Chapter 9: Gentleman Sword
It had only been a few days since the army returned when Aluta attacked. The armies of various commanderies gathered very quickly. Before the end of the first month of the year, Zhu Di had officially sent troops to Mobei and headed straight for Aluta.
Liu Yongcheng accompanied Zhu Di on his campaigns, but he never forgot his apprentice. He specifically requested that Zhu Di assign a member of the Imperial Guard to continue teaching Zhu Yuhuan the art of horseback riding and archery. This member was no ordinary Jinyiwei, none other than Saihazhi, the current Jinyiwei commander. To hold the position of commander, Saihazhi was not only an expert in horseback riding and archery, but also a skilled swordsman. Thus, Zhu Yuhuan's daily routine became remarkably regular: she would rise in the mornings to practice martial arts, then, after a short afternoon nap, read and write. After completing her lessons, she would practice her swordsmanship again, her morning routine packed with activities.
As soon as the first lunar month ends, the ninth day of the second lunar month is Zhu Zhanji's birthday. If Zhu Di were there, he would definitely celebrate for him. However, Zhu Di was away fighting, and Zhu Zhanji was following the prince to handle government affairs. He had very little free time and was worried about Zhu Di's battle situation on the front line. Therefore, he only prepared a simple banquet for his birthday in the East Palace.
But he is the crown prince after all. Even if the preparations are simple, the cost of an "ordinary" birthday party is equivalent to the years of hard work of countless ordinary families.
Zhu Yuhuan reined in his horse, stepped on the stirrup, and without holding the eunuch's shoulder, jumped down. The eunuch beside him was so frightened that he hurriedly asked, "Is the young master okay?"
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "It's okay, it's okay. I've grown a little taller recently, so I don't feel too high when I jump down in the stirrups."
Saihazhi, who was not far away, was also startled when he saw Zhu Yuhuan jump down, but when he saw that she looked normal, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "The young master has become much more familiar with us recently. When Liu Pianjiang returns, he will definitely be very surprised."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't feel uncomfortable looking at that unusual face. After all, people in later generations had seen many foreigners. Saihazhi would be a member of a minority ethnic group in the future, so there was nothing unusual about him. But in this era, someone with such a different appearance, wearing a flying fish robe and carrying an embroidered spring sword, could be quite intimidating at first glance. The two eunuchs accompanying Zhu Yuhuan often trembled in fear when standing in front of Saihazhi.
Although Saihazhi looks heroic, he is a very humble person. This is probably because the previous commander Ji Gang ended up in such a tragic way. He acts very low-key and is friendly to everyone he meets. He also often shares his power with his subordinates. Although he is not as famous as Ji Gang, he is also quite respected by his colleagues.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "I have to thank the Commander for his guidance. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mastered the sword technique so quickly. I just wanted to show him my father's birthday dance. It also makes sense for me to put the dagger my great-grandfather gave me to good use."
Since she was still too young, it was difficult for her to even lift an ordinary sword, let alone dance with a sword. She could only dance with the dagger given to her by Zhu Di.
"The young master is very talented. I am only offering some pointers."
Seeing how humble he was, Zhu Yuhuan put his hands behind his back and said, "Commander-in-Chief, you are humble and polite, just like what my mother calls a gentleman. I originally thought you would teach me the Embroidered Spring Blade, but I didn't expect you to be so proficient in swordsmanship as well."
"Young Master, you are too kind." Saihazhi remained unfazed by praise or criticism and replied, "The Zhao guest's hair is covered with tassels, and the Wu hook shines brightly with frost and snow. The silver saddle shines on the white horse, and it gallops like a meteor. Swordsmanship is the way of chivalry, and it has the qualities of a gentleman. It is naturally the most suitable for the young master. I have heard that the crown prince is also quite skilled in swordsmanship. If he knew that the young master is so diligent and has mastered both civil and military skills, he would be very pleased."
Seeing that he was quite familiar with poetry, Zhu Yuhuan could tell that Saihazhi had followed Zhu Di for many years and had long been influenced by Chinese culture.
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but sigh at Zhu Di's tolerance of foreign cultures. Although he often called them "Tartars", there were quite a few Tatar officers under his command. Saihazhi was a Hui, and many eunuchs and eunuchs were from Annan and other places, not to mention those small countries that paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty.
Whether a country is strong or not can be seen from its tolerance towards other civilizations and nations.
Before Zhu Yuhuan could say anything, a palace attendant came over quickly from a distance and said, "Young Master, it's getting late. We should return to the East Palace."
"Okay." Zhu Yuhuan nodded gently, then said to Saihazhi, "Thank you for your guidance today, Commander. I guess my mother urged me to go back early, so I will go first."
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at the eunuch who usually followed her and said, "Help me remove the padding from the saddle and take it back. Mother's embroidery cannot be left lying around. I will follow her back to the East Palace first."
The young eunuch hurriedly said yes and ran to the stable to remove the mat.
Zhu Yuhuan followed the palace maid after giving the order. The two walked one after the other until there were no other palace maids around. Zhu Yuhuan then asked, "Aunt, what do you want to talk to me about? Why did you come all the way here?"
The female official leading the way smiled awkwardly and said, "Young Master, do you still remember me..."
She thought that she rarely met the Eastern Palace, and even when she went there, Zhu Yuhuan was not often there. She didn't expect that this young master had such a good memory. After only meeting her once or twice, he still remembered an unknown female official like her.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "When my aunt came to see grandma earlier, you came with her. My aunt values rules and respect the most. If she didn't regard you as her favorite disciple, she wouldn't always bring you with her to see my mother."
The female official had no choice but to say, "Young Master, the Palace Lady asked you to go to her place. After all, the greenhouse is yours to manage. The crickets you mentioned earlier have grown up. It's the Crown Prince's birthday soon, so you should pick a few and give them to him to make him happy. After all, the Crown Prince wants to expand the royal family, and you will have other brothers and sisters in the future. And the Crown Prince's Consort only has a daughter like you who is so favored..."
Hearing the words of the female official, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but complain in his heart.
Zhu Zhanji wanted to have more children, but unfortunately, there were only two princes who could inherit the throne. It was destined that her mother would not have a share of the throne of the Zhu family...
Zhu Yuhuan glanced at the long palace road, then looked at the female official, and warned: "There are some things you shouldn't say, be careful not to get into trouble."
The female official also realized that she had spoken out of turn. She glanced at Zhu Yuhuan cautiously. Seeing that she was not angry, she said softly, "Yes..."
Although this young mistress is still young, she actually possesses a certain royal dignity. Even when she speaks seriously, she makes people feel a little sad. She is indeed the great-granddaughter that the current emperor values so much...
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