The stables were right outside Zhou Liang’s residence and only a few people were coming in and out of the mansion gate. It would be guarded during the day and closed at night. When Shen Jiu and I went over, a guard whose sleeve appeared to be stained with food had come over and put out a hand to stop me.

Shen Jiu startled and looked at me questioningly. I grinned.

The guard had two stubby eyebrows that he arched downward.

“Hey, the Master doesn’t allow you to step outside the residence,” he said. I kept staring as though I hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. The guard shuffled his feet once. “Those are the General’s orders! It seemed that you were about to leave…so…so I’m only enforcing them.”

Shen Jiu blurted, “What, really?!”

I sighed at the guard. “I know this. But the stables should also be included as his residence. As long as I’m in that area isn’t it fine?”

“Er…well…nope! No it isn’t.” He glanced at Shen Jiu, souring his gaze further, “Was it you planning to let him out?”

Shen Jiu stammered, “I didn’t know that he-”

“-don’t cause trouble!” the guard finished.

I was disgusted inside my heart, so I took another two steps towards the guard.

“I’m not asking that you let me out with only one other person. Why not accompany us? I’ve been ill, so you shouldn’t imagine there’s a way I can cause trouble.” The guard took a look at me, and it was clear my frame was yet smaller than his, thinner. I smoothed down my cloths with an annoyed crinkle in my brow. “Besides, this place is very boring day after day. Don’t you care what I tell Liang¹Intimate way of calling a person (using only given name) so basically he is suggesting that he and Zhou Liang are veryyy close once he returns?”

The guard’s face turned red to white, and Shen Jiu opened his mouth but then closed it. I scowled, going as far as to turn my chin up like some self-assured mistress.

“I can’t possibly be forced to say it outright. General Zhou said I’d be his ‘personal attendant’…but I don’t have to follow him to the battlefield, nor am I lifting a finger in work here, so…”

In fact, no one really knew why I was here. I don’t know why Zhou Liang spared the details, maybe it was hard to explain or he was in a hurry. But that means I could be anyone I wanted to be, a traveling saint or a politician, or…someone ‘close’ with the General. It helped that what everyone did know was that Zhou Liang refused to take a wife…so rumors spread like weeds. One lamented impotence, the most popular indicated involvement in a forbidden love, and an extreme view insisted his preferences were too bizarre and unspeakable of a fetish to be acknowledged.

The guard, Shen Jiu, and I—three people make a tiger²Saying that means three's people's gossip creates enough credibility to become a huge rumor.

“This can’t be!” the guard paused, “…is it, though?”

I had a miserable look, “I wanted to travel with him…”

…a scintillating romance filled with doting affection. Zhou Liang couldn’t bear take this frail Fang Shuren with him traveling. I, a neglected blossom, am left to wilt at home.

In disbelief, the guard in front of me began to sputter and tremble like a pipping kettle.

“You, you, you…dare?! You really…”

I argued back, “What do I dare? Spit it out if you have something to say. It’s one matter to wish for my safety, but he won’t even let me go out to see the sunlight. I have no reason to put up with it!”

Shen Jiu was listening in a cold sweat, considering that he never heard of this affair until today, his expression was such a ghost of himself that I almost laughed aloud. Gradually, the jittery guard shrank down into a humble man, muttering to himself unintelligibly until he looked back at me again.

“…apologies for my incompetence,” he said. “I will run over to the Officer and inform him about Mister—Master Fang’s request!” He disappeared like a puff of smoke.

I looked at Shen Jiu. “There aren’t many guards here, considering this is the General’s home.”

“That…” Shen Jiu was still staring at the spot where the foolish guard had stood. In the end he decided to leave that whole conversation behind. “The g-guards take a lot of breaks…and most of them are outside the gate or patrolling.”

I smirked. “They like to take more breaks when General Zhou’s away?”

Shen Jiu nodded.

I clapped my hands together and started walking. “Let’s go to the horses.”

Ah, if only I could put a saddle on one and ride away. To be fair, Shen Jiu is too diligent, I think he would be the first to chase me down.

“But!” Shen Jiu baulked. “That guard just said it, Mister Fang isn’t—”

I walked right through the gate. In the next moment, Shen Jiu rushed over and grabbed my wrist.

“You can’t-!” he said.

I snorted, and as he pulled me back inside the door my foot ‘caught’ and I fell right onto his chest. For good measure I gripped the fabric there tightly to keep upright. The unsuspecting Shen Jiu inhaled as though assaulted, wobbling once before regaining his footing. Our heights were very close, but after falling, I could only look up at him apologetically.

“Sorry…” I cooed.

Some other servant walked by, pretending not to see.

“I…er….that…” Little stutter couldn’t utter a single comprehensible word.

He reluctantly put his hand against my shoulder, helping me stand back up, then awkwardly took one short step back. With evil intentions, I grabbed my forehead and fell back over onto him.

“I feel so unwell...”

The naïve Shen Jiu became frightened, “A-are you all right?! I’m s…s-orry for pulling you without warning. We s-should visit the doctor right away.”

He held me very lightly, as though afraid his arms would squeeze too hard. I smiled then shoved at him ruthlessly, making a run for outside the gate with my sleeves fluttering in the wind.

“Don’t! Mister Fang!!” footsteps hastily chased after me.

I saw a long building with a slanted roof and could even hear some of the horses braying. Sprinting over, I made it just inside the building before Shen Jiu could catch up.

Leaning onto a wooden pillar support, I panted in exhaustion. Shen Jiu walked over to me with a somewhat annoyed, somewhat helpless expression.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah…in…just a…moment.”

“Mister Fang, you might get into trouble. Let’s go back quickly,” he said, but there was a spark of merriment in his eyes that told me I could at least take a look around.

