102 Chengdi (1/2)
When An Ning and Nian Zhen woke up the following morning and went downstairs to eat, it was to find that all the characters who witnessed his transformation the previous day were all there, including Ban Chao and Kang Jun.Kang Jun immediately bowed in greeting to An Ning and served her and Gu Sheng their breakfast.
An Ning stared at him, somewhat mystified.
”What are you doing?” she asked. ”You're not my servant. Go to his highness.”
”His highness said the same thing, your grace,” Kang Jun pouted. ”I have nothing else to do so I might as well continue serving both your highnesses.”
”Whatever,” An Ning shrugged. ”If you want to be a martyr then so be it.”
Kang Jun looked at her with hurt eyes but continued putting the dishes on the table where she could easily reach it.
”Shall I draw your bath then, your grace?”
”Step one foot inside our bedroom and I'll have your fucking head off,” Nian Zhen growled, spearing him with a hot glare.
”Your bedroom?” Gu Sheng asked, his spoon half-way to his mouth.”Are you implying that you're sharing my stepmother's bed?”
”I'm not implying it, I'm doing it,” Nian Zhen snorted.
”I don't want you as a stepfather,” Gu Sheng said, narrowing his eyes at him.
”Who said I want to be your stepfather?” Nian Zhen was outraged. ”I'd rather you go back home to Yuqui and leave An Ning to me.”
”Hah! As if that would happen.”
”You're not actually intending to live here the rest of your life, do you?”
”Yes.”
Nian Zhen gaped at him, stunned. He turned and looked at An Ning who returned his look with a bland smile.
”We're a package deal, as you can see.” Her smile was very amused.
”But, darling...,” Nian Zhen protested, looking daggers at the cool and unflappable Gu Sheng.
”It's no use. Wherever An Ning goes, I go. After all, she promised my father. Right, An Ning?”
”I promised Gu Fang that I'll keep you and the kingdom safe. Anyway, while you're here, you might as well catch up on your studies.Any suggestions for a tutor?”
”Hank,” Kari said. ”He's the best there is. But he's a bit expensive.”
”The best usually are,” An Ning said. ”Can you start today, Hank?”
Hank, who was talking to Gray, just nodded then returned back to his interrupted conversation.
”Kang Jun, I want you to help his grace. Let's pretend we're on a vacation and the emperor is studying other cultures. Help him study. Go about and observe.”
”Don't go near the waters though. Pirates,” Sumo said, drinking his tea.
”Pirates? Pirates from where?” An Ning asked, frowning.
”From everywhere. They're ferocious and like nothing better than to make mayhem. Their specialty is kidnapping and slavery.”
”We've already lost like two villages to those scumbags,” Gray, who was listening with one ear, suddenly spoke up. ”And they're very hard to catch since they know these waters better than we do.”
”Have you tried catching them?” An Ning asked, turning to Nian Zhen.
”We tried the best we can but Chengdi is not a military state. Although the army is very experienced it's very small. People don't really like going to war in this time and dimension. They put up with it because it's a nuisance but the kingdom will not waste people and money just to eliminate them. To them, it's useless. Just steer clear of those pirates and everything will be fine,” Nian Zhen said.
”But the security of the kingdom...,” An Ning's voice trailed off.
”I know, love,” Nian Zhen said, and gripped her hand in assurance.”The army may be small but I've made sure they're fully equipped to deal with this menace.”
”Guns, you mean?”
”And satellites and other stuff. We've spent a lot of money buying those from our world. I have no wish to disrupt people's lives so they could train in the army and get killed fighting for their country.That sounds very commendable back home but here, it's rather an outdated form of suicide.”
”But what about patriotism and love of your neighbor and all that stuff?” An Ning asked rather confused.
”Think of us as another Switzerland,” Nian Zhen smiled. ”Small, rich yet staying out of everybody's way not because we don't want to be involved but because the idea of conflict to us is not only barbaric but outdated. Chengdi is a powerful kingdom in it's own way since it encourages thinking, and commerce, and free enterprise. But it doesn't like poking into other people's business. So we keep everything quiet and go about our lives peacefully.”
”No water dipping then. Got it,” Kang Jun nodded.
”How many other nations are there in this dimension anyway?” An Ning said, very intrigued. ”I know Yuqui collaborates with two or three but how many here?”
”We've met like five representatives from other countries so far,” Hank cut in. ”All of them not soldiers but more like traders. They wanted to open trade with us and we've been doing that since we got here. So far, everything has worked out well. We've also exported builders to these countries. You know, we help them build bridges, dams, reservoirs and other stuff. That's one thing we have plenty of in Chengdi. Men of ideas. Men of ability.”
”What about the women?” An Ning asked.
Kari laughed.
”Believe it or not, some of them work in the fields. Some make furniture, some make clothes while others have started their own businesses.The souls who came here with us and were given a chance at a new life with their new physical bodies have never stopped working since they got here. It's like once the forced inactivity was lifted they can't help but work and work hard,” she said.
”That's why I won't let Chengdi enter into war or conflict with the pirates or anyone else. Everyone who came here are starting lives they haven't lived in many years,” Nian Zhen explained.”They're too busy with living to have time for war.”
An Ning was silent.
”What are you thinking?” Nian Zhen asked, worried when the silence lasted for a long time.
”About those pirates,” An Ning said, looking up at Nian Zhen.
”What about them?”
”I was wondering if, you know, like Chengdi they represent another form of life here in this dimension.”
”The scumbags type you mean?” Hank snorted derisively.
”No, rather like a pirate nation entirely populated by pirates.”
Suddenly, everyone looked at her like she said something funny.
”They're renegades,” Sumo laughed.”They're nothing but a bunch of thieves preying on the weak.”
”What are you thinking, Ning Ning?” Nian Zhen asked curiously.
”I find it rather strange that Chengdi learned to live with this menace alongside them for years rather than put an end to these marauders.What if these pirates, who I presume have been here longer than you have, are not as random as you'd like to believe. What if they have their own system of governance, their own basic lives, their own trades, their own teachers and army? Everything and everyone living under the flag of one nation. A nation full of pirates who don't live on land obviously but out there in the sea, in the middle of nowhere.”
You could almost hear a pin drop in the silence that ensued.
”Are you serious?” Ban Chao finally broke the tension, scoffing at what An Ning said.”Of course they're just a bunch of simple thieves who have nothing better to do than sail on their boats scaring people to death.”
”A disorganized group, you mean?” An Ning asked.
”Of course.”
”Has anyone been out there in the sea to check?”
”No.”