Opening the door, both women stood by the bed. Shen Xingyue looked astonished, while Chen Lu's face was flushed crimson. She tugged desperately at her T-shirt, trying to cover her thighs. The T-shirt was elastic, but its resilience was even greater. Pulling it down in one place caused another to pop up, exposing her waist.
"Here," I tossed the jeans to Chen Lu and turned away.
A rustling sound came from behind. After a while, Chen Lu put on her pants and socks, walked to the door, changed back into her own sneakers, slung her bag over her shoulder, and left the room without looking back.
Sigh. I'll treat her to a meal later to appease her. Chen Lu has a temper, but she's straightforward and easy to placate. Besides, tonight's incident wasn't my fault; she initiated it. As long as I humble myself and apologize sincerely, I believe she'll forgive me.
After seeing off one troublesome guest, I was about to turn to the second when I saw Shen Xingyue insert a hairpin into her hair and walk into the bathroom.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" I asked nervously.
"Using the restroom, is that a problem?" Shen Xingyue frowned. "Don't barge in like you did before. I'm not as casual as her. If you dare to come in, I won't be polite!"
"...Fine, go ahead." My face darkened. I hoped she wouldn't find that diary.
"Why are you standing at the door? Are you sick? Get away from here, or I won't be able to pee!" Shen Xingyue cursed. The door was made of translucent frosted glass, and she could see me from inside.
I had no choice but to retreat, sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting silently for judgment.
Swish, swish, swish... splash... swish, swish, swish. The sound of washing hands. She was surprisingly quick. It seemed she hadn't found it.
The bathroom door opened. I let out a quiet sigh of relief. However, when I saw what Shen Xingyue was holding, I almost choked!
"You're quite something, to find this?" Shen Xingyue dangled the diary and smiled.
Caught red-handed, I was speechless and could only force a smile.
To my surprise, Shen Xingyue didn't confiscate the diary. Instead, she tossed it onto the bed, clapped her hands, and left the room without another word.
What was she up to?
I tiptoed to the door. Shen Xingyue turned into the elevator area from the corridor. *Tap, tap, tap*. This was the second floor; no need for the elevator, she could just take the stairs down.
I locked the room door from the inside and went to the window. Chen Lu was standing at the hotel entrance, preparing to unlock a shared bicycle. A few seconds later, Shen Xingyue also appeared in my sight. The two exchanged a few words, neither warm nor cold. I didn't know what "beauty trap" Shen Xingyue used, but Chen Lu actually got into a Volkswagen Beetle with her. The little red car started and soon disappeared.
I didn't care what they were up to; the important thing was that the diary wasn't confiscated.
Only then did I feel completely at ease. Although I was very sleepy, I worried that something else might happen tonight. So, I stayed up late and devoured Song Lei's diary.
After reading it, I finally had a comprehensive understanding of Jiuxian Cave, Yaoyao, and the history and war from four hundred years ago.
Song Lei's deduction about Mu Jige's identity was indeed supported by historical records. Mu Jige was Nurhaci's fifth imperial daughter. The official history only recorded her death in 1613 (at the age of 17) because in that year, Mu Jige was chosen by a highly respected Manchu shaman priest and taken as an heir.
According to shaman tradition, a priest connects with the gods above and the spirits below. Not only could they not marry or have children, but they even had to sever ties with their parents. Therefore, Nurhaci officially severed his father-daughter relationship with Mu Jige. However, this was only symbolic. She was still a princess of the imperial family, although she could not be included in the genealogy. Yet, because she was the emperor's daughter, the historian couldn't omit her entirely, so they could only record: Fifth Imperial Daughter, died in 1613.
Seven years later, Mu Jige returned after completing her studies and joined her father and brothers in their war against the Ming Dynasty. Because she could cast spells, Mu Jige often needed only a small number of troops to achieve significant victories. She could also cast healing buffs, resulting in very few casualties on their side. After a few battles, Mu Jige's prestige within the Eight Banners army grew rapidly, no less than that of her imperial brothers.
Nurhaci was especially fond of his warrior daughter. There was even a rumor that Nurhaci did not establish a crown prince because he intended to pass the position of Khan to Mu Jige after his death.
This was likely a rumor. Throughout history, there have been many women who were skilled in warfare, but only Wu Zetian reached the highest echelons of power...