emptycourtyard

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> As Xiyun and Yeon returned to their courtyard, Gaokang tailed behind them. Before the gate, Xiyun frowned. Yeon didn’t know why he wasn’t opening the gate, so she did so instead. As the door opened, two rows of men and women lined up along the courtyard. “Welcome home, Ninth Master Xiao!” “Welcome home, Ninth Master Xiao!” “Welcome home, Ninth Master Xiao!” The shouts were loud enough as if to intentionally echo it throughout the entire estate. “Who are they?” Xiyun said. “They are obviously the servants assigned to take care of […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> Xiyun woke up just as the sun was rising. He had chosen the middle room attached to the north side of the courtyard. Outside, he noticed that Yeon’s room was still silent. He passed the courtyard and opened the gate. Sitting on a stool and leaning against the wall, was the carriage driver from yesterday, bobbing his head as he slept. Xiyun assumed the driver was supposed to be watching him. Either way, Xiyun did not wake him up. Instead, he walked up to a well and began drawing out water […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> East of the main manor was a wing of unused courtyards. A garden path connected every courtyard. Gaokang led Xiyun to one of these courtyards. “My wrists will hurt every time I try writing with a brush. I can’t write, which means I can’t handle the accounts either. Do you know how much this will delay my projects? Do you think I want to watch you like a hawk?” The boy stepped inside first. “I had a hawk once.” “What does that have to do wi-“ Slam! A gate slammed shut […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> Xiyun did not take a step further, neither did Yeon. Their legs rooted in place as they shared a gaze. They had found the Xiao Family. The entire Qinsi Ward was the property of the Xiao Family. Yeon bit her lips. Even she knew that involving themselves with a family this large was a complex situation that she had to be cautious of. They needed to retreat for now. Qiu Gaokang saw them stop and stopped as well. “Is something wrong?” Truthfully, Qiu Gaokang was stalling for time because he didn’t […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> The four travelers ate dinner at a restaurant on the first floor of an inn. They were in Xuzhou, a large port city next to the White River. The next day they would ferry their carriage and horses across the rapids and arrive in Luoyi not long after. Xiyun leaned forward to pick the last strand of boiled vegetables, however, before he could, Danlu’s quick hands snatched it first. Xiyun stared at the other boy who held a wide grin. Danlu had been trying many things to elicit a reaction from […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> Shibara stepped aside and allowed Ruidie to pass her. She did not take the final step out of the pavilion, choosing to watch instead. The judges took Ruidie’s answer and game record as she waited. The girl stood in silence as the moments passed. She didn’t know if her beating heart made everything slower or if it actually took as long as it did. Like Israk and the boy named Chen Xiaosi, Ruidie couldn’t answer any of the questions, at least not properly. There were many questions she could answer with […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> Within the sky well, the sun had finally appeared. Shibara took her papers and went to where Ruidie and Israk waited for her. While watching the second stage, Ruidie recognized Yonten playing a piece on a four-stringed lute. She didn’t see any of the two nuns, so they must not have gotten this far. “Have we chosen which art to partake in? Let’s all say it,” Shibara said. “Chess.” “Chess.” “Chess,” they all said. Shibara turned to Ruidie. “It is the only one of the four we know. I convinced Israk […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> A black cat, brown dog, and gray monkey, all watched through the forest’s fog. The cat stood on top of a plum branch. The monkey hung with one arm on the same branch. The brown dog sat on the ground, below the monkey. “We’ve seen the start of all six exams now. What do we think?” the black cat asked in a young woman’s voice. “I think they’re consistently improving,” the brown dog said in an old man’s voice. “You’re giving these brats too much credit. The Spring Generation will obviously […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> Ruidie awoke early in the morning. There was no activity in the manor. When she stepped into the hall to clean her face with the nearby pot of water, she found her southern dress washed and folded on the floor. After changing, she tossed aside the bedding laid over the floor and opened the terrace door. The garden was filled with grass, yellow flowers, and red roses, which hid its unkempt nature. In the middle were a small fake mountain and clear koi pond. Ruidie sat on one of the large […]

<< Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter >> A day after leaving Lanzhou, they had arrived at a port on the Grand Canal, which was where the carriage they had ridden was rented from. It had dawned on Ruidie then that she would reach Taiping earlier than expected. A ship was on the White River. Three sets of sails resembling giant fins of a fish pointed forward. In her cabin, Ruidie changed into a no sleeve, pale purple dress over her loose white shirt and pants. Grandma enjoyed the clothes of the southern tradition and sewn the dress for […]