Chapter Nine, Journey (Part One)

However, I cannot remain idle while accompanying the imperial carriage; another small trouble has arisen. Although I am referred to as a companion, most of my time is actually consumed by that little princess. Additionally, there are those two little Yang children, who, I do not know who taught them, follow me around like little tails all day long. I am perplexed as to why this little princess has developed such a keen interest in me since I brought her back; she clings to me like a piece of toffee, and I cannot shake her off. I understand that bringing this group of little ones with me wherever I go will surely attract unwanted attention, which is not a good thing. However, that short and stout Gao Lishi insists that this is to prevent anyone from harming the descendants of the Yang family, and that it is truly the intention of Lady Yang. He even spoke with righteous indignation, asking if I needed to request an imperial decree, which silenced my complaints. I have no fondness for the treacherous Yang family, but I feel that the children are innocent and cannot be ignored. It is not that I have not resolved to be fierce and drive them away, but in the end, it seems I have gone too far, and I find myself helplessly surrendering under the onslaught of their tears, becoming an unwilling nanny.

As a member of the imperial guard, I had to accompany the emperor for a long time. However, I soon realized that this was not an easy task. Being close to the emperor naturally involved inquiries about my background and origins. This old gentleman, despite his age, was a wise and experienced ruler who had seen countless things, making it difficult to deceive him. Fortunately, I remembered some ancient place names and concocted a story about growing up with a merchant caravan in the Western Regions, having learned from an unnamed old man, and only recently returning to the Central Plains. Thanks to my studies, I had some understanding of the customs and characteristics of this era, and when I ran out of fabrications, I could still mention a few things to buy time. Additionally, I composed some anecdotes about the customs and folkways of the Western Regions at that time, occasionally referring to my past with maps and books. I was fortunate to recall some matters from ancient Western Regions, which I could use to navigate the situation with a mix of truth and fiction. As for the differences in my behavior and habits compared to theirs, I attributed it to the different environments in which we grew up, making it easier to explain. Regarding my origins, I claimed that I had been traveling through the Western Regions with an unnamed old man since childhood, learning everything from this unidentifiable teacher, and only returned to the Central Plains after my mentor's recent passing. (A common trope seen in many novels) More than half a year ago, I was conscripted to serve in the military guarding Tongguan, becoming a subordinate of General Ge Shu. How much the old emperor believed that, I could not know. In any case, he did not inquire further. During this time, although I was near the fleeing emperor, I still learned quite a bit. This included learning to grow my hair long and tie it up like other young men of my age, as well as various court rituals and protocols, which at least helped me avoid standing out too much from the people of this era and causing unnecessary trouble.