The Flower Of War

Chapter 28: Embroidery Contest

Soon Yiu's carriage had arrived at the entrance gate of the city center. Yiu got off his carriage before changing up the horse that Prince Huang had prepared for him.

Yiu wore a deep blue hanfu with the addition of matching color robes and the addition of a veil to cover identity.

Yiu immediately spurred his horse through the shady forest in the sun with the horse guards who had been with him heading towards the Palace.

Arriving next to the towering light brown palace walls, several warriors spurred their horses towards the entrance of the palace to carry out their previous plans, leaving Yiu and the two soldiers there waiting for their next signal.

About one incense burning, a gong sound that was struck quite loudly came from inside the palace three times which signaled for all the palace soldiers to gather to the origin of the sound as soon as possible.

The sound of the gong was also a safe signal from Prince Huang's soldiers for Yiu to sneak into the palace towards his pavilion.

The reason the palace soldiers were gathered was due to a letter of notice of the search for a Supervision Hall prisoner in Nanjing who escaped from his cell and was suspected of sneaking into the Palace as one of the soldiers who every hari gave a report from the Supervision Hall to the Palace.

Of course all these stories were mere lies and merely as a diversion of soldiers so that Yiu could sneak into the Palace, considering lately Yiu himself who set the security of the palace to be more tightened especially during the day it will be very easy to know if there are intruders entering in different from the night which is usually very difficult to detect the enemy by dark clothes.

And don't ask me again who's behind this crazy plan. Of course the culprit was Yiu with the help of the troops from Prince Huang.

After sneaking into his room, Yiu saw a girl in magnificent clothes and wearing a veil sleeping on a pedestal beside his bed.

Yiu walked closer towards the girl and shook the girl's shoulders slightly to wake her up.

"Hei Chichi woke up, why are you sleeping downstairs. Hey let's wake up it's noon!"

The little girl opened her slightly swollen eyes before gasping in shock at the first sight she saw.

"Ahh Princess? Your daughter is back? Is the princess okay? Why did the old princess return? Did something happen to you, Princess?"

"Why are you? Can't you ask one by one, my head is so dizzy to hear it," he said lowly with his fingers touching his temple behaving like a headache.

"Aiyoo .. forgive me, Princess, you must be tired after traveling here, let me help you to rest," said Chichi who quickly got up to his feet and bowed slightly to help Yiu sit on his bed.

"Does the Princess want to take a bath to relieve fatigue? I will prepare warm water for you," asked Chichi who actually did not buub answer.

Chichi had not yet taken a step to prepare the bath water for Yiu, his hand had already been held back by Yiu.

"Why did you sleep on the floor? Why are your eyes swollen? Did you just cry?"

"cn ... I was just tired so I decided to take a nap, I wasn't crying either" Chichi said in a stuttering tone as he lowered his head, not daring to stare at Yiu's sharp bead.

Yiu memorized the body language of the girl in front of him, if Chichi avoids eye contact with him it is a sign that he is lying.

Yiu, "If you're tired why are you sleeping under instead of in bed?"

Chichi, "Because it's your bed, Princess, I don't deserve to sleep in your bed and these clothes are too good for me to sleep under as a result I sleep on this soft bed, Princess."

Yiu "You're too dramatic. The bed is useful for sleeping and anyone can sleep there oh come on you're like my own brother so why don't you feel yourself worthy."

Chichi replied with a slight tremble, "I'm just a Princess' servant it's really inappropriate for me."

Yiu, "Alright next time don't let anything like this happen again. Ah yes, you're still not honest with me about those puffy eyes of yours."

Chichi, "Sa-I'm worried about your safety, Princess, you said that if you were going home in 2 days and it was the fourth day how could I not be anxious especially Prince Xiao Ce also came here yesterday."

Yiu raised her voice, "Ha? Prince Xiao Ce is coming? How then? Were you caught? Well, I can chop up my poor body if I get caught."

Yiu seemed agitated in his sitting, but Chichi quickly knelt in front of Yiu and held onto Yiu's two clenched arms restlessly.

"Calm down, Princess, I've made a potion that the Princess made to fool the healer. It was fortunate that I drank it a few hours before Prince Xiao Ce came, initially just in case but who would have thought it turned out to be useful as well since the Physician forbade the Prince to see you until that day."

Chichi smiled sweetly and made Yiu who heard Chichi's explanation feel relieved.

"You are indeed my most reliable brother."

♣♦♣

In the afternoon.

Yiu was taking a leisurely walk around the palace due to boredom.

