Growing Up
Beiyue was unique...in her fashion sense.
Sure she wore hanfus like anyone else. However, that's where the similarities ends.
One: the skirts are pleated like andonbakama in cotton, not flimsy formless silk.
Two: she has western modern panties, not whatever she had to endure growing up.
Three: her outer robe has yuzen tegaki print designs which she wears in warm seasons. She also has butterfly-print haoris which she only wears in spring, fall and winter, and a remake of her sister's haori and leggings for combat purposes...and her old slayer's uniform...just minus the words 'destroy' on the back. But for special occasions, she wears a printed style of formal dress. But at home, it's kimonos for her with bell sleeves, not sode-style sleeves. Her colorful outfits were the talk of the palace.
Four: for footwear, it's ankle-strap shoes with comfy socks, and comfy zori sandals at home...and sturdy strapped sandals.
Five: she made poor tailor guy make 'special rewashable padded no-leak underwear' for 'those days'. However, Yingye found out about it through gossip and gushed at the new 'modern convenience' Beiyue invented and demanded it be mass-produced! Not only that, she was gobsmacked that her cousin asked for plain white silks...until she saw weeks later what Beiyue did with it...
Six: she keeps her hair simply loose, with half her hair held together with a hairband and butterfly comb. The only time she wears it up in two buns, is during summer.
It was months after 'the scandal' that Prince Songmi Xiaoyao returned home to Nanyi Country after hearing from Prince Feng Lianyi what happened. Before him, Grandqueen came home and dealt with her irate son who was justifiably angry at her for 'having no spine' that led to their tragedies and what became of Beiyue that Emperor did all he could to rehabilitate her before she was 'too far gone'. He had also forbidden her from making life-changing decisions for his kids as her decisions made his life miserable, and his sister died young.
Grandqueen joined in out of guilt in rehabilitating her granddaughter who indeed, showed signs of madness...and told her and her son a shocking truth about her...true parentage that got the Emperor in both grief and delight. Grief that he hardly had anything for her in her hard childhood, and delight that he got her back, even if she was a product of incest during wartime to save him from a vile poison whose cure was incest, he didn't care. Naturally, this ABSOLUTELY must be kept secret or Beiyue will suffer more. The only other who knew the truth about them, was Prince Xiaoyao when he was consulted how else to cure Jade Bone Pill.
But it wasn't known as the most evil poison for nothing.
In marriages, second to third cousins is as far as anyone can go in in-house marriages. But not TOO close or else...but they feel the damage was done due to her signs of madness that was exacerbated by her plight under the Xiao Clan.
(Beiyue was later told by her grandmother that her father loved his own sister 'that way' and that was a no-no, but in a twist...well...)
He had once wondered why he could not help but love her in his heart as his child and not his niece...how could they have known that when sister saved his life, they ended up conceiving her? She became his dearest treasure, the last thing he has from her mother.
Beiyue felt her heart warm up at the love he showers her though his paternal affections. Compared to her father Mr. Kochou, Emperor is a little...too bright...and excessive...she can call him 'idiot dad' one of these days...but she appreciates that he does his best in his quest to 'heal her heart' while his other children are out in school.
This is where culture clashed.
Kochou Shinobu is a Japanese woman raised in the ways of the samurai. And early Japan, is BRUTAL and BLOODY. Such is normal for her.
This world however...yeah, her brand of normal, is a sign of madness in this culture to her annoyance that her well-meaning relatives have justified fears, and blamed the Xiao Family for her madness when she 'finally broke' from their abuse. That, and given how their country sees her, she sees her homeland as her enemy in turn that she trained her body hard to insane degrees to be a swordsman and fight with body alone so she's not completely helpless as they so put it.
Her beliefs breaks her grandmother's heart, blaming herself for her mother's disaster marriage and she was weak-willed that she began spending time with Beiyue to keep her company and teaching her how to be a lady.
Her skill was pure muscle and sheer effort that when tested to certify in Admissions Exams, she would have been a Silver-Class Swordsman and she has no knowledge of hand-to-hand, further bumping her downwards, thus had to learn hand-to-hand.
Due to her training, diet and chugging down stolen elixirs, She and Dongling were very physically strong with sheer physicals alone. Their punches enough to cause deep dents in trees and even stone walls. And in malnourished people, broken bones!
'Dongling, malnourishment is a problem in this world.' Beiyue once taught Dongling. 'We must always have equal parts of meat, vegetables, seafood and fruit to balance things out. That is why Elixirs aside, having a balanced diet made a world of difference. OK, in traveling we have no choice, but if you're in civilization, always do your best to eat a balanced meal.'
