Chương 72: Chapter 70

As I watch Lianhua and Xia begin unpacking the utensils and food for lunch, I finally conclude that after an entire morning touring the various zones of the Inner Palace, the irrefutable verdict is that this place is much larger than the Forbidden City of my former world. It's not that I hadn't imagined as much. I've been living here for years, and common sense told me that a complex capable of housing thousands of people had to be enormous.

But it's one thing to know that in the abstract and quite another to verify it in person by walking until Lianhua's legs, which are the ones actually doing the work of pushing my chair, are probably starting to question my decision.

But now, after hours of exploration that have left both Xia and me feeling like tourists lost in a magnified version of that very Forbidden City, we've stopped at this small park situated between several buildings that, according to Lianhua, house some of the departments of the imperial bureaucracy. And the reason for the stop is simple and universal regardless of what world you're in.

My stomach has begun producing sounds that, were they a touch louder, might start attracting the attention of the people we pass, so I've decided it's time for lunch. The park itself is a pleasant little corner, with a small artificial lake surrounded by willows, and on one of its banks stands a wooden pavilion with a curved roof and a couple of tables that seem to have been placed there specifically so people can take a break.

It's a quiet spot, set apart from the busier areas of the Palace, and for a moment I think we've found the perfect place to have lunch in peace. And of course, reality quickly informs me I was wrong.

"I feel like some kind of animal on display", I tell Lianhua as I watch the umpteenth group of officials slow their pace while passing near us, their eyes fixed on our table as though they've never seen three women having lunch.

"Maybe we should have found somewhere else." Because it turns out this park, in addition to being a pleasant corner, is also a sort of crossroads between several of the buildings in the area, which means that every few minutes a group of officials laden with papers and bamboo scrolls passes through on their way from one department to another.

And every single one of those groups, without exception, stops to stare at us as if we were some kind of traveling show that has set up camp in the middle of their usual route, though they clearly don't dare approach thanks to the Nei Wei standing guard. I even watch as one official in the latest group to pass trips over the edge of a step because he's looking in our direction instead of where he's walking, which would draw a smile from me if I hadn't been enduring this since we sat down.

Lianhua, who is arranging a series of containers on the pavilion's small table with her usual meticulousness, doesn't even look up as she replies.

"This was the nearest spot, Zhāohuán Wen", she tells me in that pragmatic tone she uses when she considers my complaint understandable but without a better solution.

"Besides, it's good for people to see you from time to time. You've been secluded for so long and with so few public appearances that you're probably the least recognized of all the Emperor's children. A little more visibility is always a positive." I huff at her words, even though she's probably right.

"If gaining recognition means turning into some kind of exhibit, I'd rather go without", I reply, crossing my arms with an indignation I know is a bit excessive but that in this moment feels entirely justified. Hearing me, Xia, who is finishing setting out some dishes on the table with a deftness that shows how much she's improved despite her complaints about Lianhua, laughs quietly.

"We could always charge them for the show, Wen", she says with a mischievous smile. I huff again at Xia's remark, but this time I say nothing. Instead, I vent by snatching a bun from the table and biting into it with more force than is strictly necessary, while Lianhua, who adds nothing further to the conversation, pours tea into cups with elegance.

I chew the bun with determination while beside me Xia finishes placing the last dish and sits in the position Lianhua has taught her, hands in her lap and back straight, though every so often her eyes drift toward the passing officials with a curiosity she's unable to fully conceal.

Although I don't mind them eating with me, and they normally do, right now there are too many people watching, and a breach of protocol would give far too much to talk about, and not in a good way, so I have no choice but to resign myself to being served by Lianhua and Xia following the rigid protocol we're expected to observe. I look again at the various officials passing by and decide to shift my mindset. If I can't avoid being watched, at least I can turn the tables and be the one doing the watching while I eat.

And to my surprise, observing the Empire's officials in their natural habitat turns out to be more entertaining than I expected, especially when I share my observations with Lianhua and Xia. As I eat, I watch the various imperial bureaucrats move between buildings with an urgency that varies enormously from person to person.

Some walk with a purposeful stride, clutching mountains of papers against their chests as though the documents contained the secrets of the empire, while others advance with a leisureliness suggesting their destination isn't all that pressing, or that they've simply decided the empire can wait five minutes while they enjoy a bit of free time.

