In Ji residence, a courtyard housed a single structure. The bamboo structure was well-made yet simple. There was a lone stone path leading to the secluded courtyard which was surrounded with small low-maintenance shrubs. It was tidy but one could tell from a single glance that the courtyard and the bamboo structure, even the choice of plants, were designed to be modest yet still aesthetically pleasing. The structure housed a single bedroom. It was sparsely and very simply decorated, but all the necessities were there. Ji residence had several such small courtyards in their household to accept guests, as long as they were not of high standings. For those of more importance, Ji ChanFang would host such people in his own main residence. Apart from those esteemed guests, the main courtyard was only accessible to his direct family members.
Sitting on a simple wooden stool by the chinese-oak tea table, Ji Song Li was holding a cup of tea. His trembling fingers betrayed his outwardly nonchalant expression. Meng-momo and Xiao Hui were hovering over the bed the other new maid called Xiao Hua was currently lying on.
This small guest courtyard was opened specifically to nurse the little girl who was still unconscious. His two mothers and father of course would not allow the girl to be brought back to the normal servants' quarter where she usually resided.
After all, the little maid had saved his sister's life.
Ji SongLi's face gradually went pale as he recalled his memories from two nights ago.
Back then, when the horse finally stopped, Ji SongLi hurriedly ran to the other side of the road. Ji LanBai was still being held tightly by the little maid, her face plastered onto the latter's thin chest. His sister was crying in muffled noise, but the maid did not move. Only when they forcefully removed Ji LanBai from the girl's hold, he realized that the maid had fainted. Blood pooled down her pale chin, staining her maid's robe and Ji LanBai's hair that had become undone.
Such commotion caused General Zhen to lead his horse back to where they were. The horse rider that had barely missed running into Ji LanBai and the maid turned out to be his own sister's fiance, the Yong Prince, Third Prince Zhang GuoFu. How ironic was the whole situation, that Prince GuoFu almost ended up killing his own future wife.
His companion, another horse rider who was just a step behind him, was General Zhen's thirteen-year-old son, Zhen BuFeng(1).
The carriage Ji SongLi noticed earlier turned out to actually carry both Crown Prince Zhang KongJing and Second Prince Zhang JunLi.
The jewelry vendor was only half-worried about the girl that had fainted with a silver hairpiece still embedded on her chin. He was more nervous to be at such close distance with an obviously noble and dangerously stern-looking armored man, well-built guards, and the richly-dressed elegant teens gathering in front of his stall. Some of the more tactful townspeople who knew the structures of the government and the imperial family managed to put two-and-two together and quietly observed from a safe distance.
Practically, the current Zhang Empire's younger generation's powerhouse were all there and it was not the safest place or time to stick their noses into.
That did not mean Ji SongLi's still horrified and loudly-crying sister was not creating more attention. More over, the fainted maid's face was getting noticeably paler, her shallow slow warm breathes creating soft mist from her nose, quickly disappearing into the cold air.
Having dismounted off his horse and observing the dire situation, Third Prince Zhang GuoFu hurriedly boarded the carriage his two older brothers were in. A few seconds passed before the three princes got out of the carriage. Zhang GuoFu walked towards Ji SongLi and gave a small nod, cupping his fists together in greeting. Despite having only sparsely met previously in their much younger years, the Yong Prince obviously recognized Ji SongLi's identity as the Ji clan's heir from the tiger jade the latter was wearing. Ji SongLi hurriedly curtsied back with a deeper bow of his body; there was no former precedent of a Royal Prince greeting a subject first. Ji SongLi was deeply ashamed of his lack of tact and protocol.
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One Lifetime Is Never Enough
Historical FictionShe thought she was going to die. She did. But the next time she opened her eyes , she found out that she was living a whole new life, as a little girl who was going to enter a noble household as a maid. However, a true pearl can never hide its lus...
