An epic silence descended upon the scene.
Only Dahei sneezed, then stuck out his tongue and barked twice.
Welcoming his comrade.
Qu Dubian didn't know what was going on with Yi Shier appearing before him like this. Weren't shadow guards forbidden from revealing themselves? Should he act like he knew him or not?
After wrestling with it for a long time, he blurted out a few words: "Wow, you smell nice..."
Seeing that the newcomer meant no harm, Wen Xiaochun lowered her guard and took a step back.
The head martial arts instructor said, "How dare you appear before the Seventh Prince and frighten people? What's with this getup? Step aside!"
A question mark popped up in Qu Dubian's mind. "Do you know each other?"
The head instructor frowned, his expression full of displeasure directed at Yi Shier.
"Your Highness may not know, this person arrived at the training grounds suddenly. He doesn't work properly, idles about all day, and doesn't speak. Who knows what he's up to."
"Wearing a mask, you can't even see his whole face. Who knows if he has criminal tattoos or if he's some convict who got in through connections... In short, he's very strange, not a good person. Your Highness should keep your distance."
Qu Dubian fell silent.
An absurd thought occurred to him: Could it be that Yi Shier was dismissed from the shadow guards and that's why he came here?
It couldn't be that a shadow guard came to the training grounds to 'experience life,' and from the sound of it, he was doing rather poorly, not well-received at all.
Seeing no reaction from him, Yi Shier thought to himself, The young prince has indeed forgotten me. After all, we only met once, and it was at night.
Ye Xiaoyuan also felt it was unsafe. "Young master, let's listen to the martial arts instructors and leave?"
Qu Dubian shook his head, then happily pounced forward. "Alright! You take me flying."
Yi Shier crouched down and slightly extended his hands. "Hold on tight."
Qu Dubian wrapped his arms around Yi Shier's neck. Yi Shier pushed off with the tips of his toes, leaping up with borrowed momentum. Petals fluttered through the air everywhere. Unlike that night when he was in a hurry to deliver someone, he moved much more slowly this time.
But it was still thrilling enough!
Running on roofs and vaulting over walls, the weightlessness stimulated his senses.
How awesome would it be if I could fly myself?
Qu Dubian leaned close to Yi Shier's ear and said, "Big black moth?"
Yi Shier's breath hitched, and he flipped sharply, landing steadily on the roof tiles. He said quietly, "Your Highness recognized me."
"I recognized you as soon as I saw you," Qu Dubian whispered entangledly, "but His Majesty said you couldn't appear."
Yi Shier could only say, "Changed jobs."
"Here? How long?"
"Working here as a general instructor for a while now. And—"
Yi Shier stopped on a tree branch, looking down at him.
His look of shock was too obvious. Yi Shier glanced at the nervous crowd in the training grounds, then swept down from the branch, heading directly to a spot under a tree behind the training ground wall.
No one was here.
He set Qu Dubian down and knelt on one knee. Although the young prince seemed to vaguely know his identity now, some things still couldn't be said in front of others, or even said explicitly.
Yi Shier: "The training ground job is just a foothold. I belong to you now."
Qu Dubian's eyes widened in shock.
What did he mean, 'belong to him'??
"After meeting, the person is under Your Highness's command, the monthly salary is issued by Your Highness. If you don't wish for me to stay at the training grounds, you'll need to arrange my accommodation."
What kind of elite, large-scale job-hopping salary negotiation scene was this!
Yi Shier, thinking he hadn't understood, said softly, "Or maintaining the status quo is also fine. I will be by Your Highness's side during the day. If needed, just call."
Qu Dubian finally managed to sort through the information he'd received in such a short time.
Mainly, he hadn't expected the old man to just give him a shadow guard outright. At first, he thought just letting the person out was good enough.
And now he was just given over??
Completely intact, too.
Come to think of it, it was because of him that Yi Shier lost his iron rice bowl within the system. Qu Dubian patted his chest and said, "Let's keep it as before then. I'll give you double the monthly pay!"
