No One Knew the Marquis Was a Woman - Chapter 3

I ran into the little boy in the garden. Hands behind his back, he wore a stern expression, as though he disapproved of my idleness.

I was idle, to be fair. Since leaving the battlefield three years ago, the emperor had ordered me to recuperate. I didn’t even have to attend morning court.

“Don’t you have to go out and earn money?” the boy asked.

I sighed. “If I can’t earn anything, I might not be able to support you and your mother.”

“Don’t worry,” he said stiffly.

He dropped into a horse stance, gave a shout, and pointed ahead.

Nothing happened.

His face reddened. “Again!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ah Jiu hurry toward us with his skirts lifted. The boy pointed again. A glint flashed from Ah Jiu’s sleeve, and the tree the boy indicated snapped in half.

The boy played it cool. “To tell you the truth, I’m a genius.”

“I didn’t see that clearly. Can you do it again?”

He performed his miraculous finger technique. I named more than a dozen targets in one breath.

“That one.”

“And that one.”

“Over there.”

…

Ah Jiu burst out, panting. “Enough!”

The boy and I were both disappointed that the fun was over.

“I’m a genius,” he said.

“Oh.”

“I really am a genius.”

I nodded. “I saw.”

After holding it in for a while, he said awkwardly, “I’m useful.”

“And?”

He flung his sleeves and stomped off. I gave Ah Jiu an innocent look. “How are you raising this child?”

Ah Jiu kicked me and stomped off too.

The little boy had a temper and was a picky eater besides. He picked all the green vegetables out of his bowl. I glanced over and let him be. Lu Xing dumped every vegetable he’d so carefully removed straight back in.

The boy glared at him.

“Finish those,” Lu Xing warned, “or you won’t be allowed into bed tonight.”

The child ate his vegetables through tears. I burst out laughing.

Then Lu Xing poured the carrots I’d picked out back into my bowl. I glared at him and waited to hear what threat he’d use on me.

He thought for a moment, then stepped on my foot.

“Ow! Ah—”

While my mouth was open, he shoved all the carrots into it.

That bastard Lu Xing!

“Of course Lu Xing doesn’t care,” Ah Jiu complained. “The boy isn’t his child.”

“Do you know who his father is?”

“Of course I do!”

I waited eagerly. Ah Jiu gave a little snort. “I’m not telling you!”

I was sorry I hadn’t managed to get it out of him.

Society, it seemed, had no room for our peculiar group of three adults and one little boy. The emperor summoned Lu Xing and me and gave us another dressing-down.

“How long will you two keep up this nonsense?”

Lu Xing caught my hand. “If you never leave me—”

My eye twitched. “Then I’ll stay by your side till death.”

“Brothers for life!”

The emperor tore the jade pendant from his belt and threw it at us. Lu Xing caught it, delighted. “Thank you for the gift, Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, you can’t favor him over me,” I complained.

In fury, the emperor threw me a jade thumb ring. Satisfied, I thought that His Majesty truly knew how to spread his favor around.

“The Yan delegation has reached the capital,” the emperor said. “Besides negotiating peace, they want a marriage alliance. They’ve brought Princess Xianghe, who has asked for Lu Xing by name.”

I couldn’t help looking at him.

“The princess has unusual tastes,” Lu Xing said. “Good thing we’re one player short for mahjong. She’d be welcome to join the family.”

“Lu Xing,” the emperor snapped, “you know what I mean.”

Lu Xing scratched his ear. “I do, but my brother is so delicate he can’t look after himself. How could I—”

A eunuch announced the princess’s arrival and led her into the hall. Lu Xing glanced at her. The words he had been about to say took a sharp turn. He held my hand and said earnestly, “Brother, when I’m gone, you must take good care of yourself.”