3 Chapter (1): The wicked girl

A year and a half later...

Xin Village, the first month of Spring...

"Hey, Li Shu, come with me, everyone is jumping into the river!" A chubby lady with red cheeks stated, cheerfully.

But the stunning girl who was standing on the bridge beside her was wearing a disgusted expression, looking down at the small river. Young girls and boys were pushing each other in the water, laughing. All of them were enjoying the cool delighted air, the village was beautiful and green, glowing under the sunlight like an emerald.

"It is cold, do I look like a fool!"

The cheerful face turned into a mocking one, "you are soulless, what is the point of this beautiful face?" nudging her and added, "let's go home then, look, there is a huge red stain on your dress. Chaoxiang bought this yesterday but you ruined it in a blink."

Walking beside her, Li Shu sighed, 'why am I supposed to be here? Why can't I return to my own homeland? This foolish curse is getting more boring'

She thought to herself, during the last year they had searched all around this land that she was inbound to and eventually found a witch.

As soon as telling her that she would turn into a girl during the day, the conjurer said they must find the owner of the bracelet or the witch who made it. Until now she found no sign and they headed to this village where Chaoxiang's aunt was living.

The prince's new name as a girl was Li Shu, playing as an illegitimate sister of captain Chaoxiang. Although hated to be assumed as a bastard, he was forced to settle with it.

A troop of guards in black clothing was riding their horses to their side, all people slipped out of the way.

"Who are they?" Asked Li Shu, blankly looking at those royal emblems. They were the royal guards.

"The royal family is here for the Spring hunting, I heard that princess Xing Huan is here too."

While speaking of her, she was looking at the sky like she was dreaming there.

"Huh, what is that face for, aunt Gu Ju? Do you like girls?" Teasing aunt Gu Ju was the most interesting job in the world.

"What? You crazy girl, do you want to lose your head?"

She hit Li Shu by the arm.

"Ouch, stop it."

Li Shu began to run, smirking devilishly, stopping in front of the house they were staying in, a crooked man came out, and after him was Chaoxiang.

"Thank you, Chaoxiang, this chair is way better." It was the famous potter in the village who ordered a chair for him.

"No problem, sir."

"Hello brother, I hope lunch is ready!" Her eyes blazed. It seemed ordering him was a pleasant and fascinating thing the whole time because he didn't dare to say no.

His eyes caught the huge stain on her dress and sighed, his prince was wasting all their earnings.

"Yes, come, change your dress first!" Before leading her inside the small house, he postponed his strides.

"Wai... Wait..." Aunt Gu Ju was gasping, bending on her belly. "I must spank this rude bird!" She stretched her arm out of her body and waved her forefinger in a threatening move.

Chaoxiang wasn't amazed at all, his prince loved to tease this woman, his hobby had become this to attend women's gatherings and poke fun at them and sometimes make them cry. Neither of them had the idea that this wicked girl is actually a twenty-one-year-old man.

"I leave it to you two, solve it on your own," The captain had covered his face under a half-broken red goblin mask, not to let others see his mark. It was annoying in the first days but he got used to it. He shot the prince an amusing grin.

The three individuals entered the house and began to eat. As they were done aunt Gu Ju went on.

"The princess would cross our village, there is a temple she loves to visit and pray."

She took a sip of her drink and cleaned her mouth.

"Why does she like that temple?"

Li Shu asked, aunt Gu Ju loved this princess so much.

"Don't you know? Her mother, the late Queen was born here, which is why she came here two winters ago after her mother's death. Ah, that time it was scary, they got attacked by robbers and when her guards brought her she was screaming that they had robbed her mother's gift."

Chaoxiang frowned, "robbers? What kind of robbers?"

She was narrating as if she was a masterful narrator, thus it had stolen their attention.

"Yes, ah, the poor girl was searching the whole village to find that bracelet!"

Li Shu who was drinking water spat it out on aunt Gu Ju's face whose mouth was still open. She cursed and drew her right palm on her face.

"I'll strangle you one night in the bed!"

"What!" Li Shu's ears whistled! Yet, her previous words about the bracelet kept repeating in Shu's head.

"I am going to poison you one day!"

Li Shu sighed, she used to say that ten times each day.

"Please, tell me everything about the royal family, I will give you a silver coin!"

