The Princess's Notebook

In March, the sun was warm and the breeze was gentle. Kyoto Congmen Street was the most lively place besides Nanxun Street in front of Xuande Gate.

At the moment, there was a gathering of bookshops and literary gatherings, and the people coming and going were all very ordinary. Young men in brocade and fancy clothes and pretty young ladies were sitting in the front hall; people in plain clothes walked in slowly from the back corner door. It was really a gathering of people.

The door at the back corner is open, and one can see lush flowers and trees and winding paths inside.

At the end of the path, a slender young man held the railing and walked up the stairs.

Before the man entered the second floor, the gatekeeper saw him and smiled happily, "Mr. Seventeen, you are here a little early today. I will make you some tea, and you can sit down for a while. When our shopkeeper is done with his work, we will come and talk in person."

As the boy spoke, he extended his hand to welcome the guest into the private room and seated him, while he cleverly made tea.

"No need to be so polite. I have been in the bookstore for more than a day or two. Shopkeeper Xu is very busy, so I am just waiting. However, I heard that you have some excellent snacks today, such as five-spice cakes, glutinous rice dumplings, etc. Would you like to have some?"

The young man sat up as instructed, turned around and laughed.

Only now did I see that this young man was actually a young lady with a face as white as autumn water and as rosy as peach blossoms. Her curved autumn-moon eyebrows, pressed under the man's futou, made the man's futou look a little more charming. Moreover, her pair of almond eyes, bright as stars, seemed to be lost in the ocean if you were not careful.

The gatekeeper called her the Seventeenth Young Master just for convenience when they were out in public.

The gatekeeper was dazzled by the young lady's smile. After calming himself down, he said, "Mr. Seventeen, I'll come up to you right away. Although there are many people attending the meeting in the front yard today, our boss has told us that you are also an honored guest. Please wait a moment. I promise you will be satisfied." After saying that, he bowed and left.

A moment later, plum blossom cakes, pine nut cakes, thousand-layer cakes...all kinds of snacks filled the table.

After thanking the gatekeeper, the young lady ate some snacks and watched the excitement outside the window.

Speaking of the Huitong Bookstore Literary Club, it is a lively event that has only become popular in the past two years. On the day when the newly crowned No. 1 scholar, Jiang Xingyuan, was admitted to the imperial examination last year, he and the No. 2 scholar, Kong Liang, sang "Qi Ao" in a private room on the second floor of the Huitong Bookstore, using bowls and plates as drums. People did not understand the meaning of the event, but they could see the elegant demeanor of the famous scholars from it, and they were all fascinated by it.

This is how the Huitong Bookstore and Literary Club came into being.

Now, even if the young lady is sitting in the back hall, she can still see the loud shouts and shadows in the front yard. The person in the Huangjiang private room is the son of Gao Xianggong. He is about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a royal blue round-necked robe, waving a folding fan, and his eyes are full of splendor. The person in the Weishui private room is the son of Cui Shangshu of the Ministry of War. He is about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, full of heroic spirit. Further to the right, the son of the uncle of the emperor, the son of Changqing Hou...

As for the rest, the young lady shook her head and didn't recognize them.

The young lady was born in the Xuandefang Wang Mansion, the seventeenth lady in the mansion. Her father, the fourth master Wang, was only a minister of the Guanglu Temple, a small official of the sixth rank. The eldest uncle, the eldest master Wang, was a pillar of the family, but he was only a minister of the Ministry of War, a fourth rank. It was a surprise for her to know several young masters like these, not to mention the others.

She was just watching the excitement of the literary gathering and looking for some novel ideas for her own notebook. As for whose poetry and prose were the best and whose paintings were the best, she, a young lady who had just learned about literature, had no idea what was going on.

Just look at three or five private rooms and listen to six poems, the young lady's hand holding the plum blossom cake trembled and she retracted her hand.

He smiled and asked the boy beside him: "Besides these poems, is there anything else going on?"

The boy was really overwhelmed by her laughter and lowered his head slightly, "Seventeenth Master, this literary gathering will take quite some time. If you feel bored, go to the left of the back hall, pass the Dade Gate, there is a meeting room, which is full of fashionable bookstores. You can go and take a look."

