In her previous life, Jiang Ning had no control over her fate, becoming nothing more than a blade meant for killing.0
Now as a mother, she had no demands for Liu Jinxing, only wanting her to grow up safely and happily, to live as a privileged lady free from worries throughout her life.0
Until one day, when Zhou Yi went fishing again with Liu Ming'an and Zhang Shun, Jiang Ning took Liu Jinxing to the Zhou family residence, where she discovered Nangong Muyan training her two daughters.0
The two sisters were only six years old at the time.0
When Jiang Ning arrived, Nangong Muyan was leading her daughters in warm-up exercises. Upon seeing Jiang Ning, she stopped and walked over, while the two little girls conscientiously began running laps around the courtyard.0
"Wow! What are they playing? I want to join too!"0
Liu Jinxing eagerly followed behind the two older girls, but after just two laps, she was already out of breath.0
Jiang Ning estimated the courtyard's size - one lap should be about 200 meters.0
The two sisters completed ten laps, then helped each other cool down before following their maid back to their quarters to bathe. Liu Jinxing followed them with a bright smile.0
Nangong Muyan sat leisurely in the pavilion, pouring tea for herself and Jiang Ning.0
"You're not planning to..." Jiang Ning's expression darkened considerably.0
When she first came under N's control at age five, she was too young to handle intense training. Back then, this person before her had taught her various knowledge while focusing on physical conditioning - one kilometer, two kilometers, three kilometers, five kilometers... By the time she could successfully run twenty kilometers, her formal assassin training began.0
Now watching Zhou Ruxing and Zhou Siyue running around the courtyard with well-controlled breathing and steady rhythm, it was clear that Nangong Muyan had been training them for some time.0
"What are you thinking?" Nangong Muyan glanced at her, knowing exactly what was on her mind. She patted the bench, gesturing for her to sit down and stay calm.0
Nangong Muyan pushed a teacup toward Jiang Ning: "These are my own daughters. I cherish them more than anything - how could I make them walk the same path we did?"0
Jiang Ning relaxed slightly, then heard Nangong Muyan continue leisurely while sipping her tea: "I'm just helping them build up their physical fitness, and later I'll teach them some fighting and self-defense. I don't want my daughters to be delicate, fragile noble ladies - at the very least, they should be able to protect themselves when encountering bad people."0
"Besides, in this era, the average life expectancy is only around sixty years. I want my children to be healthy and long-lived."0
Jiang Ning's heart stirred strongly, remembering how Liu Jinxing had gotten tired after just a few steps. She made up her mind.0
Just as she had drunk half her tea, someone snatched her cup, eagerly refilled it, and handed it back. When Nangong Muyan turned to look, she saw Jiang Ning wearing an unusually docile smile, looking quite strange with such an innocent expression.0
"Why are you smiling so suspiciously?" Nangong Muyan didn't even dare drink her tea.0
Jiang Ning looked at her expectantly: "Since you're already teaching two, teaching three wouldn't make much difference. Why not teach Liu Jinxing as well?"0
"Oh? Won't you teach her yourself?"0
"I only have experience learning, not teaching. I'm afraid I might be too harsh and hurt the child. It's better if you do it."0
Jiang Ning was being honest. While she would have been happy to handle basic physical training for Liu Jinxing herself, learning fighting and self-defense required professional guidance. Otherwise, it would be easy to accidentally harm a child. Bruises and sprains would be considered minor injuries - serious mistakes could lead to lifelong disabilities.0
Nangong Muyan considered this and nodded in agreement.0
"However, it's too early to discuss this now. I plan to start teaching them when they're thirteen or fourteen, when their bodies are more developed and physically capable. If you still want Liu Jinxing to learn these skills in a few years, just send her to me then."0
Jiang Ning smiled and said "Alright."0
Six-year-old Liu Jinxing was completely unaware of her mother's good intentions. All she knew was that after visiting the Zhou family that day, her mother told her she would need to run laps around the princess's mansion just like the Zhou sisters.0
Liu Jinxing initially thought it was just play and didn't take it seriously. But the next morning, her mother dressed her in comfortable clothes and made her run laps.0
Of course, Jiang Ning understood the importance of gradual progress. She planned to start Liu Jinxing with 800 meters at a slow pace. However, the little girl proved disappointing - she was exhausted halfway through and refused to take another step.0