This time the captain coughed! What a sheepish joke!

The woman closed her eyes, her arms slapped on her lap, and gestured as a bright scholar, "are you that rich?"

Li Shu exchanged a glance with Chaoxiang, 'wasn't his duty to earn money for them both, he must have had it, right?'

"My brother is a hardworking generous man who can afford it all." Seemed assured!

"What, why me? Weren't you making bead bracelets and selling them to the gypsies?" Chao lifted his finger out, treating him as if a stingy brother, all their arguments over money made aunt Gu Ju not suspect that they weren't even siblings.

"What? As a girl I have expenses! Shame on you."

"You dissipated girl!" An entertaining sneer rushed on Captain's lips, one of those that the prince despised most to teach him his lessons during the night training.

"Enough!"

A reverberating holler brought a quiver to the place and dishes on the table, her chubby fist was there.

"I'll tell you, after getting my silver coin!"

She threatened. Her aura was streaming out of her head, she loathed the siblings' silly talks, they could argue for the money till infinity.

"Fine!" Chao had to draw in his horn and disburse, consume money, for earning some evidence.

The woman extended her hand and Chaoxiang took out his satchel, which was on his waist, drawing out a silver coin.

Putting it on her palm, a satisfying grin landed on her face she opened her eyes, eventually and sniffed it.

"Ah, it smells good! Now you are ready to hear, their story."

"Don't beat around the bush, tell us." Li Shu was impatient to hear more.

The aunt figured as she was going to reveal an epic story.

"The decedent Queen was the first daughter of the first minister, hearsays are saying that the first minister didn't let the king have another legal wife so the princess was the only legitimately born heiress for the throne.

Skipping the rumors, then they were passing this village for the Winter hunt when the mother Queen gave birth to the decedent Queen.

From that year, the decedent Queen used to come here, even as a princess and now her daughter is continuing the tradition, to keep the memories with her mother alive.

Well, these were all I heard from her maidens. But about the moment they were attacked by robbers, the troops of guards and maidens came in distress. Those robbers had killed all the men traveling with the princess and had stolen all of the jewels."

She took a long breath and Li Shu was waiting for more when she peered at both of them.

"Then?"

"Then what? They left here afterward!"

"Did I just spend a silver coin for nothing?"

She shrugged, "what did you want to know, nephew?"

Li Shu sighed, "can you describe the bracelet?"

She shook her head in denial.

"You are a rook, aunt!" The captain growled.

"Huh, watch your mouth, I gave you a roof to live under!"

"What? Here belonged to my grandfather so I have a share." He folded his arms in his chest, closing his eyes to devour his anger.

The woman stood up in bitterness, turning her back on them, then like something sparked in her mind said, "wait! She drew an image of her jewel and spread it around so if anyone found it, could win a prize from her."

Li Shu jumped to her feet, dashing toward her, she grabbed her arm and pleaded with her, "please find one of those images for me!"

Aunt Gu Ju glanced at her blankly, suspicious, "why do you care about that?"

Li Shu was cursing inwardly, why was this woman always prying in every business? It could slay her nerves.

"You just said that they give a prize to the one who finds it."

Aunt Gu Ju laughed and came across that answer pleased her. Dabbing on the girl's hand said, "stay here, I think I kept the drawing because I liked it."

She walked away into another room, "you greedy girl! I will get a share of that prize if you ever find the jewel."

She shouted.

Li Shu phew, turned to captain Chaoxiang and exclaimed, "we have only ninety days or I will utterly turn into a girl forever."

Captain stood up, "I am going to send a letter to the knights, your father had been nagging that you must return to the capital."

Li Shu's eyes twinkled with sparkles, he had four illegitimate younger brothers that had been sharpening teeth to take his place so, hadn't more time.

"When I return I'll kill all four of them." Li Shu uttered but before the captain could open his mouth, aunt Gu Ju returned.

"Here, I found it."

She had a folded paper in her hand and Li Shu snatched it before she play another game on them to earn more coins.

"You wench!" The woman mumbled.

Li Shu ignored it and quickly unfolded the paper, her hand loosened and his eyes widened.

Captain Chaoxiang picked up the paper and his eyes turned to his prince's wrist. With no qualm, it was the same bracelet.