Lin Feilu was still young and dressed as a cute child, whereas Lin Nianzhi wore a simple dress that exuded the appearance of a youthful teen. Although the two were wearing ordinary clothes, they could not mask their natural noble temperament. The guards trailed them from a distance from left to right wherever they went, so even the common folk could tell at a glance that they were probably some Young Ladies of some rich family who came out shopping.
The bustling streets of the ancient times were exactly as she imagined. The wide and tiled streets were lined with dozens of shops and vendors. The crowds were bustling and there were carriages coming to and fro. Some sellers were shouting, attracting the crowd's attention in an attempt to tempt some buyers and some were making ends meet through entertainment. There were people who trained their animals with circus-like tricks as well, and neither aspect was any less than that of Sanlitun(2).
Lin Feilu was almost moved to tears when she was reminded of the sea of people and the lively atmosphere, completely forgetting that they had a purpose in leaving the palace.
Lin Nianzhi thought that the Little Fifth Princess was so excited because it was the first time she went out of the palace to see these sights. The Eldest Imperial Princess thought that it was still early anyways, so she was not in a hurry to go to the Rites Residence and take her around happily.
Lin Feilu deliberately kept her stomach relatively empty before leaving the palace just to eat all the street foods and alley delicacies of the ancient times. She held Lin Nianzhi's hand, feeling that she hadn't been so happy for a long time.
Although they ate all morning and were not hungry at all, the two still went to the most expensive restaurant in the upper city for lunch during noon.
Lin Nianzhi was going to the private room, but Lin Feilu pointed to the open space by the window and said, "Elder sister (3), I want to sit there."
(T/N: They're kind of undercover, so they won't address each other as royals here)
Lin Nianzhi asked strangely, "The window is very windy and there's a bunch of dust. That's where people come and go; what's there to sit on?"
Lin Feilu: "Generally, people with a certain status would sit at that spot."
For example, a hero of the righteous way or a leader of the demonic ways; mm!
Lin Nianzhi gave her a speechless look, but she complied and sat there. After calling for the waiter, she ordered a single item of everything that the restaurant had to offer.
The two guards dutifully stood by as they ate. Whenever they saw a passer-by looking at the Princesses, the guards would glare back with a such vicious look that made everyone anxious and afraid to look over and cower in fear.
Lin Feilu was not hungry, so she ate rather leisurely. The window seat was a bit cold, but the view was good and the street scene downstairs was unobstructed. For example, when she casually glanced down, she saw a few bully-looking men robbing civilian women.
Hmm? Robbing civilian women?
She knew it! Something was bound to happen as long as someone sat here!
If it was a righteous hero sitting here at this time, they would have shouted angrily, "Stop! It's not reasonable in broad daylight!", and then jump out of the window and fly down. They would knock out the bullies with two or three epic moves, as well.
If it was a demonic sect leader sitting at this time, they would sneer and flick the chopsticks in his hand as a hidden weapon projectile. Then, they would knock down all the bullies and then listen to the panicked screams below while continuing to sip wine as if nothing had happened.
But currently, she was the one seated at that spot.
Lin Feilu was a little excited and also slightly nervous. Lin Nianzhi, too, noticed the noisy commotion below and leaned over to check things out. Suddenly, she exclaimed angrily, "How unreasonable! How can the people under the Emperor's reign act this arrogantly; they're practically not… not taking Father Emperor seriously!"
After she finished speaking, she turned to the guard and said, "What are you still standing here for?!"
The Imperial guard was about to make a move when Lin Feilu suddenly said, "Wait a minute!" She said solemnly, "At times like this, someone will usually come out as a hero to save the beauty."
Lin Nianzhi, "?"
Did the fifth sister read too many stories?
As soon as those words were spoken, a clear voice resonated from below, "Stop!"
Lin Nianzhi's eyes widened as both she and Lin Feilu leaned forward from the window and looked down.
The robbed woman had been dragged a few meters away by the bully. The person leading the assault was dressed in fancy clothes, so it was clear that he was not someone that ordinary folks could provoke. The onlookers backed away subconsciously, but a young man in a green outfit stood alone conspicuously from the space in front of him.
