Chapter 9 Guan Ju, Princess Jiangning, has come to stay at my house.
"Princess Jiangning wants to come to our house to learn martial arts?" Chen Liangyu's pupils trembled a few times, her refusal written all over her face.
Chen Yuanqing calmly replied, "That's right."
Who will teach her?
"Of course it's you."
Chen Liangyu put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm not free, how can I have time to teach her? Besides, there are tutors in the palace, why come to our house? And why do you want me to teach her?"
Whether he was busy or not, he knew in his heart, and his voice naturally lowered a notch when he spoke.
Chen Yuanqing said, "I don't know, it's the Crown Prince's intention."
The reason is simple upon closer examination: Xie Wenjun is the emperor's only princess. Since most of the martial arts training grounds are occupied by men, and the royal family values honor, they naturally do not allow Xie Wenjun to have too much contact with men. Sending her to the Xuanping Marquis's residence to be taught by Chen Liangyu, who is also a woman, is the best solution.
But what use would it be for a delicate royal princess to learn martial arts? After much thought, the only explanation could be that it was related to the spring hunt in March of the following year.
Chen Liangyu looked at Chen Linjun with a pleading gaze: "Brother, sister-in-law has been..."
Chen Linjun refused directly: "I'm busy."
Chen Liangyu frowned and said, "Big brother."
Chen Linjun snorted, "Don't leave the mess you got yourself into to your sister-in-law."
Chen Liangyu raised her hand and swore: "Heaven and earth bear witness, when did I ever offend her? I have no desire to get involved with this Crown Princess at all, I'd rather avoid her than do anything else!"
“I can help you, but go talk to your sister-in-law yourself. However, since we asked your sister-in-law to teach, the reward money should naturally belong to her. Don’t try to pocket it for yourself,” Chen Linjun clicked his tongue and raised his voice, “Someone in our family has been fined half a year’s salary.”
Chen Liangyu leaned slightly towards Chen Linjun, her face earnest, and asked, "Is the reward money much?"
"It's hard to say."
Chen Liangyu picked up her bowl and chopsticks, shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth, and declared, "Teaching the princess martial arts is just a small matter, no need to trouble you, sister-in-law. I'll do it myself."
The next day, Princess Jiangning appeared at the entrance of the Marquis of Xuanping's residence right on time. The imperial guards accompanying her spread out in rows, and the sight of them made passersby think that something had happened at the Marquis's residence.
There's no need for that at all. The Imperial Guards, who look tall and imposing but are mostly just for show, are far inferior to the soldiers of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, who are all seasoned veterans.
Despite her young age, Xie Wenjun's appearance and demeanor are already outstanding. Her gentle features, especially her bright eyes, make her look innocent and harmless.
Chen Liangyu looked over and lingered on that face for a couple more seconds.
They gazed at each other across a doorway, their eyes meeting across the distance, as if separated by the Milky Way in the sky and the River of Oblivion in the underworld. The distance of only a hundred meters or so seemed so vast.
After dismounting from the bronze chariot, Xie Wenjun smoothed her hair and casually adjusted her clothes.
Chen Liangyu trusted her own judgment. Her eyes always gave people a feeling of unfathomable depth, which did not match Xie Wenjun's seemingly quiet and elegant appearance.
It looks nice, but I really don't like it!
This seemingly simple Princess Jiangning is actually extremely shrewd and calculating.
Xie Wenjun walked towards her in her line of sight. She looked away and stopped looking directly at him, and went forward with her parents to greet him.
Eunuch Wei followed behind Xie Wenjun, his whole demeanor inexplicably strange.
From afar, this eunuch looked like an elderly man, but up close he was just a malnourished seven or eight-year-old child. Yet, his voice and actions belied the maturity of an adult. It was as if a middle-aged man had taken over the body of a young boy, living by consuming the child's life essence, hence his listless and emaciated appearance.
He followed closely behind Xie Wenjun with small, quick steps.
The master and servant are both acting strangely; just look at the good job your father has gotten for you!
He Yunzhou settled Xie Wenjun in Guanju Tower, which was separated from Chen Liangyu's Liangyuan by a winding corridor. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, clouds gathered in the sky, the air became cold and damp, and the warm breath exhaled from mouths condensed into white mist.
The escorts have been sent back to the palace, leaving only Eunuch Wei, his two personal maids Yuanrong and Daiqing, and a few lowly palace maids.
Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun sat at the stone table and benches in the pavilion in the backyard, staring at each other.
"What does the princess wish to learn?"
"I should be asking you, where do we begin?"
