Uninvited
She couldn't help but think of Shangguan Jin, and the smile that unconsciously appeared on Xie Lang's lips when he mentioned the daughters of the Shangguan family.
She was a little curious. Were the girls in his family in the same situation as her?
She thought it couldn't be like that. From the unspoken, gentle understanding that Shangguan Jin and Xie Lang had when they mentioned them, she could tell that it couldn't be the same as her.
A Qiu couldn't help but interrupt Sima Yao, saying, "I don't know what Empress Shangguan was like at home. But I do know that Miss Shangguan's childhood and early life were not very happy."
That was a period of being dependent on others and ignored. It wasn't until Shangguan Yuqi came to Shangguan Yanxiu's side that she gradually began to show her talent and her life started to improve.
The eldest daughter of the Shangguan family is not ranked by birth order, but by social status. From this, we can infer that the eldest daughter before Yuqi, Yanxiu, was probably not as pampered and spoiled as Peiyu, who had both parents.
Sima Yao smiled bitterly and said, "This is probably what they mean by people always looking at the grass on the other side and thinking that others are in a much better situation than themselves, but they don't realize that every family has its own troubles."
Ah Qiu thought that Sima Yao might envy Shangguan Yanxiu at that time, who was born into the Shangguan family and had a kind and loving uncle like Shangguan Jin. Little did she know that Shangguan Yanxiu was silently heartbroken and desperate because she was destined to enter the palace and marry Sima Yan.
Sima Yao said, "Although the walls of the Prince's Mansion are high, they cannot stop my skills. Therefore, one night, I secretly climbed over the wall and went to the Shangguan family's residence to see what was going on."
A Qiu never expected her to be so audacious, daring to climb over the wall at night during her confinement. Climbing over the wall was one thing, but she even went to someone else's house! If she were caught by the servants and guards, that would be terrible.
Sima Yao looked at her and smiled, "Don't underestimate me. After all, I am the number one swordsman in the Sima royal family. I'm confident that I won't get caught if I walk through walls and courtyards, steal a dog or a chicken."
Ah Qiu fell silent, only now realizing why this royal aunt was a headache for everyone, including Emperor Wu, Sima Yan.
But she was also curious and couldn't help but ask, "So what did you see?"
Sima Yao snapped out of her reverie and said, "I saw... him."
For some reason, before she left, she was thinking of spying on Yanxiu and the other daughters of the Shangguan family, but instead, she went straight to the second courtyard opposite the main hall, which was clearly the study. Here, pine and cypress trees stood tall, and green bamboos swayed gently, revealing the elegant demeanor of the owner at a glance.
She hid behind a cluster of banana trees, but immediately spotted the figure reflected in the study window, as graceful as a lone crane or pine tree.
With just one glance, she froze, unable to move an inch.
The endless thoughts and emotions she had suppressed for days surged forth like a tidal wave, almost suffocating her and threatening to drown her. She was trapped in place, unable to move.
Fragments of information about him came to mind.
He was exceptionally talented from a young age, and his swordsmanship was unparalleled. He originally intended to spend his remaining years in the cemetery, but was begged by his uncle, Emperor Dezong, to come out and help the country.
He was the pillar of the Southern Dynasty, revered by all its subjects. Everyone looked to him to defeat the Northern Qiang, consolidate the foundation of the Southern Dynasty, and ensure the eternal stability of the empire.
He... resolved from a young age never to marry. Therefore, he remains single to this day, possessing nothing of value.
As she gazed at his profile, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
He was such a good person.
Their meeting was like a distant dream, the end of a prosperous era, a fleeting glimmer of light on the other shore.
It was this spark that illuminated the last decadent and decadent years of the Great Huan Dynasty, becoming the last sharp and clear ray of light in the starry sky of history.
She just stood there quietly watching him, watching the Great Wall of Dahuan, as if time had stood still.
Until the sound of rain pounding on the banana leaves, a sudden early summer downpour descended, accompanied by lightning and thunder that shattered the suffocating night air.
She hid behind a banana tree, but within moments she was completely soaked. Her clothes and hair were wet, and her whole body was dripping with water. In this state, she could no longer use her light-footed skills to climb up and down.
The heavy rain was washing over the green bricks and gray tiles on the roof ridge, making the roof and walls incredibly slippery. One wrong step and you could fall to the ground. In addition, flashes of lightning illuminated everything, leaving no place to hide.
She never imagined she would be in such a sorry state, cowering behind a tree, unable to move forward or backward.
Moreover, she was especially afraid of being discovered. If it weren't raining, even if a servant discovered her, she could escape using her superior martial arts skills. But now, if she were discovered, she would only be able to fight on the ground, which would inevitably result in her being surrounded by the family guards and soldiers who would rush to her aid, and ultimately being caught red-handed.
This is incredibly humiliating. Moreover, she has no way of explaining why the dignified Princess of Langya would climb over the wall in the middle of the night and insist on entering the Shangguan family's gate.
The rain showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Hiding behind a tree, she grew increasingly anxious, her heart pounding and her breathing becoming heavy.
Just then, the study door opened silently.
Under the candlelight, Shangguan Jin stood at the door and said in a calm and clear voice, "Who are you, guest? Since you have been lingering here for so long, why don't you come in and be my guest?"
Sima Yao never imagined she would have such an embarrassing moment in her life.
