Her eyes and face radiated happiness. Chen squeezed her hand. "You have thought it out perfectly," he said softly. "You and your sister are the nicest, the best people in the world."
Princess Fragrance stood looking out into the distance, and noticed the sun glinting off a body of water to the west. "Let's go and have a look over there," she said.
They made their way across the hills, and came upon a clear spring bubbling merrily out of a crack in the rocks.
"I will wash my feet here, is that all right?" Princess Fragrance asked.
"Of course," Chen replied with a smile. She took off her shoes and socks and stepped into the water, relishing the coolness as the crystal clear water flowed around her milk-white feet. Chen happened to see his own shadow on the water, and realised the sun was already sinking into the west. He reached into his bag and pulled out some food for them. Princess Fragrance leant against him and wiped her feet dry as she ate.
Chen gritted his teeth. "There is something I must say to you," he said. She turned and put both her arms round him, resting her head on his chest.
"I know you love me," she said quietly. "I understand. You don't have to say it."
He cringed and swallowed what he had been about to say. After a while, he started again: "Do you still remember Mami's last testament that we read inside the White Jade Peak?"
"She is living in Heaven now with her Ali. That's the way it should be."
"You Muslims believe that after good people die, they will live forever in paradise, is that right?"
"Of course that's what happens."
"When I return to Beijing, I will go and find an Islamic Imam and get him to teach me so that I can become a good follower of the Muslim faith," said Chen.
Princess Fragrance was overjoyed. She had never guessed he would be willing to voluntarily join the Muslim faith. "Oh my brother," she said looking up at him. "Will you really?"
"Definitely."
"You're willing to do even that because of your love for me. I never dared to hope for such a thing."
"Because in this life," Chen continued slowly, "we will not be able to be together. So I want to be sure that after death, I can be with you every day."
The words struck Princess Fragrance like a clap of thunder. After a moment's silence, she said in shaking voice: "You…what are you talking about? We can't be together?"
"No. After today, we will not be able to see each other again."
"Why?" Her body quivered and two large tears fell onto his gown.
Chen embraced her tenderly. "If it were possible for me to be with you, I would be content even without food or clothing, even if I was beaten and humiliated everyday. But do you remember Mami? The good Mami was willing to leave her true love Ali in order that her tribe would no longer be oppressed and bullied by Sanglaba and was even willing to go and allow herself to be violated by him…"
Princess Fragrance's body went limp. "You want me to give in to the Emperor?" she whispered. "You want me to kill him?"
"No, he is my blood brother." He told her everything about his relationship with Qian Long, and the Red Flower Society's plans, about the oath sworn in the Six Harmonies Pagoda, and of Qian Long's demand earlier that day. As he spoke, Princess Fragrance realised that what she had been longing for day and night and thought she had achieved, was slipping from her grasp again. She was overwhelmed by a wave of panic and fainted away.
As she came to, she felt Chen holding her tightly, and was aware of a damp patch on her dress soaked by his tears. She stood up.
"Wait for me here," she said softly, and walked towards a large flat rock in the distance where she prostrated herself in prayer towards the west. She appealed to the True God, Allah for guidance on what she should do. The pale sunlight glanced off her white dress, her back presenting a picture of both great melancholy and warmth. After a while, she walked slowly back.
"Whatever you want me to do, I will do," she announced.
Chen jumped up and ran over to her, and the two embraced each other tightly.
"If I had known we had only today, I would have wanted you to hold me the whole day rather than come here," she whispered. Chen kissed her, unable to answer.
A long time passed. Then suddenly, Princess Fragrance said: "I have not had a bath since I left home. I am going to have one now." She began to take off her outer gown.
Chen stood up. "I'll go over there to wait for you," he said.
"No! No! I want you to watch me. When you saw me for the first time, I was bathing. Today is the last time…After you have seen me, I want you to never forget me."
"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.