The 8 years old Ming Hui is said to be the prettiest girl, but he always stays within his room with his mother. When he is a child, his mother said that he had weak constitution, so the emperor sends the most talented physician to treat her. However, the doctor always said that he is still weak.
Ming Hui's mother always teaches the little boy about many things a girl should know. Even if his real gender is different, she won't let him slack off in order for him to pass off as a girl safely.
"Imperial Mother, it's really hard," Ming Hui looks towards his mother with pleading eyes. He's tired for doing the same things over and over again for hours.
"Hui'er, you need to learn this kind of things. There are a lot of dangers in the palace."
At that time, Ming Hui didn't know why, but his mother never allowed him to go far away from her. One time, he played on the garden when several girls come over and they look at him with unfriendly gaze.
"This is Princess Hui?"
"Is she truly a sickly princess?"
"Hui'er!" Ming Hui mother hurriedly comes and hugs the boy. She stared at the other concubines in front of her. "What are you doing here?"
"We are bored, so we want to see the little princess. But, it seems that rumor is not true, isn't it?"
Ming Hui stayed within her mother arms as those girls keep on talking towards them. He looks at his mother, but she never explained anything until that day. Ming Hui's mother keeps him under her embrace as she skillfully deflects the women inquiry perfectly. Her words are sharp yet they sound pleasant.
That was not the first time Ming Hui saw his mother quarrel with the others women. However, this time his mother words sound even more hurtful compare with the usual. Because of her knife inside her sweet talk, the women are rushing away to avoid embarrassment any further.
"Imperial Mother, you sound really harsh today," Ming Hui looks towards his mother curiously.
Ming Hui's mother is stunned, but she quickly regained her composure as she strokes Ming Hui's head tenderly.
"Hui'er, living as a woman is hard in this era," she said softly, "But, the men rarely know because of their position."
Inside the harem, the men would only know from their favored one's perspective. That news is mostly biased towards the one who said it and the real fact is hidden beneath the sweet talk. However, with the women has lower rank compare with the men, what could they said if they are not favored?
Little Ming Hui didn't understand what his mother is saying, but that night, he is called by his mother.
"Imperial mother, what is it?"
Ming Hui mother looks at Ming Hui sadly and took out a bottle. "Hui'er, you need to remember to never reveal your real gender to anyone. Stay here and don't come out."
"Imperial Mother, what is in that bottle?" Ming Hui asked as his eyes never leave the bottle.
"This is sleeping pills and it will help mother sleep. If anyone asks you, tell them that this bottle is given by the girls who come here this evening."
"Yes Imperial mother."
That was not sleeping pill, but poison. Ming Hui's mother used her death to allow Ming Hui to stay within the residence for a longer time. But, Ming Hui can never forget how the emperor never cared for them. The burial is extremely simple and Ming Hui knows that his mother is not respected in this residence.
After the burial, he returns to his place, mulling about his mother. He wants to ask his father about his view in his mother, but the emperor never came. Not only that, he didn't bother to take care of Ming Hui to the point that one of his concubines come and poison him.
This time, the news made the emperor raged because Ming Hui is still his 'daughter'. Still, all he does is just telling them to investigate the matter as he put the matter into the back of his head and never mentioned it anymore. The doctor hurriedly comes to help him. Somehow, Ming Hui survived. The doctor told him that it's a miracle because he should have died.
"How long did I sleep for?"
"Around 1 week, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Here is your medicine."
Ming Hui took it and his face scrunched up. "Bitter."
"Be patience. You need to drink it if you want to get better," the doctor laughed.
Ming Hui looks at that doctor. "Can you teach me medicine?"
"Sure, but only for some time. I still need to go after you're healed."
"Then, just tell imperial father that his daughter is still sick, she had weak body or whatever…"
The doctor looks at the eyes of the boy in front of him. The little boy surprisingly had a mature mind. It seems those who come from the imperial family all mature more quickly compare with the other children. He sighed. "You're similar to your mother. I understand. I will help you."
"Thank you doctor!"
Ming Hui vowed to learn medicine better and become a doctor in the future. If he returned back to become a man, there would be no one who can recognize him, so it is easy.
…
"You didn't become a doctor?" Fan Lanying asked. She had already accepted the fact that Ming Hui is indeed a man and not women. Their clothes become slightly disheveled due to her partially beating Ming Hui with her fist and only after a while did she satisfied. As for Ming Hui, he simply endured the angry Fan Lanying with a helpless face.
Ming Hui shakes his head while he tidied up his clothes. "I never got the chance to realize it."
"I see. What is your plan after reaching the town?" Fan Lanying is curious.
"I will become a doctor and erase my past identity."
Fan Lanying eyes widened. "Erase your identity? What do you mean?"
"There are things you better off didn't know," Ming Hui said. When he's older a bit, he meets with the two troublemaker teenagers who're arguing because one of them is going to the war again. That meeting is the one that changed his whole life.
Because of his experience in living as a woman, he doesn't like sweet lipped women. Besides, he knows that his residents would never find peace if he were to collect a lot of women. Seeing a woman like Fan Lanying is truly refreshing for his eyes, so he set his heart only for her.
"If you're a man, why are you choosing me as your guard?" the girl glared at him for she finally remembers something so important.
"It's because I want you to be my bride and stay close with me."
That answer makes Fan Lanying face turned red just like a tomato. Ming Hui laughed on her side. Even if she doesn't want him now, he will wait for her patiently. Besides, he still hadn't reached the marriageable age yet….