"Mother, I... I can't breathe, my legs hurt... please let me stop..." Liu Jinxing pleaded pitifully, gasping for air.0
"We're going so slowly already, just hold on a bit longer! Be good, and after you finish, your grandmother will make you something delicious."0
Jiang Ning knew all beginnings were difficult. She used a combination of coaxing and encouragement to get Liu Jinxing to complete one lap. By the last 200 meters, the little girl was on the verge of tears.0
"Mother, did... did I do something wrong? Why are you punishing me like this?"0
Jiang Ning remained stone-hearted and unmoved, directly grabbing her arm and forcing her to finish the run.0
"Alright, alright, we're done for today. Go take a bath."0
Once Liu Jinxing caught her breath, Jiang Ning returned to her gentle motherly demeanor and took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, but the little girl angrily pushed it away: "Mother, you're so mean! I'm never talking to you again!"0
Liu Jinxing ran crying toward Lanxu Court without looking back.0
Jiang Ning put away the handkerchief, watching her figure disappear from sight, and muttered to herself: "Look at that - she still has enough energy to run so fast?"0
While Jiang Ning was considering whether 800 meters might be too little, Liu Jinxing had thrown herself into Lan Xu's arms, crying so hard she could barely breathe.0
"Grand... grandmother... Mother... Mother is bullying me... waaah..."0
Lan Xu had never seen Liu Jinxing cry like this before. Her heart ached immediately, and she wiped the girl's tears while gently comforting her: "Jinxing, Jinxing, don't cry. Tell grandmother what happened."0
Liu Jinxing stuttered through an explanation of how her mother forced her to run laps, making Lan Xu furrow her brows.0
Lan Xu didn't understand why Jiang Ning would put the child through this, but she knew Jiang Ning wouldn't do something like this without reason.0
While she was still pondering this, Liu Jinxing tugged at her sleeve pitifully and pleaded: "Grandmother, Mother said she's going to bully me like this every day from now on. Please go scold her! Tell her to stop doing this to me, and I'll forgive her just this once."0
"Alright, alright! Stop crying, I'll go talk to her."0
Lan Xu calmed her down and had a maid take Liu Jinxing to bathe and change clothes while she went to ask Jiang Ning about the situation.0
Liu Jinxing, thinking she had found an ally, finally stopped crying and went with the maid.0
Half an hour later, she came back with her hair still wet to have Lan Xu help her comb it. As soon as she entered, she eagerly asked: "Grandmother, did you already scold Mother?"0
Lan Xu simply said: "Come, let's sit down and comb your hair first."0
Liu Jinxing obediently sat on the stool, when suddenly Lan Xu asked her: "Jinxing, do you know why your mother is Princess Hening?"0
"Isn't a princess just a princess?" Liu Jinxing had never thought about this question before. As far as she could remember, her mother had always been Princess Hening.0
Lan Xu smiled gently and explained in the simplest terms: "She wasn't born a princess. She became one because she protected the Emperor, and in gratitude, he gave her this noble title."0
"Really? Is that how it happened?" Liu Jinxing's eyes grew round with surprise.0
"Your mother is different from me and most other women. She isn't weak - she can protect herself and others."0
"Wow! Mother is amazing!"0
By now her hair was combed, and Lan Xu held Liu Jinxing's hand, speaking earnestly: "Jinxing, I just spoke with your mother. She's not trying to torment you. You're the child she carried for ten months - she would never harm you."0
Liu Jinxing nodded uncertainly, still confused: "Then why is she forcing me to do things I don't want to do?"0
"Because she can't protect you forever. She wants you to be healthy, to live a long life, and to have the ability to protect yourself."0
"Protect yourself..."0
Liu Jinxing still didn't fully understand, but she firmly etched the word "protect" in her heart. She also believed what Lan Xu said - that Jiang Ning wouldn't harm her, and everything was for her own good.0
From that day forward, Liu Jinxing no longer resisted the training Jiang Ning arranged for her. She dutifully circled the princess's mansion every day and performed what they called "stretching exercises."0
It wasn't until she was eight years old that Liu Jinxing truly understood the meaning of "protect."0
At eight, Liu Jinxing gained a brother named Liu Jingwei.0
When Jiang Ning told her that she was carrying her future brother or sister in her belly, Liu Jinxing's first reaction was: "That's wonderful! Finally, there will be someone younger than me!"0
