Vol 7 Chapter 20 (2/2)

For me, Zi Zhong and the rest have given a fair bit of odd tasks as well. Leaving aside what goes on during the lessons, what happens thereafter is quite inexplicable. They make me train up various skills such as making bamboo scrolls by hand, compiling case files etc. I have been made to train in so many skills that I’m not a master of any, but a jack of all. At the end of it all, they never told me what the purpose of training up those skills were.

“Un…” Sun Quan thought for a moment, “Drawing water, cutting wood, sewing, cleaning up–”

“Isn’t that just treating you as a servant?!” I exclaimed as I couldn’t continue listening.

“Eh? Really?”

“Of course.”

It was clear that she was unaware of it but she was being abused by her retainers. They’re clearly deceiving her too. Even though she can’t quite do her job well, it’s a little too much to lie to her that this is oart of her training.

And so, I decided to be clear about this.

“Does Zhang Zhao know?”

“She knows.”

“Does your elder sister know?”

“She does, and she supports it very much.”

Eh?

“Big sister said that, before one becomes a ruler, one must learn how it is like as an ordinary citizen and must do what ordinary citizens do.” Sun Quan repeated what her elder sister said. For some reason, I could feel that these were Bo Fu’s words.

From what experience I have, most rulers aren’t aware of wordly affairs. The first generation would conquer their territories and leave offspring who live very different lives from their subjects. If a ruler is to love his or her people, he or she cannot try to understand the sufferings of his or her people from the viewpoint of a ruler. But even if the ruler wants to, it can be difficult for the ruler to step off his or her throne and go to a well to draw water, whether or not he or she is willing to.

So they are raised like this from young huh… Now that I think about it, Bo Fu’s words make sense.

“Oh right, they also made me tend to a stove… That was really tiring…”

… They’re still a little too unreasonable about this.

I felt worried and sad at Sun Quan’s lifestyle and felt worried and relief at mine. Why I felt relief was obvious. As for worry, I was worried that everyone was being too lenient with me and I wouldn’t be able to be a proper lord for everyone.

As I thought so, I felt impressed at Sun Quan but I didn’t say this. All I did was check my clothing and throat over once more before I stepped into the main hall.

Inside, was Bo Fu.

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