As they were facing each other, only his tall and thin frame could be seen.
The head bully looked fierce and warned arrogantly, "Boy, don't meddle in other people's business! Now get out of here since this Young Master is nice enough to spare your life!"
The young man in the green outfit spoke neither modestly nor arrogantly, "Beyond the Imperial City and under the reign of the Emperor, everyone should obey the law. Since you are acting so arrogantly, let's go to the Jing Zhaoyin(1) and make some sense out of this situation!"
(T/N: An officer's position in ancient China, a status equivalent to the Chief Executive of the Capital in modern society. Think of it as a rank name and not a person's name)
Hearing this, the bully burst into laughter, "Who the heck would want to see the Jing Zhaoyin with you? Do you know who I am? Do you dare to meddle with my affairs?"
The young man in green still used the same tone of voice as before, "No matter who you are, you can't forcefully rob a civilian girl on the street. This behavior violates the 12th Chapter of the 7th Volume, article number 15th of the 'Law of the Great Lin Empire' and you should be punished according to the law."
The bully was dumbfounded as he turned to ask his younger henchman beside him, "What did this nerd say?"
He couldn't understand his words, but the younger one couldn't understand it either, so he shook his head in confusion. The young man in the green outfit took the opportunity to step forward and pulled the struggling girl, getting her to hide behind him.
Immediately, the bully became furious, "You are seeking death unto yourself!"
When he finished shouting those words, he waved his hands to signal the younger henchmen to go up and fight. The young man in the green outfit didn't look like a martial artist as he pulled the girl and ran away. Lin Nianzhi immediately said to the guard, "Go and help him!"
The guard obeyed the order and jumped out of the window. Within moments, he managed to beat all the bullies to the ground.
The head bully, in particular, was handled in an especially miserable manner—his nose was bleeding profusely while he tried to cover it with his hands. He pointed at the guard and cursed, "You…you are doomed! Do you know who my cousin's aunt is? She is none other than the Consort Lan, the most popular Concubine nowadays! My cousin is the Fifth Princess of the Great Lin Empire! Now that you dare to offend me, I will put you all in jail!"
Lin Feilu was surprised as she was still eating her melon, "?"
What the crap?
Lin Nianzhi glanced at the Little Fifth Princess next to her without saying anything.
The young man in green first bowed to the guards who came to help him before he thundered, "As a relative of the Imperial family, there is even more reason for you to obey the laws and abide by the etiquettes. If you keep on acting like this, even the Empress wouldn't be able to help you."
The bully was enraged and fuming, "Shut up! What would you know, you nerd? This b*tch's father lost my money, so I'm using her to settle the debt! She's justified in clearing her father's debt, and I'm the one doing things rightfully!"
The girl seemed like she was only twelve or thirteen years old. She was so frightened by the ordeal as she started to cry.
The young man in the green outfit still had a sincere and instructive tone, "Even so, how can a person be compared with money? Since he owes you money, this lady here can just earn her own money and pay you back; there's absolutely no reason for you to use her as collateral."
Lin Nianzhi couldn't help but applaud, "Well said!"
The crowd of onlookers also echoed, "Well said! That was very well said!"
The bully covered his nose and trembled with anger, but he didn't dare to do anything when he saw his litter of injured men lying on the ground screaming in pain and agony. He could only utter his words harshly, "All of you had better wait until…"
As soon as Lin Feilu put down her chopsticks, she flew down from the window. Now that she has improved a lot in her Qinggong, she landed in front of the bully and asked innocently, "What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me?"
The bully was on the verge of a breakdown, "Who are you?!"
Lin Feilu, "Didn't you say that I'm your cousin? You don't even know the appearance of your cousin, and yet you dare to use my name as a backing for your heinous deeds?"
Bully, "?!"
Xiao Lan had not reconciled with the Xiao family even until now, and Mother Xiao was prohibited from entering the palace on several accounts. She didn't expect that these scumbags from the Xiao family would dare to abuse her and her family's imperial position, flaunting their names like they were their protection amulets and ruining their reputation.
Lin Feilu was so angry that she lifted her foot and kicked him under his crotch. The bully was shocked by her words, so he didn't have the time to react and dodge.
