Blushing
The faint scent of herbs enveloped her entire body, and warm hands replaced hers in holding the bow. The longbow slowly stretched, and Ci Ke’s eyes widened as the distant target blurred into a mirage.
The prolonged longing and suppression made her nearly collapse just by hearing her voice.
Ye Youqing could feel the trembling of the body in her arms. Ci Ke did not turn her head, seemingly afraid of mistaking someone else for her. She stood facing the cold wind, tears falling one by one, forming a string of pearls.
Over the years, the scent on Ci Ke’s body had not changed, still faint and rich. If it weren’t for the current situation, Ye Youqing would have wanted to turn her around and kiss those lips she had longed for day and night.
To hear that beautiful voice as she called her name.
Ye Youqing’s right hand was not suited for drawing a bow, but she still tried to pull the bowstring, her head slightly tilted towards her fingers. With the bow fully drawn, she released it, and the arrow traced a white line in mid-air, accurately piercing the target.
A few cheers erupted from the crowd, while the man nearby threw down his bow and arrows and walked over to question her, “Who are you?”
“Does it matter who I am? Since it’s allowed to ask for help, I’m just helping her,” Ye Youqing said, releasing her grip and taking a small step back, moving away from Ci Ke’s body.
The cool wind quickly seeped into her body again. Ci Ke turned around in a panic, her tears almost washing away the rouge on her cheeks, revealing the pale, tender skin underneath.
She looked at Ye Youqing’s face, unable to stop her tears, unwilling to avert her gaze.
Xiao Yucheng, who was standing by, didn’t pay attention to Ci Ke’s attitude. He only thought that she was crying in anger because her hairpin was snatched away. He looked Ye Youqing up and down, then glanced at the still swaying target.
“Which family’s girl are you? Why have I never seen you in the capital?” he doubted. “You seem fragile, but you have some skill in archery.”
“I come from a humble background, not worth mentioning,” Ye Youqing placed her right hand behind her back and stepped forward, extending her palm. “A person should keep their word. Hand over the hairpin.”
Xiao Yucheng stared at her palm and suddenly laughed, “I only said we would have a contest, but I never said it would be just one. My jade pendant is a valuable item. It’s too much of a loss to give it away just for shooting an arrow.”
“No wonder you’re just like your brother, used to going back on your words, engaging in despicable and filthy matters,” Ci Ke forcefully suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, her eyelids turning red. She turned around sarcastically.
Xiao Yucheng’s face changed, and he immediately stepped forward, his voice filled with malice, “You witch!”
Ci Ke didn’t dodge, she didn’t even blink her eyes, she watched as the taller woman took a step forward, blocking her path.
“Well then, what else do you want to compete in?” Ye Youqing asked.
The man was interrupted by her and could only suppress his anger. He kicked the withered grass and turned around, walking back, “Another round. Whoever retrieves this hairpin will be the winner.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand and threw the silver hairpin above his head. The silver hairpin spun in the sunlight and finally landed on the top of a willow tree, hanging on the only branch that had turned green.
“Alright,” Ye Youqing nodded, “Let everyone bear witness. This will be the final round, and if Xiao Yucheng still refuses to accept defeat…”
“Empty boasts,” Xiao Yucheng sneered. The woman in front of him may be skilled in archery and have considerable strength, but he was confident in his martial arts skills and didn’t consider her a threat.
With that said, he suddenly leaped up, his palm grabbing onto an outstretched horizontal branch. He stepped on the tree trunk twice with his legs, climbing up like an agile monkey.
More and more people gathered to watch, applauding and cheering for the man. Meanwhile, Ye Youqing remained calm and composed, walking slowly towards the tree trunk.
Ci Ke, on the other hand, kept her gaze fixed on Ye Youqing’s figure, clutching her clothes tightly, not looking anywhere else.
When the man reached the highest horizontal branch, Ye Youqing finally took a step. Her hands were hidden in her sleeves, relying solely on her feet to leap steadily onto the branch. She moved around the tree with elegance, quickly reaching the man’s level. Both of them reached out towards the hairpin at the same time.
Seeing the situation becoming precarious, Xiao Yucheng’s eyes flickered, and he unexpectedly threw a punch towards Ye Youqing’s chest. Hearing the wind, Ye Youqing tightly pursed her thin lips. She rotated her back against the branch, dodging his punch. At the same time, she grabbed the hairpin from another direction.
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Ci Ke, who was rushing towards the tree, finally stopped in her tracks and looked up.
Angry at the situation, Xiao Yucheng cursed and tried to snatch back the hairpin. However, he saw that Ye Youqing had appeared behind him without him knowing. She slapped him on the shoulder with her palm, causing him to slide down.
