General Wolf (Stray Kids Bang Chan)

Chapter 2

The day after the Wan's banquette the Cheng family got an invitation to the palace.
Neither of them knew why they got it but of course they had to go.

Her mother wasn't feeling well, she got sick again, they excused her out. So only the father and the daughter took the carriage to the palace.

As they arrived at the hall where the emperor and empress themselves waited for them, they bowed according to the etiquette.

"Please raise, leave the formalities. We have very good news for you." The emperor spoke.

What could be that good news? Good news only for His and Her Majesty or for her father?

"Let just get straight to the topic. I have a proposal to your daughter, dear Cheng." The emperor smiled at the father.

This confused her. One of the princes want to marry her. So suddenly? But why are they not there then? And why her? She has a low status and don't have money, she's not even that beautiful either.

"I am so honored, Your Majesty. We will gladly accept it." Her father spoke without even glancing at his daughter.

She wanted to butt in, to tell them she wasn't ok with this matter, but she had no position for that. There she was listening to the emperor and her father agreeing on her marriage. Her father didn't really have the rights to say no either, but he could have managed it somehow.
The emperor seemed to be kind; he would accept if they said no to the proposal. They didn't even know who she would marry.

"Good. Then it is settled. The palace will inform you about the details later. You may leave now." The emperor spoke, turned to his wife and smiled at her.

So, with just two sentences her whole future had been settled.
She fought so much with her father not to make her marry any lord he sees on a banquette, and now, here she is. She doesn't even know who she is getting married to.

They got in the carriage and started their way back home.
She had to ask her father, maybe she can still convince him to change his mind and call the whole engagement off.

"Father, why did you agree so quickly, we don't even know who I am marrying to." She spoke stressed by the situation.

"You will know it later, Qiqi. It's time for you to finally leave the house, and how can I say no to the emperor? This can only be a good proposal since His Majesty himself settled it."

"But father, I have been away from home for three years and only got back a year ago." She tried to speak back.

Why isn't her brain working? Here she has to persuade her father, but the words are not coming. She barely experienced it before.
Maybe deep down she knew she can't change it now.
If only she could ask His Majesty for some time to think it through. Now that her father accepted the offer immediately it can't be changed. If she wanted to call it off now, the emperor would even kill them for not holding their words.

Her father just shook his head.

It's all settled, there's no going back now. She is getting married to a lord she doesn't even know, or worse she has to be a princess. She couldn't bear that much pressure, everybody telling her what to do and what not to do, living with the palace's strict rules, being an accessory next to the prince and someday taking over the country.

Meanwhile, a letter was written in the palace and sent to the soon-to-be husband.

Few months passed, and they still didn't know much about the wedding.
But they, of course, got the engagement presents sent to them. Tons of golden coins, different types of hairpins, accessories, golden, silver, or jade ornaments, silk rolls, and so many valuable things she has never seen before.
The emperor didn't really hold his words about informing them of the details, though.