His Rui

Chapter 153 – The Bitterness Of Being Defeated

The next three days in the Imperial City passed peacefully.

Although the past few months had been politically stressful for Xin, the economic situation was much better. Due to the sufficient rain, the harvest was the best compared to the past few years.

The farmers were very happy and cheerily prepared for the Mid-Autumn festival and the capital that is the Imperial City was also bustling with excitement for the festival.

After all, the Imperial Palace had a banquet on the day of the festival.

The unmarried girls were specially prepared for the day as this kind of event in the Imperial Palace was the best place for matchmaking.

The day came soon. From today to the next three days, the celebration for the Mid Autumn Festival will be continued in the Imperial Palace for three days. 

That day, the early morning, the whole Imperial City seemed to be awake..

In the Xi Manor, Xi Ying was currently inside his study room.

"Two of you, An Su and An Zhi will enter the palace today."

The three shadow guards stepped forward and bowed their heads.

"Yes, My Lord."

Xi Ying looked at the three of them and said

"Hide yourself well. If you think that someone knows about your presence and that person can be dangerous then just kill him."

"Yes, My Lord."

"An Ju."

A figure that looked younger compared to the others stepped forward and bowed his head with a  smile.

"My Lord."

Xi Ying looked at An Ju and approval flashed through his eyes. It has been two years since he had taken An Ju in Xi Manor and she had successfully done whatever he had put forward.

"You have successfully completed the task I've given you. Now you are free to show your original form to others."

The four shadow guards, An Shing, An Su, An Zhi, An Ping looked confused when they heard their master's words.

On the other hand, An Ju smirked. Her one hand raised to remove the cloth tied on her forehead till the back of her head and with the other, she untied her long hairs.

After that, she rubbed her hand on her face harshly and soon the smooth white and beautiful skin under the face that seemed to be a bit tanned started to show itself.

The four shadow guards looked at the scene in front of them with shock-filled eyes. The study room was filled with silence. Only the sound of a page being turned over could be heard as Xi Ying read a book indifferent to what was going on in front of him.

"You…are a girl."

An Zhi spat out the words that were stuck in his throat for the past few minutes. 

In response, An Ju only smiled playfully and said

"Fifth Brother Zhi, why do you seem so shocked. Have you not seen a girl before?"

Till now, An Shing, An Ping, and An Su had composed their expression but An Zhi was still looking at An Ju with wide eyes.

However, their lips still twitched for a moment when An Ju said those words.

Girls? They have seen many but they have not seen one who is so strong. An Ju only started her training more than two years ago but she could win against them in many things.

She could defeat An Su in swordsmanship. An Shing can't win against her in shooting arrows. An Ju could use five arrows together in one turn.

And An Si….An Ju could use her skills to make him work for herself by staring into his eyes for a few moments.

So An Si skill was far lesser best compared to An Ju.

Fortunately, An Ping saved their face and defeated her in everything obviously except in the last skill because eAn Ping doesn't possess such a skill. 

When they had witnessed all this, they have been shocked. All of them had been trained by the same person then why is it that one is so ahead of the six others?

But they have accepted this.

However, An Ju was a girl!

The shadow guards except An Ping looked at each other bitterly.

"The three of you look like as if I have punched you three in your guts."

How couldn't they be when they had come to know that they were defeated by a woman who looked so younger and petite than them?

An Ju was still relishing their bitter looks with a smile when Xi Ying closed his book and looked at them. Beware of his gaze, the five shadow guards straightened their backs and stood with a calm and serious face.

All traces of humor, bitterness, or anything else were erased from the atmosphere as if it never existed in the first place.

"The day before An Ju entered the Xi Manor, I have given her the task that she had to hide her true gender from all of you while finishing her incomplete training. However, it was not only a test for her but a test for the others also.

In the past two years, you couldn't find out An Ju's secret so An Ju wins in this test and all of you lose."

With lowered heads, the four men accepted their defeat.

When they raised their head to look at An Ju, their eyes were full of respect which meant that they have accepted her as their own even if she was a female.

All this while, An Zhi couldn't help but imagine what An Si's expression would be when he would return and come to know of this truth.

"An Ju, you will also enter the Imperial Palace with these three."

Xi Ying paused for a moment and then continued

"Your main job is to protect Wangfei. In my absence, you are not allowed to leave Wangfei alone even for a moment."

An Ju nodded her head firmly and said

"Yes, My Lord. This servant understands."

Xi Ying nodded his head, however, his eyes were still a bit sharp.

"An Ju, if even a single hair of her got scratched in my absence in the Imperial Palace, then you would never be forgiven for that."

An Ju gulped visibly seeing the cold eyes and nodded her head again.

"An Ping, An Shing the manor will be left in your care for these three days."

"Yes, My Lord."

Done with assigning the jobs to his shadow guards, Xi Ying now told them what he had been thinking for the past few moments.

"An Ju will enter the palace as a maid of Wangfei. According to what I think, An San would also be there and he would be able to sense the presence of the three of you easily. However, since he doesn't know An Ju's secret, he would never be able to recognize her."

There was a momentary pause until all of them said

"Understood, My Lord. This servant will never disappoint master."

Xi Ying leaned on his chair looking outside the window as the shadow guards disappeared from the study room one by one.

He didn't know why he had a feeling that after this banquet something would change and this feeling somewhere made him scared.

Because whatever was going on now, he was happy with it.

However, a change….he didn't know whether he would be able to accept it or not.