"The king of Qi kindgdom?"

"The new King of Qi kingdom." Bai Yu Yue emphasized on the word "new".

"But Qi kingdom has always maintained a good relationship with us,

didn't they send their princess to visit our kingdom?" The court officials discussed among themselves.

"They did not send their princess to visit our kingdom," Bai Yu Yue asserted, "She left the Kingdom and came with me."

Bai Yu Yue's words shook the walls of the Yu palace like an earthquake. The princess who has been living in the Yu palace abandoned her home and living as an immigrant in a foreign country?

"Xue Feng murdered his father with the help of the Wei emperor and usurped the throne overnight. Since he failed in exterminating his sister, he traded off her as a concubine. Xue Lian neither wanted to become a concubine nor end her life, so I took her with me."

The ministers looked at Bai Yu Yue in disbelief-

It was a well-known fact among the Yu clan, that Bai Yu Yue is gallant and protective towards the people whom she cherishes.

But this was beyond anyone's expectation.

Bai Yu Yue saved her sister and friend from an ill-fate of becoming the concubines of the Wei emperor and volunteered to bear the curse, all by herself?

Prime minister Su Binqi observed Bai Yu Yue, who remained with an expressionless face. He was curious to know why a person like Bai Yu Yue, who is obstinate and prideful, agreed to become the concubine of someone who is famous for being a ruthless dictator.

So, Xue Lian was the primary reason.

Bai Yu Yue earned the wrath of the Emperor by taking his woman away and she was trying to repay the deeds by her own life.

"Princess Yue, with an army waiting at our borders, I really don't know whether I should praise or criticize your deeds. You might have saved your loved ones but your actions have put the kingdom in danger," Wu Qi frowned. He always thought highly of Bai Yu Yue, but today he was highly disappointed her. For him, the security of Yu kingdom comes first,

"Do you care to explain how are you going to resolve the current situation?"

"Wei emperor never comes to the battlefront, he always stands behind the curtain and uses others like his puppets." She replied as a matter of fact,

"Xue Feng is one of them and I believe I can handle him,"

"It is two hundred thousand soldiers, how are you going to handle them?" Wu Qi didn't hesitate to point out.

" I don't fear an army lead by a paper-tiger," she answered calmly.

"General Yue, don't underestimate him. After all, he is a king." One of the ministers said with a conflicted look.

"He is nothing but a slave who is terribly want to prove his worth to his master,"

The aloofness in her words left the royal court dumbfounded. How can she stay calm at a situation like this?

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to fight against the army and kill him?

"I hates to spill his filthy blood on our land." Bai Yu Yue smiled in disdain, " But I wish to have a word with him."

"What about Wei emperor?" Bai Li who was listening to their discussions asked his daughter.

"I will leave that to your decision," Bai Yu Yue swept a glance across the court officials.

"He murdered four of us and if you still want him as the "Suitor" of your princess, then I don't have anything else to say. She said icily,

"We should avenge them."

"But how can you sacrifice the entire kingdom on the name of revenge?"

"What do you want then? want to negotiate with him?"

The silent courtroom fell into a heated discussion over the Wei Emperor.

"We can try talking to him, but if it fails, we are left with nothing but war"

Bai Yu Yue said nonchalantly.

"Prepare the envoy and stay standby," Queen Ling Yue ordered.

"If there is a need to fight with the Wei emperor, we will do that without any hesitations."

--------------------------------

Bai Yu Yue was standing in the terrace garden looking at the giant mountains surrounding the Yu kingdom.

Three days, she got three days to confront her fate. The fate which defining the future lies in her hands. One mistake and everything will crumble down like a sandcastle.

"Princess, "Xue Lian's mellow voice woke her from thoughts. Bai Yu Yue examined the young girl's reddened and puffy eyes. The news of Xue Feng must have reached her ears.

"I am sorry, I wouldn't have asked you to take me with you," She apologized,

"Xiao Lian, it is not your fault,"

"No, it was my fault...It was entirely my fault...If I've gone with my brother, this wouldn't have happened." Xue Lian clearly remembered her brother's threat. He said that Bai Yu Yue will have to answer to the Wei Emperor.