The basics all begin with the foundation, which starts with the horse stance. Chen Liangyu looked at her, dressed in fine clothes, and thought she didn't look like someone who came to practice martial arts at all. In her mind, she pictured Princess Jiangning wearing these clothes, straddling a horse stance with her legs spread wide, which was really unseemly.
"Has the princess ever practiced martial arts?"
No.
Chen Liangyu patted her head and neck with a bit of distress. For the first time in her life, she missed her incredibly strict Uncle Yan terribly.
Uncle Yan? Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
"Princess, please wait a moment."
She rummaged through the bookshelf, turning it upside down, and finally pulled a thin booklet from the bottom of an old box.
"Pfft~" The paper smelled damp.
Xie Wenjun looked at the booklet she handed over, puzzled, and tilted her head to look at her.
"This is what I read when I first learned martial arts. It contains some basic martial arts knowledge. Take it back and take a look. Your Highness's attire today is not suitable for practicing martial arts. I hope Your Highness will dress more simply tomorrow and not wear so many cumbersome items."
Xie Wenjun picked up the crumpled book that could barely be called a book, flipped through the pages, and obediently said, "Okay, do you want to memorize it?"
That would be best.
In winter, darkness falls exceptionally early; by the time one is in the afternoon, the sun has already set.
The sky was unusually dark today, and the servants lit lanterns early in the morning. A cold wind rose in the courtyard, rustling the withered branches and leaves of the flowers and plants in the back garden.
It looks like they've been holding back a thunderstorm.
After dismissing Princess Jiangning, Chen Liangyu returned to Liangyuan. Deep within the courtyard grew a delightful ginkgo tree with a canopy reaching for the sky. After the heavy snow, there were only a few golden leaves left to fall, and it was being ravaged by the strong wind, stubbornly swaying on the tree and refusing to be blown down.
She wouldn't let anyone sweep away the fan-shaped fallen leaves on the ground, as some autumnal scenery would be perfect for winter.
She bolted the door, walked back to the corridor alone, and casually took the tinderbox from under the gargoyle to light the candle.
She lived alone in the courtyard, without even a maidservant to attend to her, and she wouldn't allow anyone to disturb her.
Upon entering the inner room, he lit the oil lamp by the bedside, took off his outer robe and hung it on the frame, washed his face with a handkerchief soaked in water that had cooled down, and after doing all this in an orderly manner, he changed into his undergarments, took off his boots, and went to bed.
The winter was dry and cold, and the rain seemed to be lingering, causing several flashes of lightning to rip through the night sky and a few dry claps of thunder to echo from the ground.
At midnight, the gate of Liangyuan was knocked on loudly. Chen Liangyu, still sleepy-eyed, put on a cloak and went out to open the door. Underneath the cloak, he wore only a thin undergarment, and the cold wind whistled through his clothes. Yuanrong first bowed, and then said, "Young General Chen, the princess sent me to invite you."
"Now?"
Chen Liangyu glanced at the pitch-black night; it was probably almost midnight.
"yes."
"Has the princess said what it is about?"
“The princess is afraid of thunder, perhaps because she has read too many ghost stories. On stormy nights, more than a dozen people need to be on guard in the palace to help her fall asleep, but now it’s just me and Daiqing. The princess said, please ask the young general to go and calm her down.”
Let's calm down!
This is using her as a door god.
Chen Liangyu nodded and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right there after I change my clothes."
She grabbed a casual outfit and put it on, then pulled her cloak tighter and stepped into the raging wind. Yuan Rong carried a lantern ahead to light the way, the light flickering and swaying as if it would be blown out by the wind at any moment.
Daiqing was stirring the charcoal fire in the stove with an iron shovel. There was plenty of charcoal in the attic. As soon as she stepped in, a surge of heat rushed from her feet to the top of her head, and she even broke out in a slight sweat.
Xie Wenjun buried her head in the blankets, trying to muffle the terrifying sound of the thunder.
Eunuch Wei was waiting by the tent. When he saw Yuan Rong invite Chen Liangyu over, he immediately lifted one side of the tent flap and announced to the inside, "Princess, Commander Chen has arrived."
Xie Wenjun peeked out from under the covers, her frightened doe eyes filled with panic. Only when she saw Chen Liangyu following Yuan Rong into the inner room did the turmoil in her eyes subside somewhat. She sat up, her soft hair cascading over her shoulders, her hands gripping the edge of the blanket tightly, revealing that she was still afraid.
Chen Liangyu sat on the ground on the high steps outside the bed curtains. "Princess, please rest. I will sit outside the curtains."
