Long before Han Lian Ai was born.

“It looks like I won yet again.”

“...” I looked at the waiqi in front of me and sighed. “If you were a man, you would be the greatest tacticians of all time.”

I saw her helpless smile before she said. “If I was a man, I would be free.” She turned her head toward the small and modest garden surrounding the pavilion. This pavilion was inside a small courtyard in the corner of the Tang Emperor’s harem. “Yet, I am not a man, neither am I free…”

-----

Flashback...

“This Emperor have perused the paper you gave me.” The Emperor of Tang said to me while I was kneeling in front of him. “As expected of the brightest son of the Zhu family.”

“Thank you for your praise, Your Highness.” I knew that he did not think of my family highly and was very likely to make this harder for me. However, I was prepared.

“May this Emperor submit your theory of managing the soldier?”

“You may, Your Majesty.”

“This Emperor will inspect the troops you discipline later.”

“Of course.” He challenged me.

“May this be applied to women?” The Emperor was clearly mocking me. Even the officers on the right and left of us chuckled and gossipped.

I held the bitterness down as I said. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

With that, the Emperor brought me eighty of his palace women to the big palace hall. I divided them into two group and placed two of the most beautiful women as the leaders of each group. I gave them instructions and they told me they understood. Yet, when I commanded them to move, no one moved but one woman. The woman who wore earrings with blue stones.

She was the leader of the left group yet no one in her group followed her. I frowned and asked why. The servant beside me told me that unlike the leader of the right group that I chose who had the rank of high concubine. The left group’s leader was just a small palace woman, the lowest rank, one out of a thousand. Her group obviously had a higher rank than her so they were too imperious to follow her.

Then, I told them, “If the soldier does not follow the leader because the leader was not suited, then it is the fault of the general.” I replaced that woman with another who had a high rank and commanded the group again.

Again, no one followed my order. The leaders of both the left and right group giggled. The women they led also giggled with them.

“If the group did not follow the leader because the leader was not suited, then it is the fault of the general. But if the two leaders are suited and still disobey, then it is the fault of the leaders.”

I was about to behead the two leaders. Just when they were about to be executed, the two leaders stopped giggling and screamed.

“No!”

“Your Majesty, help us!”

The two high concubines plead to the Emperor. The Emperor of Tang’s eyes widened when he saw that I was very serious about beheading his two favorite concubines. He raised up from his dragon throne and told me.

“Stop!” His Majesty commanded. “This Emperor is quite satisfied of how you handled the troops. If this Emperor bereft of these two concubines, this Emperor’s meal will lose their savor. It is this Emperor’s wish that they shall not be beheaded.”

I answered. “Once received Your Majesty’s commission to be the general of these forces, there are certain commands which this general is unable to accept.”

Hence, I beheaded both concubines myself.

I saw the Emperor bewilderment when he saw both of his favorite concubines’ heads rolling on the ground. The palace women watched with their bodies trembling. The whole hall became quiet and no one dared to move. I saw the horrified expression on each of them as I swiped my eyes around the hall.

Then, my eyes stopped at a woman.

She was that same woman who had big earrings with blue stones. I pinched my eyes to get a better look at her. She appeared surprised but her eyes were tranquil. It was like she was used to it… no, she had foreseen it.

“...” I smiled internally. I did not know someone so interesting was living inside the harem of the Tang Emperor.

I installed the new pair of leaders. I commanded the groups to move again. and everyone obeyed. They moved in unison with perfect accuracy and timing.

The drill ended and I presented myself in front of the Emperor and kneeled to give him my message. The Emperor was still trembling as I said. “Your Majesty, your soldiers are now ready for inspection.”

“...” His Majesty did not say anything, so I continued.

“Your Majesty can put them to any terrain. May they go through fire and water and they will not disobey.”

The Emperor had a visible frown as he replied. “This Emperor has no wish to inspect the troops. Let the troops rest.”

The Emperor got up from his dragon throne and walked away.

In my heart, I thought that the Emperor was only fond of words and would not do the deeds. I sighed and left.

When I left the hall, I saw a concubine making a saying something to the first leader of the left group, the woman who had those earrings with mystical blue stones. I hid behind a wall and watched.

“You’re a cursed woman! You should have died back then!”

“Why would you say that, Sister?” She replied.

