Chapter 10
Seeing Zhou Li’s serious expression, Zhou Qiao immediately sat up straight as well.
“Elder Sister’s words have always made the most sense. Whatever you tell me, I’ll listen.”
Zhou Li smiled. Though she was only a little over a year older than Zhou Qiao, she cared for her even more attentively than their mother did.
“I know you’re straightforward and dislike beating around the bush. Hu Frontier is far to the south, and with Uncle Gu looking after you, your safety was naturally assured. But now that you’ve returned to the capital, you’ll inevitably be entering and leaving the palace often. You must remember that walls have ears and every place has watchful eyes.”
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qiao asked, “Elder Sister, are you worried someone might overhear me speaking badly about others behind their backs? Don’t worry. If anyone provokes me, I’ll deal with them face-to-face. I wouldn’t waste my time gossiping behind people’s backs.”
Zhou Li shook her head.
“What I want to remind you is that some matters cannot be settled simply by fighting or arguing. You conduct yourself openly and honestly, but you still have to guard against treacherous people plotting in the shadows.”
“Take today’s incident, for example. In front of all the civil and military officials, you openly asked His Majesty for official recognition and rank. Fortunately, you’re still young, and His Majesty has become much more easygoing in recent years, so he didn’t pursue the matter.”
Zhou Qiao listened attentively.
“Think about it. Since those words came from you, His Majesty could dismiss them as the innocent remarks of a child.”
“But if those same words had come from someone else, who could say they wouldn’t be interpreted as questioning the Emperor’s authority or attempting to monopolize military power? If that happened, people would inevitably begin to wonder whether Uncle Gu had instructed it, or whether your eldest brother, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, had put you up to it.”
Zhou Qiao had never imagined that returning to the capital would involve so many complicated matters.
She had only known that she would no longer have to be separated from her brother and sister and that she could once again enjoy all the delicacies of the capital that she had missed so dearly.
What she had never considered was that every word and every action she took from now on could determine the fate of the entire Zhou family.
At that point, Zhou Qiao nodded firmly.
“Don’t worry, Elder Sister. I understand now.”
Zhou Qiao rarely knew much about what happened in the capital, but she was intelligent and quick to understand. Seeing her nod, Zhou Li finally relaxed.
“Elder Sister, why don’t you tell me more about the current situation inside and outside the palace? Then I’ll know what’s going on, and if I run into someone difficult, I’ll hurry and avoid them!”
Zhou Li laughed softly. If only every trouble in life could be avoided so easily.
“I’ll tell you everything else little by little in the future. For now, what you need to keep in mind is that His Majesty is getting old. There are already very few princes in the palace. Now that the Sixth Prince has been granted the title of Prince, the next question is whether the Second Prince or the Fourth Prince will become the Crown Prince.”
At the mention of the Sixth Prince, the image of the man dressed in white once again appeared before Zhou Qiao’s eyes.
She lowered her voice and asked, “Is the Sixth Prince especially close to the Southern Chu hostage prince? They both arrived late to today’s banquet, and they came together.”
Zhou Li nodded.
“Everyone in court understands why His Majesty granted the Sixth Prince the title of Prince. Since he has been removed from the list of potential Crown Princes, it no longer matters much whom he befriends. However, by maintaining a close friendship with the Southern Chu hostage prince, he can legitimately keep track of the hostage prince’s whereabouts and freely enter and leave the palace residence where he lives. That’s certainly much more presentable than sending people to search his residence every month as they did in the early years.”
“Southern Chu is growing stronger by the day, and its military power has increased tremendously. If war were to break out again, countless lives would be lost. It took us seven years to recover from that great war. We absolutely cannot afford to become enemies with Southern Chu again.”
Zhou Li continued,
“For the past two years, His Majesty has treated Young Master Lanze very well. Not only did he personally arrange his coming-of-age ceremony, but even his chronic illness has been attended to by the Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Academy.”
“A chronic illness? What illness?” Zhou Qiao immediately grabbed Zhou Li’s sleeve.
Zhou Li blinked in surprise.
“Qiao’er?”
Zhou Qiao looked unusually eager. Although Zhou Li didn’t understand why, she continued,
“Not long after he arrived in Northern Jin, he suddenly began coughing up blood without stopping. Had he not been rescued in time, Northern Jin and Southern Chu would have become bitter enemies back then.”