The young lady's eyes lit up immediately, and she stood up and took a step forward. Then she felt that it was not appropriate, so she stepped back.

Staring at him with eyes as bright as the morning glow, he confirmed, "Can I go?"

"Of course. Our shopkeeper has instructed us earlier that there are many people in the front hall. If Mr. Seventeen arrives early, he can go there."

How could she wait for such a good thing? She immediately said, "Please lead the way."

In this way, the boy led Shiqi Niang to turn left and right, and in a moment they arrived at Huili Tower. Before they got close, they saw a four-story building, standing in the green, deep and quiet, with birds singing and flowers blooming. It was really a great place. After walking three or five steps forward, they saw the plaque of Huili Tower hanging high. I don't know who wrote the inscription, but it was vigorous and powerful.

Shiqi Niang looked at the plaque and muttered, "It's feasible to use such a plaque as the name of a library. But, this library is used to store storybooks... Hmm, why is it a bit weird?"

Without waiting for Lady Seventeen to ask, the boy suddenly spoke, "Master Seventeen, I am not able to go upstairs. Please feel free to do as you please. I will be waiting for you downstairs."

After hearing this, Shiqi Niang thought it made sense. People around Manager Xu were the most well-behaved. She didn't care, acted like a man, bowed her hands to thank him, and walked upstairs.

Entering the middle door, a bookshelf came into view, magnificent and imposing. This bookshelf was not an ordinary one, but a cylindrical high cabinet, like a jade cong, like a soaring divine weapon, standing upright in the center. Shiqi Niang had never seen such a novel thing, and when she looked up, she saw that it stood across the building, up to the fourth floor.

She walked without stopping, circling around the library.

Row after row, neatly arranged. Wherever you look, you can’t take your eyes away from the stories like “A Young Lady’s Heartache”, “Miss Cui Beats Her Heartless Lover”, “The Unfaithful Man Meets His Deadly Wife Again” and so on.

When she saw the book "Mother, Where is Father?", Shiqi Niang found it very interesting. If her own unreliable father could be replaced by someone else, it would not be a bad idea.

So he reached out to take the book. As soon as he touched the book, before his fingertips landed firmly on the cover, he suddenly heard a few creaking sounds.

Shiqi Niang suddenly took a step back and looked around, but didn't see anything unusual.

She felt strange and murmured: Could it be that the Bodhisattva knew that she was disrespectful to her father and came to punish her?

This shouldn't be the case. Her father is such a person, shouldn't the Bodhisattva have time to take care of him?

Why then?
As she was concentrating on observing and thinking, there was another sound. Shiqi Niang looked around and saw that it was the book cabinet that was rotating. She must have triggered the mechanism for some reason, which caused the book cabinet to rotate and make a sound.

After understanding this, Shiqi Niang took a step forward and tried to get "Mother, Where Can I Find My Father?" again.

After touching the cover of the book and before she could hold it firmly in her hand, the book cabinet started to spin again, throwing the book out. Shiqi Niang was also shaken by it.

She thought her movements were very light and she did not touch anything except the book, so there should not have been such a rotation.

She looked at the book with a little confusion. Suddenly, she seemed to see the words written on the page:

Widow Wang was in her thirties and had only one daughter, Cuicui… One day, Cuicui went out to wash clothes… Suddenly, a man named Wang Mazi jumped out from the side of the Cuiliu River. He had a ghostly face and long hair that dragged on the ground. Cuicui was so scared that she dropped the pestle in her hand…

Shiqi Niang suddenly had an idea. She must have thought that there was a Wang Mazi upstairs who saw her going in to get the book and was hiding in the dark to scare her and make fun of her.

His eyebrows moved slightly, he picked up the book on the ground, held it in his hand, and walked upstairs aggressively.

Today, she would act like Cuicui for once and see what kind of person Wang Mazi, the mischievous Wang Mazi upstairs, is.

She tiptoed up to the second floor, looked around, and walked around the library, but didn't see anyone. She then walked to the third floor. Before she reached the library on the third floor, she saw a man standing in front of the library, with his back to Shiqi Niang.

This guy, looking at his back, looks a bit like a human.

