5 The Prince's New Life

After they had their meal, the girl pointed to the house and said something. Zixi knew that the girl wanted her to return inside the house. He nodded and returned to the stilt house.

The girl then turned off the fire and climbed the stilt house.

It was dark inside the house. This Yue girl didn't know that in advanced countries, they had already used oil lamps made of ceramic or bronze and used oil made of soy to create illumination inside the house. She didn't even know that she could make a stove for lighting or cooking inside her wooden house.

The girl lay on the floor and started to sleep again. She hummed some songs until she fell asleep.

Zixi slept on the floor near the window. He gazed outside the window and saw how bright was the moon and the stars that night. He had never observed the sky, and for the first time, he just realized how beautiful it is.

His heart was heavy as he was thinking of his sons and his wife. But what could he do? He could not even guarantee his own life.

He could hear the sound of wild animals and night birds. He was a bit afraid, but hearing the soft breath of the girl made him calm and no longer afraid.

Zixi fell asleep and woke up when the sunbeam shone on his face. He woke up and found the girl was not inside the house. He went outside and saw the girl was weaving a mat from a fibre plant.

"Yue Maiden," Zixi greeted and smiled at her.

The girl stopped her work and stared at Zixi. Her eyes beamed with admiration. She had never seen someone as good looking as Lord Ejun Zixi before.

Zixi blushed. He knew that he was good looking, as many people said so. But that was the first time that a girl was staring at him with such admiration eyes.

Zixi decided to look around. He wanted to find some stones to make a stove to be used for cooking inside the house or even for lighting.

After a few days, Zixi could not stand any longer. He had not taken any bath for at least seven days since he left the capital. His clothes got some dirt from the soil and mud.

That morning when the girl was still sleeping, Zixi left her house to go to the river to wash his clothes and to take a bath.

He was taking his bath when the girl came to the river and saw him inside the river. The girl was panic as she thought that he was drowning. She panicky shouted and asked him to get off of the river.

Zixi was embarrassed as he's wearing nothing. He waved his hands to the girl to tell her not to get closer. He moved further to the middle of the river while waving his hands to tell the girl to go away.

Unfortunately, those body languages didn't work out for each other. The girl just jumped into the river and dragged him out from the river.

Seeing that he's still alive, the girl hugged him and started to cry and spoke in her language. Zixi knew that the girls must have worried if Zixi was drowning. Zixi wiped her tears and comforted her.

The girl was a barbarian who didn't know what bath or washing hair means. She's not even embarrassed, hugging a naked mane. Therefore, while both of them were inside the river, Zixi bathed her and helped her wash her hair.

After some time, Zixi was surprised. Without dirt on her face and with her clean hair, she looked stunning. Apparently, behind her dirty face, the girl had beautiful face features with beautiful bright eyes and cute ruby lips.

The girl saw Zixi's eyes were different. She was confused and said something. Zixi blushed and left the girl alone in the river while he returned to her house.

Zixi realized that his guards were all killed, and he's left alone. With the rebellion in Chu State, it's safer and better for him to stay in the forest with the girl rather than return to Ying City.

Zixi decided that he had to get to use to the life in the forest. He had no hope to return to Chu again.

Zixi then used his sword to cut bamboo and made a flute from it. When he was not helping the girl hunt their food, he would play the flute, and the girl would sit next to him, listening to his flute play. When he played his flute, the girl would sit quietly and just admiring him.

It's clear enough to see the sign that the barbarian girl was fascinated by Zixi's good looking face.

Zixi also made a simple comb from wood and taught her how to comb her hair. He made a simple hairpin from bamboo and helped her do her hair.

The barbarian Yue girl was probably fifteen or sixteen years old with a bit dark skin and long black hair. She had beautiful eyes and cute lips.

Now, with her clean face and hair, she looked beautiful and cute. Zixi could not help but admire her beautiful face. The girl's natural beauty could be compared to all the palace women he saw in his father's palace.

Seeing his friendly eyes, the girl smiled at him and caressed Zixi's chest. Zixi was aghast. His face blushed as he didn't know the reason why suddenly the girl touched his chest. Only after the girl also touched her chest while making a drawing on her chest that Zixi knew that the girl must have been admiring his embroidered clothes.

Perhaps that's the first time for the girl to see such beautiful clothes.

Zixi took off his robe and draped it on her shoulder. With a soft voice he said, "If I could ever return to civilization, I promise I will give you a lot of embroidered clothes!"

The girl was delighted as Zixi draped his robe on her shoulder. She caressed the robe and looked at it with admiration.

"Aye, she's pleased just because of a piece of clothes. Those in high positions are not happy even when they have all the power and riches!" He sighed.

The girl looked delighted.

Her face is as beautiful as the flowers in spring

Covertly suggesting the thoughts of breezes and moonlight **

** breeze and moonlight in the Chinese language means: a romantic relationship between a man and a woman

The girl's face beamed in radiant as she was excited and happy with her embroidered robe. Seeing how innocent and lovely she was, Zixi unconsciously touched her shoulder as a gesture to show his appreciation to the girl who had saved him twice.

