Chapter Twenty-Six
‘Palace women are scary,’ Shen Yong said.
Ling Fei agreed women in the imperial harem were scary.
‘Shen Yong, let’s go somewhere else so we don’t disturb them,’ Ling Fei said.
Ling Fei and Shen Yong turned around and they bumped into Na Lam and Xiao Shun Tu.
‘Ling Fei, you’re here,’ Na Lam said. ‘I was looking for you to give you a tour of the palace gardens because I thought you must be bored being bedridden for days.’
Ling Fei didn’t know how to be familiar with Na Lam’s sudden change in attitude toward her.
Shen Yong kowtowed in front of Na Lam and he hastily gave her permission to stand because he wanted to take Ling Fei for a walk around the palace gardens.
‘Ling Fei, I’m free now,’ Na Lam said. ‘Let me give you a tour of the palace gardens.’
Ling Fei didn’t know how to reject Na Lam’s offer, because he was smiling and anticipating her to say yes.
Na Lam held Ling Fei’s hand so she couldn’t refuse him.
‘Ling Fei, let’s go,’ Na Lam said.
‘Your Majesty, where are you taking us?’ Ling Fei asked.
‘You only need to come with me,’ Na Lam said.
Na Lam wanted Ling Fei to be the person he could share his secrets with.
‘Ha Ka Du fell into the pond!’ a eunuch said. ‘Help! Someone save Ha Ka Du!’
‘Ha Ka Du doesn’t know how to swim!’ Madam Ha said. ‘Someone save her!’
‘Save me!’ Ha Ka Du said while her head bobbed up and down the pond water surface.
The palace maids screamed for help too. None of them knew how to swim either.
Na Lam and Ling Fei stopped walking and they turned around to face the commotion.
Cao Qian and Jing Lu appeared to protect Na Lam.
‘Who is the person that fell into the pond?’ Na Lam asked.
‘Your majesty, it looks like Ha Ka Du fell into the pond,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.
Ling Fei was worried Ha Ka Du would drown so she jumped into the pond and swam toward Ha Ka Du.
‘Your majesty, lady Ling jumped into the pond!’ Xiao Shun Tu said.
‘Ling Fei, why did you jump into the pond?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Cao Qian, Jing Lu, go save Ling Fei!’
‘Your majesty, lady Ling is a compassionate person,’ Xiao Shun Tu said. ‘She wouldn’t let anyone drown within her sight.’
‘Are you saying I’m an uncompassionate person and I would let anyone drown?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Palace women are full of trickery. I’ve seen too many women used the same tricks to try to get my attention. Can’t they find a new trick to use?’
‘Your majesty, lady Ling is new to palace life,’ Xiao Shun Tu said. ‘She doesn’t know about their tricks. She’ll misunderstand your majesty is a cold blooded person who wouldn’t save a drowning person.’
‘You don’t need to state the obvious,’ Na Lam said.
Na Lam hated Ha Ka Du jumping off the bridge to make Ling Fei misunderstand him.
A while later, Cao Qian and Jing Lu carried Ha Ka Du out of the pond and Ling Fei stepped onto land with clothes drenched in cold pond water.
Na Lam took off his imperial cape and he wrapped it around Ling Fei’s body.
‘Ling Fei, I’ll get someone to get you warm clothes so you don’t catch a cold,’ Na Lam said.
***
End of Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
‘Palace women are scary,’ Shen Yong said.
Ling Fei agreed women in the imperial harem were scary.
‘Shen Yong, let’s go somewhere else so we don’t disturb them,’ Ling Fei said.
Ling Fei and Shen Yong turned around and they bumped into Na Lam and Xiao Shun Tu.
‘Ling Fei, you’re here,’ Na Lam said. ‘I was looking for you to give you a tour of the palace gardens because I thought you must be bored being bedridden for days.’
Ling Fei didn’t know how to be familiar with Na Lam’s sudden change in attitude toward her.
Shen Yong kowtowed in front of Na Lam and he hastily gave her permission to stand because he wanted to take Ling Fei for a walk around the palace gardens.
‘Ling Fei, I’m free now,’ Na Lam said. ‘Let me give you a tour of the palace gardens.’
Ling Fei didn’t know how to reject Na Lam’s offer, because he was smiling and anticipating her to say yes.
Na Lam held Ling Fei’s hand so she couldn’t refuse him.
‘Ling Fei, let’s go,’ Na Lam said.
‘Your Majesty, where are you taking us?’ Ling Fei asked.
‘You only need to come with me,’ Na Lam said.
Na Lam wanted Ling Fei to be the person he could share his secrets with.
‘Ha Ka Du fell into the pond!’ a eunuch said. ‘Help! Someone save Ha Ka Du!’
‘Ha Ka Du doesn’t know how to swim!’ Madam Ha said. ‘Someone save her!’
‘Save me!’ Ha Ka Du said while her head bobbed up and down the pond water surface.
The palace maids screamed for help too. None of them knew how to swim either.
Na Lam and Ling Fei stopped walking and they turned around to face the commotion.
Cao Qian and Jing Lu appeared to protect Na Lam.
‘Who is the person that fell into the pond?’ Na Lam asked.
‘Your majesty, it looks like Ha Ka Du fell into the pond,’ Xiao Shun Tu said.
Ling Fei was worried Ha Ka Du would drown so she jumped into the pond and swam toward Ha Ka Du.
‘Your majesty, lady Ling jumped into the pond!’ Xiao Shun Tu said.
‘Ling Fei, why did you jump into the pond?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Cao Qian, Jing Lu, go save Ling Fei!’
‘Your majesty, lady Ling is a compassionate person,’ Xiao Shun Tu said. ‘She wouldn’t let anyone drown within her sight.’
‘Are you saying I’m an uncompassionate person and I would let anyone drown?’ Na Lam asked. ‘Palace women are full of trickery. I’ve seen too many women used the same tricks to try to get my attention. Can’t they find a new trick to use?’
‘Your majesty, lady Ling is new to palace life,’ Xiao Shun Tu said. ‘She doesn’t know about their tricks. She’ll misunderstand your majesty is a cold blooded person who wouldn’t save a drowning person.’
‘You don’t need to state the obvious,’ Na Lam said.
Na Lam hated Ha Ka Du jumping off the bridge to make Ling Fei misunderstand him.
A while later, Cao Qian and Jing Lu carried Ha Ka Du out of the pond and Ling Fei stepped onto land with clothes drenched in cold pond water.
Na Lam took off his imperial cape and he wrapped it around Ling Fei’s body.
‘Ling Fei, I’ll get someone to get you warm clothes so you don’t catch a cold,’ Na Lam said.
***
End of Chapter Twenty-Six