He was more than seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thin waist, and he was straight and strong. He wore a jade crown on his head, which looked extraordinary. The young lady was short-sighted, and could only tell that it was not something you could see everywhere. The jade crown was warm and smooth, standing in the middle of the black hair, just like a vast and quiet place with only one person.

Shiqi Niang was fascinated by the scene and sighed again, saying that this man was really born beautifully.

Looking down, I suddenly noticed that this man was wearing low-quality eunuch clothing!

Unable to believe it, Shiqi Niang rubbed her eyes, kneaded her pupils, and looked again.
He really is a eunuch.

Alas, it's all in vain. He has such a nice body, but why does he end up being a eunuch.

God is truly blind... No, it should be that God is truly lovable!
This person did something evil and tried to scare me. I can't just let it go because of a good back view.

Shiqi Niang quickly collected her thoughts and pretended to greet him with a bow: "My dear brother, it is a great honor for us to meet here by chance."

For a long time, the eunuch didn't even move a hair.

With more force, Shiqi Niang spoke again: "Brother, were you the one who triggered the trigger just now?"

The eunuch remained silent, completely ignoring the man.

Shiqi Niang was a little angry, and she strode forward, intending to have a good talk. Nowadays, people in this world treat others with courtesy. No matter if they are young masters from aristocratic families or young men from humble backgrounds, everyone has to be polite.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she took a step forward, she heard this person scolding coldly:

"go out!"

The voice was cold and impatient, like a natural king, which made Shiqi Niang pause. When she felt strange, she finally put her empty step into practice.

He is just a eunuch, why are you so arrogant?

You can't drive me out, young lady!

"Who are you? This is Shopkeeper Xu's bookstore. I don't think it's someone else's turn to chase you out..."
Before she finished speaking, Shiqi Niang felt that this voice was indescribably familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. Thinking about it carefully, she had no clue at all.

So I asked, "Brother, have we met somewhere before?"

Unexpectedly, the eunuch sneered softly.

Even though she spoke in a very low voice, Shiqi Niang was a very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared person, so she heard everything clearly.

She immediately cleared the fog and remembered where she had seen this person before.

The sneer just now was exactly the same as the one in the dream.

Speaking of the person in her dream, Wang Shiqi Niang was full of grievances.

Being born in the Wang Mansion in Xuandefang was not what she, Wang Shiqi Niang, wanted. Being born in the lap of the Fourth Master Wang was even more not what she, Wang Shiqi Niang, wanted. Although the Wang family had an elder master who was still somewhat influential, the Fourth Master, her dear father, had a low official position and a low salary, but he had concubines and children all over the family.

The huge three-courtyard house seemed extremely crowded even with four branches of the Wang family living there.

Life is not making ends meet.

Shiqi Niang is now fourteen years old. She has a basic knowledge of literature and writing, and she writes storybooks to earn a few copper coins for the family.

But I don’t know since when, a devil-like person appeared in my dreams in the middle of the night.

They laughed at her every day for her lack of knowledge, ignorance of law, and lack of understanding of music.

"What is your "Yuyang Night Talk" about? A rich family, a daughter of the Minister of Revenue, with countless people serving her, and yet she could be kidnapped in the middle of the night?"

"You don't know a single word of Daye's Criminal Code?"

"We have been popularizing the law for many years. Could it be that you are the only one that has been missed?"

"The clerks under the county magistrate may seem insignificant, but they are closely related to each other and have accumulated relationships over the years. Do you really think that a word from the county magistrate and a beating are enough?"

The list goes on and on.

She was just writing storybooks, how did she meet such a serious and capable person? Who did she offend?

At first, Wang Shiqi Niang thought that it was the silver hairpin given by the little beggar who had given her a meal in her early years that worked, and she was very grateful. Thank God, she became humble and polite, humbly asked for advice, and corrected her mistakes one by one.

Later, somehow, this person came more and more frequently. Often, just as I finished writing the storybook, I could hear him giving me some advice.

For a moment, Wang Shiqi Niang felt dizzy and weak.

If so, it would not be a big deal. However, the storybooks written by Wang Shiqi Niang were just about the exchanges between young ladies and young men, their deep love and affection, and not the Daye Law that promoted education and tamed the masses.