“As a commander, you did not manage to make your army right! You are the reason the high concubine died! You, a woman from a cursed family, should have died instead of her!” The concubine who was trying to find fault was the concubine I sat to be the leader on the second drill, she was also a high ranking concubine.

The woman with big earrings smiled. At least, I think so. “Sister, I am truly sorry for the death of the high concubine and the possible prince. Truly, I-”

The concubines and even I gasped and our eyes widened. The concubine who stood right in front of the girl halted her words as she said. “Wait!” She looked left and right and whispered. “The high concubine was pregnant?”

It was common for concubines to hide their pregnancy in fear of her child being killed. Many concubines lost their children because they were poisoned. They usually hid it until the fetus was strong and steady enough.

Still, I frowned, something was amiss. I think the woman with big earrings was…

I looked from the wall again, the woman with big earring blinked twice and said. “I think so, she was holding her belly when she was walking so…”

“Stop! I don’t need to hear more!” The concubine panicked. 

The high concubine was pregnant and she died with her child? 

“I will be going now, Little Sister.” She said hurrying.

The woman was left alone.

“That was a lie, wasn’t it?” I asked as I slowly got out from my hiding place. That woman jolted. Her eyes widened as I could hear her gulping. “Be at ease, I don’t intend to tell anyone about your small lies. The dead tells no tales and I am sure that that concubine is too scared to tell anyone. I do want to warn you to be careful though…”

She shook as she curtsied to me. “Thank you, Gentleman Zhu.”

This girl was daring, maybe too daring. “The next time this happens may be the end of you.”

The girl had a faint smile on as she got up. “I am aware… but no matter, my life won’t be that long anyway.”

“...” I looked at her face, her face had a certain healthy glow that made me unable to look away. She was so captivating that I mistook her as a high ranking concubine earlier. I took another step forward and asked. “What’s your name, palace woman?”

“My name?”

“Yes, you know mine, so shouldn’t I also ask for yours?”

“...”

“Or is there anything that makes you unable to give it away?”

“No, Gentleman Zhu… it is just… this subject’s name… I am afraid this subject’s name is not pleasant to hear for a gentleman like you.”

“Why so?”

“This subject name is Hui Yan.”

I gasped, Hui? A member of the cursed Hui family?

“...” When she saw my expression, the girl seemed troubled as she looked away. She took a step back as she said. “This subject will go now, Gentleman Zhu. Please forgive this subject.”

She was about to run away but I stopped her. “Wait!” She stopped and looked back at me in bewilderment.”

“Let this gentleman have some talk with you.”

Hui Yan did not seem to see that coming. Her eyes widened and she looked straight at me. Trying to find the meaning behind my words through my eyes.

“But, I am a Hui, aren’t you scared of m-”

“And I am a Zhu,” I told her. “A fallen noble family.”

“...”

“A member of a cursed family and a fallen noble family. Hui and Zhu, it seems that we are fated to be friends, Hui Yan.”

-----

“With your mind, you can easily run away.”

“Runaway? Where?”

“Come with me.” I offered.

Her eyes widened and the earrings with blue stones on her jingled as she turned her head towards me. She rarely ever made any expression so her shocked expression was amusing to me. There was a tense yet velvety atmosphere between us. I waited for her answer. After some time that felt like forever, she made a sad expression and frowned her brows. She looked down as she closed her eyes.

“If I were to disappear, they will call my sister.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes… my sister is still very young. She is pure, amiable, and kind yet very beautiful, she may catch the Emperor’s eyes even though she is a Hui.” She clenched her fist. “She is not sly and cunning like me. The other concubines will kill her in a week. I can’t let her enter this place.”

“...”

“I am sorry…”

I was sitting still with both of my hand on top of my knees. I clenched my fist before I said to her. “The next war, I will win it.”

“The war!” I can hear her gasp before she whispered. “Your enemy’s army is ten times larger than yours. Don't go! That will be suici-”

I stopped her from saying anything further by startling her and looking her in the eyes. “You haven’t seen the miracle a desperate man can do...”

Her unfathomable black eyes rippled. “If it was not for the Emperor forcing you…”

“The Emperor promised me that he will grant me any wish along with the restoration of my family name if I win this war.” I smiled as I took a bit of her silky hair. “I will win.”

“...”

“And get my wish come true.” I said still looking deep into her eyes.

She understood what I meant. I know that because she faintly blushed. “I pray for your return.”