Surrounding change

The way to the main hall not too far but can get long enough for both of them with their own thought.

The curious felt still bother in the emperor mind. He does not understand why she suddenly want to spend time alone in the place not so beautiful as the spring pavilion. Why she asks to follow him to the main hall instant to enjoy the view in the palace but choose to read the book.

When she asked him, he saw her eyes little anxious. That why he allows her immediately. 'Should I ask her what happen after I step away from the pavilion? Or I just pretend didn't know'. He gazes his eyes to the right slightly, do not wish she will be noticing his curiosity on her.

Now her eyes look calm and with her hand clutch the book tightly that she brought from the pavilion, like some treasure you can find on the deep blue sea.

He looks straight again. Event thought he feel calm but his mind still full of curiosity.

On the other side, Qing Yang feel relieve, her trembling hand slowly calm down. Her face gradually smiles but still nervous due to be around with the emperor in front of her, walking grateful with his sturdy body sway firmly.

She escapes from unknown man she just meets today and he directly asking her to go somewhere she doesn't even know where it is and completely blank with it. How can a man have such confident for himself and his action toward her like they known each other for very long time. Her brow knit together, still confuses.

'Well, at least she will be spending time alone for the next few times around main hall building' she tries to gain her spirit but suddenly she felt that the emperor looking at her for a moment. 'What was that for? Why he gazes at me? Do I make another mistake? And suddenly she gets anxious again.

Both of them get startled and regain from they reverie only by the announcement by the Guard who stand in front of the main hall door.

"Your Majesty has arrived" the two-door opened by the guards "all rises!" the voice of the guard was heard to gain all the people inside the main hall to rise from their seat by the sound creak on the floor indicate the chair was move.

Both of them straighten they body and put a smile on their face.

The emperor gaze around and spot the small cottage on the left side the main hall, big smile can be seen on his face. Indicate he was right indeed there are a small cottage around here. He often came here to meet people on the main hall, he never put step on that small cottage. Rather spend the time there after the meeting with people, he goes straight to his office room because many scrolls of paper are waiting him to be see and approved, or he will go someplace to do other work in the name for yellow kingdom.

He turns around to face Qing Yang and said "You can go there to rest and spend the time to read the book or enjoy the scenery here even the scene not so beautiful and much watch as at the Spring Pavilion" he is pointing the place he refers to for her to see with uneasy face but he still happy she is around him not too far.

She makes a slight bow to the emperor as thank you. Small smile can be seen on her lips "Thank you Your Majesty, I excuse my for now as I don't wish to delay your time any longer"

"Yes, please" reply the emperor, he tilts his head to the right slightly. He instructs to one of the guards "accompany and Guard her there during the audience". He voices sounded emphatic and composed

After she hears the reply, she steps back a few steps and then turn around and go to the small cottage.

The cottage even small, still can accommodate for 2 to 3 people in there. A small table on the centre with 2 chairs. It was enough to give her secluded place for a while alone and give some peace in her mind.

She steps inside the cottage, take a seat to one of the chairs. She gazes around the second time to see the scenery. The guard who are appointed by the emperor to guard her stand on the entrance of the cottage with his back face her. His sturdy body on guard to every movement around.

She exhales a breath, smile to herself. 'How she ends up here? To be exact from ordinary citizen in this kingdom and now to be guard by the royal guard' she thought inwardly. After a while she put a side her mind and focus to read the book in her hand.

The title written 'the smart way to pass the scholar exam'. All this time she read all the book she can gather from any place she visited and all the book that Grandma have in her study room to learn attitude, behaviour, language, gratitude, respect, philosophy an etc but no book she could find with the similar title.

She was happy to read the book, because if the content indeed like what she thinks of, she could pass the scholar exam with easy. 'But how could that be? Every year she heard whispering after the scholar exam have been finish at the palace. Some of the scholar will walk around the kingdom. The whispering said, the exam hard to pass. That why many scholars came from around the kingdom must failed to pass the exam and only 2-3 people have success or even the worst ever happen only one to pass the exam.

So, simply she opens the page to read the content inside the book. At first her brow knit together, change to frown, happy, excited, sad. That how her expression changes to one of the other a while she read to book.

Unbeknown to her, her surrounding start to change slowly. From quiet to calm, fresh, peace and chirping bird could be heard once more like at the spring pavilion. She still so focusses on the book to not realise her surroundings until one bird have perch on her thumb finger in the middle of the book she was holding.

Her eyes now see to the bird go wide and surprise but happy. Her lips opened for a smile. "Hello" she greeting to the bird. The bird head tilt gradually from one side to other side. The eyes focus to see her smile face. Sometimes the bird opened the mouth and make a sound chirping. As like to reply to her greeting.

"Don't be scared, I just want to friend with you" she said to appease the bird.

The bird still reacts the same, make some tilt it's head, chirping with meaningful eyes.

"You should not be alone here right, where is you friends?" she asked. this time she rises her head to see around. And in this moment, she couldn't believe what she just saw. It's like she travels to the different place without bother to use the carriage or horse. And here she is, surrounding by the wilderness.

Trees stand strong its side with the leaf cover the sky. The wind blowing calmly, birds fly in the sly perch at the twig trees a while chirping to other birds. In front of her there are a pool. Wide pool to be said. With the waterfall at the end of the valley. Fall going straight to the pool and manifest some bubble in the surface of the water, make your mind at peace.

She often goes to the forest, spend time there but she never finds a place so peaceful like this. This place feels like a heaven for her. She is hoping she could stay here for a while. She like to spend time with people but she sometimes like a place like this too. To spend her own time alone, to calm her dismay that can be surface on some circumstances.

Her reverie gets distracted by the flash of the water on the pool. She rises from her seat and the bird on her thumb fly away, she realises she is under the warm of the small hut in middle of the wilderness. She slowly goes the pool. Not hoping to slip down on the ground that have some mud on some place.

When she arrived at the edge of the pool, she smiles widely. The water so clear like the glasses on the wall that have cleaning perfectly, that you are not aware glasses stand there to separated you from other side. Inside the pool similar with the pool at the Spring pavilion but must more fish be swimming around, that she never sees before. Beautiful fish with many colour on the body and many more. She wants to get inside the pool to swim together with the fish but she is not bring the change cloth.

"You can swim inside the water, don't bother with your cloth will get wet, when you finish playing on the water and step out from it, your cloth dried as now". She thought she is alone here, but she wrong. A gentle voice distracted her reverie.