Using a few pieces of his cheap dad's gold, he could directly pay for a year.
[Favorability +5
Yi Shier Favorability: 10]
Qu Dubian: "What's your name?"
Logically, he shouldn't know, so he had to ask. Otherwise, he couldn't keep calling him 'big black moth,' right? What would Dahei think?
And if word got out, wouldn't everyone know that Qu Dubian was bad at naming things?
Yi Shier: "My original name is Yi Shier. I shouldn't be called that going forward."
He slightly raised his head.
"You want me to pick one?" Qu Dubian scratched his head, thinking hard. Suddenly, he clenched his right fist and smacked it into his left palm. "I've got it! The new name will be—"
He declared with certainty: "Yi Liuliu!"
'Liuliu Dashun' (everything goes smoothly). This name was cute and adorable. The shadow guard gentleman who appeared scattering petals might have the heart of a young girl inside.
"............"
Yi Shier fell silent, then forcibly walked back his previous statement. "I said I shouldn't be called that going forward, but this subordinate feels I am already accustomed to it, so there is no need to change."
Qu Dubian felt a bit regretful. "Alright then. I'll call you that myself."
"Will you come back with me?"
Calls came from behind. They couldn't stay here forever; Attendant Ye and Xiaochun would worry.
Yi Shier: "Your Highness, when nothing is happening, it's best if I do not appear. Especially near the Purple Dawn Palace."
He was well-versed in shadow guard concealment techniques. Approaching the Purple Dawn Palace would draw warnings and threats from other shadow guards. If it happened too often, his former colleagues would not hesitate to kill.
Qu Dubian's eyes sparkled. "I understand. But can you teach me how to circulate qi energy?"
Those in the shadow guard concealment line of work, even if their internal energy isn't profound, have extremely fine control over their qi energy.
Unlike the martial arts instructors who flatly refused, Yi Shier assessed his own internal injuries and said thoughtfully, "I need three more days. Nighttime is best, when the qi is most tranquil."
He knew the young prince had to practice Tai Chi daily, so Qu Dubian asking him these things wasn't strange.
Yi Shier reached out, his fingertips touching points between Qu Dubian's eyebrows, the center of his sternum, and his lower dantian.
An extremely faint sensation of warmth followed the slide of his fingertip, flowing down along the acupoints before disappearing.
The qi was insufficient to open the dantian, so it couldn't be stored there. A substantial amount of qi requires good internal cultivation techniques to support its circulation. Day after day, it strengthens the meridians, and only then can one attempt to impact the dantian.
That impacting step is very dangerous; a slight misstep and a person can be ruined.
That's why throughout history, very few imperial descendants have cultivated internal energy, let alone emperors. They mostly recruit guards from elsewhere and train shadow guards.
Most other martial artists in the world also remain at the level of external techniques. Those without a master's guidance can't even get past the gate.
Qu Dubian touched his own head. "Amazing."
"This is a vertical circulation path that all internal energy cultivation techniques capable of producing internal energy must pass through." More complex paths require finer control, which isn't possible now.
Different techniques pass through different meridians and acupoints.
Qu Dubian understood.
"So how do you get that warm thing you had in your finger just now?"
Yi Shier thought for a moment. "Study internal energy techniques thoroughly. Those with talent will develop the sensation." But his own technique couldn't be given to the young prince. The techniques used by shadow guards were mostly quick-success methods, dangerous to practice.
Qu Dubian said, "Six-six, you're so good. Let's go back now."
Remaining silent about that name was Yi Shier's greatest form of refusal. He flew him back once more.
Patting the plum blossom fragrance from his clothes, Qu Dubian stood in the courtyard and addressed the martial arts instructors, "From now on, he is my exclusive martial arts master. You are not allowed to bully him."
He clenched his fist and waved it menacingly, "If I find out you've bullied him, I'll be very angry."
The martial arts instructors looked at each other, then cupped their hands and said, "Yes!"