And beyond sparing a couple of glances in our direction, they generally plunge straight back into their own affairs, which I'm sure in their minds are the most important things in existence and the only force keeping the Tianjing Empire running. Because I'm sure that's what officials tend to think everywhere, regardless of the country or, in this case, the world they happen to be in.

Whether it's a bureaucrat at the Ministry of Finance in my old world or an imperial functionary hauling bamboo scrolls in this one, the conviction that without their work the country would crumble is surely some kind of multiversal, unbreakable law. Fortunately, lunch, aside from being practically broadcast live, passes with a tranquility I deeply appreciate after the morning's exploration, since the food Xia and the cooks prepared this morning specifically for this outing is delicious.

But as we near the end of the meal and I start thinking about which areas of the Palace we might visit in the afternoon, a commotion at one end of the park draws our attention. Looking in that direction, I see a group of people lavishly dressed in embroidered silk, with elaborate hairstyles and postures radiating the kind of confidence only found in those accustomed to the world stepping aside for them, entering the park.

And more importantly, after entering, they head straight toward us, which puts the Nei Wei around us on alert. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Zhāohuán Wen", Lianhua says to me in a low voice tinged with urgency.

"The one leading the group is the Second Prince, Sun Rui. And Sun Hong, the Eleventh Prince, is also present." I take a deep breath when I hear her, because two of my imperial half-brothers heading straight for me in a park lost among bureaucratic buildings is clearly no coincidence. I quickly turn to Xia and tell her in a tone that brooks no argument "Xia, get behind Lianhua and don't speak unless I or Lianhua address you. And if anyone else speaks to you, ignore them. Only react when one of us tells you to.

Understood?" Xia, who despite her impulsive nature is not stupid, nods without a word and positions herself behind Lianhua, adopting the posture of a servant awaiting orders, her head slightly bowed and her hands clasped before her. Once I've made sure Xia is safe, I tell the Nei Wei to let them through and do something I hope looks natural enough not to seem calculated, I pick up my cup of tea and take a calm sip while I wait for the group of my half-brothers to approach, projecting a composure I don't possess.

Because inside, my mind is already running at full speed, trying to recall everything I know about the Second and Eleventh Princes, which to my misfortune isn't much. The Second Prince, Sun Rui, is one of the eldest sons and, given his position, I assume one of those with the most weight in the succession to my father. About the Eleventh, Sun Hong, I know even less, which, now that I think about it, is a problem I'll need to address, and not just with him but with all my half-brothers, whom I've ignored until now.

The group reaches the pavilion and a man dressed in lavish attire who appears to be in his early twenties steps forward. I study him and notice his face bears the features that seem to be the hallmark of the Sun family, and his eyes, fixed on me, are dark and calculating, vaguely reminding me of my father's. Beside him, another man of similar age but lighter build and a more reserved expression holds back half a step, as if his role were that of companion.

Upon arriving, both give a simple nod and greet me "Zhāohuán." The title, spoken without the name that follows it, sounds excessively formal and deliberately distant, as though they wish to acknowledge my rank without acknowledging me personally, which is, at the very least, interesting. After that greeting, I take a sip of tea with an appearance of calm I refuse to abandon and look at them over the rim of the cup before replying.

"Imperial brothers", I say with a smile I've practiced enough in my etiquette classes for it to look genuine.

"There's no need to be so formal. Calling me sister is more than sufficient." I gesture toward the empty seats in the pavilion.

"Please, sit down. Would you care for a cup of tea?" The first man, whom I assume is Sun Rui since he's the only one speaking, replies with a smile that matches mine in calculated cordiality.

"We appreciate the gesture, imperial sister", he says, his voice carrying that smooth cadence of someone accustomed to every word he speaks being heard.

"We couldn't possibly refuse such a kind invitation." He sits with a fluid, elegant motion while Sun Hong mimics him half a second later, settling in with a discretion that confirms to me that between the two, Sun Rui is the one who leads. Seeing them take their seats, I give Lianhua a subtle signal. With her usual efficiency she sets into motion and serves tea to both men with calm, every movement executed in a manner so irreproachable that not even the most exacting etiquette master could find a single fault.

