“Did you hear? The God of War is returning to the capital?” A fruit salesman leaned against his stall and craned his neck to try to speak to the leather seller next to him.
“Really?” The leather seller exchanged a small bag for a few silver coins, “I’ve never seen them before. What do you think they’ll look like?”
“Pointed teeth, red-tinted eyes, blessed by the gods…” The buyer of the bag clutched it in their hands, and a wild look came to their eyes as they described the fearsome General.
A woman bumped into the buyer from behind, causing him to lurch forward and almost knock over the stall. “Oh, sorry, sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear. I heard they once fought the God of Death and survived.”
“Crown Prince Yichen of the State of Long? That menace?” The leather salesman’s voice was full of shock and a type of fearful reverence. Even if they feared the General, they also greatly respected them. After all, no matter how fearsome they may be, they were the ones who kept them from being absorbed by the Long Kingdom of the East and defended their borders.
“Making up for the useless royal family, I’ll tell you that.” Another man chuckled and examined the fruit salesman’s apples.
“Shhh. Don’t let anyone hear you say that.”
“But you know I’m right, after all, it’s only thanks to the General that the State of Wu has lasted this long.”
Everyone in the marketplace bustled, knocking into each other and bouncing off the wooden stalls. The news that the famous General of the State of Wu was entering the Capital had created a buzz among the citizens for almost a week now. As the news spread, the rumors got even bigger and grew on top of each other, no one knew what was true and what was an exaggeration.
“Make way! Make way! The General is coming!”
Crashing into each other, people hustled to move out of the way of the incoming soldiers. It was the first time they would see the General, and all were curious about whether they would be the same as the rumors stated. Prone to an insatiable curiosity, the public’s interest won out against their fear, and they lined the marketplace street. Children pressed against their parents’ legs, peeping around to be able to see what had consumed the conversation in their household for the past few weeks.
The sound of heavy feet and the clattering sound of horseshoes on stone was the first sign of the General’s procession. The sound echoed throughout the street, reverberating off the wooden stalls and storefronts. Next came the clanging of metal and the ringing of iron armor as the soldiers walked uniformly through the market. Their armor shone in the sunlight, tarnished, but intricately designed with scale-like pieces of iron connecting and interweaving together. Moving as one unit, they carried spears, swords, and various weapons through the streets, but it wasn’t until several groups of soldiers walked past that the civilians finally saw the object of the rumors.
“That’s them right! That must be the General!”
Excited children were lifted on their parents’ shoulders so they could catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure. They all watched in awe as the black horse with a splotch of white in its mane clambered through the square.
“Look, Mom! It’s her!” A little boy pressed his hands on his mom’s head, trying to push himself up to get a better view. “But why can’t I see their face?”
“I see! I never thought I would see them in this lifetime.” The mom squinted her eyes, “I’m not sure, she seems to be wearing some sort of face covering.”
“I’m sure she’s far too ugly to want to be seen.” A merchant nearby smirked, and his friends chuckled.
“Either that or scarred.” His friend responded, joining in on the vicious revelry.
“If that is the case, she is scarred from saving our people. And being ugly is not a crime,” A woman spoke up from beside the group of men, her hands on her hips, “Or else you’d have been sent to jail long ago.”
“I don’t know if even the jail would want him with a face like that.” Another man beside the group commented, his lip curled up in disgust at the group of men in front of him.
Ashamed, the group of friends kept quiet and tried their best to sink back into the crowd. With a laugh, the others around the group dismissed the men and focused on the procession in front of them. Some threw carnations and asters at the soldiers, forgetting their fear and worry.
It wasn’t very long until Xinyue drew to a halt upon making it to the doors of the palace. Wooden doors painted white with iron bars and decorations coated in silver. Xinyue wondered how many battalions could be fed with the money it cost to upkeep such luxury. Banners of red with emblems of white tigers fluttered on the walls of the palace, and a large placard with the words, “The Tiger King of the West,” hung over the doors. She wished the trip were longer so she could avoid the meeting with the royal family for just a bit longer. Face covered in a piece of black cloth tucked into the collar of the clothing under her armor, she felt relieved not to be exposed to so many prying eyes.
“General, His Majesty has been expecting you.” A servant came to greet the General as they arrived. He saluted and waved the procession forward with a sweeping gesture of his arm. “In the Hall of Ceremonies of the palace, you’ll be asked to remove your sword and other weapons. Please cooperate.”
“Understood.” With this short response, Xinyue made her way into the large gates that housed the white tiger of the Wu Royal Family.
