My sister and I exchanged a glance, thinking this was quite feasible. In the three-country competition’s mechanical arts, contestants demonstrate their ability to dismantle mechanisms with their hands, with the fastest time winning. Our elder brother, meticulous in his cooking, had developed quick and precise knife skills, giving him the dexterity and flexibility perfect for mechanical arts. He habitually tried to shake his head but was intimidated by our collective gaze.
I wrote “Xiao Wang” on the roster and solemnly handed it to Anjin.
“But—” my elder brother looked at us expectantly.
I asked earnestly, “Don’t you want to get married?”
My elder brother nodded without hesitation. “But—”
“Stop with the ‘buts’! Are you going to watch Miaoyin marry someone else?” my younger sister gave him an exasperated look.
My elder brother’s face reddened with anxiety.
“But—what is mechanical arts?”
We three looked at each other for a moment. My elder brother clutched his head: “Maybe hunting or speed walking. I’ll train hard these two months.”
“I have an idea!” my younger sister suddenly slapped the table. “We can ask Sitian to help, and have the Tang clan’s young master teach elder brother mechanical arts.”
My mind cleared instantly. The Tang clan’s hidden weapons and mechanical arts were famous throughout the three countries. If he could truly learn from Tang Wei, our elder brother’s chances of winning would be significant.
With Song Sitian’s introduction, Tang Wei agreed to teach my elder brother mechanical arts. For two months, my elder brother studied mechanical diagrams late into the night, rising at dawn to create wooden mechanisms and solve the mechanisms Tang Wei gave him, working extremely hard.
As the white poplar seeds of spring in Yanfeng City gradually disappeared, the competition teams from Xiliang and Nanrui were about to enter Qi’s borders. To show their high regard for this competition, both countries sent noble-born representatives. Nanrui sent the Second Princess and the Cavalry General, while Xiliang sent the Emperor who had just married the Seventh Princess.
I wasn’t worried about my elder brother’s situation, but Anjin seemed increasingly uneasy as the competition approached.
Several times I caught him secretly looking at me, and when I noticed, he would quickly look away, pretending to read or admire the scenery, like a youth lost in a secret love, nervously watching his beloved.
The problem was we were long past that innocent age, and he was no longer the naive youth. His gaze made me think of Yuan Feng crouching by the mouse hole, carefully afraid someone might steal something.
Moreover, he would occasionally ask me roundabout questions about my thoughts on the competition. Annoyed, I’d tell him to go do something, and he’d purse his lips with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
The sparrow revealed the truth. “Madam, the master is worried.”
After pondering for a long time, I understood. He was probably worried because I had once had a connection with Xia Zhichun, who was about to return to his country, and he was jealous.
To prevent his sour water from turning into aged vinegar, when he casually mentioned Xiliang and the competition again, I snuggled up to him with a smile, saying that besides my own husband, I care about nothing else.
He was quite pleased, and his face indeed brightened.
He happily ground ink and brewed tea for me, showing attentive care and being extremely considerate.
However, bad news arrived. When the Xiliang team reached the border mountain, the Third Prince Xia Zhichun fell from a cliff, presumably beyond rescue. This news reached Qi Kingdom, instantly adding sorrow to the originally joyful atmosphere. The Qi Emperor grieved deeply, stating that this was not Xiliang’s fault, but the prince’s thin fate, unable to return home before dying in a foreign land. Although sad, the long-prepared competition could not be canceled. The Qi Emperor announced that everything would proceed as planned, with the funeral for the Third Prince to be held after the competition.
When I heard this news, I couldn’t help but feel sad. Although years had passed and the initial feelings had long disappeared, this gentle and humble prince did not deserve such an end.
Our acquaintance was quite dramatic. I tried many methods and finally bribed the steward on the prince’s pleasure boat, sneaking in as a temporary maid.
Unexpectedly, he discovered me.
He was surprised but showed no intention of blaming me. Instead, he kindly let me finish the painting. After our acquaintance, I often sat on his boat, sailing the Yan River together, and learned about his various disappointments in the imperial court. Despite his difficulties, he never complained, instead finding solace in landscapes, hoping to one day break free from the palace. Unexpectedly, a battle sent him far away to Xiliang. Now, having finally had a chance to return home, he fell from a cliff midway.
Truly, fate is cruel. As a prince, he suffered more than ordinary people and ultimately met such an end. When An Jin was not around, I secretly burned some paper money for him, hoping he would have a better life in his next reincarnation.
The chariots of Xiliang and Nanrui entered Yanfeng City.
The new Xiliang Emperor was friendly. After entering the city, he switched to horseback, riding with an upright posture, showing a subtle smile to the observing Yanfeng crowd. His face was delicate, with large blue sapphires adorning his robe, and long tassels hanging from his cloak. Twenty-four guards were distributed around him, wearing light chain mail, with solemn expressions.
Yanfeng people exclaimed, finding the new emperor so young and handsome. The initial hostility towards Xiliang seemed to gradually soften with the emperor’s approachable smile.
I stood in the crowd, in a daze. The new emperor looked good, but…
why did he seem so familiar?
A suspected old acquaintance.
The new emperor’s gaze swept over the crowd, precisely landing on me. His smile deepened, his lips moving slightly. Though far away, I could roughly understand his silent words.
Are you well?
Yuan Xiao stood up on its hind legs, letting out a cheerful bark towards the nearby area. I felt even more relieved. “I know you understand. You still like staying with me, right?” It shook its fur, not glancing at me, and ran towards the nearby area. Following its direction, I saw a butcher shop where Que’er was swinging a bone.
Before I could sigh, I saw the lively people of Yan Feng crowding around another group entering the city gate. Leading them was a tall, stern-faced young general with an unsheathed long knife at his waist and a yellow-crowned white-feathered macaw perched on his shoulder. Behind the general was a tall and luxurious two-horse carriage, with a semi-transparent curtain floating, vaguely revealing a woman sitting inside. Undoubtedly, this was the cavalry general and second princess of Nan Rui.
I had heard that the people of Nan Rui loved raising animals, with almost everyone keeping a pet and every household having birds and beasts. But I didn’t expect this imposing general to have such a cute little parrot.
On the second day after the Xi Liang and Nan Rui caravans arrived in Yan Feng, the Qi Emperor held a banquet in the palace to welcome the guests from both countries, and An Jin was also in attendance. I didn’t need to attend the feast, so I took Yuan Xiao home to check on my elder brother’s mechanical arts learning progress.
