The next few days she can move around properly however she have a bruise on her lower tummy. A little cuts and bruise on her arms and she is still herself. She goes around doing what she needs to do and request to Duke Yan not to deploy her to assist the crown prince. The Duke agree and ask Luo Ming to switch with Yi Jin. Luo Ming frown and bow reluctantly. After that Er Yin apologise to Luo Ming and promise to buy him a strong alcohol once they goes back home. Luo Ming smile and nod his head.
Two weeks later, they are brief on the next step. They need to get to their main city but the problem is with man power. They are shortage of men and most are injured. They have no choice but to wait. Er Yin spend her time soaking in the nearby spring. The warm water makes her feel clean in her skin and her soul.
"Yi Jin."
She open her eyes to see the Duke standing before her. He is not looking at her but staring at the trees at far corner.
"Later wash my hair. I have blood stains in it."
"Yes your highness."
"Make sure to wash my hair and make it soft like your's."
She watch him walk again. Lucky she goes into the water with her clothes on. She hurry to get out from the spring. Wipe herself and put on her boot. She goes to her horse and look for dry clothes to put on. Changing in at the dark is easy for her. Only thing that she have to keep listening if there is any movement around her. After changing she hurry to find buckets of water. She brings along her items to use for washing the hair. She finds him leisurely laying on a chair reading his letters. Seeing his assistant arrive with a bucket of water, he smile. After putting down the papers, he lay on the chair with his hair undone. He watch his assistant lay out the things for the hair wash. He never see so many types of bottles of ashes lay on the table. After she is ready, she begin by combing his hair. Untigling and later getting it wet. Duke Yan enjoy the washing process. He feels the finger on his hair scalp which sends a little tingling into his legs. It is a strange feeling that he is unable to sit still. Er Yin slap his shoulder a few time to ask him to relax and lay back. He finally decided to open his eyes and stare at her as she harbour over him. This time he can see clearly that his assistant doesn't have an Adam apple like most men. Unless there is lots of fats deposit at the throat it is impossible that they cannot see the bone. His assistant also have long dark eyelashes with a pair of big round sparkly brown eyes. A pair of straight thick eyebrows to match the eyes. The nose is long and straight and pair with full lips. Strange the more he look at her, the more this assistant looks alike to him. While he is staring at her, Er Yin is feeling uncomfortable and try to change her position. Since he can see her at whatever spots that she is standing at, she stands behind him and wash comfortably. His long hair is scrub continuously and rise. She apply whatever she needs and rub his hair with care. Finally after a long meticulous wash, she have him sit up. Er Yin beging to towel dry his hair and comb them straight down. It is a silence night with just two of them. Duke Yan look at the mirror on the table that shows his assistant taking care to comb his hair. He remember the last person who comb his hair was his mother. Every month she will wash his hair and comb it. After it dry, she will tie it up in a neat bun for him. Even his father who is alive then had his hair wash by his mother. It was so long ago that someone actually wash his hair. Usually he will just scrub and towel dry it. Luo Ming will assist to comb it up into a pony tail. However today someone take care of his long hair with the same tender loving care that his mother once gave him.
While waiting for his hair to dry. He pass her a plate of biscuits. She eat it and drink tea when she feels that she is going to get chock.
"Tell me how old are you?"
"We talk about it... Going to be 30, soon. Why?"
"Aren't you getting marry yet?"
"How am i getting a wife when i hang out all day with you men? I don't even get to hang out with my siblings!"
"How many siblings do you have?"
"There are four of us."
"So lucky. I am the only son from my father but i have plenty of cousins. Including the emperor...."
"Not a lot of people can say that they are related to the emperor. Or can they address the emperor as a brother. You are lucky."
"Born in an imperial family is not that lucky. My mother is a just an ordinary citizen. My father beg to marry her for a long time. My grandfather make it difficult for him. However my mother proves that she is worthy to marry my father. She is smart. She advise my father in many military works. Thus my grandfather agree to the marriage. Plus she is a beauty."
"A beauty with brains is hard to come by!"
"True! there is lots of beautiful women in the capital but none of them is witty and smart like my mother. They are all boring."
"Your highness, you can't say that! You haven't get to know them!"
"What about you? What type of person you like to marry?"
"Me... firstly. Have to able to work in the field. Smart and loyal."
"A farmer... what about looks?"
"I don't know... i don't have preference. I guess as long as that person have legs and arms, i will be fine."
"So if that girl eats like a pig? You ..."
"Eats like a pig?! Well at least she is eating!"
She much her biscuits in an angry tone. While he laugh while putting his arm on the table and rest his head on it.
"Talking to you is fun..."
"Is it? If you talk to my brother, you probably like him too!"
"How many siblings did you say in your family?"
"4, in my family and we are the four treasures."
"Your father must have named you all regarding about wealth."
"That is correct! So smart! We have Jin, Yin, Cai and Bao. All related to wealth."
"So if your parents have more children what will they name them after?"
"Probably something about health..."
"For the royal family, names comes from astronomers are the one who will decide our names."
"That's why we have social difference in classes. I am from the bottom class and you are from the high class. Big difference."
"But i am the same like you, make from flesh and blood."
"Your blood is bright red and mine is .... light red. Different. Besides that the woman you are going to marry have to be from the same social elite class. You cannot marry a farmer girl to be your wife. Is like, you are the sun and she will be the land. Never will meet. You the sun needs someone like the bird that can fly high up to meet you. Not the land that forever stays there and never move. "
"Is that why you said that you have no preference in who you marry?"
"Your highness, i cannot be choosy. Whoever can contribute to the family will be good for the entire family. I am born in a farm and will die as a farmer."
"You mean after getting military recognised from the palace, you will still leave and return to farming?"
"Your highness.... i already said. I am born in a farm and will die as a farmer. The land belongs to my family pass down from generations to generations. Why am i here was to protect that piece of land. To protect my family. If there is a possible to earn more taels for them, i will do it. Still in the end, when i die, my dead body will be buried in the ancestor land. Thus i fight here will my will and might to live. I don't intend to die anywhere that doesn't belong to me. I have to return home one fine day."
Duke Yan stare at his assistant who said that one day he will return back to farming. A sense of sadness sweep in him. He sit up and sweep his hair back. They soon begin to just talk about other thing and outside the sun slowly creep up. Luo Ming walk in to announce that there is an eunuch arrived from palace.