122 The Little Loli and the Heroic Spirit
The girl realized the moment she let her thoughts slip out of her mouth that she was in trouble. For someone as noble as the sun and moon, this was truly a disgrace. Zhou Meimei turned her head back helplessly. At that moment, her two followers wore expressions of utter shock, like the sky had collapsed.
"...Princess? Eh? Eh?" The girl beside the twin-tailed girl asked her boss in surprise. "Princess?! What did you just say?!" The other girl looked as though she had seen a ghost. "N-nothing! I didn't say anything!!!" The girl blushed, waving her hands quickly, her twin-tails swaying along.
On stage, Shirou bowed to the audience in thanks. He felt the girl's gaze and gave her a small nod. Feeling the boy's eyes on her, Zhou Meimei's face turned even redder.
"...Princess, don't tell me you've fallen for him? You can't! This isn't the time to enjoy yourself!
Didn't we agree that before we succeeded in business, there'd be no talk of marriage, no romance? As long as we have money, why worry about not having some pretty boy marry into our family? When you're eighty, besides… our family debt hasn't even been paid off yet…"
"That's right, Princess! We haven't even fought yet, haven't become the richest in China, haven't established the world's number one business empire.
Even if you want to flirt with guys, at least wait until after we've accomplished our career goals! Once we've made enough money to live in luxury for a lifetime, you can have any kind of good man you want! For now, if you want a guy, just casually play around with one!"
"Shut up! I know what I'm doing! You don't need to lecture me!" Zhou Meimei said, her face still red.
At this moment, Shirou, who was standing in place, put down his longbow and began moving his arms and legs. His performance was not over yet.
When the boy picked up his bow again, his entire presence shifted. From the elegant, carefree young noble he had been, he became a cold and stern warrior, a fortress quietly standing guard, perhaps now showing a temperament more true to his nature.
"Well then, the kyudo demonstration ends here. Next, let's show everyone some modern shooting techniques." Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled as she introduced to the audience. This was the performance idea Shirou had mentioned to her in the car that morning. If traditional archery couldn't attract people, then show off skills instead.
"Modern shooting?" Some boys in the audience who had experience with bows smirked dismissively when they heard this. "Eh? Wasn't that already amazing just now? Slow, yes, but he still hit the bullseye," another student asked.
"Just luck~! That kind of slow shooting is useless on a battlefield. I don't know his rules, but if I used my compound bow, hitting the target would be no problem at all. I'll challenge him later," the boy with archery experience said with a chuckle.
The subtleties of the arts can't be easily understood by the masses. After all, these are refined techniques passed down over centuries, even millennia, and without time and deep study, they are not easily recognized.
But art always contains truth, goodness, and beauty. As long as it is art for the people, not just something for a small circle to flatter each other about, then if you can bring out the exciting and striking parts, people can still appreciate it.
For things like Go or calligraphy, maybe that would be difficult. But for archery, all you need is to hit the target.
Shirou gripped three arrows in his right hand at once. One arrow, two arrows—released the instant they touched the bowstring. The third followed immediately after. The entire motion was completed within a second. In that instant, the three arrows formed an afterimage like a single line, only separating slightly at the end, before all three buried themselves into the bullseye. Seen from the front, the three white fletchings aligned in a straight line.
Shirou turned his body, notching another three arrows. Then, in an instant, he spun around and fired explosively. Speed, power, and sharp intensity— The arrows reached the target the instant they were loosed, all piercing into the bullseye, forming another straight line.
Then there were jumping shots, backward somersault shots. By the end, the nine-ring and ten-ring area at the target's center was completely filled with more than ten arrows. The white fletching neatly formed a white circle.
The seated students were stunned. In their eyes, Shirou holding a bow looked like Hou Yi reborn(mythological Chinese archer). With a bow in his hands, he seemed even more lethal than a man carrying a machine gun.
"I'm starting to believe the story that Zhao Yun, when fetching Zhuge Liang on the river, shot one arrow to sever the pursuers' sail rope," the white-haired principal exclaimed in wonder. "Yeah, or like General Taishi Ci, who shot an arrow that nailed a rebel's hand to a beam when it appeared from a tall building. Ancient battlefield sharpshooters must have been like this," the dean said with admiration.
"Ah, what was it you said earlier?" Someone patted the boy with archery experience on the shoulder, teasing him. "No, I was saying next time I'll just play ping pong with him," the boy laughed awkwardly.
"So cool…" This time even Wan'er and Lingyue's eyes turned to hearts, completely entranced. Annoyed, Zhou Meimei seized the chance to run off. Wan'er and Lingyue of course refused to let her go, chasing after her, while several other girls, finding it amusing, also followed.
