Burat murmured to Sze Chang again, pointing to one of the men behind him.

"Yes, he is actually here with us right now. The man behind Chieftain Burat, towards his left. Prince Adlai even joined the hunt earlier." Sze Chang informed Ye An.

Prince Adlai was a burly-looking young man. He had the same build as Xi Chen, tall and muscular, but his skin was tanner by a few shades. Prince Adlai bowed at Ye An. "Your Imperial Majesty."

"Nice to meet you, Prince Adlai." Ye An replied with a nod. She turned to Sze Chang. "Would Prince Adlai move to the capital permanently?"

Sze Chang transferred the question to Chieftain Burat and Prince Adlai in Northern, and answered for them. "He would only be here several months. He still needs to undergo training back in the North in preparation for the leadership role that would fall onto his shoulders in the future."

"Chieftain Burat, are you thinking of an early retirement? Surely, you still have at least another twenty years as the leader in the North." Ye An jested good-naturedly as Chieftain Burat guffawed. But Ye An understood the need to train heirs sooner rather than later. "Why don't we just start now? Let him stay for autumn and winter then return to the North in spring?"

Chieftain Burat clapped enthusiastically at the idea.

"Seeing his reaction, I'm assuming that the chieftain agrees?" Ye An asked Sze Chang.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty." Sze Chang smiled.

"Well, then. Since that matter has been resolved, the agreement is with you, isn't it?" Ye An asked as she leaned back, finishing the last of her meal.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty." Sze Chang nodded.

"Could you make the changes and bring it to me?"

At her command, a servant brought a freshly-prepared inkstone and brush to the young minister which Sze Chang took courteously as he unfurled the document that he was carrying. After adding the terms, he handed the document to Ye An and waited for her seal.

Ye An read through the document and stamped the royal seal at the bottom of the paper in red ink before passing it back to Sze Chang to be passed on to the chieftain. Chieftain Burat gave a signal to the other man who Ye An presumed to be Chieftain Burat and Prince Adlai's personal guard, who procured his seal and handed it to him. He stamped his seal at the bottom of Ye An's before personally handing the document back to Ye An.

Ye An stood up from her seat to give the chieftain a firm handshake. "Thank you, Chieftain Burat. I hope that we will have a long and prosperous friendship ahead."

"Likewise, Your Imperial Majesty."

*******

"Why is she still alive?!" The shadow behind the organza screen roared at his subordinates who collectively flinched on the other side of the screen at the sudden outburst. Even the light from the candles flickered as if they were also terrified by the man.

"Y-your Majesty, my shot hit true." Minister Peng offered but hesitantly added, "I believe.."

"You believe? I see that you believe in the untruth then, Minister Peng! She was even well enough to have the meeting with Chieftain Burat!" The man seethed. His shadow then turned to the broad-shouldered Northerner beside Minister Peng and growled. "You. You had one job to do. One job. And you managed to blow it."

The shadow's growl slowly morphed into a demented shriek. "And Chieftain Burat. Chieftain Burat! He ruined everything!! Gifting Lee Ye An the nine white gifts! I've never seen him presenting that sacred gift to anyone, not even the late Great Emperor Lee Gang. So why Lee Ye An?! How is she deserving of that??? Now we won't even go to war!!"

"You!" The shadow directed his next words towards the Northerner who was now quivering in fear. "You should take responsibility for this! Tell me why I should continue keeping you, Adlai."

"Y-your Majesty, I believe I can obtain information for you while I stayed here. Since I will be in close contact with the emperor." Prince Adlai kneeled and bowed his head to the ground, his eyes wavering in his fear.

"We have enough people who are doing that! How do you think I've gotten the information that the emperor is actually a woman, huh?" The shadow rolled his eyes. "General Shao, take care of him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

General Shao left the shadow's side and grabbed Prince Adlai forcefully. Knowing that the man behind the organza screen would not leave a possible leak alive, Prince Adlai yelled, "No! Your Majesty! Please spare me! I-I'll do anything! In a few years, I will succeed my great-grandfather! Then, I could be of greater service to you! I'll dedicate my entire life to you! I'll dedicate the entire North to you!"

