Мир боевых искусств — это яма

Глава 9

Little did Zi Yingfeng know that his actions had been observed by Emperor Xuanlong. His eyes narrowed and he said, "If he can't speak, can he write? Does the general want to tell me that he can't even write?"

"When my son was young, I also hired a tutor to teach him, but I didn't know..."

"As long as he can write, that's fine. Bring him pen and ink. If he can't write, I will punish the general. You've taught your daughters so well, why is it different with your sons?"

Zi Jin was stunned upon hearing this. "Big brother Emperor! Your punishment is no small matter. Are you going to exterminate my entire family again?!" She realized she was already part of that family, and she hadn't even lived a day before she was going to die again? No way… but it seemed she really couldn't write!

Zi Jin turned her face, her eyes filled with fear, and looked at Zi Yingfeng for help.

Looking into Zi Jin's pleading eyes, Zi Yingfeng felt a pang of heartache. Why couldn't he even protect her? Why couldn't he even stay by her side and live a peaceful life? Why did he have to let her look so panicked and helpless? Hadn't he promised himself he would never betray her again? Never betray her again?

Zi Jin stared at Zi Yingfeng's heartbroken eyes, frozen in place. She was even more convinced that when Zi Jin's original soul was critically ill, his anxiety, his anger, his fury—all of it was genuine. Zi Yingfeng must have had his own unavoidable hardships all these years, and he must have silently loved this daughter in his heart.

Zi Jin picked up her pen, staring intently at the blank paper as if she could bore a hole through it, her mind in turmoil. She was, after all, an elite member of socialism; even if she couldn't write classical poetry, she could always plagiarize, right? But she truly couldn't write the characters of this era, and even if she could, she couldn't plagiarize. If she became famous for plagiarism, her peaceful, quiet life would be over.

"Ahem!" Emperor Xuanlong watched as Zi Jin's expression shifted between gritting her teeth, brimming with confidence, and feeling utterly dejected, and couldn't help but urge her on.

Upon hearing the cough, Zi Jin instinctively shuddered, gritted her teeth, and wrote down her words with a flourish of her brush.

After finishing writing, she tossed the pen aside and calmly sat down, completely unfazed. But when Zi Jin looked at the two characters she had written, she was utterly dumbfounded! When did she learn to write in this era?!

Good heavens! This...this is so bizarre.

Emperor Xuanlong looked at the two large characters "Cannot" on the white paper handed to him by the eunuch, then narrowed his eyes and looked at Zi Yingfeng for a while before smiling slightly: "That's all for today. Tomorrow, Zi Feng and Zi Yingfeng will attend class with the princess, and Zi Jin will go to the Imperial Study with the princes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zi Feng, Zi Feng, and Zi Jin expressed their gratitude respectfully together.

Zi Jin thought to herself that her reaction this time was not bad; at least she knew to express her gratitude.

"Disperse, all of you. Two days from now, I will personally escort the General and his army out of the city!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

Only then did Zi Jin realize that this meal was originally intended as a farewell dinner for her adoptive father before his departure for war. No wonder the emperor had brought her and the twins to the palace. She could even experience life as a hostage; it was truly a worthwhile trip.

What does it really matter what I do? As long as I can live, live with flesh and blood, live as I please, and do all the things I've always wanted to do but never dared to before. This time, I will no longer live for anyone else; I will live for myself, I will live for myself!

The next day, before dawn, Xibao urged Zijin to get up.

Zi Jin had just arrived here last night and was not used to anything. She tossed and turned all night and couldn't sleep well. She felt that she had just fallen asleep when someone was making noise next to her, so she was naturally unhappy and refused to open her eyes.

Helpless, Xi Bao could only pick up the clothes and help Zi Jin change. Zi Jin then remembered her true identity as a woman disguised as a man, instantly sobered up, chased Xi Bao out, hurriedly dressed, and secretly scolded herself for her carelessness.

happy Bao led Zi Jin straight to the Imperial Study. Apart from the Crown Prince, most of the people in the Imperial Study had already arrived.

Grand Tutor Zhou did not show much contempt or importance towards Zi Jin, who was both mute and mentally challenged, and simply assigned him an inconspicuous position.

Zi Jin sat in her seat, peering out to look for the twin sisters. She was unaware that the Imperial Study was a private study for princes and their companions, while the princesses and twins received their education in the Brocade Pavilion within the West Palace area.

