Show Time (16)

(Narrator's pov)

That evening after dinner at the Chu manor, Lian Tian was in his room admiring his new gift when Xiu Ming came in.

Lian Tian: "Gege..."

Xiu Ming: "Lian Tian, here's the gift. Keep it in a safe place."

He then handed the boy the box. As he did, he noticed his little brother playing with BaiLing's hairpin. He then sat down and asked.

"Do you like them that much?"

Lian Tian: "Hmm. I do. They're so pretty. Also, I promised jiejie to give it to the person I love in the future."

Xiu Ming was a little surprised to hear this. On the outside, she seemed like a really cold person, but on the inside, she didn't seem that bad. He then looked back at Lian Tian and said.

"Lian Tian, how about you give them to me to keep them for you? I'll give them back to you when you're ready?"

Lian Tian: "Ehh? But... but I want to keep them."

Xiu Ming: "I know you do. But you have a habit of losing things. I'll keep it safe for you. So, when you need it, you have it ready. Okay?"

After hesitating, Lian Tian agreed and gave them to his older brother. Then Xiu Ming left and went back to his room. In his room, he took out the hairpins and looked at them. He didn't know why, but he felt comfortable yet awkward at the same time when being around BaiLing. He wanted to get to know her more, which wasn't typical for him.

He soon put the hairpins away in a safe place and got ready for bed.

(BaiLing's pov)

(A week later)

A week had already flown by, and today was my day off. Dad had already found a gift for madam Chu, but there was something else that I wanted to add. So, after dad and brother had left for work, I went to my little medicine room to grab my gift. The last time I saw madam Chu, her complexion wasn't very good. So for her gift, I packed up a jar of facial cream and some vitamins. Once I had everything packed up, I put it in my room. Also, since there were only a few days left, I went to pick out my outfit for the banquet.

After I picked out an outfit, I went back to doing some work. Although I wasn't in the office, I still had plenty of files and documents from the army and shadow guards to take care of. By the time I was done, the day had flown by. So, I put my stuff away and went to get ready for dinner.

During dinner, my brother suddenly stopped eating.

Me: "Ge, are you alright?"

My brother then pulled out two bottles from his magical storage and placed them in front of me.

Zhi Chen: "Here, Xiu Ming asked me to give these back to you."

I took a look at them and realized that they were the two that I had given him. I picked up one of them and opened it. Inside there was about half the amount of powder that the bottle started with.

Me: "It seems like they did confirm with their own eyes. But how come he didn't give it to me the other day?"

I looked at my brother, and he said.

"He said he forgot to bring it with him."

Me: "Ohh... By the way, did he say what they would do with him?"

My brother shook his head and said.

"He said they would watch him, but there isn't enough evidence to do anything yet."

I smiled and said.

"Ge, how would you like to help me with something?"

My brother gave a look before asking.

"What are you planning?"

Me: "I have a way to make him admit what he did. But, I think it would be best to do it after madam Chu's birthday."

Jia Le: "What are you planning on doing?"

Me: "He thinks that no one knows what he did. I want to make him know that no secrets can be kept hidden forever."

Zhi Chen: "You mean..."

Me: "I want to go scare him."

Zhi Chen: "Ahhh. Now this will be interesting. Alright, I'm on board."

Jia Le: "Alright, do what you want. But be careful."

We nodded and went back to dinner.

That night, after we retreated to our rooms, Mei Li stopped by.

Mei Li: "Master, your dress is ready."

She placed down two boxes, one big, one small. I opened the box to check the clothes inside.

Me: "Good. Everything is perfect. Thank you."

Mei Li: "I'm just doing my job. By the way, master, have you opened your gift yet?"

I gave her a confused look, and she said.

"Didn't general Chu give you a gift? The one he bought from our shop."

Only after she said, that did I remember about the box. I had been so busy that I forgot to open it.

Me: "I forgot about it. I'll open it later."

Mei Li nodded and then excused herself. Once she left, I went to get the box. Sitting back at my table, I opened it to see what it was. Inside was two hairpins. They were made of a translucent white gem and had multiple flowers combined. Although it looked overwhelming, the pale color toned it down a bit.

