Waking from a sleep, the sun had not yet set. I stretched, my arm brushing against Sui Sui beside me.
She slept more soundly than I, her lips curved in a smile, her little face flushed red. I wondered if it was the lingering effects of wine or some pleasant dream. This spirited girl, usually so mischievous, slept with remarkable propriety. I quietly slipped out of bed, gathered my clothes, and dressed.
A Xiu, likely hearing the slight stir, pushed open the door and met my gaze.
I held a finger to my lips, making a "shushing" gesture.
A Xiu understood, smiling and nodding. She pulled me to the dressing table and helped me tie my hair into a simple bun.
As she was pinning my hair, the girl accidentally dropped a golden hairpin. The clink of metal against metal was sharp, startling Sui Sui. She cried out, "Where are you running, little thief?"
Then she shot up in bed.
I stifled a chuckle and approached the bed, taking a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Why are you acting like you're chasing a thief? You're sweating so much even in this weather?"
Sui Sui was disoriented for a moment, then her little face fell. "Is it a dream again?"
"What were you dreaming about?"
"I dreamed I was upholding justice, just about to catch that little thief, and then I woke up."
While other young ladies of noble birth fill their heads with romance from storybooks, dreaming of passionate love affairs, Sui Sui is different. Her mind is filled with tales of the martial world.
She yearns to master peerless martial arts and roam the jianghu, upholding justice.
But the martial arts world in the Great Yin Dynasty is weak. There isn't even a martial arts alliance, let alone a Beggar's Sect. Moreover, with the constables patrolling regularly, acts like daylight kidnapping or theft are simply non-existent.
I patted her little face. "Dreaming is fine. Your father is wise and mighty, and no one dares to commit crimes under the Emperor's nose. Never mind that your martial arts aren't up to par; even if they were, there would be no place for them. The jianghu doesn't exist. However, if you're hungry, I can have two pounds of braised beef served for dinner."
This is a common scene in martial arts novels. When wandering heroes stop at an inn, they always say: "Waiter, two pounds of beef, and a pot of strong liquor."
Sui Sui gave me a sidelong glance, then rubbed her belly. "Now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry. What's for dinner tonight?"
She looked at the sky outside the window. "At this hour, have Aunt Qing and Uncle Wang returned?"
A Xiu replied, "The master and madam are not dining at home tonight, and the eldest young master and young master An have engagements this evening."
"So, it's just you and me, Sister Nannan?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Your maid has already instructed the cook to prepare your favorite dishes. Princess, Miss, shall we serve the meal now?"
Sui Sui was very pleased. She waved her hand. "Let's do that. A Xiu is getting more capable by the day."
A Xiu gave instructions to Yue Gui. Before long, Yue Gui led several maids in single file, carrying basins, rinsing water, towels, and powder boxes.
In short, everything was done according to Sui Sui's grooming routine in the palace.
These were old habits, and I usually couldn't be bothered to comment. But today, thinking of her martial arts dream, I couldn't help but smile. "With you like this, you still want to venture into the jianghu?"
As Sui Sui was being served to rinse her mouth, she replied after a moment, "This princess can bend and stretch, be meticulous or rough. It's not like I don't have servants. Do you think I'll starve myself to death?"
"Starving to death is unlikely, but I fear you might be tricked and sold off."
"Impossible. This princess has read so many storybooks; what schemes don't I understand? I don't trick others into being sold because I disdain to do so."
"Yes, yes, you are the cleverest in the world. You girls hurry and serve the princess well, then quickly go eat. Otherwise, if she keeps talking, her boasts will blow up like a balloon."
Sui Sui also laughed, huffing, "Sister Nannan, don't look down on people. Although you've traveled ten thousand miles, I've also read ten thousand books. While there's still a slight gap, I don't think the difference should be that great."
I was utterly speechless. "The sage's words about reading ten thousand books didn't refer to reading storybooks."