73 Is Your Highness courting ? Part II
“Your biaojie will be the one who teaches and trains you.”
Bai Yu turned her attention to the lieutenant-general who suddenly ca to watch her today. Now she understood why the woman who seed to hate her guts would be standing, glaring at her from beside the training ground.
“Apart from your mother, Ling-er was a woman I’ve trained to beco stronger than anyone. And she will train you to be unrivaled as well.”
“Yes, grandfather.”
“Rember, Yu-er. No matter how hard training is, don’t forget about your mother’s expectation.”
“Yu-er understands.”
Yue Chen put his hand on Bai Yu’s sweat-soaked head. He gazed at his granddaughter, the daughter of his beloved daughter. “I hope you won’t go down the sa path as i-er.”
“I will never take that path. And I will also take mother away from it too, grandfather.”
“As expected of a mber of Yue family.”
.....
Yue Chen left with a smile, an unusual sight for everyone who knew his intimidating reputation. Only people within his family would know his kindness and warmth.
“Grandfather may have accepted you. But that doesn’t an I do.”
When they were finally alone, there was no need for Yue Huiling to keep her hatred silent any longer. Still, Bai Yu’s skill had surprised her.
The reason why Yue Huiling had to teach Bai Yu instead of Yue Chen was that she had disparaged Bai Yu to her grandfather. That led to the betting that if Bai Yu could destroy all dummies in one shichen within one month, she would teach Bai Yu’s sword fighting and if Bai Yu could not, Yue Chen would stop teaching her martial arts altogether.
Obviously, Yue Huiling lost, because Bai Yu could destroy all magic dummies in one shichen today. However, the cause that propelled her training progress was only known to Bai Yu that it purely ca from her anger toward Ouyang Feilong.
“Then what should I do I be accepted by biaojie?”
“Defeat .”
A wooden sword was thrown at her. Bai Yu could catch it easily because of her basics from training with the sword for action scenes. Still, the European style sword was different from the Chinese ones that were much thinner and longer. She was not confident in how much she could apply those skills here.
“I’ve never seriously held a sword before. I’ll have to ask for biaojie’s guidance from now on.”
“Prepare yourself!”
Damn your sister!
Even while cursing internally, her reaction did not delay. The wooden sword that was directly swung forward was stopped by Bai Yu’s own wooden sword. Her one hand gripped the hilt, while the other held the tip of the sword. The woman in front of her was as slender as her, yet the strength pressed onto her was imnse. Even after regular training, Bai Yu’s arms still shook.
“If this sword were a real one, your left hand would have bled waterfall.” What Yue Huiling said was true. Bai Yu only defended herself with her instinct.
“Use your eyes. By being to see the course of the blade, you’re able to defend yourself in ti. But your form is wrong.”
“Then what’s the correct one?”
“You should hold your sword correctly first.”
Small but coarse hands full of calluses from the sword helped arrange Bai Yu’s pose. Bai Yu intently listened to her teacher’s brusque explanation. Yue Huiling’s coming to teach her like this must an that she had beco sowhat softer toward her. Bai Yu herself saw no need for acting rude. Her biaojie might be a little too straightforward, but she had already set her mind on gleaning everything she could from the lieutenant-general.
“This ti try stabbing your sword toward . As fast as you can.” Now that she knew the correct form, the lesson continued.
The older cousin had spoken with an irritated tone from the start. But after two shichens of training, she discovered that Bai Yu was focused on learning and did not act arguntative like when they first t. Though her forehead was full of sweat, and though she panted and heaved every ti she practiced defending form, she showed no sign of weakness.
Without realizing herself, frustration slowly faded away from Yue Huiling’s voice and was replaced by seriousness. It was the truth she did not know...She was pleased with this smart pupil.
Bai Yu had to thank the team of stuntn who had taught her how to gracefully hold a sword. Because of them, she could apply that to today’s lesson on defending stance.
“You still have a long way to improving your stamina and strength. But right now you’ll use your sharp eyes to compensate for that flaw. Honing your body’s reflex can beco your other strength.”
“I understand.”
“If you understand then we’ll go another round. Prepare yourself!”
——————–
“I’ll beg grandfather to let train you instead.”
“Big brother has to manage the matters within the army. You don’t need to increase your burden.”
“But if you continue to train with Huiling, you’ll always be full of bruises like today.”
“Because it’s training.”
“But Huiling doesn’t think that way.”
Bai Yu stared at her brother’s serious expression. Lately, he had been coming to Yue mansion more than usual. It must be because of sothing about the army since she had also seen Ouyang Feilong from afar many tis.