"Pretty." I thought.

I then closed the box and put it away. As I was doing so, I thought it would go well with the outfit for this weekend, so I ended up placing next to the clothes.

(Saturday)

After waking up and having breakfast, I was in my room for the rest of the time doing work. The banquet wasn't until 4 o'clock, so I had plenty of time to kill.

When 2 o'clock rolled around, I got up and went to get ready. I first went to change my clothes. Since summer was coming to an end and fall was beginning, I chose a pale pink peach color dress. The outer coat was white with a hint of blue, with silver detailing. While the embroideries on the dress were of chrysanthemum flowers. Once I finished getting dressed and putting on my matching shoes, I went over to do my hair.

Usually, when I do my hair, I make sure that everything is neat and tucked into place. But today, I needed my hair to be a bit fancier than usual, so I did a half-up half-down that was a bit looser. I also took two small strands of hair on each side and braided them. After everything was in place, I put in my new flower hairpins with a couple other small ones. Once they were in, I started on my makeup. I wasn't a big fan of it, so I did a bit of powder and rouge.

I grabbed the gift box and headed out as soon as I was done. When I got out to the front yard, my brother and father were already there.

Zhi Chen: "You're here. Ready to go?"

Me: "Hmm. Let's go."

Together we headed out and got onto the carriage. The Chu manor was about 30 minutes away, so we took our time. By the time we got there, it was around 3:30. After getting off, we headed inside to create general Chu.

Jia Le: "Greetings, general Chu."

Jinhai: "Ahh... greetings, my old friend. Please, come in."

General Chu led us inside, into the banquet hall. Inside along the two sides, were rows of tables set out. Our father told my brother and me to go to our tables first while he went to greet some other people.

Not long after we sat down, someone came running up to me.

Lian Tian: "Jiejie! You're here!"

Lian Tian ran up to me and sat down, giving me a big hug. I hugged him back and patted his head.

Me: "Lian Tian, how have you been?"

Lian Tian: "I've been good. I miss you so much."

Me: "Me too."

He continued to hug me when my brother said.

"Ehh? Who is this here?"

Lian Tian looked up and smiled.

Lian Tian: "Gege! How are you?"

Zhi Chen: "Ahhh, so you do remember me. I'm doing well, thank you."

Lian Tian gave my brother a big smile but didn't budge from his spot. Soon, some of my brother's friends from the military came and took him away, leaving me behind with Lian Tian. After sitting for a while, Lian Tian became squirmy. It seemed that sitting in that position wasn't very comfortable, so I moved him to sit on my lap.

While sitting and waiting, I saw many people come in and out, and not a single one bothered us. I didn't leave the house often, so few nobles knew who I was. A few minutes later, I asked Lian Tian if he was hungry, but I didn't hear a response from him. I looked down to see that he had fallen asleep. It seemed as though running around playing and getting ready for the banquet had worn him out. I adjusted his position to make him more comfortable.

As soon as I had adjusted his position, I heard someone come up to me. I looked up to see that it was madam Chu. When she saw that I was holding a sleeping Lian Tian, she rushed over and said.

"Oh my god. How can he sleep like this? I'm so sorry. Let me get someone to take him away."

I smiled and said.

"It's alright. He's very light. Just let him sleep like this for a bit."

Madam Chu: "But..."

Me: "It's really alright. By the way, happy birthday, madam Chu."

Madam Chu: "Thank you, lady Ming."

I pulled out my gift and handed it over to her.

Me: "This is my little gift to you. There is a facial cream and vitamins in the box. This gift is separate from the one my family has prepared. I hope you will accept it."

She looked at the contents inside and said.

"My... thank you. You're so thoughtful."

Me: "It's nothing at all. I'm glad you like it."

Madam Chu then handed the box to her maid to be put away. Soon, she was called away, returning to being just Lian Tian and me. However, this peace was short-lived, as two blurs quickly came and sat down. One on each side of me. To my right was a girl and to my left was a boy. Before I could say anything or think anything, they both said.

