5 "Visitor at night"
Being harassed by the day's tiredness, I flattened myself down on the soft and cushioned bed, indeed I was engulfed by sleep, but because I had slept too early in the evening when the sun just had got down, So My sleep broke in early midnight, leaving my eyes to open in the partly lit room, which I had literally ignored due to being heavily tired.
Indeed, The room where I was, was more magnificent than my mansion and its furnishings were more elegant than of mine, And as it was early midnight, not much of lamps were lit, and most lamps were dying out, making me speculate the time to be 10-11 pm; close to midnight.
My first day in this strange world was finally close to its end and It seemed I had already overcome the shock from what I had suffered, but I was still sad for my mother, about whom I had no clue what had happened back in the time.
I wondered if is she okay or not, what happened to her after me being misfortunately thrown by the destiny to a different country, with a different face, with a different status, and finally with a different identity.
Floating through all these thoughts, I ended up thinking about the day's happenings- which were too much for my brain to handle. Fortunately, the information I had collected from my travels around the city in the day was the only thing I could remember properly-
Before returning to the palace- I made a visit to the markets and streets in disguise, buying some commoner clothes from the nearby clothes store next to the Lihua Inn, and changing my identity as a trader, I had tried to use my absence from the enemy's watchful eyes to get close to the common people of the City-
What I realized immediately was unexpected for me- Caizhou indeed had a rich population, along with traders and businessmen residing beside the central street, and commoners beside the city walls, along with their messy and noisy workshops. Though, these scenes were not new for me to make my eyes glisten brightly; as from where I was from, the northeast has the same type of people as here before my eyes.
Still being populated by citizens, The Southern Clan Court was seated at the centre of the royal residence which was itself in the centre of the town, surrounded by the lavish mansions of the people of different ranks of nobility.
From what I had asked from the Boss of Lihua Inn, I came to know the city is indeed the place where the Emperor temporarily is, but the City's affairs are mostly handled by prime minister Zhao, his young and mysterious consort Lady Zhao, the Crown Prince and Lord Zhuoyang, the Minister of Revenue.
Along with these big names, Lord Bai Qin is prominent among the commoners who is the richest person in the Capital and is known for his Status in Government. Though recently, There has been a loss in Bai Qin's powers in the government due to the Crown Prince's interference with the Taxes with Lord Zhuoyang, the Revenue Minister, he is still the wealthiest person in Caizhou after the Emperor.
About that Wu Long- the Crown Prince, I got to know he has also neutralized the Zhaos by threats and framing, and Lady Zhao is subdued by the Crown Prince, who has even betrayed this Mistress after using her power to detain many officials like "me", forcing her to become the target of many, She lives off the eyes others. But, Thanks to her influence and status as being the daughter of the Great General Li Ming, her status is still safe and she is trying to get one strong back to counter the situation.
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Quite a great situation it is indeed. I am here, in a strange country, with no experience in politics, and yeah- 'cunningness'.
The only way I can think initially to survive in this chaotic city is by trampling others or being protected by some effective backing.
I have lost the advantage of the first attack, so what I can only do is to find one loyal friend, whom I can rely on in this unclear situation.
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Its Midnight already, moonshine started pouring in through the room's windows, it cooled down my face, with the silence letting me calm myself.
(SOUND)
A steep sound of steps coming towards my door awoke me from my half-consciousness breaking the flow in my thoughts. Who it can be?
I relieved myself from the sleep and calmly waited, still lying on the bed and tried to hear carefully the sound of the steps. The sound was indeed approaching my door side, but even the night being still, I can't hear anyone on the door which was closed tight by Daifu after I fell asleep. I felt really fishy over this, but still being unknown to the threats outside kept me down from doing any reckless action.
I had chosen calmness indeed, but I was careful enough to get my hands on a dagger beside myself, and As I started feeling the sound of the steps were closing in, I suddenly heard another couple of sounds, which were also the sounds of steps, and with that sound, feminine voices accompanied it, making me speculate 3 or 4 people closing into my doorstep. But, between those voices, I lost the sound of steps I had heard earlier, which got faded in the Chaos of these voices. Being Impatient now, I got up as fast I could, and slowly opened the doors without making a sound, Making a viewable area between the opened door panes which I was afraid, would make a sound if I would open them.
From the slit, I observed three feminine figures chattering in low voices, and closing into my door side. Between those women, One woman was dressed more lavishly than the other two, and as they came closer I observed her hairstyle was different too, and speculated, she would be some concubine of the Emperor in this vast residence and would have been lost her way to the harem. Being too lazy to care for this matter, I decided to go back and light up the lamps and try writing something for killing my dead sleep.
But before I could have lit one, My door opened suddenly by someone, and I ended up being standing in half turned and half running situation, adding the shock I got was terrifying, and I blamed myself inside to not being able to a man of patience.
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As I turned around, my eyes struck the person who had opened my doors in such a miserable time. The person was a Woman, with grayscale clothes. As she looked at me with her soft and caring stare, I was unable to predict what she wants or who she is.
Behind her, two maidservants with partially more lavishly decorated clothes than the others were accompanying her with two big bowls of something in it.
But the question remained for me, who she is?
