"Will he protect me?"
The black - clothed man who had suddenly appeared just now knelt on one knee with his fists clasped respectfully. Although wrapped in mysterious black from head to toe, barely showing his eyes, his fierce aura made Shi Muyuan feel a sense of security.
She excitedly asked Huo Qizhou.
Huo Qizhou nodded. "Naturally."
"Is he mine now?"
Unexpectedly, the black - clothed man suddenly spoke. For some reason, Shi Muyuan thought she detected a hint of disdain in his calm tone.
"I am loyal to my master. Protecting Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is an order from my master. I will surely do my best to fulfill it."
Well, so he was showing his loyalty!
Huo Qizhou saw her face turn sour. She pursed her lips and looked at him as if accusing him, "Look at your good subordinate."
"Twelve is one of my personal secret guards. But I think Her Majesty the Empress Dowager doesn't lack such guards. After all, with General Shi around, how could there be only a maid to protect you?"
Hearing this, Shi Muyuan's eyes lit up. She raised her head and began to look around carefully, hoping to find some clues.
Twelve was speechless. He had never seen such a stupid person.
Originally, when he was assigned to follow her secretly, he thought he could discover some great secrets to relieve his master's worries. Could he go back and swap with Thirteen? His heart was only for his master.
After Huo Qizhou left, Shi Muyuan and Twelve stared at each other.
"Are the people before you named One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten?" Shi Muyuan asked stupidly.
A black line appeared on Twelve's forehead. "Our family name is Ten. I'm ranked second."
"How are you ranked? By age or by who is more powerful?"
"Our master named us according to the order in which we came out of the trial."
"Then you must be very powerful! Can you teach me and Xiaoxiao martial arts?" As soon as Shi Muyuan finished speaking, Xiaoxiao quickly leaned over. Their big eyes were full of expectation.
"Ah... This is not appropriate, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Oh, what's wrong with it? You see, I have some foundation. With a little training, I'm sure I can improve. I can even save my own life in a critical moment!"
Shi Muyuan immediately showed him her military boxing.
Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at the sky speechlessly.
Twelve lowered his head and didn't dare to agree. "I need to ask my master about this."
"Tsk, you're so stubborn. It's not him teaching."
"I'm just a secret guard."
"Fine, fine. You can go for now." They weren't familiar yet. She'd try to persuade him after a few days. In the meantime, she'd pick up her physical training. She didn't want them to keep looking at her like she was a joke. Military boxing was cool, okay!
She took a sip of tea and stopped fooling around. "Xiaoxiao, ask someone to prepare the snow - viewing banquet."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xiaoxiao happily replied. "Your Majesty, which ladies and young misses should we send the invitations to?"
"Just do it like before."
"However, since His Majesty took the throne, the matter of Prince Lian involved some officials. Some of the ladies may not be suitable to be invited into the palace again. It will arouse suspicion."
"Then replace those people."
Shi Muyuan hadn't sorted out these complicated relationships yet, so she had to leave it to Xiaoxiao to handle.
"Anyway, don't think too much. Just don't invite those who made mistakes, and you don't need to invite the newly - appointed ones either. It'll save trouble." Her only purpose was Concubine Rui.
Shi Muyuan always remembered to visit Yao Kun. Thinking that she was unwell, she specifically asked Zihuan to go to the imperial kitchen to have chicken soup cooked for her to replenish her health.
When she got to Yao Kun's room, she was surprised to see her lying there with her big eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. She wasn't covered with a quilt. Fortunately, the charcoal fire for heating in the room was quite strong, but it still couldn't keep out the cold wind coming through the window paper!
Shi Muyuan quickly walked over and covered her up. "Why aren't you covered with a quilt? Aren't you cold?"
When Yao Kun saw it was her, the light in her eyes brightened.
She shook her head and patted her chest to show that she was okay, but accidentally pulled the wound, and tears welled up in her eyes.
After playing with Yao Kun for a long time, Shi Muyuan knew that although she looked a bit silly and was quite capable, she was actually afraid of pain and hardship.
She wiped the tears from Yao Kun's eyes and helped her sit up. "Come on, drink it while it's hot. Get well soon so we can play together again. I've asked someone to hold a snow - viewing banquet in a few days. It'll be so much fun to make snowmen." Shi Muyuan coaxed her like a child.
Yao Kun liked playing with snow. When she was in the palace, she often played with snow. So Shi Muyuan's words quickly caught her attention, and she soon finished the bowl of chicken soup.
"But if you're not well yet, you can't go. Otherwise, General Yao and Lady Yao will definitely take you back."
"Don't go back. I want... to play... here." Her stuttering words made Shi Muyuan and the others laugh.
Xiaoxiao took the empty bowl from her hand. "It's not up to you, Miss Yao. If you don't go back, they'll surely blame Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Can you bear it?"
Yao Kun looked at Xiaoxiao and then at Shi Muyuan, shaking her head. "Can't bear it." The beautiful sister was so nice. She couldn't bear to let her be blamed.
She wasn't stupid; she just had some deficiencies in certain aspects.
Shi Muyuan smiled and stroked her head. Sometimes, Yao Kun was as cute as Ji Ling, and she always protected her in some subtle ways.
The snow - viewing banquet was to be held in three days. Since it was just an entertainment for the ladies to kill time, it wasn't very formal.
Many young girls wore modified men's and Hu - style clothes to play in the snow. The ladies wore padded jackets and carried various hand warmers. They sat in the pavilions surrounded by curtains, drinking tea and chatting.
The fragrant copper heaters in the pavilions gave off bursts of heat. There were also palace servants guarding the hot - wine stoves, pouring wine for the ladies from time to time to warm them up.
Shi Muyuan was wearing a light - pink silk - embroidered silk - lined jacket, a smoke - green satin - embroidered hundred - butterfly skirt. Her snow - white pearl earrings had a hint of red. Instead of a jade pendant on her waist, she had a small purse.
Although there was no need to spend money in the palace, the light - blue purse embroidered by Zihuan was so cute. It had a pair of jade - like rabbits on it. Shi Muyuan insisted on bringing it out.
She wore a fluffy rabbit - fur cloak over her clothes. To match it, Xiaoxiao also put a rabbit - shaped hat on her head. She held a painted - enamel begonia - shaped hand warmer in her hand. A section of her fair wrist showed a filigree tassel bracelet as she walked.
She looked like a young girl.
Lady Yao and Yao Yao naturally came too.
Before Shi Muyuan arrived, Yao Yao stood outside the octagonal pavilion several times, tiptoeing and looking at the only path swept clean by the palace servants. Unfortunately, it was all white with snow, and she couldn't see anything.