Ni Xing and her baby travelled alone by horse to the next empire, she wasn't afraid because she too was not a simple person.

***

"Ho Ho Ho, who do we have here? A beautiful woman, travelling alone, why is that?" Ni Xing was stopped and surrounded by a group of bandits who looked at her with lustful eyes.

With four men to her right, two at the back, three to her left and three in front, Ni Xing sighed, "What do you all want?" she asked as she looked at the man who seemed to be their leader.

"How about you come along and keep us company?", he asked back.

"Alright, lead the way, but you all must be able to answer when my husband comes to kill you all," she said with a mock in her tone.

She was looked at very strangely by the leader, he scoffed it off and said, "Heh, I wonder who would dare to intrude on to my land and come to rescue you."

"Haha," she laughed it off. Ni Xing got off her horse, tucked Yue Mian tightly against her. She pulled her sword out from its sheath that was strapped against the side of the horse.

Seeing this the men on their horses close to her unsheathed their swords and held it out in front of them pointing at her. She moved to the nearest man on her right side and cut his horse down killing it instantly.

She did this to the two beside him and stared at the leader and the other men who were glaring at her, "Leave or I will take every one of your lives," she said slowly emphasizing each word. The men looked at their leader whose mouth was twitching, not wanting to give up this easily; he looked at his men on the ground who were still yelling from being crushed by the weight of the horses.

He signalled for the others to go help them up. When they walked past Ni Xing they attacked her instead, slightly shocked, she held on to Yue Mian and started swinging her sword aiming at all their vital spots.

After blocking three times it was her time to attack. She managed to kill two of them and was in a standoff with the third and fourth.

She was slightly panting but kept her hand steady while making sure that her daughter was still asleep, the two men charged at her while yelled at the same time which made Yue Mian wake up and cry.

Hearing the cry they stopped not too far from Ni Xing and looked at the baby in her bosom, they looked back at their leader who was also shocked, but it soon turned to fear when he saw the other two men's bodies being pierced by Ni Xing's sword.

There was now only four bandits left and three still pinned under their horses, they all looked at Ni Xing with widened eyes, they started to panic, "A-alright lady, we will leave you to be on your way, we won't bother you any longer."

Ni Xing's eyes constricted, "You woke my baby up with your bullshit and expect me to let you just leave unharmed? Do you even know what it's like to raise a baby while travelling?", she glared at them fiercely. Not waiting for them to answer, she threw her sword at the leader who ducked and picked up the sword nearest to her.

She soon killed them all off and was covered in blood.

She put Yue Mian on a soft area of grass that was the longest beside the path she was on and cleaned up, she then went on and searched the bodies for money and other things. She picked up her sword, cleaned it and the pair were on their way once again.

Along the way, more scoundrels and wild animals appeared but were all defeated by her, the wild animals were skinned and eaten with their furry hind, used as material for a blanket that she'd make for Yue Mian when they reached their destination.

***

Ni Xing was trained in martial arts from a young age. She knew how to fight with swords, spears and had an amazing combat ability that she gathered over the years as she trained and gained more experience. She was well versed in many aspects including reading, writing, embroidery and being a good housewife.

Why she kept her background hidden?

Nobody asked her about it. She was originally a citizen of the Xiěyè Empire, but because her father restricted her so much and due to more reasons she disagreed with, she ran away to where they wouldn't find her - the next Empire.

When she entered the Jīlěi Empire she needed a job that would help her out financially, she asked around and did different jobs helping out the town's people, after a month and a half she was told by one of the shop owners that the Jīlěi Empire's Palace was accepting maids again and that she would be perfect for the job.

After finding out the benefits for working for the Royal family, she took the physical examinations and passed them; she took the job with no evil intentions and worked hard for all the years she was working there.

***

After five years in the Royal Palace, working first as a floor scrubber to a cloth washer then moved into the kitchen as a part-time helper to washing blankets and tablecloths, she was moved to the Crown Prince's Palace, where she became a maid, that cleaned and tidied up his bed every morning.

She was just like the other maids who worked there, they never saw him, but would always hear him. The Crown Prince was someone who they could not make eye contact with and every servant throughout the Royal Palace was taught to always keep their heads bowed and never look up unless spoken too.

