Jia Yi got up in the early morning to see Meng Yao staring at the journal. He went over and hugged him.
"Jiajia, reading this is like hearing his voice; it's just like him,” Meng Yao said with a tremble in his voice. “I’m not surprised he thought to leave this journal behind. He had always had this great intuition and foresight."
"Then you should keep reading, Yaoyao," Jia Yi urged.
Meng Yao looked at Jia Yi’s face which was filled with love and determination.
"But if I do, we can never go back," Meng Yao murmured. “Whatever is in this journal will change everything for us – I can feel it.”
"Then we will face it together. You are my husband and I'll stay by your side," Jia Yi vowed.
Meng Yao was once again reminded of how lucky he had been when the village chief married him to Jia Yi. This man cared about him and in return, Meng Yao loved him. He smiled and pulled Jia Yi to him for a deep kiss into which he tried to pour all of his love.
"No matter what, don't leave me – okay? Stay with me."
Fortified with his wife’s love, Meng Yao once again opened the journal. Jia Yi pressed a soft kiss on Meng Yao’s temple and went to prepare breakfast.
In the kitchen, Jia Yi took out the ingredients for a simple breakfast. In a basket on the table were lemons that had recently been sent from the farm. For some reason, they seemed to call to him. He cut one in half and scooped out some of the sour flesh with his teeth. A moment later he stopped and looked at the fruit with a puzzled frown on his face.
’What am I doing?’
Jia Yi put the lemon down and turned his focus back to making breakfast. Maybe he would make some of that lemon juice that Meng Yao taught him to make to go with the food. Meng Yao would like that. From time to time as he cooked, he would scoop out another bite of lemon pulp.
Back in the room, Meng Yao open the journal once more.
From the moment I opened my eyes and met the Emperor, he treated me with respect and kindness. It was confusing for me, and not just because I was unaccustomed to a male treating me well.
First of all, I was quite shocked that I wasn’t actually dead. I knew that I was dying that day. Then I had to adjust to the fact that I was in an entirely different world. Not only was this world much like ancient China (right from the start I missed flush toilets) but even more strange was the fact that there were absolutely no women. When I finally understood that I had to wonder how babies born in this strange place.
(In case you had are hard time picturing what women looked like, I had Xiao Si draw a few pictures for you.)
Meng Yao looked at the diagram of the woman in the journal. Xiao Si had drawn front, back and side views of the average female body.
I know this must look strange to you but trust me – these images are accurate. Xiao Xiao is very good at drawing, even when he hasn’t seen what he is drawing first-hand. I hope you grow up with his talent! *chuckled*
I first met your daddy at the same time I met my best friend Feng Chong Lin. Of course I had seen the Crown Prince before but never to speak to. That day he was visiting his father in the study when I stopped by to discuss my ideas for digging a canal system to relieve the drought in the western provinces. Chong Lin was there with a report about the war Qing was currently fighting with their neighbor. Xiao Si was just visiting his father, the Emperor.
While we waited for Xiao Si and the Emperor to finish their conversation, Chong Lin and I introduced ourselves to each other. Chong Lin was a newly appointed general. He was young, scared, and already convinced he was in love with Xiao Si. I could understand that because Xiao Si is still the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Surprisingly, Chong Lin and I hit it off. We had a few things in common, like an interest in war strategies.
When Xiao Si rose to leave, I urged Chong Lin to make his report to the Emperor first. He had been waiting first, after all, and war was a bit more important than a huge undertaking like building canals. On his way out, Xiao Si spoke to me.
It was nothing special. But when he smiled at me, my heart trembled. I probably fell for him right then but I didn’t really know it at the time.
That day was the beginning of my friendship with both men. Chong Lin and I would meet and play Go or practice our martial arts against each other. Xiao Si and I also began meeting more frequently; sometimes while visiting the Emperor, sometimes chance encounters on the palace grounds. I had never really had friends before so this was a very happy time for me.
Sadly, the war only intensified and Qing was having a hard time holding on. Because I had been able to make some good suggestions for strategies, the Emperor asked me to go to the front with General Feng and act as his Advisor. When Xiao Si learned that we were leaving for the front, he approached me and begged me to make a way for him to join too.
Even though Xiao Si had great beauty and grace, even though he could have any man he desired, what he craved was the sword. His passion and dedication to the country was clear and beautiful. I was already helpless against his charm and clear devotion to the country. I managed to convince the Emperor to let his precious and only child face the dangers of the battlefield. Xiao Si was ecstatic and Chong Lin was furious with me. I felt no remorse. Zhong Xiao Si was a gorgeous flower with an iron will.
Our love bloomed on that battlefield. I still don’t know why your daddy chose me but we were soon in the midst of a secret affair. I knew that Chong Lin would see our love as a betrayal but I couldn't help myself. In this life, I can only love Zhong Xiao Si.
Xiao Si and I kept our love a secret – both to protect the moral of the army and to keep from disturbing Chong Lin. He was a talented general and without his help the war might not have been won. Once it ended, we returned to the capital and your daddy and I could no long keep from intimacy. Of course, once we indulged ourselves we found ourselves indulging every chance we got.
I know what you are probably thinking: gross father! hahaha
What can I say? We were young, in love, and your daddy is still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
From that love affair, you came to be. Xiao Si and I were very happy together but Chong Lin’s obsession towards Xiao Si only grew. We were afraid to tell the Emperor because how could a foreigner with no background dream of marrying the Crown Prince? And we grew more and more concerned about what Chong Lin would do once he found out about our love. He had gained a great deal of power in the court after the favorable end to the war, after all.
So Xiao Si and I eloped. We fled from the possessiveness of Chong Lin and the intolerance of the court. We’ve been living in this village ever since. There are only a few families left here – most people fled during the war. It’s starting to revive but it’s still fairly isolated. Fortunately, one of the families that stayed had a competent midwife because it wasn’t too many months after we settled down that you arrived – our beautiful silver hair boy.
Meng Yao saw many pictures folded up and tucked between the pages at this part of the journal. It showed a chubby, silver-haired baby and progressed until the child was a toddler around two years old. He was starting to understand but more was yet to come…
Edited by Relendria