The horses had already been brought from the ranch for the day. Thirty or so, all their manes lavish, brushed and braided tight as though made of ceramic. They stood down each side, a few stomping at Shen Jiu while others had their thickly lashed eyes half-closed in rest. A brown one in the stall closest to us reached its long neck past me and nibbled upon Shen Jiu’s tunic, at which point he swatted a hand at it. I suppose horses best remember those who feed them. The General and his close aides would train the horses occasionally, ride and shoot arrows, but the meticulous daily care is all done by little stutter and two other stable hands.

After looking about, Shen Jiu motioned towards a pen twice as large down the hall; Snow White’s stall. I went over and peeked in at the snowy-haired face. In return, the white beauty perked her ears forward, sniffed, then slobbered on the top of my head.

Shen Jiu quickly whacked her snout away. “Sorry about that! I’m s-orry…”

I wiped away the drool. “No problem. A little dirt doesn’t matter.” Actually, these horses were quite calming to be around.

Shen Jiu sheepishly wrung his hands. “Many are disappointed after s…s-pending time with the horses. Usually military men appreciate them the most. I thought Mister Fang might be offended…”

“It can’t be helped,” I said. “Officials have a servant prepare the horse and don’t see much of it. Those people naturally don’t think about what it takes to make the horse’s temperament good and appearance grand. But, I am not of such a status anymore, so I can’t fathom why you’d worry.”

Shen Jiu had a silly smile. “Thank you for always listening.”

“You have good things to say,” I replied, patting his back once.

We had been chatting for less than one incense before a lean man strode in.

I knew he was trouble when his footsteps were so loud both the horses and Shen Jiu spooked, but, when I saw his face…this man was by far the most beautiful in Zhou Liang’s residence! His skin seemed it would be silk to the touch, two phoenix eyes curled sultry, an androgynous look through and through. Regrettably, these features were ruined by an ugly glare that an old, pissed-off grandpa would have. Tut tut!

“How dare you!” he shouted and rushed over in a flash, throwing dust and straw into the air from the speed. “Don’t think you’d get away easy!”

A thin saber with a curved tip sharp and pointed as a needle pressed against my neck, and my wrists were twisted behind my back in a grip so harsh I gave a grunt of pain. A tremble of the man’s hand would leave me dead. Discontented horses shook their heads.

The angry man asked, “Did this stuttering idiot plan to help you?”

He gave Shen Jiu a curt glance, but I had a hunch that any excuse I made wouldn’t be believed no matter what, so first and foremost I worried for my throat. There was a brief quiet, then my wrists were gripped so hard I thought I felt the bone bending and groaned in pain again, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on my forehead. It can’t be considered my fault that there was only one thoroughly empty-headed guard that tried to stop me from leaving. Even I couldn’t predict he’d buy into what I said so well. Zhou Liang’s lover? That’s absurd!

“Not gonna answer?” The mean-pretty-boy invidiously started to press in the sword closer, poking into the first layer of skin, and a thin trickle of blood ran down my throat.

Shen Jiu gasped. “Officer Li, please stop! This s…s-ervant was the one who told him about the c-celestial horse Snow White. Despite knowing he isn’t allowed outside, I s-still-”

“Shut it!” The saber at my neck was removed as Officer Li’s boot whooshed out, kicking Shen Jiu in the stomach, sending him sprawling over the ground. “Don’t make excuses, stutterer. Vice-General Qin told me that this Fang Shuren says anything but the truth. He’s undoubtedly deceived a simple-minded person like you³Demeaning form of 'you' in chinese.”

Shen Jiu gripped the straw on the floor, the tumble had disheveled his carefully put hair and gave him a pathetic appearance. It’s not that he’s too faint-hearted to talk back, but that he understood it was pointless. The other side did not take him seriously, so even if he said the most reasonable and intelligent words to grace this realm, they would not reach anywhere.

Officer Li sneered at him. “You can just focus on your duties.”

 “No need to be so riled, little⁴Using the word 'Xiao' as a nickname so just the word 'little' in front of their surname guard.” I felt eager to run my mouth now that the sword was gone. “I only wanted to see the celestial horse, and if you bring me to the Head of the Guards, I will explain properly.”

Officer Li glowered. There was even a jade buckle on his waist belt, so he was not dressed as a mere guard nor did he act like one.

“I⁵Uses important version of 'I' which basically just means he is elevating himself am the Head of the Guards!”  

I was walking properly and quickly back towards the mansion, not putting up a struggle at all, but Officer Li was shoving me, nevertheless.

“…please be gentle with me, little guard.”

He gave a repulsed look, then I was shoved forward again. Huh, even Zhou Liang was much more gentle…I was yanked through the gateway.

“Officer, isn’t this a bit too much?” I asked. “There could be a misunderstanding, because the General and I get along so well. What did Vice-General Qin tell you that you treat me with contempt?”

Officer Li’s expression became uglier yet. “Doesn’t matter what he told me. I can see for myself that these past days you’ve been nothing but lazy, and a leech is even less useful than a blind dog.”

The kitchen was in the first courtyard, and a cluster of servants had popped their heads outdoors to ease-drop, staring at the show and cupping their hands over their mouths to whisper. Officer Li was quite satisfied by this and he finally let go of my poor, suffocated wrists.

He said, “Don’t stir up anything again!” and strode away with a flick of his sleeves, prideful as a chest-puffing peacock.

Danger gone, Shen Jiu rushed over. “Are you all right?!” he saw my wrists that that had reddish finger marks and gaped in horror. “I’ll bring s…some salve right away.”

I shrugged, told him to come to my room with it, and walked back at a leisurely pace.

Amarathia

Well, I didn't update much, but I see that a small amount of people do seem to be reading, and I have tons of chapters in a word doc so I figured I might as well keep sharing it. :)