At this time, Shirou had changed clothes in the locker room, taken down the bowstring, packed the bow into its case, and walked out from backstage. "Shirou~! Your performance just now was really amazing!" The little girl ran up to him as he came down from the stage. "Thanks. Though it can't compare to your recited poetry earlier, I also tried very hard," Shirou said with a light smile. "Just call me Meimei. I don't call you Shirou-kun either. We're friends, right?" the little girl swayed side to side, asking softly. "Mm, I understand, Meimei," Shirou readily agreed.
"..." "..."
Wan'er and Lingyue both looked like they had seen a ghost, their expressions as if they'd just lost billions.
On one hand, the princess leading them to the peak of life seemed to have truly fallen. On the other hand, the man she fell for was indeed handsome, but they had no right to steal him…
The other girls behind them, though, all wore curious gossiping faces.
Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha came over with some classmates carrying supplies. "Senpai, good luck," Shirou encouraged her. "Well, I'm just trying to please the people here, that's all," Utaha replied casually.
Though she said that, when the exchange program formally began, Utaha, with the help of teachers and classmates, had a long table set up, spread rice paper, dipped a brush in ink, and solemnly wrote out the entire Song of Everlasting Sorrow in Chinese characters. She wasn't an expert in Chinese or calligraphy, but she had put in considerable effort.
Alright, so this person really is a fan of Murasaki Shikibu and Bai Juyi, so of course she chose this. No wonder she gets along so well with Eriri. Turns out Senpai is also a type of tsundere in her own way, Shirou thought to himself.
Unlike Hiratsuka-sensei, Senpai couldn't understand Chinese, but she had carefully memorized the standard pronunciation, and recited the Song of Everlasting Sorrow in a clear, elegant, and moving voice.
"The Han emperor lusted after beauty enough to topple a nation, Ruled for many years but could not obtain her. From the Yang family, a girl newly grown, Raised in seclusion, unknown to the world. Born with natural beauty that could not be hidden,
One day chosen to be by the ruler's side. One glance, one smile, a hundred charms born, The six palaces' beauties paled before her. Spring nights too short, mornings slept away, From then on, the ruler no longer held court. Three thousand beauties in the harem, All three thousand loves bestowed on her. In heaven, we would be two birds flying together, On earth, we would be two branches growing as one. Heaven and earth may have an end, But this sorrow is without cease."
Yang Yuhuan was naturally beautiful, skilled in poetry, song, and dance, with extraordinary talent in the arts. At seventeen, she married Emperor Xuanzong's son, Prince Shou, but due to her beauty, Xuanzong himself desired her, ordering her to enter the palace as a Taoist nun. At twenty-seven, she was made Noble Consort. After the empress's death, she became head of the harem, receiving boundless favor. In the end, during the An Lushan Rebellion, while fleeing, she was blamed as a femme fatale and, at Mawei Slope, Xuanzong had no choice but to order her death.
The 840-character poem was recited flawlessly by the girl, in her own uniquely elegant and gentle voice. She was rewarded with thunderous applause. The sense of national pride satisfied, the audience looked at the beautiful, graceful girl on stage with expressions of admiration.
Hiratsuka Shizuka and another teacher exchanged smiles and nodded, very satisfied. It seemed this exchange program had received wonderful responses. Combined with Shirou's earlier stunning performance, it was perfect. As expected of the top student who had held first place in her grade at Chiba International High all year.
Some of the boys ran their hands through their hair to look more handsome, thinking to themselves: A beautiful girl who also loves our culture is so rare. If I work hard enough to marry her, wouldn't that bring glory to the country?
Unfortunately, Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze at this time was fixed on the boy standing off to the side with a group of girls. "So soon you've already gotten close with the female students here, huh. As expected of Shirou-kun."
But not everyone approved of the poem's theme. "Hmph! Yang Guifei? What's so great about writing about such a weak little woman? A woman should rely on herself! Killing that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and dying for her own will would've been better than dying for him!" said the little girl standing next to Shirou, her tender voice filled with pride.
Shirou looked at the speaker—a girl with long twin tails named Zhou Meimei—and couldn't help but feel that although her body was tiny, her spirit was extraordinary. "Princess, you're amazing, truly a future strong woman," said the girl called Wan'er. "Today's Princess is both super dignified and super cute," said the girl called Lingyue. "Yes, yes, today's Princess is also super cute—no less than that girl who came from Chiba," added other female classmates who had gathered around the little girl to watch the performance. They didn't treat her with distance, but rather affectionately patted her head with loving smiles as they praised her.
