All the concubines in the harem are time travelers

Chapter 99 Shangguan Mao

The young man didn't know what kind of golden eyes he had, but he could tell at a glance that Bu Ji had been in danger before.

"Sister, your clothes... and sleeves, did anyone bully you?"

Bu Ji lowered his head to look at his clothes, and then he realized that they were covered with dirt, as if they were got there by falling on the ground.

"I'm fine now. Fortunately, Master Jingyun saved me."

She smiled and looked at the boy.

The young man was preoccupied. After a pause, he took out a small dagger from his pocket. There was an unknown flower pattern engraved on the handle, which looked very beautiful.

"Sister, this is the dagger I forged on my first day of learning from my master. Although the workmanship is a bit rough, it is handy."

"I gave the dagger to my sister, so that she can protect herself when she encounters danger in the future."

"After all, my sister is a maid in the palace. No one can stay with her all the time."

Li Ji's face was dark as he stared at the "crudely made" dagger. He then glanced at Bu Ji, his eyes fixed deeply on her face.

Bu Ji pursed his lips, knowing that what the young man said was right. Young Master Jingyun also had his own things to do, and at this time, everything required letters, which was very troublesome and could not be done by just making a phone call.

She touched the bamboo joint at her waist but did not reach out to take the dagger.

"This is the first dagger you made after learning the craft. You should keep it for yourself."

"After you have completed your studies, you will also have an apprentice, and you can take him out as a souvenir at that time. I don't want it. I won't be in danger when I enter the palace."

The young man's hand holding the dagger trembled slightly, and he slowly put it back, looking at Bu Ji with a lost look.

This was not the first dagger he made, but the eighteenth. He was not satisfied with the previous seventeen and threw them away. Only this one looked good enough to be given away.

In order to forge these eighteen daggers, he stayed up for several nights. He was afraid that his master would find out that he was not doing his job, so he slept in the haystack here at night. The tools for forging the daggers were also hidden here.

But he didn't expect that his sister didn't want it. He...even thought about engraving his sister's name on the dagger.

Li Ji stretched out his hand, pulled Bu Ji to his side, and said in a deep voice.

"It's time to go back."

Bu Ji nodded, turned around, and followed him towards the palace gate.

It was indeed almost time to close the palace gates. If she didn't go back, she would be in big trouble.

The first time she committed an offense, she had been caught by the Empress Dowager once. The Emperor was magnanimous and spared her that time. But it was too late to go back. It was the second time, and Li Ji was not so easy to talk to.

As an emperor, he was not only suspicious, but his mind was completely unpredictable.

He might be smiling one second, but his entire clan might be wiped out the next.

The boy was stunned, waved at her back and shouted.

"Sister, my name is Shangguan Mao."

"What's your name? If I want to see you again in the future, how can I find you?"

Bu Ji turned his head and shouted at him.

"My name is Li'er. When you want to see me, go find the eunuch who delivers letters from the palace. He will tell me what you want."

She was afraid that revealing her name would bring danger to Shangguan Mao.

After all, the matter of the men in black is not over yet, and they will not give up until they catch her.

It would be better to just say Li'er's name. Besides, Li'er and the eunuch who delivers the letter outside the palace are from the same hometown, so it would be more convenient to do the job.

Li Ji curled his lips and smiled, glancing at her expressionless face.

She is really used to lying and is addicted to playing the role of a palace maid.

But it’s better this way, it saves a lot of trouble. Let the young boy behind call her Li’er.

Li Ji was not jealous of such a young boy.

After Bu Ji finished speaking, he looked at Shangguan Mao in the distance and felt that he was different from ordinary children. His eyes were much more mature than his actual age.

When he stood there, he looked like a young general in a storybook, especially with the dagger in his hand, which gave him a sharp aura.

"He is a promising man indeed."

Bu Ji turned his head and talked to himself.

"he?"

Li Ji glanced at her and strode forward without even saying anything about waiting for the woman behind him.

Bu Ji walked quickly to catch up with him.

"Shangguan Mao, don't you think his last name is very special? He has a talent for forging weapons. He may become a pillar of Chu and Jin in the future."

There was no expression on Li Ji's face. He suddenly stopped, looked at her, and said in a deep voice.

"The Shangguan family was executed by the previous emperor ten years ago for treason."

"The Shangguan Mao you just saw is the descendant of a criminal. If he wants to become a pillar of society, I'm afraid he can't even enter the government."

Bu Ji widened his eyes and looked back at Shangguan Mao in disbelief.

There was no trace of Shangguan Mao anywhere, only a deserted haystack.

"The whole family will be executed, then he..."

"According to the laws of our dynasty, children under the age of ten will not be beheaded in public as a result of the execution of their entire family."

"He said he has an elderly grandmother at home. What's going on here?"

"It should be the old maid in the clan who was responsible for taking care of him. She did not leave because of the decline of the main family, and chose to serve Shangguan Mao all the time."

Bu Ji suddenly realized. No wonder Shangguan Mao did not go to the academy like other children. It turned out that it was because of his special status. Even if he went to school, he could not pass the imperial examinations, let alone achieve great things.

"Since children under ten have been pardoned, why can't we set them free and let them be treated like ordinary children? Isn't that good?"

"After the criminals, there will be people with outstanding abilities. Isn't it a waste of talent?"

Li Ji stared into her eyes and never expected that these words would come from a woman.

He had asked his father the same question many years ago.

The emperor said that as the descendants of criminals, they would feel deeply resentful and might endanger the country, so he would not allow them to be employed as officials.

Bu Ji looked at him, and seeing that he didn't say anything, he pursed his lips and said.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No."

"What you said makes sense."

She suddenly raised her head, became happy, and reached out to pull up his sleeve.

"I knew you were different from the others. We have the same ideas."

"It would be great if the emperor could know about this. Maybe Shangguan Mao would have a chance to make great achievements."

Li Ji frowned, thought for a while, and asked in a deep voice.

"Is this your wish?"

Bu Ji nodded repeatedly without thinking.

"it is good."

Bu Ji did not understand the meaning of this "good" at that time. She did not know how much change her words had brought to the Chu and Jin States.