Yan Sha smirked as she bowed deeply before turning to leave. She could think of a hundred smart things to say in reply, but bit back her replies as she would probably have some need of this person in the future. The child had not stirred during the quick exchange and with his preconceived condition, there was no worry about him reporting to anyone else what he had heard or seen. Yan Sha returned to the ducal manor via a farmer’s chart who dropped her off as she handed him some copper pieces. She wore a veil which she discarded quietly in a bread maker’s stall.
She yawned hugely as she walked through the opening doors as she felt uncomfortable that the duke was aware that she had gone out, but the duchess probably was not. She wondered if she was about to be punished. But as she was going on, the duke was going out.
“Second class attendants should not have these thoughts. You should be shy. But you are innocent but not. Compared to other doctors you feel a lot more like not but maybe that is due to your gender and lack of knowledge.” “I don’t know what is the proper conversation here, your highness. Others I am sure will give you a more stimulating conversation as they speak of things that belong to the inner court. I am merely an outsider. I apologize if you find me boring. I will have to deliver this to Concubine Sun soon so I will be seeing you.” “Stop right there. I wanted to quietly tell you what I have done for Huan-er. I jumped into the garden like this as I do not want the duchess to be too harsh on you after she finds out that I have done this. I know that sh
In her heart so many men had come to take pieces of her and leave. She gently pushed him off. “Your highness, I am in front of a stove here and I do not wish to burn myself.” “Too hot to handle your husband, huh?” He kissed her neck roughly before moving away from her. As Yan Sha turned around she realized that he had hopped back over the wall already with the agility of a cat going out to explore after being warmed by it’s master’s fire. She leaned her head out of the window as if she could see the ghost of him jumping through the air. As she realized how ridiculous the notion she immediately slipped back into what she had been doing before fanning the tincture. Noble lady, already? She had skipped several
Yan Sha coughed as she watched her friend finish the tonic she had made. “I have already made a better tonic than what the imperial physician made. Your health has return to you, if I expose myself to the same procedures then who knows what the result will be. There are too many hands in the making of medicines that it is difficult to find out without allying with many people. I’m not going to—“ There was a tapping against the side door and both of the women instantly went silent. Xianjuan looked at Yan Sha with a strange expression as there should be no reason that they would be disturbed like this. The Duke’s eunuch with his sapphic expression looked at the duo and seemed amused as he delivered the news. “His majesty, the Duke requests that Noble Lady Yu accompany him for his bath and attend to him in bed tonight as the duchess is away at the temp
“I care for you as you have shown that you want to shoulder my burdens. Huan has been alone for many years as all the women in the inner court are too frightened of the duchess’s disapproval to make a move. What kind of woman will not balk at someone with such a powerful family behind her? You were a tiny second class attendant? Why are you so fearless like a soldier on the battlefield? Where did such a person come into my house?” He brushed her shoulders before tracing the trail of flowers that had gathered there. “I will not die or abandon you like others that you have let into your hands.” “There are others in my heart, my lord. How can you be confident in keeping me if I may leave you for another? There is a harem full of concubines, why taste only one when there can be many tastes that play on the palette?”
Yan Sha blushed and pushed him off her. “Now you’ve gone too far. I will have to attend a morning greeting with which consort?” “There is only the duchess and then consort. There is little need to have some in the middle. Consort Guo is much more easygoing than the duchess. She and I are archery fiends so she will probably be twinned with me this afternoon. Why would she have any reason to messy with a little noble lady? But don’t worry, I will have people around you who will report to me if anyone dares to touch you.” “That sounds like good exercise.” Yan Sha laughed. “My lord, I have said that I do not need protecting. Keep the guards to the consorts and the duchess and especially for Concubine Sun.” “You co
“Good morning, Noble Consort. We all wish you good health.” The chorus fell on deaf ears as the consort fiddled with her hands impatiently. She was holding onto one of the cheap looking hairpins that Yan Sha had rejected as she knew it didn’t suit her and was also above her station as a noble lady. She had no interest to fall for this little tricks. Concubine Wei looked at the Noble Consort with a calculated glance. “What is it that is bothering you, dearest noble consort? Is there something that we can do to relieve your burden? I know that it is difficult for the consort to manage the household affairs now that the duchess is away.” “There is someone here in our midst who is trying to rise higher than her birth dictates she should. I was trying to clip her wings but she refuses to
Truly he had been worried that his young brother had been taken in by a strange vixen whom had warped his mind into thinking something strange. But these observations were similar to that of a refined girl of a well born family. She could recite the virtues of women too even though she had come from the martial world. Her tea was clean and elegant although she claimed that she hardly had the reason to serve anyone. It must be she had a very good teacher who made sure that she passed through to join in his brother’s bed. It was a sign of affection that the Duke of Jin was making such an effort. This woman had helped his deaf nephew and was taking care of the women in the harem happily like a good example of feminine ideals. How had someone whom had spent time in the martial world be a learned person whom understood the virtues of the inner court? The
Ning Zhuo then turned and saw a shadow in his study. He strutted back to find his bookcases trembling. His movements to fix everything were quick. Maids immediately rushed behind him and one poked him, “Crown prince, your man from Jungpi has arrived to see you.” Yan Sha froze as she sat on the roof. There was a good opening to jump over the roofs but she was torn as she knew that it was incredibly difficult to get spies into this manor. She was proud of her former partner but could not stop the lick of nostalgia. She wanted to say that she knew him. Below her, Ning Zhuo replied. “Oh good. Send him into my study. I want to hear what he has to say immediately.”