Han Qingyou never expected that coming over to teach them literacy would result in her being asked to stay—and that everything would already have been prepared for her.
She smiled and thanked Xi Qingyue. “Thank you, Yue. I had prepared some books and planned to go back for them after you agreed. I didn’t expect you to have everything here already.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and waved it off. “It’s no trouble. It would be such a hassle to run back and forth. I have plenty here, and once Lan’er wakes up, it’ll be more convenient for you to start teaching her.”
Then she glanced at Han Qingyou’s clothes, her smile growing even brighter. “Oh, and I have quite a few bolts of cloth here too. Pick out a few later. There are embroiderers at home, so I’ll have them take your measurements and make you several outfits.”
Han Qingyou hurriedly waved her hands in refusal. “Yue, that won’t do. Those gifts are far too valuable. You can keep the cloth for yourself and Lan’er. I still have clothes to wear.”
She hadn’t even taught them anything yet. How could she accept gifts so casually? She wasn’t that shameless.
Xi Qingyue stood up, walked over to her, and patted her shoulder with a hearty laugh. “Sister Qingyou, there’s no need to be so polite. Every family in Willow Tree Village has these things, and I have more than enough. You’ve all suffered quite a bit on the journey here, so having a few new outfits will put everyone in a better mood. Later, I’ll give each family a piece of land as well. Then you won’t have to keep wandering from place to place.”
At that, Han Qingyou stood and bowed solemnly to her. “Yue, let me thank you on behalf of everyone in Willow Tree Village. You’ve done us a tremendous favor.”
Xi Qingyue gave a calm smile. “I’m from Willow Tree Village too. It’s only a small matter.”
With that, she beckoned to Nanxing. “Nanxing, take her to the back garden for a stroll. While you’re there, teach her a few self-defense techniques. I’m going to wake Lan’er.”
Nanxing immediately walked over with a smile and gestured invitingly toward Han Qingyou. “Miss Han, this way, please.”
Han Qingyou was rather surprised that Xi Qingyue had asked someone to teach her martial arts. But after nearly being kidnapped on the road, she was delighted at the chance to learn. Without the slightest hesitation, she followed Nanxing away.
Once they had left, Xi Qingyue slipped into her space and arrived in Xi Weilan’s room.
Standing beside the bed, she looked at the little girl’s face. Even in her sleep, she was smiling and drooling. Xi Qingyue couldn’t help smiling as well.
“Lan’er, time to get up.”
At the sound of her voice, Xi Weilan slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them sleepily. “Sister, it’s still early.”
Xi Qingyue stepped forward and pulled off her blanket with a soft laugh. “It’s not early anymore. Sister Qingyou has already come over, and she’ll be teaching you to read from now on. By the time you get up, get dressed, and finish breakfast, half an hour will have passed. Besides, Prince Kang’s army could arrive at any moment over the next few days. If you’re asleep when they come, I won’t take you out to play.”
The moment she heard that, Xi Weilan shot out of bed and landed on the floor.
“Sister, I’m up! I’ll get dressed right now.” At that moment, Xi Weilan was so energetic she could have taken down a bull.
Xi Qingyue found it amusing. When waking children, most people had to coax them with food or games. With her little sister, threatening her with a fight seemed to work even better.
She picked up the clothes beside the bed and began dressing Xi Weilan. Before long, a delicate little doll stood before her, all dressed.
“All done. Let’s eat first, then you can go outside.”
Xi Qingyue looked over her handiwork with satisfaction. Xi Weilan was wearing a bright red dress, with a pretty jeweled hair ornament in her hair and an exquisite crescent-moon jade pendant around her neck. Even her wrist was adorned with a green jade bangle.
They had no shortage of fine things. Leaving them unworn seemed like such a waste, so they might as well wear something different every day.
Xi Weilan sat at the table, happily drinking the lamb soup she had ordered, while Xi Qingyue sat beside her with a cup of milk tea.