That oddball flew off once and managed to find himself a powerful patron.
Qu Dubian said, "Six-six, I'm leaving now. I'm quite busy today."
Yi Shier replied, "Mm."
Actually, he had to start his shift too.
Qu Dubian left in his puppy cart, while Yi Shier concealed himself in the shadows and followed him.
The martial arts instructors noticed Yi Shier had disappeared again and grumbled indignantly, "That Six-six is slacking off again! Let's see how long the Seventh Prince remembers him!"
-
Qu Dubian's schedule was packed.
After leaving the training grounds, he rushed to the main kitchens, directing the palace servants to deliver milk tea to his elder brothers at the Sixth Hall of the Eastern Lodge.
He had originally planned to leave right after delivering the tea, as he still had to hurry to Shunning Palace for lunch.
But Grand Tutor Fang pushed open a window with one hand and stuck his head out, "Seventh Prince! This old master needs a word with you!"
His booming shout was so forceful it shook the snow from the bamboo branches.
Qu Dubian turned back guiltily from his puppy cart.
After stopping him, Grand Tutor Fang told his students to drink their milk tea as a break, then put down his book and came straight out.
"Why hasn't the Seventh Highness been coming to the academy?"
Qu Dubian thought to himself, it's all to raise favorability, and besides, he wasn't even three years old yet! After turning three, he wouldn't be free anymore; he'd have to attend the academy. At best, he only had five months left to roam the entire palace freely all day.
He said, "I have been completing the assignments you left, Grand Tutor."
Ye Xiaoyuan nodded, speaking up for his young master, "Yes, except when he was ill, he has practiced his calligraphy every day."
Grand Tutor Fang also knew about his illness. When he first recovered, the Grand Tutor had thought the child would start attending soon, but then he fell ill again not long after.
If you told people he was the grandson of the Sword-Holding Marquis, no one would believe it.
Grand Tutor Fang stroked his beard, "Actually, it's good to play more. Being confined by the words of the sages too early... is not conducive to the release of one's natural disposition. Aren't you going inside to speak with your elder brothers?"
Seeing he wasn't pressing the issue, Qu Dubian breathed a sigh of relief.
He quite liked Grand Tutor Fang and didn't want to make him angry.
The two tutors he had met so far were both interesting and taught in engaging ways. He didn't want to suffer the hardships of study, but to live in the Great Zhou dynasty, the history and laws of this era were things he absolutely had to learn.
There would be plenty of dealings with them in the future.
Grand Tutor Fang seemed hesitant, wanting to say more, "Today, His Majesty in the court..."
Qu Dubian looked up warily, "What about His Majesty?"
Grand Tutor Fang patted his head, "Perhaps His Majesty will tell you himself. By now, the whole palace should know."
With that, he simply walked away.
After a moment of confusion, Qu Dubian felt indignant. What was the point of only saying half of it? It was really annoying.
However, he soon found out what news Grand Tutor Fang was referring to.
Shunning Palace.
During the midday meal, Imperial Consort Xuan wiped the sweat from her little dining companion's forehead and told him something.
"Your maternal grandfather is returning."
Qu Dubian's eyes widened slightly.
As the New Year approached, many officials returned to the capital to report on their duties. Depending on the distance of their post, some returned every two years, some every three, and some after a five-year term. The central court would review their merits and faults, leading directly to promotion, demotion, or transfer.
But there was one exception.
Commanders guarding the frontiers, though not explicitly stipulated by law, operated under an unspoken rule: they only returned upon the emperor's summons. In peacetime, if they failed to return after six golden edicts, they would be branded traitors.
And during the morning court that day.
An urgent letter, delivered by express courier over eight hundred li, flew into the emperor's hands, carrying the chill of the northern border. Upon it were written several bold, forceful characters that pierced the paper—
The Sword-Holding Marquis, Xu Jin, requests to return to the capital to report on his duties!
The Emperor said, "Granted."