As they rode past different buildings of the outer palace towards the inner palace, everything from the door knockers to the uniforms of the servants became more luxurious. Painted in different shades of greys, white, and black and adorned with silver, the palace buildings were some of the most beautiful things that Haoran or Xiaobo had seen in their entire lives.
“General, is this what it means to be a royal?” Xiaobo let his mouth get ahead of him again and spoke without thinking. “It’s so-“
“I’m sorry, General, he didn’t think before speaking.” Haoran cut off the rest of Xiaobo’s thoughts and glared at him. His hand went to rest on the hilt of his sword, the warning clear.
“Yes, General. I’m sorry.” Xiaobo bowed his head in response. He didn’t need Haoran to make him feel guilty, he already felt the shame seeping into his bones and coating his cheeks with a red-hot flush.
“There’s no need. I don’t know if this is what it means to be a royal. After all, I am not one.” Xinyue shrugged and kept going, her face not giving away any of the inner turmoil she felt at being back in this silver-gilded cage. She was seven years old when she first came to the palace, and it had not been long until she was sent to the temple. Even in such a short time, she remembered the discomfort of being here like ants crawling up her skin. Everything in the palace was perfect, beautiful, and vicious, including most of the people as well.
“General, I will ask you to dismount and give us your weapons.” A servant came forward and saluted, directing the General to the Hall of Ceremonies and up to where Xinyue would meet His Majesty, the King. “His Majesty has requested that you meet him at court.”
“Very well.” Xinyue took off her sword and unstrapped the hidden knives she kept in multiple locations along her body. As she disarmed herself, the servant watched with wide eyes and trembling hands. It was almost unnatural how many places she was able to hide various types and sizes of weaponry. “Where will my troops stay?”
“Ah-um-yes. His Majesty has made arrangements for your troops in the barracks. There will be another servant to lead them.” The servant reached forward to take some of the weapons, but Xinyue avoided his hands and passed them to Haoran, who took them with two hands. “After you’ve finished with His Majesty, I will lead you to your quarters.”
“No need. I will stay with my men.” Xinyue turned her attention to Haoran, unlacing a knife from her thigh that was undetectable due to armor placement. “Lead the men to the new quarters and begin unpacking. Training is unnecessary today, given the circumstances, however, tomorrow it will begin again. Xiaobo, you are in charge of inventory.”
Xiaobo groaned lightly and kicked a bit at the stone-covered ground. Xinyue’s eyes crinkled in the corners, and she was glad that at least her smile was hidden beneath the face covering. It wouldn’t suit the situation to be seen smiling.
“It is inappropriate given your status-“ Just as quickly as the smile appeared, it disappeared with the servant’s words. Xinyue again was the cold marble statue from before.
“What status?” Xinyue cut off the servant and stared at him. The sunlight hit her eyes, making them glow a menacing, steely gold. Even without her weapons, she bore the awe-inspiring aura fit for her station. “I have made my intention clear.”
“But-but-servants. We need to have the servants aid you.” He stumbled over his words, glancing from the right and the left. “Plus, plus, His Highness, the Crown Prince said-“
“No need.”
“Uh, I’m not sure-“
“You do not need to be sure.”
“Yes, I understand.” The servant bowed and clutched his trembling hands together, begging them to stop shaking. He had never felt such an intimidating presence before, even in front of the King. He didn’t know what he would tell the Crown Prince, but between the two of them, he’d rather take his chances with him.
“Lead me to the court.” Xinyue placed her last weapon in Haoran’s hands, who packed it away with the rest. The servant let out a sigh of relief under his breath after being released from the cold focus of the General. He begged whatever gods there were that he would not be asked to escort her again.
“Yes, this way. This way.” The servant bowed again and ushered the General away from her troops. She stood and waited for another servant to come forward to help her troops to their quarters before she moved.
“Please, General. The court is in session.” The servant’s voice was whiny and desperate as he begged her to move away and make her way to the King.
Finally, the troops were ready to move to their quarters. The servant was about to guide them away from the doors of the Hall of Ceremonies. Before they moved on, they had one more thing to do.
“Salute.” Haoran’s voice echoed, and as one unit, the troops turned to face the General and saluted, right hand over their left. They bowed their heads a bit before drawing back upright, their hands once again at their sides.
“Face front. Move out.” The soldiers marched in formation away from the General and the servant, meaning to lead her to the court. Their footsteps echoed against the palace walls, loud in such an empty and joyless place.
Finally, after what felt like ages for the poor servant, the General followed him to the royal court.
