Chapter 75
Book 7 Chap 8 – Affections of a pretty girl
After Xiang Shaolong bandaged the wound on his shoulder, he might as well not wear his top and just wrapped a cape around and started practicing his writing on the table in the study.
Coming to this era, the first thing he has to overcome is the language, the accent and the way they habitually speak and the terms used. Either because he is especially talented, or maybe because he has no other choice, but he was able to handle such things within about half a year.
But as for writing? Until now, which has already been a few years, his words is still illegible. The ancient calligraphy of this era is really baffling him, and the problem is compounded by having to write on bamboo slips or cloth.
Luckily he regarded practicing calligraphy as an interest and since there’s no Wu Tingfang or anyone else hara.s.sing him, he can take the opportunity of this free time to practice.
Just as he was totally immersed in the world of brush and ink, Wu Guo came in to report, "Miss Zhao Zhi is looking for Third master."
Xiang Shaolong guessed long ago that she will look for him so he replied, "Let her come in!"
Wu Guo’s gaze landed on his table filled with his crooked and clumsy words, which looked like a child’s handwriting and asked hesitantly, "Do you want me to help you tidy up the things here first before asking her in."
Xiang Shaolong knows that he is seriously trying to remind him tactfully that others must never see this splendid handwriting of his so he said with a laugh, "I deliberately wrote it so awfully so that others will know that Dong Kuang is unrefined. My real handwriting is extremely outstanding and you’ll surely compliment them once you see it!"
Wu Guo slapped his forehead and said, "Third Master really thinks things thoroughly, otherwise even those who has never held a brush won’t have their words end up looking like this." He hesitated, "But is Third Master being a little too exaggerated?"
Xiang Shaolong was extremely flummoxed for this Wu Guo is indeed being quite funny and he reprimanded him with a laugh, "Go and invite the lady in quickly! It’s not nice to make people wait that long."
Wu Guo knows that he is an easygoing person who never puts on airs and treats everyone well regardless of rank, and he is already used to joking around with him so he bowed and left after hearing that.
In a short while Wu Guo led Zhao Zhi and came up behind him. Xiang Shaolong’s back is still facing the door, as he looked at the garden outside the window illuminated by the moon. He instructed Wu Guo to leave and close the door behind him before telling Zhao Zhi, "Come! Sit opposite me."
He concentrated on his writing while Zhao Zhi went to the other side of his table and sat down delicately, her pair of pretty eyes landed on his snaky and crooked words and exclaimed "Ah!"
Xiang Shaolong waved his brush with a smile, "That’s just how an unrefined person’s handwriting looks like! Hope Miss Zhao won’t find it a joke. Oh! I should be addressing you as Miss Tian instead."
Zhao Zhi lowered her pretty face, not really daring to look at him directly yet she rolled her eyes at him in rebuke as she said, "You’re really muddleheaded, who said my family name is Tian?"
Xiang Shaolong was astounded, "Didn’t you tell me so yourself? Why have you forgotten about it so fast. Don’t be forgetting about me tomorrow as well!"
Zhao Zhi narrowed her eyes at him before lifting up the brush and wrote a word ‘Shan’, the character delicate and straight, a great world of difference when compared to the characters that Xiang Shaolong has written.
Xiang Shaolong said with embarra.s.sment, "So it was I who have heard wrongly! But something came out of this mistake as well." Suddenly his body shook, as if he suddenly remembered something important.
Zhao Zhi mistook his meaning and said sadly, "You finally realize that my Father is the philosopher Shan Qin from the state of Qi. He wholeheartedly wanted to help his Majesty run the country well, but that conniving thief Tian Dan thought that Father wanted to reduce his power so he just randomly made up some proof of rebellion, causing our whole family to escape to Handan in the middle of the night. We thought that Zhao Mu would take us in on account of our longstanding friends.h.i.+p, but who would have known…"
But what Xiang Shaolong thought of was Shan Lan, who is married to Teng Yi. Naturally Teng Yi will know about her background clearly and there’s no need for him to ask Zhao Zhi directly in case he leaked out the secret.
Xiang Shaolong asked, "What is Zhao Ba’s relations.h.i.+p with you?"
Zhao Zhi wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes and replied, "None at all, it’s just that he is Uncle Zhao Zheng’s good friend. Uncle Zhao Zheng used to be a scholar of Zhao, when he was young he followed his mother and came to our house as a servant, and until now he still regards himself as one. If he had not taken my sister and me in, I don’t know what our outcome would be. I’ve long regarded him as my father, so please still treat me as Zhao Zhi."
Xiang Shaolong might as well continue his questioning so he asked, "Why did Miss help Zhao Mu train his dance courtesans?"
Zhao Zhi replied, "My Teacher has a deep friends.h.i.+p with Guo Zhong and Guo Zhong wants to find someone to teach his dance courtesans the sword dance, so Teacher recommended me. Zhao Mu saw that I did quite a good job teaching so he wanted me to train the dance courtesans in his residence as well. We thought that it’ll be a good chance for revenge, but once again you saved him."
Xiang Shaolong asked, "Your elder sister is very highly skilled, did Zhao Ba coach her?"
Zhao Zhi shook her head, "Ever since young, Elder Sister has been the closed door disciple of Grand Master Cao Qiudao, who is also known as Sword Saint but gave himself the name of Mister w.a.n.g You. I stayed behind with Uncle Zheng while she snuck back to Qi to train under Master Cao. She tried unsuccessfully to a.s.sa.s.sinate Tian Dan twice and was forced to hide here recently. Now that Tian Dan has come to Zhao, it is indeed Heaven’s gift of a splendid opportunity."
(w.a.n.g You = meaning forgetting sorrows)
Xiang Shaolong asked in bewilderment, "Why is Miss so cooperative this time, answering all my questions with nothing held back at all?"
Zhao Zhi’s pretty face turned slightly red as she replied, "Because I’m grateful to you. You actually repaid malice with kindness, you’re really a good person!"
Xiang Shaolong laughed as he leaned back against the chair and stretched lazily, immediately revealing his muscular and solid chest muscles as well as the bandages around his shoulder.
Zhao Zhi exclaimed in alarm, "You’re injured!" Then she turned her head away and blushed, "You don’t like to wear clothes at home?"
Xiang Shaolong replied nonchalantly, "Miss is unaccustomed to facing an unrefined person like me!"
Zhao Zhi turned her head back as if she has set her mind on something and looked at him shyly as she replied, "No! Mister’s intellect and skills are way better than others, my sister and I are both very impressed by you."
Xiang Shaolong guffawed, "Don’t speak on your sister’s behalf, I don’t believe she will ever be impressed by anyone."
Zhao Zhi revealed a look of surprise as she nodded her head, "You’re really good to be able to see through her character. Indeed she did not say she was impressed with you, but I know that in her heart she is now looking at you from a different light, it’s just that she’s being stubborn and refuses to admit it! She did not object to me coming to look for you as well."
Xiang Shaolong was puzzled, "Don’t you have to accompany your Master to attend the King of Zhao’s feast? Why do you still have time to come and look for me?"
Zhao Zhi replied, "Precisely because everyone has gone to the Palace, that’s why I sneaked here. That Ji Yanran’s allure is really formidable, everyone is falling head over heels over her. If she is willing to play a tune or sing a song, I think that’ll be a greater knockout."
Xiang Shaolong was thinking of the good show that is being played right now at the Palace, secretly thinking that if this unrefined man were to woo her publicly and in fact succeed, definitely everyone’s spectacles will fall off their noses, if spectacles were to exist in this ancient era in the first place.
Zhao Zhi