“Afterward, the imperial physicians said he needed complete rest. His Majesty didn’t want to appear neglectful toward him, but he also wasn’t comfortable placing him outside the palace. After much deliberation, he arranged for him to stay in a temple. There were few people there, and it was heavily guarded by soldiers. He recuperated there for more than three years before fully recovering, after which he returned to the temporary palace.”
“So… he really did go to a temple…”
The rest of the journey passed with Zhou Qiao lost in thought. By the time they returned to the residence, Zhou Li had called her name several times before Zhou Qiao finally came back to her senses.
As soon as they entered the residence, the steward, Uncle Zhang, came forward and handed Zhou Li a confidential letter.
“Miss, a letter from Jiangzhou.”
Zhou Li accepted it. It was from her eldest brother, who likely had instructions for her.
She had intended to read it together with Zhou Qiao, but ever since they discussed court politics in the carriage, Zhou Qiao had seemed absent-minded. Zhou Li assumed she had been frightened by the political struggles within the court, so she simply instructed one of the older maids to accompany her back to her room to rest.
Chapter 5: The Military Camp
Early the next morning, Zhou Li had just raised her hand to knock on Zhou Qiao’s door when it opened first.
“Oh? Elder Sister, did you need something?”
Zhou Qiao looked full of energy. She was already dressed in her armor and carried a sword in her hand.
“Where are you going? You haven’t even had breakfast yet.”
“You came at just the right time, Elder Sister. I was about to head to the front hall. What delicious food do we have today? Once I’ve eaten my fill, I have to head to the military camp.”
Zhou Li looked surprised.
“You’ve only been back in the capital for two days, and you’re already going? Will you have to go every day from now on?”
“That depends on the commander’s orders. I don’t know yet. But don’t worry, Elder Sister. Whenever I have free time, I’ll sneak back to keep you company!”
The two sisters took their seats.
Breakfast consisted of slowly simmered sweet red bean porridge, crispy lotus root cakes, jujube and Chinese yam pastries, accompanied by freshly peeled mandarins.
There wasn’t much of it, but every dish was delicious.
To someone who had grown accustomed to eating steamed buns with pickled vegetables every morning in Hu Frontier, it was nothing short of a lavish feast.
Zhou Li kept reminding her to slow down and not choke. Watching Zhou Qiao finish every last bite filled her with joy.
“Now that you’ve eaten all this, I won’t have to worry about you going hungry this morning. What would you like for lunch?”
Zhou Qiao was so full she could barely move. Hearing the question, she burst into laughter.
“Elder Sister, you’re treating me like a little piglet. I just finished one meal, and you’re already thinking about what to feed me next. Are you trying to fatten me up so you can sell me for silver?”
Even the older maids and servant girls nearby laughed.
Zhou Qiao had only been home for two days, yet the residence had already become far livelier than it had ever been before.
“Well, I’d have to fatten you up first. Right now you wouldn’t sell for much silver.”
Zhou Li teased her while reaching over to lift Zhou Qiao’s armor.
“Is this heavy?”
Zhou Qiao waved her hand carelessly.
“Not at all. I can’t even feel the weight anymore. When I first started wearing it, I could barely walk. Now I feel like I could fly while wearing it!”
No wonder she was so thin. Wearing something this heavy every day while crawling across battlefields and fighting with weapons would exhaust anyone.
Seeing the concern in Zhou Li’s eyes, Zhou Qiao smiled.
“If you really feel sorry for me, Elder Sister, then make Dongpo Pork for lunch. That’s what I’ve missed the most while I was in Hu Frontier!”
Zhou Li nodded.
Just as Zhou Qiao was about to leave, Zhou Li hesitated before calling out,
“Qiao’er.”
“What is it, Elder Sister?”
“May I… go to the military camp with you?”
Zhou Qiao froze.
“Huh?”
“Would that be inconvenient? If it is… then I won’t go.”
“No, no.” Zhou Qiao scratched her head awkwardly. “It’s just that the military camp is all sand and dust. It’s dirty and messy…”
In Zhou Qiao’s heart, Zhou Li was like a fairy untouched by the mortal world. A fairy should spend her days composing poetry and painting, sitting gracefully in a lofty pavilion while admiring the beautiful mountains and rivers.
But the fairy herself insisted on going.
So the entire way there, Zhou Qiao chattered nonstop, describing the training grounds and…