A cry was heard from below the tree as Xiao Yucheng got caught on a sharp branch, hanging from the tree. As Ye Youqing let go and descended, she grabbed onto his sagging pants.
After a loud crash, screams could be heard from the crowd. Unmarried girls quickly covered their eyes, their faces turning red, too embarrassed to look. The men also blushed and stifled their laughter.
Ye Youqing landed gracefully, her back turned to Xiao Yucheng’s struggling white legs. She disgustedly threw the torn cloth aside and walked quickly towards Ci Ke.
As she approached, Ci Ke’s tears, which had just stopped, started to fall again.
Ye Youqing felt a bit helpless and a bit sympathetic. She almost squeezed her hand until it made a cracking sound, but she resisted the urge to wipe away her tears. With her left hand holding the hairpin, she gently inserted it into Ci Ke’s hair.
Zhou Hong pushed through the crowd and ran over. Ye Youqing couldn’t stay any longer, so she softly said, “I’ve retrieved it, stop crying.”
She didn’t dare to look at Ci Ke’s face and quickly turned around and left in the chaos.
Just as she walked past the lake and returned inside the palace walls, she was pulled over by Shi Li, who was hiding nearby. Shi Li scolded her harshly, “You just claimed to be weak and sick, but now you’re showing off your archery skills. Are you afraid that the Emperor won’t suspect you, so you’re causing trouble for yourself?”
Ye Youqing listened to her reproach, sighed when she finished speaking.
“I can’t stand to see her being wronged,” Ye Youqing whispered.
Shi Li fell silent and forcefully pushed her finger against Ye Youqing’s forehead.
Her originally carefree and unrestrained character became more cautious and worried as she followed Ye Youqing for a longer time, constantly fretting about this and that.
The sound of footsteps approached, and Shi Li took a step back and lowered her head, pretending to be a follower.
The person coming around the palace wall was the long-faced eunuch by the Emperor’s side. It had been two years since they last saw each other, and he had actually gained weight. Bending over with a smiling face, he said to Ye Youqing, “Miss Chen, you were here. It made it easier for me to find you. His Majesty wishes to see you.”
Ye Youqing lowered her head and said, “This humble girl is just a commoner, there is no need for so much courtesy.”
“What are you saying, Miss? Being personally invited by His Majesty makes you His Majesty’s guest. We servants must follow the etiquette,” the long-faced eunuch smiled and said, “Please come this way.”
Ye Youqing smoothed her sleeves and followed him through the numerous palace walls, past the magnificent Xuan De Hall, and stopped in front of the Ganlu Hall, which served as a study. The symmetrical eaves extended high on both sides, and the white jade steps reflected the sunlight, somewhat dazzling.
Ye Youqing walked in with lowered eyebrows and a submissive gaze, stopping in front of a spacious desk, where the smell of paper and ink filled the hall.
“This humble woman greets Your Majesty,” Ye Youqing bowed.
“No need for excessive courtesy,” a familiar, deep and thick male voice sounded. Ye Youqing knew that as a commoner, she couldn’t meet his gaze, so she kept her head lowered.
“Raise your head,” the Emperor spoke.
Ye Youqing complied, and as she glanced over, she saw a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and dark eyes, even more robust than two years ago. He was dressed in a red robe that seemed on the verge of bursting at the seams.
With a plump figure and a full mind, a thought crossed Ye Youqing’s mind.
The Emperor scrutinized her for a while before saying, “Although you are young, you have achieved quite a bit. However, I heard that you are weak and prone to illness, which delayed your arrival by over a month. But the palace maid who served you tea earlier mentioned that you intervened on behalf of the Zhou family’s young lady. Is this true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ye Youqing calmly replied.
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“For a weak and sickly woman, you possess considerable martial skills,” the Emperor straightened his posture, placing his hands on the table as he stared at her. The hall fell into an oppressive silence.
“Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is precisely because I had some health issues in my youth that I sought some superficial knowledge to strengthen my body. However, martial arts cannot cure illnesses; they can only help me resist minor ailments,” Ye Youqing replied with a modest smile, pretending to be flattered.
“That is not a problem. There are many imperial physicians in the palace who can now treat you,” the Emperor said, clapping his hands. Soon, an elderly man with white hair carrying a medicine box entered the room. He placed a cloth under Ye Youqing’s hand and started examining her pulse.
Ye Youqing knew how suspicious this Emperor was, so she remained silent and allowed him to observe.
“Your Majesty, this young lady is suffering from a lung condition, and it seems to have deep-rooted causes. It cannot be rushed, and she needs to take several prescriptions to gradually restore her health,” the old man bowed and said.
The Emperor nodded, signaling for him to leave.
“Your Majesty need not worry, this illness has mostly healed this year,” Ye Youqing said with a gentle smile.
The Emperor responded with a hum: “No wonder you’ve become immensely wealthy in just a few years; you truly are an extraordinary woman.”
