I enter the Imperial Library with Zhi Meilan, the maid who will replace Lianhua to bring me here while she is undergoing training to become a Fei Yi.

  When I enter, I see that Xueshi Wenxue has not yet arrived, so I tell Zhi Meilan where to seat me, after which I begin to wonder if there is a book I can request to pass the time while I wait.

  But before I can think of any, I see Xueshi Wenxue come through the door with a beautifully decorated box. He looks around and, seeing me already seated, heads for my table, looking curiously at Zhi Meilan and then ignoring her.

  " Zhāohuán , sorry for the delay”, Xueshi Wenxue says to me. "I had to stop by the Guozijian to pick up a gift they had for you."

  I look curiously at the box he is carrying as I say “Don't worry, Xueshi Wenxue. I just arrived."

  I see him clear his throat for a moment and then say awkwardly “Actually, it's Jinshi now, Zhāohuán. I was promoted a few days ago."

  I am surprised for a moment, but immediately say “Then congratulations, Jinshi Wenxue, on your promotion."

  "Thank you very much, Zhāohuán”, he replies, then places the box in front of me. "This is the gift prepared for you by Guozijian to thank you for the inspiration for the abacus. It is a more refined version of your idea that is much better for calculations."

  He then opens the box and inside I see, luxuriously decorated, a damn suanpan, the abacus that was and is used in China.

  For the next hour, Jinshi Wenxue lectures me on the shortcomings of my abacus and boasts about how he led a group of Guozijian scholars to correct those shortcomings and create an abacus that could be used in all situations and with all measurement systems.

  I know he's right, especially since the suanpan is far superior for calculating with Chinese imperial weight measurements, which are hexadecimal-based. But what surprises me is the speed with which they have developed it. I suppose they did so by copying the rod counting system they used until now and adopting it with the beads, as is believed in my world to be how the suanpan first appeared.

  Unaware of my thoughts, Jinshi Wenxue continues to explain how his version of the abacus works, clearly proud to have led the group that developed it.

  When he finishes his demonstration, he stares at me, so I quickly make sure to congratulate him.

  "Congratulations on your idea, Jinshi Wenxue”, I say. "It's clear that the brilliance of Guozijian cannot be compared to that of his student."

  "Don't be so modest, Zhāohuán”, he replies, trying to be modest but failing. "Without your initial idea, however primitive it may have been, we would not have been able to create our version of the abacus."

  He puts the abacus back in the box from which he had taken it to demonstrate how it works and closes it, leaving it on the table.

  "Now let's see how we can continue with your lessons. What have you learned from what you've read while I was busy?" he asks me.

  I proceed to tell him everything I have learned about the world, but without telling him about my paranoia that the world has been artificially designed.

  "Well, I suppose that gives you a basic understanding of the world with everything you can know for now, so I will now proceed to teach you in depth about the empire, both its geography and its structure”, he begins to tell me. "I will also teach you more advanced mathematics and we will continue your lessons on the classical texts, which I have noticed you have not told me you have read any while you were away."

  "Okay, Jinshi Wenxue. We can start whenever you want”, I say, sighing in my mind, consoling myself with the fact that the lessons about the empire and its surroundings will be interesting enough to make up for the boredom of the rest.

  As I sit in my favorite spot in the park feeding the ducks and enjoying the beautiful day after my lessons, I begin to piece together everything Jinshi Wenxue has been telling me about the empire and its surroundings over the past year.

  The first thing that is easily noticeable is that people here can live a long time. Jinshi Wenxue has not said so directly, I suppose because of the custom of hiding everything about Qi from minors to try to prevent them from killing themselves, but if tempering the body increases your life expectancy, the steps that come after feeling the closed doors are sure to increase life expectancy even more.

  Because that is the only explanation I can see for the empire I live in being five thousand years old. Only a ruling caste with long lives and few generational changes would be able to maintain power without too many civil wars, but this cannot be the reason for the empire since, according to Jinshi Wenxue, the Emperor can only rule for a hundred years before abdicating and leaving for the sect, supposedly as an elder.

  I suppose then that the reason is really that the sect that created the empire is ensuring stability, but what maintains the stability of the sect? Like any organization, it must also have its internal disputes, but it is even older than the empire and still exists, so the long life of its leaders is almost the only explanation, which leads us to the same conclusion.

