Sitting in my old wheelchair, I watch as several maids led by Fei Yi Lingxi load several trunks containing what remains of our belongings onto small carts waiting outside the courtyard. Once full, the carts are taken by several servants to where I assume the carriages are waiting to take us and our belongings into exile.

  As I watch the hustle and bustle and with little else to do, my mind wanders back to the day of our trial, and how, deep down, it was quite disappointing.

  That day, a small part of me imagined a trial like something out of Ace Attorney, even though I knew that something like that was absolutely impossible. But the reality was that rather than a trial, we were in a play where everyone knew their role and what they had to say and do.

  I didn't say a word, as my mother told me not to speak before the trial began, that she would say everything. As with the trial about what happened to my stepbrother, my father told the chief eunuch, Taijian Li Ming, that he would take care of the matter and then stated the charges. My mother spoke and found us guilty, citing my attempted murder as a mitigating factor.

  My father then considered her words and added his own mitigating factors, finally handing down the sentence of exile, which for some strange reason seemed to make Taijian Li Ming happy, if I was to trust his expression.

  The sentence caused a lot of murmuring among the members of the court who were present. From what I could hear, some thought it was fair and others thought it was too harsh, but what I did notice was that everyone was surprised that my father did not strip us of our titles.

  This was especially noticeable in the area where all the other consorts were. Although several of them seemed satisfied, some were not so pleased, and there was one in particular, the one who looked the oldest, who looked at us as if we had killed her puppy or something similar.

  A voice pulls me out of my memories when Lianhua approaches and says “Zhāohuán Wen, Jiǎngshī Zhao Liang has sent a chair just like the one I gave you for your birthday.”

  “I don't think we ordered a new chair, did we?” I ask Lianhua in surprise.

  “No, Zhāohuán Wen. According to the courier who brought the chair, someone ordered it urgently for you”, Lianhua replies.

  I smile, imagining who ordered it, even though they didn't do it in person, and I say to Lianhua “Have them load it onto a cart right away. And while you're at it, get me out of this one and have them load them together. We'll take it with us anyway as a spare, and it's not worth delaying with the time we have left."

  Lianhua nods and lowers me from the chair, sitting me on a bench in the courtyard, then heads off with my wheelchair toward Fei Yi Lingxi, I suppose to tell her my orders.

  I continue to watch lazily as they finish loading what appears to be the last cart when a couple of palanquins enter the courtyard pushed by a couple of Nei Wei, and I hear my mother's voice behind me saying “Wen, it's our time.”

  I look back at my mother as best I can and say “Then let's not delay any longer. We can't keep those who are waiting to watch the show waiting, can we?”

  My mother raises an eyebrow at my outrageous words, but she doesn't refute them. She simply picks me up in her arms and heads toward one of the palanquins, where she sits me down and then climbs in beside me.

  The palanquin begins to move, followed by the other one, which I imagine is carrying Fei Yi Lingxi and Lianhua.

  And my words come true when we see the small groups of people who have gathered to watch us pass by, whispering among themselves and pointing at us as we go through our own particular walk of shame, although fortunately we are dressed.

  Seeing how my mother sits upright and proud, ignoring the crowd without saying a word, I decide to imitate her, and in silence we continue our journey through the imperial palace until we reach the huge square just behind the main gates of the palace, which is full of both Nei Wei and Jin Wei, who do not allow anyone else into the courtyard.

  Upon entering the courtyard, I see half a dozen carriages pulled by huge horses that are finishing loading our belongings. It is impossible that what we have been allowed to take up so many carriages, so I imagine that the rest will be the things we will need for the journey.

  Apart from the carts, there is a carriage clearly intended for transporting people, pulled by six horses, and the palanquins take us to where it is waiting for us.

  As we approach the carriage, I realize the true proportions of the carriage that awaits us, and it is large, very large. Not only that, but seen up close, the horses are absurdly large and must measure almost three meters at the withers.