I watch Lianhua withdraw with the elegance and discretion of an expert handmaiden and wait for my half-brothers to drink a little before speaking.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" I ask finally, keeping a light tone that suggests curiosity without urgency. Sun Rui sets his cup on the table with an elegant motion and replies with an amiable expression I don't quite believe.

"We were in the area and when we heard our sister was here, we came over to see her", he tells me in a tone that sounds equal parts rehearsed and spontaneous.

"It's usually hard to catch a glimpse of you, given how secluded you live, so we seized the opportunity." I scoff internally, because if they'd wanted so badly to see me, perhaps they should have come to my last birthday, seeing as I'd sent them the invitation and they had uniformly ignored it.

But rather than air my grievances, I simply smile and say "I'm grateful that my elder brothers, who I'm sure are busy with tasks aimed at making the Tianjing Empire ever stronger and more powerful, would take a moment from their time to come see me." My words, laden with a courtesy so thick it could be cut with a knife, hang in the air between us.

Upon hearing me, Sun Hong, who up until that point had been drinking his tea with the tranquility of someone with no intention of joining the conversation, seems to choke slightly, but he manages to cover it with a dry little cough that he quickly drowns with another sip of tea, then finishes drinking as though nothing happened. Sun Rui, for his part, simply smiles at my words with an imperturbable expression I imagine he has perfected over years of courtly politics.

"Setting aside a little time to see our sister is something every brother ought to do", he tells me in a tone dripping with as much sincerity as the proverbial scorpion when it spoke to the frog. I suppress the urge to scoff at his hypocrisy with an effort of will that deserves some form of recognition and incline my head slightly in his direction.

"I thank my brothers for their time and their thoughtfulness." What follows is a conversation about inconsequential topics that stretches on slowly without going anywhere in particular. Sun Rui asks about my studies and I reply with just enough detail to seem polite without revealing anything useful. He mentions the weather lately and I confirm that, indeed, the climate has been pleasant. He comments on some new play being performed in the capital and I say I haven't had the chance to attend.

Meanwhile, Sun Hong continues not speaking beyond the occasional nod and a couple of monosyllables that serve more to confirm he is alive and conscious than to contribute anything to the conversation, all while drinking his tea with a slowness I'm starting to suspect is a tactic for having something to do with his hands. And as the chat drags on, I begin to seriously wonder what on earth they're after. They didn't come here by chance, of that I'm certain.

Nobody strolls through a park between bureaucratic buildings in the Inner Palace at lunchtime with a retinue of lavishly dressed people just because they feel like taking a walk. They came specifically to find me, and yet they haven't mentioned anything that would justify the effort. Are they trying to sound me out? To size up the unknown sister who's been secluded for years? Or is it something more specific they haven't brought up yet?

My mind turns these questions over while I maintain my smile and nod politely at another of Sun Rui's observations about the quality of the Palace gardens, when suddenly a new commotion at another end of the park interrupts the conversation. Everyone present, almost as if by prior agreement, turns their heads in unison toward the source of the noise.

And what I see is another group of lavishly dressed people entering the park with the same determined stride as the group I'm currently dealing with, heading toward us with a resolve that dispels any doubt about whether their presence here is accidental. I can't help closing my eyes for an instant as a choice expletive crosses my mind with force. All I did was go for a walk. A simple walk to celebrate Xia's achievement and to see a palace that, despite having lived in it my entire life, I barely know.

My first stroll through the Imperial Palace and a quiet day without classes, without runes, and without cultivation. A day to explore and enjoy in the company of people I consider my friends. And now it seems that, all of a sudden, every last one of my half-brothers is eager to come and make my acquaintance.

I open my eyes and look at Lianhua, whose expression has hardened by barely a fraction, just enough for me to notice but invisible to anyone who doesn't know her as I do, which worries me for a moment since she didn't react this way with any of my earlier half-brothers. But then I look at Sun Rui, whose smile has frozen for an instant before recomposing itself, which tells me the arrival of this second group wasn't in his plans either.

And as the new group draws near the officials crossing the park now stop to openly stare, since this has clearly surpassed the level of spectacle they were accustomed to during their lunch hour. I take one last sip of tea, set the cup on the table with a calm I don't entirely feel, and brace myself for whatever is about to come, which, judging by the look on Lianhua's face, is certain to be neither pleasant nor kind.