Envoy Ayaz finds a proper teacher for Li Xing i teaching him how to read, write and have a simple conversation in Arab. Li Xing struggle to understand thus on his free days, he head off to the nearby county to escape from lessons. Meanwhile the painters from the royal court of Ottoman arrives in three months. They started to paint for Li Nan. The young boy couldn't stand still and he get angry fast thus the skeleton drawing takes a long time to complete. They decided that the child is not needed to sit down for them to know where to apply the paint color. They hope for the best.
While waiting for the paint to dry before working on a another layer, they wait for Li Xing to return to the capital. However after a month there is no sight of him. The envoy Ayaz hurry off to find Banou to seek assistance. She send a message to Li Xing. He appear in the capital the next following week, The young noble girls appear whenever he goes. The painters set up the spot in the garden in Li Chen's mansion. Some noble ladies set up stools for them to stand and watch over the wall. They watch him pose for the painter and they try not to make too much noise to distract the painters. Li Cheng is amused to see his wall is lined up with girls on stool before he leaves for camp. In a short while after he leaves, the street is jam with those carriages park around the mansion. A lot of stall owners who are pulling their stalls are needed to walk pass the mansion is now unable to move outside the mansion. In the end, the butlers and servants have to redirect the carriages to somewhere else.
Banou who is watching the painters draw the skeleton drawing of her son is please to see him in clean and neat attire. Today, he have his hair comb back in half with a high knot while the rest is comb down to show his long hair with curls. His knot is secure with a gold hair pin. He have also shave away his messy beard and mustache. With his face clean and he smile, a long dimple appear on his cheeks. His face is unmistaken with his father's features. Yet his high nose is alike his mother's. Li Xing have a long neck and broad shoulders. His long body with his long legs are additional to his height. He sit there for two hour is given a break. LI Xin who is watching rush to provide him a cup of tea when he is taking a break. He happily take it and carry her with the other arm. The noble ladies seeing this swoon as he is so perfect in their eyes. Banou seeing that the ladies are still hanging on the wall. She ask the servants to provide them at least a cup of tea and some candies. The ladies are happy to receive it. This continue for a few days.
After a week, Li Xing return to camp and outside the mansion the mayhem suddenly disappears. The noble ladies each are asking the painters to sell the painting to them. Or maybe paint a replica of the original. This ideal is acceptable to the painters. They assign their apprentice to do the replica of half the size of the original painting after the deposit is given to the painters. Envoy Ayaz is amazed that why and how is this Prince so popular with ladies when he don't even interact with any women besides Banou and other females in the family.
It takes two months for them to complete the portraits for Li Xing and Li Nan. Another month for it to completely dry up. Banou watch them carefully mount it up on the frame. She is satisfy with the paintings. In some aspects, Li Xing look like to her father. However the Chinese features and the outfit tells a lot that he is of different background. While sadly when she look at Li Nan, his features tells her that his Xiong Nu's blood in him is strong. Tall, bulky and fierce. His green eyes are the kindest feature on him. He have Banou's high nose and a pouty full lips. His hair is dark and curly. Banou hope that as he grows older, his looks will change for a better. So that other people can accept him just like they accept Li Xing over the years. A handsome face does wonders as one is growing up, hopefully this will happen to Li Nan.
Banou sitting in the garden after dinner. She watch in a distance her children interacting before bedtime. She realised that she doesn't have a daughter of her own. Li Xin who is born from the girl who hated her. Li Xin as she grows older, she looks more Persian than XiongNu. She is alike Banou in many ways. Shy and reserve. They both have thick hair and honey color skin. However Li Xin's blue eyes stand out the most. Everyone make Li Nan and Li Xin to believe they are twins who look different just because they are a boy and girl. Hence maybe Li Nan always protect his older sister who is very shy and quiet.
Two days after the painting is mount up and ready to leave the capital, Banou sent them off. Along with some catalogues of current affairs and fashion illustrations for his amusement. She have written in Arabic for his reading pleasure. As she watch them roll out of the capital gate, she hopes that one day she will not be in a situation where she will be returning to a place that hate her. She remember the citizens throwing rocks, spitting and screaming at her. It was the darkest point in her life. If she return as a crown princess, she doubt any of them can accept a branded person to sit on the throne and yes she will not send her son to be cuff to the throne. She pray quietly in her heart that her father finds a suitable male heir for the chain cuff seat. She will not send Li Xing there in any cost.