  And the various sects and empires around us are of similar or greater ages, since all of them, according to Jinshi Wenxue, have prioritized stability over aggressive expansion because there are still many unclaimed wild regions in the surrounding areas.

  So, the big conclusion I can only come to for now is that we are in a huge diorama where there is something called Qi that can give people superhuman bodies and longer life spans.

  And to make matters worse, my classes with Jinshi Wenxue have been put on hold for now. According to him, he has already taught me everything he can teach me for my age, and I will have to wait until I am eight years old to continue my lessons.

  And no matter how much I argued, begged, or demanded that he teach me these things, according to custom, he cannot teach me more than he already has. Apart from hinting that I would need more specialized tutors or be able to cultivate.

  And we've come up against tradition, I think sarcastically. For a culture like this, traditions are even more immutable than laws, so nothing I can do or say will change his traditions, so that's it for now.

  It's not a big loss, though. Just by waiting, I'll be able to get all the information I want. Fortunately, there are only two years left, but they are years of not knowing what to do. Without being able to walk or move on my own, any physical entertainment is out of the question. And at my age, I don't know how many of the other activities at court I'll be allowed to attend.

  Only someone who has lost all forms of modern entertainment like me can realize that, despite all its flaws, its virtues are much greater.

  I finish feeding the ducks and, after a while simply enjoying the gentle breeze, I signal to Zhi Meilan to pick me up and take me to the pavilion.

  When I arrive at my study, I discover that Lianhua is already there, so I ask her as I sit down in the chair “Lianhua, has something happened?

  "No, Zhāohuán Wen”, Lianhua replies “But I have now completed the most important part of my training, so I am officially your Fei Yi."

  "Then congratulations, I guess I'm now dependent on you, Fei Yi Lianhua”, I reply, calling her by her new title to emphasize it.

  "Thank you very much, Zhāohuán Wen”, she replies. "But I have to inform you that they have already sent the schedules for the classes you will have to take in the coming days."

  I am surprised by her words as I ask her “What classes? Jinshi Wenxue told me that for the time being, they can't give me any more classes."

  "Those are academic classes, Zhāohuán Wen”, Lianhua replies. "But an imperial princess must be educated in many subjects. Normally, these are taught at a more advanced age, but given your ability, the Shangshu has decided that it would be good for you to start learning the basics so that you can begin more advanced classes when you reach the required age."

  After saying these words, she hands me a written sheet, which I quickly grab and begin to read.

  After starting to read, I notice that my head begins to ache, and I almost beg Jinshi Wenxue to start his lessons again so I can review them. I was worried about having nothing to do, and now out of nowhere I'm going to receive lessons in Calligraphy, Painting, Music, Embroidery, Poetry, Etiquette, Medicine, Acting, Tea ceremony, Gardening, Administration, and Martial arts.

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  Seeing my last class, I raise an eyebrow and look at Lianhua and ask “Martial arts, Lianhua? Does the person who made this list know about my condition?"

  "I don't know who made the list, but Shangshu gave it to me personally. And he knows about your condition. I guess you'll have to wait until the day of that class to find out what they want to teach you”, Lianhua replies.

  I put the list down on the table with a sigh and ask Lianhua “And who's going to teach me, and where will I have my classes?"

  "Each class will be taught by a different tutor, Zhāohuán Wen”, Lianhua replies. "As for the location, some classes will be held here, while those that require a specific environment will be held elsewhere."

  "Okay, so when do I start?" I ask Lianhua.

  I notice that Lianhua looks at me with a pitying expression, and I begin to worry when she replies “Right now, actually, Zhāohuán Wen. Your mother is waiting for you in her courtyard for your painting lessons."

  I let my head hit the table as I groan. Now I'm going to have my mother as one of my tutors. Although I suppose it makes sense, since she is a painter herself and must have some reputation if she managed to get my father to take her as his consort.

  I wave my hand as I say to Lianhua “Fine, take me so my mother can start torturing me."

  Lianhua lifts me out of my chair, and I notice the corner of her mouth turn up at my words. She then leaves my study and heads for my mother's courtyard.

  When we arrive, I see that my mother and Fei Yi Lingxi are already there. What surprises me is that on the table, which I thought would be full of brushes and papers, there are only several bars of what I assume to be ink, as well as the instruments to prepare it. Just by seeing that, I already know what my first lessons will be, although I don't say anything.

