Mischievous Young Lady
Mischievous Young Lady
"You know that I'm not allowed to leave the city at all. Father is so strict about me leaving the city unless I'm with you on the battlefield," Gao Ling responded coquettishly. "So, the only option left for me is to ask you about your experience back in the capital city."
"There are not many interesting things."
"Liar!"
"Why do you think I'm lying?" Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "I'm mostly grounded because His Majesty suspected me to be part of a force that wished to topple him down. There's no way I can have fun."
Gao Ling pursed her lips. "Capital City is really dangerous."
"Indeed."
"If I ever need to visit there, you need to protect me properly. I won't accept no as the answer."
Prince Ji Sheng nodded and patted Gao Ling's head tenderly. "There's no need to worry about that. I'll make sure to protect you properly."
On the side, Wei Liuying was starting to think that she was only kept here to watch these two having fun by themselves. Should she learn the skill to disappear into the wall? She didn't want to disturb these two.
While Wei Liuying was contemplating, Prince Ji Sheng finally remembered that she was still in the room.
"Right, Ling'er, do you still remember Liu Ying?"
"Yang Xian's apprentice, right? I sent Hai Yue to serve you last night, but you don't seem to appreciate it," Gao Ling said while crossing her hands.
Wei Liuying looked at Gao Ling with confusion and cupped her hands. "My apologies if I look as if I didn't appreciate your kindness. I have a good rest last night thanks to your care, Lady Gao."
This time, it was Gao Ling who was stunned. She looked at Prince Ji Sheng and crossed her hands. "He's a noble, right?"
"What makes you think so?"
"His way of speaking is even more formal than Yang Xian! Not only that, he seems to be so familiar with how women usually speak!" Gao Ling replied with while humping in indignation. She couldn't believe that she didn't know there was a noble with surname Liu in the capital city.
Wait, is there really any?
Prince Ji Sheng nodded and patted Gao Ling's head once more. "You're correct. She used to be a noble born."
"What? Did you kidnap him?"
(A/N: in case you're wondering, both she and he in Chinese is spoken 'ta'. Even if there's difference in writing, it sounded exactly the same when it's spoke out. Ji Sheng is using the 'ta' for female while Gao Ling is using 'ta' for male)
"I'm not." Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying as if telling her that she should speak the truth.
Wei Liuying cupped her hands. "My full name is Wei Liuying, Miss Gao. I'm the concubine daughter of Prime Minister Wei."
Concubine daughter…
Prime Minister Wei….
Gao Ling took several moments to let the two phrase inserted deep in her brain. Her few brain cells seemed to be overloaded for a few breaths of time. Afterwards, she looked at Ji Sheng in disbelief. "You're taking a young girl to war."
"Yes."
"Are you crazy, General Sheng? She's even younger than me but you already show her the cruel, disgu…. Battlefield?"
Prince Ji Sheng sipped the tea in his other hand calmly. "She has long gotten used with battles. Wei Family Household is a great place to temper your body and heart with so many wars and battles that occurred there."
"What?"
"She can do martial arts and know a lot of strategies. You don't think I can possibly teach her so much in just three months, do you?"
Gao Ling had heard that it was Wei Liuying who gave advice and order back in the battlefield. Even though her help in terms of killing enemies were negligible as she could barely protect herself, the strategy she gave give them advantage and protected them from harm.
The worried Prince Ji Sheng might not be able to pay so much attention because he was keen on reaching Gao City as fast as possible.
"Right," Gao Ling said after a moment. She looked at Wei Liuying for a moment. A young girl learning martial arts was very rare in Han Shi Kingdom because women were mostly only used to bear children. It was only because Gao Ling was born in General Gao's family that she was allowed to learn martial arts.
Then again, the only one she learned was archery and a bit of swordsmanship.
Her father would never want her to be on the frontline where the death's rate was so high and many people died each day.
"So, Wei Liuying?"
"Yes, Miss Gao?"
"Do you have any interest in Prince Ji Sheng?"
Prince Ji Sheng: "…" you ask her when I'm right in front of her?
Wei Liuying: "…" you're very blunt.
Gao Ling didn't think that there was anything wrong with her question. She was looking at Wei Liuying with her clear gaze.
"I don't have any interest in Your Highness romantically if that's what you mean," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her eyes were calm and tranquil as she had never even though of the possibility of marrying to the Imperial Family.
She didn't want it too.
Gao Ling nodded. "Then, who's the most attractive in your opinion. Prince Ji Sheng, Yang Xian, Shi Yan, Shi Mo, or Commander Zhao?"
Commander Zhao?
Wei Liuying was stunned when she heard that name in the list that Gao Ling gave her. She had only met with Commander Zhao for a day at most. There was no way she could possibly know a lot of things regarding this commander in such a short period of time.
Prince Ji Sheng sighed. "Commander Zhao is one of the few commanders who have followed me from a long time ago."
"I understand, Your Highness."
"Hey, you haven't answered my question."
Wei Liuying thought inside her head for a moment. She obviously will not answer Prince Ji Sheng because Gao Ling could potentially try to kill her if she did have even an ounce of interest on him. Well, in the first place, she never had any interest to this prince.
Shi Yan was so feminine that Wei Liuying felt she would never get attracted to him while she had only met Shi Mo a few times. He did look similar to Shi Yan, but he has more muscle because of his training as solider.
It too her some time before she replied, "Yang Xian."
Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "I believed that I'm more handsome than that fella. It seems that I need to teach him how to be less attractive."
Wei Liuying: "…"
Back in Prince Ji Sheng's City, Yang Xian suddenly sneezed. He looked to the sky with confusion. Who in the world think badly about him early in the morning? He could even feel faint chills now.
'Hopefully it's not Prince Ji Sheng asking me to have another harsh training…'
Gao Ling laughed freely when she heard Wei Liuying's answer. "Strategist Yang is not too bad either."
Wei Liuying merely smiled. She never thought of these people around her that way because she didn't think that it would be even possible. Besides, many of them have high status, far higher than the current her who was only a runaway.
"I'll appreciate it if you stop trying to scare other women," Prince Ji Sheng said faintly.
Gao Ling shrugged. "I'm always so straightforward. Besides, why should I let those women who tried to take what belonged to me live? I would rather let them all suffer and die miserably."
Even though Gao Ling was speaking in a light tone, the content of her words were the complete opposite. This made Wei Liuying wondered what kind of environment this young lady was grown up with. Obviously, it was completely different with her.
"You should continue your study now that the battle is over. Let Liu Ying follows you."
"Are you sure you want to have a 'young man' following me?" Gao Ling asked with arched eyebrows.
"She's just a little brat. You can think of her as your younger brother."
"Got it!"
Wei Liuying: "…" are you sure I'm the younger one? Also, this was the first time she knew that as a lady, Gao Ling was speaking so informally. It was as if she didn't have any qualms of speaking so informally even with someone who has high ranking.
Gao Ling stood up. "Father wants to play go with you once they have finished cleaning up. Afterwards, he wants to visit the deceased family members of the commanders."
"I'll come with him."
"Good. I'll let him know."
Gao Ling excused herself and gave order to her servant. She looked at Wei Liuying with a faint smile, yet her eyes were filled with playful glint. "Let's have some fun, Liu Ying."
"Yes, Miss Gao."
For some reason, Wei Liuying felt that she would be seeing something special not long from now.