Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3: Blind Love Speaks of Chiung Yao1

“Miss, Miss, Miss! Oh, no, I mean, Princess Princess!”

Shan Xi’s string of calls and busy footsteps startled the sole crow on the roof beaht It circled a bit, and then landed on the eaves again, peering down into the yard with a cocked head Lotus had her head bent down and was checking a lunch box2 Today was Cao Min’s birthday Lotus had gone to the grave to worshi+p her ancestors, and the lunch box was for her father and brothers She frowned involuntarily upon seeing Shan Xi run in panting, “What are you yelling about? You have no sense of the rules at all”

Shan Xi stuck her tongue out and surreptitiously ained her breath, “Princess! I’ve heard fro has sent a fast horse back to report that he will arrive back with the imperial decree in a few days”

Lotus was startled and didn’t say anything

“Princess! Aren’t you worried? I’ matter!” Shan Xi pouted

Lotus was startled into a laugh, and looked at theShan Xi, “What are you worried about?”

Shan Xi could discern the ridicule in Lotus’ tone, and was a bit irritated, “I’m worried for the princess of course! What if the iive its approval? Then the princess would have to truly go to the Ming court!”

Lotus retracted her sanize the lunch box She spoke after a while, “Is the carriage ready? Let’s go”

Shan Xi didn’t dare speak further, and carried the lunch box as she followed Lotus out of the inner gardens

Hai Shou was already waiting outside, and hastened to bohen Lotus cae with Hai Shou sitting on the carriage shaft, looking around alertly all along the way in protection

After Lotus had been given the title of Princess, she still lived in the Caothe palace to pay her respect to the king and royal consort The King felt kindly towards her for her loyalty, and bestowed upon her a palace eunuch called Hai Shou Although Hai Shou was young, he had spent quite a while in the palace He was exceedingly clever and quick witted Ever since Lotus had become a princess, many social interactions had arisen He had appropriately and deftly dealt with all the exceedingly nu, etc It was said that Hai Shou possessed extraordinary martial arts capabilities because he was the direct disciple of Tibetan Sharjah School Shan Xi was curious and had teased Hai Shou several tihtly evaded them all, and had not revealed himself

(AN: A person called Hai Shou truly did exist in history He was one of the few foreign officials in China He had brought seven ile But whether he was truly well versed in the martial arts, the history books made no note of it)

The group arrived at Mt Yongxing not long thereafter The carriage stopped at the foot of thethe lunch box – brought up the rear as the three followed the small path in the mountain to the Cao family cemetery that was halfway up the mountain

The winter sun was present at the moment, and the accumulated snow had yet to melt The mountainside was an expanse of white – almost like the ilass3 in the east

A large patch of level ground was present after taking a left froe – they were almost at the Cao faure in the distance, and her heart gave a leap She had continuously avoided Lee Fangyuan ever since being titled Princess Yi Ning at the Sajeongjeon Hall last ti to look at hiether It was Cao Min’s birthday today, and Lee Fangyuan and Cao Min were as close to each other as brothers He would have come to pay his respects today

After walking closer, Lee Fangyuan was indeed standing soleht, and dignified His dark, colored black, fox cloak would occasionally sound as the wind kicked up the bottoyuan only tilted his head and looked sideways, before stepping off to the side, clasping his hands behind his back, and gazing up to the heavens

Hai Shou and Shan Xi hastened to walk forward and pay their respects, where Lotus alsoout softly, “Royal brother!” at which Lee Fangyuan snorted heavily and didn’t respond

Lotus took the dishes out from the lunch box The kimchi and scallion pancakes5 had been made for her father; her oldest brother had always loved dukboki6 and doenjang jjigae7, and her little brother loved his sister’s tteok8 thethe rice He would plant his hands on his hips and say to his sister, “My strength is the greatest!” The sight of hihing …could it be that it would never be seen again?

Lotus put the dishes in front of their three tablets, observing the rites and rituals Past events floated through her eyes andwas a blur as she looked out She could see through the blur that the three tablets had been wiped clean, and that all sorts of snacks were placed in front of them The altar in front of her father and older brother had a flagon of wine next to the snacks

Lee Fangyuan seemed to have perceived her mood, and said softly behind her “The Count of Bravery would always drink with us brothers everyday on this day”

Lotus’ body trele tear dropped into the snow It vanished after causing a small crater upon impact

Lee Fangyuan’s face was cold and sole frostily, “Leave us” Hai Shou and Shan Xi looked at Lotus The two of them moved far away after she inclined her head a tiny bit

Lee Fangyuan walked up, and sat down not too far frorand sweep of his cloak, with his eyes continuing to gaze up towards the heavens It was a sunny day, with the heavens high and the clouds pale – a cloudless blue sky The sunlight shone directly down ayuan spoke lightly after a while, “I will lead troops to kill the japanese pirates I will train the navy I will protect the land and people of my Korea”

Lotus lowered her head without a word, but her body shuddered a bit

Lee Fangyuan was still gazing up at the heavens as he continued slowly, “I will find Azhi Taibiao and have hi vengeance for Ah Min and Ah Xiu9 Their death was too cruel”

Lotus’ body treer contain herself, and the tears that she had been suppressing for many days broke free of their dam

Lee Fangyuan stretched out his right hand and put it lightly around Lotus’ shoulder,“Cry, cry, let it all out” Lotus tilted her head and rested it on Lee Fangyuan’s shoulder, finally giving voice to heart wrenching sobs The birds on the tablets couldn’t bear to hear as they spread their wings and fleay

When the bodies of the Cao father and sons had returned home, Lotus had personally dressed and laid their bodies in a coffin Cao Mengyi’s fatal injury was a blow through his chest, piercing him from behind It was obvious that he had been ambushed from behind Cao Min and Cao Xiu, on the other hand, all had hundreds of blade injuries on their body, all different in both character in size How many japanese pirates had surrounded and attacked theht foot was , and the back of his head had been flattened by a blunt object As for Cao Xiu, apart froht hand, his left arm had basically been sewn back on One wondered how one to, to retrieve this arm from the pirates? Lotus had been afraid that her mother would be sad and hadn’t let her mother seen until she was done Lotus however, hid away and cried until her eyes were red, her heart broken into pieces

After crying for a very, very long time, Lotus slowly calmed down and stopped her sniffles She called out softly, “Brother Yuanyuan!”

Lee Fangyuan shuddered, and he lightly clasped her right arm

Lotus had been only one or then she’d started playing with Lee Fangyuan The adults had instructed her to call hi, how could she have spoken those words? Her young voice always called out, “Brother Yuanyuan, Brother Yuanyuan!” This sweet voice had drifted around Lee Fangyuan’s entire childhood Lotus had changed to the proper name afterwards, and the two met infrequently due to the difference beto tihtly clasped her arm and didn’t dare move