At dinner, Bingquing was unusually quiet. Official Chu set down his chopsticks for a second and glared at her. He sighed, before picking up a piece of meat and placed it on top of her bowl with a defeated expression.
"Ah, you spent a month at some strange place without me. You need to put on some weight so that I can start to feel like my daughter is coming back to me."
"Why are you presenting me at the Jungpi court instead of the Caiwong court? Haven't you said that one of the most traits in a men is his dedication to the country of his birth? What happened with this truth which you made me memorize? What is the point of memorizing morals if no one bothers to follow them?"
"Who said that?" Official Chu looked at Bingquing's long face with some amusement. "Sometimes for survival there must be some sacrifices. The dynasty has continued in Caiwong, this is much more important than there to be continue to be an Official Chu who is a close servant of the Emporer of Caiwong. Everything has a price."
"Du Ni when she was helping with my bath?"
"Du Ni is a mere servant telling you palace rumors. What does she know more than someone whose father has served as an important court official for many years. We are trying to have some standing. If I have standing than so does the daughter that I cherish more than my own life. It matters little to me about the opinions of sheep who understand little of the dream I can see ahead of me for the Chu family. It's a blooming field of flowers that's so bright that many will cower in the brilliance of the gems."
"So it's not true? Is this what you mean, father? I want to stay with you. Please, I don't want to leave you ever again. You're my favorite person in the entire world. To part with you again is more pain than I could ever have in my life."
Official Chu made a long face. "I don't know this queen. I've been at court maybe less than two months. It takes six months to know and understand a monarch. I think the officials are hoping you'll be some fright that will embarrass the emperor so someone who is of the Jungpi can take my position. Or that you'll scare the queen to the point that there will be no return to the way that things were before you were found. But now that you mention it, did you not say that you wanted to get stronger. Would you like to meet the princess? She was raised to be just as strong as her mother. People find her blunt and unrefined so she does not have many friends. In that case, I would have to present you at court."
Bingquing ate more quickly.
Official Chu laughed, "You like that idea? I was also thinking of having you at the Palace Academy. You could take the exam to become an official just so you understand my work. Maybe go to the military training school."
Bingquing almost spit out her food as she protested, "Father I am too old. All of those there train starting as soon as they can walk."
"You are already good at household tasks, your sewing is enough to get me compliments from women, and you can burn things."
"Father!"
"I'm kidding. Don't throw your chopsticks at me, they are sharp enough to take out an eyeball."
"I've always wanted a third eye."
"Then you can try on my eyeball."
Bingquing and her father looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Official Chu slapped his knee, "I'm so happy you are safe and we are in a new safe place. I had many sleepless nights wondering how I would carry on living now that you were not here."
"Father let us not talk about things that are depressing. I know you will worry that the people in Caiwong will hurt us here now that you have made yourself a place. But Jungpi is not as vast of an empire as Caiwong."
"Being a Caiwong fish in a Jungpi fish bowl will cause others in Caiwong to be able to track us easier. Emperor will know you returned, he may not be without intent for a daughter of mine."
"Father, what does that mean?"
"Don't worry about it, it is the future that we cannot control. Let's worry about the Jungpi Princess."