After several changes, Wang Shiqi Niang's script gradually lost the young lady's favor, and even the monthly money was reduced a lot. It was about money, but I couldn't bear it. I silently scolded the little beggar several times, young lady, I was kind enough to help you, but in the end you wanted to hurt me like this, and you also said that this thing must be of great use and should be kept properly! It was really infuriating.

Thinking of this, Wang Shiqi's heart was filled with rage and his feet were shaking.

Suddenly he walked up to the eunuch, angrily saying, "Who am I talking about? You are just a nosy, preachy eunuch. Do you really think you are a doctor of the Imperial Academy? Everyone wants to listen to your teachings."

After saying this, Wang Shiqi Niang stared at the eunuch, waiting for his answer.

Unexpectedly, this eunuch was truly extraordinary. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a face as sharp as a knife. He looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, and still had a youthful look on his face. But between his eyebrows, especially under his clear spring-like eyes, one could already see his extraordinary arrogance that stood between heaven and earth.

Even though she had just met various young men not long ago, Shiqi Niang couldn't help but sigh that it turned out that it was better for young men in this world not to show off.

She was watching intently, and her eyes suddenly half opened, her long eyelashes moved slightly, and she gave him a look full of contempt.

Wang Shiqi Niang's heart suddenly jumped when she saw this. She moved her legs unintentionally and thought to herself: Young lady, I am here to pick a fight today, but I can't be fooled by this appearance.

This man kept her awake day and night, how could he be a good person?

"Hey, what was that look in your eyes just now? If you don't say anything, don't look at me. I know a lot, young lady. You are like this..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head to look at his clothes, which were low-quality eunuch clothing. She gave him a look of extreme contempt.

"A low-ranking eunuch like this would be lucky if he didn't get beaten or scolded in the palace, let alone show off his power. Once he passes through Xuande Gate and meets ordinary people, he must show off his power in a way that he has never shown before."

Before she could finish, the eunuch finally looked up at her.

There was confusion in his eyes, but also a bit of patience.

Wang Shiqi Niang seemed to be thinking of the sufferings of the past and she was determined to vent them today. She did not notice the eunuch's gaze and continued to curse.

"Hey, you know you did something wrong, right? You didn't dare talk back even when the young lady scolded you. Well, it's good to know. You taught me a lot in the past, and I will teach you a few tricks today. It may be useful to you in the future," he said, lowering his head to look at his eunuch costume again.

"It doesn't matter if it's not useful. After all, it's good to speak nicely and please girls."

Her sudden glance, coupled with the vague ill intention on her face, made the eunuch seem to remember something, and he followed her gaze to look at his clothes.

It's nothing to take a look at, it's the attire of a ninth-rank eunuch.

It is true that he is not a proper eunuch, but... the eunuch's attire, the young lady's ill intentions, and the phrase "please the lady..."

This...this...where can I find justice!

Seeing his expression slightly changed, Shiqi Niang was very happy and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's okay, Xiao Huangmen, after all, you are serving the country. Miss... well, there should still be a girl who likes you. No need to worry."

Her relaxed brows and the gleam in her eyes seemed to be saying: You little eunuch, you will never be able to please girls in your life!

What's more, after she finished speaking, she felt that her revenge had been achieved, and she was extremely happy, with the corners of her eyes raised.

The eunuch was so angry that his face turned red, and he could no longer bear it. He just treated the person in front of him as a man, and did not need the gentleman's etiquette.

"I heard that some families, if they encounter difficulties, will send their daughters to Taiping Street, and they will even beat gongs and drums!"

The Taiping Street he mentioned was not an ordinary place. The palace of our dynasty was not very spacious, and the eunuchs and eunuchs who were not on duty mostly rested in Taiping Street not far from Xuande Gate.

Although eunuchs were different from ordinary men, they could marry a wife and have concubines when they reached a certain rank. It was not uncommon.

"You...you..." Shiqi Niang was so angry that her face turned red and she was speechless.

"What? You're defeated after just one sentence. Where is the ability you used to make fun of me just now? Do you want me to return the favor?" The eunuch took advantage of the victory and pursued me.

