novelraw Chapter 561: The Little Cannonfodder of the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 561: The Little Cannonfodder of the Three Kingdoms
From the bone-chilling winter to the radiant spring blossoms, it felt like just a blink of an eye. An Ning had already stayed here for several months.
On this day, the spring light was just right, and the gentle breeze was pleasant. In the small courtyard, the faint fragrance of peonies drifted by from time to time.
In the pavilion at the very center of the courtyard, a young girl of about five or six years old, wearing a light pink waist-length ruqun skirt, sat with her hands neatly folded on her lap, exceptionally proper. Her bright, sparkling eyes were fixed on the purple-clad young woman practicing swordplay not far away.
Although the sword forms were clearly sharp and swift, in the hands of the person before her, they seemed extraordinarily ethereal, her figure as light and graceful as snow. Unconsciously, little Zhen Yue was utterly captivated.
Moments later, as the young woman executed the final move, the pink crabapple blossoms on the branches not far away trembled delicately.
Seeing that An Ning seemed ready to conclude her practice, Zhen Yue instinctively looked up, her exquisite little face showing a rare hint of confusion.
"Sister Shen, you seem to be finishing earlier than usual today?"
Was she in a hurry to go back for something?
Sensing the unspoken question, An Ning sheathed her longsword. As she stood up and began to walk, she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and smiled.
"It's not early anymore! And the sky... it's going to change completely soon."Ah? Change... change the sky? Zhen Yue was momentarily stunned.
"Sister, do you mean it's going to rain?" But right now...
She looked up again at the sky, which was still a vast expanse of clear blue, then tilted her head, her curiosity growing even stronger.
Meanwhile, An Ning had already instructed the attendants to quickly gather all the medicinal herbs that had been sun-drying in the courtyard earlier.
Unlike the young girl's puzzlement, the several temple maids who had clearly experienced this before moved with great efficiency upon hearing the order. Without the slightest hesitation, they hurriedly set aside their tasks and began carrying the drying herbs back into the rooms one after another.
Sure enough, not long after everyone had stepped inside, the previously clear, sunny sky was swiftly enveloped by rolling dark clouds in the blink of an eye. Immediately after, a torrential downpour poured from the heavens, knocking the delicate flowers in the small courtyard to the ground.
Witnessing this sudden change, the temple maids who had already taken shelter indoors with their medicine baskets felt increasingly grateful.
They thought to themselves: The young lady truly lives up to being a disciple of a renowned school.
To possess such remarkable skill at such a tender age, it's no wonder the family head and the madam hold her in such high regard.
Six-year-old young lady Zhen Yue: "???"
Ah, how did elder sister figure that out just now?
Unfortunately, the young girl's question went unanswered for the moment. At this hour, An Ning had already gone to the rear hall to freshen up.
Having just practiced swordplay, there was inevitably some dust on her, something the always clean-loving An Ning absolutely could not tolerate.
There was no helping it. Even though her heart itched with curiosity like a kitten's claws, her upbringing from a young age dictated her behavior. For now, Zhen Yue could only sit quietly and obediently by the couch, not making a sound, her exceptionally bright eyes occasionally stealing glances towards the area behind the screen.
Sometimes, her gaze would also wander over the room's furnishings.
On the desk, a medium-sized purple-gold small-leaf incense burner was quietly emitting wisps of white smoke. Not far from the desk, casually placed by the room's occupant, aside from writing brushes and ink, were a few bamboo scrolls lying about.
On the windowsill table sat a clearly valuable white jade vase, its mouth loosely holding a few branches of crabapple blossoms and leaves. Further away lay a horizontal guqin...
Compared to several months ago, this place could be said to be several times more vivid and elegant. As expected of Sister Shen, her taste is truly excellent!
Unaware that someone outside was growing impatient, behind the screen, An Ning swallowed the nearly invisible powder in her palm. Feeling the soreness throughout her body gradually fade, she finally allowed herself a rare moment of relaxation, letting herself sink completely into the warm water.
Her mind couldn't help but drift back to the events of several months prior.
A few months ago, once her health had recovered somewhat, out of courtesy, An Ning personally visited the main courtyard to pay her respects to the mistress of the household.
Naturally, she couldn't reveal the full truth of her origins. She merely stated that she had previously lived in seclusion in remote mountains with fellow disciples of her sect, and had recently been displaced to this place due to some unforeseen circumstances.
Just as she had anticipated, Madam Zhang did not press for details. Instead, she looked at her visitor with gentle eyes and asked,
"Young lady, have you found anything unsuitable during your recent stay in the manor?"
In this era, the divide between the gentry and commoners was like an unbridgeable chasm. Without even needing much probing, the truth could often be discerned from one's demeanor and conduct.
In any case, after personally meeting her and, unsurprisingly, confirming her status, Madam Zhang completely set aside her reservations and decisively began treating her as an honored guest of the household.
Later, when she heard from her maidservants that An Ning practiced swordplay every morning using nothing but a withered branch casually snapped from a tree, she even specifically ordered someone to deliver a suitable longsword to her.
Of course, since the host family treated her with such courtesy, as reciprocation, An Ning naturally had to offer her own value in return.
Weather phenomena—clear skies, rain, wind, and even natural disasters—became the bargaining chips she offered, and they were among her most important assets at present.
Don't underestimate something like "weather forecasting," which seems trivial in modern times. This was ancient times, especially the late Han period, when natural disasters were frequent, with floods and droughts occurring one after another.
Accurately predicting weather patterns and wind directions was undoubtedly an extremely valuable and highly rewarding skill at this time.
Especially for the Zhen family, as a prominent local clan in Zhongshan, who not only owned vast tracts of land but also operated numerous merchant caravans.
With such predictions, the losses they could avoid were substantial.
Of course, for An Ning at the moment, the most important thing was... ahem... still the "prestige factor"!
Moreover, in this era, understanding celestial phenomena and weather patterns was considered an ability possessed only by outstanding talents of the time. For someone so young to master such a skill naturally made her value immeasurable.
It even subtly elevated the entire sect's mystique by more than a few notches: making it appear more enigmatic, mysterious, and above the mundane.
This was something even the most formidable medical skills couldn't achieve at the time.
Sigh... Just think of Hua Tuo, the number one unjustly treated divine physician of the era, who was executed by Cao Cao without a second thought for a mere disagreement.
An Ning couldn't help but shake her head vigorously.
Physicians belonged to the "nine craftsmen" class. No matter how skilled or famous a doctor was, they didn't necessarily hold much status in this era.
In short, a purely medical sect: no!
A reclusive sect whose disciples were versed in medicine, divination, astrology, meteorology, and even the esoteric arts of Qimen Dunjia: that was the most fitting origin story for her current situation.
Slowly rising with the assistance of the temple maids.
Not far away, as the maids moved, the light purple skirt embroidered with delicate rose patterns unfolded. On a nearby tray, a matching set of purple jade jewelry shimmered with increasing brilliance.
However, this didn't seem to be the same set as before?
Noticing An Ning's questioning gaze, Qiaoyun, the leader dressed in a green skirt, quickly stepped forward. Pressing her lips together, she let out a light laugh.
"Young lady, you might not have noticed, but you've been growing very quickly lately. Madam specifically instructed that the sewing room should come regularly to take your measurements and make new clothes for you every so often!"