"What did you bring me here for?" He Hanyu asked as Wen Shiyun dragged her by the hand, avoiding the palace servants all the way through sun-dappled corridors to the backyard pond.
"To show you a treasure. Once you know, don't go blabbing about it."
"What treasure?"
"Ah, why ask so many questions? I only brought you because you've been behaving well lately." Wen Shiyun released her hand, muttering as he untied his belt.
"Ah! Why are you taking off your clothes?"
"Shush, shush, shush! What are you yelling for? Of course I have to take them off." Wen Shiyun stuffed his clothes into a waterproof pouch, then hurriedly covered He Hanyu's mouth, utterly baffled. "If I don't take them off, they'll get soaked."
Soaked?
He Hanyu asked nervously, "What exactly are you doing?"
"Ah, you're no fun at all—timid as a rabbit. Didn't you say you wanted to see what my Master looked like? I'm taking you to meet him." Wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, Wen Shiyun stepped into the pond, sending ripples spreading outward.
He Hanyu was delighted. "King of Huai came to Ning River?"
"He didn't. Master should be in Pingyang right now... Hey, hey, hey, don't leave! Look at you, always so impatient. Aren't I taking you to meet him?"
"Can this pond connect to Pingyang or something?"
"Hey! Smart." Wen Shiyun treaded water in the pond, smug as could be. "Didn't my mother give me five days off in the fifth month? I went to see Master, and he specially made a water passage for me. It's right under this pond. Dive in, and you'll reach Master's Pingyang Prefecture. It only takes a few breaths, though it spins you around terribly. The first time I went through, I nearly spun myself sick. So?