The next day, after breakfast. He make me sit on the study desk opposite of his work desk. He place a book of poems on the desk down slowly. I look up to him.
"Just copy any poem that you like. One page will do."
He then walk away and sit down on his work desk. After flipping through the book, i decided on a short poem. I write as the best i can and place it on his desk. He look away from his documents and stare at my face for awhile. Reaching for the paper. He take a glance then scrunch the paper up. He look at me with a unsatisfactory look.
"You write like a child who is just learning. I think we need to improve on that. Go back and copy the whole book."
Before i say anything he beats me to it. "If you want to urge with me. Think twice, your lunch and dinner might be at stake."
Angrily i storm back to the desk. Pick up my brush and open the book. From where i sit, i can see a smug look on his face. Breath in and breath out, i tell myself.
The next day, I did painting. Lucky me, he say nothing. However he make me paint flower after flower. He did not scrunch the painting but he place them aside to dry them all. I would like to think he actually likes my work of art.
The following day, i play the GuQin. He nodded his head."Just need more practise. Not too bad. If you can master the Qin properly, i will engage a master to further coach you on it. After all you are known to have intermediate level knowledge. You need to climb the next step up."
Master Qin come by the Xian mansion every four days. So he turned up, i attend his class without a fuss. This time, i asked him to teach me how to play Go. He is amused and advise me that it's a game that will take me a life time to master. It requires patiences and brain power.
Since this game takes along time to play. We set it to play for an incense burn time. Uncomplete can be done when the next time he comes by the mansion.
One morning i wake up early before the sunrise. I hear some commotion outside the yard. Peep through the door, i see a group of men exercising with his highness. They are all uniformed and bare chested. Sweat beads roll down on their chin and body. Even though they did not make a sound but every moment they make is full of energy. I have seen sweating bodies of men in the paddy field but never have i feast my eye on buff bodies of healthy looking young man of my age group. Even that dingbat looks attractive. His long hair swing with his moment behind him. His muscular arm shows ... wait a minute what am i thinking?! I shut my eyes and take a breather. Slowly i creep back to my bed,
Today, he is busy with reports and men coming in reporting about various issues. As my study desk is there, he had a screen pull down to disturb me while i copy the book he had given to me. Then suddenly i hear a female voice.
"Prince Xian, this is the final report that i had complied. The men who were injured are treated in the outskirts as we speak. The ones who are dead or missing body parts, we await for your command."
It's her, General Tang. That girl who adores him. From the screen, i see that she is dress in a typical noble man's outfit. Her hair is bun up tight and high. She is holding a long sword. Standing in front of his desk, she looks at only Prince Xian. I am very curious how does she looks like. As i my neck keep adjusting to see how she looks, my brush and my words suffer with time. Once they both along with the rest of the men, walk out of the room, I realised that i need to rewrite the entire paragraph or rather the whole page. So annoying.
I can see they are continuing to talk outside the courtyard. Those men respectfully stand aside and listen to the conversation. The only ones who are talking is only two of them. Shortly, the conversation is conclude. General Tang and those men walk out to the main door. While his highness walk in and look at me.
"Little student, are you done? If you are not complete at least half of the book. Lunch is not serve to you. I can see your words are moving like the grass with the wind. It's better you rewrite them. If not a full lunch is not granted. "
"Wen Wen, you can't be so mean to your wife."
He stood there speechless. "Who give you the guts to call my name in that odd tone?"
"As your wife. By royal protocol. By law. My rights."
Speechless and eyes open wide, he turn around to walk back out "In any case, i don't think you can have a full lunch or maybe you would like to skip lunch."
"I need to eat. I don't have energy to keep holding the brush. It's tiring!"