So one day during her normal routine, Ni Xing walked into the Crown Princes bedroom and started cleaning and tidying the room up. As she was about to leave the room with a basket of dirty laundry, the doors to the room opened and in ran the Crown Prince who bumped into Ni Xing making them both fall over.

The dirty laundry flew across the room and the Crown Prince was laying on top of Ni Xing; his heavy body made her gasp for air deeply and with the air present in her body, she said, "Heavy, I can't breathe."

Feeling a bit flustered the Crown Prince got up off her and looked over at Ni Xing who was holding onto her stomach faced the other way in an awkward position.

The Crown Prince got up and patted his clothes hitting the dust particles away and fixed himself, he held his hand out towards Ni Xing as a gesture to help her up, but she still did not look his way. "Ahem," the Crown Prince cleared his throat trying to get her attention.

She looked down at his feet then trailed up his clothes with her eyes and noticing that the Dragon embroidered on his gown was the mark of the Crown Prince she trembled slightly not daring to look up at him. She wasn't afraid, but this was one of the rules.

Seeing that she turned her head back down and was looking away the Crown Prince sighed and said, "If you don't get your dirty body off my floor, I will call the palace guards to drag you away." Ni Xing was about to say something when something in her heart told her to stop, she got up from the floor and bowed at a ninety-degree angle and said, "Please forgive my insolence your highness, this servant was distracted and was not looking where she was walking."

The Crown Prince motioned for her to leave and she quickly gathered all the laundry. The Crown Princes watched her clean up and he was astonished, he could see how beautiful she was and her beautiful big brown eyes complimented her round face. Her lips were rose red and she wasn't someone fit to be a palace servant.

The more he observed her the faster his heartbeat, this was love at first sight.

Later the Crown Prince wooed her leading to their forbidden love affair. Ni Xing loved the Crown Prince and risked it all for him, she was also willing to die for him.

When she found out she was expecting his child she was happy; she was happy when she married him and she was in pain after giving birth to their child.

Seconds, before her water broke, was the last moment she spent with him.

A week after giving birth she walked out of her room with the baby in her arms and tears falling from her eyes, walking out of the Crown Princes Palace was the hardest thing she did.

She moved into a house the Crown Prince bought her on the outskirts of the Empire.

She received his letters of sorrow and sadness for six months' she couldn't handle her situation anymore and decided to return home.

***

She sent a letter to the owner of the most famous brothel in the Jīlěi Empire; she met the owner years ago when they were younger, she was a merchants daughter and their fathers were good friends.

She arranged for Ni Xing and her daughter to stay for a month and asked them to stay longer but was turned down.

When the month passed, Ni Xing and her daughter travelled to the Xiěyè Empire by horse.

Along the way they encountered many obstacles; when reaching the border she had to produce a passport for her and her baby.

When asked why they were leaving, she told the officers she was returning home, she received news of her mother's illness and was returning to help nurse her back to health.

The next question was, "Does your husband know of this?", she faked a sad expression and tears formed in her eyes, she told them he died while travelling and it was just her and her baby.

A few more unimportant questions were asked and they were soon let go.

After leaving the border she could smell that familiar scent of blood mixed with sweat in the air.

She travelled for another day and arrived in front of the military base, late in the evening around eight pm.

The soldiers were busy packing away and cleaning up the training grounds when one of them noticed the approaching horse. He notified the others and they went to the gates to stop her, "Halt! This isn't a place where just anyone can enter, please show your access token," said one of the soldiers.

She took off the hood that was covering her head and reached into her pocket between her and her daughter. Ni Xing threw it at the soldier who spoke and said, "Take that to general Ye and tell him his daughter has returned."

The soldier's eyes widened and he ran off to report.

She sat on her horse and looked down at her daughter who she could barely see, but could make out her outline, her hands started moving; her daughter was wrapped in a cloth that was fastened to her body around her waist and around her neck in order not for her baby to accidentally fall, it was fastened in the perfect position so that when she had to, she could easily take out her breast and put it in her daughter's mouth.

