Chapter Eleven: The Little Beauty of the Yang Family

As Yang Nan was fretting, the butterfly spirit hidden in the lotus pod above his head suddenly whispered, “Young master, I have a way for us to get through the checkpoint, but it might be somewhat disrespectful to you…”

“Young master?” The address made Yang Nan frown. Did he really seem so old? “Dieyi, from now on, don’t call me ‘master.’ Just call me ‘young lord.’ I’m only twelve—how could I be called ‘master’ already?”

Seeing Yang Nan’s displeasure, the lotus and butterfly spirits quickly replied, “As you command.”

“So, what’s your idea? Let’s hear it. If it works, I don’t care about a little disrespect.” Though the little spirits’ powers were weak, Yang Nan understood the wisdom of pooling their thoughts. His tone softened considerably. So long as he could avoid a fatal disaster, what did a bit of decorum matter?

Dieyi spoke gently, “Since there’s a cultivator at the Hot Springs Pass, you can’t transform or use disguise. But, young lord, you’re quite handsome and still very young. If you were to dress as a girl, they’d never recognize you…”

Dress as a girl? Yang Nan almost laughed in spite of himself. He’d heard many stories of women disguising themselves as men, but who would have thought that he would one day have to do the opposite!

The Great Yuan Dynasty was a man’s world, and for a proper young man to dress as a woman was truly humiliating. Even Dieyi, naive as she was, knew it bordered on improper. But Yang Nan himself was not overly concerned. In his previous life, he’d seen men wearing dresses, and cross-dressing was hardly unheard of. If it could get him through the checkpoint, what harm in dressing up once?

Yang Nan proposed the idea to Chiyang, who immediately called it brilliant. Yang Cheng was searching for a young boy—if that boy became a girl, he would never recognize him!

No sooner said than done, they found a cluster of shops near the Hot Springs Pass. Chiyang went shopping and soon returned with several plain long dresses. They found a quiet inn, and the lotus and butterfly spirits transformed themselves into young women, giggling as they helped Yang Nan with powder and rouge, dressing him in women’s clothes. The process was so intricate, with all the accessories, that it took nearly an hour.

With the help of the two spirits, an hour later, Yang Nan’s features were radiant—fair skin, starry eyes like lacquer, cherry lips, and a delicate, flower-like beauty that made Chiyang’s eyes light up: what a stunning young lady!

With the deft hands of the two girls, the once elegant and refined young lord was now a bewitching little beauty.

“She’s truly a national beauty, enough to make anyone’s heart ache!” Chiyang laughed heartily, pointing at Yang Nan’s reflection.

Yang Nan glared angrily at him. It was already bad enough to have his face covered in all manner of powders and perfumes; the clothes themselves were bizarre and awkward, and if he took a wrong step he’d trip and fall. In short, it was pure torment!

But no matter how hard he glared, the mirror still showed a dainty little beauty, eyes wide and round with indignation—a sight all the more amusing.

Dieyi, emboldened, laughed as well. “With this makeup, young lord, you look almost as lovely as we do in our transformed forms!”

Baiyi grew bolder still, her cheeks flushed as she gently touched Yang Nan’s hair, styled into cloud-like waves, and laughed, “With such beauty, young lord, you make us feel plain by comparison.” The two girls, seeing how kindly Yang Nan treated them, felt their fear ease a bit, and began teasing him.

Yang Nan didn't take offense, but replied irritably, “All right, enough teasing! If my fourth uncle weren’t so perceptive, I’d never have to resort to this! Even if my appearance is now wholly different, I’ll surely give myself away by the way I walk. We’ll need to hire a carriage.”

Chiyang and the girls observed him closely and saw that indeed, Yang Nan’s movements were distinctly unlike a girl’s—an obvious flaw. But unless someone was a close relative, they would never see through the disguise at a glance. Though Yang Cheng was Yang Nan’s uncle, the two had spent little time together—old Lord Yang Pu had always feared his sons would harm Yang Nan, and never let them get close. With this disguise, recognition was even less likely.

Chiyang smiled, “That’s easily done. I’ll go hire a carriage. Since your uncle has seen me, we’ll cross the checkpoint separately. He’s only looking for a young boy; he won’t suspect me. I’ll also hire some men to act as servants and escort you out of the pass—then there’s no way anything will go wrong.”

Yang Nan nodded, removing the jade lotus flower and handing it to Chiyang. “Keep this for now. If I carry it, my uncle might sense the demonic aura and suspect something.”

Chiyang silently praised Yang Nan’s caution and took the lotus before heading downstairs.

