Chương 29: Chapter 27 (R)

With a sigh of satisfaction I let my body sink into the softness of my new bed as I close my eyes to better enjoy the sensation. After so many days enduring the uncomfortable beds of the carriage, this is a true luxury. It's not as if I can complain too much, they were always better than lying on the ground or sleeping on the seats of a carriage, but they couldn't replace a real bed. I open my eyes again and meet the gaze of Lianhua, who is standing beside the bed, watching me revel in its comfort.

"Lianhua", I say in a calm voice.

"Could you go help with unloading the carriage? I don't intend to move from here for quite a while." Lianhua nods without saying anything, her expression as impassive as always. I watch her turn and leave the room without making any comment. Her footsteps echo in the corridor as she moves away before fading into silence.

Once alone, I let out another sigh as I recall my mother's last words before entering the Palace and how they were almost a prophecy, although fortunately her threat of a purge didn't come to pass, even though it still frightens me how close it came. I close my eyes again, recalling the confrontation between him and my mother upon arriving at the Palace.

The moment we entered, he started with a power play by having the guards stationed in the courtyard to display his strength and welcoming us with a speech, but stating in a veiled manner within it that he was the one in charge of the palace and that we had to comply with all his orders. That made my mother's expression sour, and she pulled out the decree that gave her full authority over the place, which startled the Zǒngguǎn and made him go pale.

One might suppose that should have ended the discussion, but the man began to argue with my mother about the lack of precedent on the matter and to spell out laws and regulations that contradicted the decree and gave him authority over us while we were in what he called, I suppose in a slip due to nerves, his Palace.

I remember perfectly my mother's expression when she heard that, and tired of his incessant verbiage about laws and regulations, she snapped at him coldly that the Nei Wei were under her command and that, if necessary, she would not hesitate to use them since the decree allowed her to do so. That made him turn white and it seemed he was going to start arguing even that clear ultimatum, but I suppose my mother's expression made him hesitate and decide not to risk it being merely an empty threat.

With discomfort I relive the scene in which the Zǒngguǎn finally surrendered and left the Palace. Yes, he left, because as it turns out, next to the Palace there is a building designated as the Zǒngguǎn's residence, but he had been living in the Palace as though it were his own. I suppose since it isn't common for there to be members of the imperial family in this city, he had decided that gave him a perfect excuse to show off and enjoy the building.

However, and I suppose as revenge, he took with him all the guards and servants, claiming they were his men and that he paid them. And my mother, to my surprise, did not stop him. Only when I asked her later did she tell me that she didn't trust the Zǒngguǎn's servants, since they would be loyal to him and would devote themselves to following his orders rather than ours. So now there are only the four of us, a small group for a palace of this size.

And although the Nei Wei are efficient in matters of security, they are not trained for domestic tasks, even assuming we managed to convince them to do them. I sigh again, feeling the weight of our situation. How are we going to manage without help? And on top of that, the fact that the Zǒngguǎn only surrendered in the end when we threatened to use violence to force him to comply with a decree from the Emperor tells me a lot about how things work at such a distance from the imperial capital.

I had hoped that in a world like this one, where people have powers and the soldiers are clearly superhuman, things would somehow be different from how they were in the antiquity of my old world, but I suppose great distances from the seat of central power work the same way everywhere. I only hope the governor isn't some kind of warlord or anything similar.

The empire is supposed to be stable both because of the supervision of the imperial family and the threat of the Sect of the Celestial Sun, but I've already seen so many things be just like they were in ancient China that it wouldn't surprise me if the governor considered himself some sort of An Lushan.

I open my eyes and as I look at the ceiling and think about how to entertain myself while Lianhua returns, I realize that with the whole matter of the incident during my first cultivation session, the trial, and the journey, I haven't looked at the Qi around me again. I consider it for a second and, finding nothing better to do, I close my eyes and concentrate, to be received by the familiar sight of the specks of Qi moving along the strange current.

With a sudden flash of inspiration, I decide to take note of which way the Qi is moving and later ask Lianhua to see what direction it is, so I'll know which way it's flowing, although from what I've read about the Qi levels in this world, I imagine it will be toward the strange outer edge of this world. As I focus on the specks to memorize their direction, I realize that the distance at which I can see them clearly has increased.

I try to recall what the distance I could see before was, but without a familiar environment to measure the distances it's complicated, and in the end I conclude it's about thirty centimeters more or so. It isn't much, but I really haven't done anything other than tempering the skin, so I can only suppose it's an added effect of having completed that step. But if that simple step has increased my range of vision, perhaps it has also increased my limit for handling Qi specks.

With growing excitement, I begin to grasp specks of Qi and reach my limit of five with unusual ease. I prepare myself mentally and try to grasp a sixth speck. My head immediately starts to hurt, but I manage to form my sixth mental hand and successfully grasp the sixth speck, but I feel a sudden stab in my head that makes me lose concentration and end up dropping all of them.

I open my eyes to return to my normal vision and congratulate myself on this slight success, since before I was incapable even of forming my sixth hand. Given the intensity of the headache I have, it's going to be long and complicated to come to master that sixth hand, but step by step. I have a whole year until my next tempering and this is more a marathon than a sprint, so I have plenty of time. Although the headache really is killing me.

