The General Under the Skirt - Chapter 1
Chapter 1
It was late at night, and the cold wind was biting.
The deep blue night sky was empty, dark clouds obscuring the stars and the moon. The cold wind swept over the earth and the surroundings were silent. Bare branches stretched silently, the night was dark and the cold seeped into one’s heart.
“You go, then, but be careful on the road.”
A young woman in a plain white skirt held the hand of a girl in front of her, who looked down, her expression slightly haggard. The young woman’s forehead was furrowed, and her eyes were filled with worry.
The girl in front of her raised her head, revealing a face beautiful enough to enchant anyone, with faint tear streaks. Her bright eyes were like a misty layer of water. Her skin was porcelain white, and her temperament was calm and gentle. She was wearing a red cloak with a soft white fur on the hood, which made her face all the more endearing.
The girl’s voice was melodious and soft, “Su Qin, thank you.”
Su Qin sighed and said, “Thank me for what? It’s my fault. When his coffin returned to the city, I was afraid that you would… so I didn’t tell you. You’ve never seen him, so this can be considered the fulfilment of your wish.”
“Don’t worry about the residence. If anyone asks, I’ll cover for you.”
The girl nodded, her long lashes drooping, her pale skin seeming to glow in the dark.
“I… I’ll be back soon.”
Su Qin nodded and said, “The person I found is at the end of Yuansheng Street. Just tell him my name when you get there and he’ll take you.”
“I need to stay here and keep watch. It’s only two streets away, the road isn’t far, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
With that, Su Qin reached out and pulled the hood of the cloak over the girl’s head. She tidied up her clothes and then let go.
“I’ll wait for you at home.”
Shen Roujia’s slightly pale and dry lips pursed slightly. She hummed softly in agreement, then turned around. Su Qin waved to her, her eyes full of worry. After taking a few steps, Shen Roujia looked back at Su Qin standing behind her. Seeing her turn around, Su Qin smiled gently, gave her a reassuring look, and said to her, “Go quickly. I’ll be right here watching. If you’re scared, just look back at me.”
Shen Roujia tightened her grip slightly, her heart tightened, and her steps quickened as she walked forward.
The carriage couldn’t stop too close to the Shen residence. Otherwise, there was a high probability that the Shen family’s servants would discover it. Therefore, Su Qin told her that the person who was supposed to pick her up was on another street. So, she would still have to walk this part of the way alone.
Turning a corner, Shen Roujia walked to Yuansheng Street, a street further away from the Shen family’s main gate.
When she turned back, she could not see the Shen family’s main gate, nor could she see Su Qin standing at the door.
There wasn’t a single person on the street, and it was eerily quiet. Birds flew past the branches and the darkness crept in silently.
Shen Roujia was actually a little afraid in her heart, but she quickly dismissed these random thoughts. She wrapped her clothes tighter, stopped looking around, clenched her fists and concentrated on walking forward.
She wanted to see Huo Zhao.
Even if it was just a tomb.
From a very young age, she had heard all sorts of stories about Huo Zhao from various people.
A single long sword that terrified the border, ten years of military campaigns without a single defeat.
To defy her father for someone she’d never met, to sneak out of the residence alone in the middle of the night and venture to the Huo family mausoleum. This behavior seemed a bit melodramatic and reckless, but Shen Roujia felt no remorse.
Normally, she would be afraid to go out alone in the middle of the night. But now, with Huo Zhao’s death, her mood was low and she wasn’t so afraid.
With urgency in her heart, she walked quickly.
But as she walked, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She couldn’t say why, but she had the feeling that someone was following her. She looked back, but didn’t see anyone. Thinking she was being too sensitive, she turned around and kept walking.
After only a few steps, however, that familiar feeling began to rise up from the soles of her feet and shot straight up her back.
She still had the feeling that someone was following her.
That gaze felt as if it were clinging to her like a leech.
But in the midst of her fear, she also felt that she was too cowardly. It was only a night road, what was there to be afraid of?
She was almost at the end of the street. But suddenly she heard a faint footstep behind her, a sound so subtle it would have been easy to miss. It was gone in a breath.
But Shen Roujia heard it.
Her heart leapt into her throat, and she stopped. Her chest heaving slightly, she clenched her hands and slowly turned around. She saw a long, silent street, shrouded in darkness, pitch black. There was no one on the street but her.
No one.
She kept walking, it must have been her fear playing tricks on her.