Liu Jinxing could barely sleep that night from excitement. In the months that followed, she would spend time each day staring at Jiang Ning's belly, eagerly anticipating the little one to grow and enter this world, so they could call her "sister."0
Her brother was born in a season when osmanthus flowers filled the air with their fragrance. During Jiang Ning's labor, Liu Jinxing wanted to enter the delivery room but was stopped by Lan Xu: "Children shouldn't see these things. Just wait patiently."0
Liu Jinxing wanted to protest that she wasn't a child anymore - she was about to become a sister - but seeing the grave expressions on the adults' faces, she didn't dare make a fuss. Instead, she anxiously paced outside the room.0
Fortunately, the wait wasn't long. After less than an hour, Liu Jinxing's wish came true - she became a sister.0
Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an now had both a daughter and a son.0
In the second year after Liu Jingwei's birth, the Imperial City experienced its heaviest snowfall in a century. The entire palace, inside and out, was blanketed in snow, creating a vast white expanse as far as the eye could see.0
The snow continued to accumulate until February before slowly melting. During this time of heavy snow, Liu Jinxing's favorite activity was building snowmen with her brother.0
By then, Liu Jingwei was over a year old and could call out "Sister, sister."0
Having studied for several years, Liu Jinxing had learned the phrase "the eldest sister is like a mother." Every time Liu Jingwei called her, she felt like a grown-up, responsible for taking care of this person who called her sister.0
One day, Liu Jinxing carried Liu Jingwei to play by the lotus pond in the mansion as usual.0
The lotus pond had frozen over, with the sleeping lotuses and golden-red koi fish trapped beneath the ice and covered by snow.0
Liu Ming'an had been distressed about it: "Poor fish, I fed them every day. They had grown so big and looked so festive, and now they're all gone."0
Jiang Ning consoled him rather unromantically: "It's alright. When the ice thaws, you can retrieve them for burial. They'll rest in peace, and that will conclude your karmic connection."0
The lotus pond lay below a corridor, surrounded by carved stone pillars and tablets, with only one opening where more than ten stone steps descended, designed for cleaning the pond.0
Liu Jinxing carried Liu Jingwei down these frozen steps, playfully entertaining the baby, completely unaware of her footing.0
While fresh snow is soft and fluffy, repeated stepping can compress it into slick ice.0
Liu Jinxing stepped onto such an icy patch, her foot twisted sideways, and her body suddenly lurched toward the stone steps. It happened so quickly that the maid behind her had no time to react.0
No one knew how frantically her heart was beating in that moment, or how terrified she was. In that split second, all she could do was hold Liu Jingwei tightly to her chest, protect his head with her hands, and tumble down the steps.0
Sharp pain shot through her head, face, hands, feet, and other parts of her body. She heard the boy's crying and the maid's screams, smelled the metallic scent of blood. Ignoring her own injuries, as soon as she stopped rolling, she immediately tried to check on Liu Jingwei, only to find that one of her arms was in excruciating pain and completely useless.0
"Young Miss! Young Master!"0
The maid rushed over crying, first picking up Liu Jingwei, then trying to help Liu Jinxing, whose face was covered in blood.0
Aliali: 67486d6cc4f3f33ac47890dfLiu Jinxing pushed herself up with her good arm and, seeing Liu Jingwei crying uncontrollably, anxiously shouted to the maid, "Quick, check if my brother is hurt!"0
The commotion attracted passing guards, and moments later, Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an hurried over, their hearts clenching at the sight of Liu Jinxing's bloodied face.0
Liu Ming'an ran down the steps, scooped up Liu Jinxing, and rushed toward the courtyard. Jiang Ning took Liu Jingwei from the maid and followed.0
Liu Jinxing hadn't cried when the pain made her vision go dark, but now, seeing her parents, she finally couldn't hold back her tears.0
"Father, it's all my fault! I dropped my brother, it's all my fault!"0
Liu Ming'an's heart ached at the sight of blood on his daughter's face and exposed hands: "Be good, Jinxing, don't talk about that now. Mother and Father are here."0
When they reached the room, Jiang Ning wanted to examine Liu Jinxing's injuries, but heard her plea: "Mother, please check on my brother first. He's still crying - please see if he's hurt!"0
"He's fine, just scared. You protected him very well," Jiang Ning replied, having already thoroughly examined Liu Jingwei on the way and pieced together what had happened from the scene.0
Hearing this, Liu Jinxing smiled through her tears.0
From that day forward, Liu Jinxing truly understood the meaning of "protect."0