Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Am I wrong to praise you?” Jiang Pengji said in a matter-of-fact way. “You should be proud of my comment. I said that you are much better looking than most people.”
Xu Ke choked, and his pallid face turned purple. This was obviously a tease, right?
“I will take you to Langlang Alley someday, and you will know what I mean.” Sigh, she had been misunderstood by her bookkeeper.
“...”
She continued, “Yet, I wonder whether you will have more fun with the girls or if they will have more fun with you.”
“...”
Xu wished she would stop mentioning Langlang Alley.
Shitang Dafan Ayi: “Girls with have fun with him, no doubt. Don’t take him there!”
The audience agreed that the innocent Xu Ke would be scared by the crowd of excited women. The image provoked strong protest in the channel.
Xiyan: “Is the host going to brothels? Remember to send notifications before you start livestreaming that day!”
Jiang Pengji said that she would, not suspecting that she would ever go there under those circumstances.
“It is not a serious ankle sprain, and it will recover soon.”
She was not a doctor, but she had treated herself throughout many years of continuous injuries. Additionally, she had taken mandatory first-aid courses during military school in which she learned how to handle common injuries like a sprain.
“Has Langjun studied medicine?”
As he calmed down, his opinion of Jiang Pengji once again changed. He must have been blind to think that the Langjun was a lofty genius. Why had he ever thought that she would make a great emperor?
Jiang Pengji lied flawlessly. “Not really. I read some books during my leisure time, hoping to help my ill mother. Speaking of this, there is one thing you need to do.”
As a devoted servant, Xu Ke immediately collected his thoughts and concentrated on listening to her instructions.
“Yes?”
“I can tell that the servants have spared no effort in their training, but they must rest properly. I don’t want to cancel the training tomorrow because of their trembling legs.”
She had always been tired yet happy in her military institution because she had been given nutritious food that eased her muscles and lifted her spirit. She must also give her people in this era some way to relax.
Xu Ke thought about the exhausted men who always wanted more food during mealtimes. He feared that they would be too hungry to continue training. He admitted that the exercise regimen demanded much energy.
“Is there any way we can help them?”
She answered, “For sure. I will draw some diagrams for you, and you will let them follow my instructions.”
Her solution was to teach them the basic massage techniques that every student at her school had learned. This method was commonly used in primary military institutions by many students who could not afford the expensive meals. Jiang Pengj, who had shown immense potential, was one of the privileged few who had been able to eat the nutritious meals.
Using one’s spiritual power through massage could energize muscles, but this concept might not be believable to the ancient people. They might think that she was fooling them.
She took some time to make her illustrations as clear as possible with notes, and then she handed the paper to Xu Ke. The servant studied it for a while, and his impression of Jiang Pengji became better. “Thank you, my Langjun.”
Hm... he’s not that bad after all.
Some stream viewers also took pictures or screenshots of the instructions because they were interested in trying out the massage techniques themselves.
Xu Ke would stay at the farmhouse during the initial stages of training, but he was allowed to borrow books from Jiang Pengji’s study room when he wanted. It was a liberty that not many servants enjoyed.
Xu Ke felt that his ankle had gotten better, so he rose to walk Jiang Pengji out.
Before she left, Jiang Pengji stopped and turned to the servant. Her look brought cold sweat to his back.
“Langjun, what’s the matter?”
“Remember, you are my pageboy now.” Without an explicit reference, she said, “I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t do it again from now on.”
At first, Xu Ke listened with confusion, but his face became pale the moment he understood what she was referring to.
“Don’t be afraid. You can speak to him directly. He will understand.” Jiang Pengji gave him a smile, and her fan closed as it hit her palm.
That night, Xu Ke looked at the ink and brush on the desk with a bitter smile, and he started writing only after spending some time in thought. The bamboo sheets were provided to him every month along with his wages, ink, and brush.
“Humans suffer when the gods fight. I am the one who is being tortured in this case, as I stand between the father and the son. Still, Langjun is right...”
Taking a firm stance would save him from the dilemma.
After finishing the letter, he dried the ink over the candle fire and rolled the paper up. He then went to the corridor and ushered at the sky. A snow-white pigeon landed with a bamboo holder tied on its foot.
Pigeon post originated in Zhongzhao and was then introduced to Dongqing. After years of development, it was common for well-off families to keep birds for communication.
Coo coo.
The sound notified Liu She of the mail’s arrival. He took out the roll and finished reading the note in a second.
He softly chuckled.
“Oh, my dear child...”