Chapter 3: Who Embroidered the Purse

There is just one problem: the General's residence is filled with boys, so where would the girls come from to learn embroidery? Gu Tiaofei, upon hearing Gu Zhengchong's words, rested his chin on his hand and said, "I just can't figure it out, I really can't."

Jiang Bai noticed Gu Qiubo's actions and secretly snorted through his nostrils: Do you think that just because you are a head taller than me, you can easily defeat me? Look at this arrogant demeanor, what an ignorant fellow. If it weren't for the fact that I could easily handle you, how could my father allow me to take the stage?

Time flies quickly, and two months have passed in no time. Today is the birthday of Jiang Xuan and Jiang Bai. Early in the morning, Jiang Bai cheerfully took out the embroidered pouch she had made and insisted on hanging it on Jiang Xuan's waist, smiling as she said, "It took me several days of effort, so you must not take it off."

Gu Zhengchong and others arrived early. Gu Qiubo, with her keen eyes, noticed that Jiang Xuan had an ugly pouch tied around his waist and couldn't help but tease, "Xuan Ge'er, which girl made this pouch? It's so ugly like this"

I wielded the spear! Gu Qiubo saw Jiang Baiwan perform a sword flourish and thought to himself: You think I would be afraid of you just because you made that move? While pondering this, he turned around and picked up a wooden spear from the weapon rack. He weighed it in his hands, swung it once, and felt it was just right. Only then did he turn back and say: "Begin"

Jiang Xuan looked at the pouch hanging from Jiang Hua'an's waist, then glanced at the one hanging from his own waist, and inwardly sighed: although two months had passed, it was still evident that the pouches hanging from his and his father's waists were crafted by the same little hand! If there were any slight differences, it was that the pouch on his waist was a bit newer, and it was said to feature a red pattern of a fairy peach.

Alright, the outcome has been decided! Jiang Hua'an clapped his hands, putting an end to the conflict between Jiang Bai and Gu Qiubo

Let me have a match with him? Gu Qiubo had just been secretly mocking Jiang Bai with Gu Tiaofei, and now standing in front of her, she looked at his slender figure and couldn't help but compare it with her own chest using her palm. With a mischievous glance at Jiang Bai, she chuckled, "Hey, you're not even as tall as my chest. You want to fight me? Just wait, I might make you cry."

Did you see? This morning, Xuan Ge came over with a thimble on his hand. It seems that he is not the only one who enjoys embroidery; Bai Ge also has a fondness for it, and perhaps Xuan Ge does too. Gu Qiubo looked compassionately at Jiang Xuan, who was standing at a distance, and said, "Although Xuan Ge's hobbies differ from others, we should not discriminate against him. Sometimes, interests are something one cannot control."

Ha ha, today I truly feel triumphant! Jiang Bai is in an exceptionally good mood. Due to my limited strength and frail constitution, whenever I spar with Jiang Xuan or Jiang Qing, I end up losing nine out of ten times; if I do win once, it is usually through trickery. I never expected to win this time with genuine skill. At this moment, I proudly raise my head and glance at Qiu Bo, saying, "You underestimated me! Hmph!"

Gu Qiubo felt that it was unfair to defeat Jiang Bai with just a single finger. Leaning slightly forward, he looked down and asked, "What weapon do you use?" With a swift motion, he struck the small child, who resembled a white bean sprout, causing him to cry. It felt rather embarrassing. It would be better to let him wield a weapon and spar a few times before the match begins.

"You don't practice archery, so what use is the jade ring?" Jiang Xuan said as he lightly slapped Jiang Bai's hand down, feeling somewhat helpless.

Since Gu Zhengchong and the others had studied martial arts with the masters for a period of time, Jiang Hua'an decided to test their skills. He instructed Tu Shu to have Jiang Xuan spar with Gu Zhengchong, and Jiang Bai to spar with Gu Qiubo. Naturally, Jiang Qing would spar with Gu Tiaofei.

Gu Qiubao referred to as Master Mo, is a eunuch from the Embroidery Department of the palace. He entered the palace at the age of eight, possessing a gentle disposition and a natural inclination for needlework. He has exceptional talent in embroidery, surpassing even the palace maids of the Embroidery Department. Due to their shared hometown and the same surname, Mistress Mo of the Embroidery Department took him as her apprentice. Within just a few years, Master Mo's embroidery skills have surpassed those of his mentor, becoming more exquisite than Mistress Mo's work. He no longer engages in other tasks and now exclusively embroiders robes for the princes.

Jiang Bai turned around and took the wooden sword he was accustomed to from the weapon rack. With his right hand, he twirled the sword, pointing the tip downwards, resting his chin on the hilt, and said in a crisp voice: "Do you want to spar with me barehanded? If you dare to be arrogant, I will make you pick your teeth off the ground later!"

Aren't we supposed to go hunting with the adults tomorrow? I think we should take Xuan and Bai along, so they can experience the thrill of taking down prey. Gu Zhengchong waved his hand and said, "Once on the hunting grounds, who isn't full of vigor? It's just the right opportunity to temper Xuan and Bai's softness."

Although the General's residence does not have any girls, it does have a boy who resembles a girl quite closely. Gu Qiubo chuckled and said, "Don't forget, the best embroiderer in the palace is actually Master Mo, not Mistress Mo."

