Jing Li: Bedtime Story

"Once upon a time, in a land far far away..." Jing Nuo smiled as her master's voice changed so drastically. His voice moved quickly from military command to confidential whisper. He seemed to ignore the boys rolling their eyes, mostly he looked at her.

Their lamps had been lowered for the evening and the three of them were about to call it a night. Their Lord had come in with some tea for them, and asked that they listen to a story. He seemed to want to tell it, and Jing Nuo always liked stories. She sat up on her mat, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and sipped the tea. They were in the prefects house at some other place, she knew. On the way to Luoyang, but not there yet. Tommorrow would be a big day!

Their Lord obviously didn't make the tea, it tasted too good. There are, of course, things one does not point out to one's lord. Especially one known to kill people with ease.

"There was a princess. A beautiful princess, named Yiwei Tuzi." Liu Qi and Jing Qiang rolled their eyes again and giggled. "Her castle overlooked the shore and her largest window would open every day to let the light of the rising sun rest upon her silken bed."

"Didn't she have studies, master?" Liu Qi asked. "Or work?"

"Of course not, thickhead." Jing Nuo replied. As cute as Liu Qi was, some times he was just dense. "She's the princess. Princesses don't have to work, or do studies."

Liu Qi stuck out his tounge, but quickly withdrew it when Jing Li coughed.

"Some princesses do have studies, and work." Jing Li wagged his finger at them. "You will always have things to do. But Princess Yiwei Tuzi was a sleepy head, and did not work in the morning. In fact, I'm not sure she worked much in the evening, either."

"Still, others did work. There was a young man who worked in the village. His name was Jimo Nanhai."

"Was he big and strong, like uncle Niu?" Jing Qiang asked. "Surely he was!"

"No, no. Jimo Nanhai was not that big, and not that strong. Few are as strong as Little Brother!" Jing Li laughed. "Nanhai was a scribe, though. He could read and write, and he liked to read a lot."

"Did he marry the princess?" Nuo asked. She really hoped so. "It would be a nice story if they got married." She didn't mention the nice story it would be if Lord Jing got married. There are things one does not point out to one's lord.

"Was there a dragon?" Liu Qi asked. "I like dragons."

"There was a dragon, Liu Qi." Jing Li smiled. "Perhaps I need to practice some more before I finish this story?"

Nuo's eyes went sad. Was no one going to get married anymore? Even Niu Pa, having found the Lady Ziyan, seemed to not know he was supposed to marry her and live happily ever after. What was the world coming to?

"I will tell more of the story another time." Jing Li said, as he stood. He looked at Jing Nuo and wiped away the first tear. "Perhaps they do get married, little one. For Nanhai loved the princess quite a bit. We shall see."

Jing Li blew out the lamp and was gone.