He went to someone's house to spy on them, but was caught red-handed by the owner.
She stood there, completely stunned, letting the rain stream down her face and her wet hair stick to her skin.
It wasn't until Shangguan Jin repeated it again that she finally made up her mind and, little by little, moved herself out of the shadow behind the banana tree.
Shangguan Jin was also taken aback when he first saw her.
Immediately, a servant's voice came from the room behind him: "Lord Jin, a military report has arrived from Hedong..."
Startled, Sima Yao immediately covered her head and shrank back, moving faster than a mouse.
Shangguan Jin was also taken aback, and turned around to say, "Just put it on the table. If there's nothing else, there's no need to come in again."
The family responded and left.
It took Sima Yao quite a while to recover from her shock. She then heard Shangguan Jin say gently, "You can come out now."
She slowly moved out again, her clear black and white eyes looking innocently at Shangguan Jin.
Then, as if she had finally remembered the purpose of her trip, she knelt down and bowed deeply, her knees touching the muddy ground soaked by the rain, and said, "Please, Your Excellency, accept me as your disciple!"
Large raindrops first hit her forehead, then flowed down her eyebrows and cheeks.
Rainwater got into her eyes and blurred her vision, making it difficult to see the person in front of her. Yet she remained kneeling upright, not daring to wipe them.
It felt as if she had waited an entire lifetime.
Shangguan Jin first made a gesture as if to help her up, but in the end he did not touch her and withdrew his hand.
She heard his gentle voice above her head say, "Get up first, let's go inside and talk."
She obediently got up from the ground, still soaking wet, and followed Shangguan Jin into his study.
Shangguan Jin's study was exactly as she had imagined.
The walls are adorned with calligraphy and paintings by famous figures, and a large rosewood table stands before the window. The room is devoid of the gold and silver carvings found in palaces, exuding an atmosphere of refined elegance, nobility, and solemnity.
Shangguan Jin probably had no experience of entertaining guests so late at night, so he simply pointed to a bamboo mat and said, "Sit."
His gaze lingered on her for only a moment before immediately shifting elsewhere.
Sima Yao thought back to their brief encounter a few months ago, and now, in her current state, she wondered if he would still recognize her. Regretting her earlier slip of the tongue—asking him to take her as a disciple without even introducing herself—she quickly tried to make amends, saying, "Lord Chancellor, do you remember me? I am the daughter of Sima Jun, the Prince of Langya. My family often calls me Yao Yao. We...we met in the West Market."
She immediately noticed that the book that had caused the controversy, "The Essentials of Mountains and Rivers," was open on his desk, turned to the last page, indicating that he had probably finished reading it.
Shangguan Jin only replied with three words: "I remember."
Sima Yao was stunned. She had a lot to say, and wanted to tell him that after she returned that day, she couldn't forget the ease and freedom of his sword strike. She even gave up her family's heavy sword training method and tried to simulate the sword intent of his move, but she could never succeed.
She also wanted to say that her desire to become his disciple and practice swordsmanship was truly her own wish, not a trick her father used to win him over.
She also wanted to say that her bad reputation in the past was due to her own rebelliousness and her family's lack of discipline. She promised to be obedient in the future and to focus on nothing but sword practice.
But all those unspoken words were swallowed back down by his single sentence, "I remember."
It seemed as if he wasn't saying "I remember," but rather—
"I understand."
In that brief moment of dazedness, she realized that Shangguan Jin's gaze had darted back and forth between her and the view outside the window several times. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was hesitating.
She suddenly realized that her current appearance was extremely indecent. But if she were to exchange her clothes for dry women's clothes, it would inevitably alarm the women in her household and cause some gossip. Shangguan Jin was alone with her in a room with only a lamp, and calling for help would damage her reputation; she was caught in a dilemma.
Having understood, she stopped being coy and said, "Your Excellency, there's no need to make things difficult for me. I'll leave as soon as the rain stops, returning the way I came. I guarantee I won't disturb anyone in your household."
Shangguan Jin remained silent for a moment, then said, "That's fine then."
The rain poured down incessantly outside the window, and the wind rustled through the branches. Sima Yao suddenly realized that this place seemed to be a secluded world, cut off from the rest of the world.
As long as Shangguan Jin gives the word, no one will come in to disturb them.
An awkward silence fell over the room. Shangguan Jin was not a good person at socializing, and what could he possibly say to a girl a generation younger than him?
Sima Yao felt somewhat dejected. He thought to himself that if he were as knowledgeable and courteous as Yan Xiu, he could surely have a long and leisurely conversation with him, enough to dispel his worries. Yan Xiu's reputation for poetry and talent, as well as his uncle-nephew relationship with Shangguan Jin, were already well-known among the literati, and he was praised as a model of the uninhibited kinship among the noble families.
She then remembered that Shangguan Jin had not yet answered her question.
She wanted to become his disciple.
Before she could ask another question, Shangguan Jin, who was standing by the window, finally turned around. As if he had gotten rid of some kind of emotional interference, his eyes returned to their usual clear and peaceful state, and he looked seriously into her eyes.
He said gently, “Ayao—I will call you that from now on. I think I have already answered your father. The Shangguan family’s sword techniques are never passed on to anyone outside the family. I cannot make an exception for you. I’m sorry.”
He emphasized the last two words, "I'm sorry." The refusal couldn't be clearer.
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