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The Kingdom of Engagement: This Place is a Prison
墨書 Inktalez
Jingfen first met Huazhen when she was ten years old, and Huazhen was eight.
“Xizi, aren’t you going to take your sister to play?” Mother gently nudged Jingfen, her eyes filled with encouragement.
Jingfen nodded slightly, a smile spreading across her face as her eyes sparkled with warmth. She eagerly reached out her hand.
Huazhen also stepped forward slowly, her eyes glimmering with anticipation. She placed her hand in Jingfen's palm, admiration shining in her gaze, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Jingfen's Aunt was none other than the current Empress Dowager Cixi, and even when playing together, Huazhen always maintained a friendly politeness.
Tilting her head, Huazhen blinked her big eyes and asked, “Are you called Xizi?”
“Sister, why do you keep calling me that...?”
“Because I was born prematurely, and that day was the coldest day in many years. The midwife said I wouldn’t survive. Mother didn’t believe it and named me Xizi, hoping I would bring good fortune. Miraculously, I survived.”
As Jingfen spoke, she gestured with her hands, a hint of emotion in her eyes.
Sometimes Mother would look at Huazhen with a sigh. “Xizi, if only you could be as cheerful as Huazhen.”
Mother would shake her head helplessly, worry etched on her face. At those times, Huazhen would always loudly defend Jingfen. Hands on her hips and an indignant expression on her face, she declared, “That’s not true! Sister Xi is the best sister in the world!”
Perhaps Mother was right; Huazhen had a talent for music and excelled in chess, calligraphy, and painting—nothing like Jingfen’s dullness.
In her ten years of life, Jingfen felt she had neither beauty nor any skills to boast of.
Lowering her head, she nervously twisted the hem of her clothes.
She thought time could continue to pass carelessly like this, but soon she realized she was wrong. She had forgotten that she was born into the illustrious the Yehe Nala Family in the eyes of others. His arrival would bring about all her tribulations.
Even after five years, she would not forget.
"How can this be!" Father exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear.
He glared at them, panic etched on his face, and shouted, "Quickly, greet the Emperor!"
As he spoke, he grabbed their arms, trying to make them bow.
Jingfen never expected that he was the current Guangxu Emperor—Aisin Gioro Zaitian!
Years ago, Zaitian had gone hunting with her father, Prince Chun. While everyone else rested, he had ridden off alone and encountered the two of them.
Not long after their meeting, the Tongzhi Emperor passed away. With no heirs to inherit the throne, Empress Dowager Cixi personally held a ceremony for Zaitian to assume power, crowning him as Guangxu Emperor. Since then, he had never left the palace again.
The imperial aura surrounding Zaitian made Jingfen's heart race as soon as she saw him; it felt as if it might leap out of her throat, and her breathing quickened. She nervously clutched the hem of her garment.
That day, when Jingfen and Huazhen had sneaked out to play in the mountains, they spotted a young boy galloping on horseback and were instantly captivated.
They stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on the boy as if under a spell.
When the boy dismounted, Huazhen rushed forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How can you ride a horse at such a young age?"
The boy smiled, his grin like the first rays of spring sunlight awakening withered branches. His smile was bright as sunshine—warm and dazzling. "You two are really interesting! What's so great about riding? If you want to learn, I can teach you!"
"Really?" Seeing him extend his hand, Huazhen jumped with excitement, her little braids bouncing along.
But Jingfen remained silent, having never spoken to a strange boy alone before. She shyly lowered her head, nervously twisting her fingers around the hem of her clothes.
Noticing Jingfen's hesitation, Huazhen withdrew her hand. "She is my sister; you should teach her first."
"Forget it; let's go home," Jingfen said as she stepped forward to pull Huazhen's arm, a hint of panic in her eyes.
But the young man swiftly lifted her onto the horse, his movements quick and smooth. "Don't be afraid, this horse is very obedient!"
Under his guidance, Jingfen took the reins, her hands trembling slightly.
It was the first time in her life that she was so close to a boy. His voice was like a gentle spring breeze that blew into her heart, making her suddenly fearless, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
After circling a few times, the young man began to teach Huazhen. Huazhen mimicked him and jumped onto the horse, playfully making a gesture at Jingfen and sticking out her tongue.
When someone came looking for the young man, he waved goodbye to them, his arm moving powerfully through the air.
It wasn't until they returned home that they suddenly realized they had forgotten to ask for his name. They exchanged glances, both feeling a twinge of regret.
Time flew by, and Jingfen grew up. During that time, she visited the place countless times but never saw that young man again. She began to think he wasn't from the capital at all.
Jingfen would always remember that day when she and Huazhen were playing in the backyard at dusk. Huazhen spotted several Red-Headed Fish in the pond and joyfully leaped toward the pond's edge near the rockery, her steps light like a little deer, but she slipped and fell into the pond.
The servants hurriedly fished Huazhen out, and their father rushed over upon hearing the news, their footsteps frantic and flustered. Behind them stood a stranger.
The man saw the drenched Huazhen and took off his coat to drape it over her shoulders, his movements gentle and gentlemanly as he smiled and said, "Be careful not to catch a cold."
That voice left Jingfen frozen in place; it was him! The smile etched into her heart made her eyes widen instantly, and her heartbeat quickened once more.
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