The world is vast
Sima Yao tried her best to recall, but in reality, the experience of that sword strike had replayed in her mind countless times in the past few days.
She said, "At that time, I used the 'Hundred Absolute Techniques of the Qilin' to pursue Xie Lang. Because I was going all out, I had already used the 'Force Overwhelming a Thousand Pounds' technique. Although Xie Lang kept dodging and rolling, he could not keep up with my speed as I leaped forward with my sword as one. But the Grand Secretary simply did not think twice and casually used his sword to easily neutralize my full-force attack. The angle and force were just right. It seemed light and unfeeling when it touched me, but after it touched me, I felt that its force was more than a thousand pounds. All my resistance was like a mud ox sinking into the sea. I was completely suppressed and could not move."
Sima Jun listened intently to her description, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light, and then said emphatically, "Good! Good!"
Sima Yao and Li Wen, who were present, were unaware of his thoughts and dared not utter another word, lest they disturb his mood.
Sima Jun gazed at the sword in his hand again, pondered for a moment, and said, "Shangguan Jin is hailed as a sword immortal, yet he has never drawn a sword in over twenty years. This sword strike is because of you, which shows that you also have a certain affinity with him. Therefore, the idea of becoming his disciple is not entirely impossible."
Sima Yao was completely stunned, looking utterly incredulous. And it wasn't just Sima Yao; Li Wen also looked astonished and incredulous.
Why didn't Sima Jun, the Prince of Langya, object to his daughter becoming Shangguan Jin's apprentice?
Sima Jun looked at his daughter again and said gently, "Since you have this intention, I will try to sound out Shangguan Jin's opinion and see if he is willing to form this master-disciple relationship with our Langya Prince's Mansion. However, if the apprenticeship is successful, you must not act recklessly as before. Not only will Shangguan Jin certainly not allow it, but our Langya Prince's Mansion will also not allow such a junior to tarnish the reputation of our ancestors."
She listened in a daze, unable to believe that such a good thing could fall from the sky.
The long-cherished wish seems to be within reach.
Her father, who was usually so difficult to talk to, actually stepped forward to support her and grant her wish in this matter, something she had never expected before.
Her heart leaped with joy, and even her eyes regained their sparkling light; her mood could be described as overjoyed.
Sima Jun naturally saw the changes in his daughter, smiled without saying a word, and said, "You may go down now."
A Qiu listened intently, fully experiencing Sima Yao's feelings of both anticipation and trepidation.
All because, at this moment, thinking of Gu Yi, she felt this way.
But when she stole a glance at Sima Yao, she wasn't sure if Sima Yao understood the true reason behind her feelings.
Seeing her stealing glances at her expression, Sima Yao couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused, saying, "Why don't you ask what happened next?"
A Qiu was taken aback by her question and paused for a moment before replying, "Of course it didn't work out. If you had successfully become a disciple back then, you wouldn't have ended up marrying into the Shangguan family as a concubine."
Upon hearing this, Sima Yao sighed and said, "You are indeed very clever. Alas."
Hearing her soft sigh, it seemed as if it contained boundless melancholy and bewilderment.
A Qiu then became curious and said, "No matter what, you eventually entered the Shangguan family and inherited the tomb keeper's swordsmanship. You can say that your wish has been fulfilled. Why bother about the twists and turns of the process?"
Sima Yao said calmly, "Yes, later I still entered Shangguan's school and learned Shangguan's swordsmanship. However,"
She said softly, "That sword in green robes embodied the elegance of Jiangzuo, yet I only witnessed it once in my life."
It wasn't until she was talking to A-Qiu that she remembered this.
After receiving Sima Jun's promise to probe Shangguan Jin's opinion on whether he could accept her as a disciple, she felt lost and confused for many days.
That feeling of overwhelming joy was something she had never experienced before, nor did she ever imagine she would ever feel it in her life.
She was previously the most honored woman in the Great Huan Empire, with gold, silver, jewels, titles, and fiefdoms to her name, but she never remembered ever being this happy.
She was thinking about what she should say when she became an apprentice, so as to show that she was not as unruly and rude as the rumors suggested.
She pondered what to give as a gift for the apprenticeship ceremony. Gold, silver, pearls, and jade were too vulgar, and she wasn't skilled in the Four Treasures of the Study. As for swords and weapons, what other weapons in the world could surpass the Shangguan family's legendary sword, "Ice Bamboo"?
No one would have expected that the usually carefree Princess Langya would actually rack her brains and be so careful about these things.
However, in April the willow branches turned green and the poplar catkins flew; in May the pomegranate flowers shone like fire, turning the whole garden red, but she still did not receive any news of her father.
Although she was careless and clumsy, she knew how to read people's expressions and moods—this was an important reason why she was able to gain the emperor's favor while serving in the emperor's court.
She dared not ask.
He dared not test the waters in front of his mother.
Her mother was even more meticulous than her father. She couldn't afford to give her mother any faults, lest she be ridiculed and scolded.
Her inability to marry had become a major worry for her mother. And as she grew older each year, the things her mother said to her became increasingly unpleasant.
Her father seemed to be in a bad mood. In the current Prince's mansion, it seemed that any extra word from anyone would immediately spark an argument. She didn't want to be the one to start the firecracker.
