By the time Tian Luo, Cai Guang, and the other generals had been seen off, it was already the beginning of the hour of the ox, in the small hours of the morning. Huang Xiaotong came over and asked, "Young master, where will you sleep tonight?" Huang Xiaotong had originally intended to move Chen Caozhi's bedding into Princess Qinghe's bedroom, but Sanu'er had driven him out-
Chen Caozhi said, "I'll go and have a look first." He walked to the bedroom door, which was closed, and knocked lightly. Sanu'er's voice immediately came from inside. "Who is it?" Chen Caozhi answered. A moment later, the door opened. The bright moon had already slanted westward, its light blocked by the buildings to the west, leaving the room pitch-black-
Chen Caozhi told Huang Xiaotong to fetch a lion-shaped lamp and set it on the small table. He saw Sanu'er standing beside the brocade couch, but Princess Qinghe Murong Qinchen was nowhere to be seen. Could she have stretched herself out on the brocade couch again?
Before Chen Caozhi could ask, Sanu'er said, "Her Highness couldn't fight off her drowsiness and fell asleep without meaning to. I didn't dare disturb her."
Chen Caozhi said, "Wake her up. She needs to hurry back to the palace."
Sanu'er stared wide-eyed at Chen Caozhi. "Our princess has humbled herself this far, yet you still want to drive her away. You've simply gone too far!"
Huang Xiaotong, standing to one side, could not help letting out a laugh, then quickly straightened his face and put on a very solemn expression.
It was impossible to say that Chen Caozhi felt nothing for this extraordinarily beautiful Xianbei Princess who had given him her heart. Feelings arose, but were checked by propriety: that was the purport of the Mao Poetry. Yet