Empress (A Tickle Commission)

The Ticklish Thief

The village of Xian raptured with the life of a new day. Villagers toiled away in their gardens at the first glow of sunrise. Children helped pick rooted crops while their parents plucked fruits from trees. Woodworkers, cloth spinners, and leather makers all worked in the cool morning just outside their quaint, humble homes. Elderly women knitted in hunched over positions. Ceramics artists and blacksmiths stoied away in small workshops in the back of their land. Each villager greeted one another with a respective smile, often with gifts of food and goods.

Yuanji walked through the residential streets, studying every fiber of the system’s makeup. An alien feeling lingered over her as she watched the people of her own village. She knew none of them. Not their families or their trade. Not even a single name. She watched them work away their busy schedules, understanding a small degree of what Sima Yi said about her ‘having it good’. Still, field work seemed vastly more favorable to her than a lifetime of wifely servitude. Yuanji watched the people work with smiles on their dusty faces as they weaved a tightly knit society with both their families, as well as with the society of the village. Yuanji contemplated saying something, a greeting or an admiration of their work, but reserved the possibility of drawing too much attention to her presence.

The aroma of freshly soaked vegetables wafted into the street. Yuanji beheld a young man feeding his elderly mother beneath a small courtyard, complete with shading and a garden. Cows sang. Mules plowed. Hens raced across the street in hectic patterns. A small girl chased several of the poultry around the front of her home and into the street. One hen raced up to Yuanji. The princess jumped back initially, but bent down to catch the hen before it could escape. The young girl ran up to Yuanji, staring back at her in confused wonder.

“Hello,” Yuanji said sweetly, crouching to meet the girl at eye level. The girl paused, only staring back at Yuanji.

“H… hello,” the child answered.

“What’s your name?” Yuanji asked clearly. The hidden princess held the hen firmly in her hands. The small girl paused another response. From behind her, a woman in a messy apron stepped out from the open doorway.

“Cao Lee, coup the hens,” the woman ordered, her face covered in flour and sweat. The hen in Yuanji’s hand began to violently flap its wings. It startled Yuanji into nearly dropping it, but Cao Lee reached out and took it calmly from Yuanji’s grasp.

“Thank you,” said Yuanji, giggling to herself. “It was nice meeting you.” The girl stood and brushed off her robe. Cao Lee started to hurry back inside with the hen in hand, but turned to part from Yuanji with a bow. Yuanji returned the gesture with a smile and watch the young girl flee with the feathered racer.

Yuanji carried onward. The tightly wound street basked in favor and respect. The people wore robes stained with dirt, hands rough with hard work, but nothing felt more free or liberating to Yuanji than a life made for oneself. She passed others going about their lives with smiles and intrigue. Several farmers loaded carts, while others rode theirs down the far road toward the marketplace. Yuanji followed the path, eager to see what else the village could offer her.

The disguised princess made her way into the heart of Xian. Come full sunrise, the market had fully exploded with its daily surge of activity. The streets flooded with merchants and travelers. People shouted about their wares and trade, selling nearly everything from jewelry to tea kettles. Yuanji wandered through the streets much slower than she noticed others rushing through. She started keeping her head low to avoid being spotted, but quickly noticed how little attention was being paid to her. People rushed to and from her on either sides, going about their lives as if she was no more special than the next villager. Yuanji smiled, carrying on through the market.