The Flower Of War

Chapter 29: The Hidden Intent

"Isn't the princess good at embroidery why now suddenly ...."

Chichi did not continue his words that hung from being too surprised.

Yiu scratched his non-itchy nape, "I've forgotten how to embroider so quickly teach me how."

"...."

Chichi approached kneeling under Yiu then taught Yiu how to embroider from the bottom.

Second by second, minute by minute, and hour by hour Yiu spent with Princess Ying's embroidery equipment.

Chichi, "Daughter, you should have pulled the thread so that it's completely attracted, you just pulled the thread half that it could make the thread tangle, Princess."

Yiu started to grumble while tapping the wooden ring on his lap, "My hands are so sore you know! Why did you take the thread so long that I had to pull it up to my hand it felt like flying into the sky."

Yiu continued to complain because he felt his hand would come off just from pulling the thread and then putting it into the cloth and then pulling it again.

Yiu, "Aww damnable needle base why do you like to stab my hand hah!"

"..."

Yiu, "Why the thread is so easy to tangle, have you tangled almost 400 times!"

Chichi tried to keep his voice from rising, "That's because you were in a hurry when you pulled the thread out, Princess, you have to be gentle a little."

I don't know how many hundred times Yiu continues to grumble with threads and needles in his hands and Chichi who continues to try to patiently direct and justify the tangled threads due to the princess who continues to pull him in a hurryhunts.

Finally Yiu managed to finish his embroidery and sighed in relief while looking back at his embroidery made with all the sweat mixed with blood

"Hmmm not bad either." Yiu nodded his head in delight at his first embroidery.

While admiring his work, the corner of Yiu's eyes accidentally saw a cloth patterned magnolia tree blooming in spring with so beautiful and perfect next to the embroidery tool box.

Yiu, "Who owns this embroidery, Chichi?"

Chichi immediately replied, "This is yours, Princess, as I recall this princess's first embroidery when the princess was 9 years old."

Yiu felt her hair standing tense, "9 years?!"

Chichi, "Yes, it was the princess at that time the Empress herself who taught you and after that you really like to embroider, Princess. Ah ... I still keep some of the embroidery that the princess gave me."

Chichi rushed to go out of the room somewhere leaving Yiu who had enough to lose face just by looking at the first embroidery from Princess Ying who was then 9 years old, if she were to be compared to Princess Ying's embroidery as a teenager, Yiu would lose more face.

Shortly after, Chichi arrives with a few handkerchiefs and a fan in his hand.

Chichi, "Daughter remember all this embroidery? Look at this fan that you've embroidered and you've gifted me the princess, I still keep it."

Chichi shows two blue handkerchiefs with a stork motif and a peony flower motif, then thrusts a green embroidered fan with a peony flower motif that blooms in spring.

For a while Yiu was so amazed by Princess Ying's talent in embroidery, he was already able to embroider as good as this in his teens according to Yiu it was already an incredible ability!

Then why are so many people out there even blaspheming Princess Ying for not having talent, really after knowing this astonishing fact Yiu's hand wanted to chop up the body of the person who accused Princess Ying of being a trash!

But a moment later the entire vein of Yiu's shame felt like it was pushing her to immediately immerse her face in the pillow as soon as possible if lingering at Princess Ying's embroidery.

Yiu flicked his hand, "Have already ...save it back and take good care and please clean up all this mess."

Yiu smiled a sweet smile hoping that Chichi would immediately get rid of the embroidery for the sake of himself who felt very lost face.

Chichi nodded obediently and immediately took the embroidered equipment and cloth away.

Yiu sighed before clearing her throat, "Alright .. joining an embroidery contest is a bad idea maybe I'll try playing an instrument alone."

"Is there anything the princess wants anymore?" Chichi's voice in front of the room disperse Yiu's daydream.

Yiu flinched slightly and then said, "Ah yes please find me a musical instrument suitable for me to play."

Chichi, "You want to listen to princess music? What if I bring you a musician?"

Yiu clucked his tongue, "It's fast to find that instrument I don't need a musician."

Chichi, "Ah well, Princess"

Soon, Chichi entered with 3 of his personal servants with a guzheng and a pipe made of solid wood but lightweight, it looks simple but still charming in each of the servants.

Guzheng ⁇ (Traditional Chinese cow with 16-24 strings)

Pipe ⁇ (traditional Chinese musical instrument pear-shaped with 4 or 5 strings)

Chichi, "I brought this instrument to you, Princess, I originally bangtung will bring what musical instruments and the first one I saw in the music room is this is all right, Princess?"