With gold to smooth the way, it took Chiyang only moments to hire a carriage and servants. He told the hired men that their young lady was gravely ill and needed to return to Tianzhou for rest; once she was beyond the pass, someone would meet her. If they could safely escort her through, each would receive a tael of gold!

Generous rewards bring out brave men, especially for such an easy task. The group eagerly agreed. The old lord had already given Chiyang a stack of blank identity documents—most of them matched real people, so it was a simple matter of filling in the details. Chiyang quickly completed the paperwork.

With the servants clustered around the carriage, they arrived at the Hot Springs Pass. The guards pointed their spears and shouted, “Papers! Stand still for inspection!”

The steward, acting as head servant, offered a bag of silver to the officer in charge, smiling obsequiously. “Sir, our young lady is frail and cannot bear the wind. Please show us some leniency!”

The officer, a rough-looking man, seemed used to such scenes. He accepted the silver with a bland expression. “Of course I’ll be considerate, but we still have to search!”

Yang Nan glanced out the carriage window. Within the passage, several dozen yards wide, Yang Cheng sat with several Daoists, drinking and laughing. From time to time, they glanced at the checkpoint. Yang Nan’s own likeness was posted on the wall—his appearance at age ten, no less! The portrait, set among wanted posters for bandits and thieves, looked odd indeed.

Yang Nan almost laughed. Under the old lord’s strict orders, his uncle hadn’t seen him for a year or two. The difference between ten and twelve was considerable, and now, disguised as a girl, recognition was impossible.

The officer checked the servants’ identities and compared them to the portraits; finding no wanted men and no discrepancies, he suddenly brushed the steward aside and pulled back the carriage curtain.

Yang Nan jumped, quickly feigning timidity and ducking his head. The officer peered inside and saw, to his amazement, a stunning young beauty seated within! He grinned foolishly, unable to tear his eyes away, staring at Yang Nan as if he’d swallow him whole.

Yang Nan’s heart pounded. “Has this brute seen through me? Surely not…”

In fact, the officer was simply lecherous. At the sight of such a lovely maiden—so youthful and delicate—he was transfixed. In other circumstances, he’d have seized her on the spot, but with the military governor present, he dared not act out of turn.

The steward, seeing the officer’s greedy stare, understood and pleaded, “Sir, our young lady is very frail and truly cannot bear the wind. If there are no wanted men among us, please be merciful!” As he spoke, he slipped the officer a gold leaf.

The officer swallowed hard. This little beauty, though still young, would grow into a peerless woman—what a shame he couldn’t spirit her away to raise in his own household. But with his superiors nearby, he dared not act. Having received gold and silver, and after confirming there was no one hiding under the carriage, he reluctantly waved them through—though not without casting a few lingering, hungry glances at Yang Nan.

Yang Nan let out a long sigh of relief. It was bad enough that this brute was greedy for gold; now he was practically drooling over him! It was truly intolerable!

As the carriage passed by Yang Cheng, he suddenly frowned and barked, “Wait!”

The icy command made Yang Nan’s heart seize. If he were discovered here, with both gates closed, even three heads and six arms wouldn’t help him escape! At that tense moment, Yang Cheng signaled, and the Daoists circled the carriage, inspecting the servants and shaking their heads—no experts, no demonic aura.

With a stern face, Yang Cheng pulled back the curtain. Yang Nan immediately bowed his head. Yang Cheng said coldly, “Raise your head! Or I’ll have you killed on the spot!”

The steward pleaded repeatedly, but Yang Cheng waved him aside, and several soldiers dragged him away. Yang Nan’s heart pounded wildly, but he slowly raised his head, half-closing his eyes and feigning weakness as he looked at Yang Cheng.

“He won’t recognize me… he mustn’t…” Yang Nan repeated to himself, forcing down his hatred and keeping calm.

Yang Cheng’s gaze swept over him like twin blades, but saw only elegant brows, rosy lips, cloud-piled hair, snowy robe, and jade-like wrists—a peerless young beauty, though her face was a bit sallow and her gaze weak, giving her a sickly air. No matter how long Yang Cheng looked, he saw nothing amiss, and finally let the curtain fall.

Yang Nan exhaled shakily, only now realizing his back was soaked with sweat. After two nerve-wracking inspections, he finally passed through the Hot Springs Pass unimpeded. Inside the carriage, he instructed the servants to wait on a hill a few miles outside the pass. After an hour had passed, he saw Chiyang, now disguised as a burly man, swaggering out of the checkpoint.