  As I blink in disbelief at the impossibility of the proportions I am facing, my mother gets out of the palanquin and picks me up, ignoring the absurd size of the carriage and the horses, so I quickly realize that despite my surprise, it is clear that in this world this is normal enough that no one pays any attention to it.

  I see that both Fei Yi Lingxi and Lianhua are approaching us, and my mother waits with me in her arms as she looks around. I am full of questions, but I prefer to remain silent as the journey will be long enough to pepper them with questions later.

  We don't have to wait long, as a guard approaches and introduces herself with a bow “Guifei Xiang, I am Nei Baihu Liang Xue. I will be in charge of your protection both during the journey and during your stay in the city of Xi'an.”

  My mother looks at Nei Baihu and asks “Where is the carriage our maids are supposed to ride in?”

  The Nei Baihu looks a little embarrassed as she replies “Taijian Li Ming has ordered that no maids may be taken. We will attend to your requests during the journey, and upon arrival at the Celestial Lotus Palace, you will have to use the staff residing there.”

  My mother narrows her eyes and says to Nei Baihu “We were never informed of this.”

  “The order came suddenly this morning, Guifei Xiang”, replies Nei Baihu. “It took us by surprise too, but those are our orders and we must obey them.”

  A vein in my mother's head bulges and she opens her mouth to protest, but I tug on her sleeve, making her look at me, and shake my head, which seems to calm her down a little. After thinking for a moment, she simply mutters “When do we leave?”

  Nei Baihu seems relieved that my mother is not pursuing the matter and quickly replies “As soon as they get into their carriage, we'll set off, Guifei Xiang.”

  My mother snorts in response and, without replying, turns to head for the doors of the enormous carriage, which is so large that it even has a staircase to climb into it.

  We climb in, and as I enter, I can't help but notice that I've had rooms smaller than the interior of this carriage. At a glance, it must be about five meters long and three meters wide. And the interior, while not particularly luxurious, is exquisitely decorated. Although I am surprised by the contents, as there are small beds at either end and in the center there are small sofas and a table, I suppose for sitting during the day.

  Seeing all this, I wonder how on earth they plan to move such a monster. No, I correct myself, I wonder how on earth it can support its own weight without breaking. I suppose these are more mysteries to solve during the trip.

  I ask my mother to let me sit by a window, which she does, and she sits next to me, with Lianhua and Fei Yi Lingxi on the sofa opposite. After we sit down, they close the door from the outside, and I hear Nei Baihu shouting his orders to depart.

  I see all the Nei Wei in the courtyard forming up around our carriage and the carts, after which the huge palace gates open and the procession begins to move out of the imperial palace.

  The carriage begins to move with a gentle rocking motion, indicating that we have left the imperial palace courtyard behind. As we approach the huge gate, the first thing I notice is the change in smell, from the more uniform smell inside the imperial palace to a more pungent and diverse smell of what I imagine to be a large city.

  The first sight I see as we leave the palace walls is a wide, straight avenue flanked by imposing Chinese-style buildings. The curved roofs, with their carved eaves decorated with figures of dragons and phoenixes, stand out majestically, while the facades are adorned with intricate carvings and dark wooden balconies.

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  I also see people dressed in vibrantly colored silk robes going about their daily tasks, but they all stop what they are doing as our procession passes by. Their faces are a mixture of curiosity, fear, and respect. Some bow as we pass, and others stand in groups whispering to each other.

  Clearly, the area outside the imperial palace is a high-end commercial district. The shop windows lining the street are filled with exotic spices and fine silks, framed calligraphy, carved jade, and all manner of artifacts whose purpose I cannot fathom.

  It seems that news of the procession, which is slowly making its way through the city with the Nei Wei clearing the way for us, has spread throughout the city, as I see more and more people on the sides of the street looking at us with different attitudes, from those who bow respectfully when they see us to those who simply watch the spectacle while talking to their friends.