Lin Feilu decided to take this opportunity to correct her name and reputation. Although she was young and petite, she was well-behaved and beautiful. When she stood there, her posture was upright, which made an excellent first impression amongst the people. Hence, any words that came out of her mouth became extremely convincing.
They heard her speak loudly, "I live in the palace with my Mother Consort, and I rarely interact with the Xiao family, but when exactly have you started to use our names to back you up on your domineering attitudes? We still have the letter that clearly stated the Xiao family wanting to break ties and connections with my Mother Consort, or have you all forgotten about it? Upon losing Imperial favor, we are nothing but strangers; but when we regain it, I'm suddenly your cousin again? What sort of sick world would that be?"
There were also rumors circulating amongst the civilians that Xiao Lan fell out of favor but regained it. Upon listening to the Fifth Princess herself mentioning it, the onlookers heard every single word of hers with clarity.
Listening to her words that were neither humble nor flippant, they suddenly felt that the Xiao family had indeed behaved in a very shameless and despicable manner.
He didn't even recognize the Fifth Princess, yet he was trying to hide behind her name? Ptui!
Rumors were floating around that the Fifth Princess was wise and mature for her age, but she was still very adorable. Upon seeing her now, they realized that those rumors were true after all!
Now that her identity was revealed, the surrounding people bowed and greeted her. The Xiao family's bully was as pale as the color of cement tiles, and he couldn't say a word.
After Lin Feilu finished her lecture, she instructed the guard, "Send all of these people to Jing Zhaoyin's place and deal with them according to the law."
The guard nodded, and as soon as the whistle blew, the remaining guards who were secretly accompanying them came over and escorted all the trembling group away.
After Lin Feilu dealt with the Xiao family bully, she turned around and saw that the young man in green had taken out a few pieces of silver from his purse and handed it to the girl, telling her to leave. The girl took the money, but she didn't go; instead, she kowtowed and cried, "Young Master, the gift of life that you granted me is a gift I will never forget. However, the fact remains that I was sold to the Xiao family by my father, but now I have no place to return to. Can the Young Master please take me— I can serve you as an enslaved person or with my frame for all of eternity."
After the hero saves the beauty, the beauty would naturally promise her body.
TV shows didn't lie to me, after all.
Unexpectedly, the young man in the green outfit spoke sternly, "I don't have a shortage of slaves and servants in my mansion. But when the Xiao family hands over your deed of slavery, you will be free, so please do not confine yourself to such cheap and crude methods because you're worth so much more than that."
In ancient times, buying and selling slaves was all too common. However, the young man in front of her respected all forms of life very much, and Lin Feilu felt a sense of respect towards him.
She couldn't help but take two steps forward to approach him when she happened to notice a mole under the corner of his left eye.
Wait, what?
Lin Feilu took a closer look and her entire being was stunned.
After being shocked, she turned around and waved frantically and excitedly at Lin Nianzhi, who was still leaning out the window.
Lin Nianzhi, "?"
What happened to the fifth sister? Why did she suddenly twitch out of nowhere?
After the girl thanked her as well and left, the young man in green turned around and bowed to Lin Feilu before he said warmly, "Greetings to the Fifth Princess, thank you very much for aiding this humble one."
Lin Feilu, "There's nothing to thank. This was how things should be! You…my sister and I are having dinner in the restaurant beside us, do you want to join us?"
He said respectfully, "This son of the Du family does not dare to disturb the Princess any longer, so I shall excuse myself."
After saying that, he bowed again and turned to leave.
Lin Feilu flew up from below excitedly.
Lin Nianzhi exclaimed, "Were you that eager to fly? Couldn't you have taken the stairs?!"
Lin Feilu grabbed her hand, "Eldest sister! It's him! It's brother-in-law!"
Lin Nianzhi, "?"
What the hell?
Where did 'brother-in-law' come from all of a sudden?
Lin Nianzhi then realized what she said as her hands suddenly covered her mouth, "Was he… was he Du Jingruo?!"
Lin Feilu seemed to be even more excited as if she was the one that was going to be his potential partner, "He is the greatest man, eldest sister! You made the right choice!"
