Entertain the Children

Waking up to the chilly temperatures, Fangsu shivered in the wintry season that was coming. After dressing into more warmer clothes that were lined with furs, Fangsu had to make the gift for the Empress Dowager. In a basket, Fangsu placed the Rouge Fruit, the Red Robe Oolong Tea leaves and a beautiful oriental tea pot with tea cups that was painted with golden plum blossoms symbolising the wintry season that was coming. After finishing the preparations for the gift, Fangsu mounted atop Tian who happily neighed in delight, knowing that he would have a chance to go out.

Fangsu urged Tian into the direction of the Imperial Palace, slowly trotting through the streets. As she arrived at the gates of the Imperial Palace, the same guards stood in front of the gates. Fangsu took out the blue green jade that the Empress Dowager had given her, which instantly gave her access. A young stable boy had taken Tian to the Royal stables until Fangsu was ready to leave. As Fangsu walked up the steps, arriving inside the door where the same elderly female attendant that served her respectfully bowed towards Fangsu, who immediately helped the maid stand up, "Please don't bow to me, you are the Empress Dowager's personal attendant, " Fangsu held onto the attendants arm like that of a grandchild and a grandparent which showed her strong filial personality, "You are an elder to me and your status is much higher than mine."

The elderly attendant was surprised by the kind actions, but immediately feeling a sense of guilt that such a young girl had lost her family and yet had to keep a strong front. "Young child, you are favoured by the Empress Dowager so it's my responsibility to attend to you and give you the upmost service in the name of the Empress Dowager." The elderly attendant held onto the arm that Fangsu was holding onto, patting it gently, "If only I could arrange a marriage between my grandson and you, " Sighing heavily, as she continued to lead Fangsu to the direction of the Empress Dowager's personal palace.

"Elder Meng, I'm still young to be thinking about marriage right now," Fangsu giggled at the senior attendant mention about arranging a marriage, "I bet my grandpa would completely refuse any marriage proposals until I'm an old maiden." Both individuals laughed at the idea, Fangsu's grandpa breathing fire in order to guard Fangsu from any males even thinking about marriage.

After laughing so much, Elder Meng sighed happily, "But, It would make this old woman happy to have such a good grandchild in my family." Patting Fangsu's hand like she was a grandchild of her own, "But I haven't seen that child in a while so I don't know whether they are doing well," placing a hand on her cheek, thinking about her grandson. As they continued into the direction to the Emperor's Dowagers, they overhear the sounds of children and groans of pain. Both Elder Meng and Fangsu entered the courtyard where the sounds came from. It was a fight between the younger siblings of the Imperial Family.

"You are just a bastard child! Born from a good-for-nothing concubine with no background!" The biggest of all the children pushed two smaller ones who looked to be twins. All the others began punching and kicking the twins.

"Just a concubine born! You have no right to be in our sight!" Another Princess ruthlessly spat out. Such harsh words could clearly negatively affect the twin's psychological later in the future.

Lady Meng walked to the group of children, "All of you ought to reflect your actions otherwise there will be consequence if I inform the empress dowager about your behaviour." Clearly warning the imperial children about the consequences if she informed the Empress Dowager about such disgraceful behaviour that was unbecoming of royalty.

The children visibly flinch at the threat, "This won't be the last time!" Knowing that they had little power against the Empress Dowager. They all dispersed away from each other and returning to their own palaces, scattering away like birds. Fangsu helps the victims which were twins; one girl and one boy. Fangsu and the servant bring the child to the wing where the Empress dowager is waiting. The Empress Dowager, Lady Meng and Fangsu tends to the children's injuries; mostly bruises and small cuts. While the Empress Dowager and Lady Meng care for the girl who received the most injuries inside the chambers.

The boy, Li Mo, wiped the blood from his nose only to smear on his cheek. But, he stopped from smudging the blood any further "You know nothing about me, so you can't judge me, ok?" He told Fangsu, clearly frustrated that he was weak to fight against the other children.