  As we move down the street, I can clearly see that social class distinctions are dictated by the distance from the imperial palace. As we move away from the palace, and even though this is clearly the city's main street, the decorations become less ornate and the shops cease to be luxury stores and begin to offer more everyday goods, such as everyday clothing and simpler, more utilitarian furniture.

  One thing I notice when I look at the crowd around us is that all the adults have clearly completed Skin Tempering. And from the loads some of them are carrying, it seems that Muscle Tempering is not unknown to ordinary citizens, or at least to those who reside in the imperial capital.

  I would like to analyze in more detail how this matter of cultivation affects social dynamics in places with a large number of inhabitants, but there is little I can do from my seat in the carriage, so I will have to settle for what I have for now.

  We continue along the long road and as the decorations become simpler and simpler, we enter an area where the smells are more varied and make me hungry. In this area, I see numerous establishments that are clearly restaurants, as well as several street food stalls, although they are empty right now as people are more busy watching us pass by than eating, although I notice that many of those present are carrying drinks in their hands despite the time of day.

  This area passes quickly and we enter what I assume is the outermost area of the city, as what looks like a wall can be glimpsed in the distance. This city is absurdly large, as everything in this world seems to be.

  This area is even more crowded, and from the buildings around us, it is clearly a residential area, although it is not exactly the suburbs, perhaps an area of what would be the upper-middle class.

  The residents, who would normally be going about their daily tasks, have stopped their activities. I see children running as close as possible to the street, their faces shining with excitement, while their mothers call them urgently, fearful of what might happen if they get too close to the imperial procession. Even some elderly people, their faces weathered by the years, look at us with serious expressions as their eyes follow the procession.

  Finally, the city walls appear on the horizon between the houses, imposing and sturdy, with the large main gate in the center, flanked by watchtowers. As we approach, I see that between the wall and the first houses there is an empty area where nothing has been built, which seems strange to me, since normally all areas within the walls are incredibly valuable and fully urbanized.

  We pass the strange empty area and as we approach, the huge iron-reinforced wooden gates are slowly pushed open by the guards, revealing the vast expanse of land that stretches beyond the capital.

  As we cross the city threshold under the gaze of the guards in the watchtowers, a strange feeling of freedom comes over me. Behind me, I am leaving what is supposed to be the protected life of the palace, but which for me was more a source of problems than anything else.

  We pass through the city gates and I immediately notice the change in the smell of the environment, shifting to a more rural scent, something that in my previous life could only be found in areas far from large cities.

  As I enjoy this smell, we continue to move away from the city and what I see through the window is an endless expanse of farmland. In the nearest fields, I see what appears to be wheat, but in more distant areas, I notice other types of crops and even areas of what appear to be fruit trees.

  The roads between the fields are full of farmers, many of them pulling carts that they clearly would be unable to move in a new demonstration of how widespread cultivation is in this world, or at least the initial part.

  But regardless of what they were doing, as we pass by, they all stop their work to bow as we pass. There is no whispering or small groups gathered here, just people bowing silently as we pass.

  In the end, I can't take it anymore after spending several hours leaving the city in silence, and I break it by suddenly asking my mother “How come everyone seems to have cultivated? Isn't that something only done in the court or in sects?”

  My mother stops looking out the window, where she was lost in thought, and looks at me with amusement, then looks at Fei Yi Lingxi and says “Lingxi, I think we've both lost the bet.”

  Fei Yi Lingxi looks back at my mother as she replies “It seems so, Furen.”

  I narrow my eyes as I alternate my gaze between the two of them and ask “What bet?”

  My mother looks at me with a smile as she confesses “I had bet with Lingxi on how long you would remain silent before you started asking questions. The truth is, neither of us thought you would manage to stay silent until we left the city.”

  I cross my arms and glare at everyone present, as I notice that even Lianhua, the traitor, is smiling slyly at my mother's words.