A cool breeze brushed past her ears, lifting the hair at her temples. An uncontrollable shiver ran through her body. At that moment, the footsteps sounded again.
Shen Roujia’s heart was trembling. She kept telling herself that even if someone was behind her, they wouldn’t necessarily be following her. Maybe they had something urgent to do at night, or maybe they were just passing by. It could even be a stray cat or dog. So many people lived on this street, a little noise was normal.
Shen Roujia mentally prepared herself and turned around again. The street was still empty, silent, as if the footsteps she had just heard were really an illusion.
Shen Roujia slowly turned back, her face filled with panic and fear. She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lifted her skirt and ran.
The footsteps behind her accelerated. At this point, Shen Roujia didn’t dare look back. All she could think about was that as long as she ran along this street, someone would meet her, and then she would be safe.
The footsteps were close behind her. Shen Roujia ran almost desperately. When she saw that she was almost at the end of the street, she opened her mouth and cried out.
“Help me, I’m…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the person behind her caught up with her. He clamped a hand over her mouth and nose, cutting off her voice abruptly. The person’s arm held her tightly, the grip so tight that Shen Roujia’s arm hurt. She couldn’t break free, couldn’t even move.
Shen Roujia’s eyes widened. Before she could think, a sharp pain shot through her neck. Her body went limp and then she lost consciousness.
***
If one were to choose the most outstanding of the noble daughters of the capital, Shen Roujia would be the undisputed choice.
In terms of family background, she was the legitimate daughter of the Shen family. Her father was a high-ranking official, serving as the Imperial Tutor of the court and also as a senior member of the cabinet, so her status was self-evident. Although her mother had died young, she was the Emperor’s elder sister, the current Eldest Princess. Even though she had been gone for many years, the nobility of her bloodline could not be erased. Her older brother, born of the same parents, was the Governor General of Liang Jiang, stationed in Jiangnan year-round and wielding great power. With such a family, Shen Roujia’s status was naturally unquestionable.
As for her appearance, she was absolutely stunning, truly deserving of the title of the first beauty.
A few days ago, an imperial edict made Shen Roujia the envy of everyone.
“Shen Roujia, virtuous and gentle by nature, diligent and obedient, is a match made in heaven for the Crown Prince. The Empress and I wish to fulfil this beautiful union and hereby decree that you be appointed Crown Princess. All ceremonies will be conducted jointly by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, and an auspicious date will be chosen for the wedding.”
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Crown Princess would be the future Empress of Dachang.
From a young age, she had always been obedient to her family, especially after her mother’s death. She was even more careful in her words and actions, not wanting to disappoint her father or embarrass him.
She always remembered her identity. She was graceful and reserved, never spoke ill of others, dressed immaculately and was kind to everyone. But she also had a little fantasy of her own.
She felt that she would be willing to give up the position of the Crown Princess, and even the position of the Empress, for that little fantasy.
And that little fantasy was Huo Zhao.
He was someone she had never actually met. But she had admired him since she was very young and was full of longing for him.
She was born in a time of peace and prosperity, when people lived in peace and the world was at peace. They never had to worry about the spread of war or the invasion of foreign enemies.
All this was due to their Dachang’s Great General, a figure who instilled fear in foreign races. At twelve, he followed the old general to the frontier. At thirteen, he experienced his first battle. By fourteen, he’d made a name for himself. At seventeen, he single-handedly broke through the enemy camp and took the head of the enemy leader. At twenty, he was bestowed with the Tiger Tally, becoming the first General King of Dachang since its founding.
Huo Zhao, a name that thundered with power when spoken.
He was their Dachang’s youngest protecting general. He protected tens of thousands of Dachang citizens; he was Dachang’s strongest wall.
Awe-inspiring and indestructible.
That early spring, when she was fourteen, Huo Zhao returned to the city in triumph. Surrounded by crowds of people, the whole nation was celebrating. It was also the first time that Shen Roujia defied her father’s orders and snuck out of the house.
The crowd was too thick, and she was pushed back and forth between the thousands of people on either side. She had been waiting since early morning. In the end, she only caught a glimpse of Huo Zhao’s back and a blurred profile.
He was seated high on a date-red steed, clad in shining silver armor. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, his demeanor resolute and captivating, a long sword hanging from his waist. He made no unnecessary movements, unmoved by the deafening cheers on either side. But just by appearing before them, people could feel the profound sense of security he brought.
Shen Roujia couldn’t see his face. But she could imagine that he must have a pair of eyes as deep as the night, shining brightly in the early spring sunlight.