NOVEL SIMPLE Back in the manor, two piles of invitations already waited for her to take care of. Leafing through, she picked out a few important ones and wrote replies, discovering with a slight headache that she might need one or more competent assistants.
None of her maids met that requirement. Qing Xia and Qing Shuang weren’t capable enough while Qing Luan and Qing Yu’s field of expertise was far from what she was looking for. Han Ming Xi would be a perfect candidate yet he was too conspicuous.
After taking all those around her into consideration, she summoned Secret Guard No.2 and No.3 and threw them a stack of documents that needed to be handled.
Secret Guard No.3 found out with a grimace that he had become an accounting clerk and a steward after having been a secret guard who protected his master in the dark and a close guard of a young lord and a lady. His newly gained power made him shudder with an urge to cry. “My Lady… I don’t understand this…”
“Then learn.” Ye Li said as she flicked through records in a flash without looking up.
Secret Guard No.3 seemed troubled. “My Lady, I’m a secret guard.”
She threw him a glance, then spoke: “I don’t need secret guards. Qin Feng will protect me from now on.”
“He’s the leader of Hidden Cloud Soldiers.” He mumbled, not content. Even if the princess needed help with accounting, she should have turned to Chief Steward Mo, Sun mama, or Qin Feng. Why did he need to do such a feminine chore while Qin Feng took his place?
Ye Li nodded happily as she said, “Exactly. He can help me as well as protect me for he’s the leader of Hidden Cloud Soldiers. You… can be my part-time assistant as well.”
“Assistant?” Both Secret Guard No.2 and No.3 were puzzled by this point.
What is an assistant? That doesn’t sound as impressive as a secret guard at all!
Smilingly, Ye Li turned to her subordinates who had been doing a good job so far and said: “An assistant is someone who helps me with everything.”
“Everything?”
“Right. I need you guys’ help on everything.”
Secret Guard No.2 and No.3 were smart, loyal with excellent martial arts skills. Secret Guard No.2 was calm, Secret Guard No.3 quick. They had grown close to her during the time they followed her which others never did. That made them perfect assistants.
The thought that she could get rid of all the chores lightened her mood.
“Go to Chief Steward Mo and master what you should know in half a month. Otherwise… you’ll spend the next three months under Hidden Could Mountain. It happens that I’ve come up with a lot of new programs recently.”
Her tender smile reminded them of that month in the forest, which wasn’t the best of memories so they turned around and left without hesitation.
Seeing that, she couldn’t help but chuckle as she shook her head in amusement.
“My Lady, Yun Ting and Qin Feng want to see you.” Qing Luan came with the report.
“Send them in.”
Yun Ting lived near the capital. He left by himself after the departure from Yong Zhou and went directly north home while Ye Li and the rest headed east for Guangling.
That he visited with Qin Feng was a bit surprise for her.
Shortly afterwards, the two turned up shoulder to shoulder.
“Yun Ting and Qin Feng are here to see My Lady.”
Smilingly, Ye Li said: “At ease. How’s your family, Yun Ting?”
With a hearty laughter, Yun Ting answered: “Thank you for asking, My Lady. Everything is fine at home.”
She nodded, contented, then turned to Qin Feng who reported with respect: “I’ve had everything arranged, My Lady. It is ready for your inspection.”
Throwing a glance at the account book which was almost finished, she nodded as she said: “It’s still early. Let’s go and have a look now. Yun Ting, you’ll be shown to the army camp in a moment. Right, His Highness has recommended a few books on the art of war. Finish them in three months. If you pass the test by then, you’ll become a member of the Army of Mo Family. Clear?”
Yun Ting’s eyes glistened as he answered loudly: “Yes! I’ll finish reading the books in three months!”
Ye Li smiled slightly with an approving nod. Overwhelmed by joy, Yun Ting forgot to ask her exactly how many books His Highness recommended and what he needed to do in the army for the future three months, which led to three months’ misery.
Having changed into men’s clothes, Ye Li left the manor with Qin Feng with expectation. Before that, she ran across Secret Guard No.3 who just got a bunch of dated account books from Chief Steward Mo, who showered Qin Feng with bitter stares. That gave Qin Feng chills, who only started to work closely with Ye Li recently.
The two of them left the capital.
Qin Feng watched the young man galloping ahead of him, who looked like a perfectly refined young lord except for his low height, and he was filled with reverence. He finally understood why nobody, not even the secret guards of Prince Ding’s Manor, managed to track the princess down once she left the capital. Her skills of disguise were impressive. If he hadn’t seen that himself, he would have passed her by as a slightly familiar face.
Meeting Qin Feng’s bewildered gaze, she said smilingly: “This disguise is no big deal.”
He shook his head, and answered, “Few can do it, My Lady.”
Dressing up in disguise was more than changing the appearance. A good tracker didn’t look at a person’s appearance. Instead, he started with gestures, and movement.
However, as Qin Feng followed Ye Li, he didn’t find any resemblance of gestures or movement between her when she was in men’s clothes and her usual self. Even her expressions were different, which looked exactly like a young lord, without the tiniest trace of a woman. He wondered why the princess, a lady born in a noble family, knew how to disguise herself to such perfection. Yet, since His Highness trusted her, besides, he had seen what she was capable of back in Yong Lin, he would serve her as loyal as he did His Highness.
At full speed, Qin Feng followed Ye Li all the way to the Hidden Could Mountain, where he visited before with His Highness.
In less than a year, this place had gone through a lot of changes. Near the once desolate land stood two villages, with another one half way up the mountain. People down here were occupied with the farmland. This place looked exactly like the villages outside the capital.
The two dismounted, got around the village on the mountainside and arrived at the cliff on the back.
Qin Feng looked down and found out it wasn’t high. “My Lady, are we going down?”
Ye Li turned to him smilingly as she said: “I’ve heard men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers have excellent martial art skills. Jump if you aren’t afraid to die.”
Doubtfully, his brows creased as he stared down. Given his martial art skills, he wouldn’t get in danger even if it wasn’t an easy descent, unless there were traps.
With Ye Li’s warning, Qin Feng didn’t jump rashly, instead, he decided to get down along the cliff slowly. However, the cliff was made plain without much footholds. He only managed not to go into free fall for he drove his dagger in a crevice. It took him a long time to find a stone that stuck out yet hardly had he stepped on it when he found arrowheads glistening coldly on it. He didn’t doubt for a second that it would poke holes in him and made a beehive out of him.
Like a lamb to the slaughter, he clung to his dagger, avoided each trap with the greatest of care.
Finally getting down to the bottom of the cliff, there was a lake waiting for him, where green lotus leaves surrounded several buds. However, the cold glistening under the water stood as a mockery of him. He took a deep breath and crossed the lake with flying skills, not daring to touch the water at all.
“Three steps to the left.” Ye Li’s voice went up not far, with specks of laughter.
Qin Feng hurriedly took three steps left and landed, as he turned to her, who apparently had waited for some time.
She gave him a glance, then picked up a rubble and threw it towards where he would have landed in the first place.
Hoot! Numerous arrows rained down on that spot.
Qin Feng watched with chills down his spine.