Half an hour later, Xi Weilan contentedly set down her bowl. “Sister, I’m full.”
Looking at the two empty bowls in front of them, Xi Qingyue smiled and led her out of the space.
Han Qingyou had followed Nanxing around the garden and had returned to Xi Qingyue’s courtyard. She was chatting with Nanxing when Xi Qingyue suddenly appeared before them with Xi Weilan, seemingly out of thin air.
Han Qingyou’s mouth fell open in shock. But then she remembered the various exotic flowers and plants she had seen in the back garden and decided that perhaps this was nothing extraordinary after all.
Xi Weilan happily ran up to her, tilting her head back with a bright smile. “Sister Qingyou, Sister said you’ll be teaching us to read from now on. That’s wonderful!”
Han Qingyou smiled and lifted Xi Weilan into her arms. “Yes. I’ll teach you every day from now on, so you have to study hard.”
“Don’t worry. I’m very serious when I’m learning. Sister praises me all the time.”
Seeing how well the two of them got along, Xi Qingyue felt relieved. She had no intention of studying with them every day. Her soul wasn’t that of a child, after all. Why would she want to spend every day learning like one?
“Nanxing, stay with Lan’er. I’m going out for a while.”
After saying this to Nanxing, Xi Qingyue vanished from the courtyard in an instant.
A moment later, she appeared atop the city wall.
When the soldiers guarding the wall saw Xi Qingyue suddenly appear, they hurriedly saluted. “Greetings, Commandery Princess!”
Xi Qingyue waved a hand. “There’s no need for formalities. Carry on as usual.”
Then she looked down at the several black-clad men hanging below. Every one of them had been tortured until they were barely alive, yet the hatred in their eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
Before long, Mu Jin arrived at her side with several people. “Commandery Princess, it’s terribly hot today. We can keep watch here. You should go back and rest.”
Xi Qingyue shook her head. “It’s fine. I only came to take a look. When the sun gets too harsh later, remember to sprinkle more salt on them. And keep a close eye on them—don’t let them actually die. Try to keep them hanging there for several more days.”
Mu Jin smiled and assured her, “Don’t worry, Commandery Princess. We’re watching them. They won’t die.”
Xi Qingyue casually waved her hand, and more than a dozen huge watermelons appeared before them.
She smiled at Mu Jin. “Take these and have them distributed. Everyone’s worked hard in this heat. Let them eat some watermelon to cool off.”
The soldiers guarding the city were shocked at first, then overjoyed. They were getting free watermelon too!
Mu Jin walked up to Xi Qingyue and quietly reminded her, “Commandery Princess, is it really all right for outsiders to see this ability of yours? If word gets out, could it put you in danger?”
She was genuinely worried. It had been one thing when only their own people knew about it, but revealing it in public was different. Once the news spread, the entire city might find out.
Xi Qingyue waved dismissively, completely unconcerned. “It’s fine. Let them know. I can’t hide my abilities forever. Besides, if people haven’t seen it with their own eyes, they won’t believe it even if they hear about it. I want convenience, not restraints.”
She looked at the empty stretch of yellow earth beyond the city and curved her lips into a faint smile. She could hardly wait for those people to arrive.
“Oh, right. Mu Jin, have the academy suspend classes for now. Tomorrow, call all our people back and have them familiarize themselves with the firearms.”
Twenty thousand people was neither a particularly large nor a particularly small number. She felt that lining up a row of Gatling guns would be enough, but when it came to firearms, she was more at ease having her own subordinates use them. Everyone else could stay out of it.
Mu Jin immediately understood what she meant and smiled as she acknowledged the order. “Yes, Commandery Princess. But Prince Kang may also have martial artists among his forces. Some of them might be able to use their qinggong to fly directly onto the wall. We just don’t know how many there will be.”
Xi Qingyue gave a calm smile. “Don’t worry. Leave all those people to me. No matter how many of them come, I’ll wipe them out. You only need to deal with the main army.”