Lin Nianzhi shook off her hand and said awkwardly, "How can he… he's just a nerd who recites the law and stuff… It's hilarious…"
Despite having said that, her ears gradually turned beet red.
On the way back to the palace, Lin Nianzhi was still immersed in the shyness of meeting her future husband-in-law. The only regret she had was that she only saw his silhouette and his back, but not the front.
She complained to Lin Feilu, "Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? I could have sneaked my way down to check him out a bit!"
Lin Feilu said, "I waved to you!"
Lin Nianzhi, "You, you call that a gesture?! I thought you went insane!"
Lin Feilu, "…"
Eldest Imperial Sister has quite the formidable temper when she gets mad.
However, after this chance encounter, Lin Feilu was also relieved of Du Jingruo's character. According to Lin Nianzhi's appearance, she seemed to be satisfied. After returning to the palace, Lin Nianzhi presented the portrait she had chosen to Emperor Lin.
So after the beginning of spring, Lin Nianzhi and Du Jingruo officially got engaged. When Lin Nianzhi turned fifteen, the Imperial marriage would formally commence.
Although Lin Nianzhi was known as the unruly Princess, it was also a great honor to marry a Princess and become part of the royal family. Of course, the family of the Minister of Rites was thrilled; she just didn't know what Du Jingruo himself thought about it.
However, according to Lin Feilu's observation, Du Jingruo had a straightforward personality. Not only did he have a sense of righteousness, but he also had maintained an old-fashioned aura and personality that belonged to scholars. Such people generally did little to resist the arrangements made at home, so even if he didn't like Lin Nianzhi now, they would probably treat each other sincerely after marriage.
After solving Lin Nianzhi's life-long affairs, Lin Feilu solved the issues with the Xiao family.
After returning to the palace, she told Xiao Lan about what she had seen and heard, causing her Mother Consort to become enraged. Even if Lin Feilu didn't know the bully who robbed the girl by force, the critical point was that Xiao Lan couldn't even remember this person's existence, so it was apparent that he was just an outsider.
However, this proved that even the children of other families dared to act this arrogantly. That meant that the Xiao family must have name-dropped the royals frequently enough times for no one to suspect anything amiss.
When Lin Feilu finished explaining the matter to Xiao Lan, Xiao Lan went to the Yangxin Palace dressed in a thin white coat after lunch.
When she arrived, Emperor Lin was discussing matters with the court officials inside, and the little eunuch who was guarding the door said respectfully, "It's cold. The Consort should return first. This servant will inform you when Your Majesty is done with the governing matters."
Xiao Lan shook her head and replied softly, "I will just wait here."
Consort Lan was not an unloved concubine; His Majesty was usually affectionate with her, so how could she be allowed to wait here in vain in the cold weather?
The little eunuch wanted to enter the Palace in a hurry, but Xiao Lan stopped him, "You don't need to report my arrival as His Majesty is busy handling political manners. I will enter once His Majesty's discussion ends."
The little eunuch didn't know what to say to her, so he could only respond carefully.
Emperor Lin didn't know there was someone outside as it took two hours to discuss matters with the court officials. As soon as the people left, he pinched the bridge of his nose and was about to go to the inner room to rest for a moment when the little eunuch hurried in and saluted, "Your Majesty, Consort Lan has been waiting outside for two hours."
Emperor Lin was furious, "You bastard! The weather is so cold. Why the heck did you not protest to her waiting outside?!"
He strode out of the palace, and as soon as he went out, he saw Xiao Lan standing upright in front of the door in thin yet plain clothes and jet black hair. The outfit accented her slender and soft body as her little face was frozen and pale, but that made her lips more conspicuous and more beautiful. However, when he saw her eyes gleaming with moisture, he felt a pang of guilt and pity for her.
Emperor Lin couldn't help it anymore. He held her cold hand in his palm as he spoke guiltily, "What is my dear Consort doing here? Are you intentionally trying to make me feel bad?"
