Chapter 8

The pair walked down the corridor, squeezing past bumbling drunks and the ladies that accompanied them. Yin opened the door to one of the empty suites, revealing an elaborately decorated chamber. Crimson silks draped effortlessly against a closed window and over the bed.

She pulled out the chair to a small mahogany table in the center of the room. She picked up a wine pitcher, pouring with seasoned grace before handing a cup to him.

"You're new." The stranger said, taking a seat.

"What makes you say that?" Yin raised a brow while pouring herself a cup, allowing the sound of liquid hitting the polished ceramic to temporarily fill the silence.

"I haven't seen you."

"I arrived a few weeks ago."

"I was here yesterday."

She smiled to herself at the obvious bluff. If he had truly entered the previous day, she would know. There were few things about this whole ordeal that she was confident of, but her ability to successfully pay off servants was not one of them.

Yin downed her wine in one gulp, setting the cup down on the table with a sharp clink.

"I took a leave of absence yesterday." She said, pouring more wine in her cup.

"And every day of last week?"

He looked down after the statement, almost catching himself in his lies. The bluff was getting a bit too far fetched. It was generally frowned upon in Jiang brothels to visit every day of any given week. It was a sign of desperation and seen as uncouth, especially in more respected ones like JingLu house.

He must be a foreigner.

"That too." Yin smiled. "There was a death in the family."

The stranger paused.

"My condolences."

"It's no matter." She waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"Anyways," Yin changed the subject, standing behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Let's take off that coat."

"No thank you." He said, visibly swallowing.

"What about that mask?"

"No."

"We can't do much," Yin slowly moved her hands to the fabric wrapped around the bottom half of his face. "If you're so-"

"We both know," He cut her off, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, raising his gaze to meet hers. "That your purpose isn't to entertain me tonight."

"Sir, I'm a courtesan." She smiled innocently. "What else would I want to do with a gentleman like yourself?"

"How about you take yours off first?" He nodded at her. "Your mask."

Yin frowned, before reaching for his mask again, this time with intent. She had no more patience for the stranger. She needed to know who he was and why he was looking for the merchant.

He grabbed onto her wrist, pushing her away. She twisted out of his grip and tried again, only to be repelled once more. Her quest for answers collided with his instinct for self preservation, resulting in a dance of motions and intentions that defied the previous tranquility of the room around them.

In their squabble, the stranger had accidentally pulled down the sleeve of her dress, exposing her collarbone. Upon seeing this, he hesitated awkwardly. She took the opportunity to throw her full weight onto him, lunging at him and bringing him to the floor.

Her hands latching onto a fistful of fabric as she tore his mask out. Unfortunately, he had spared no hesitation as he took the opportunity to do the same.

It can't be. Her eyes widened as she recognized the face trapped beneath her.

"Princess?"

"Prince Li." She grinned.

"What are you doing here?"

The blue silk on her dress had been wrinkled, her neckline slipping to reveal her collarbone and shoulder. Her carefully combed hair had come undone, small frontal strands hanging down around her face, the rest pooling onto the floor beneath her.

"I could ask the same of you." Yin adjusted her sleeve. "I didn't know you frequented Jiang brothels."

"I was bluffing." His jaw tightened as he shifted uncomfortably. "But you know that already."

Prince Li was in a similar state. The mask that had stubbornly clung to his face moments before had been cast aside. Arrays of lamps and candles cast light onto him, exaggerating the contours of his face, sharpening his lines and edges as a small smudge of dirt sat on his right cheekbone.

"You seem to think I know more than I do." She smirked. "I'm flattered."

He responded with silence.

Almost in an instant, the initial shroud of confusion was lifted. It was replaced by a rather startling realization: she had pinned a foreign Prince underneath her...on the floor of a bedchamber...that happened to be in a brothel. It was rather unnoble of her.

"Perhaps it would be better if we weren't in such a..." Yin glanced at the door, "...compromising position."

"Right." Prince Li said as they swiftly got up, his ears slightly flushed.

"There's something on your face."

Yin took out a handkerchief, bringing it to the smudge of dirt. Her fingers grazed against the soft skin on his cheek. He looked back at her, an unreadable expression on his brow.

A long silence passed between them. Prince Li looked around the room awkwardly.

"You have interesting hobbies princess." He cleared his throat.

"I assure you this is no hobby of mine." Yin chuckled. "Unlike someone, this isn't really a place I frequent."

"I told I was bluffing." He replied hastily. "I would never-"

"I'm just teasing." Yin sat back, amused at his panic. "I know we're here for the same reason."

Prince Li opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of the door cracking open. Yin turned to the figure in the doorway–it was one of her servants.

"He's here." The girl said. "The merchant."

The two looked at each other, a shared sense of understanding between them as they ran over to the balcony.

The merchant was unloading a few items off of his carriage. His profile matched the one Hui had given her almost perfectly. Stout build, thin mustache, and mole on his upper lip.

He scanned his surroundings, his downturned eyes falling upon Yin and Prince Li. In that instant, color drained from his complexion, leaving his features ashen and almost ghostly. They surged down the stairs, but it was too late. He climbed back onto his carriage and took off.

Mounting on their horses, they began chasing him out of the brothel steps and through the dense forest that lay beyond it. The canopy of trees stretched above them, their interlocking branches casting dappled shadows that danced like fleeting phantoms upon the forest floor.

Hooves pounded against the earth, masking Yin's heavy breaths as she urged her steed to hasten. The merchant's carriage, a looming figure in their sights, seemed to surge forward with a desperation of its own, a fleeing shadow that sought escape within the depths of the woods.

After what seemed like forever, the two had finally caught up with the elusive merchant, flanking his carriage on both sides.

"Princess!" Prince Li called, motioning at her side of the carriage. "His wheel!"

Yin furrowed her brow, looking down. The wheel of the carriage on her side rattled, thin lines on the edges. It was on the verge of breaking. If only she had something to disturb its motion.

"Here!" Prince Li yelled as if reading her mind, throwing over his sword.

Yin's hand shot out, her fingers extending in preparation. The sword hurtled through the air in a glinting streak of steel. Her grip closed around it, yet in the heat of the moment, a fraction of an inch had separated her grasp from the blade's hilt. The sword met her fingers at an angle, causing the sharp edge to connect with her skin. Pain, a sudden and sharp sensation, flared across her palm.

She cursed as she threw it downwards at the defective wheel, causing it to break off and sending the carriage sideways. It toppled over, its wood splintering and metal distorted as it lay on its side.

The two dismounted and found the merchant, who was not yet unconscious. Fresh blood ran down his forehead, staining his hands when he wiped it off. He stumbled against the uneven ground, swaying from side to side with every step.

"We just want to talk." Yin called out.

"Get away from me!" Yelled the merchant. "I'm not telling you anything!"

"Only a few words!" She shouted. "We mean no harm."

"As if I'd believe you two." He scoffed, wiping more blood from his face. "She paid you to do this didn't she?"

"Who?" Yin asked, confused. "Who's paying us?"

The merchant didn't reply. Instead, his steps only quickened.

"Did you have anything to do with the attempt on Emperor Li?" Prince Li's voice thundered through the clearing.

"Stop talking!" The merchant shrieked as he turned around abruptly. "I didn't-"

Before he could finish, an arrow whistled from a few meters away, burying itself in his head. A shadow flickered in and out of view as the merchant's limp body crashed onto the forest floor.