InterGalaxia (On Hold)

2.9

For five years, Chi YunQi trained under An to become a great renown swordswoman. He had taken her on journeys to numerous places in order to teach her of the country she was born into and of her responsibilities as a noblewoman alongside her blade play. Now at fourteen years of age, Chi YunQi had filled out to the point that she looked more like an adult than a child. She was still rather lithe when she left her home at twelve but now, two years later, it was like she was a different person. Decked out in plain baby blue hanfu that was customised so that she was able to manoeuvre her body without difficulty, Chi YunQi still couldn't hide her womanly figure. Uncharacteristically large breasts for an Asian woman, plentiful child-bearing hips and an ample bottom that was once again rather large due to training; this figure made Chi YunQi endlessly desirable to some but not to others. Men of this era were used to women of petite sizes, so many were intimidated or disgusted with Chi YunQi, some even thinking that she was overfed and needed to eat less. Some of the more lascivious men, however, understood that Chi YunQi was a real woman compared to others. She had heard the whispers in town due to her large amount of spirit force, Chi YunQi never blamed them as it was a matter of preference. 

 Having grown up with a modern mother and the experiencing the life of a semi-vagabond during her coming of age period, Chi YunQi didn't care for much the formality and modesty that women of this era afforded. She allowed her silky long hair to freely flutter in the wind, her face free from product yet still exquisite and the sash of her hanfu was not secured properly, allowing for anyone to view her neck and the top swellings of her flesh that tapered off to create her chest. No cleavage was shown but even just viewing the neck was enough for residents to pop a coronary. Despite wearing bound clothes over her chest to cover herself, Chi YunQi did not care if her shoulder was visible when her hanfu slipped. It was very unseemly to most people, many passersby snubbed her openly and many of the elderly chastised her in hopes of reforming this jade-like, albeit inappropriate, woman. They held hope for her yet, to be married that is. 

Returning to the Chi clan, Chi YunQi had to admit that during her journey, she held some wistful feelings towards this estate and the people within it, finding herself missing it on occasion. Scurrying footsteps could be heard as well as Chi YunLei's incessant fussing over the final preparations before her daughter returned. The woman was practically glowing, her smile was large and contagious, causing many of the servants to try to suppress their joy because of the Young Mistress' return but were ultimately failing as their eyes were curved into delighted crescents. Chi YunQi quietly lent her back against a banister, one ankle crossed over the other and her arms folded across her chest as she watched in amusement. A servant in the distance yelped in surprise at the sight of her and fell down on his bottom, startling everyone. Not being able to hold it in anymore, Chi YunQi let out a belly full of laughter, the sound nowhere near ladylike but endearing none the less. Chi YunQi approached Chi YunLei and gave her cheek a kiss, watching as the woman's face turned red. She approached her daughter and pulled her into her embrace, laying her cheek atop Chi YunQi's head. Chi YunLei let out near inaudible sniffles and glared at the silhouette standing in the doorway, watching the whole affair with a smirk. 

"You said it wouldn't be long, old man! You said that you'd be out for at most a three months. Tell me, why did you suddenly decide to extend that by four times? If my Qi'er weren't sensible and sent me regular mail each month... you don't even want to know! Hmph!" Chi YunLei scolded, feeling wronged. She glared at him and unwound a hand around her daughter to brandish her fist in his direction threateningly. An's smirk deepened. "How cute, you are threatening me" he drawled, poking fun at the poor worried mother. An angry flush rose through her cheeks before she turned her face dramatically, eyes squeezed shut, chin pointing slightly upwards and her cheek facing the man, not paying him any mind as she sniffed angrily. Chi YunQi chuckled slightly at Chi YunLei's antics before slipping out of her embrace. The mother gripped her forearm and drew the child back into her embrace. Taking in the clean, and non-chemical fragrance that usually clung to noble women from burning scented joss sticks, the scent of Chi YunQi, Chi YunLei sighed in content. Deciding to allow her mother this reprieve, Chi YunQi obediently stayed where she is. An eyed the mother-daughter pair quietly, observing their interaction. A glint of something appeared in his eye, this glint was caught by Chi YunQi's roving stare.