Daiqing brought over a prayer mat. Chen Liangyu rested her arms on her bent knees, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.
Xie Wenjun lay back down.
Eunuch Wei lowered the bed curtains and consciously retreated to stand guard outside the inner room. Yuan Rong and Dai Qing also closed the door and went to rest in the outer room. The inner room was quiet and peaceful.
Chen Liangyu glanced around the inner room. The decor and furnishings were extremely simple. On the incense table by the bed sat an exquisite crane-shaped incense burner, quietly releasing wisps of smoke. A few pale red plum blossoms were simply arranged in a white porcelain vase, exuding a cool and elegant charm.
Although this pavilion is not far from Liangyuan, she has only been here twice, including this time.
The first time was when she had just returned to Yongdu and was getting used to her new home. Madam He saw that the pavilion was exquisite and delicate and planned to make it her boudoir, but she immediately took a fancy to the small courtyard with a gate next to it.
Her mind was wandering.
“Ah Li.”
The person behind the bed curtains spoke softly. This was the first time Xie Wenjun had called her name. Her voice was always soft and weak, but to Chen Liangyu, it sounded like a needle hidden in cotton, ready to prick her unexpectedly.
"Mm," she responded. A moment later, realizing she might have been too cold, she added, "Your subject is here."
There was nothing more to say, so she waited quietly. After a long while, as if she had finally made up her mind, Xie Wenjun spoke again, saying, "I'm so sorry to bother you so late."
"Your Highness is too kind. Since Your Highness is staying here, it is my duty to protect you."
The answer was routine, cold and devoid of warmth.
The blinding white light, flickering on and off, illuminated the entire room. Then, another thunderclap boomed, so loud it seemed to shake the earth. Xie Wenjun covered her ears and waited for the thunder to pass.
After the huge, long roar subsided, the room returned to silence. Xie Wenjun then said, "You seem to have a deep-seated prejudice against me?"
Chen Liangyu was taken aback. She had never been negligent towards Princess Jiangning, so why was she asking this question?
She underestimated the child's keen nature and insight.
As Chen Liangyu hesitated about how to answer, Xie Wenjun spoke up again: "After thinking it over, I realized it was that day in the Chongzheng Hall of the Emperor that you saw me smile at Consort De, wasn't that right?"
"Yes, I saw it." She admitted frankly, but fearing that she might hurt Xie Wenjun's feelings, she added, "I have no prejudice against the princess."
She's not good at lying; she's just telling the truth.
"What kind of person am I in your eyes?" Xie Wenjun asked.
Chen Liangyu searched for a few polite words to brush him off. Xie Wenjun said again, "You don't need to be perfunctory. I want to hear what you really think."
Chen Liangyu's heart was racing like a cavalry charge. She had never learned to fake anything, and when Xie Wenjun said, "I want to hear her true feelings," she nervously told the truth.
"He is cunning and scheming, and is not worth associating with."
Xie Wenjun had not expected her to be so sincere, and no sound came from inside the tent for a long time.
The sound of rain enveloped Guanju Tower, and their voices were drowned out by the oncoming wind and rain. Yuanrong and Daiqing leaned against the door, dozing off.
A short while later, Xie Wenjun seemed to chuckle, a very slight laugh, so slight that Chen Liangyu thought it was her imagination. "Can I take that as you being afraid of me?"
Fear? Chen Liangyu thought she wasn't afraid, but she was genuinely avoiding her. To be honest, if the Crown Prince hadn't sent her to the Marquis's residence, she wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with this princess who harbored ulterior motives.
She couldn't see through this person. It takes a long time to get to know someone. After a while, you can figure out their personality and then naturally deduce their rules of conduct. In total, they had only met three times, and Xie Wenjun's impression of her in the first two meetings was not good.
At first glance, she was ruthless.
On the second side, she was cunning.
This is the third time I've seen her, and she's become timid and docile again.
She admired integrity and uprightness, but growing up in such a blood-soaked environment, she could only resort to scheming and manipulating people's hearts time and time again. Rather than saying she wanted to avoid Xie Wenjun, it would be more accurate to say she wanted to shake off that cunning and wicked self.
In some ways, they are the same kind of people.
"Princess, go to sleep," she said after a long silence.
"I can't sleep. If you'd like to listen, I can tell you what's on my mind."
"Princess, please speak freely. I am listening."
A note from the author:
Chen Liangyu (swearing to the heavens): "I have absolutely no desire to get involved with this Crown Princess!"
Jiang Ning: "Who's going to volunteer for a bed seat next?"
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