Chapter 24: Zi Feng(1)
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Jing Xuan together with Gui Cang walked into the Royal court. The few people present are Mu General and his wife, Guan Yu Xuan and her father Guan Ming, Crown prince Zi Feng and the Emperor.
Guan family was on the right side, while the Mu family is on the left side. Jing Xuan together with Gui Cang walked in the middle and bowed down in front of the emperor.
"Long live your majesty" they greeted as the kneeled on the floor and kowtow to the Emperor.
"Raise" The Emperor's deep voice echoed in the court, both of them slowly stood up. Jing Xuan walked to the left side where her family is at while Gui Cang was still in the middle.
Gui Cang reaches into his sleeve as he took out the silver token. He bowed down again, as he used both hand to offer up the token.
"This is retrieved from the Southern kingdom's Boarder when we attacked." As he explains, the emperor sent his personal eunuch down to collect the token.
"Good job! That Old Man had it coming!" He chuckles loudly as he took hold of the token, inspecting it.
"Where is the captain?" The Emperor asked.
"The captain is still at the Southern Kingdom's boarder so i bought the vice captain instead. I hope your majesty don't mind." Gui Cang explains, while still in his bowed position.
Jing Xuan was really nervous on the inside, she had never talked to the king in her life. She barely passed the greeting as she had watch historical shows before.
"Zhen[1], dont mind. Call her[2] in."
[1]; How the Emperors' addresses themselves as.
[2]; The Emperor doesn't know it is Jing Xuan, in Chinese their 'he' and 'she' sounds the same.
Gui Cang turns his head towards the nervous Jing Xuan and signals her over. She took a deep breathe as she slowly walks over to the middle. Both Yu Xuan and Zi Feng was shocked when they saw Jing Xuan walking towards Gui Cang.
"It is this lowly girl that led the soldiers as their vice captain." Jing Xuan said as she bowed towards the King.
"You?" The King asked, very surprised.
"Yes." She said with her head bowed.
"The daughter of General Mu? HAHAHA! Even your daughter is impressive!" The King laughed as he looked at General Mu Xuan De.
The underlying words that weren't spoken, was clear to all. The Mu Family is getting stronger, even their daughter have achieved such achievements.
"Your Majesty jest [3], my little girl is only there to train herself." Mu Xuan De said as he tried lifting the atmosphere.
[3]; Speaking in a joking way.
"Jing Xuan must be really awesome out in the field" Yu Xuan whispered to her father, although it was pretty loud.
This bitch!
"Yu Xuan mustn't talk nonsense, i was only helping out from the backline. All credits go to the captain" Jing Xuan explains as a she looked with hatred at Yu Xuan. Her words left Yu Xuan speechless, unable to say anything back.
Zi Feng who was seating the closest to the king, is now seeing Jing Xuan in a new light. To him, she was just like a little puppy following Yu Xuan everywhere. Whatever Yu Xuan said, she would agree and seem to not have a mind of her own.
Yet now, she... had changed so much. A little too unfamiliar to him, although he quite like the change in attitude.
"Jing Xuan you've really changed since the last time ive seen you." Zi Feng said as he had a smile on his face.
It was the first time she had seen Zi Feng and hadn't really notice him up there.
"En. After the assassination attempt i decided its time to change" she looked up at Zi Feng and smiled. Her smiled shocked Zi Feng, she used to be more shy around him and wouldn't speak as much and her head will always be bowed.
As such he had never noticed how... stunning she was.
"Good job on coming back victorious! Jing Xuan, how old are you?" The king asked.
"Jing Xuan is turning 15 this year." She replied respectfully.
Although the emperor only nodded his head and kept quiet, they know what he was thinking about. Jing Xuan is reaching marriageable age, if he betrothed her to one of his people he can keep their family in check.
After the Emperor dismissed them, Yu Xuan wanted to get closer to Jing Xuan however was 'rejected' by her parents when they urgently and excitedly pull her away.
'It seems she'll be here for awhile, i can catch up to her then...' Zi Feng thought.
The Mu Family quickly got on their carriages and horses as they headed home.
"Leading the soldiers?" General Mu asked his daughter after they had returned to the manor.
"Not really... i was just killin- i mean attacking from the front line and happened to save one of the soldier" she explains.
"Front line?!" Lee Jiao Yu asked shocked, she remembered their daughter saying she was only helping from the back.
"Well, because Yu Xuan was trying to sabotage me so i lied..." Jing Xuan explains as she pouted like she was being wrongly accused.
They both could only sigh, after their daughter awoken from the assassination attempt she changed so much. Much more approachable, friendly and expressive.
"What have you learnt at the army camp?" General Mu asked excitedly.
"Archery, i can shoot three arrows at one time! Defensive stance, attacks and also cultivation" Mu Xuan De and Lee Jiao Yu were excitedly listening to their daughter's talk, they hadn't seen each other in 4 months and had a lot to catch up.
"I also met this strange guy..." she told them the weird encounter she had with the man at Ville morte and at the Southern Kingdom which caught her parent's attention.