The Present

  Without a lot of ceremony, the members and guests of the royal palace had made their way up into the mountains near the capital city for the grand hunt. Like the Crown Prince had promised, the hunt involved a variety of challenges and games. For the past few days, members of their party were called to participate in the festivities. Luckily, Xinyue was rarely called upon, she hoped that it would continue to be so. The only times she was called from her tent were on occasions when the guests were to dine together. Usually, these times were hosted by Hongyi. Rather than spend time with the other guests, Xinyue had decided to isolate herself in her tent, only to come out when she was called.

  There was a cliff with a clearing near their camp where Xinyue would go in the mornings to train. The mountains were a beautiful landscape to look out on from the cliff, they rose above the horizon. In the morning, they were covered in light fog that sparkled as the sun rose. In the evening, the sky painted vibrant colors of pink and deep purple, a gorgeous background in which the mountains caught the sun as it set.

  It was a morning like any other, with sparkling fog coating the bottom of the mountains, when an eunuch summoned Xinyue.

  “General, His Highness requests the General’s presence.”

  Xinyue was coated in a light amount of sweat and dirt when the eunuch found her. She had spent the morning working on various sword techniques. “All of the guests as well?”

  “I do not know, General.” The eunuch’s eyes shifted to the left.

  Xinyue sighed and gathered her belongings. “Very well.”

  She hadn’t seen the Crown Prince since she went to his inner palace and had thought he might have forgotten about her, or at least she had hoped. She breathed in the scent of pine trees as she and her escort walked back to the tents. Her sword swung against her hip, and the weight calmed her down. On her other hip was the knife with the dragon etched on the handle.

  The walk to the tents ended far quicker than Xinyue would have liked.

  “General, would you like the change before meeting with His Highness?” The eunuch bowed, but not before Xinyue saw the look he traced over her sweat and dirt-coated clothing. It seemed as if it just occurred to him that she would need to be presentable when greeting the Crown Prince.

  “Do I have that luxury? His Highness must be waiting.” Xinyue raised an eyebrow.

  “Ah, yes, General. You are wise, General.” The eunuch’s eyes widened, and he nodded over and over in agreement

  Xinyue sighed internally. She knew how impatient the Crown Prince was and if she took too much time, she would bet her horse that he would march through the camp trying to find her, his position as Crown Prince be damned.

  The tent he stayed in was beautifully constructed with swathes of canvas that opened into the Crown Prince’s quarters.

  An eunuch waited patiently at the entrance for Xinyue to nod before he announced her.

  “Let the General in.” The Crown Prince called from inside the tent, and Xinyue entered into his lair.

  She schooled her expression not to show any emotion as soon as she saw Princess Yuyan and Princess Lihua kneeling on the floor in front of the Crown Prince. Their clothing was in disarray, and Princess Lihua was missing an earring. The Feng Prince and Princesses were also present. Xinyue didn’t like the smug look on Princess Mengyao’s face; her deep red, almost brown, eyes calculating. The Princess of Mu was also in the tent, covered in dirt that stuck to her tear-stained face, and her deep purple eyes were tinged with red from crying. She sniffled a bit and rubbed at her face.

  The Crown Prince of Long lorded over all present in his large chair, Hongyi to his right and on his left was someone that Xinyue hadn’t seen for a long time, the spymaster Bowen. Unlike Zixin, Bowen didn’t have to work in the background, it was well-known that he controlled the Long Shadow Guard.

  “Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince of Long.” Xinyue did the customary greeting, her mind racing with possibilities. From the disheveled appearance of the three princesses, Xinyue could guess what had happened.

  “Greetings to General Xinyue of the Long Kingdom. You may rise.” The Crown Prince waved off Xinyue’s greeting.

  “Do you not think her outfit reflects her disrespect to the Crown Prince?” Princess Jingshu said just loud enough for Xinyue to hear. She asked a question to her sister, Princess Mengyao, but she had wanted everyone to hear, especially the Crown Prince.

  “Shush, now is not the time.” Prince Jianhong scolded her, but was secretly pleased with his sister’s antics.

  “It would have been more disrespectful to be late or not call when summoned.” Hongyi cut in his voice, light and playful. “What do you think, Spymaster Bowen?”

  “You are correct, Lord Hongyi. It would have been unfortunate if I had to go search for the General after His Highness already had summoned her.” Bowen nodded solemnly.

  Princess Jingshu bit her lip in displeasure and balled up her fists by her side.

  “I have called you for an unpleasant purpose, General Xinyue.” His Highness had let his subordinates deal with the others, but it was time to get back to why all the kingdoms’ guests needed to be summoned. “There has been an incident between the Princess of Mu and the Princesses of the Wu Kingdom.”

  Xinyue braced her shoulders, His Majesty’s warning and farewell echoing in her mind. She sent a quick prayer to the gods, hopeful that at least one of them would hear it and respond, although they never had before.