Even my first attempts weren't as bad as this, so I close my eyes and decide to take a nap while Lianhua and the rest finish unloading our things from the carts. A week has passed since we arrived in the city and we've finally been able to finish arranging our things with the help of some of the Nei Wei. Fortunately, the Nei Baihu has taken pity on us and has assigned some of the Nei Wei to help us during these days, but on the condition that we hire personnel as soon as possible.

Although they have orders to obey my mother, serving as maids does not form part of their duties. Although I'm glad not to have to deal with that matter, I worry about my mother as I see her tired face while we wait for Lingxi and Lianhua to bring us breakfast, since at the moment we still eat what the cooks of the Nei Wei prepare as we did during the journey.

I've been wanting to ask my mother the question for a couple of days and have held back, but today I decide that now that Lianhua no longer has to help arrange more things it's time to ask it, so I finally tell her "Mother, could I go out for a while later with Lianhua to see the city?" My mother looks at me and after thinking for a moment tells me "I have to consider it. Later I have to speak with the Nei Baihu and I'll ask her if it's safe, since she has sent some Nei Wei to check what the surroundings are like.

I'll discuss it with her and later tell you what we've decided." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Thank you for considering it", I reply, knowing that's the best answer I could have gotten, since at least she didn't refuse outright. Soon they arrive with breakfast, which proceeds calmly while my mother and Lingxi talk about her schedule for the day. After breakfast I ask Lianhua to take me out to the courtyard with the last book I have left to read, and I pray that they'll give me permission to go out and take advantage of it to look for a bookshop and go on a shopping spree.

I've only been in the courtyard for a little while when I see my mother approaching, but I try to contain my expectations so as not to suffer disappointment if she doesn't let me go out.

"Wen, I've spoken with the Nei Baihu", my mother tells me upon arriving at my side.

"You can go out, but you have to stay in the surrounding area." I try to contain my excitement with little success and tell my mother "I wanted to go to a bookshop to buy some new books, since I've finished the ones I have. May I?" My mother sighs as she looks at me, but in the end tells me "All right, but you can only go to the shops on the nearby streets. Have you understood?"

"Yes, Mother, I'll do as you say", I reply to reassure her.

"As for you, Lianhua, I don't want another situation like the one with the Yao clan. If anyone tries to bother you despite the escort, reveal who Wen is quickly", my mother tells her as she looks at her.

"That will deter all troublemakers unless they are explicitly looking to cause a commotion."

"As you say, Guifei Xiang", Lianhua replies with a nod of her head.

"That's all", my mother continues.

"Since you want to shop, have Lianhua ask Lingxi for some money, and then you can go. The escort will be waiting for you at the gate of the Palace."

"Thank you, Mother, you're the best", I reply with a smile that she returns before going off to continue with her tasks. I give the book I've been reading to Lianhua so she can leave it in my room when she goes to find Lingxi, and I wait for her to return while watching the comings and goings of the Nei Wei in the courtyard.

I quickly notice that about ten of them are heading toward the Palace entrance and stationing themselves to wait, by which I assume our escort is already prepared and ready for when Lianhua returns. I don't have to wait long since Lianhua appears shortly after, and after pointing out the Nei Wei who are waiting, she pushes my wheelchair toward them, where I ask if they are my escort, which they confirm.

Since we're all here, I indicate to Lianhua that we can go, and we leave through the gates into the enormous plaza on the other side. I tell Lianhua to take me to the center of the plaza so I can see it better and she pushes me toward that area followed by our escort, while we ignore the crowd that stops to stare at me.

Fortunately this city seems to be important enough that at least the main streets and the wealthier zone are paved with flagstones, although the size of these is one more reminder that the weight of materials is not exactly one of the problems of this world. Once we reach the center of the plaza, I have Lianhua slowly turn me around to look at my surroundings and get a better perspective of it.

The plaza is square as they usually are in oriental architecture, and as I observe it, what most stands out is what I assume must be the governor's palace, while on the other side of the plaza is the Palace of the Celestial Lotus, where we reside. The other two sides of the plaza have buildings of clearly governmental style and the exits to what appear to be the city's main streets.

Without quite knowing where to go, I tell Lianhua to bring us closer to a group of guards who are doing a patrol of the plaza so I can ask them, since no one better than they to give us directions. When we approach, the first thing they do, like everyone else, is take notice of the strange spectacle I represent sitting in a wheeled chair as I'm pushed, but then they take notice of my Nei Wei escort, and I notice how they grip their spears more tightly as if to prepare in case anything happens.

Fortunately they seem to relax when I address them politely to ask about a nearby shopping district that also has some shops where books are sold. The one who seems to be the leader of the patrol thinks for a moment and points us to one of the main streets, not the one through which we arrived in the city, but the one across from it, and tells us that almost all the shops frequented by the members of the great families of the city are in that area, so it's where the shops I'm looking for are most likely to be.

