Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 17
After thinking for a while, I picked up a pen and memorized a few of the simpler poems from the Book of Songs, then taught Zinu to recite them and slowly explained their meanings to him.
“Zinuo, although you can come home one day a month, I don’t know if your sister will approve it, or when you can come back.” I sighed. “You should read these articles carefully, or you can teach them to Chunxiu.”
Zinuo nodded.
"Also, you should massage your mother's legs often; it will make her feel more comfortable. Your sister can't take care of you all, so you need to take good care of yourselves," I instructed.
Zi Nuo said, "Sister, you're working so hard all by yourself, don't worry about us."
"Huai'en, it's almost Chinese New Year, will you be able to come back then?" Auntie asked.
I gave a wry smile: "I don't know yet, but I guess it'll be okay." We're not the kind of servants in a prince's mansion. So far, apart from constant martial arts training, everything we need is taken care of. We don't have to serve anyone, so our lives are actually quite comfortable. If we don't have to serve anyone, then we should be able to leave, right?
Happy times always pass too quickly. As the sky gradually darkened, I had to prepare to leave.
"Sister, you must come back to see me as soon as possible," Zi Nuo said, crying.
"Huai'en, take care of yourself, don't worry about us," Auntie said with a smile, but her eyes were wet.
I nodded, tears streaming down my face, and walked out the door. As I neared the end of the alley, I looked back and saw my aunt and Zinuo still vaguely standing at the courtyard gate, watching us. Our happiness is dwindling; I wonder how much more I can hold onto in the future.
I hurried home, and now that I'm out, I still need to quicken my pace. If I linger too long, I'm afraid I won't be able to get back into the palace.
I arrived at the intersection where we had broken up earlier, panting. Lin Zhao and Song Zhixuan were already waiting for me there.
"Let's go quickly," Lin Zhao urged.
"Have you ever cried?" Song Zhixuan asked me.
I nodded and said, "I'll miss my mother and brother."
The three stopped talking and hurried back to the Prince's mansion.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 015
Chapter word count: 4025 Update time: 09-07-25 14:02
New Year's Eve is just a few days away, but we are not happy at all. In fact, I am very annoyed.
I had thought I could go home to visit my aunt and Zinuo during the Spring Festival, but an order came that "after the Lantern Festival, the princes' sons and new recruits will have a martial arts competition, and the Eighteen Jade Guards will be officially reorganized and trained." This forced us to work overtime and train, and everyone was suffering. My dream was shattered.
The grueling training lasted only four days before I became the first victim of the high-intensity work. I remember seeing Lin Zhao and Song Zhixuan still gritting their teeth and persevering before I fainted, but I just smiled.
When I woke up, I was already in my own bed, and sitting by the bed was Jiang Ming, who had never been into our room before.
"You're happy to be able to take a break for half a day, aren't you?" Jiang Ming laughed when he saw me wake up. He probably saw the smile on my face when I fainted.
I turned my face away, embarrassed.
"Why is a little girl like you hanging out with a bunch of boys?" Jiang Ming's voice rang softly in my ears.
Little girl?
I searched the room with my eyes, but there was no one there. I looked at Jiang Ming in confusion.
Jiang Ming tapped me on the head and said, "Stop pretending, I'm talking about you!"
Me? It took me a while to realize what was happening, and I suddenly sat up in bed.
"How did you know?" I asked in fear.
Jiang Ming snorted: "I brought you back."
I really wanted to bang my head against the wall, but thankfully I'm only six years old.
"Um, Master, let's talk." I swallowed hard and said, realizing I'd been caught so quickly.
"What are we talking about?" Jiang Ming said dismissively.
"Master, please pretend you know nothing, okay?" I said shamelessly.
“You still haven’t told me why you dressed as a boy,” Jiang Ming said.
I thought about it and realized I needed to come up with a good reason.
“My mother is sick and needs a lot of money. I heard that she can be sold as a maid for only three or four taels of silver, but she can be a training partner for the young prince for twenty taels of silver.” I remembered what Uncle Wen had said to Song Zhixuan’s father.
Jiang Ming laughed and said, "You're really bold."
"Master, can you keep this a secret for Lynn?" I asked cautiously.
Jiang Ming winked slyly and said, "Actually, it has nothing to do with me, but I'm still very interested to see how a little girl can outwit a whole bunch of men."
"Thank you, Master!" I was so happy I wanted to scream.
"You have to hold on a little longer. I really look forward to seeing their expressions when they find out you're a girl."
I cooperated with him, nodding vigorously. Only an idiot would want them to discover I was a woman.
"So you need to be careful and don't let anyone find you too early. It's best not to faint again, because who knows who will bring you back next time," Jiang Ming added.
I thanked him gratefully, then watched him leave with a strange smile.
That evening, Lin Zhao and Song Zhixuan came back to see me before they had even eaten dinner. Then they took me to the dining hall, and the three of them, along with Shi Nan, sat together.
"Lin En, are you alright?" Song Zhixuan asked me.