Zhao Xing had known Prime Minister Zhao summoned her back not without reason, and not because he missed her as well. It was because of this celebration!

In several weeks ahead, their country would celebrate the founding day of their dynasty. It was more of an independence day, like that day back in her modern world. The celebration would be attended by neighboring country envoys and important guests from all of them tribes around the three kingdoms.

As one of the neighboring countries, Great Chen would naturally accept the invitation. This year, they even sent their crown prince, Prince Xian, to attend the celebration. Prince Xian’s birth name was Chen Yu, and he was the pride of Great Chen’s Emperor. By sending him off to this event, Great Chen’s Emperor must’ve placed importance on it. Moreover, Prince Xian’s task was not only to attend the celebration but also to discuss some cooperations, along with visiting his aunt and cousin, Princess Chao Yang and Zhao Xing.

“Xiao Xing?” Ruyi’s voice snapped Zhao Xing out from her reverie.

At the moment, the second young miss of the manor was enjoying the winter view. She sat leisurely at the pavilion which stood in the middle of her lotus pond with Ruyi and Xiao Yi, eating osmanthus cakes and sipping her favorite lu’an melon seed tea. The weather wasn’t too cold today, so Zhao Xing decided to ease her boredom by visiting her garden.

Blinking her eyes, Zhao Xing tried to collect her focus again. She lifted her chin and gazed at Wu Ruyi, sitting patiently before her. Her pair of peach-blossom eyes still carried a faint layer of laziness, making her more adorable.

“Hm?”

Wu Ruyi placed his tea cup down and gently asked, “Back when we were still in Fenglong Mountain, you always said you wanted to visit an antique shop in the capital city the most. Why?”

The guard’s question made Zhao Xing even more frustrated. She kept thinking about Gao Chang Gong lately, and how to find that mask. The girl began to miss her comfortable life in the modern world. She thought since she transmigrated because of that mask, she could also travelled back to the modern world with that artifact. It was a long shot, but what else could she do? Deep in her heart, Zhao Xing knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She kept having such strong feelings that there was another reason of her transmigration.

“You look troubled again!” Wu Ruyi frowned in displeasure.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Zhao Xing finally answered with a helpless tone, “Ruyi-ah, actually, I’m looking for a certain mask.”

“Mask? What mask?” The handsome man knitted his dark eyebrows.

“I kept having a dream about this mask. Thus, I decided to find it!” Zhao Xing couldn’t let him know about her real reasons and identity, but since she already regarded him as her older brother, she should at least share a tiny bit of her burden to him.

Wu Ruyi was silent for several moments. He seemed like he was thinking about something. “If you wanted to shop so badly, how come you didn’t say so earlier? The weather isn’t that cold today, let’s go! I’ll take you to the most famous antique shop in the capital!”

Zhao Xing’s eyes widened in a pleasant surprise. She jumped to her feet as she smiled widely. “Big Brother Ruyi is the best!”

Wu Ruyi only chuckled lightly upon seeing her bright face. He could help but feel content as well. Her happiness was his happiness too!

At that moment, Xiao Yi, who was previously sitting behind Zhao Xing, suddenly stood from her seat and joined the conversation. “Miss, please pardon this servent for her rudeness, but this servants thinks today is quite inconvenient for us to go out.”

Zhao Xing and Wu Ruyi glanced at each other. The girl helplessly looked back. “How come, Xiao Yi?”

“This servant heard that General Gao and his elite troops will arrive at the capital. All the people have gathered at the market to await his arrival! I’m afraid something will happen to Young Miss if we join the crowd! Moreover, Young Miss has never shown herself in public before! What if something bad happens?”

After that, Xiao Yi rambled off into incoherent sentences that Zhao Xing didn’t understand. But the one part that she immediately noticed was about General Gao.

“X-Xiao Yi-ah? What... did you say?” Zhao Xing was stuttering silly, “Who will arrive at the capital today?”

“Huh?” The maid became confused with her miss’ reaction. “General Gao?”