Xiao Lan lowered her eyes before she bowed lowly and choked on her sobs softly, "This Consort is here to ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Emperor Lin couldn't help but pull her into the palace. He ordered the palace servants to heat the carbon stove, poured some hot tea, and insisted that Xiao Lan, who wanted to bow down again, sit on the soft seats and said, "Do I not know your personality yet? Your kindness makes you reluctant even to trample ants to death, so what sort of serious crime could you possibly have committed? Or is there another unsightly 'thing' that pestered their way into your palace?"
A while ago, some concubines deliberately went to the Mingyue Palace to cause some trouble by trying to catch her off guard or mess up. However, Xiao Lan's personality was like water— no one could hold onto it nor stop it from flowing. Those concubines ended up getting in trouble for trying to undermine a Consort and got what they deserved.
He held the teacup and handed it to Xiao Lan, "Drink a sip of hot tea to warm up your body. You are physically weak, so don't torment yourself like this in the future."
Xiao Lan was touched as she glanced at him. After drinking the hot tea, she softly spoke about Lin Feilu's encounter with the Xiao family's misbehavior outside the palace.
After she finished speaking, her eyes turned red again. Then, she got up and kowtowed, "I didn't know that my maternal family would be this ignorant of Your Majesty and the law. I'm afraid what happened yesterday might just be the tip of the iceberg, and I don't dare to think about what else they might have done. With that, I came here to face Your Majesty and ask for your punishment."
Emperor Lin thought that some sort of chronic issue might have arisen, but it just turned out to be this instead. It was not the first time the imperial relatives and friends have been domineering in public. Even Jing Zhaoyin would occasionally dismiss behaviors like these as long as there were no life-threatening situations, let alone the Emperor himself.
Usually, though, should any of the relatives from his concubines' maternal families act up, his wives would come flocking in, asking him to excuse their relatives' behaviors. This was his first time having someone approach him just to ask for a punishment— Consort Lan was genuinely different from the rest, after all. She didn't mind putting herself in a problematic situation by splitting the burden with him; what a beloved Consort!
Emperor Lin was very emotional. He helped her up and pulled her to sit beside him before saying, "It's all trivial matters. Didn't the Little Fifth Princess send that person to the Jing Zhaoyin(1) already? Even if he is guilty, that has nothing to do with you, my Consort."
(T/N: Mentioned it in the previous chapter, but Jing Zhaoyin is a title, not a person. Occasionally, the author refers to the residing office of the Jing Zhaoyin as the 'Zhaoyin Administration' as well)
Xiao Lan shook her head with reddened eyes and whispered, "It's a small matter now, but if you condone it, there will be more of such arrogance in the future. It is this Consort's luck for Your Majesty to dote on me, but this Consort can't take advantage of Your Majesty's Imperial favour and tolerate the disrespect towards your pride and name. This Consort entered the palace because I adored Your Majesty and wanted to love you forever, not to seek blessings and exceptions for anyone."
Distant relatives have always been a hidden danger in various dynasties. For example, the current Noble Consort Ruan was from the dominant Ruan clan, and Emperor Lin sometimes had a headache when he had to think about how to deal with them adequately.
At this time, Xiao Lan took the initiative to mention this matter. When she even expressed her thoughts considering his position, Emperor Lin was very touched.
He took her hand and asked, "Then, according to my beloved Consort, how should I deal with this?"
Xiao Lan's eyelashes trembled slightly as if she was sad in her heart. However, she still spoke firmly, "He should be punished severely to ensure that my maternal family members understand that the laws under the Emperor are strict. It should also show them that this Consort is not a talisman for them to refute and ignore the Imperial power. Hopefully, it will make them restrain themselves in the future and not dare to do it again."
Emperor Lin nodded thoughtfully and said, "If I severely punish the Xiao family, my Consort, outsiders will also criticize you. outsiders will also criticize you."
Xiao Lan pulled her lips together and smiled, "It is enough for Your Majesty to understand this Consort's intentions, so why should Your Majesty be afraid of outsiders?"
Emperor Lin took her into his arms at a loss, "I love your beauty and your righteousness. Because of that, I am pleased," He hugged her delicate body. Out of concern that Xiao Lan was feeling a little cold, Emperor Lin ordered the Imperial Kitchen to make some nourishing hot soup. Xiao Lan stayed back to play the qin with him and then stayed even longer in the Yangxin Palace until late into the evening before she left.