  “You see, this hunt was an event with multiple games and activities before the main event. One activity was for the guests to go on a scavenger hunt that my dear sister, the Princess of Long, had arranged.” Xinyue knew how serious the Crown Prince was about his sister. He may be flighty and unserious about most things, but his sister was one of the only people that he cared about in this life. “During the scavenger hunt, the Princess of Mu found one of the gold figurines my sister had hidden in the woods. Can you guess what happened next?”

  He was flippant with his words and his body relaxed back into his chair, but it would be a mistake to consider him as unconcerned or dismissive of the situation. The Crown Prince’s personality could shift in an instant, it was a tactic he used often to lure people into a sense of security.

  “I don’t know, Your Highness.”

  “Come now, General. You are known for your anticipation of the next move on the battlefield. You must have some idea, knowing the Princesses of Wu and their personalities.”

  “I don’t dare to guess.”

  The Crown Prince’s body remained relaxed, but his jaw ticked in displeasure.

  “Well, I have no choice but to tell you that your Princesses of Wu had a disagreement with the Princess of Mu that turned physical in nature.”

  Xinyue looked at the Princess of Mu’s tear-stained face and saw the bruise that had begun to form on her right cheek. It was a light purple, a mark that proved that what the Crown Prince was saying was true.

  “The Princesses of Feng were luckily nearby and were able to call for help.” Xinyue glanced at the Princesses of Feng, nothing out of place and a light smile on their red lips. She would bet that they had waited for as long as possible to call for help, not to mention that they may have instigated the incident, but there was nothing Xinyue could prove.

  “I see, Your Highness.” Xinyue bowed a bit. The laws of the Long Kingdom differed significantly from those in the Kingdom of Wu. Not only had the guests ruined the activity planned by the precious princess of Long, but they had also had a physical altercation with a different member of a royal family, with witnesses who saw the whole thing. There would be nothing that Xinyue could say that would be able to save them from any decision the Crown Prince made, they were at his mercy.

  “Due to the nature of the situation, you, as the representative that brought them to the Kingdom, must be present to hear and accept their punishment.” Xinyue had a sinking feeling that there was some other reason why she was to be present for this situation.

  “I understand, Your Highness.” Xinyue braced herself for what would come next. She remembered knew the Long Kingdom’s military took their punishments and rules seriously. On more than one occasion, she had watched a rule breaker be punished at the Long military camp when she worked with them on the Northern border. It was over a simple problem of a lack of orderly conduct, but she remembered the screams. The princesses would not receive the same punishment, but she didn’t doubt that the Crown Prince would make sure that they learned their lesson.

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  “The Princesses of Wu will spend two days in solitary confinement without food.” As soon as the proclamation was done, the princesses didn’t miss their chance. With tears and bows, they begged for a lesser sentence. It wasn’t that the sentence was that severe; in fact, it was a lot lighter than it should have been, but they had never been punished in such a way, nor had a consequence for their actions.

  “Your Highness’ punishment is wise.” The Prince of Feng smirked, while the punishment may be light, it would also take the princesses away from the current hunt. They wouldn’t have time to participate, giving his sisters time to excel further as a candidate for the Queen’s seat. Everything was going according to the Feng Royal’s plan.

  “Your Highness, if I may.” Xinyue could already imagine the consequences of this punishment. Her mind went to a world where the Feng Kingdom and the Long Kingdom united. There would be no access to the sea, and trade would stall. She got on her knees, her hands clutched in front of her in front of the Crown Prince. “As a representative of the Wu Royal family, I will take the punishment on behalf of the Princesses of Wu.”

  The Crown Prince didn’t even flinch; his expression was the same. The only thing that changed was a slight tilt of his head. He seemed to almost expect this of Xinyue. Neither Hongyi nor Bowen said anything either; they stared straight ahead, not making eye contact with the General or any of the guests.

  “That is acceptable.” He nodded his assent. “Rise, General.”

  Xinyue got to her feet and bowed halfway at the hips.

  “Your Highness!” Princess Mengyao couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her voice was high-pitched and whined a bit. They had worked hard to weave the circumstances that had led to this moment. She had spent the last few days talking to the Princesses of Wu about the Princess of Mu. She had told them Princess Lingyi was the top candidate and worked hard to compliment her in front of the Princess of Long, so that the Princesses would become jealous.

  “Your Highness,” Princess Jingshu interjected, “While we thank the General for her sacrificing behavior, she was not the one who committed the offense.”

  Princess Jingshu kept her tone polite and a smile painted on her face, a mask of beautiful authenticity. Prince Jianhong nodded in agreement, supporting his sisters without saying anything.

  “Since the offense was not yours, I will ask Princess Lingyi.” Xinyue read the room, her eyes flicking from the different royal families. She knew she had made the right decision based on the Feng Royal family’s reaction. They definitely had wanted the Princesses of Wu out of their way. Xinyue knew that Princess Lihua and Princess Yuyan had been sheltered in the Wu Kingdom; they probably had no idea just how severe their actions were. Not only that, they probably didn’t realize the lack of power that Princess Lingyi of Mu had. Even now, she needed the Feng Kingdom to step in to make sure that punishment would occur.

