On this day, Zhu Changle truly didn't go out again. She spent time entertaining and pampering the old lady with her colorful presence, even sleeping by her side at night.
She still got up early to practice martial arts, motivating those doing boring basic training at the dock, and still went hunting and distributed meat to tease those who didn't get any. Now that she didn't have to run to Gu'an anymore, she had another task: learning battle formations from her eldest brother.
"Brother, it's enough that you understand this," Zhu Changle complained after two days of studying, hugging the door and refusing to enter the room. All the calculations left and right made her head hurt.
Zhu Changwang didn't speak, just looked at her with a smile.
Zhu Changle pouted and obediently came in to sit by her brother's bedside.
"You dislike it that much?"
"It's too mentally exhausting," Zhu Changle grimaced. She would rather learn a new sword technique.
"The ronin and pirates typically launch their first attack on Yunbei around late April or May, never later than late May."
It was already early April now. Zhu Changle lowered her head and pulled the curtain to cover her face.
"If brother's health could quickly return to how it was in the capital, I wouldn't force you to learn things you don't want to."
"I never said I wouldn't learn," Zhu Changle dropped the curtain to reveal her face, smiling mischievously. "I just thought if I acted cute, you might teach me something easier."
A surge of bitterness rushed through Zhu Changwang's heart, and he almost wanted to give up. But thinking of their family's situation, he held firm and beckoned to his little sister.
Zhu Changle leaned forward, receiving a gentle flick on her forehead from her brother.
"Brother, save your strength. My skin is thick enough that you'll hurt your hand," Zhu Changle grabbed his hand and joked playfully.
Zhu Changwang's heart melted with tenderness. "It's natural to find it difficult when you're just starting, but there are tricks and patterns to all this. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier. You're clever; you'll learn quickly."
"Of course I'm clever, just look whose sister I am!"
"That remains to be tested," Zhu Changwang smiled. "Come, show me yesterday's battle formation in reverse."
"That won't stump me!" Zhu Changle moved the sand table onto the bed, set it up, and brought over the pieces representing people, flags, and other items. She thought about yesterday's lesson, arranged the result, and then worked backward step by step.
She was indeed clever, but battle formations were truly difficult - there was a reason only a select few could master them. After multiple failures, she finally managed one complete reverse demonstration by nightfall.
Zhu Changwang didn't rush her or give hints, seemingly reading a military book while actually not missing a single move she made, whether successful or not. He hadn't really expected her to solve it, given how little time she'd spent learning, but even though some middle steps were wrong, she had actually done it.
Looking at his sister's sweating face, Zhu Changwang showed pride in his growing sister, "Indeed impressive, worthy of being my sister."
"Tomorrow, brother will teach me something even more impressive," Zhu Changle beamed brightly, as if all her fatigue had vanished.
"Alright."
Zuo Qing reported at the right moment, "Young Master, it's past mealtime. I'll bring the food in."
"Remember to bring some wine for our little drinker."
Zuo Qing agreed with a smile.
"Brother is the best!" Zhu Changle lay on the bed's edge to conserve energy. "I'm so hungry."
How could she not be hungry and tired after such mental exertion? Zhu Changwang stroked her head, "It's brother's fault for keeping our Changle confined here."
"Yes, yes, it's brother's fault. So can I have an extra jar of wine?"
As if she wouldn't drink it anyway, even though the family never really restricted her. Poking her cheek, Zhu Changwang accepted this unique form of comfort.
"Brother, you think too much. If I minded such things, how could I call myself a Zhu? I could stop being part of the Zhu family and not care about anything, how carefree that would be," Zhu Changle propped her chin with one hand, looking at her brother. "But then I'd have no roots."
Zhu Changwang patted her head.
"With my roots here, I can feel secure going wild... I mean, going out to play. If I came back from playing to find my foundation dug up by others, wouldn't that be tragic? So brother, don't have those thoughts about making me work hard and suffer. I'm a Zhu daughter, isn't it natural for me to do things for the family?"
Grabbing her brother's hand, Zhu Changle giggled again, "Besides, doesn't this prove I'm especially capable? Most people couldn't help even if they wanted to, right, brother?"
"Absolutely right. It's precisely because you're so capable that brother keeps relying on you. Otherwise, I'd have married you off already."
"Hmph, you wouldn't bear to part with me."
Indeed, he couldn't bear it. Zhu Changwang sighed, hoping from the bottom of his heart that he would live to drink at Changle's wedding.
Zuo Qing brought in the meal with servants, but the last to enter was Qiuli, carrying a wine jug.
"Oh? Qiuli, haven't you eaten yet?"
"No," Qiuli bowed slightly to Zhu Changwang. "I went out for a while."
Right, he'd only been back for about an hour, Zuo Qing thought while quickly setting out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and efficiently clearing the bed to place a small table with the Young Master's meal.
Zhu Changle believed him completely, giving him a brotherly pat on the shoulder while taking the wine jug from his hand. "Perfect timing to dine with me."
Qiuli noticed she wasn't drinking wine first as usual, but instead diving straight into the food. His eyes fell on the sand table - was Zhu Changwang trying to train a female military strategist?
He met Zhu Changwang's gaze, who smiled and slowly began eating.
For a moment, only the sounds of chewing filled the room.
Of course, with Zhu Changle present, silence couldn't last long.
"A full stomach and good wine make one forget about home," Zhu Changle patted her belly after three bowls of rice, emptying her wine cup in one go.
Qiuli put down his chopsticks and refilled her cup, casually saying, "I went to Gu'an earlier."
"You went to Gu'an?" Zhu Changle was somewhat surprised. "Was there something?"
Qiuli shook his head, "I need to return home for a while."
This wasn't unexpected to Zhu Changle; in fact, Qiuli staying in Yunbei had surprised her more. "When are you leaving?"
"Shortly."
"Such a rush?" Zhu Changle raised her cup to toast with him. "We've been so busy with everything, you haven't even had a proper tour of Yunbei!"
"We've been up mountains and out to sea."
Zhu Changle thought about it and laughed heartily, "Right, right, right! Not just Yunbei, we've even toured Gu'an."
"You won't need to go to Gu'an for a while. I've arranged for people to watch it, they'll send word if anything happens."
Zhu Changle leaned in teasingly, "Are you finally going to reveal that you're from a wealthy family?"
Qiuli looked at her with an ambiguous smile, "You just figured that out?"
"To be precise, I still don't know for sure."
"It doesn't matter, it's not important." Qiuli poured wine for both of them. "Do you need me to deliver any messages?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhu Changle nodded repeatedly. "Tell my master I'm being bullied, tell her to come to Yunbei quickly!"
"...Lan Ping just visited not long ago."
"The more times they go, the faster she'll come. Remember to make me sound really pitiful."
Thinking of all the people she had bullied along the way, Qiuli drank his wine with an indescribable expression.
Zhu Changwang, who had witnessed all this, wore an even more complicated expression.
