1.3 Time Travel (4)

This is not what Dong Li Hua asked for. She only wanted a simple and quiet life but to cross the River of Time is not one of her bucket lists. There are a lot of people out there who wants to travel time but not her. Now, the second young miss of Dong family became a young king's maid. She have to stick with Ying Zheng since he is the only person she knew within the whole palace. Besides, he is a young boy who often asked for her to play games.

What troubled Dong Li Hua is not Ying Zheng's childishness but but how to return back in the 21st century. She have the thought the bracelet brought her here but its been lost for days already!

On the day she arrived in 246 BCE, Ying Zheng had ruled for months already and its exactly in early winter he found her on a waterside nearby the pavilion he favored. At first, he is curious to where she came from but Dong Li Hua kept her mouth shut. Ying Zheng seemed to understand how secretive she is thus, he no longer asked and appointed her as his personal maid. She doesn't know why he trusted her since they only met once but she is thankful he kept her.

"Li Hua, I have the thought of going out the imperial palace today in secret. Come with me." the young Ying Zheng tugged her sleeve while she stood beside him in a frowning expression.

"Its dangerous outside with me alone and Your Majesty." Dong Li Hua reminded. She is used to Ying Zheng's favoritism over her in few days. He lowered the ranks of his personal maids until Dong Li Hua was the one allowed to serve him closely. "Also, this afternoon, has King forgotten? Marquis Wenxin invited Your Majesty to a dinner in his household."

"Marquis Wenxin. Oh, you mean Uncle Lü." Ying Zheng smiled and walked forward to the bluestone steps. "I indeed forgot." he placed his hands behind his back before thinking to himself how blunt Lü Buwei is when inviting him. At such a young age, Ying Zheng realized he is getting suppressed by his chancellor and if not stopped, it could lead to a treason...

"Your Majesty, there is not enough time." Dong Li Hua urged, breaking his deep contemplation. He nodded at her and led Dong Li Hua back to Yecheng Palace where he resides. Outside the main chamber, Dong Li Hua stood there with a bored look. Now that there are no technologies to amuse her, she has more time for her own but she cant do anything.

"Li Hua, you can come in." Ying Zheng's sweet childish voice resonated. She arranged her expression back to a stoic one before entering the chamber. Dong Li Hua took the towel placed on the table to dry his hair. Being appointed as his personal maid, she had a hard time accommodating at first but after few days, Dong Li Hua grew familiar how to do her job properly.

"Your Majesty seemed close to Marquis Wenxin." she started a conversation, trying to probe how Ying Zheng understood Lü Buwei's threat and secret affairs. Since she is past of a family full of archeologists, she knew more or less about histories. Her paternal grandfather helped digging out the mausoleum Ying Zheng built for himself where the Terracotta Army lies and from watching ancient dramas where he is always a tyrant ruler, she has a bit of knowledge regarding Ying Zheng's life. Her paternal grandfather once told her out of whim that there are Han Dynasty scholars who wrote Ying Zheng is not the late King Zhuangxiang's son but Lü Buwei's.

"He is the chancellor my father left. Marquis Wenxin helped me a lot in controlling the imperial court." suddenly, Ying Zheng realized why she asked. He never thought he picked a smart servant too. The reason why he kept Dong Li Hua is that from her eccentric green eyes, he can tell she is a foreigner and he is quite lucky to let her serve him as am obedient maid. Je have some habits at enjoying in having beauties surround him and since she stood up among the rest, he left her all alone beside him. Never had he expected she can make him indirectly realize Lü Buwei's great threat over the throne and imperial power.

"Your Majesty is wise." Dong Li Hua faintly smiled after brushing Ying Zheng's hair. She tied it upward into a scholarly bun before letting a jade headpiece hold it up, paired by a jade hairpin.

Such as Lü Buwei giving his concubine, Zhao Ji to Prince Zichu who later became King Zhuangxiang, Ying Zheng's father. Dong Li Hua thought before that Zhao Ji being Lü Buwej's concubine once, the two must have conspired to turn Ying Zheng into a puppet ruler. The imperial throne has always been important which caused many schemes and deaths of countless royal family members and officials.

Now that she is Ying Zheng's maid, her life and death will also be decided if the young boy failed to realize how dangerous his current situation is. She still wants to live, ah. If Ying Zheng wont be wary of Lü Buwei at his early age, that can cause a lot of trouble in the future.

"Li Hua, why don't you come with me?" Ying Zheng stood up, wearing his outer robe before taking the cloak from Dong Li Hua's hands.

"Really?! I mean, *ehem!" she cleared her throat to redress her small mistake. Dong Li Hua just got excited. Ancient architecture are truly fascinating and she wanted to see more aside from staying inside the palace all day. "Your Majesty, am I allowed to?"

"Of course." Ying Zheng playfully smiled. "As long as I wished to, no one can oppose it."

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