Fangsu takes a handkerchief, soaking it in water before wiping his face clean of the blood, "I'm not going to judge you." Giggling at the boy's ruly nature, "You are much like my sister." As Fangsu continued wiped up the blood, Li Mo winced in pain as small wounds were hidden behind the dried blood.

"Sister?" Li Mo questioned the unknown girl infront who was wiping his blood.

"Well my twin sister, " Fangsu wringed the handkerchief before wiping any blood or dirt, "She was a very boisterous person, loved martial arts, weapons and enjoyed mocking people for their stupidity." Fangsu saw there was swing in the Empress Doawger's courtyard and she excitedly ran to it. Fangsu took out a box of dried lychee treats, giving one for Li Mo.

"What is this?" Li Mo took the dried lychee, examining the dried fruit in confusion.

"Dried Lychee," Fangsu took a piece of lychee for herself, biting into the sweet snack.

While Li Mo watched Fangsu eat the dried lychee and looked at his own piece before eating it himself. The sweet flavour of the lychee filled his mouth, as his eyes sparkled with excitement. "This taste good!" Li Mo exclaimed excitedly, "Can I have some more?" Begging with his hands clasped tightly together as he stared at Fangsu.

Fangsu giggled at the young boy's bright and clear eyes, "Of course! Give this other box to your sister," Fangsu handed him two boxes filled with the dried lychees, "Remember to share." Ruffling Li Mo's hair, who giggled excited as he received the gift.

Li Mo began eating his portion of dried lychees, leaving some for later to snack on, "So where is your sister?" Li Mo's unknowingly asked an question which struck Fangsu.

Fangsu let out a breath, swinging her feet's back and forth as she gentle pushed herself on the swing, "She is living happily right now elsewhere." Fangsu hummed to a song as she swung on the swing, the wind gentle blew past her.

Li Mo was sensitive to Fangsu's emotion, but he was still ignorant of affairs relating to death. "Does that mean you sister is dead?" Li Mo tilted his head waiting for Fangsu's answer.

Fangsu nodded as she continued to swing back and forth, "Her and the rest of my family." Fangsu continued swinging.

Li Mo questioned her nonchalant expression, "Doesn't it hurt to lose your family?" unknowingly stabbing the wounds in her aching heart.

Fangsu stop herself from swinging as her feet scrapped the ground beneath her, "It does." Fangsu started to draw a circle on the ground with her tip of shoe, "I-It hurts so much... so much that sometimes I wonder why I'm still alive," Looking up into the distant sky, reaching for the air only to grab nothing.

Li Mo stopped questioning Fangsu, "I'm sorry..." that was all he could say at the moment of time. There was nothing he could do.

Fangsu stretches her muscles, "There is nothing we can do about it." Getting off the swing Fangsu carries the box with her as she took Li Mo's hand, "Don't need to worry about it." Fangsu reassured Li Mo before seeing his sister who was waving back to her twin brother.

Li Mo released his small hand from Fangsu's to run to his sister, hugging each other. "Li Mo! Biyu! Come and see this trick I know!" Fangsu called out to the twin who quickly went to her side. Fangsu sat on the bridge that had a ramp that lead into the water where the lotuses were, placing her fingertips into the water.

Fusing a small amount of Qi, Fangsu controlled the water, imbuing it with light element. Controlling the water like a puppet, Fangsu created a Qilin that elegantly pranced in the air and in certain angles it created a beautiful rainbow effect. Entertained by the watery puppetry, the twins began chasing the Qilin around. Fangsu began to develop tender feeling for the children who reminded her past enjoyments, she envied them. Being able to play free of worries.

After playing with the children, Fangsu gifted the empress with the assortment of tea, the Rouge fruit wine and golden plum blossom teapot, "Have thoughtful to have given me a gift." The empress dowager carefully examined gift one by one, a fondness shone in her eyes. Lady Meng placed a plate of dried fruit and seed and 4 bowls of sweet ginger soup with tofu, which was one of Fangsu's favourite.

"From the last time I visited, you seem to enjoy tea so I decide it would be an appropriate gift." Fangsu explained as the empress dowager's messenger bird comes flying on the table to eat the seeds. As Fangsu when to pet the messenger bird. It nuzzled it's head against her hand.