  When she sees us come in, my mother points to a chair she has prepared for me at the table and says to Lianhua “Sit her in that chair."

  Lianhua sits me down in the chair and takes a seat in another chair slightly behind me, just as Fei Yi Lingxi always sits slightly behind my mother. I hadn't noticed until now, but I suppose it has something to do with a Fei Yi's position.

  "Before we begin, we need to establish some basic rules”, my mother begins. "The education you will receive over the next few years, both from me and your other tutors, is the foundation of everything an imperial princess is supposed to know."

  She pauses briefly before continuing “All of us who are going to teach you know that you are too young and that it is customary for us not to talk about certain things”, she seems to hesitate for a moment before continuing. "But we both know that your knowledge of cultivation at this point is far superior to what a girl your age usually has."

  "But above all, we must maintain decorum, and fortunately, none of your other tutors know about your knowledge”, my mother continues. "So during our classes, we will act as if you have no knowledge of the subject, and in that way, we will reduce the likelihood that in the rest of the classes, you will let slip something that they should not know. Any questions so far?"

  "No, Mother”, I reply without adding anything else, seeing how seriously my mother is taking all this.

  "Although I personally don't mind and you already know how to address people properly, it's better that you get used to these things during class as well. That's why, while we're in class, you'll call me Minghua, which is my official title as a painter."

  "As you say, Minghua”, I say to my mother, going along with her.

  My mother continues her speech “Classes will officially begin on the first day of next week. Since you have twelve classes, they will be divided between the first six days, with one class in the morning after your acupuncture and exercise sessions and the other in the afternoon, giving you a day off on the seventh day. As an exception and to take advantage of this day, today I will give you a first class as an example of what is expected of you in them."

  I curse inwardly at the injustice, but I reply to my mother “I understand, Minghua."

  "Then, with that said, we can begin with the first lesson”, she says as she points to the ink and tools on the table. "And the first lesson every painter must learn is how to prepare the ink."

  And as I listen to my mother name the different objects on the table and their uses, I clearly realize what my life will be like from this moment on, for better or for worse.

  I watch as Taiyi Yulin removes the needles from my legs after the acupuncture session. After putting them away, instead of leaving as usual, I see that he is approaching me with the intention of saying something.

  "Did you want something, Taiyi Yulin?" I ask as he approaches the head of the bed.

  "Yes, Zhāohuán Wen”, he replies. "I want to inform you that starting today, I will only come every seven days. Although your legs have clearly improved between my sessions and the exercises Jiaoliu Feng gives you, we have reached the point where they cannot improve any further based on what we have observed, so we will only do one session on those days to maintain what we have gained and prevent them from getting worse again."

  "I understand, Taiyi Yulin”, I reply. "Do you know if Jiaoliu Feng will also give me exercise sessions with the same frequency?"

  "You'll have to ask her that, Zhāohuán Wen”, Taiyi Yulin replies. "I'll see you in seven days."

  With that, Taiyi Yulin leaves the room and Lianhua enters with some clothes in her arms, followed by Zhi Meilan, who seems to have become her assistant since Jinshi Wenxue's classes ended.

  "Zhāohuán Wen, it's time for your morning lesson”, Lianhua tells me. "It's Martial arts. The other class you have left this week is painting, which your mother will teach you in the afternoon."

  "Isn't Jiaoliu Feng coming for my session?" I ask Lianhua in surprise.

  "All I've been told is to see her in these clothes and take you to one of the Nei Wei barracks”, Lianhua replies, after which she begins to change my clothes.

  "And what are they going to teach me, the horse stance while I'm lying down?" I ask Lianhua sarcastically, not quite sure what they want from this class.

  "I don't know, Zhāohuán Wen. I guess you'll find out when we get there”, Lianhua replies as she finishes changing me.

  When I look at the clothes Lianhua has put on me, I am surprised. The clothes are clearly the same as the tunics and skirts I usually wear, but instead of embroidered silk, they are made of linen and cotton, without any pattern.

  Before I can ask her anything, Lianhua picks me up from the bed and leaves the room, saying “Any questions you have will have to be asked to your instructor, Zhāohuán Wen. They really haven't told me anything."