A few days later, the Zhaoyin Administration received the Imperial Decree from the palace.
For the past few days, the officers in the Zhaoyin Administration were in a tight spot due to a son of the Xiao family who was still in prison. From early dawn to late dusk, this person had been protesting that he was the nephew of Consort Lan. Yet, he was irrefutably sent into confinement by the Fifth Princess herself. With the ever-changing variables, the Jing Zhaoyin could not decide whether the son of Xiao family should be sentenced to light or heavy punishment.
Unexpectedly, when they received an Imperial Decree, its orders were to execute the heaviest punishment of his offense following the laws.
According to the 'Law of the Great Lin Dynasty', this person was, at best, going to be beaten 80 times. Instead, the Emperor's decree was to tattoo his face and send him into exile!
But the Imperial Decree could not be faked. Although the Governor of the Zhaoyin Administration did not know why this person had angered His Majesty as such, he still obeyed the decree and enacted the sentence.
The Xiao family bully, who had thought that he would get out of this sticky situation after being locked up for a few days, immediately fainted when he heard about this. Although he was not from a direct family and was only a distant relative with Xiao Lan, he was a powerful child of the branch family. He had a very close relationship with his own family branch. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to run amok either.
The Xiao family was furious after hearing about it. They felt that the Jing Zhaoyin deliberately targeted them and did not take the Xiao family seriously. The younger generation of the Xiao family representative, who had a seat in their leading roles, knocked on their doors to ask for an explanation. Instead, The Jing Zhaoyin showed him the Imperial Decree.
Seeing the Imperial Decree, the representative's face turned pale, and he returned home in a state of despair. When he reported the matter, the entire Xiao family was stunned.
His Majesty was clearly killing chickens to warn the monkeys(2), and this fact shocked them to no end.
(T/N: Means to give off a warning when a matter was small to make it an example)
How could this be? Could it be that Xiao Lan fell out of Imperial favour?!
They sent their people to inquire, but they found out that on the day after the Imperial Decree was issued, Emperor Lin had rewarded Xiao Lan with the natural East Sea Jade Coral Tree, which the Imperial Household Department newly provided.
The gifting of the Coral Tree was a good thing. In the Great Lin Dynasty, such an act symbolized auspiciousness and peace. In many places, the natural Jade Coral Tree was widely regarded as a fairy tree for blessings and worship, making the gift very precious.
The gift also meant that she did not fall out of Imperial favor.
The Xiao family was as anxious as ants on a hot pot. Recalling that the Fifth Princess scolded the Xiao family for being ruthless and unjust on that day, they began to wonder if Lin Feilu said something to Emperor Lin after returning to the palace.
Xiao Lan's attitude towards the Xiao family had been frosty ever since she regained her Imperial favor. No matter how they tried to curry favor or smear her with accusations of being unfilial and other ruthless remarks, Xiao Lan did not give them any form of response. Now that His Majesty had punished the son of the Xiao family, the imperial decree could be seen as His Majesty's position as not happy with the Xiao family either.
The Xiao family once made some minor moves before. Yet now that they were reprimanded for this, not only did they not acquire the benefits they intended to reap. Instead, they were even made into the laughingstock of the country. It was unbearable for them, but they could only helplessly dissolve into the shadows and continue with their lives.
The concubines in the harem also waited for the right time to tease Xiao Lan about the incident. However, they didn't expect His Majesty to take the usual path of consequences. While imposing punishment on her maternal family heavily, His Majesty also pampered Xiao Lan on the other hand—it was indeed a baffling sequence of events.
Forget it; they'd just enjoy the pretty spring flowers.
…
With the flowers fading away, it signaled the end of spring. At that moment, Lin Feilu was now seven years old.
Despite being two years older than when she first arrived, Lin Feilu was surprised to discover that she! Was! Still! Short!
I'm fascinated.
Even the little baby Lin Wei's height was a head taller already, so why am I still a midget?!
If it goes on like this, Lin Wei will be taller than me!
