I looked down at the girl, whose height was barely reaching my chest…

Well it is not that she is small, it is just me who is too big. Even the Grand Elder is not as tall as me! Though…it may be because I am training in the Great Kun Method while I’m still developing.

After all, in this world I am barely twenty years of age! Much younger than my imperial body!

“So,” I said,” why did you look for me?”

Now…if she is going to threaten me, or do something of the sort, I’ll-

“I wanted to apologize!”

Wait, what?

I never saw a girl who admitted she was wrong…though I doubt my minor experience with women could lead me to such a woman.

Even as the only prince, I was taken care of by eunuchs so that I wouldn’t get attached to a maid and have her compete with my mother for influence if I took the throne, but there was before the empress imprisoned me…though it only worked because I wasn’t a cut-sleeve.

There are various examples of emperors whose male favorites gained influence in the court…Though I am pretty sure none of them had a good life after the emperor died…

Oh well. Neither my fault, nor my problem!

“Where is this coming from?” I asked her.

Could the Grand Elder have put pressure on her? I mean, it is likely…especially in these feudal times. He was even willing to offer his granddaughter to me!

Though we are distantly related, it is quite common to marry internally among the thirteen great families…

Well, we are not overly closely related…I think so at least.

“I realized I overreacted,” she said,” So I wanted to apologize to you.”

“Did you apologize to your grandfather?” I asked.

My question is quite reasonable considering that she basically spat in his face and insulted his choice for her husband. Thus the Grand Elder deserved an apology much more than I did…Though I was pretty offended…

But he is her grandfather after all! Filial piety is quite an important thing!

“Yes,” she said,” I did it first.”

“I see,” I said,” you do know if you weren’t family to me I would have killed you.”

After all, she insulted me to my face! Though I respect her choice to insult me in front of me and not behind my back, so I would have probably given her a swift death. But an insult of such degree is still an insult!

“That,” she said,” was quite immature of me, but I truly can’t imagine getting married to you…”

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Hmm…well, I respect when people stick to their decision, though I dislike her decision.

“I mean, you are nearly nine feet tall!” she said,” and you’re bigger than most beasts!”

“Is that a compliment or an insult when coming from you?” I asked her.

While I have pride in being big, I know some people don’t think being big is good.

But it is interesting how both the imperialist and these easterners use feet as a measurement tool…though the imperial foot is quite a bit bigger. I am pretty certain that the here a foot is twenty three or twenty four centimeters…or was it twenty five?

Well, I never took specific measurements, but I believe I am only about two meters tall…

“Well, um, it’s not that I consider you being so large as a bad thing,” she said nervously, fidgeting and failing to meet my eyes,” but I just want someone slender, bookish, gentle…”

“So you want a scholar?” I said in surprise,” I mean, you do you I guess…”

I see! So I am just too manly for her! And for most of the women here…but I do know that somehow, despite there being so many martial artists, somehow women prefer more effeminate men…

Or is it because they’re uncommon that they are preferred? I mean…Well, I don’t know.

“Not to say I won’t compensate you,” she said,” just tell me how!”

Well, aren’t you quite reasonable!

“Good!” I said,” Teach me the archery you use!”

She seemed surprised, then she collected her bearing,” Can I just give you the manual I used to learn it?”

Oh? You want to get out of a situation that forces you to interact with me? Very well!

“I see,” I said,” does it contain the way to shoot several arrows and the curving ones? Or is that something you picked up?”

“It's got all of that in it,” she said,” just let me get it…I usually don’t carry it with me.”

“I see…” I said, slightly surprised this was going so well.

I will not lie and say I didn’t expect her to try to pressure me in some way…for it is uncommon for martial artists to share the manuals they use for many reasons. Even if it was from the same sect!

Martial arts manuals usually have detailed descriptions of fixed moves, so if someone has the knowledge to look for its flaws, it is not too difficult to develop a counter to each move! But that is not the only reason!

After all, martial arts are a method of violence, and usually big clans and sects, or such gatherings of men, all wish to develop a monopoly on violence. Otherwise, why would there be so many schools of martial arts?

Everyone wishes for increased influence…well most people do. But not all!

This leads me to the third reason, that of righteousness!

If one teaches a disciple martial arts, it is up to the disciple on how to use them! In the best of scenarios, it would lead to a righteous hero, and in the worst a murderous bandit!

People differ as such…though if she doesn’t give me the manual there are many nonviolent ways to pressure her…

I mean, I can denounce her to the Grand Elder, or try to starve myself…though that would require the Grand Elder to care about me, which he does…

But would it be a childish act? Or would it be emotional manipulation? I mean, I can say I protest her misconduct! Or I could attack her reputation…

If I wanted to use violence, I would need to be stronger than the Grand Elder…which I am currently not, but there are too many nonviolent methods I could use!

For further example, I could pay someone to spread misinformation about him, and attack even his reputation…though I wouldn’t like that…

But what can I say, except that among the eighteen weapons of war, the bow is the first! Of course I want to master it!

Not only can it cultivate strength of body, but also strength of spirit!

A true archer could stand on the edge of a cliff and still be calm! It is the most ancient method of self-cultivation, at least from what I know!

But it is also an ancient weapon of war! I could use it on foot, on horse or chariot, or from walls of a city! Its power is great, and its rate of shooting is not slow!

While I did learn how to use both a bow and a chariot, as a part of my education in the six arts, I didn’t have the opportunity to learn from a master archer! Or from a master archer’s manual, either!

“Well,” I said,” I shall see you when you get the manual! For now, goodbye!”

And so I walked back into the manor in a happy mood, where I continued drinking with Liu Mang.