The emperors dowager was surprised to see that the messenger bird was fond of Fangsu, "My, you are very attentive to detail." Before sending off the bird back to its perch nearby, she turned to Fangsu who was eating the ginger syrup, "Fangsu would you be interested into marrying one of my grandsons?" Smiling at Fangsu who spat a bit of the ginger soup back into her bowl.

Lady Meng handed Fangsu a handkerchief, which she gladly accepted the handkerchief to wipe the remaining ginger soup that slid down her chin, "Empress Dowager, I don't think it's appropriate for me to think about marriage at the moment." Fangsu scratched her nose, the empress dowager asked an awkward question.

"You are at the right age to have a fiancé, there is no need to think about marriage." The Empress Dowager stirred her bowl of ginger soup, taking a spoonful of it into her mouth.

Lady Meng lightly coughed which caught the attention of the Empress Dowager and Fangsu, "Your Majesty, that's not fair! I asked Fangsu first." Lady Meng and the Empress Dowager both went into a stare down. They were both unwilling to bend their will to get Fangsu to marry their grandsons.

Fangsu took Li Mo and Biyu away from quarreling elderly women to play in the swing. Biyu giggled as she was pushed back and forth on the swing, "Higher! Higher! I want to fly higher!" She squealed delightfully as Li Mo continued to pushed her higher into the air. After they were finished playing, Li Mo laid on the ground exhausted after pushing Biyu on the swing.

Still not exhausted from playing, Biyu ran up to Fangsu,wanting to be picked up, "Jie Jie! I want the Magnolia flower, but I can't reach." Biyu pointed to the magnolia flowers at the top of the tree.

Fangsu smiled at Biyu, "Ok! Wait for me then!" Placing down Biyu on the ground next to Li Mo who was sitting upright watching Fangsu at the base of the tree.

Fangsu contemplated which route to climb the tree, but nevertheless, pulling up her sleeves. Fangsu grabbed a lower branch before effortlessly scaling the tree without any trouble. Upon reaching the top, Fangsu plucked a small branch which had a few flowers on it. After achieving what she need, Fangsu scaled down the tree to Biyu who was jumping up and down like a bunny.

Li Mo ran over to Fangsu grabbing her sleeve, "How did you climb the tree so easily! Teach me how to climb!" Li Mo pleaded with bright eyes that Fangsu felt conflicted whether to teach him how to climb trees.

Fangsu smoothed out her sleeves before shaking her head, "Sorry, Li Mo, maybe next time." Fangsu tried to compensate since the day was soon turning dark. Fangsu bent down to Biyu's level handing her the branch of Magnolia flowers, "For you princess," handing the branch to Biyu who giggled.

Biyu took off a Mognolia flower from the branch and placed it on top of her ear, "Jie Jie is the princess!" Bi Yu giggled happily, as she placed a flower on her own ear. Giving the branch to Fangsu, who was surprised to receive the branch. Li Mo ran to a osmanthus tree and plucked off a branch that he could reach, gifting it to Fangsu.

Fangsu smiled, but to the twins it was like a divine deity smiling towards them, it was beautiful. "Do you want to hear a song?" Fangsu asked the twins who immediately nodded their head at rapid speed.

Fangsu took a spot in the middle courtyard with the Magnolia branch at hand as she began to dance while singing.

I can't wait till fireflies in this mountain to glow like firework,

The old Lotuses locates on the middle of the lake have already fallen.

Warm wind from the early summer was late one day,

Look back to your face shape in the early ages,

There was sky in your eyes

In the mountain, we have slept on the water, we have sat face to face

We enjoyed the moonlight and wind together at that time.

We played the Chinese zither places on our knees, we picked flowers, we also counted the number of fireflies.

After change of seasons and days,

Those memories became ordinary events in mortal lives

But I can't bear to forget them when they appear in my dreams

So I take a wisp of heart fire from the world of mortals,

Want to plant the Karma we caused when we met.

Even the destiny have favoured you and I,

We are still separated by the distant.