  I heed her words and remain silent as we leave the pavilion with the ever-present Nei Wei couple following us everywhere and head to a part of the palace I have never been to before.

  The area is far from where we live, and as we get closer, I hear increasingly loud metallic noises.

  When we reach the barracks area, I see that there is a clearing where several groups of Nei Wei are training. From what I can see, most of them are using spears, like the ones escorting us, but there are others training with swords or bows.

  Both Zhi Meilan and I are amazed as we watch the spectacle, but Lianhua ignores it and heads towards a building on the side of the training ground.

  For a moment, I find it curious that Lianhua knows exactly where to go despite being in an army barracks, but I dismiss it, assuming it is part of her Fei Yi training, since in previous classes she always knew where to go.

  We enter the building, and as soon as we do, I can clearly see that it is a Wuguan, the Chinese equivalent of Japanese dojos. Inside, I see Jiaoliu Feng waiting for us.

  "Now that you're here, it's time to begin”, she tells us as we enter and points to an area on the wooden floor. "Fei Yi Lianhua, leave Zhāohuán Wen here on the floor, lying face down."

  Before I can protest, Lianhua obeys Jiaoliu Feng and leaves me on the floor, where I turn my head to one side to try to see something.

  "Zhāohuán Wen, I suppose you have many questions about this class, which is normal”, Jiaoliu Feng begins to tell me as she positions herself where I can see her. "That's why I'm going to explain the reasons for this class and what we're going to do over the next few months."

  "All your brothers started doing light exercises to get in shape at an early age, as soon as they turned five. For obvious reasons, you haven't been given those classes, but your idea of leg exercises has given me a clearer understanding of your condition, and maybe I can help you”, she continues. "Now, to start with, I have to ask you to try to move forward in whatever way you can or find most comfortable, Zhāohuán Wen."

  I curse my instructor as I think about how to do it. I rest my forearms on the floor to partially lift my torso and try to use them as support to slowly crawl forward as I've seen soldiers do in war movies, but after a moment I collapse on the floor, unable to keep my arms in position due to exhaustion.

  "This is the best I can do, Jiaoliu Feng”, I say to my instructor as I catch my breath.

  Jiaoliu Feng moves back to where I can see her and begins to speak "I'm sorry, Zhāohuán Wen, but this demonstration was important so that you could clearly see what your most obvious weakness is right now, considering your condition. If you want to move, you have to rely on your arms for everything, and since you've never exercised them, you have neither strength nor endurance, so if you ever find yourself in this position in a place where you can't get help, you'll be completely immobilized."

  She pauses for a moment so I can reflect on his words and continues “This class is given to all the emperor's children and is more of a self-defense and exercise class than anything else. An initiation for when they really learn to fight if they decide to follow the path of arms."

  "But in my condition, I can hardly move, let alone fight”, I interrupt my instructor.

  Jiaoliu Feng doesn't seem bothered by my interruption and waits for me to finish speaking before answering “That's true, but it's not entirely true either. When it comes to self-defense, I have some ideas, but there's something else that's more important to do first."

  She comes over to where I am and lifts me off the floor to carry me in her arms as she continues to tell me her intentions "The first thing we have to do is make you able to move relatively easily while lying on the floor. To do this, I have devised a series of exercises to increase the strength of your upper body and arms, as well as your endurance, which will be even more important later on."

  As she tells me her plans, she leads me to a corner of the room where I see a chair and a kind of stretcher that are clearly prepared for me. Next to them, I see some stones with a hole in them that look like Shí suǒ, the ancient Chinese equivalent of hand weights, and some bars similar to modern weights that are clearly Tóng bàng.

  After showing them to me, Jiaoliu Feng continues with her explanation "This is equipment that soldiers use to train their strength. Of course, I don't expect someone your age to undergo intensive training, as that would cause health problems, but with a little exercise, light use of this equipment, and invigorating massages, along with the leg exercises we were already doing, you will gradually get in shape, and that will give you more options than just lying on the ground if something happens."

  I take a deep breath as I think about her words and reply “Okay, Jiaoliu Feng. You have my full confidence to do this. When do we start?"

  Jiaoliu Feng looks at me and smiles as she says “Obviously, right now."

  When I see her smile, I feel a chill down my spine and can't help thinking that maybe I could use an MP3 player with the soundtrack from the classic Rocky movies to motivate me.