Wang Li Xun, the Crown Prince, goes out hunting for the Celestial Flower to save his mother from a terminal illness. When he nearly dies from the attack of a mythical beast, he is saved by a mysterious boy who lives in the mountains.
To repay his ki...
For two weeks, she was to undergo mandatory training, alongside with a few other men who were, just like her, recently recruited to be a part of the Crown Prince's security team. It was said that the team consisted of forty men, who were split into two groups, with each taking the day and night shifts respectively.
From what Captain Ling Yao had shared with them, the prince was constantly an enemy's target. This explained the necessity of having many guards by his side and he couldn't stop emphasising the importance of them being alert at all times.
During the fifth training session, her muscles were aching almost unbearably.
Here was where the difference between men and women showed up. There was a limit to how much her body could endure the strenuous exercise and yet, she refused to give up. If she were to let this be her weakness, her real gender would be at risk of being exposed.
When the training finally ended, she was beyond relieved. She sat down on the steps and wiped off her sweat, out of breath.
Every morning, they would run twenty laps around the training grounds before sword practice would begin. The sword master in charge of honing their sword fighting skills was extremely formidable. Earlier on, he had challenged them to fight against him, but none of them managed to land a single hit on him.
From the looks of it, everyone was lacking experience in real battles.
Except for her.
Somehow, she had managed to somehow find an opening to strike his shoulder. She may not be physically stronger than the rest, but she was light and quick on her feet to deliver a blow in a fleeting second. Impressed by her performance, the sword master ended the class early, granting them permission to return to their rooms to rest early.
In the middle of her break, she noticed five of her comrades heading slowly towards her direction. They crowded around her, exchanging curious glances, before sitting next to her.
She knew why they were here.
Out of everyone she had met, these bunch of men were the most nosy ones. Ever since the first day they met, they couldn't stop probing her questions; her family background, her unique relationship with the prince, and the reason for wearing a mask on her face.
"Hey," one of them said. "Why are you being so quiet? It's been a week and you haven't spoken much to us."
She replied quietly. "I'm not really a talkative person."
"Well," he considered, "on the account that we have to work together everyday, we should get to know each other better."
At this, she remained unresponsive, which soon earned her a scowl from someone else – a tall, brawny man with slanted eyes and hawk nose.
"Such an arrogant lad, huh?"
He was one of the few ones who displayed their unhappiness with her from the start. Whilst everyone worked their way from the bottom by passing the imperial examinations and achieving excellent scores, she had gotten into the palace easily – simply because she happened to be at the right place and time – and saved the Crown Prince.
"If you think being favoured by His Royal Highness is going to let you get your way with things," he spat unkindly, "you thought wrong."
Next to him, his friend patted his shoulder soothingly and was nice enough to defend Long'Er. "Now, now. You don't have to say such nasty things. After all, he saved the prince after all and was recognised for his efforts. Didn't you see how he parried with the teacher earlier? It was pretty amazing."
In response, the man simply snorted and rolled his eyes.
His friend clapped once to signal the end of the conversation and stood up. "Enough chatting, my friends. We should go take a shower. We don't want the beautiful maids to think we are a bunch of smelly pigs, right?" He threw a quick glance at her. "Long'Er, are you coming?"
"No." She stood up quickly. "I'm heading back to my room first."
Frowns set in on their faces. The same man who defended her earlier stepped forward, grasping her hand to prevent her from running away. "Come on, it's not going to take long. Since we are comrades, we should hang out together. It is often said that taking baths together is a good way of male bonding."
Panic swelled within her. Her heart thudded away frantically at their relentless persuasion, but she tried to maintain her composure. How was she going to get away without raising any suspicions?
Absolutely no way in hell was she going to take a bath with a bunch of men.
"Perhaps another time," she lied.
Removing the man's hand from hers swiftly, she turned and hurried off before anyone else could say another word. Once she passed through the gates of the training grounds, she broke into a run, knowing full well that she was completely out of their sight.
They were insane, but she was worse. She was a girl, but she was posing as a man just so she could enter the palace as the Crown Prince's bodyguard in search of her family.
But the question was, how long would she be able to keep up with her disguise before her secret was exposed? A few days had passed, but small details of her odd behaviour might eventually stir suspicion among her peers. And maybe even Li Xun himself.
With this thought, urgency rose within her.
She really needed to carry out her plan quickly.
Ever since the start of her stay here, she had been trying her best to memorise all the palace routes. To know where the exits are located just in case things didn't go according to her plan.
On the way back to her room, she chose a longer, but quieter route – one which she observed few people would use because it was inconvenient. As she rounded a corner, something bumped into her unexpectedly and knocked her backwards, sending her rear to land on the ground.
"Ow!"
She thought the voice came from her, but it sounded distinctly different. Groans were heard, and she soon realised she wasn't alone.
When she noticed her, her body stilled.
She stared at the surprised girl in front of her, who seemed to be around her age. She was petite and pretty, but her dainty features were marred as she panicked, perhaps horrified at the fact that she was caught sneaking about the palace.
Long'Er was the first one to break the silence. "Are you alright?"
The girl hesitated, before clambering to her feet quickly with a wince. Before Long'Er could repeat her question, she bolted off, leaving behind a very confused Long'Er sitting on the ground.
What just happened?
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