It is my year that flow to the long long galaxy

Ah

How can a dream in hundred years relieve my pain of separating from you.

I prefer becoming a mortal, but not guess of the wonderland.

So I take a wisp of heart fire from the world of mortals all by myself,

So as to plant the Karma we cause when we met.

All the challenges we had in this life,

Is for us to meet in the next life.

For us to meet in the next life.

(Song is from 西瓜Jun : 寒山客)

After the song was finished, the twins clapped joyfully, "Jie Jie! Are you a fairy? Your singing is so pretty!" Biyu and Li Mo was amazed by Fangsu's performance. Another set of clap caught Fangsu's attention, it was the Empress Dowager, Lady Meng and two unknown males who were probably about Fangsu's age if not older.

Both of women held Fangsu to a high regard after witnessing such a heart-moving performance which made them want Fangsu to be their granddaughter in law. Both were competing to appeal to Fangsu to marry into their household. "Your Majesty, Fangsu is just like her mother isn't she?" Lady Meng inquired to the Empress Dowager who nodded whilst remembering the fond memory.

Fangsu knew that her mother was a natural in the spotlight but Fangsu knew that she herself could not do the same. She couldn't even compare to her mother, not even in the slightest. Fangsu could only keep the shadows, working behind the scenes. She just didn't have to confidence to live up to her mother's legacy. Born with a physique that couldn't allow her to cultivate, always vulnerable to illness, her physical body was weak and her intelligence was only average. Unlike her sisters who outshone herself.

Her mother, Chen Heng Hui, excelled in business and therefore was quick-witted and had a silver tongue, a work ethic that even men in the business industry admired and she also possessed the ability to persuade even the most stubborn people to work with her and her natural beauty and heavenly voice. Her eldest sister, Chen Susu, with her ability to see potential in people she being a teacher at a school that nurtured future cultivators, developing them into the well-known and named cultivator that are known across all the lands. Her younger twin, Chen Liansu, was a nature born warrior with a physique that was gifted by the gods allowing her to advance to levels at a miraculous speed. Along with her vast knowledge in poisons and the human body, she could revive a person one step from death or cause them unimaginable pain. Fangsu, however was the most ordinary person in the family. It was ironic that a family was able to nurture talented females had produced a daughter that was so normal.

Fangsu humbled bowed in respect, "Thank you, but, I can't even compare with my mother." As soon as those words, the atmosphere immediately when downhill. As dusk began, Fangsu bowed again farewelling everyone before leaving.

As Fangsu walked down the stairs to retrieve Tian, who trots to her side without the stable boy. As she walks out of the perimeter of the Imperial Palace. Fangsu decided take any unusual path which lead her to the same open field when she went out to harvest materials. Wondering off into the open field, the day soon becomes dusk and she hears the singing of small children. As she turned to the direction of the singing children, she sees the glowing silhouette of children happily playing and sing together.

Someone hand covers her eyes, it had many hard callouses with the fingers being bony and wrinkly, it was her grandpa. "Do not interact with the spiritual realm too much otherwise you will expose yourself to malicious spirits and the only way you can fight against them is that you become a cultivator and have access for tools to protect yourself from spirits." The shakiness in her grandpa's voice sounded worried, he was scared since she wasn't home, "Pretend that they don't exist."

As they went to return back home, "Fangsu, you need to be more careful from now on." Fangsu's grandpa gave words of caution to Fangsu facial expression was stoic.

"Is it because I can see them?" Fangsu asked.

"Yes, the Chen bloodline have been able to see the spiritual realm for many dynasties." Her grandpa sternly warned Fangsu about the double edged blade of possessing such a power, "Whatever you do never interact with them, but if something happens Bai Xue will be able to protect you." Fangsu's grandpa released an exhausted breath as he massaged his temple.

"Is that why, the Chen family went into hiding?" Fangsu said to which her grandpa nodded

"Promise me, you won't interact with any spirit whether it be good or bad." He asked to Fangsu, but he wasn't expecting an answer.

Fangsu remained quiet during the way back home.