"You are a young man after all. How could...you be like this..." Shiqi Niang was so anxious that she could only say a few words but couldn't find the right words.

The eunuch was very casual, "Hey, now you remember that I am a young master."

Shiqi Niang usually doesn't quarrel, but today is the first time in the history of the world that she has encountered such a disaster. She is at a loss as to what to do and has no choice but to give up.

"You little bastard, you are bullying a girl!"

"You!" The eunuch held back his words after hearing them.

Even though he had just said something he shouldn't have said out of anger, as a young man, he still had to uphold the etiquette.

Shiqi Niang continued: "What do you mean by 'you'? You are a member of the palace at least. How can you bully a young lady like me?"

Hey, that's not how it works.

Xiao Huangmen: "Miss, you just ridiculed me, but you still care that I am a member of the palace."

"I had a grudge against you in the past, so it can't be considered as intentional."

Xiao Huangmen: "I have never seen you, so how can there be any hatred from the past? If you want to find fault with others, you should find a suitable reason. Such a lie that can be easily exposed is very lacking."

As he spoke, he took advantage of his tall stature and looked down at Shiqi Niang with half-closed eyes.

The young lady was indeed quite short. In this situation, it seemed as if silent contempt rose from above her head and filled the air.

What a joke! What kind of girl is Wang Shiqi Niang? Don’t you know?

He immediately retorted, "You little eunuch, why don't you go to Taiping Street to look after your own house? Are you here to choose a suitable script for your wife?"

The eunuch was not to be outdone, "Looking at the young lady's appearance, she should not be a virgin yet. How come she is so familiar with places like Taiping Street? Hmm~"

"I, I... I am an innocent girl. What Taiping Street? That's what you said! You lecher! You have no shame."

This can be regarded as trapping Shiqi Niang. As Xiao Huangmen said, she was a young lady who had not yet reached the age of marriage, how could she know the interesting things in Taiping Street? It was really wrong. However, the words had been spoken and there was no way to take them back. The young lady was so anxious that her eyes kept trembling and her face flushed.

At this moment, the eunuch lowered his head and stared at her cheek. His sharp eyes just now, now with a triumphant smile, kept searching her face.

It made the young lady even more delicate.

Seeing that she no longer had the confidence to tease him, the eunuch suddenly bent down and moved closer.

He whispered, "Let me show you again, but you have to look carefully. He's a eunuch, right?"

After these words were spoken, Shiqi Niang muttered in her heart: Who is this eunuch in the palace? He is so shameless.

She was just a young lady who knew some interesting things about Taiping Street and had already been ridiculed. How could she know how to distinguish a real eunuch from a fake one?

She stepped back slightly and closed her eyes so as not to look at him.

However, this person's aura was too strong. After I closed my eyes, I felt that he was right in front of me, getting closer and closer, like a thorn in my back.

So Shiqi Niang trembled and said, "No, that's not the case. A talent like you should be born in a powerful family and will be a big official in the future. Who said he was a eunuch? It's nonsense and ridiculous."

After that, a sneer sounded in his ears, and then he heard the eunuch say: "You are sensible!"

Afterwards, the sound of almost inaudible footsteps was heard.

Shiqi Niang guessed that the man was leaving, but she didn't dare to open her eyes. She waited for a moment, and only opened her eyes after the breath dissipated.

Sure enough, the man had already gone far away.

She stroked her chest and let go of the breath.

Thinking about what happened before, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed wrong, and the more depressed I felt.

She, Wang Shiqi Niang, first had her sweet dreams disturbed and her money cut off. Today, she was frightened again. She came to talk a little and cause trouble, but in the end, she was the one who was troubled and outdone.

It's really not satisfying.

What a punching bag!
But she, Wang Shiqi Niang, couldn't do that.

So he quickly ran to the window, stroked the window sill with one hand, and looked downstairs.

As expected, he had not left yet and was still downstairs. He was standing straight, but unfortunately he was wearing a yellow door robe.

He immediately shouted downstairs: "You little eunuch, you are bullying the young lady. Don't deny it!"

After Shiqi Niang finished speaking, she felt proud and confident.

The eunuch downstairs said nothing, but paused for a moment before walking away, never to be seen again.

(End of this chapter)