Am I destined to be a loli in this life?!
Lin Feilu thought hard and gulped down the third glass of milk into her stomach.
Didn't they say she could grow taller if she drank more milk? If she didn't grow taller next year, she would sue the milk dealer for fraud!
Oh, there are no dairy merchants here.
Lin Feilu was sad about that and sighed.
This year, there were naturally no more lavish arrangements for her birthday banquet, but the gifts from the various palaces were quite a handful— perhaps even more luxurious than last year's gifts. After all, Xiao Lan was not what she used to be.
The whole day passed already, but she still did not receive Little Pretty Boy's gift. But this time, she got used to this action with ease. After the skies turned dark, she didn't hurry herself to sleep. Instead, she wore a light cloak, carried her small milk jug, and flew up to the roof to gaze at the stars.
There was no such thing as smog and exhaust gases in this era, so the stars were unbelievably bright.
She squinted and stretched out her short hands to trace the constellations in the night when suddenly, there was a soft sound of a slight gust of wind forming behind her. Before she could turn around, Song Jinglan lightly landed beside her and sat down.
Lin Feilu was stunned. She had planned to hide here to watch him knocking on her window to find that there was no one in her room. Then, she would reveal where she was and relish in the look of the supposed astonishment on his face.
She was a little disappointed, "How did Your Highness know that I am here?"
Song Jinglan said, "I heard the Princess's breathing."
Lin Feilu, "?"
Young man, what sort of creepy martial arts is this?!
Song Jinglan accepted her surprised gaze readily and laughed, "That's a lie— the moon is too bright tonight. The Princess was too obvious when you were sitting here, so that's how I saw you."
Lin Feilu stretched out her hand, "My gift!"
As expected, Song Jinglan lowered his head and took out a book from his arms.
No way, you're giving me a book? Do I look like I'm as uneducated as Lin Jingyuan?
Lin Feilu shivered at the thought.
But she realized that there was no writing on the book's cover that Song Jinglan handed over. Instead, it was colored black, just like the night sky.
Lin Feilu glanced at him suspiciously before she took it slowly and muttered, "Alright. If I don't like this gift, you have to change it."
Song Jinglan said, "Okay."
She opened the page with joy, only to see that there were no ancient essays but little sketches of people with various poses. Each page had pictures on the left and words on the right.
It was a book about martial arts skills. Some of the martial arts moves were personally drawn by Song Jinglan.
Last year, Lin Feilu failed to climb the wall of his villa and once joked about asking him to teach her some martial art skills that would be easier to master.
In fact, it was just a joke at the time.
She knew that martial arts were practiced in various forms and styles in ancient times and were an official matter. For example, before she formally practiced martial arts with Noble Consort Xi, she also handed over three cups of tea to her as an act of respect to her new Master. Song Jinglan's skills, in retrospect, were unfathomable at a young age, and he walked freely in the palace without anyone noticing.
How could he easily pass on his unique skills to an outsider like her?
Despite knowing that she was just kidding, he kept it in his heart and hand-drawn a 'Secret Martial Arts Book' that was suitable for her. The moonlight illuminated the book's pages, and every stroke of ink just portrayed his seriousness and concentration.
It was the feeling of being taken care of.
She roughly finished flipping through the book, and she didn't know what to say for a while. Finally, she asked solemnly, "Your Highness, if I kiss you now, you don't have a problem with it, right?"
Song Jinglan raised her eyebrows slightly with a helplessly amusing smile in his eyes as if he didn't know what to do with this sort of coquettish kid.
Lin Feilu pouted and happily flipped through the Secret Martial Arts Book in his hand, "When I finish my studies, I can go on a sword-fighting adventure!"
Song Jinglan chuckled lightly, "Sword-fighting adventure?"
Lin Feilu nodded happily and then warmly invited him, "Do you want to come with me, Your Highness? We can make a stage name when the time comes. Oh! Let's call ourselves the 'Black and White Twin Heroes'! Traveling with horses, rejoicing in revenge against injustice, drinking and eating meat— wouldn't that be nice?"
Her tone was full of yearning for that unknown world.
Song Jinglan's tone unintentionally brightened, "Okay."