A barbarian girl or a princess in her a boudoir, they're all just a woman. The girl blushed as Zixi touched her shoulder gently.

She looked at Zixi and could not help express her admiration for his dashing look.

Her radiant cheeks as fresh as peach blossom in spring

When her cherry lips open in a smile, her face breaks into bloom.

Zixi looked at her carefully. In these past few days, he helped her take a bath, cleaned her hair, and even brushed her hair.

In his eyes, she's no longer the barbarian Yue girl. In his eyes, she's just a lovely young woman.

Zixi kissed the girl gently.

It was the girl's first kiss. She didn't know what a kiss was. She just knew that the man treated her gently and kindly. And it's her basic instinct that taught her how to reciprocate.

She's a barbarian, while he's a royal prince from a prosperous, civilized kingdom. But after all, they're all just human beings. And under some circumstances, humans are only humans with their primitive basic instinct. There's no more royal prince or a barbarian. They're just a man and a woman.

Zixi didn't realize how much they had gone too far until suddenly, the girl screamed out of pain and pushed him away while she cried.

Zixi saw some blood on her thighs, and the girl cried and said something to him. Zixi had never thought that the girl was a virgin, and he just ruined her.

"I…I'm sorry!" he said with a gentle voice. He spontaneously took a handkerchief from his clothes to wipe her and said, "I promise I will be good to you! And I will take care of you forever!"

The girl still cried, and she sunk her head on his embrace and embraced him tightly. Zixi gently caressed and kissed her.

The girl probably had no manner, and she didn't possess the elegant, sophisticated look of the Chu noblewomen. But for Zixi, she's the sweetest woman he had ever met in his life.

Living in the forest with a lack of facilities was not easy, but it's a peaceful life. He didn't have to think of politics and worry about his life safety.

Days and nights alternate swiftly like lightning flashes;

Even this wonderful evening is drawing to its end.

Abandon worldly riches for this Yue beauty,

As song and laughter resound.'

Day after day, feast among the flowers and the beasts

Night after night, an unpolished jade damsel as a companion

How long a span of life does a man have?

What are we to do if not enjoy the breeze and the moon.

==========

529 BC – Qian River

Being in the same place eleven years later made Lord Ejun Zixi recall his memories. Those beautiful memories of the Yue Maiden bring such a longing feeling to Lord Ejun Zixi.

"Lord, there's a boat coming! We could take that boat!" The guard said. His word broke Zixi's daydreaming. Zixi nodded and followed him.

The boatman was a man of Yue. Unlike the Chu people, the people from Yue had short hair and simple clothes with bare naked feet. Many of the Yue people had tattoos on their faces and body. But the boatman, although he had short hair, didn't have any tattoo on his face. He looked too clean and a bit too gentle to be a Yue barbarian man. He even wore shoes instead of bare-naked feet.

The boatman was a little bit shocked and confused when he saw the two men. One was a nobleman with a beautifully embroidered robe, while the other one was a military man.

"Just follow the river stream," said the guard to the boatman.

"Yes, master!" said the boatman in Yue language.

Lord Ejun Zixi didn't put any attention. He was too busy with his mind.

Zixi took a deep breath. He still could smell the same fresh air of the river, like what he experienced eleven years earlier.

The river looked the same, but where's his beloved Yue girl?

Zixi closed his eyes as he recalled the last day when he saw her.

(Eleven years earlier)

Zixi had lived in that forest with that Yue Maiden for three months. He tried to teach the girl how to speak in Chu language. And although they still could not communicate properly, they could understand each other.

Yue Maiden - was the name Zixi gave to her. She was a smart, lovely beautiful young woman. Zixi taught her how to play the flute, and the girl taught Zixi how to hunt and catch fish in the river.

The breeze of autumn wind

The bright moonlight in autumn

Falling leaves gathered and scattered

Such as humans' lives.

Gradually Zixi forgot his longing for his family. He knew that his chance to return to Chu State had gone. He had his new purpose in life. His goal in life was no longer the wealth or power of the Chu royalty. It's his Yue Maiden.

With his fibre plants clothing, Zixi was no longer looked like any man of Chu, although he's a bit too tall for Yue men, and his long hair tied in a knot at the top of his head – unlike the Yue man.

That day was late autumn. Zixi and Yue Maiden just hunted a deer for their food. The girl skillfully skinned the deer, planned to make a warm jacket for him.

The warm deerskin was not as warm as his heart. He felt so grateful that he had that Yue Maiden who loved him and was so kind to him. He embraced her and caressed her head, said: "And finally what I need in my life is not the throne, wealth, or power. All I need is someone who loves me, like the way you love me!"

The girl caressed his face and said something. She took a small knife and made a hand gesture. Zixi laughed. He knew that she didn't like his unruly beard, and she wanted to shave his beard. Zixi didn't mind. He laughed and let her shave his beard.

They were jesting and joking around when suddenly they heard some noises from outside. Zixi and the girl were alerted. Some people were coming and surrounded their stilt house.