The 8 years old Ming Hui is said to be the prettiest girl, but he always stays within his room with his mother. When he is a child, his mother said that he had weak constitution, so the emperor sends the most talented physician to treat her. However, the doctor always said that he is still weak.
Ming Hui's mother always teaches the little boy about many things a girl should know. Even if his real gender is different, she won't let him slack off in order for him to pass off as a girl safely.
"Imperial Mother, it's really hard," Ming Hui looks towards his mother with pleading eyes. He's tired for doing the same things over and over again for hours.
"Hui'er, you need to learn this kind of things. There are a lot of dangers in the palace."
At that time, Ming Hui didn't know why, but his mother never allowed him to go far away from her. One time, he played on the garden when several girls come over and they look at him with unfriendly gaze.
"This is Princess Hui?"
"Is she truly a sickly princess?"
"Hui'er!" Ming Hui mother hurriedly comes and hugs the boy. She stared at the other concubines in front of her. "What are you doing here?"
"We are bored, so we want to see the little princess. But, it seems that rumor is not true, isn't it?"
Ming Hui stayed within her mother arms as those girls keep on talking towards them. He looks at his mother, but she never explained anything until that day. Ming Hui's mother keeps him under her embrace as she skillfully deflects the women inquiry perfectly. Her words are sharp yet they sound pleasant.
That was not the first time Ming Hui saw his mother quarrel with the others women. However, this time his mother words sound even more hurtful compare with the usual. Because of her knife inside her sweet talk, the women are rushing away to avoid embarrassment any further.
"Imperial Mother, you sound really harsh today," Ming Hui looks towards his mother curiously.
Ming Hui's mother is stunned, but she quickly regained her composure as she strokes Ming Hui's head tenderly.
"Hui'er, living as a woman is hard in this era," she said softly, "But, the men rarely know because of their position."
Inside the harem, the men would only know from their favored one's perspective. That news is mostly biased towards the one who said it and the real fact is hidden beneath the sweet talk. However, with the women has lower rank compare with the men, what could they said if they are not favored?
Little Ming Hui didn't understand what his mother is saying, but that night, he is called by his mother.
"Imperial mother, what is it?"
Ming Hui mother looks at Ming Hui sadly and took out a bottle. "Hui'er, you need to remember to never reveal your real gender to anyone. Stay here and don't come out."
"Imperial Mother, what is in that bottle?" Ming Hui asked as his eyes never leave the bottle.
"This is sleeping pills and it will help mother sleep. If anyone asks you, tell them that this bottle is given by the girls who come here this evening."
"Yes Imperial mother."
That was not sleeping pill, but poison. Ming Hui's mother used her death to allow Ming Hui to stay within the residence for a longer time. But, Ming Hui can never forget how the emperor never cared for them. The burial is extremely simple and Ming Hui knows that his mother is not respected in this residence.
After the burial, he returns to his place, mulling about his mother. He wants to ask his father about his view in his mother, but the emperor never came. Not only that, he didn't bother to take care of Ming Hui to the point that one of his concubines come and poison him.
This time, the news made the emperor raged because Ming Hui is still his 'daughter'. Still, all he does is just telling them to investigate the matter as he put the matter into the back of his head and never mentioned it anymore. The doctor hurriedly comes to help him. Somehow, Ming Hui survived. The doctor told him that it's a miracle because he should have died.
"How long did I sleep for?"
"Around 1 week, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Here is your medicine."
Ming Hui took it and his face scrunched up. "Bitter."
"Be patience. You need to drink it if you want to get better," the doctor laughed.
Ming Hui looks at that doctor. "Can you teach me medicine?"
"Sure, but only for some time. I still need to go after you're healed."
"Then, just tell imperial father that his daughter is still sick, she had weak body or whatever…"
The doctor looks at the eyes of the boy in front of him. The little boy surprisingly had a mature mind. It seems those who come from the imperial family all mature more quickly compare with the other children. He sighed. "You're similar to your mother. I understand. I will help you."
"Thank you doctor!"
Ming Hui vowed to learn medicine better and become a doctor in the future. If he returned back to become a man, there would be no one who can recognize him, so it is easy.
…
"You didn't become a doctor?" Fan Lanying asked. She had already accepted the fact that Ming Hui is indeed a man and not women. Their clothes become slightly disheveled due to her partially beating Ming Hui with her fist and only after a while did she satisfied. As for Ming Hui, he simply endured the angry Fan Lanying with a helpless face.
Ming Hui shakes his head while he tidied up his clothes. "I never got the chance to realize it."
"I see. What is your plan after reaching the town?" Fan Lanying is curious.
"I will become a doctor and erase my past identity."
Fan Lanying eyes widened. "Erase your identity? What do you mean?"
"There are things you better off didn't know," Ming Hui said. When he's older a bit, he meets with the two troublemaker teenagers who're arguing because one of them is going to the war again. That meeting is the one that changed his whole life.
Because of his experience in living as a woman, he doesn't like sweet lipped women. Besides, he knows that his residents would never find peace if he were to collect a lot of women. Seeing a woman like Fan Lanying is truly refreshing for his eyes, so he set his heart only for her.
"If you're a man, why are you choosing me as your guard?" the girl glared at him for she finally remembers something so important.
"It's because I want you to be my bride and stay close with me."
That answer makes Fan Lanying face turned red just like a tomato. Ming Hui laughed on her side. Even if she doesn't want him now, he will wait for her patiently. Besides, he still hadn't reached the marriageable age yet….
