In the past, I often heard about Longzhou's social customs, and how they acknowledge differences in status. For that reason, I thought they also placed a high importance on nobility, just like the people of Lumopolis. But even though Dantang is the princess of a kingdom, she hardly gives off an air of royalty. In fact, to make a good impression on her first night aboard the Colossus, she personally cooked an entire feast for everyone. The table was full of amazing Longzhou dishes we had never seen before. In that way, she's a lot like Carleen. I'm sure the two of them agree on plenty of different topics and viewpoints. Her royal guard, however, isn't nearly as sociable. Under Dantang's orders, Jiu carries herself calmly enough, but she refuses to let anyone go near her princess, which makes things kind of awkward at times. I hope that someday she realizes we have no intention of hurting her or Dantang.
—Vice

It's rare for you to invite me to play, %s. Unfortunately, I have little interest in things like fortune-telling, so please have fun without me. The reason being... Several fengshui masters deemed my birth an inauspicious one, and I was shunned by many of my peers as a result. I was relegated to the very last seat at every royal banquet, where guests and maids alike kept their distance from me. Even my own father treated me coldly and without affection... But so what? I refuse to believe that a person's destiny can be determined with turtle shells and a handful of copper coins. While I may have endured more hardships than the average person, I can turn my misfortune into fortune with just a little more diligence. In my eyes, our destinies lie in our own hands. The choices we make in the here and now determine the places we will go in life. Ah, there's no need to apologize. I just hope that I haven't spoiled your fun by sharing my thoughts.

*cough* Please don't be concerned for my sake, %s. A cold draft must have gotten to me, is all. But considering my relatively good health, I should recover in just a matter of days. This was true in my past as well. When the Wei Family fell victim to a plague, I was the only one to recover in just three days. However, this only warranted even more criticism from my kinsmen. Everyone accused me of bringing misfortune to the Wei Family, and that my ominous destiny was only creating more problems for them... I felt wronged, but more than anything I felt angry. That was when I decided to search for Bucunzi, the legendary immortal of medicine. Through pure coincidence, I truly managed to find him. At first he was reluctant to assist me, and instead made even more obstacles for me. Thankfully, I refused to give up easily, and eventually he agreed to help me find a cure and save my family. Unfortunately, my father was unable to survive long enough to receive the cure... Nevertheless, should I ever see Master Bucunzi again, I'll be sure to thank him properly.

This peach blossom cake is somewhat lacking, unlike the ones made by our palace cooks. If the opportunity ever arises, I'd like to take you back and let you try them for yourself.
It's true that I'm feeling a bit homesick. I miss the mountains and rivers of the Ye Kingdom, and the begonias of our palace. When I think about it, it has already been five years since I was sent to the Ji Kingdom. I have no idea how my uncle is faring, or my sisters for that matter... After all, I hadn't seen my uncle for a long time in the past. When I saw him again, his voice and appearance had changed somewhat, as well as his hobbies and food preferences. At times, it felt as though I was speaking to a completely different person... One of my sisters was still very young when I left, and must have changed very much after all these years. I wonder if I'll still recognize her when I finally return? I'm not worried about my elder sister changing much, though. We've stayed in contact through letters ever since I left, and she still sends me trinkets from homeland every month. She's still the same older sister I've always known.

In her recent letters, she tells me that the Ye Kingdom has experienced good rainfall this year, and that the harvests have been very fruitful... Naturally, I couldn't be happier for my uncle and the citizens of my homeland. However, hearing of the kingdom's growing prosperity in my five-year absence makes me sometimes wonder: was I truly a source of misfortune for the Ye Kingdom?
But then I remember that no great calamity has befallen the Ji Kingdom since my arrival, and the thought comforts me. In addition, so many good things have happened ever since I was sent to the Ji Kingdom. I became friends with Jiu, obtained guidance from the kingdom's ruler, and learned new things that were beyond my reach even in the Ye Kingdom. Not only that, I was given the privilege of embarking on this long journey, which brought me to you and your allies. If this is the "inauspicious destiny" I was given, then I have no qualms about following it to the very end.