Earlier, the, Yiu had met with the palace physician to be examined and finally he was declared completely healed even making some of the servant healers stare in disbelief with the cure of the Princess from her illness which was quite severe for them in a flash.

Yiu walked towards the garden near the female noble pavilion, he wanted to eat apples straight from his tree.

"Princess Ying."

A smooth baritone voice shocked Yiu who was already hugging the tree with one leg up on the tread to the tree.

What a sight so unworthy to behold for the standard of a noble princess.

But Yiu is still Yiu who will act as he pleases and behave almost like a man by climbing as one of the hobbies that he will do if he wants to find the wind while sheltering in the hot summer these.

"What are you doing?"

Yiu knew the owner of the voice. The voice of the baritone full of authority belongs to the brother, who else if not Prince Xiao Ce.

Aiyoo I'm going to die. Kill myself I've lost face! Still in a position to climb it, Yiu sat up and condemned his stupidity that made him lose face in front of his brother.

Yiu turned her head slowly before displaying an awkwardly impressed smile then turned around and tried to justify her chaotic clothes.

"Good afternoon, Prince, what do you need to find me?" yiu said as softly and calmly as possible while looking down to try to kill his shy feelings.

"I just want to know how you're doing because the healer said you're cured, right?" ask Prince Xiao Ce.

Yiu, "Aaa yes really prince. Eee is there anything else, Prince?"

Come on I've lost face, I want to run to the room. Come on, let me go!

Prince Xiao Ce, "There will be another 2 weeks of friendly matches between kingdoms and also celebrations with various performances in the capital Fufeng."

Yiu, "Eye yes I know, Chichi just told me, then?"

Prince Xiao Ce, "You will represent Qiu Wang in the embroidery contest between the noble daughters of other kingdoms so prepare yourself and do your best."

Yiu shouted involuntarily, "Ah alright alright ... Wh-what?!!"

Yiu was stunned to hear the revelation of Prince Xiao Ce, he felt that there was a storm of typhoons that suddenly came to him and broke his heart and mind.

Prince Xiao Ce raised his eyebrows next, "Why? Aren't you very fond of embroidery and I've also seen some of your embroidery results, that's very good, Princess Ying."

Yes indeed Princess Ying is very talented in regards to embroidery but I am not at all! I can be lifted to heaven if I have to imitate the embroidery of Princess Ying!

"Aaa is there nothing else but embroidering? My hands are now easily numb if I have to hold the embroidery board for hours?" yiu said trying to find any reason to keep his self-esteem that will be destroyed if others know his ability to embroider. He had never even embroidered in his entire life!

Prince Xiao Ce frowned for a while and then his expression returned as calm as water, "Well then, I hear you are good at playing guzheng while dancing? All right, you're taking part in a musical instrument contest, Princess Ying."

Prince Xiao Ce's face was still flat as calm as water as he said that sentence, in contrast to Yiu who was looking at him with an expression of disbelief.

It would kill me a lot more prince! I would rather fight with ten ferocious dragons than have to sing while playing a musical instrument!

"Aaa .. why suddenly my body suddenly ached all aahh and my head felt so sick, maybe my disease relapsed again, Prince, if this is how I am forced to not be able to participate in the contest Prince, Prince, I'm sorry," said Yiu.

Yiu was unable to think clearly due to the shame that still surrounded him and also the statement of Prince Xiao Ce earlier added to the whole idea of Yiu reasoned.

What came to his mind now was to make a classic excuse like a schoolboy pretending to be sick in order to be allowed not to go to school.

Prince Xiao Ce's hand moved gently stroking Yiu's hair, "I know you may feel ashamed and afraid of being underestimated like last year but this is your chance to show who you really are and I can be sure no one will dare to underestimate you again and also Father will be there to see you. You can do it!"

Yiu raised his previously bowed head, smiling wryly but more towards the resigned smile.

Actually he wanted to persuade Prince Xiao Ce again so that he would only be a spectator but after seeing a flash of hope in his brother Yiu's bead finally decided to undo his intentions and accept resignedly.

After a brief encounter with Prince Xiao Ce, Yiu had already lost his desire to climb a tree and pluck a ripe red apple up there, choosing to return to the Dahlia pavilion to calm his mind.

"Chichi quickly get me my embroidery equipment" Yiu said as he stepped into the large, soft chair in his room.

Soon Chichi came with a medium-sized black box and a cloth that had been clamped between the wooden roundabout.

"Quickly teach me how to embroider" Yiu said.

"Did?!"

TB