And in Princess Royal Quarters, it has its own kitchen, as Beiyue doesn't trust the Imperial Kitchens. That, and she was a far better cook anyway. The stuff her body used to eat as a child, was bland shit. These people clearly haven't heard of Umami! Most of the dishes are also too much of the wrong flavor via condiment applications! So a cook was worth their weight in gold in this world and has high salary.
She managed to find a mushroom in the market that was way better than Shiitake and Matsutake combined, at least! She finally got her umami back and improved her japanese cooking in this world, managing to recreate most of it, and taught Dongling the dishes...incase she marries. But as a precaution, she taught Dongling how to make the cheap ones. With ki, she can make processed food like magic. Beiyue can do it too, despite difficulty as she has to gather ki first before her dantian disperses it. Thus washoku and yoshoku are very accessible, as well as sweets she used to enjoy!
When Emperor spends time with her in the afternoon with Grandqueen spending whole day with her...they were hit with flavor bombing and found themselves BEGGING her to teach the Palace Cooks. They were also interested in her wagashi and breads and cakes. Well, she has so much free time after all...
However, due to Beiyue's mentality that 'everyone is an enemy' to her and unable to trust anyone not to double-cross her by claiming HER work as theirs as that will piss her off, she refused and they end up eating at her place instead for dinner. She also refuses to spend time with her cousins and perfectly fine with just Dongling for company.
She never attended any social events too as required of her as a Royal.
She focused all her efforts on training and studying...and experimenting on poisons in her lab as well as antidotes for her poison mixes in her sword. She's an accomplished doctor as Hudie Ren, but to be a real doctor in this world, they have to master Acupuncture. Humm, OK, japanese warriors throw needles as weapons...
'Miss.' Dongling called out. 'Time for lunch.'
'Oh, coming~' Beiyue went with her maid to have lunch together. She left her things as is.
Her day composed of studying, training, and spending time with her maid who was...way too privileged for her station.
Education, can cultivate, martial arts and access to beauty pills. And her maid uniform is gorgeous.
And by this year, the servants, concubines and her eldest sister are all dead when she was eleven, followed by Zhonglei and Rou recently. Xiao Yuancheng, Xiao Zhongqi and Xiao Yun are barely hanging on by a thread.
Xiao Qiyuan found out what happened to his family when he was called back through his son by a servant, but not even he can do a thing about the poisoning, and why did his idiot family STEAL FROM A ROYAL AND MAKE HER LIVE IN SHACK even if she was trash while he was in seclusion?!
The Xiao Clan has no face to give that everyone was fine with watching them die from poisoning! That, and his clan has no future anymore as did the Mu Clan for their even worser crimes.
The man left Nanyi Country and never returned. Most likely to seek future and fortune elsewhere, abandoning his son and remaining grandchildren.
Well, this world is crueler than one she came from, Beiyue supposed.
Well, for now life is peaceful as during school days, Emperor and Grandqueen spend time with her during day, and with her cousins after school in a bid to patch up their...messed-up family. And in school vacations, schedule reverses.
So her mornings are quiet and she can study and train in peace.
Oh, and do Mercenary Work.
She has Dongling register in the Mercenary Union under a different name for her, and take high-level quests for her in her stead...which they then, do together. Since she was stinking rich anyway, Dongling gets to keep the money. Why? For her Bridal Dowry!
It annoys her that brides have to give grooms an astronomical amount of money and amount depends on occupation, based on her life's earnings before her retirement.
Say for example, Dongling married at twenty. Retirement age for working women if they're not cultivators, is 50 years old. She has to earn thirty years' worth of annual salary so she can get married when she has a dowry. A bride's family also pays for the wedding gown and bridal carriage procession to their daughter's new home.
That's how it goes for any girl no matter their social status. But for the wealthy, they enjoy a wedding banquet in the woman's maiden home before traveling with her husband to his home. However, if a rich girl marries, her dowry is her inheritance from her parents instead.
Dongling is known as her maid in the palace. Her monthly salary as a Palace Maid, particularly a Princess' Handmaiden is 80 gold coins. 80 gold coins a month, can give a family of four a month of delicious food with full bellies, as well as afford quality miscellaneous goods within that amount. Oh, and save up for taxes, too as well as house repairs without starving for days. Her known annual salary is 960. And she was known working for Beiyue since she was eight years old, so 40320 gold coins or 806 taels plus 4 silver coins is her Bridal Dowry.