 A servant's hurried footsteps could be heard on the wooden stairs leading to the reception area where everyone was gathered. "Matriarch, an urgent message has been delivered from the branch family". The servant came inside and bowed towards Chi YunLei, arms straight and palms opened with a scroll roughly furled and sealed, the message was obviously of great importance but written in hast. Taking the scroll, Chi YunLei unfurled it, reading the message with scrunched brows and her fingernails dug into the parchment, her unease blatant. Chi YunLei pressed a kiss to her daughter's head and ordered for a horse and some clothes and provisions are prepared for her immediately. Swanning out of the room with her strange rhythmic footfalls. Geared up for horse riding, Chi YunLei left ten minutes later with a flurry of dust creating a cloudy trail after her. Thoroughly confused, Chi YunQi silently retired to her room and unpacked her things. Tired, she laid down on the bed, the faint smell of fresh hay tickling her nose as she fell asleep. Hours later, a servant was gently shaking her awake with a troubled face. Lifting a brow in question, Chi YunQi listened as the servant informed her of a guest from the Imperial Palace. Understanding dawned on her, a faint sigh lifting her chest before her body hunched in on itself in depression. Standing up and running a hand down her hanfu to make sure she was presentable, Chi YunQi left her room and met the guest in the reception hall.

 A short man dressed in a red silk Manchu with coy fish and lily pad decal sown into it with white thread. The man's hair was pulled back tightly into a topknot and held together with some decorated pins. The man was getting on in his years and had worn his hair in this style of a long time as his hairline was clearly receding, evident by the wavy line and sparse baby hairs that were growing more towards the front of his head than where the hairline actually was. Tired eyes met hers and the small man stood up, coming up to just under her breasts. People of this era were generally short but due to her enhanced body, Chi YunQi was 5'9" at fourteen. In comparison to others, she looked like a giantess. Only Chi YunLei was taller than herself and the tallest man she's seen so far was An but he was only the same height as her. She made some kind of assumption that important characters in these Worlds will have natural advantages that made them stand out against everyone else. Lei Yang, Lei Chu, Edris Sawyer and Benson Davies were all taller than average, more than decent looking and had a decent amount of luck; the only thing they had in common were their identities as main and supporting characters, everyone else might as well be extras in a movie or NPCs in a videogame. Chi YunQi had also taken into consideration that Mercenaries also get given advantages as Lei Yang's body changed when she took over but it could be attributed to the pills taking effect. It was just a theory she had, not definitely proven facts. It was something she just noticed offhandedly when she came to this World. No doubt that the Crown Prince and Long ZuiGao would also be tall and handsome, they were already lucky being born into royalty.

 The eunuch unfurled a large and delicate scroll and cleared his throat. "His Majesty, the Emperor, has called upon all Official Estates to hear His decree. This Imperial Edict is to inform every Official household that in one month, the Emperor will be holding a Concubine Selection for the Crown Prince to select his future wives. All single women of marriageable age are to attend. If a household declines, His Majesty declares that their nine generations shall be wiped from existence" the eunuch read out the scroll in a steady and matter-of-fact voice. Chi YunQi's eye twitched. "But I thought I was already chosen as the Crown Prince's Empress-to-be?" she questioned. The eunuch hummed and rolled the scroll back up. "Well, yes, you were originally. However, His Majesty believes that you need to prove yourself as worthy to become the Mother of the Nation by having you compete in the Selection alongside other candidates. Should you fail or succeed, you will, however, become the Honorable Consort, even if you don't become the Empress. Next month, on the eve of the solace, that is when the Selection shall begin. Good luck, Young Mistress" the eunuch bowed and left the estate. 

Huffing, Chi YunQi returned to her room in a bad mood.