  “But I'll answer your question, it's not something that's difficult to explain”, my mother continues with a smile, ignoring my angry expression. “Both the sect and the imperial army are looking for people with a certain level of talent in cultivation to recruit them, so once a year, children who have reached the age of ten are gathered from all over the empire and tested to see how talented they are.”

  As my mother begins to explain, I stop maintaining my angry expression and start listening attentively, something my mother notices, so she continues with a smile. “Among those who demonstrate a certain level of talent, the sect keeps the most talented, who are taken to their headquarters to officially become cultivators, while those who also have some talent but not enough to attract the sect's attention are recruited into the army.”

  “You have to understand that this test is given to the children of the normal population of the empire”, my mother continues. “Noble families and those with a certain social status begin training their children at the age of eight because they can afford to pay for training like the emperor uses to help children feel Qi, or they have the free time necessary to do so without it, since normal people are not little monsters like you.”

  I notice that she says this last part with a tone of pride, as if to emphasize how exceptional I am, as she continues talking "Normal people don't have the necessary money, nor do their children have the necessary free time, as they have to help their parents or attend the schools they can afford. Therefore, the tests are carried out in large groups that can be used by dozens of children at a time. They are given a period of time and their talent is judged by how long it takes them to feel the Qi. Unless they take longer, they are considered more talented. And those who are not capable, which is the vast majority, are considered untalented and are not recruited by anyone.“

  ”But why ten years for commoners?“ I interrupt to ask after listening to my mother. ”And they just take the children away, their families have no say?"

  My mother sighs after hearing the questions I interrupt her with, but she answers them “The ten years are simply a matter of status. That gives the children of nobles a two-year head start over commoners, which secures their status and power above them, whether in the sect or in the army if their families decide to join it.”

  That seems rather mean to me, but I keep quiet and let my mother continue "As for them simply being taken away, I have to agree with you. But you have to realize that for a normal commoner, being a member of the sect is an honor that their family can boast about for generations. And if they are recruited into the army, the future of both their family and themselves is already set, and they can even raise their status if their children achieve a high rank."

  I still don't like it, but I understand the reasons, and I have to factor in that I am in a Chinese-style culture, where the family is more important than the individuals in it.

  And that seems to answer another question I had, although I already suspected it. It is clear that in this world, a person's gender is not as important as their talent for cultivation. It is clear to me from the dynamics of the court that the world, or at least this empire, is still patriarchal. But a woman can break that dynamic because a person's talent for cultivation is, in the eyes of the people, superior to their status as a man or woman.

  But I can't continue my reflections for long as my mother continues to speak “As for your original question, I suppose you've already guessed the answer. Since you have been initiated into cultivation in the trial, you can continue to do so on your own.”

  She stops looking at me and gazes out the window at the few farmers we encounter, as the fields become increasingly scarce the further we travel from the city, while she continues her explanation “But since they have little talent and can only cultivate in the little free time they have between their work and the time they have to devote to their families, each step usually takes several years.”

  I can easily imagine what she is telling me, but I let my mother finish her explanation without interrupting her.

  “At first, Skin Tempering is easy, especially because they do it when they are young and have more free time, apart from the fact that at their age the advantages of completing it are always more attractive”, my mother continues.

  “But as they grow older, they have much less free time and things slow down, apart from having to sacrifice what little free time they have to do it, so many stop after achieving Muscle Tempering. And they only get that far because in their jobs, if they don't have it, they will always be inferior to those who do.”

  “Very few reach Bone Tempering, and that's the end of the road for normal people”, my mother concludes. “Normal people don't usually have information about the advantages beyond that stage, and even if they did, the potential advantages of Tempering of the Nerves are not enough for an adult with a family to devote what could be decades of their time to achieving it.”

  After finishing her explanation, my mother stops talking as I see her gazing wistfully at the city wall, which is getting smaller in the distance.

  And that image is what finally breaks all the similarities between my old world and this one, because it's one thing to read about what the world is like, and quite another to see how things in the distance don't disappear on the horizon as I'm used to, but simply get smaller and smaller as if we were on a huge straight line.