Royal Palace

Chapter Seven

When I heard the word "royal palace," I imagined it to be the palace of the Eastern Chu Kingdom, with high walls, towering palaces, and a solemn imperial carriage. But when I saw it, I realized it was nothing like that at all.

There was only one gate to enter and exit the palace, guarded by six soldiers armed with spears and armor. Lan Feiyu and I rode our horses to the gate. She jumped off her horse first and showed something to the soldiers. I couldn't see it clearly, but I guessed it was an entry pass. After exchanging a few words, the soldiers stepped back, and she waved to me.

I dismounted and walked alongside her, followed by several porters carrying loads. I looked around and noticed that the houses I saw along the way were not large, let alone magnificent. However, they had a peculiar appearance, mostly round and plump with a ring of black tiles on the top, like fat men who had only had their hair shaved halfway through. They were quite different from the buildings in the capital, whether they were palaces or ordinary residences.

Just as I was enjoying myself, Lan Feiyu suddenly asked me, "Xi'er, would you like to come with me to see the eldest prince first to report the clinic's accounts, or should I find someone else to take you to meet Prince Xinan?"

I hesitated for a moment, remembering the eldest prince's overbearing attitude just now, but still said, "I'll go with you first."

Lan Feiyu smiled at me and let out a soft breath, as if she had been relieved. This made me feel even more that my decision was correct.

The eldest prince's residence is on the left side of the palace—Lan Feiyu explained to me that the left and right sides of the palace are the residences of the royal family, while the middle section is where the king and officials handle government affairs. There is no very strict division between the three areas.

This was almost unimaginable to me, but I remembered my older brother telling me on the way here that it was not uncommon for officials in Bozhou, and even the king, to have concubines taking over their husbands' positions. I guess I can only blame myself for being too ignorant and making a big fuss about things I hadn't seen before.

However, we didn't get to see the eldest prince, but we did see his wife. When she came out, she was adorned with elaborate headdresses and gold and silver ornaments, so dazzling that I couldn't see her face clearly, couldn't tell her age, and even doubted her height. I wondered if she had been shrunk by the heavy-looking ornaments.

Her voice sounded young, delicate and soft. Compared to the imposing eldest prince, it was like a black bear and a goat. Her Mandarin was also very fluent. When she bowed to me, I was filled with trepidation, afraid that her headdress would fall to the ground: "Indeed, you are a young lady who has come to court. So beautiful."

I blushed and stammered a reply, but it was truly against my will...

The First Princess then turned to Lan Feiyu and said with a smile, "After Amu returned, he rushed to the hunting grounds, saying that he would invite the king who came to court tomorrow morning to go hunting together. He instructed that if you come, you should leave your things behind and not wait for him."

Lan Feiyu nodded in agreement, apologized to me and the First Princess, and led the porters inside.

I couldn't follow, so I continued to smile at the First Princess.

The Queen Consort said, “Miss, your skin is so beautiful, so fair and tender. Are all the noble ladies at court this beautiful? I think your King is also very handsome, with a sparse beard, and his smile is as intoxicating as fine wine.”

"Uh, haha, Your Highness flatters me, Your Highness flatters me!" I replied insincerely, thinking to myself that if my older brother knew that he was actually called "cute," he would probably fly into a rage and lose his mind.

Then the topic of the eldest princess inevitably turned to how to nourish the skin to achieve fair and smooth complexion. I was completely ignorant about this, so I could only make up some random ideas for her. Seeing that the eldest princess was listening intently, I became even more anxious, hoping that Lan Feiyu would appear soon.

About the time it takes to eat a meal, Lan Feiyu finally returned. She smiled gently at me, who was looking on expectantly, and then said to the First Princess, "The account books have been put away. Please wait for the First Prince to return and tell him."

The First Princess smiled and said, "Alright, thank you for your hard work, sister. Are you leaving already? What a pity, I really wanted to chat with this young lady longer."

My heart pounded with anxiety, so I quickly forced a smile and explained to the First Princess that my main purpose in coming to the palace was to see my older brother. The First Princess smiled even more broadly and said, "Oh, I really want to go with you!"

Just as everyone was getting chills, the First Princess sighed to herself, "What a pity, the First Prince is so petty!"

She was filled with regret, but I felt uneasy listening to her. Lan Feiyu probably didn't want to stay any longer either, and without even a perfunctory reply, she took her leave directly.

Leaving the Crown Prince's mansion, which was even taller and rounder than the "fat man" we had met along the way, Lan Feiyu breathed a sigh of relief and explained to me with a wry smile, "Xi'er, don't mind. The Crown Princess, well, she's a very sentimental person and doesn't like to stand on ceremony."

I chuckled and blurted out, "Ah, Yu... Feiyu, why do you brothers and sisters address each other so formally? Aren't the two princes your elder brothers?"

Back in the capital, even the Crown Prince was usually addressed as "Second Brother."

Lan Feiyu's brows furrowed suddenly, and the corners of her mouth twitched, but the expression vanished in an instant: "They are not my brother. My own brother has already passed away."

Before I could even think of what to say, she had already taken my arm and said with a smile, "Come on, let's go see your brother."

Fortunately, my older brother's residence was on the same side of the palace. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, we saw in the distance that the soldiers guarding the gate were dressed as soldiers from Eastern Chu. I immediately pulled Lan Feiyu and quickened my pace.

After the announcement, the older brother personally came to the door to greet me. I was so happy that I threw myself into his arms. Before I could say anything, I heard a man chuckle: "King Xinan's sister is indeed clever and lovely."

She speaks fluent Mandarin, but is it common for people here to use the word "cute" to praise others?

My older brother and I are often described as "cute," perhaps this is proof that we are a family?

Looking up, I saw a man in his early twenties standing behind the older brother. He was actually... well, his upper body was naked, with several necklaces and chokers hanging around his chest. At first glance, they looked like he was wearing clothes. The materials were gold and silver, and there seemed to be some animal teeth and bones as well.

With this kind of style, it seems that he and the Grand Princess are a better match.

Perhaps my older brother thought I was staring in disbelief, which seemed quite inappropriate, so he gently patted my shoulder and said, "Xiao Xi, this is His Highness the Second Prince of Bozhou. Aren't you going to bow?"

The second prince waved his hand and laughed, "No need to be so formal! Sister Xinan can just call me by my name, Asa."

Hmm, Sister Xinan? King Xinan's sister? Such a casual way of addressing her, I didn't dare to answer immediately, and looked at the older brother.

After receiving my elder brother's nod, I bowed to the second prince and awkwardly called out, "Sir Asa."

I couldn't help but think that Lan Feiyu's name sounded better.