One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

17

Insert Chapter 1.1 - Beautiful Bones (1)

She still could remember, the day he became her teacher was a brilliantly sunny day.

In this generation of the Cui family of Qinghe, she was actually the only female in the lineal descent. The others had mostly died in infancy. Because of her family's great power and influence, when she was still in her mother's womb, her hand had already been promised in marriage to the crown prince. According to her childhood wet nurses, if at the time, a male had been born instead, the child would likely have been secretly swapped for a girl for the sole purpose that one day, she would reside in the palace of the empress.

Fortunately, it had been a girl.

But alas, this girl was born with the inability to speak.

Thus, for this reason, she became the student of the Xiao Nanchen Prince[1], the prince who held the control of a great army of seven hundred thousand, the one whom the empress dowager was most fearful of, and the youngest uncle of the crown prince. He, however, was not born of the empress dowager herself. According to Mother, this act would give her a strong supporter, and at the same time, she could use her teacher-disciple status with him to, in the future, bring in the support of this uncle for the crown prince.

One move, two gains.

Two birds with one stone.

She seemed to understand, yet not quite, all the stakes and complicated interactions, but when she recalled that day, how a single wave from this teacher's hand had caused the entire army to kneel in unison and the air of authority he had emitted, she had a feeling of eager anticipation. If she had not already secretly had a glimpse of him that day, she would have thought that Xiao Nanchen Prince was actually over thirty years old; otherwise, he could not have such outstanding military achievements that caused the imperial family to tread cautiously with him.

Under the observing eyes of many people, Shi Yi very carefully and properly bowed and paid the ceremonial respects of a disciple to her teacher. Taking the cup of tea someone beside her had handed to her, she gripped it with her two little hands, and, one step at a time, approached the young man who was sitting there in the center.

The liquid in the cup swayed back and forth slightly, causing ripples to form.

With every step she took, she did not dare lose her focus, until she finally stood before him and very respectfully raised the tea cup above her head.

She thought, if it was any of the other disciples, they would have reverently said, "Teacher, please have tea," but she could only stand there quietly. The only thing she could do was hold the cup steady with both her hands. Very quickly, a hand took the cup from her. His other hand held the cup's lid as he gently took a sip. "Shi Yi, you are called Eleven at home?" Eleven raised her head and looked at him with sparkling eyes as she nodded.

"As it turns out, I have ten disciples already. Would it be alright if I also call you Eleven?"

He did not address himself as "your teacher" and merely used "I."[2]

Shi Yi stared blankly at him in slight surprise and could not help glancing at her mother, who was far off to the side.

Only after Mother gave a nod did she also nod her head. She thought, such a strange teacher and prince.

Many years afterward, when she thought about that day, she could still clearly remember it. He had been wearing a turquoise-colored long robe, and there seemed to be a smile in his eyes, like a warm ray of dazzling sunlight on a cloudy day. Xiao Nanchen Prince, whose name had become renowned when he was still a youth and whose military feats were illustrious, yet still treated each one of his disciples, soldiers, and generals well, was from that day forward her teacher. And this was something that would never change for this lifetime.