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“Um, not to be presumptuous, but are you aware of court etiquette?” The servant was terrified, his voice shook as he spoke, but he didn’t want to see the General embarrassed. Or if she was embarrassed, he didn’t want to be the one she blamed.
“Yes, I have been here before.” The General walked up the steps of the court building, marveling how it could look the same as it had fifteen years ago, from the stone steps up to the tiled roof with tiger figurines walking along the top.
“Right, right.” The servant snapped his mouth shut and continued forward until they reached the servant who would announce their presence. It was calm and quiet outside the building; however, inside was anything but.
“I can’t believe those bastards would request such a thing!”
“I think it’ll be a good opportunity-“
“For what? For them to infiltrate-“
Councilors talked over each other, leading to a cacophony of noise that echoed and bounced from the high ceiling to the white marble columns. The sound of rustling paper added to the chaotic symphony as memorandums were shifted from hand to hand and occasionally thrown across the room to hit the black floor. The councilors wore long silver outer robes embroidered with black and white peonies, contrasting with the black of their pants and inner wear that peeked out from their collars and sleeves. Black, high hats adorned their heads, almost tilting and falling to the floor as they animatedly argued with each other.
This was the scene that the General entered.
“The General Xinyue of the State of Wu requests entrance to the Hall of Ceremonies!” The eunuch announced, his voice booming to be heard over the fighting councilors.
There was no point in being hesitant; the General stepped into the court, and almost immediately the voices of those in the hall hushed to a mere murmur. Dying completely out as she walked to the front of the room, just before the steps of the platform where the King sat on his white marble throne. When she reached the front of the room, just in front of the councilors, she bent to one knee and saluted the King with her head bowed.
“Rise, General.” The King’s voice was not as bright as it was all those years ago; age had taken a toll on the fierce tiger of the West.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Xinyue rose from her knees to look at her birth father for the first time in almost fifteen years. His once black beard was streaked with gray hair, his jaw square with a dimple in the middle of it, and his nose flat with a wide nose bridge. They looked almost nothing alike, except for their eyes. Xinyue inherited her fierce, golden eyes from the King.
“I trust you traveled well.” The King’s eyes gleamed in the light, and although he didn’t smile or change his expression, his voice seemed almost soft.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I suppose you are wondering why I have called you back to the Capital.” The King leaned forward in his throne and examined Xinyue’s face, trying to make out the contours of her face beneath the black covering.
“I wouldn’t dare to wonder or guess Your Majesty’s thoughts or intentions.” Xinyue’s response was automatic. Cold and unwavering, she showed no feelings about being in front of His Majesty. It wasn’t her place to do so.
With such an answer, the councilors behind her shifted their feet and tried to straighten out their clothing. They had heard about the General, who hadn’t? But they hadn’t known what to expect from such a figure. She seemed to take up the room with her presence, it pushed down on their shoulders and made them feel tense, pressured.
“Yes, you’re correct. Well, the Kingdom of Long has reached out to us.” The King’s eyes watched Xinyue’s face to see if she would show any emotion when the other kingdom was mentioned. “The Crown Prince is searching for a bride.”
The councilors murmured and shook out their sleeves. Xinyue didn’t so much as shift her weight or nod.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“They have asked for representatives from all kingdoms to travel to the State of Long, including the princess of our Kingdom of Wu.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” If her half sister was chosen to marry into the Kingdom of Long, it would lead to a more peaceful dynamic between the kingdoms. This could prevent future wars and skirmishes between the State of Wu and the State of Long, not to mention the Kingdom of Wu may be able to access the East Sea. It didn’t seem like a bad situation to Xinyue, one less enemy for her to fight, fewer people for her to kill.
“Your Majesty, I must object.” One of the councilors stepped forward from the group to stand next to Xinyue, the embroidery of his robe distinguished him to be one of the higher members of the court. Xinyue remembered his face, even with old age, his hawkish nose and low cheekbones were the same.
“Grand Mentor, what do you have to object to?” The King raised his eyebrows and sat back on the throne. He gave a slight wave to Xinyue. Some may think he was relaxed, but to Xinyue, he looked like a crouching tiger, prepared to pounce at any moment. In response, Xinyue gave a slight nod with a salute and stood to the side, calculating what would happen next. It was not her place to be a part of this conversation; she was not a politician but a general. However, it was useful to know of the politics in the court, just not to be a part of them.