She kissed her daughter on the hand that was moving about and said, "We're home my sweet child."

***

Moments later heavy footsteps could be heard running towards them and a group of men came out from one of the tents in the distance. They stopped in front of the horse and the man in the front held up a fire lit torch in her direction and his handsome face started twitching, "Ni Xing, it's you?"

"Yes father, I have returned home," she answered. She got off the horse gently while holding her daughter firmly with one arm.

She walked up to her father and bowed her head and saluted him with clasped fists in front of her, "General Ye, your unfilial daughter Ni Xing, has returned."

General Ye reached out his hands and grabbed her on her shoulders, he was about to hug her when the sudden shock wave from the heavy force that pressed on to her, shook her and woke her baby up.

The baby strapped to her chest let out a soft cry and wanted to see her mothers face, but she couldn't because her head was covered. General Ye's heart shook, "Ni Xing?" he said, he wanted to ask her what made that sound, but was cut off, "Father, can we talk inside, it's too cold out here for my daughter."

"Mn", he hummed.

A path was made for them and her father took the lead, he led her to the furthest and biggest tent that was pitched up in the distant centre.

They entered and she was told she could take the seat near a dimly lit oil lamp.

She sat down and took the cloth that closed her baby's head off and she was met with a panicked expression.

Previously when she called out to her mama after the shock she couldn't see her but could hear her voice so she calmed down a bit and now that she finally saw her mama's face, the tears started falling from her glossy eyes.

Ni Xing smiled and said, "There, there little one, mama's here, don't worry alright?" She took off her robe that was in the way and unwrapped the cloth, she gently took her baby out and held her up in front of her.

In the room it was her, her father, her two brothers Ni Rue and Ni Ming and one other general, General Feng; these four men couldn't believe that Ni Xing was a mother, the naughty girl who went against her family and told them she would never have children was holding a baby in her arms.

Ni Xing put her nose against her daughter's nose and rubbed their noses together, she moved her daughter towards her chest and took out her left breast and placed the nipple in her daughter's mouth.

This action took the four men by surprise; General Ye went up to Ni Xing and sat down beside her and looked at the baby who was sucking on Ni Xing's breast, his mouth trembled and his voice was hoarse, "Ni Xing, is she yours?" he asked her.

She did not look at him and answered with a giggle, "Yes, she is your grandchild." General Ye's heart sank and so did the other men, they really couldn't believe it.

They got chairs and sat near her and watched her feed her daughter; when her daughter was done she put her breast away and placed her slanted on her shoulder and patted her back gently, the little one let out a burp a few seconds later.

Ni Xing put her daughter on her lap facing the men in the room and she started squealing, "Knyaaa~". Their hearts warmed after they heard her, she then proceeded to make more noises, "ma ma ma ma ma ma ma".

She started kicking her legs and Ni Xing took the cloth away that was covering her daughter's feet and immediately her daughter squealed louder and grabbed onto her little feet. The men in the room laughed and shook their heads, it wasn't every day that a baby entered the military base and was so happy.

"Ni Xing, what is my granddaughter's name?", General Ye asked. She looked at her father and said, "Her father was going to name her, but he never got a chance to meet her and give her a name, father, would you do me the honour of naming my daughter?"

General Ye felt a bit conflicted, what did she mean by that? He looked at the baby in her arms and held out his hands.

Ni Xing passed her daughter to her father and he held her up in front of him, his granddaughter looked at him with her big and glossy hazel eyes - frightened.

She looked back at her mother and all she was met with was a smile, she wanted to cry, but suddenly heard her grandfather speak, she faced him while he spoke to her, "I can't believe Ni Xing has a baby, has she look properly after you, little one? Grandfather will come up with a good name for you."

He thought for a while then said, "How about we name you Yue Mian, you have eyes as big as the moon and you have your mothers round face. Ye Yue Mian." Ni Xing raised her left brow, "How can you name my daughter moon face?"

He looked over at his daughter who was questioning his choice; before he could say something, his granddaughter started giggling. He looked at her then looked at his daughter and said, "You see there, my YuMi likes her name."

His son's and General Feng shook their heads, it was normal for these two to disagree.