It is not something that ordinary people can do as a prince's study companion. It requires officials of the third rank or above or sons of noble families, and each one must be personally tested by Emperor Xuanlong. If one does not have some skills, it is impossible to become a study companion.

Of course, Zi Jin was an exception. She was able to sit here entirely because Zi Yinfeng now held two-thirds of the military power of the Yue Kingdom and was about to go on a campaign, and she had tragically become Zi Yinfeng's only "son." Although she was a lowly illegitimate son, as Zi Yinfeng's only "son," her treatment was naturally different.

Zi Jin's mood improved after her first day of classes. She slept soundly in the corner arranged by Grand Tutor Zhou until the end of get out of class, without being disturbed or stopped by anyone. Zi Jin was overjoyed at the thought that her future life in the Imperial Study would be as wonderful as today.

After class, to avoid any trouble on her first day in the palace, Zi Jin abandoned her idea of sightseeing and went straight to Taiping Pavilion with Xi Bao. Before even entering Taiping Pavilion, she saw a person dressed as a palace maid standing respectfully outside the door.

"This servant, Yu Luo, greets Your Majesty." Her delicate voice was as soft as a feather brushing against skin.

"Which palace are you from? Is there something you need?" Knowing that her mistress was not good at speaking, Xi Bao quickly asked.

Yu Luo slightly raised her head, and Zi Jin almost forgot to breathe.

She has an oval face, a pair of crystal-clear eyes that are as bright as gemstones, and cherry-red lips that are naturally beautiful without any makeup. She has a gentle and faint smile on her face, and her whole person looks pure and charming.

A beauty…! A stunning beauty, an absolute stunner, with a face that could make fish sink, geese fall from the sky, and the moon hide its face in shame. Having weathered many storms in her past life, what kind of beauty hadn't she seen? Yet, this palace maid, only sixteen or seventeen years old, made her heart pound. Such ethereal beauty was truly rare. She, a woman, was already captivated by her; if this were a man, wouldn't he immediately transform into a wolf?

Zi Jin lived outside the inner palace, and only old and faded palace maids were sent here. It was really unreasonable for such a delicate beauty to appear outside her Taiping Pavilion.

Zi Jin looked at Yu Luo with suspicion.

"Consort Li bestowed the fish sauce upon the master."

A bolt from the blue! I was struck by lightning for no reason!

Placing such a beautiful woman here is like setting off a bomb! It seems that the peaceful and happy life they once knew is now waving goodbye to Zi Jin!

Zi Jin lowered her head and went into her study/bedroom in a sullen mood, while happy Bao went to prepare lunch.

Yu Luo glanced at happy Bao's departing figure, quickly followed Zi Jin into the room, and turned around to close the door tightly.

Zi Jin drooped her head and glanced at Yu Luo with a strange look.

Yu Luo walked up to Zi Jin and suddenly knelt down. Zi Jin took two steps back, her mind already racing with thoughts about the origins of this palace maid.

"Young Master, do not panic. The General sent Yu Luo here to protect you." Yu Luo looked at Zi Jin's puzzled expression and continued, "The General was afraid that the Young Master might suffer some hidden harm in the palace, so he specially ordered Yu Luo to protect you. The General asked Yu Luo to tell the Young Master that he will definitely come back to pick you up, and also to tell you that the Soul Gathering Jade and the Steel Hairpin must never leave your side, and you must not let anyone discover that you are a woman."

As soon as Yu Luo finished speaking, he stood up and stood behind Zi Jin as if nothing had happened. At this moment, happy Bao walked in with lunch.

As Zi Jin ate, she pondered the authenticity of Yu Luo's identity. Consort Li was the twins' aunt, so it wouldn't be difficult for Zi Yin Feng to send a palace maid through her, especially since this maid knew her daughter's identity. Zi Yin Feng would never have entrusted such a secret to someone she couldn't trust.

Zi Yingfeng thought to herself, "Sending a palace maid is fine, but why send such a beautiful one? Isn't that just torturing her not-so-high intelligence?" But then she thought, "I'm not suited to life in the palace anyway, so having a trusted confidante here is fine. I don't understand anything about this world, and it's good that I've been pretending to be mute, but it's better to have someone to talk to if something happens."

Zi Jin scrutinized Yu Luo's appearance for a while, then glanced at her own flat, boyish body and her height, which was even shorter than that of boys her age.

In short: Comparison is the thief of joy.

As evening fell, Zi Jin, with nothing to do, dozed off while holding a book. Yu Luo went over and shook her awake, but Zi Jin gave Yu Luo an impatient look.