“The princess should not be sacrificed in the name of peace. The State of Long looks down on us due to their size and economy, we shouldn’t give in to their pressure.” The Grand Mentor, the father of one of the concubines of the King, didn’t want to give the Queen’s faction more power through a political marriage of her daughter.
“Grand Mentor, this is an opportunity for peace. We should, of course, send the princess to help maintain order and strengthen our connection with the Long Kingdom.” That smooth, silky voice, dripping with promises and ill intent. The father of the Queen, the Grand Preceptor, still looked like a weasel with his short face and pointed nose. “This is a grand opportunity for us all to economically and politically benefit. I am sure the princess would be more than willing to make this sacrifice for her people.”
Xinyue could almost see him rubbing his palms together, greedily waiting for more power to be snatched and absorbed into his estate.
“You are right, Grand Preceptor, this is a great opportunity,” The King clapped his hands together, “One we cannot miss, therefore, all of the princesses shall travel to the State of Long.”
His Majesty stood from the throne and prowled down the steps that led to where the councilors were standing. Even in his old age, he moved lithely without any noise.
“All the princesses, Your Majesty?” The Grand Preceptor’s eyes cut a bit to look at Xinyue, but she didn’t pay him any mind. “All the legitimate princesses, you mean?”
There was a sharp intake of breath from some of the councilors, and they looked out of the corner of their eyes at the General, but Xinyue kept her eyes trained forward without any reaction.
“Why, Grand Preceptor? Is there someone else you had in mind?” His Majesty’s lip curled, and his eyes flashed as he walked close to a candle nearby.
“No, Your Majesty.” The Grand Preceptor answered quickly and bowed a bit. “After all, the General has contributed to the State of Wu and is known to be a representative of the royal family, but she is still an illegitimate child. I just wanted to clarify and understand Your Majesty.”
“Yes, General Xinyue has contributed more than most to our Kingdom. It would be a shame to lose her to a political marriage.” The Grand Mentor also hopped in to support the Grand Preceptor. They didn’t agree on a lot, but in this instance, they concurred.
“If it is for the good of the Wu Kingdom, shouldn’t we increase our chances of an alliance with the Kingdom of Long? Didn’t you say this opportunity for peace is of the utmost importance?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. You are correct.” The Grand Preceptor pursed his lips in discontent. He had assumed, incorrectly, that only the Queen’s daughter would be sent to the Long Kingdom.
“General Xinyue, step forward.” The King turned to look at Xinyue. Stepping forward, Xinyue got a better view of his face. Time had not been kind to the King; weariness dragged down his features, and dark circles painted dark smudges beneath his eyes.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I have summoned you back from where you were stationed on the northern border to assist in this mission. You have fought with the Long Kingdom before as well as worked with them to help fend off bandits. You also know the Crown Prince of the Long Kingdom.” The King paused, and Xinyue realized he wanted assurance.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Nothing he said was incorrect; she did know the Crown Prince and had both fought against him and for him before.
“Due to your unique position, you will be sent to the King of Long along with the princesses of Wu.”
“Your Majesty!” The Grand Preceptor interjected but immediately snapped his mouth closed. He wasn’t the only member of the court shocked by the news; they all began to murmur and shift from foot to foot.
No one had known why Xinyue had been summoned, only the King. That’s why Zixin’s spies couldn’t find anything. The dots began to connect in Xinyue’s mind, this was the King’s plan.
“Did you not just tell me how much General Xinyue has contributed to this Kingdom? Would the princesses of this kingdom not feel safer to be escorted by the God of War? Especially if they are to meet the God of Death.” His Majesty’s voice became almost melodic, they had fallen into his trap. He used the Kingdom of Long’s Crown Prince’s moniker almost mockingly, throwing it in the faces of all the councilors present.
“But-“ The Grand Preceptor had gone red, and he stumbled over his words as he tried to think of a way he could reverse this less-than-ideal situation. It didn’t take a strategist of Xinyue’s caliber to understand the Grand Preceptor’s mind. He thought he would be successful today in getting the princess, the Queen’s daughter, into the position of the Queen of Long. But not only was Concubine Ruxuan’s daughter now going to the Kingdom of Long, but the damn cockroach that was General Xinyue was going as well.
“That is settled then. General Xinyue will set off for the Kingdom of Long along with the princesses to guard them as they compete for the position of the Crown Princess of Long.” His Majesty strolled back up to his throne, his hands locked behind his back as he walked, before he turned around. Xinyue saw the smile that flashed across his face. He had won today’s battle at court.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” All together, the people of the court went to their knees and bowed to the King.
It was settled, General Xinyue would go to the Kingdom of Long.
