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1003 Words
The Birthday
A few months passed peacefully within the palace.
By now, Jing had grown accustomed to her new life in Xuanhe Kingdom.
Each morning, Princess Meiling would arrive at her quarters to wake her, and together they would make their way to their lessons accompanied by their maids and guards.
Although Jing was only required to attend a few classes due to her young age, she enjoyed learning and especially looked forward to spending time with Meiling.
On one particular morning, Meiling arrived even earlier than usual.
Her face was full of excitement.
"Jing!" she called as she rushed into the courtyard. "Do you know what special day it is today?"
Jing tilted her head.
"No."
Meiling gasped dramatically.
"You forgot?"
Jing blinked.
"Forgot what?"
"It's Seventh Brother's birthday today! He's turning eight!"
Jing's eyes widened.
"Oh! That's wonderful."
Meiling nodded enthusiastically.
"Right?"
Then she suddenly leaned closer.
"Have you bought him a present yet?"
Jing shook her head.
"No."
"Neither have I!"
The princess grinned.
"So after classes, you're coming with me to the city to buy one."
"The city?" Jing exclaimed.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
She had never been allowed to properly explore the capital before.
"I've never been there!"
"I know!" Meiling laughed. "That's why it'll be fun."
A moment later, Jing's excitement faded.
"But our classes don't end until evening. The guards won't let us leave the palace that late."
Meiling puffed out her chest proudly.
"I already solved that problem."
"You did?"
The princess nodded.
"I told the teachers we had an important emergency."
Jing blinked.
"An emergency?"
"Buying Seventh Brother's birthday present is an emergency."
Jing stared at her.
Then both girls burst into laughter.
"So after your classes finish, come find me."
"Okay!"
"No, I'll come find you," Meiling corrected.
"Okay!"
The two girls waved goodbye and hurried off to their respective lessons.
As promised, when afternoon arrived, Princess Meiling eagerly appeared outside Jing's classroom with several palace guards and maids following behind her.
"Jing! Hurry!" she called excitedly. "We're going to be late!"
Jing quickly gathered her things and hurried over.
The two girls climbed into a carriage and soon departed the palace.
For Jing, it was her first visit to the capital city since arriving in Xuanhe Kingdom.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked out the window.
The streets were crowded with merchants, performers, and travelers from distant regions. Shops lined both sides of the roads, displaying colorful silks, jade ornaments, paintings, toys, sweets, and countless other treasures.
"Wow..."
Jing could hardly decide where to look first.
Meiling giggled.
"I told you the city is wonderful!"
The two girls spent the afternoon wandering through the marketplace under the watchful eyes of their guards and maids.
At one stall, they watched a craftsman carve wooden animals.
At another, they sampled sweet pastries dusted with sugar.
Jing was fascinated by everything.
Meanwhile, Meiling searched carefully for the perfect birthday gift.
Eventually, she found a beautifully crafted jade pendant shaped like a dragon.
"My brother likes dragons," she declared proudly.
The shopkeeper wrapped it carefully while Meiling happily paid for it.
Then she turned toward Jing.
"What about you?"
Jing blinked.
"What about me?"
"What gift are you giving Seventh Brother?"
Jing froze.
She had completely forgotten about that.
"I need to give him a present too?"
Meiling looked shocked.
"Of course!"
Jing immediately began looking around the market.
Most of the expensive items were far beyond what she could afford.
Then her eyes settled upon a small stall near the end of the street.
Colorful kites hung overhead, dancing gently in the breeze.
Birds.
Dragons.
Butterflies.
Phoenixes.
Among them was a simple blue kite decorated with silver clouds.
Jing stared at it for a long moment.
"It's beautiful..."
The elderly shopkeeper smiled.
"You have a good eye, little one."
Jing carefully held the kite.
For some reason, it reminded her of the open skies she had seen during her travels.
And unlike jewels or ornaments, it was something a child could actually enjoy.
"I'll take this one."
Meiling tilted her head.
"A kite?"
Jing nodded.
"I think he'll like it."
The princess smiled.
"Then let's buy it!"
Soon the gift was wrapped and safely placed inside the carriage.
Neither girl noticed how quickly the afternoon had passed.
By the time they finished exploring the city, the sun had already begun setting beyond the mountains.
The guards immediately became concerned.
"Your Highnesses, we should return to the palace."
The girls reluctantly agreed.
Unfortunately, evening traffic filled the streets as merchants packed away their goods and citizens returned home.
The journey back took far longer than expected.
Meanwhile, within the palace, preparations for the Seventh Prince's birthday banquet were nearly complete.
Golden lanterns illuminated the grand hall.
Musicians played soft melodies while servants carried trays of food between the tables.
The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Sixth Prince had already arrived.
Even the Seventh Prince sat in his seat, dressed in ceremonial robes for the occasion.
At the head of the hall sat the Emperor and Empress.
The banquet was about to begin.
Yet two important guests were missing.
The Emperor glanced around the hall.
"Where is Meiling?"
The Empress looked surprised.
"And Jing as well."
A servant immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty, the Eighth Princess and Lady Jing requested permission to visit the city this afternoon."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
"The city?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. They wished to purchase birthday gifts for the Seventh Prince."
The Seventh Prince looked up in surprise.
"For me?"
The servant nodded.
"However, they have not yet returned to the palace."
The hall grew quiet.
The Empress frowned slightly.
"It is already evening."
The Second Prince exchanged a glance with Commander Wei, who stood nearby.
Neither liked the sound of this.
Outside the palace, darkness was slowly beginning to fall over the capital.
And the carriage carrying Meiling and Jing had still not reached the palace gates.
- Writer
