Suppressing the urge to vomit, I searched him thoroughly and found twenty taels of silver in his smelly sock—exactly double my monthly wage. “Still saying you have no money? Punk!” I stuffed the silver in my pocket, shouldered my bundle, and quickly left this ‘clear water yamen’ I utterly despised.
Just as I stepped out of the yamen, a father-like figure rushed over, grabbing my hands. “Good daughter, I heard you were injured by a thief? Let me see where you’re hurt?”
My first impression of this non-father was: wealthy, kind, verbose, and face-conscious. A wealthy father is always beneficial for future entertainment, though I’m quite rich myself. “It’s nothing. With my martial arts, a thief can’t hurt me.”
” The real reason I passed out was being caught by ghost messengers – this part I’ll keep to myself, as saying it would make people think I’m crazy.
After much confusion, I finally understood: Ling Han was my disguised male name, and my real name is Ling Xiaohang, the only daughter of Lord Ling. My mother passed away right after my birth, so I’ve always been the apple of my father Ling Yang’s eye – a lady skilled in arts and martial arts.
At night, bathing and undressing, I discovered female characteristics under my chest binding, completely confirming my gender. But I thought, heaven is really unfair! After 16 years, I have barely developed and laugh to myself, while others who bind their chests actually have C-cups!
But now, I don’t care about fairness. I’m happy! Because now, I am Ling Xiaohang! I’ll live well for the original owner of this body, living brilliantly and happily!
The next day, I woke up just in time for my father’s lunch. Whether early or late, combining two meals is still a meal – fulfilling my duties as a filial daughter, I sat down to eat with Father Ling.
Just as I sat down, my father spoke: “Oh, my dear daughter, why are you dressed so exceptionally today?”
In the eyes of a wealthy family, even a daughter’s fart can be praised as fragrant. “Hehe~ Really? Hehehe~
What are you looking at? I’m not lazy; it’s just my first day here after transmigrating. No one has taught me how to tie my hair or wear my clothes, so it’s normal for my hair to be messy and my clothes disheveled, right? Suddenly, my father said during the meal, “Oh, there’s a martial arts competition at the palace this afternoon! I heard the selected martial arts champion can become the emperor’s personal guard, with a very high salary!”
I almost choked – this was my biggest dream! And with a high salary to boot~ I suddenly jumped up: “Dad, I want to go to the palace; I want to sign up for the martial arts competition!” My father was stunned, took a bite of his bun, swallowed, and said to me, “If Han’er wants to go, Yanling, help the young miss get changed, and then go to the palace together!”
…
[Volume One: Encounter – Chapter Four: The Personal Guard is Too Idle.]
With Yanling’s help, I freshened up and dressed, learning earnestly. Under her meticulous guidance, I can now barely take care of myself – in the future, I won’t need to hire anyone to serve me! The thought of this made me very happy! And thinking about the generous salary I could ask from the emperor made me even more excited! Haha!
This was my first time riding in a carriage, and it felt good, although I thought if I had to pay for it, walking would be better. My father dropped me off at the palace gate and then went home.
Though he seemed reluctant to leave, I didn’t want him to stay. I looked at the palace gate, wondering when I would leave.
I had just entered the arena when I heard someone call: “Next! Ling Han!” My external pseudonym is Ling Han, as I find it too troublesome to come up with another name.
I swiftly entered, using elegant lightness kung fu to fly onto the stage, grabbed a long sword, and began fighting. Trusting my body’s martial arts, I playfully eliminated contestants. I casually glanced at the emperor—so handsome! I managed to keep my composure while admiring him. However, someone actually tried to slash me with a knife while I was distracted.
Dare to interrupt my admiration? I blocked with my sword. Whether I was too strong or he was too weak, the knife was deflected towards the emperor. “Emperor! Be careful!” I alerted.
Watching the knife approach the emperor’s face, I realized if he died, I wouldn’t survive either.
At the critical moment, the emperor pinched the knife blade between his long index and middle fingers, stopping it instantly. Everyone, including me, breathed a sigh of relief.
But the empress dowager’s words made my nerves tense: “What a bold assassin! Daring to attempt to assassinate the emperor in public! Arrest him!” I was baffled. Which eye of yours saw me as an assassin? Today is really unlucky! T^T
I was now speechless, knowing no one would listen to my cries for help. If I died now, wouldn’t my 150,000 taels of gold go to waste?! “Anyone who dares to touch me, I’ll chop them down!” But the officials didn’t listen and were about to take me away when…
“Stop!” A beautiful man is a beautiful man – beautiful in looks, heart, and voice. The emperor continued to the empress dowager: “Mother, I believe he didn’t mean it. Moreover, he has excellent martial arts. I want to make him my personal bodyguard.”
Though the empress dowager wasn’t entirely pleased, she ultimately agreed. To repay the emperor’s life-saving grace, I decided to work hard and not waste his money.
However, this decision became meaningless after just a few days on the job.
I must admit, being the personal bodyguard of this cold-faced emperor is the most boring and dull profession. He strictly adheres to the iceberg style and is incredibly reclusive. Except for court sessions, he spends almost all his time in his study, forcing me to stay with him.
During work hours, I can move around the study as long as I don’t disturb him. I have the freedom to enjoy tea or snacks, but my greatest interest lies in wiping my silver ingots clean, one by one.
My most disliked task is facing his unreasonably handsome face, having to watch him without moving, which is quite troublesome.
Today, miraculously, he put down his pen and shifted his gaze to me: “Ling Han, walk with me in the royal garden.” I was astonished. “Oh! Okay!” I happily agreed. Who wouldn’t want to stroll with a handsome man, especially for someone who loves color and has been cooped up in a room for days?
I quickly put the ingots in my bag, skillfully tied it, and was about to leave when he said, “You don’t need to bring the bag.” I immediately hugged my precious bag: “I need to! It’s absolutely necessary! This contains my entire fortune! My lifeline!”
He pushed open the door and walked out, feeling cold. My impression of him was neutral; I neither liked nor disliked him. Although I didn’t appreciate overly silent individuals, his quietness spared me from constant explanations, which suited me. In my view, his silence was preferable to someone who was overly talkative.
Autumn had arrived, and the flowers in the imperial garden had withered, their pale yellow leaves reflecting sadness and loneliness. A gust of wind sent countless leaves swirling, creating a desolate scene. I glanced at his face, expressionless yet somehow conveying unhappiness and melancholy.
He gazed at the distant horizon, seemingly lost in thought. “Your Majesty?” I called out. He came back to his senses and slightly furrowed his brow. “Don’t call me Your Majesty when no one is around.” I was surprised; was I considered important enough to receive this privilege? “But…”
“This is an order.” His tone was tinged with dissatisfaction, and I reluctantly agreed. “Yes, but you should at least tell me your name. I’ve known you for so long, yet I don’t know your full name!” “Dugu Shang,” he replied decisively.