"Stop treating me like a child! How many times have I told you already! Once I finish developing, I'll immediately surpass that woman up on stage! Once I've grown, I'll absolutely become a bombshell, a sexy queen!" Zhou Meimei puffed out her tiny chest, speaking with complete confidence. "Mm-hmm, that's right," the girls beside her clapped their hands in sync, humoring her. But except for Wan'er and Lingyue, not a single one of them truly believed it.
"I said, stop treating me like a child!" the little girl shouted in her tender voice, swinging her long, wavy twin ponytails as she flailed her arms. "Haha, so scary!" the girls laughed as they ran off, leaving Zhou Meimei fuming as she chased after them.
Shirou chuckled softly. As a guest, he thought it best not to disturb the girls in their play, so he started walking away.
Zhou Meimei stopped chasing, folded her arms across her chest, and declared: "Hmph, my heart is very broad. As long as it's not an enemy, it's fine to tolerate some jokes between classmates. But… seeing me, so young and cute, surely that man must have been moved too, right?"
Zhou Meimei tilted her head, looking at the smiling boy as he walked away, and a smile spread across her face. Charming yet innocent, enchanting yet childish—the contradictory beauty was written all over her features.
Zhou Meimei was born gifted. At first, her family even raised her like a boy. But then a master skilled in physiognomy came and sighed in regret: "Just look—this child's forehead is full, her eyes like dragon's, her neck like phoenix's, noble beyond compare, destined to be an exalted figure! If only she were a boy, she could've been an emperor in ancient times. In modern times, she could've been a high official, a regional lord, or even built a commercial empire."
"Even if you know about my ancestors, isn't this conning money a bit too much?" Zhou's father had laughed and cursed, ordering the master to be sent away.
At first, Zhou Meimei was nothing more than a girl from a family a little wealthier than most, with a bit more talent than her peers. Like children her age, she was playful, willful, and had her own hobbies. She had no interest in becoming an official or a business leader.
But everything changed when she started playing FGO. Very early on, during a card draw, she obtained a mysterious card no one else seemed to have seen before. Its details were unknown, its class unclear.
And yet—it could communicate with her. When necessary, it could even possess her like a spirit, allowing her to use unbelievable powers.
But she knew she had to keep a low profile.
Even if she was hiding an empress within her phone, she couldn't forget humility. Hidden among the masses, Zhou Meimei carefully concealed her aura, only revealing her abilities when absolutely necessary.
The Servant that made a pact with the girl lay dormant, secretly borrowing energy from the FGO system to maintain its presence, avoiding detection from Chaldea.
This Servant was different from the heroic figures in the game. What made her powerful was not brute strength, but intellect, strategy, and ruthless decisiveness.
The Servant was none other than the only female emperor in five thousand years of Chinese history.
Compared to the Tang Taizong whom Zhou admired—who killed his own brothers and usurped his father's throne—what she did was merely pulling down the son she had borne with her husband from the imperial throne, and taking the seat herself.
She ruled the very country she and her husband had built together for decades.
As Wu Zetian gradually learned about modern society through Zhou Meimei, transforming her concepts into concrete understanding, she came to realize this was an era where monarchy had long fallen.
Thus, she decisively abandoned the idea of becoming an emperor.
What she desired now was simply to be someone who could seize control of her own fate.
In her time, entering the palace was not a choice she could make. Now, the environment was entirely different. She had loved Li Zhi, but just as Li Zhi had loved more than one person, after his death, she too had the right to love others.
Not to mention, in this world, Li Zhi no longer existed.
With experience, courage, and ambition second to none, she could carve out her own dominion here. Wealth, power, and status—these were what she sought.
The Servant Wu Zetian did not dislike the little girl who was her vessel.
She chose to raise Zhou Meimei, who was so much like her younger self, as though she were her other half. After all, in their current inseparable state, without a Holy Grail, Wu Zetian could only act through the girl's body.
Though Wu Zetian and Zhou Meimei were similar, they were not the same. Even with shared values, even with some memories overlapping due to their bond, Zhou Meimei could not match Wu Zetian's ruthlessness—unless she were pushed to the edge.
Wu Zetian's father had been a wealthy merchant who heavily invested in Li Yuan, abandoning commerce to join the army. When Li Yuan became emperor, he was ennobled as a duke. But after Li Yuan was forced to abdicate by Li Shimin, as Li Yuan's confidant, he became suspected.
Moreover, because he was from a merchant family, he was rejected by aristocratic clans, and eventually the family declined.
Zhou Meimei's father, too, was a great businessman. Although the business world was like a battlefield, the social standing of merchants was far higher than a thousand years ago.
Unlike Wu Zetian, Zhou Meimei had not endured the same cruel oppression in childhood.