"Jiejie...are you the one who saved our brother?"

"Brother?" I thought.

I took a closer look at the two and realized they were the two middle children of the Chu family. There was a resemblance between all the siblings.

Me: "Hmm. I am. Are you Chu gongzi's younger sister and brother?"

They nodded and started to introduce themselves.

Girl: "I'm Chu Chin Hua. But jiejie, you can just call me Chin Hua."

Boy: "And I'm Chu Siyang. Jiejie, you can call me Siyang."

Me: "Alright. I'm Ming BaiLing. Nice to meet you both."

After introductions, Chin Hua looked down to see me holding Lian Tian.

Chin Hua: "Jiejie, how about you give Lian Tian to me? He must be heavy, right?"

Siyang: "That's right. Why don't you let us carry him?"

I shook my head and said.

"It's alright. He's not heavy at all. Besides, if I move around, he might wake up."

They agreed and ended up sitting there to keep me company. After a while, Lian Tian started to shiver, so I covered him with my sleeve. Autumn was around the corner, and the weather in the capital can change quite quickly.

As we sat there, we chatted about different things. Most of the time, though, it was the two siblings telling me stories and exciting things they learned at the academy. But as they were talking, Chin Hua suddenly stopped and asked me.

"Jiejie, how come I don't see you at the academy? Have you already graduated?"

(At the academy, girls and boys graduate at 15. BaiLing is 14 years old. However, she was homeschooled since she had a job. As for the Chu siblings, Chin Hua is 13, and Siyang is 12. Lian Tian is 4 and will start when he turns 5. Xiu Ming is 19, the same as BaiLing's brother.)

I looked at her and blinked. I couldn't attend the academy due to work, but she didn't need to know that part.

Me: "Ummm... I've already graduated. But, I was homeschooled."

Siyang: "Huh? How come?"

Me: "Hmmm..."

Chin Hua: "Siyang! Don't be rude."

I laughed and said.

"It's alright. I didn't attend the academy back then due to my health."

Although this wasn't a complete lie, it wasn't the reason why I didn't attend the academy. After coming back from war eight years ago, I was poisoned. Even though grandpa had treated me, I still had relapses every month since the poison had side effects, even if the patient was cured completely. The relapses were painful. It felt like you were being burned alive while being bit by snakes. Though, with medication and treatment, I survived.

Siyang: "So, that was the case. Are you better now?"

I nodded, and just as Chin Hua was about to say something, someone spoke up and said.

"Ehhh? Isn't this Lady Ming of the Ming clan? What's this? When did you become a babysitter? Not enough money in the house?"

Her voice was full of sarcasm.

I looked up to see who it was, and to my surprise, it was He Daiyu. This young lady here was the second daughter of the He clan. Her father is the captain of the imperial guards, and her family is very close to the prime minister's family.

(The imperial army and the imperial guards don't get along. The two groups belong to different fractions, always fighting with each other in the courts.)

Although I wasn't offended, Chin Hua and Siyang were. They wanted to say something back to her, but I stopped them in time. The two of them looked at me, wanting to protest, but I shook my head. It wasn't worth it to waste your words on these people.

Once the two of them settled down, I looked back at He Daiyu and said.

"Yes, you're right."

Hearing this made her stand much taller with a smug look.

Daiyu: "Then, do you need me to give you some? I can ask my dad? Seeing you babysit these low-ranked official's kids is heartbreaking."

(Narrator's pov)

Hearing this made BaiLing want to laugh out loud, but she held it back. It wasn't every day she got to hear such interesting words.

BaiLing: "Thank you, lady He. Has your father gotten a promotion? He must be making more money than my father now. Please tell him congratulations."

She was burning with rage as soon as those words reached Daiyu's ear. Everyone in the court knew that even though her father was the captain of the imperial guards, he was only a second-ranked official. He had been serving many years but had yet to receive a promotion, making him very bitter. Even general Chu was higher ranked than her father, let alone talk about BaiLing's family.

Daiyu: "YOU!..."