I thank them for the information and tell Lianhua to take me in that direction. We don't take too long and soon we arrive at the indicated street. The moment we arrive it's clearly noticeable that this is a commercial zone. At first glance it seems the area along the main street is intended for establishments selling more luxurious products, and from the little I see of the side streets, those are intended for more ordinary shops.

I imagine that the farther they are from the main street, the more modest the merchandise of the shops will be. I tell Lianhua to bring me close to the shops and we spend the morning being the entertainment of the area and looking at shop windows, since the word accessibility in a society of this kind isn't even known to exist.

Fortunately, I'm still small enough that Lianhua can pick me up in her arms when I find a shop that interests me, and little by little I keep filling what is the equivalent of an old-fashioned backpack I bought at the first shop and have hooked onto my chair, although unfortunately little of what I buy are books due to a serious lack of bookshops or their equivalent.

As we approach midday, in one of the shops I enter I ask the shopkeeper if there's any food establishment nearby that has open-air tables, and fortunately he replies that nearby there is a garden with a restaurant that has tables in it for enjoying the scenery while eating. I ask him for the directions and after thanking him for the information with a tip I tell Lianhua to take us in that direction for lunch, and we follow the directions as we leave the main street to head toward the park with the restaurant.

Upon leaving the main street, the Nei Wei seem to put themselves a bit more on guard, but beyond the looks I attract as always, the streets are quiet and nothing remarkable happens beyond a couple of stops I make along the way at some shops that catch my attention and fill the backpack even more. In the end, we have to ask a couple more people, but eventually we arrive at a well-tended garden with several tables where some people are having tea or eating while they converse and enjoy the surroundings.

Without needing to be told anything, Lianhua approaches the table area.

"Ask if there's a free table where we can sit", I tell her, observing several women serving the diners who are evidently waitresses while I ignore the curious looks that turn me into the new entertainment of those present. Lianhua approaches one of the waitresses, they exchange a few brief words, and I see Lianhua hand her a few coins. The waitress heads to the most distant table, where a man is having tea.

After saying something to him while pointing at us, the man seems to start protesting, but the waitress replies something else. The man looks at us in surprise, sighs, and stands up to be guided to another table. I'm not sure whether to feel bad for the poor man and the more-than-clear intimidation we've resorted to in order to take his table, but I'm hungry and the sight of the waitress approaching us and guiding us to the table erases any feeling of guilt.

"Today's special is lacquered duck and rice noodles with vegetables, although we can also offer braised tofu and fish soup", the waitress tells us with a certain nervousness after settling us at the table. Lianhua nods and orders the food, while I try to convince the Nei Wei to eat something, but they politely refuse while their leader replies "We cannot eat while on duty, but thank you for the consideration, Zhāohuán."

After ordering the food, they bring it to us with unusual quickness, and I see how some of the other customers who were waiting for their food before us look at us out of the corner of their eyes, or rather look at the Nei Wei standing guard around us, and clearly decide not to complain just in case.

This is a clear case of nepotism due to my status, but if it benefits me and I really don't harm anyone beyond their having to wait a little longer for their food, so be it, since I really am hungry and not having to wait to eat is something to be grateful for. In the middle of the meal, the waitress approaches again, bowing nervously before telling us "Excuse me for disturbing you, but there is a member of the Han family who is interested in speaking with you."

I narrow my eyes in annoyance as I think about the reasons why a person might attempt to speak with a young girl of my rank, and I really cannot find any good ones, so I respond "Tell the gentleman of the Han family that my mother has forbidden me to speak with strangers." Lianhua, always more diplomatic than I am, adds "Please, indicate to him that any request must be directed to the Pavilion of the Celestial Lotus in the name of Guifei Xiang."

The waitress seems to grow even more nervous after our refusal, so I clearly imagine that the waitress knows the man is going to take our refusal out on her, so I ask "Is the Han family very important?"

"It is one of the four largest families in the city", the waitress replies. I sigh and tell Lianhua "Go with a couple of Nei Wei and convey our instructions to him in person, as a gesture of respect toward his family." Lianhua nods and after asking two Nei Wei to accompany her she tells the waitress "Guide us to where the member of the Han family is." I observe how they approach a table where two men are accompanied by four women. Lianhua gives them a nod of her head and engages them in conversation.

Luckily, it seems she manages to calm them down and returns to our table without trouble.

"What did they want?" I ask her with curiosity upon her return.

"They were just curious about the Zhāohuán and wanted to meet her", she tells me before adding "It isn't uncommon among non-noble families. Meeting someone of royalty gives them something to brag about later in front of their friends." I nod in understanding and we continue with the meal without any further interruptions. When the waitress comes to clear the plates and bill us, I take advantage of the moment to ask her "Do you know the area?"

"Yes, Zhāohuán", she replies with a nervous smile.

"Is there an establishment that specializes in selling books around here?" I ask her. The waitress seems pensive for a moment before answering me "A few streets from here is the Pavilion of the Golden Pearl. It specializes in attending to people of high rank. I don't know if they have books, but given their clientele, it's likely."

"Thank you", I tell her, after which I ask Lianhua to give her a tip. With that, we get up and head toward the Pavilion of the Golden Pearl with nothing further to detain us at this place.