“G-Gao Chang Gong?” A brilliant smile suddenly appeared on Zhao Xing’s face as she held Xiao Yi’s hands in excitement. The sight of the girl made Wu Ruyi and her maid stunned, it was as if they’re watching a whole different being with how ethereal she appeared.

“Y-yes?”

Seeing the young girl so pleasantly excited for General Gao’s return made Wu Ruyi take a small step back. An unpleasant feeling suddenly filled his heart as enmity suddenly rose at himself. Zhao Xing was usually happy, but she has never shown this side of her to him! This kind of happiness of her, he seemed unfamiliar with it!

Wu Ruyi lowered his gaze away from the girl and bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn’t think too much about it. After all, he’s known her longer than almost anyone else so it’s only natural that Zhao Xing likes him more. But having to see her so excited to meet that man... it made his confidence waver a little bit.

“Then we should go for sure! Let’s visit the antique shop in another day!” Zhao Xing lifted her skirt and was about walk away when Xiao Yi called after her.

“Miss!”

Xiao Yi didn’t understand. Why did her miss seem so infatuated with this General Gao? Her second miss might be the only girl in the whole three kingdoms who placed her heart and interest on that general! Even with such rumors shadowing the general, her miss was still head over heels about him! Everyday, her second miss would always talk about this general with great interest as though he was the love of her life! It was pointless to explain about that peculiar general anymore.

At the beginning, Zhao Xing was so shocked that Gao Chang Gong was so different with what she knew inside the historical records. There were many rumours trailing him, including the news about how hideous he was, to the point it of his very presence scaring away the ghosts and demons as if he were the devil himself. There were only a few people who could see his appearance since those who see his face would be cursed. They would suffer from a wretching death! And because Gao Chang Gong was said to be the devil, people talked about how demonic his personality was, and how he was even more ruthless on the battlefield!

But the transmigrator didn’t believe those rumours so easily. Not until she sees him with her own eyes!

“Xiao Yi-ah, what are you afraid of? We have Ruyi with us. Isn’t that right, Ruyi?” Zhao Xing turned her head to Wu Ruyi with a toothy smile.

Ruyi forced a smile as he nodded his head. “Xiao Yi, help your miss change into a male clothing!”

● ● ●

“Miss, we are here. This is the best restaurant in the capital city, Jin Ding Xuan. People say they have the best cooks and only use premium ingredients. Even Prime Minister himself often visits this place,” Xiao Yi reported as they arrived at the restaurant.

Zhao Xing squinted her eyes and wiped a river of sweat from her forehead with her sleeves.

This Jin Ding Xuan building appeared so lively, and there were numerous people entering and exiting the place with excitement. Some pots of cherry blossoms and peonies were placed in front of the building, making more people stop and stare, letting them wonder if they should enter the building. Zhao Xing glanced around the place and a dozen of red lanterns hanging from its ceiling, and red paper cuttings pasted across the wall. If someone added firecrackers, Zhao Xing would’ve assumed that Northern Qi just celebrated its new year’s festival.

The situation near Jin Ding Xuan wasn’t any less rousing. The capital city’s markets were still busy as usual even though it was in the middle of winter. Countless stalls were lining on the sides of the road, bustling with customers lining up to check them out. While Zhao Xing wanted to step in the restaurant, she craned her head at the sight of a group of shopmen were busy offering their wares while a merchant kept bargaining with his buyer. She also saw a couple of young ladies giggling as they picked their favorite accessories, and a bunch of children were running around through the crowd. One of them almost ran into her if it weren’t for Wu Ruyi instantly grabbing her to his side.

Truly lively ah!

Zhao Xing tugged on the male sleeve in excitement. “This is great! There’s a lot of things for us to do!”

He wanted to smile in return, but Wu Ruyi scanned the inside of the restaurant and frowned in displeasure upon knowing the place was too crowded. “Xiao Xing, let’s go to another place!”

Zhao Xing frowned. She wanted to retort back when a waiter from the building suddenly rushed out to greet them.

“Young Master, how may this servant help you?”

Zhao Xing cleared her throat and tried her best to make her voice heavy, “Initially, we wanted to drop by your restaurant. But it seems that we have to come by at another time.”

