"Do you really believe that I would ever forget you?"

"Please don't go," she pleaded, and there was nothing for Chen to do but to sit down again.

While Chen watched and the mountain spring gurgled, she removed all her clothing piece by piece, until the golden evening sun illuminated one of the world's most beautiful bodies. Chen felt giddy, and hardly dare to look directly at this vision. But he could not fail to notice her innocent, guileless expression, and suddenly thought of her as simply a naked three or four-year-old child. She was so beautiful and so pure.

"To make a body of such incomparable beauty, there must be an all-knowing, all-powerful God in heaven," he thought. His heart was filled with reverence and gratitude.

Princess Frgrance slowly wiped the pearls of water from her body, and then put her clothes back on.

"This body," she thought self-pityingly. "I will never again be able to show it to the one I love."

She rubbed her hair dry and then returned to sit in Chen's embrace.

"I once told you the story of the cowherd and the spinning girl, do you remember?" Chen asked.

"Yes. I remember. You said that although they met only once a year, they still saw each other countless times more than ordinary people."

"Yes. We cannot be together forever, but the True God will make sure we meet again eventually. In the desert, and here, we have been very happy. The time has been short, but we have perhaps had more happiness than many couples who live together for decades."

She listened to his soothing voice comforting her, as the sun slowly sank towards the hills with her heart following it down. Suddenly she jumped up and wailed: "No! The sun is disappearing!"

Chen's heart shattered. "I have asked so much of you!" he exclaimed, taking her hand.

She continued to stare at the point where the sun had gone down. "If only it was able to rise again, even for just a moment," she said quietly.

"It is right that I should undergo hardship for the sake of my people, but you have never even seen them, let alone loved them."

"I love you, so are they not my people too? Do you not love all our Muslim brothers?"

The sky was growing darker. The sun did not rise again, and a wave of coldness touched her heart.

"Let's go back," she said. "I am very happy. My life is fulfilled."

They climbed onto the back of the white horse and started back the way they had come. They were both silent and neither turned back to look at the place of beauty they had just enjoyed.

Less than an hour's ride later, they heard the sound of many galloping hooves in front and several dozen riders emerged out of the evening mist with Bai Zhen in the lead. His face lit up as soon as he saw Chen and Princess Fragrance, and signalling to the others to stop, he leapt off his horse and stood by the roadside. Chen did not even glance at him, but urged the white horse on even faster. Soon after, horses' hooves sounded in front once again, and the Red Flower Society heroes appeared.

"Great Helmsman!" 'Leopard' Wei shouted. "We're all here!"

6

The sky gradually became light and Qian Long watched the sun rising from the east as the eunuchs laid out the Imperial breakfast for him. It consisted of many delicacies, but he found it difficult to swallow them. With Chen and Princess Fragrance gone, he felt nervous and unsettled.

That day, he did not grant an audience to his ministers, and spent his time napping fitfully. On several occasions, he sent guards out to search for news, but the sky grew dark and the moon sailed up over the palace walls, and still none of them had returned to report.

He started to become extremely anxious and tried to calm himself by staring fixedly at the desert murals on the walls of the Precious Moon Pavilion.

"Seeing as she likes him, she will certainly like Chinese clothes," he thought. "When they return he will already have convinced her, so why don't I take off these Manchu clothes and put on something Chinese to give her a surprise?"

He ordered his eunuchs to find him some, but where would Chinese clothes be found in the heart of the Manchu court? Finally, one bright young eunuch ran over to the theatre troupe and brought back a theatrical costume, which he helped Qian Long to don.

Qian Long examined himself in front of a mirror, and was delighted by his dashing appearance. Then he noticed a few white hairs amongst his whiskers and urgently ordered the young eunuch to get a pair of tweezers to pull them out.

Just as he was sitting with bowed head to allow the eunuch to remove the offending hairs, he heard the patter of light footsteps behind and another eunuch announced: "Her Highness the Empress Dowager has arrived."

Qian Long started in surprise. He looked up and saw the Dowager's image in the mirror, her face stern and pale and full of anger.

"I trust you are well, Madame?" he said, hurriedly turning to face her. He escorted her to the couch where she took a seat, and then dismissed the eunuchs with a wave of her hand.

There was a moment's silence.

"The slaves say you have not been well today," she began in a deep voice. "They said you did not hold court this morning and haven't eaten, so I have come to see you."

"I am better now," he replied. "It was just that I ate something fatty which made me a little uncomfortable. It was nothing. I would not have dared to have bothered Your Highness about it."

"Huh! Was it Muslim fat or Chinese fat?" she said, to Qian Long's consternation.

"I think some roast lamb I ate last night disagreed with me," he replied.

"That is one of our Manchu dishes. Huh! You seem to be tired of being a Manchu."

Qian Long did not dare to say anything.

"Where is that Muslim girl?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"She was in a bad mood so I sent her out with someone who can talk some sense into her."

"She has a knife, and would clearly prefer to die rather than give in to you. What use is there in getting someone to talk to her? Who did you send?"

Qian Long noticed anxiously how close her questioning was becoming.

"An old guard officer, surnamed Bai," he replied.

The Dowager looked up and let the silence hang for a moment. Then she laughed coldly. "You are the Emperor, the master of all under heaven. You can do whatever you like, and concoct whatever lies you like, too."

Qian Long knew the eyes and ears of the Dowager were many and guessed he probably would not be able to deceive her about this affair. "The other person I sent with the girl," he answered quietly, "was a scholar I met in the south, who is very learned…"

"It's someone from the Chen family of Haining, isn't it?" the Dowager's voice rasped out sharply.

Qian Long hung his head, not daring to utter a sound.

"No wonder you've put on Chinese clothes. Why haven't you killed me yet?" Her voice had become even harsher. Qian Long knelt down in fright and began kowtowing frantically.

"May I be damned by Heaven and Earth if I have been unfilial in any way," he said.

The Dowager flicked up the long sleeves of her gown and walked out. Qian Long rushed after her, then stopped when he realised he was still wearing the Chinese costume. To be seen wearing such clothes would not do at all, so he hurriedly changed back into his usual gown and rushed out after the Dowager. He found her in a side room of the Martial Hero Pavilion.

"Please don't be angry, Madame," he pleaded. "I have committed some errors and would willingly accept your criticism."

"Why have you called that man Chen into the palace several days running?" she asked coldly. "And what happened in Haining?" Qian Long hung his head and was silent.

"Do you really intend to restore the Chinese style of dress?" she shrieked. "Are you going to kill every one of us Manchus?"