As Ruyi roamed the streets with her father to pick up his medicine, she observed how her nation had changed in the past year. It was autumn, and as always, the trees became sparse, and the air grew cold. People still went about their every day lives, selling and buying and working. One might even think that everything was normal. That people weren't afraid. That there wasn't a war happening right outside their doors.
But Ruyi could feel the tension in her people. Money was tighter, taxes higher to accommodate for the war. People were less generous. And there was a fear, that anything could happen at any given moment. That their homes could be destroyed. That the Emperor could take their sons away.
Ruyi should count herself lucky. She was twenty, and if she had been born a boy, she would've been conscripted into the army already. Her younger brother was seventeen. And when his birthday arrived, instead of a gift, he would be given a death sentence disguised as an act of honor.
Her father was worried. She could tell. His health deteriorated as each day passed. Ruyi was afraid too. But mostly, she was angry. Her brother, sweet and happy Enlai didn't deserve what would be forced upon him. So she started planning her own mission to protect him. It would be dangerous. She would have to prove herself. But she knew she was good enough to pull it off. Her father would be upset. But this was more than simply protecting her brother. This was about becoming who she was meant to be.
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The Pearls - RUYI
Historical Fiction~ Ruyi's Book (Book 1) ~ Completed, undergoing editing A young female medic, Ruyi enters the Song palace to protect her brother who has been conscripted for the war against the Qing empire. Set in a fictional world inspired by Ancient China, The...