BaiLing smiled back calmly. There was nothing for her to be worried about. The majority of the people here sided with her family. Making a big deal of things would only put Daiyu at a disadvantage.

This time Chin Hua and Siyang could not keep silent anymore. They each took their turn speaking out.

Chin Hua: "You say we're children of low-rank officials. Are you sure about that?"

Before Siyang could say his part, he turned his head to the doorway. It seems he saw someone he knew and called out to them.

"Ge, we're over here!"

We all turned to see the person coming over. When Daiyu turned to look, her face changed 180 degrees. There was a mix of different expressions and feelings: surprise, shock, embarrassment, and the last was quite surprising, love.

"Ahhh, so this is what it is." I thought.

Although I never saw it for myself, I have heard that He Daiyu has a crush on the young general Chu. Today, I was able to see it for myself.

The young general walked up to us and said.

"Ehh? What are you two doing here? Where's Lian Tian."

Chin Hua then pointed with her chin to where Lian Tian was. He looked over, and at first, he seemed confused. Only when I pulled my sleeve away did he see his little brother.

Xiu Ming: "Ahhh... What's going on."

Me: "He fell asleep."

The entire time, Daiyu stood there, not knowing what to say and unable to say anything. Only after a while was she able to open her mouth and ask.

"These are your siblings?"

The young general turned and looked at who was asking the question. It took him a while to recognize her, and when he did, he answered.

"Yes, they are. Is something the matter?"

Daiyu: "I...I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Siyang said.

"Ge, you have a job and are well respected. Don't hang out with us too much. We're only children of a low-ranked official."

His brother looked at him, confused and didn't know what to say.

Xiu Ming: "What do you mean?"

Neither of them responded, and he looked back at Daiyu. Seeing him staring at her made her flustered.

Daiyu: "I...I..."

Me: "Lady He, the banquet is about to start. Why don't you go back to your seat?"

Unable to do anything, she went back to her seat. She walked to the other side of the room, and I noticed the prime minister's eldest son and daughter sitting at the table next to her. However, the minister himself was nowhere to be seen.

(Narrator's pov)

When BaiLing and her family came in, he saw her wearing the hairpins he had given her. It seemed like she liked them, or so he hoped. The entire time, he had wanted to go up to them. However, he was kept busy greeting the incoming guest and talking with his friends. Only when he had time, the banquet was about to start, and it seemed like something had happened.

Soon it was time for the banquet to start, and everyone took their seats. Lian Tian had also woken up and went to sit with his family.

Jinhai: "Thank you, everyone. Thank you for coming to my wife's birthday. I hope everyone has a good time."

Everyone toasted to the madam, and the food was served. While they were eating, BaiLing's brother leaned over and asked.

"Did something happen?"

BaiLing: "Huh?"

She looked at my brother, who tilted his head to the table across from us. BaiLing turned to see who he was talking about.

BaiLing: "Ahh... Well... She was causing some trouble. She thought we ran out of money."

Zhi Chen: "Huh?"

BaiLing: "I was watching Lian Tian, and his two older siblings were sitting with me. She thought I was a babysitter. She offered to ask her father for money."

When her brother heard that, he almost spat out his drink.

Zhi Chen: "What? Did she hit her head on the way in?"

He started to laugh and didn't stop until their father told him to.

BaiLing: "That's not even the best part. She has a crush on your friend. Now she blew her chances after offending his siblings."

He couldn't hold it back this time and laughed out loud. However, he was able to calm himself down quickly. After the food was finished, dessert was brought out. By the time the bowls and plates were set down, Lian Tian had made his way here with his portion. BaiLing was sitting in between her father and brother, so Lian Tian had to squeeze himself in.

Lian Tian: "Jiejie..."

BaiLing: "Lian Tian, why don't you sit with your mother? It's her birthday today?"

Lian Tian: "I already asked her, she said it was okay."

BaiLing looked over to madam Chu and saw her smiling. BaiLing smiled back, then went to take care of Lian Tian. Together the two of them ate their desserts and chatted. Seeing Lian Tian sitting with BaiLing made the two older siblings want to go over there too. However, there was only so much space at each table, so the two could only stay where they were.