"Hold on, General Shao." The shadow said, his voice a dangerous purr. The general loosened his grip on the future successor of the North. "Adlai, I'm not a patient man. I have been planning to usurp the throne and take Lee Ye An and the Empress Mother down for a long time. And you're asking me to wait for another few years? You and I both know that it would be ten, or even twenty years until that happens. God knows how long more that old troll of a great-grandfather of yours is going to live."

"T-then, what do you suggest I do, Your Majesty? I've sworn to dedicate my life to you! I'll do anything! Anything! Just please spare my life!" Prince Adlai gave up all the grace that comes with being born into royalty as he grappled at the last few straws that he could.

"Hmm.. Anything? Well, since you even kneeled and begged before me, I should at least give you a chance, shouldn't I?" The shadow gave a chilling smile behind the screen.

"Thank you for your graciousness! Thank you!" Prince Adlai groveled.

The shadow lengthened his sinister smile. "If you are indeed dedicated to me, you should know what obstacles you need to get rid of. Or who you should get rid of."

"Y-your Majesty.. You're not suggesting.." Prince Adlai's eyes widened.

The shadow's patience was wearing thin at the interaction with the prince. "Since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you some time to come to a decision. Let me know by the end of winter. I believe you know what will happen if you don't give me the answer that I want when the time is up."

Prince Adlai bit the inside of his cheek before answering. "Yes, Your Majesty."

*******

The next day, Xi Chen had just finished dressing after his daily morning wash-up when there was a soft knock at his door.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Yun." Governess Hsu greeted the lieutenant, balancing bandages, a container of herbal paste, and a tray with medicine and a couple of sweet potatoes on it.

"Good morning, Governess Hsu. This is a surprise. Here, let me help you." Xi Chen greeted while he took over some of the stuff the governess was struggling to hold onto.

Xi Chen placed the items on a small table that was placed in the center of his room. "What brings you all the way here so early in the morning?"

It was a couple of hours before sunrise and it was still pitch black outside. Normally, Xi Chen would be having his morning training in the courtyard at this time.

The governess also placed the remaining items in her arms on the small table before looking around the room. "I see that you've made this place your own. That's good."

"Oh, I've heard that the previous occupant of this room was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes, indeed."

When the governess had lived here, there were potted plants and flowers placed all over the room. Now they were replaced with various types of weaponry and riding gear. "Oh, Lieutenant Yun, do you paint?"

Slightly embarrassed, Xi Chen answered, "Only occasionally."

"No need to be embarrassed, Lieutenant Yun. There are enough bad things in life, hold on to whatever it is that gives you joy." Governess Hsu smiled gently at him. "Now, I'll let you eat first before I get into the details. I brought some roasted sweet potatoes just for you."

"Thank you, Governess Hsu. But I think I'll only have one for now. I've been joining His Imperial Majesty during his-" Xi Chen shook his head. "Her morning meals nowadays."

"Yes, I've heard. No matter, they'll keep for a while. Just eat them as a snack whenever you feel peckish."

The governess watched the lieutenant fondly as he gobbled up the sweet potato in the same way she watched Ye An. Xi Chen finished the sweet potato in no time and got a cup of water to quench his thirst before offering another cup to the governess.

"It's alright, I'm not thirsty. Now, I'll teach you how to change Ye An's bandage. I've brought a proper ointment today." The governess quipped a little too cheerfully.

"What? Why do I need to learn about it?" Xi Chen questioned, confused by the sudden lesson.

"Because you'll be the one changing her dressing later."

+*Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow if you like what you've read <3*+

**If anyone knows the owner of the photo attached to this chapter, please let me know. Thanks in advance!