"Your majesty," A eunuch kneeled low in front of the queen of Jungpi as her maids buzzed around her. Her hair was done half up so that the hair hung down in cascades of shine so whoever stood behind her would be looking at a scenic waterfall. The scene was punctuated with four phoenix hairpins which were arranged in the four cardinal directions. In front, right abover her forehead was a small nest replete with a phoenix couple and a nest of eggs. It was a haven reprieve from the business of the golden array of clouds and valleys. Her eyes were winged with setting clouds made of shadows of purple, orange, and yellow. The sun itself set red in a painted mark between her delicate eyebrows. The scene was set so it would appeal to the court, but she was under no illusions about her looks.She was by no means beautiful. Her own mother, the former queen, had always referred to her as having the misfortune of her father's brutish face.&
Bingquing bowed before the Queen of Jungpi with a care to the position of this strange bow. She had never thought before that someone would change simple things like the way a person should prostrate themselves in a bow had done since she was small. But the book of Jungpi womanly virtues that her tutor had given her was full of strange positions and placements. There were resting positions for hands even which were irritating to hold as her fingers would cramp. But she did them as her father watched. Her head was starting to ache from the metal nest of birds she had been made to wear by her maids with an assurance that it had been granted to her from the palace. It looked absurd, but it was a mirror of what the queen had chosen for herself. She knew her father was relying on her to made a good impression so she was making painsaking efforts to please. Bingquing hoped it would not all go to rot.The queen's look was made to look
Official Chu sighed, "Alright if you are threatening me in front of my daughter, I should really betray my confidences to the fullest as a good example to her. Your highness, you've made me no more promises than the food that fills this table. After this meal, how will I know that I will have my life? I'll gamble that you'll take my life in exchange for keeping my daughter. The imperial house of Caiwong is as simple as you think. Ning Ren is the least influential. Ning Qu is a drunkard. Ning Zhuo is a killer. The weakness of Caiwong is in that it's line of succession is weak. None of the princes despite their training are ready or set for the crown. None of them has the right temperment as all are young and spoiled by their mothers who are slowly going mad in the imperial city. I'm assuming Ning Yu has not offered because he is a child who has yet even to ride a horse."The king nodded, "Then my source was corr
"Nothing." Queen Langhua stood in front of Bingquing as she looked longingly in the direction of her father's retreating carriage. Tears poured down her face as her arm was jerked by the queen's hand. Langhua's nails were sharp against her forearm as she turned Bingquing to face her.Bingquing feeling the aforementioned nails claw into her arm turned to face the queen. Her clothing now was much more simple than before, but the odd bird nest in the center of her hair remained. Bingquing on the other hand wore a simple set of hydrangea pins that had come as a gift after the letter had been sent to the palace. She was adamant as she tried to wave to the retreating carriage. "Why can't I say goodbye? If this is the last time that I will be allowed to see him, why are the rules changing so quickly? It's not fair for it to be different when I know no one or nothing about anything. Who decided that things were going to be l
It was darker and colder inside than the outside she had just left.Bingquing felt around the box and could feel objects protruding out of every side of the box. It was strange to have her sense of proprioception be highened over her other senses. It was strange to think that it wasn't something that she could see, but she still knew where everything was. Some were smooth and knobbed. Other things were sharp and would toggle as the carriers of the box shifted the weight on their shoulders. It was a precarious exploration as she couldn't see much and her body was completely exposed. She could feel the air from outside filtering in through some imperceivable gaps in the box. She shivered as the outside air was cold on her bare skin.She felt around the floor of the box and found two opposing knobs that were widely spaced. If she bumped into one it would jostle the other kind of like they were meant to be moved. She pu
"Announcing completion of the first trial by the candidate." A palace eunuch shouted shrilly as the box was held sideways as it went up a pair of steps. Bingquing was pushed back as the box was shifted downward and the clock face opened to reveal a door.Bingquing blinked in the brilliant light before her eyes adjusted to a change in scenery where it was indoors and well lit. It was a few moments before she could open her eyes widely and she could see. The box had been placed inside of a bathing chamber where everyone was standing stiffly and waiting for her. She got out slowly and was surprised to see that all of the maids bowed to her. There was a lone monk who did as well, he averted his eyes with a solemn hand as he gestured her in a respectful manner.Bingquing looked around the room and was surprised to see Langhua bathing in a pool of white fluid. She got up when Bingquing made eye contact. The liquid streamed down
Bingquing woke up in pain. Her back had felt extremely tender to the touch as she tried to get up. There were pins and needles in her head and hands as she tried to sit up properly on the bed. There were bandages wrapped around her whole midsection and head that she disturbed as she tried out of habit to find something to pin her hair with. Now she did not really have any hair at all to really even wrap around herself. She touched the bloodied clothes with a wonder for what her skin would look like underneath the work that she was sure the monks had continued on while she was sleeping but Langhua's hovering form stopped her with an expression that looked like the queen was visibly unsettled by Bingquing's presence there. Her word though were as close to kindness as she was sure the queen could manage."It's probably better if you don't bend your body for a couple days so the healing will be easier. I'd prefer it actually if you did no
Bingquing and Langhua would spend every minute together that was possible. Not always to Bingquing's delight as this was quite a change from the routine she was used to with the past existance. The queen's obsession with her was a bit much at times for her to deal with. It was so different than living with her own parents who would leave her to her own devices and spend the day as she liked with Du Ni and the small community who resided inside their manor. Now there was a woman breathing down her neck telling her every which movement and way she preferred a young lady to behave. Often there were times when Bingquing felt short.Langhua would carry Bingquing with her to court in a cloth sling wrapped around her body. Sometimes Bingquing would whisper an inconsistency or question in the courtiers reasonings that the queen had not noticed into her ear. The queen would smile before smiting the courtier with a witty remark. The