As soon as dessert was done, the gifts were slowly brought in. Many people gifted the madam jewelry, makeup, and various treasures. However, none seem to catch her interest. When it was BaiLing's family's turn, they gift the madam a set of classical books. It was known that madam Chu came from a literary family and loved reading, so giving her books was the best option. Once she received it, she looked happy, which relieved them for choosing the right gift.

At the very end, it was the prime minister's family's turn. The eldest son stood up and said.

"We wish you a wonderful birthday, madam Chu. My father apologizes for not being here. He was called into the palace early today."

Madam Chu: "Thank you, and no worries. I understand."

Prime minister's son: "Thank you for our gift..."

He turned towards the door and called out, then a couple servants came in carrying a huge box covered with a black cloth. However, when the box was set down, BaiLing's family realized that it wasn't a box but rather a massive cage, and inside was a huge live animal.

Once the cage was set down, the young master turned back and said.

"My father has sent out people to find this gift for madam Chu. It took quite of bit of time and effort. He hopes that you like it."

The guy then waved his hand, and the servants pulled off the cover, revealing a beautiful white tiger much bigger than any people had seen before. Once everyone caught sight of it, everyone let a gasp out. Even Lian Tian hid behind BaiLing.

Jinhai: "This is..."

Prime minister's son: "Ahh... This is the snow lava tiger. Found deep within the mountains."

(Snow lava tigers got their name because of their eyes and fur. They had eyes as red and firey as lava and fur as white as snow. They live deep within the mountains and are very hard to handle.)

Everyone in the hall did their best to avoid the tiger, but one particular girl had no fear, and it was Daiyu.

Daiyu: "why don't you open the cage and let it out. Let's have some fun with it."

Daiyu had assumed that being brave would attract the attention of a military family, but in reality, this only made her seem dumb.

Madam Chu: "Lady He, this is a tiger, not a cat. It can be dangerous to let it out with so many people."

Daiyu looked at the madam and proudly said.

"I've had interactions with them before. I can handle them."

Madam Chu: "But..."

Daiyu: "I can do it."

Seeing her so determined, general Chu agreed. Everyone got up and moved to stand outside the door. Most of the women and young children stood behind the men. BaiLing and her family stood near the door watching.

BaiLing could tell from the look of the tiger that things wouldn't end well. So, she leaned toward her brother and said.

"This won't end well. I'll take care of it. Help me keep everyone safe."

Zhi Chen: "Got it."

From her magical dimension, BaiLing pulled out a perfume bag, and inside was filled with a mixture that could calm down the snow lava tiger. These tigers can be highly aggressive to those they don't know, and being kidnapped doesn't help with their temper either. She had once encountered one on her mission. Although she survived, from then on, she never left the house without the bag.

Once she pulled the bag out, she went back to watch Daiyu. She went up to the cage and slowly opened the door. At first, the tiger did not react, but after Daiyu started to talk, it became agitated. The way Daiyu was talking was more of a taunt than being friendly.

Daiyu: "Come on, kitty. Come here. Come on, little kitty."

Daiyu held out her perfume bag and swayed it in front of the tiger. When the tiger smelt the scent, it lost and started to charge at her. Daiyu screamed and ran away. However, she was still holding the pouch, which only made the tiger chase after her.

(BaiLing's pov)

Seeing the tiger run towards the guest, we had no choice but to step in. I took out one of my needles and shot it at the tiger immobilizing it. Once it stopped moving, I pulled Daiyu out of the way. She had fallen onto the floor and was screaming and crying.

Me: "If you don't know how to handle them, don't act like you do. You could have gotten everyone here killed. Don't you know they get agitated by the smell of water root? And stop crying. You're not dead yet."

This made Daiyu stop crying, but she was still sniffling. I then went over to the tiger and held out the perfume pouch.

Me: "Shhh... It's alright. You're safe now."