Yiu, "Yeah yeah whatever it is up to the most important thing is a musical instrument."

He used to learn to play traditional musical instruments while sitting in high school even though it has passed very long but do not underestimate Yiu's memory this time.

The straw lentiknya began picking guzheng with a slow but definite tempo, tracing every inch of string that resounded loudly.

The flow of music that is so smooth flowing like the river water as clear as the spring flows calmly down the hills in the early morning, flowing with soft sweeps of the Bayu Sang accompanied by a cold mist that moves following the flow, drowning Yiu's mind in his cold music.

Yiu's tapering fingers continuously plucking the strings produced beautiful tones that swept away the soul. The groove was soft but the high tone produced was like signaling a deep longing to look down from the heart-wrenching groan.

Chichi who stood not far from where Yiu played was swept away in the high-pitched music that Yiu played.

Yiu placed both of his palms on his guzheng after the final tone of Yiu's play.

Returning to open his eyes, Yiu looked at Chichi who had clapped his hands while jumping in excitement, sometimes rubbing the corner of his watery eyes.

"Waaahhh that was so beautiful! Nah! But it's so beautiful! Although I had never heard the song before but the song was very beautiful, the composer must have been longing for his love until the feeling was too washed out but still could not meet like, a couple of different lovers of the world!"

Yiu smiled, "you're overdoing it."

"No, I mean it with the full truth! But, Princess, I've never seen a princess who's good at playing guzheng, when did you learn to play it, Princess?" Chichi approached a step towards Yiu with a plain face full of curiosity, aware of his sassiness Chichi immediately stood up straight and lowered his head.

Chichi, "I'm sorry my daughter, I was wrong maybe I forgot if the princess is very good at playing guzheng."

Yiu, "Have forgotten it, ah yes I want to ask you a little."

Chichi, "What question is a princess?"

"Are you good at singing?" yiu asked half a whisper.

Chichi furrowed his brows furrowing with his thoughts, "I think I'm bad at singing princesses, what's the matter the princess asks like that?"

Yiu turned his head casually, "It's okay, I just want to practice singing."

Chichi tried to entertain, "Your voice while talking was very melodious, Princess, especially if you sing so you do not have to bother practicing singing."

Yiu frowned and thought for a while, "Alright . I'll start singing and you listen carefully to my voice."

Yiu cleared her throat before taking a deep breath and started singing with a lot of passion even though the actual value of singing Yiu in school was always average.

*I found a love for me

Darling just dive right in

Follow my lead

Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet 

I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was

I will not give you up this time

Just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own

And in your eyes you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song

When you said you looked a mess, I whispered beneath my breath

But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonnage*

The song he is thinking about is Ed Sheeran's Perfect.

Yiu ended his hymn, "How did Chichi sing me?"

Yiu turned towards Chichi but did not find the trunk of his nose, he looked at the corner of the room looking for his presence full of confusion, finally he found Chichi who was kneeling half prostrate right beside Yiu's feet as if he was prostrating worship, Yiu reflexes took a few steps back instantly.

Yiu shouted half in surprise, "Hey what did you start?!"

Chichi slowly raised his head and smiled awkwardly with a strange expression, "Aiyoo forgive me princess but I was too dissolved in the song of a princess that was so beautiful that I didn't realize what I was doing hehe"

Speaking quickly with a smile that looked forced, Yiu noticed Chichi's hidden intentions and sighed harshly, "Huh ... well, there's no need to pretend I know that my voice is so good that it's even gonna make your eardrums break."

Knowing the princess's innuendo, Chichi quickly shook his head and bowed back towards Yiu, "Aaaahhh no... No princess is not right your daughter's singing is so beautiful!"

Yiu rolled his eyes panted, "Huh I am indeed not talented in singing then, what should I do? The contest will arrive soon and I can't even do anything proud."

Yiu walked to the side of the bed and sat down with his head bowed lethargic, "Don't grieve princess what if you keep participating in the contest playing musical instruments only but without singing? I'm sure even without singing but the princess's game is much better than the others as long as the princess trains harder and tries her best."

Chichi smiled sincerely making Yiu couldn't help but lift both corners of his lips, "Well I'll try and thank you."

The sadness in Yiu's heart began to wane a little hearing the encouragement of Chichi whom he had already considered his own brother.

For a moment Yiu hesitated with a smile on Chichi's face, the smile was not an ordinary smile but contained other intentions that Yiu did not know.

Is Chichi hiding something or planning something?

TB