Wu Zetian, intelligent and beautiful, had earned a reputation as a prodigy from a young age. Yet her father died when she was only twelve, and her family was bullied by her cousins. At fourteen, she was chosen for the palace, becoming a Cairen of Emperor Taizong. She failed to gain favor and remained there for twelve years, swallowing humiliation and witnessing the ruthless struggles of the harem.
Zhou Meimei, too, had displayed her brilliance from a young age. But she was doted on and protected by her father. At fifteen, she was still attending school, trusted and liked by her classmates, carrying an innocent and cheerful side that remained untouched.
When it comes to the relationship between Zhou Meimei and Wu Zetian, it's less like a happy-go-lucky reincarnation of Wu Meiniang and Wu Zetian and more like a relationship between similar friends.
Wu Zetian lends her power, wisdom, and experience to the girl, and in return, the girl must use her financial and human resources to fulfill Wu Zetian's desires.
The two girls who follow Zhou Meimei are high school students from the branch campus, but they are both completely submissive to her.
The one with the single ponytail on the left is named Shangguan Wan'er. Her family's company went bankrupt, but she herself is very talented. So, Zhou Meimei's father acquired Wan'er's family company, and in exchange for helping her revitalize her family business, she became Zhou Meimei's subordinate.
With some proper training as an assistant and secretary, she will have no problem becoming a CEO of a branch of the group in the future.
Wan'er also did not want to live a life of poverty and debt, wasting her youth working to support her family. So, they hit it off immediately, and she became Assistant No. 1.
The other one, with the single ponytail on the right, named Li Lingyue, is a girl from a relative's family who was trying to fight for the family inheritance.
After a few lessons, she seemed to realize the power difference and now acts as if she wants to be adopted as Zhou Meimei's daughter, holding onto her leg and never letting go.
Lingyue is a bit lacking in practical skills, but she is very good at flattery, clever, and cunning, and she has a wide network of connections. This is her toady—Toady No. 1.
Now, Zhou Meimei wants to find one more loyal person, and her team will be complete.
Just imagine that more than 300 years ago, there was a mediocre emperor who liked to travel everywhere with a monk assistant, a eunuch toady, and a loyal and beloved concubine.
Now Zhou Meimei has her assistant and toady; all she lacks is someone who can take a blow for her. Shirou, this honest and reliable guy, is a great candidate.
And based on the boy's performance just now, he is not only honest and reliable but also looks like he can be a bodyguard, which makes him even better.
Of course, this is modern society, and she is Zhou Meimei, not Wu Zetian. Although she is experienced, she has yet to be in a relationship.
If the boy performs well enough and swears to be loyal to her for the rest of his life, she wouldn't mind developing a relationship with him, getting married, and growing old together.
"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" the heroic spirit Wu Zetian inside her spoke.
She really felt it didn't matter. All she wanted was the Holy Grail. As long as she could make a wish to have a physical body, it didn't matter what her master wanted to do afterward.
"But is he the type who likes a child's body? Although you are very similar to me when I was young, I started to develop after entering the palace at age 14 and became the plump and beautiful woman that Tang Dynasty people considered to be a great beauty."
"Nonsense! The reason I haven't grown taller or bigger this year is definitely because of you being attached to me in this state! We have to find that Holy Grail and get you a physical body right away!" Zhou Meimei said indignantly.
"That would be the best, of course. Although I think you're pretty great the way you are. You're just as cute as I was when I was a child. A legal loli is a great concept~! Hahaha." The heroic spirit laughed sweetly.
"Damn it... I'll definitely grow taller and bigger for you to see!" Zhou Meimei said, frustrated.
At this moment, Shirou had returned to the Chiba school's seating area to continue watching the performances on stage. After Kasumigaoka-senpai's poetry recitation was over, only the flower arrangement performance was left.
Just then, a hand was placed on the boy's head. It was Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had come over to sit down.
"Good job, Shirou!" The woman rubbed the boy's head vigorously, praising him with a bright smile.
"Sensei, you're exaggerating too much," Shirou felt that the woman was happier than everyone else present at the moment.
"Shirou, when I praise you, you should just accept it! I'll take you out for a delicious dinner tonight!" Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a cheerful laugh.
Once the flower arrangement performance was over, the day's exchange activities came to an end. Everyone said goodbye to each other and got on the bus that had been arranged for them.
Shirou, carrying his bow case, was the first to board the bus. He found a place to sit, hung his bag on the seat next to the window, and took out his phone.
"Excuse me," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, moving her slender legs in black stockings, squeezing past Shirou to take a seat inside.
Shirou quickly moved his bag to make room for his senpai to sit down.
Kasumigaoka Utaha sat down without saying anything, her mind clearly at work again.
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