One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

17

She was the future crown princess, so she was different from her other ordinary senior brothers and senior sisters[3]. In the prince's manor, she had her own separate courtyard with its own entrance and her own personal maids. But it was also for this reason that, in the first two years under his discipleship, she had been ostracized. Because of her status, those people did not dare do anything to her, but they treated her coldly, as if she was a stranger. This did not overly affect her as it was also because of her status that she even more so had Teacher's affection. She would frequently accompany him alone in his study and was even allowed to go up into the forbidden place of the prince's manor -- the library tower.

Then, when Teacher became aware of their actions and admonished them, all her senior brothers and sisters finally began to slowly accept her. She could not speak and would always smile. Her smiles would make each person feel warm and happy, so although her outer appearance was merely average and not outstanding, everyone was fond of her.

However, Teacher still only allowed her alone to go up the library tower. Some senior brothers could not resist bringing a brush and paper to her and asking her what treasures were contained within there that it would be a prohibited place of the prince's manor. Each time, she would shake her head and smile but not write anything, and occasionally, her eyes would flicker away evasively.

Inside, the library tower was only three levels high, and all year round, the scent of pines and bamboo pervaded the air. When the lamps were not lit, it was very dim. The first time she went there, she had actually snuck in in secret also. Shortly after she had come to reside in the prince's manor, the enemy army of a neighbouring country had initiated a large-scale invasion of the border areas, and Teacher had led an army into battle in defense. At the time, she did not know any other person. Hence, covering one wall of the library tower, in her handwriting, were poems, all of them ones she had recited with her mother since she was a child.

She did not really comprehend the meanings of those poems, but she was able to easily write them out.

When Zhousheng Chen returned, two entire walls of the library tower were covered with her writing.

Unable to find her deep in the night, her maidservant had quietly sought out Zhousheng Chen for help. If it was made known outside of the manor that the daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe had disappeared in the middle of the night, it would be a disgrace for the entire manor. The maidservant did not have the authority to make any decisions and did not know what to do. Zhousheng Chen, therefore, searched the entire manor alone until, when he went to the top level of the library tower, he saw the girl child, who had so carefully presented the tea to him on the day she became his disciple, writing Sima Xiangru's "Shanglin Fu" ["Rhapsody of the Imperial Park"][4].

The words flowed easily off her brush, and there was not a single error.

But, she was stuck on that line that was about the feelings between a man and a woman: Beneath long, curved brows, sidelong gazes are cast again and again.

At a loss, she clutched her brush tightly and came down from the bamboo chair. She dared not even raise her head to look at her teacher, who, in the moonlight, had an amused expression on his face. "Have you forgotten the second half of that line?" Zhousheng Chen walked over, got down on one knee, and asked her in a warm voice.

Eleven pressed her lips together, not really wanting to admit it but in the end, still nodded silently.

Teacher suddenly stretched out his hand and wiped away the ink on her face.

The feel of his finger was somewhat rough, not soft like Mother's. But it had the same warmth and the same gentleness.

He let out little laugh. "The second half of the line is, 'Beauty is offered, a soul is given in return, and the heart rejoices to be at one another's side.'"