  “Princess Lingyi, I ask you on behalf of the Wu Kingdom and the Wu Royal family to allow me to take the punishment for your offense.” Xinyue bowed deeply to the Princess. The wording and her actions would not be easy to deny without demonstrating the want for vengeance against the Wu Kingdom. Xinyue had purposefully brought in her kingdom as well as the rest of the royal family. If Princess Lingyi didn’t accept, it would sound as if she held a grudge against the state of Wu, something her unstable Mu Kingdom couldn’t contend with. There were few options left, Princess Lingyi knew she had to accept the General’s offer.

  “I thank you for your generous offer, General Xinyue.” Princess Lingyi nodded her assent, a small watery smile on her lips. She looked conflicted as she gave her answer, her maidservant, who stood next to her, glared at the General. She was obviously discontent with what was happening, but didn’t have the standing to say anything in her lady’s defense.

  “Then, General Xinyue, you will be escorted to solitary confinement.” The Crown Prince nodded to Bowen next to him. The spymaster saluted the general and escorted her from the tent.

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” Xinyue bowed in recognition and to accept the punishment. She turned away from the others in the tent, with the Princesses of Wu still cowering and shivering on the cold ground, and followed Bowen from the tent. She ignored the sneers of the Feng Royal family and the red-tinged eyes of Princess Lingyi as they followed her from the tent and out into the cool mountain air.

  “It has been a long time, Spymaster.” Xinyue knew if she didn’t start to talk, there would never be any conversation between the two of them. Bowen was never a great conversationalist.

  “I am neither a lord nor a member of court, General Xinyue. Will you not address me normally?” Bowen walked a few paces ahead of the General, his hand on the hilt of his sword. His back was stiff like a board, and his voice overly polite.

  “Hm. I guess I could.” Xinyue paused for a brief moment, but it was enough that Bowen turned to face her. His face was unfriendly and hardly ever held any sort of smile. “I’m surprised, Bowen.”

  “Why, General?” Bowen’s thick eyebrows furrowed, and his frown deepened. Bowen looked average in every way; his height, face, and weight were all common. There was no feature that would be considered outstanding, even his voice was forgettable. When Xinyue first met him, she didn’t understand why the outstanding Crown Prince of Long kept someone so average near him, but later she understood. While his appearance and speech were average, this made Bowen the best spy. Not only that, but his skills were exceptional. He could blend in anywhere and be forgotten in an instant.

  “I didn’t think it would matter to you if I addressed you with your title.”

  “I guess not, but it matters to Lord Hongyi and His Highness.” Bowen turned, but not before Xinyue saw the twinkle in his eye. He wanted to piss off his comrades and Xinyue couldn’t help but to find his actions amusing.

  Unlike Lord Hongyi and the Crown Prince, Bowen was not raised in luxury. He was originally from the countryside, an orphan without much, but was enlisted to fight in the Long military. Not long after joining, he rose in the ranks, particularly good with concealed weapons and knives.

  “Bowen, did His Highness know I would accept the punishment on behalf of the Princesses?” Xinyue had a sneaking suspicion that the Crown Prince had made the punishment light on purpose. Not only didn’t he argue when she took the punishment, unlike what had happened in the past, he seemed to anticipate it.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You know, Bowen, for a spymaster, you’re not good at lying.”

  “This is the first time I’ve heard such a thing.” Bowen’s response was flat, but Xinyue couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. The spymaster had always been amusing, even with his dry responses.

  “General, we’ve arrived.” Bowen had led her to a small tent outside of the camp. It was isolated without anyone around to attend to it.

  “Ah, thank you.” Xinyue entered the tent and glanced around. It was a cramped space with a small sack for a bed and a pillow. There wasn’t much else around, but Xinyue figured prisoners didn’t have to have much in their cells.

  “General, can I get you anything?”

  Xinyue raised an eyebrow. “Are you allowed to get me anything?”

  Bowen shrugged. “The Crown Prince didn’t say I couldn’t.”

  “Some ink and paper, that would be nice.” Xinyue nodded as she walked along the wall of the small tent. She glanced around at the humble abode. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, General.” Bowen nodded and saluted. He turned to leave, but just before he left, he had to say one more thing. “It is good to see you are alive and healthy, General.”

  Before Xinyue could respond, Bowen left the tent. Xinyue thought back to the last time she saw Bowen. It wasn’t surprising, given the last circumstance when they had met, that Bowen was shocked to see her healthy.

  Xinyue sighed and ran a hand through her hair to tug at her white hair ribbon, a habit that she had picked up over the years. Strands of hair came undone and hung in her eyes, and she untied the piece of cloth around her face before she sat on the cold ground. If nothing else, she could work on her cultivation for a few days without interruption.