After Lin Feilu finished her longing for a pipe dream, she turned to laugh at him again, "Why does Your Highness say okay to anything I say? Why are you so nice to me?"
He looked at her with the color of the moonlight spring night reflected in his eyes, "Well, because the Princess is also very kind to me."
Lin Feilu was then embarrassed by his reply.
She couldn't help but think of the romance novels she had read in her previous world when she was in school. Every heroine had a gentle or naughty friend in their childhood. She was alone at that time, so she once fantasized that it would be nice if she had a partner-in-crime.
In that case, she would not be that lonely throughout her childhood and even in her teenage years.
Did the Gods hear her wish and grant a new life for her because of that?
Although it was a bit late for her wish to come true, she was still thrilled.
Lin Feilu happily stretched out her hand, "Then that's settled— give me five!"
Song Jinglan, "Huh?"
Lin Feilu, "It's a high five!"
Song Jinglan shook his head and smiled before he raised his palm and touched hers lightly. Lin Feilu was dissatisfied, so she held onto his wrist and clapped her short hand on it.
She was only satisfied when she heard the clear slap between the two palms, "We swear upon the high five, don't forget it!"
He retracted his hand and looked down at the slightly reddening marks on his palm, smiling.
On the way back to the Cuizhu Villa, Song Jinglan met the guard that lurked in the shadows of the night. He was dressed in black and was hidden between the tree canopies as the sound of his breathing couldn't even be heard at all. The vigilant guards walked under the tree without noticing that there was someone overhead.
When the guards left, he didn't leave in a hurry either.
The moonlight on a spring night gilded the entire palace with a layer of silver splendor, giving it both deserted and graceful appearance. Looking around, the lightly illuminated structure was majestic and gorgeous.
The former Great Lin Empire was regarded as an uneducated land of barbarians who could do nothing but fight fiercely. Today, generation after generation, it was now the orthodox capital of the world as everyone was flocking towards it.
Song Jinglan looked at the villa that stood calmingly amidst the night. He smiled silently with the corners of his lips hooked.
The black shadow swept across the air swiftly; not even the birds were disturbed.
When Song Jinglan returned to the Cuizhu Villa, Tiandong was sitting in the dark room and taking a nap. When he heard a voice outside the door, he quickly got up and turned on the lamp, "Your Highness, you're back?"
As soon as the lamp was lit, he realized that someone was already standing inside the house.
Tiandong almost fainted out of fright and lost his voice for a moment, "Mr. Ji, when did you come in?"
Jiliang stood there holding the sword. As if he were a ghost in the night, he said expressionlessly, "When you sleep-talked your third sentence."
Tiandong covered his mouth, "I never talk when I sleep!"
Song Jinglan pushed open the door and came in. Upon seeing Jiliang, he smiled, "Uncle Ji is back."
Jiliang took out a letter from his clothes and handed it to him. Wordlessly, he then flew out of the window without making a sound.
Tiandong patted his chest and said, "Mr. Ji's kung fu is getting more and more unfathomable— he doesn't make a sound when he flies!" He leaned over again, looking at the letter in Song Jinglan's hand, and asked in a low voice, "Young Master Rong replied?"
Song Jinglan took the letter and lightly patted him on the head with it. Tiandong pouted, but soon, he went out to boil some hot water for the Prince's bath.
When the room fell silent, Song Jinglan walked to the side of the desk and sat down, slowly opening the envelope. Familiar handwriting and frivolous sentences greeted him; the beginning of the letter was something that he had seen countless times.
After watching for a while, Jiliang, who was elusive, flew in from the window once more. He stood behind the Prince and said in a low voice, "Rongyan said that the person you want to win over is being a bit difficult, but he will find a way to send some men into that hellhole to accomplish your goals. He is unsure if this trick would work, but should it fail, ridding them would be of priority— so you should choose another person in advance as a backup."
Song Jinglan nodded and said warmly, "Thank you, Uncle Ji, for painstakingly relaying our correspondence for a year."
Jiliang, "It's no hard work at all. I've improved a lot on my Qinggong, anyways."
After speaking, he disappeared without a sound.