Bai He sighed. “I wanted to protect you from that reckless woman until the end.”
“Protect from biaojie? What do you an?”
“Huiling doesn’t like you. Do you know that?”
“I can sowhat guess that.”
“It’s because we’re mother’s children.”
Bai Yu frowned. Did people really hate each other over a trivial detail like this? There must be sothing else. “What does that an, brother?”
“You know that mother is strong in both martial arts and magic. But everything was put away because she married into the Bai family. Yue Huiling had aspired to be like a mother ever since she was little, but before she could beco lieutenant-general, she had to prove to everyone that she’s not just a sheltered young lady. Above that, she also had to prove to grandfather that she would not go down the sa path as a mother, as soone who will end up marrying and giving birth no matter how strong, skilled, or talented they are.”
“And how does that involve us?”
“First, she thinks that if mother did not marry and give birth to us, grandfather would not be tornted by what happened to her, and so he would not try to stop Huiling from training martial arts when she was young. Especially you, the renowned beauty. She feels that you should not be a daughter of such a competent woman like mother, and that makes Huiling hate the behaviors of noble ladies.”
Bai Yu nodded, considering what she was hearing. Seeing that his sister did not interrupt to protest, Bai He continued.
“Second, she thinks that if she was born from our mother, her path in the military would be easier.”
“She really loves and respects mother,” Bai Yu muttered to herself. Bai He sighed at her words.
“I see it more as her loving herself.”
“Brother, at least one of the reasons she hates us is because she both loves and resents mother.”
“Where did my spoiled, rowdy little sister go? You should be going to pick a fight with your biaojie when you hear this.”
“If I go then I’ll be sliced in half.”
“And you still train with her, even when you know that?”
“If I’m half as strong as a brother, biaojie may hate and look down on less.”
“That’s right. The only way for Huiling to accept us is to beco stronger than her.”
Bai Yu furrowed her browed. “I still need her to teach stances and forms. What do I have to be superior to her?”
“Your magic is stronger than hers, isn’t it?”
“You’re right!” Bai Yu’s eyes widened. “I still have to practice guqin, otherwise mother will never forgive .”
“Why don’t you practice tomorrow? You’re covered in bruises. Hurry to bed.” Her brother’s large hand gently stroked her cheek. He counted the bruises on his sister who he had cherished for all his life with a troubled heart.
“I can’t. I’m hyped up.”
“Hyped up?”
“That ans I’m fired up.”
“What is ‘fired up?”
Bai Yu stared at her brother. She was out of the explanation.
“Let’s pretend that I understand what you just said.” And then Bai He returned to Bai family’s mansion, full of bewildernt at his sister’s strange vocabulary. Now that he had so ti to think, he felt that seeing her bruised but cheerful was at least better than seeing her crying for that man.
Bai Yu did not go to see her brother off at the front gate since her body still hurt, though less than when she had first started. A while ago she had just finished her bath and was going to put balm on bruises caused by her biaojie. Shortly after that, her brother walked into the building with a solemn face, not saying a word.
Fortunately, he seed to beco more relaxed after their conversation. Bai Yu could finally feel relieved. Bai He was already stretched taut by matters that happened within the army. She did not want to beco another cause for him to further worry.
After capturing the spies last ti, Bai Yu stayed in the area of her own building, only going out to parties but still had not t many people. Still, she could guess that sothing was happening in the army, including Rui Wang’s grand army, grandfather’s royal-protector army, and the armies of four cardinal points. Not only soldiers’ movents of entering and exiting the mansion was noticeable to her, but also her brother’s and Ouyang Feilong’s, not to ntion the captains from various troops.
If she rembered correctly, a war would break out at the end of this winter. Da Yang would have to face the fight within the palace and at its border.
“Miss”
“What is it?”
“A letter ca from Wei Wang’s palace.”
Bai Yu took the letter and opened it up. “Sothing so urgent that he needs to contact at this hour?”
In the letter were a ti and place. Bai Yu already had an inkling of what the secondary male lead wanted to speak to her. It was difficult for him to co and et her here, so he had to use this thod of eting up with her outside.
Bai Yu’s heart throbbed at the sight of the delicate and familiar handwriting. She knew well that he was not Li Wenrou. The soul might be the sa, their appearances might be similar, but ultimately, they were not the sa person.
Still, having to see sothing familiar made it even harder for Bai Yu to sever her feelings toward him.
So, it was understandable to see so people throw away gifts from an ex-lover, or burn every picture they had taken together.
.....
But she could not burn away this man.
Bai Yu sighed. The letter in her hand was lit up by a small candle before slowly turning into ashes.
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