“This day is an auspicious day for our capital city, so it’s normal that our restaurant is a little more crowded than usual. If Young Master doesn’t mind, we still have three available seats in an occupied table in the balcony area. From this place, Young Master can directly enjoy the view of the markets and clearly see the entourage of General Gao’s troops later.”

“Balcony?” Zhao Xing raised her slender eyebrow and pondered for a moment before finally accepted the offer, “Sounds good. No problem!”

After she placed her order in the front desk, Zhao Xing followed the waitress to the second floor of the building. This Jin Ding Xuan was quite unique. Customers needed to place their orders in the front desk and pay right then. If they have an additional order, they also needed to pay directly to the waiters when the order is served.

The h*ll! Is this restaurant an ancient version of McDonald’s or what?

Zhao Xing suddenly felt a craving for McDonald’s.

The girl glanced at the second floor of the restaurant and felt quite satisfied. The back side of it was an exclusive private room while the half front was a semi-open space that’s filled with some round tables, making it the balcony area.

The transmigrator walked toward the corner of the balcony and saw three empty seats. She grabbed Wu Ruyi’s arm and whispered, “This is really good, isn’t it? We’re served with good food while watching General Gao come!”

Before the girl took her seat, she cleared her throat and cupped her hands, greeting her table-mate,“Greetings to gentlemen! I hope these gentlemen won’t mind sharing your table with this lowly person!”

“Miss—Ah, Young Master?” Xiao Yi became anxious when Zhao Xing opened her mouth. She was afraid if men could see through her second miss’ disguise. But Zhao Xing reassured her with a wink.

The two men sitting in front of Zhao Xing rose from their seats and quickly cupped their hands to return her greetings. One of them, who had a slightly plump body, even answered her, “No need to be polite, Young Master! Please have a seat!”

“Thank you, thank you!” The girl let out her signature, toothy smile as she occupied a seat. As someone from the 21st century, Zhao Xing naturally couldn’t let Ruyi and Xiao Yi just stand behind her. Thus, the girl forced them to sit with her.

At this moment, the transmigrator didn’t realize that a pair of sharp, phoenix eyes kept trailing her since the moment she arrived.

Sitting at the corner of the balcony area, a man clad in an all-black attire was observing every single movement of Zhao Xing. The young man had a towering stature while emitting an unusual, domineering aura. He was wearing a black, silken mask to cover the lower half of his face that made people glance at him curiously before looking at his silver coronet which held his jet-black hair. And a silken headband with a soaring dragon emblem encircling his jade-like forehead.

Beside that cold man, another male with the same outfit also seemed to enjoy the scene. A sneaky, playful smile appeared on his handsome face as he kept on stealing glimpses of his friend and Zhao Xing. It was the first time for him to see that friend of his finally take an interest to girl.

Oh, of course they already knew Zhao Xing was a girl disguised in a man’s attire! Who the hell did she try to fool? Both of them could easily dismantle her disguise from a glance. Moreover, with that kind of innocent, peerless beauty, who would believe that she was a ‘he’?

“Please pardon my rudeness, but can I ask something to Young Master?” Zhao Xing’s table-mate opened the conversation as he was poured some tea to the girl’s cup. “Did Young Master come from outside the capital? How come I never saw you before?”

Hearing that man’s question, Zhao Xing nearly choked from her tea. She covered her mouth with her jade-like fingers as she kept on coughing. This man’s eyes were so good ah! He even could recognize that Zhao Xing was a newcomer. Did he remember every single person in capital?

“We come from Fenglong Mountain. We travelled to the capital city to visit our family here.” It was Wu Ruyi who calmly answered the question.

“Oh, I see, I see!” The man nodded his head and drank another cup of tea. Letting out a friendly smile, he continued on, “Young Masters came at the right moment! We, people of the capital city, are currently waiting to welcome our general today!”

Just before Zhao Xing could utter a single word, the other man added, “Young Master might not understand, but this general is so terriffying!”

Zhao Xing was eating a red bean mooncake, and she was almost choked, “T-terrifying?”