Had she been a slave she wouldn't earn even a single iron. Thing is, when Beiyue got everything back, she made Dongling a citizen, and paid her in one lump sum what she could've earned since she was eight years old with the freedom to spend her money how she wants it.
So she has to disguise when going out. Their registered names are Jiamiao and Ren. And its Dongling getting the money of course.
Just three Mercenary jobs is enough to earn several times her lifetime's dowry for her marriage that her family will live in luxury and can afford schooling for kids as Temple Schools for Commoners for Non-Cultivating Children, cost 1000 gold coins a year. The jobs in Mercenary Union, pays out in taels. And a tael, those cute boat things is worth 50 coins be it silver or gold. Their first job alone earned her entire dowry!
However, in those years they were free from oppression when they began mercenary work for training, Beiyue was sensitive to ki and something was...calling out to her. She could hear a heartbeat only she can hear.
Leading to a deep ravine.
She made Dongling craft strong earth stairs for her so she can get to it and safely dig it out.
It was a black jade with carvings only a skilled artisan can make. They were baffled with it so Beiyue keeps it in her ring to try to study it.
So far, it's an endless spring of ki with a barrier blocking her that she can only get ki from it. Yet it calls to her anyway.
She researched books on sorcery...and wondered if its a blood-locked item?
She tried it out and it glowed reddish-orange as her blood vanished. She tried again and this time, she gained more than just ki.
This jade is called Boundless Beast Jade.
In it contains massive powers, and knowledge about Spirit Beasts and how to control/tame them, and various spells of sorcery!
Because Dongling is an Earth Element, she mostly wrote down non-elemental and earth-based spells for her to study and perfect. As for Beiyue, considering she technically has no element, she focused on non-elementals first as well as seals and cursed seals. She draws power using the jade since its much easier that way. She uses the jade to absorb massive amounts of ki in the forests, to force cultivation on herself faster than her dantian can disperse her ki, and lock her progress IN to force her dantian to grow. This way, by having so much ki even if it'll be dispersed later, she will quickly recover what she lost as her body will take in daily the amount she loses. That way, she will NOT lose her cultivation progress.
That she worked out a miracle for her condition, amazed Dongling that she now has considerable power for her age.
'Miss, you managed to solve your problem?!' Dongling gushed out in amazement. She is currently in possession of ki amounting to a Silver Class A and missy is fast catching up! Through the Jade, she was able to obtain the same level for herself and stopped for now to get used to her level while under spiritual stress and strain.
There's a REASON why people take spiritual growth every six months at a time, if you have money to afford it.
'Yes. It was...difficult, but I managed.' said Beiyue ruefully. 'But hey, it's something.' she said with a tired smile. 'I'll rest for a few weeks and do NOT tell anyone what I did...remember, everyone is our enemy, we need to hold our secrets close.' she reminded Dongling. 'However, I have instructions on what to tell father and grandmother. Read and burn.' she gave Dongling a script on what to say as to why she fell ill.
'Yes, miss.' Dongling bowed in obedience.
Her missy who sees everyone as an enemy, steals and ruthless in gaining her goals.
It's why they are extremely healthy and fortified, before miss had to spend money to speed up cultivation just to make things look legit. That's after buying a year's worth of food and clothing of course...she pays the Royal Tailor for white silk templates of her clothes, and miss does the dyeing.
When Emperor and Grandqueen came to visit...Dongling told them as instructed to their shock, they were flabbergasted on how far Beiyue went that she fell ill from the strain and stress she inflicted upon herself that she's going to be ill before Lingyang Assessment Exams!
'Honestly, don't worry too much...I'll attend Imperial School anyway.' Beiyue told them. 'I won't attend those strenuous East College Courses the way I am now. I can't use any ki in my condition.'
'That's good to hear, but never do crazier stunts again, alright?' the Emperor choked out, caressing Beiyue's left cheek in worry. 'So what course will you choose in school?'
'Humm...nothing really interests me though.' Beiyue sighed. 'I'm literate through self-study and very good in calligraphy, I can teach Dongling four years' worth of Math, I self-studied Medicine and Herbalism, I learned the continuation of Etiquette and Music from Grandma...the rest just bores me.'
'Well, you'll have to take the other courses dear. Everyone must go to school.' said the Emperor. 'All children must go to school. I even sponsor the poor who can't afford Temple Schools.'
'Hummm...then what else is offered?' Beiyue wondered aloud.
'Well...'