“I heard that you were a princess in the Qing Kingdom. I didn’t expect that you would know these things that even I don’t. No wonder Fourth Uncle dotes on you,” sneered Sheng Gu mockingly. “Will you embroider some clothes for me?”
Shu Nuan frowned, “This humble slave’s embroidery is not as good as the sisters from the embroidery room. It would make Princess’s clothes look ridiculous.”
“But I want you to do it. You don’t want to?” said Sheng Gu, gazing at her.
Shu Nuan thought for a moment, then bowed in response, and said, “Then, I hope Princess will give this humble slave ample time.”
Sheng Gu nodded, and said, “It doesn’t matter, I’m not in a hurry. Take as much time as you need.”
Sheng Gu then engaged in more conversation with Shu Nuan while drinking the tea. When she was finished, she stood up and said goodbye.
Sheng Qianmo was returning home after having finished his training in the military camp, when he heard a shout coming from the direction of the shooting range.
“Elder Brother Sheng! Elder Brother, hold on!”
It was Ningcheng Yuan riding riding his horse at a gallop towards him.
Sheng Qianmo had to stop his horse. After a short while, Ningcheng Yuan reined in his horse near him.
“Hush!”
Then he happily asked, “I heard that you won’t be coming to the military camp tomorrow, Brother Sheng. Where are you going? Take me with you.”
Sheng Qianmo replied in a mild tone, “To Yulin Academy.”
Ningcheng Yuan’s expression paled, as he said, “Really? What are you going to such a scholarly place for? What’s interesting there?”
Sheng Qianmo’s lips curved upwards, as he asked, “Will you accompany me?”
Ningcheng Yuan shook his head and disdainfully answered, “I will not!”
“Is there anything else?” Sheng Qianmo took a slight look at him. Although it was just a look, Ningcheng Yuan felt an indescribable sense of oppression in his heart.
Ningcheng Yuan was stumped and shook his head, starting to perspire a little.[1]
But before he could say anything, he saw that Sheng Qianmo had already left.
‘How surprising!’ thought Ningcheng, misunderstanding that Sheng Qianmo was looking forward to visiting Yulin Academy.
***
Immediately after returning from the military camp, Sheng Qianmo went to the library.
These past two days, he had occasionally caught glimpses of Shu Nuan studying in the library when he came back.
However, today when he opened the door of the library he did not see Shu Nuan. Instead, the book she had been reading earlier was lying on the table. Sheng Qianmo walked over and picked it up, casually turning a few pages. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, Sheng Qianmo glimpsed something sticking out. He slowly turned to that page and took out a letter from within.
He looked at it.
The half-open door was pushed further, and Shu Nuan entered holding a cup of fresh tea that. Upon hearing that Sheng Qianmo was back, she had gone to prepare some tea. However, Sheng Qianmo suddenly threw the letter at her feet, and asked lightly,
“What is the meaning of this?”
Shu Nuan’s first reaction was to kneel with her head down, as she carefully picked up the letter from the ground. As she read the words written on it, she vaguely understood that the letter was related to the demise of her Qing Kingdom.
“Shu Nuan does not know.”
Sheng Qianmo looked down at her coldly, and reprimanded, “I brought you to the library so that you could read more books. Not so you can put your mind in the wrong place.”
Shu Nuan blankly raised her head, wanting to explain something, but Sheng Qianmo simply ordered, “Go out and kneel there.”
Shu Nuan obeyed. However, she first knelt on the ground for a while, she gave a sniff that Sheng Qianmo could not hear. Then she quietly went outside.
She knelt outside Sheng courtyard and stayed kneeling till late at night.
There are so many palace maids and eunuch coming and going in the sheng Courtyard. If someone kneel outside the Sheng Courtyard, naturally she would be seen and inevitably be pointed out by them. After all, she entered Shenghe Palace as a slave from the vanquished kingdom. Now she had angered Sheng Qianmo by spoiling her, which makes many people laugh secretly.
There was no end to the palace maids and eunuchs coming and going. As she knelt there, she was obviously seen by many, and inevitably pointed at by them. After all, she had entered ShengHe Palace as a slave from a vanquished kingdom. Now, she had angered Sheng Qianmo who had been spoiling her, which gave a reason to many to laugh at her secretly.