Chapter 4 (2/2)

Ling Fei shook her head. ‘The dresses are all beautiful and good fabric quality. But I’m comfortable wearing my plain clothes.’

‘Lady Ling, I think you should familiarise yourself to wearing beautiful dresses,’ Shen Huang said. ‘Lady Ling after you become the empress you need to dress accordingly to your status.’

Shen Huang carefully brushed Ling Fei’s hair and she styled Ling Fei’s hair suitable for the emperor’s betrothed.

‘Who told you I wanted to be the empress?’ Ling Fei asked.

‘The empress dowager allowed Lady Ling to stay in the empress’ chamber,’ Shen Huang said. ‘It’s a declaration to everyone Lady Ling is the future empress. Only the empress is allowed to stay here, if Lady Ling isn’t going to be the empress then whom else is going to be the empress? Everyone from the sky to the ground knows who Lady Ling is. Lady Ling, you can’t deny the truth.’

‘Did you say…’ Ling Fei said.

Ling Fei was surprised by Shen Huang’s words and she finally understood what her mother’s strange words a few years ago meant…

A few years ago west of the imperial city, Ling Fei returned home.

‘Mother, I’m back,’ Ling Fei said.

Ling Fei’s hair was dusty, in one hand she held her sword and carried a bundle of vegetables in the other hand and her face was as small as her hand.

Ling Fei helped clean her home. ‘Elder Qin, today I purposely starve my stomach to increase my appet.i.te. Did you do the same too?’

‘Today is a special day and we had a bigger audience,’ Qin Cong said. ‘We made five silver taels today. If we starve ourselves then our stomachs will change colour and tonight the food will taste better.’

‘I wonder what dishes mother cooked,’ Ling Fei said.

Ling Fei ran into the kitchen but the table was empty. Her mother was sitting anxiously at the empty table.

‘Mother, what happened?’ Ling Fei asked.

Jiang Thi’s deep thoughts were broken by her daughter’s voice. ‘Ling Fei… ah… you’re home. I haven’t cooked anything. Ling Fei, you and Elder Qin should go and rest. I’ll quickly cook dishes for you and Elder Qin.’

Ling Fei thought it was strange her mother was running around the kitchen. Usually her mother was calm and prepared food before she returned home.

A while later Jiang Thi brought out delicious vegetarian dishes. There was no meat or fish but it was enough for everyone.

‘Big brother Qin, you should eat more,’ Jiang Thi said.

If Qin Cong didn’t help Jiang Thi and Ling Fei for many years, Jiang Thi wouldn’t be at ease to let Ling Fei perform in busy streets and they would have starved to death on the side of a road long ago.

‘Little sister, you’re not well so you should eat more too,’ Qin Cong said. ‘You don’t need to be courteous with me.’

‘Big brother, I’ve always eaten the same portion,’ Jiang Thi said. ‘But big brother, you have worked hard to take care of me and Ling Fei. If it wasn’t for big brother then I and Ling Fei wouldn’t be alive.’

‘Little sister, a thousand times you don’t need to thank me!’ Qin Cong said.

‘Mother you shouldn’t say anything else,’ Ling Fei said. ‘Otherwise Elder Qin would need to find a cave to crawl into.’

‘Little girl don’t talk nonsense!’ Jiang Thi said.

‘Cong Sun Huang is my little sworn brother,’ Qin Cong said. ‘It’s my duty to take care of little sister and Ling Fei in his stead. Little sister you don’t need to thank me.’

‘Big brother, I’ll always remember everything you have done for me and Ling Fei,’ Jiang Thi said.

End of Chapter Four

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