One day, during a martial arts demonstration in the palace, Sima Yan was practicing his bow and arrow when he suddenly seemed to remember something. He glanced at her and said, "Imperial sister, I think I heard recently that you wanted to become the Grand Secretary's apprentice?"
Her heart immediately pounded, but she quickly composed herself and asked ambiguously, "Where did this come from? The Grand Secretary and I... are not acquainted. Who told you this, Your Majesty?"
Sima Yan had just drawn his bow and shot an arrow when he casually said, "It's best if you're not familiar with it. I heard that after the Grand Secretary heard it, he immediately explained that the Shangguan family's swordsmanship was never passed on to outsiders, and many people heard it at the time, regardless of whether they were imperial relatives or not. In my opinion, Yao Yao, our Sima family's swordsmanship is also quite good, so there's no need to use ourselves as a stepping stone to flatter the Grand Secretary."
It was as if a ladle of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe, chilling her to the bone.
My first thought was that my father had mentioned it before, but "he" had refused.
The second thought was that her elder brother was unaware that this was her idea, and she had just distanced herself from it. Therefore, her brother must believe that their father, Sima Jun, was deliberately trying to win over Shangguan Jin. He was warning himself not to get any closer to Shangguan Jin.
She wasn't a scheming person to begin with, but after this blow, she was suddenly distraught and couldn't help but say, "I... I just really admire his gentlemanly swordsmanship."
She was known as a martial arts fanatic within her family, a fact that Sima Yan was also aware of. From a young age, if she had a favorite weapon or a particular martial arts style, she would relentlessly pursue it, working tirelessly until she obtained it, diligently studying it – this was simply her true nature.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have achieved her current level of swordsmanship and become the royal family's foremost swordsman.
Sima Yan finally put down his bow and arrow and looked carefully at the expression on her face.
After a moment, he sighed and said, "Yaoyao, you are the most honored daughter in the entire Dahuan. What can't you have? Don't hang yourself on one tree. The more you can't get something, the more you yearn for it. That's the thinking of a lowly person, and it will only harm you."
She almost blurted out, "Brother, aren't you the same? There are millions of women in the world, yet you insist on having your eye on Yanxiu from the Shangguan family, who never takes you seriously."
But of course, she dared not say it aloud, only saying resentfully, "What's so great about the Shangguan family?"
Sima Yan carefully observed her expression and said slowly, "That's good. A few days ago, the Princess of Langya came over and was very worried about your marriage. I thought about it for a long time and finally came up with a suitable person. I don't know if you would be willing to marry him."
One bucket of ice water had just been poured on when another bucket was immediately poured on top.
She couldn't quite explain her feelings; she just felt as if a huge rock had suddenly lodged in her throat.
She heard her own voice say blankly, "I don't want to."
Sima Yan's voice also carried a hint of displeasure: "You don't even ask who it is before saying you're unwilling?"
Her rationality gradually returned, and her thoughts became clearer and more distinct.
I don't want to.
No matter who it was, she was unwilling.
Because she no longer wants to get married.
A Qiu couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly was the person Sima Yan recommended to you back then?"
Sima Yao smiled bitterly: "Later I learned that it was General Li Mingyuan, the Marquis of Guannei. He intended to come from Youzhou to pay homage, and my imperial brother also intended to betroth me to him as a way to form an alliance and stabilize the border. To be fair, my imperial brother did not not care about me. I am brave and decisive, which is not a problem in the eyes of border soldiers. In fact, it may even be a plus."
A Qiu opened her mouth wide, then stammered, "I remember General Li already had a wife back then... right?"
If her memory serves her correctly, Li Mingyuan was at least in his thirties at that time, and had already married a woman from a local noble family in Youzhou as his principal wife. His son, Chongyu, was being raised by the Xianbei people and was already quite grown up.
Sima Yao said dismissively, "Let him divorce her. Does he think he can refuse if the Princess of Da Huan wants to marry him?"
Ah Qiu was speechless once again, gaining a deeper understanding of the arrogance, bullying, and opportunism of the royal and powerful families at that time.
They were also deeply grateful that Sima Yao had refused at the time. Otherwise, it would have been another tragic event of family ruin and death.
Sima Yao's refusal to listen and his abrupt rejection clearly angered Sima Yan.
While he himself may be willful and capricious, he is still quite discerning when it comes to regulating others.
He said with a stern face, "You are all grown up now, yet you show no regard for the good intentions of your parents and me. I hereby order you to return to the Langya Prince's residence from today onwards and be confined for three months to reflect on your actions." He then turned to a eunuch on the side and said, "Take the princess back with you and convey my oral decree to the Langya Prince, instructing him to properly discipline his daughter."
Having grown up to this age, Sima Yao finally faced the first punishment of her life.
Looking at the last vestiges of spring outside the window of Biying, she sometimes wondered if people could stay young forever.
After the confinement order was issued, the King and the Queen had another big argument. Both believed that the other had failed to properly raise their daughter, leading to the current situation. They argued fiercely, neither willing to give in, and in the end, the Queen smashed a royal vase, while Sima Jun began to stay in his study for days on end, refusing to enter the inner courtyard.
Sima Yao didn't want to stay in this house for even a second longer.
But the world is so vast, where could she possibly go?
Leaving this courtyard simply means going to another courtyard.
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