Upon encountering Gu Zhengchong and others, they were utterly overpowered by the five-year-old Jiang Xuan and his companions, leaving them feeling secretly ashamed. Consequently, they were determined to hone their skills, fully committed to regaining their lost honor

As they spoke, Gu Zhengchong and Gu Tiaofei had already engaged in a spar with Jiang Xuan and Jiang Qing. Naturally, the martial arts instructors invited by the Second Prince and the young master had imparted genuine skills to Gu Zhengchong and Gu Tiaofei. However, fearing injury to these royal grandchildren during the sparring, they dared not exert themselves too forcefully. Jiang Xuan and Jiang Qing, being young children, had fewer reservations and, having practiced martial arts daily, were accustomed to taking hits. In this match against Gu Zhengchong and Gu Tiaofei, they naturally unleashed the same fierce techniques they had learned from Jiang Huagai and others. In no time, they had cornered Gu Zhengchong and Gu Tiaofei against the wall. Seeing that the outcome was clear, Jiang Huaan called for a halt. Turning around, he saw Jiang Bai strike with a sword, while Gu Qiubo blocked with his spear and attempted to trip Jiang Bai with a sweep of his right leg. Although Jiang Bai was not as strong as Gu Qiubo, he was agile; he quickly retracted his leg to avoid the sweep and instead used the momentum to trip Gu Qiubo's left leg. With Gu Qiubo's right leg still extended and his left leg unstable, he was swept hard by Jiang Bai, causing him to stagger and wobble. Observing Gu Qiubo's instability, Jiang Bai struck Gu Qiubo's wrist with his left elbow and flicked the tip of his sword with his right hand. With a sharp sound, Gu Qiubo's wooden spear slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

Gu Qiubo noticed that Jiang Bai had run off in a huff, and couldn't help but touch his nose. "Hey, this Bai brother not only looks like a girl, but his temperament is somewhat similar as well." While he shook his head, he saw Gu Tiaofei approach and say, "Did you notice? Today, the pouch hanging from Xuan Ge's waist is the same as the one hanging from the waist of the young general. I suspect that it is a pouch passed down from the general's family. Who knows what good things might be inside? Otherwise, who would hang such an ugly pouch?"

Brother, is this your first time receiving a pouch on your birthday? No need to be too moved! Jiang Bai rested his right hand on Jiang Xuan's shoulder and extended his left hand in front of him, saying: "If you still can't handle being moved, just give me the jade tablet you received as a birthday gift instead"

Gu Tiaofei stroked his forehead and said: "We are like brothers with them, and it is indeed proper to find a way to guide them onto the right path. They are still young at this time, and it is still possible for them to change their ways."

"Who are you talking about?" Jiang Bai was wearing a jade ring and an embroidered pouch today, feeling extremely uncomfortable. When she wanted to switch back to a thimble, she couldn't find one small enough for a moment. After thinking for a while, she ran to the martial arts hall, intending to exchange the thimble with Jiang Xuan. However, as soon as she arrived, she heard Gu Qiubo's words, which made her quite angry. Gu Zhengchong was fine, but Gu Qiubo and Gu Tiaofei often liked to mock her, and now they were actually saying that the pouch she embroidered was ugly. Just because they were imperial grandsons, could they criticize others at will?

"The person who embroidered the pouch!" Gu Qiubo said, patting the palace-style pouch hanging from his waist, casting a mischievous glance at Jiang Bai, "You mustn't say that pouch was embroidered by you!"

On the morning of the second day, Jiang Bai was learning embroidery while wearing a jade ring, and Jiang Xuan went to practice archery with a thimble on.

Hearing Gu Qiubo's words, Gu Zhengchong and Gu Tiaofei exchanged glances, both having guessed that the boy Gu Qiubo referred to, who resembled a girl, was Jiang Bai. Their expressions were somewhat peculiar as they whispered: "The General's residence has always produced heroes, yet now there emerges a fop who enjoys embroidery. It seems he does not wish for outsiders to know; let us pretend we are unaware and refrain from asking further."

This is impossible! Although the pouch that General Shao is hanging is not new, it does not appear to be an heirloom. Xuan's pouch is quite coarse in stitching, and it is evident that it is newly made. It looks like something a young girl in the household made while learning embroidery. My third sister learned embroidery two years ago, and the pouches she made were exactly like this one. Gu Zhengchong listened to Gu Qiubo and Gu Tiaofei discussing, and looking at Jiang Xuan, who was drawing a bow in the distance, he laughed and said, "The pouch my third sister embroidered back then was even uglier than the one Xuan is wearing on his waist."

Due to Jiang Xuan's archery, Jiang Huahong gave him a jade finger guard. The jade finger guard is not particularly rare; what makes it special is its small size, which fits Jiang Xuan's finger perfectly, making him very fond of it. When Jiang Bai saw it, she also wanted one, but the others laughed and said, "You only learn a set of Yue Nu Sword and are not currently learning archery, so what use do you have for a jade finger guard?" For the moment, Jiang Bai had to give up. However, she affectionately leaned close to Jiang Xuan's ear and said, "Brother, you must be reluctant to part with that jade finger guard, right? I have a good idea; let's take turns wearing it."

Hmph! Jiang Bai puffed up her cheeks and glared at Gu Qiubo. "Deng deng" she ran over, pulled Jiang Xuan to the other side, took off her jade ring, and exchanged it with him to put it back on her finger. With a turn, she ran off. Before leaving, she glanced at the pouch hanging from Gu Qiubo's waist, feeling angry: next time she faced this little brat, she would show no mercy under her sword, and she would definitely pierce the pouch he was carrying. Let's see if he would still be so pleased with himself

Gu Qiubo was extremely frustrated, realizing that he had truly lost a significant opportunity due to his carelessness! If it weren't for his oversight, he would have long since pinned this smug little brat to the ground.

How to entice? Gu Qiubo smiled mischievously and tilted his head, saying: "If they want to act like girls, let them act like girls. Who knows, in the future when we are on the battlefield together, they might even help us with some stitching and mending. Isn't that just perfect?"

I do not study archery, but I do learn embroidery!" Jiang Bai waved her finger in front of Jiang Xuan and said, "I do not like the thimble I wear; I want to use a jade board as a thimble.