Not long after Ah Xiu returned, my mother rushed over in a flurry.
She looked around and asked, "Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Sipping the freshly brewed tea, I replied in surprise, "He's already left."
"So soon? Didn't he ask you to go out with him? Or have dinner at our place?"
I waved my hand, and Ah Xiu, along with the other servants, retreated, thoughtfully closing the door. I looked at my mother and sighed, "Mother, do you want me to be with the Crown Prince, or not?"
"Didn't we agree to let things take their natural course?"
"But daughter, how do I see you as all for it?"
My mother coughed twice. "Ahem, well, not exactly. It's just that His Highness, you know, he's always so proper. Mother just wanted to see how he courts a girl."
"But Mother, didn't you always tell me to remember my place, and not even dream of the Second Prince? Now this is His Highness the Crown Prince."
"It's wrong of you to indulge in wild fantasies, but isn't it His Highness the Crown Prince who fancies you? Isn't it a great fortune for any maid to be favored by her master?" My mother scrutinized me from head to toe. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mother never even dared to dream of this. With so many renowned physicians in and out of the palace, why hasn't His Highness the Crown Prince ever thought of getting his eyes treated?"
I rolled up my sleeves. "Ah Xiu, fetch my spear."
Ah Xiu quickly said, "Oh no, Miss. Your body hasn't recovered yet. Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince sent you a fighter, didn't he? Let him handle the fighting. I'll go call him now."
She asked my mother to wait, then rushed out like a gust of wind.
My mother asked in surprise, "What fighter?"
"A gift from His Highness the Crown Prince."
Soon, Ah Xiu returned, looking dreamy, leading a lean young man.
The youth was slender, with healthy wheat-colored skin. Even with his head bowed, his masculine features couldn't be entirely concealed.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise, not expecting Zhong Ling Shu to look quite so good when tidied up. Such good looks and martial prowess, it was truly a waste to be a dead soldier.
Ah Xiu chuckled. "Miss, didn't expect this, did you? Young Master Zhong actually looks so handsome when he tidies himself up."
"Is this really Zhong Ling Shu?"
Zhong Ling Shu spoke, "Mistress, I merely shaved my beard."
My mother gasped. "Nannan, don't tell me this person was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince."
I asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong with him being sent by His Highness the Crown Prince? Can't he send me someone?"
"He can certainly send someone, but Mother always thought only princesses send a trial consort maid to the驸马 (Fuma - the consort's mansion) before marriage. I didn't expect His Highness the Crown Prince would send you a man. Tsk, not to mention, he's quite good-looking. You shouldn't have trouble with him."
My mother dared to imagine such things. What were trial consort maids for? To sleep with men for the princess.
I looked at my mother speechlessly. "Trial consort maids are things of the past dynasty. How could you still be thinking of them? Seeing how His Highness the Crown Prince dislikes others touching him, do you think he would send a man for daughter to... hmm?"
My mother paused, thinking of the Crown Prince's usual demeanor. "Alright, Mother was indeed mistaken. But why did he send someone like this to you? He looks like a martial artist. Could he be a bodyguard arranged for you?"
"He wasn't arranged by him; I asked for him myself. Back in Meicheng, I saw his skill but that he was working for a dog official. It was too much of a pity to be killed in such a way, so I asked His Highness the Crown Prince to spare him."
Of course, I wouldn't mention that he was originally a dead soldier, lest more trouble arise.
My mother eyed him suspiciously. "How good?"
"Better than me. Last time in Meicheng, it was he who injured me."
Zhong Ling Shu, however, said, "That time, Mistress won."
Before his words could even finish, my mother had already struck. "You scoundrel! How dare you injure my precious daughter!"
My mother, perhaps in her anger, threw the punch hastily, revealing many flaws. Zhong Ling Shu had a hundred ways to evade it, but he didn't move an inch, taking the punch head-on.
Then he took a sweeping blow.
With a "bang," Zhong Ling Shu curled up and flew out, knocking my door askew.
Seeing my mother's anger unabated, I quickly called out, "What are you standing around for? Fight back! It's no fun if my mother fights alone. His Highness the Crown Prince sent you to be a sparring partner."
Zhong Ling Shu: ...
My mother: "You wicked girl, where are you leaning towards? Can't you see Mother is avenging you?"
"Mother, be careful. He's mine now. If you injure him, I'll have to pay for his medicine. Besides, where will you find someone to spar with?"
My mother snorted, then beckoned to Zhong Ling Shu with her hand. "Boy, don't hold back. Let Mother see what you're truly capable of!"