“True ah! General Gao is indeed cold and ruthless. He killed a tiger with his bare hands when he was only seven! In the battle field, he never spared our enemies and slayed them all in one go. But in each battle, he always left one man from the enemy’s side to go back to their country and declare their loss. They even called him ‘The Living Yama’!”

“Ah?” The transmigrator was shocked. Even the people in the capital city already knew these rumours ah? What if the historical records really lied to her and the whole modern people? It was no wonder Xiao Yi was frightened because of General Gao, even if the people here all gathered here to celebrate the man’s return, no one wanted to get close to him in case they angered him!

“Someone said that he hates women the most! He killed all seductresses that tries to enter his manor! Toward women assassins, he slays them without blinking an eye! In his manor, there are no females at all!”

“That’s right!” The other man added, “Even though the general lives with his younger sister, their living quarters are separated and the princess only has two maids, the rest are eunuchs!”

Zhao Xing frowned at the heartless rumours about her general. “I think we shouldn’t believe such crap. Rumours were made to distract us from the political situation!”

“Ah?”

“I don’t think General Gao is a bad person. I have a feeling that deep in his heart, he is a gentle and kind-hearted person. A general paid by the emperor to kill their enemies! So, why do people say he is ruthless? It’s only his job, right? Moreover, he already sacrificed everyting to keep us safe, to keep our nation safe. Could you imagine how he must feel if he hears these rumours?” Although Zhao Xing’s temper rose, she managed to prevent herself from slapping the table and gently sipped her tea with dark eyes. Wu Ruyi and Xiao Yi looked at each other, worried of how much their Young Miss seemed to care about the General even though she’s never even seen him. “Besides, what other general cares about this nation that he’s willing to fight such bloody battles? I say, we’ve got such a good man, haven’t we?”

Although Zhao Xing’s seat was quite far from the pair of black-clothed men, her sweet voice didn’t slip away from their sharp ears. It was obvious the strangers were high leveled martial artist since their hearing abilities were clearly above average. The masked man still maintained his cold and aloof appearance upon hearing Zhao Xing’s words, but his friend couldn’t keep calm. He was holding back his laughter until his handsome face turned red!

No one knew, that under his mask, the usually cold and aloof man felt like his cheeks were burning!

“General Gao’s troops has arrived!” Someone roares loudly as lines of troops entered the inner city gate. Zhao Xing could faintly hear the sounds of hooves stomping on the ground before the sounds of soldiers marching gradually increased.

Hearing the people cheer even louder, Zhao Xing’s eyes immediately twinkled. She jumped from her seat and quickly ran toward the balcony’s railing to have a closer look at her general. She was so excited, just like a fangirl who was at her idol’s concert.

Wu Ruyi wanted time stop her from running so fast, but he held himself back and looked away in disdain. She had that same look in her eyes, as if the only person she truly cares about is General Gao. He took a heavy breathe and muttered incoherently before calmly recollecting himself and forcing a gorgeous smile to Xiao Yi, who knew he was troubled by their young miss.

“What is it?”

“Ah... it’s nothing.” Xiao Yi looked away. Seeing that man look so self-conscious... is he trying to make her look bad? He was already more brilliant looking than other women!

At the balcony, Zhao Xing should’ve been happy the moment she saw the man who was leading these elite troops. However, her bright smile instantly dimmed as she looked at the man closer with narrowed eyes. His physical built was indeed extraordinary, but it seems like he lacked something as a general...

“He’s not General Gao ah!”

Zhao Xing only talked under her breath, but the two men sitting at the corner became quite shocked with her statement. How could this young lady recognize it with only a glance? She never even met the general before, but how she could guess it right?

Zhao Xing wanted to groan. How horrible was her luck? She paid for food and the seating just to watch General Gao come! What a rip-off!

Frowning in dissapointment, Zhao Xing turned her body back to her table. “Guys, let’s go back!”

When Zhao Xing left the restaurant, the playful man couldn’t contain his laughter, “General, I didn’t know you already had little fans in the capital! This young lady is so interesting ah! I like her already!”

The masked man narrowed his eyes dangerously, and spat out two words, “Shut up!”

Unfortunately, his friend kept cackling. The true general turned away, his face still flushed under his mask.