The General's Daughter

Back to the Palace

Edit: I decided to do 20 edits within these two days instead. I forgot I had something to do on the 31st... :') Thankfully, Grammarly is here to help me to edit this time (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀)

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3 days after they have returned to the capital, the emperor had invited Yin to go to the flower viewing festival at the palace.

She wore a white robe that had a red lotus pattern. It was a robe that was genderless as both genders could wear it and hides her figure well.

Her hand rests on the table as she looks at the box in front of her. Smiling, she said "Let's enjoy the show then"

Yin then left once she was prepared and head towards the palace. If before she had visited with her father, then this time she was alone. As she had told both her parents to pretend not to know her at all.

The palace on the other hand was bustling with activities and gossip that had been passing around.

"I heard this is his first appearance", one said

"They say he wears a mask to cover his face and that he had survived from a fire that ruined his appearance", another adds.

"One hears that he is a monster that could fight against the enemy's commander-general", one comment.

This gossips have continued to spread until the main character itself has arrived.

Yin had stepped out from his carriage and stole everyone's attention as she wore a mask and had a dignified and valiant stance that females could not help but look twice at her while some males would look at her with an envious gaze.

She did not look anywhere else but in front and was escorted by the palace maid to her seat which was at the male section near the other officials.

Once seated, she was greeted by a familiar face as it was General Han that she saved from before.

"I believed that you will become a general but 2 years was unexpected as it was too fast", General Han laughs at Yin once he greets him.

"General Han", Yin gave a salute and when the general dismiss it saying they were at a festival, she looks around before asking, "I heard the situation at the southern border is critical".

General Han sighs as he thinks Yin was a workaholic before he nods and said, "Indeed, it is currently the rainy season that the river might flood sometime soon."

After the war with the nation of Qi, General Han had suffered from injuries that almost ruined his life. So, he was sent back to the Southern region where his family was at, to assist with helping Northern General Sun Bin's son who was the current Southern General Sun Chao.

One of the problems that the Southern region face was none other than attacks from nomads. Though these nomads were less in number than the Zen nation's soldiers, they were stronger than the soldiers as they often had a hard time defeating them. It was said that these nomads had travelled around the nation and wanted the southern area called Blackmont as it was rich with water from the river which was hard to find in the southern areas.

Yin was going to discuss more until the princes had made their way and as she foretold when she was young, the princes indeed had become splendid and handsome men that women could not help but blush as they saw them.

Crown Prince Zhi Feng had looked in Yin's direction but his eyes did not linger while 2nd Prince Xi Er was blatantly staring in Yin's direction that Yin felt provoked but did not take any action as they were the imperial family. And a thought appeared in her mind as she wonders why were the two princes looking at her.

Could they know her identity? But she dismisses this thought as nobody knew who she was besides the emperor, her parents, Ting Ting, the doctor, and Pei Zhi. Only these 6 people had known she was Ying Yue.

Not long after, Emperor Wang Qi Shin had arrived with Empress Wang Ye Zhi. Everyone bowed in respect as they say "Long live the Emperor and Empress!"

The emperor smiled in satisfaction and let the empress pour his wine into the silver cup and made a toast, "For the prosperity of Zen nation" and drank the wine.

Everyone followed suit and followed the emperor's chant before they also drank the wine. With that, the flower viewing festival had begun and there were lots of performances from unmarried female daughters of the officials as well as the consorts displaying their abilities to recite poems and etc.

The festival continued until the emperor called out Yin's name as she was to receive a reward.

Everything was going well except an official suddenly intercepts and said, "Your Majesty, this official wish to say something!"