After a few minutes, the tiger calmed down, and I pulled the needle out. As soon as I did, the tiger collapsed, and its head fell onto my lap. I stroked its head to help it relax a bit more.

Me: "You must miss your family, huh? After all, you're just a baby."

From behind me, Daiyu, who was still trembling, asked.

"How is it a baby? It's huge."

I did look back at her to not disturb the tiger and said.

"Snow lava tigers are bigger than normal tigers. Even their cubs are bigger than others. Had this been an adult. You would have died already."

Once again, Daiyu fell silent.

(5 minutes later)

During the entire time, everyone was quiet and kept their distance. However, after the tiger seemed calm enough, my brother came up and asked.

"Milk or water?"

I examined the little cub before saying.

"Can I have some milk? It's not old enough to have water."

My brother nodded and went to find some milk for the little one. He gave me the bowl when he returned, and I held it up to the tiger's mouth.

Me: "Here, little one. Drink some milk to regain some energy."

The tiger started to drink the milk, and the bowl was empty instantly. Once the tiger had enough energy, I walked him to a corner to sit down. Being the little baby he was, he rested his head on my lap again. Slowly everyone returned to their places.

As everyone settled down, the prime minister's son said.

"Lady Ming is indeed very knowledgeable. Worthy of being the daughter of the Ming Clan."

Although his mouth said one thing, his eyes said another. Nothing coming from him was sincere.

Me: "Thank you, young master Han. You, yourself, are also very knowledgeable."

His expression changed after he heard what I said. He knew what I was talking about and wasn't happy at all.

From the corner of my eye, I could see that general Chu wanted to say something, but before he could, lady Han spoke up.

"Ge, of lady Ming is knowledgeable. She's from a military family. She's not like us."

The moment these words left her mouth, everyone in the hall fell quiet. Our two families never got along, so the Han family would say something every chance they got. Today, they brought up that they are noble people and our family is rough, ruthless people who go around killing others.

Although my brother wanted to beat them up, he kept his cool and didn't say a word, and so did my father. The first person to break this silence was the young general Chu.

"All the nobles and citizens serve the royal family for the kingdom's sake. What difference does it make where or what position we're in? Unless that's what the prime minister thinks."

My brother let out a little snicker, which would have been a very loud laugh if I had not pinched him.

On the other side of the room, the two Han siblings were trying to figure out what to say. One wrong word and things could go badly for them.

Prime minister's son: "Of course not. My sister meant that lady Ming is much more skilled than us. We're still lacking and show learned from her."

To stop things from getting out of hand, general Chu said.

"Alright, everyone. Today has been a long day. I'm sure you are all tired from today's events. Let's end the banquet here. Thank you all for coming."

With that, everyone started to go home. Soon everyone was gone leaving behind general Chu's family and mine. When no one was in sight, general Chu came up to us and asked.

"Are you alright? Did the tiger hurt you?"

I shook my head and said.

"I'm alright. This little one was just agitated."

Madam Chu: "We should have the doctor check, just in case."

Me: "Thank you. But I'm really alright."

Jinhai: "Alright then, if you say so. But... this tiger..."

Me: "If you don't want to keep it. It's best to let it go. This pouch contains the herbs that these tigers like. If you keep this on you, they won't attack you. You can just take it back to the mountains. This little one can find its way back home."

Jinhai: "I understand. I'll do so. Thank you."

I nodded, and we got ready to leave. However, before I could take two steps, I felt a weight on the back of my dress. I turned back to see the little tiger biting on my dress, not letting me go. I swatted down and patted its head.

"Little one, I have to go. You should go back to your family. They're waiting for you."

Only when I said, this did it let go of my dress. I quickly left after this, in case it ran after me.

When we were almost to the carriage, my brother asked.

"Have you seen Chu Zhixin?"

I stopped to think for a minute. I remember seeing him here and there during the banquet. However, he never really stood out.

Me: "I did, but he did a good job staying out of sight."

Zhi Chen: "Probably trying to stay out of trouble."

Me: "Hmm. Maybe."

Once we got home, we returned to our own courtyard to rest. Tomorrow would be another day, and many things would happen.