Ye Youqing remained impeccable in her behavior, and given her convincing identity, the Emperor, despite his suspicions, slightly eased his mind at this moment, and thus changed the subject: “Are you aware that by engaging in your current business, privately operating ironworks, even ten executions would be considered lenient?”
“This humble woman is aware,” Ye Youqing knew that being straightforward was better than beating around the bush, “However, since Your Majesty has not killed me, it means you intend to spare my life. As a subject daring to come to the capital alone, I am willing to serve Your Majesty with whatever little strength I have.”
“As long as Your Majesty gives the order, I will immediately have people rush to produce the refined iron needed for wartime and send it all to the frontier.”
The reason the Emperor did not dare to seize by force was because the war situation was tense, and most of the mining and smelting areas were in the chaotic north, where refugees were in turmoil and rebel armies were rampant. The court did not dare to send a large number of people northward to seize the mining industry.
Ye Youqing, utilizing the steelmaking method she knew from her previous life, produced steel of much higher quality and efficiency than what was available in the current era, making her renowned throughout the Central Plains.
Initially, Ye Youqing did not want to expose herself to the public eye. However, with the Emperor’s men pressing her step by step, coupled with the continuous wars causing widespread resentment among the populace and weakening the court, the timing was right. If she wanted to take action, she needed to be aware of the court’s movements at all times. Therefore, she deliberately left some clues, waiting for the Imperial Guards to find her, allowing her to infiltrate the capital.
The Emperor chuckled a couple of times and suddenly said, “Are you aware that the Son of Heaven cannot tolerate a grain of sand in his eyes?”
Ye Youqing, sensing his intimidating tone, still smiled calmly and softly said, “Since Your Majesty did not bind me and bring me to the capital, it means you intend to show mercy. As long as this humble woman can keep her life, she will certainly serve Your Majesty well.”
Ye Youqing watched as the Emperor’s mouth moved slightly before finally calming down.
“That’s right. I have ordered that you stay in the capital for now; we will discuss future matters later.” The Emperor finished speaking and waved his hand to signal her to withdraw.
As Ye Youqing departed, the long-faced eunuch standing by hurriedly approached and softly asked, “Your Majesty, about this…”
“Just a mere merchant, though a bit cunning, she cannot cause much trouble.” The Emperor coldly grasped the teacup, “Keep a close watch on her. Once the war is over, we will deal with her.”
Ye Youqing walked out of the hall, and Shi Li, who had been waiting nearby, strode over, “No unexpected incidents, I hope?”
Ye Youqing shook her head. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a familiar palace servant waiting outside the archway.
“Miss Zhou requests your presence at Qiushui Palace to express her gratitude for your rescue,” the palace servant said.
Qiushui Palace was as usual, but because the spring buds had not yet sprouted, it looked even more desolate than before. The red palace walls contrasted sharply with the withered branches.
When they reached the entrance, Shi Li stopped and bowed her head, “You go in; I will wait for you here.”
Ye Youqing reached out to pull her arm.
“I’m not going.” Shi Li took her hand down and pushed her towards the door, but suddenly stopped.
Ye Youqing turned around, only to see Ci Ke standing under the palace gate, looking at her, her steps hesitating.
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Shi Li behind her pushed her with a palm, Ye Youqing staggered a few steps, and when she raised her head again, she was already standing in front of Ci Ke. The surroundings were silent, with only the wind whistling past.
“Ci… Miss Zhou.” Ye Youqing said in confusion, her hands involuntarily hidden behind her back.
Ci Ke looked at the phoenix eyes that had appeared countless times in her dreams, she almost couldn’t help but throw herself into her arms, but finally looked away and said in a low voice: “Thank you for your help, Miss.”
“No harm.” Ye Youqing said hurriedly, greedily looking at Ci Ke’s face, but Ci Ke did not look at her again.
“Just now, I saw that the girl’s hand seemed to be injured.” Ci Ke suddenly said, staring at Ye Youqing’s right hand that had been hidden in her sleeve, her heart tightening.
Ye Youqing looked at her sleeve and reached out to pull it back, revealing her palm. There was a slightly faded square scar, and her originally beautiful and slender fingers looked somewhat peculiar. Upon closer inspection, her fingertips were trembling unconsciously.
Ci Ke took a short breath, covering her mouth to suppress her voice, her delicate shoulders shrinking, and her eye sockets quickly filling with tears.
“I was hit by a heavy object, injuring my bones and tendons, but it’s healing quickly.” Ye Youqing looked at her sadness, feeling flustered and sorrowful, but not knowing how to comfort her, she could only speak without thinking.
“Although I can’t use gravity, it doesn’t affect other movements.” she said.
After saying this, her own ears turned red.