"Do you think that Wei emperor is coming to avenge me? Bai Yu Yue asked the girl who appeared guilty.

"Even if you became his concubine, this would have happened. So don't blame yourself." Bai Yu Yue comforted her.

"You choose your happiness over your title as the princess. Even if you choose to go back to your kingdom and become a ruler one day, I will be happy and proud of you."

"But people will," Xue Lian tried her best to crying in front of Bai Yu Yue, but she failed terribly.

"You don't have to care about other's words." Bai Yu Yue wiped the tears from her Xue Lian's face.

"I am going to meet Xue Feng tomorrow, do you have anything to say to him?'

"Don't kill him," Her demand was odd,

"He should live longer to witness the day when I accede the position of the sovereign of Qi kingdom."

Bai Yu Yue's lips curled into a proud smile.

"I wish to return," Xue Lian proposed.

"We were taught from an early age that woman is born to live under the care of the man. Father in childhood, husband in youth and son in old age - A woman should be the one who needs protection. My father wanted me to rule the kingdom, but I tried to run away from my responsibilities by quoting that I am weak. But I no longer wants to run away," Xue Lian gazed at the slender figure standing before her with gentle eyes.

"You have shown me that women aren't any weaker than men. The Queen has taught me that, I can be a ruler and still lead a normal life as long as I choose to be with the people I cherish. The Yu clan restored my faith in family and relations. Warrior Bai, once we are over with this crisis, I will leave," she sounded determined.

"I am happy with your decision." Bai Yu Yue patted her hair and smiled,

"I will be always grateful to you."

"I thought we are over such formalities, Xiao Lian,"

"Can I ask you something?" Watching Bai Yu Yue's gentle demeanour, Xue Lian gained some courage and asked,

"If I were a man would you have loved me?"

Bai Yu Yue looked at Xue Lian's curious eyes. It has been two months since they had a conversation over the romantic feelings harboured in Xue Lian's hearts for her warrior Bai.

"It doesn't matter," Bai Yu Yue uttered, "It's love and why would we restrain it on behalf of gender?

I would have loved you regardless of your gender or appearance. It's just... I was... a bit late to understand your feelings." Bai Yu Yue pursed her lips.

"I am glad that it's you, whom I loved." Xue Lian confessed proudly,

"I am sorry,"

"No, no you don't have to say sorry. Even if you don't confess, I know that you love your senior Jin," Xue Lian said without any regrets, "I really hope you marry the man you love,"

Zhang Yi Jun who followed Bai Yu Yue to the terrace left petrified when he heard her conversation with Xue Lian.

He never asked why Bai Yu Yue brought an outsider, a woman to Yu kingdom. He knew that she won't do anything recklessly. But when Bai Yu Yue clarified the reason why she brought Xue Lian who was supposed to become the emperor's concubine, he felt something amiss.

That's why he searched for Bai Yu Yue to ask about their relation, but he never expected to hear the conversation between two girls who were tangled in a romantic relationship.

Xue Lian love Bai Yu Yue and what was even more shocking? Bai Yu Yue has someone she likes.

For Zhang Yi Jun Bai Yu Yue was not a just sister, he always considered her as his comrade brother.

She was the one who supported his relationship with Bai Ling Yue. She was the one who acted as the matchmaker between them.

Zhang Yi Jun loved Queen Bai Ling Yue, but he idolized Bai Yu Yue for being the perfect example of a warrior, a legendary personnel every young child in Yu clan wishes to become.

Bai Yu Yue, the pride of the Yu clan.

Such a woman and what they have done to her?

They practically forced her to become a concubine instead of a queen.

No one had the slightest idea that Bai Yu Yue, who appears cold as the ancient glaciers of Tu mountain, already has someone she loves.

Everyone was busy thinking about avoiding the possibilities of war and appeasing the emperor. Nobody cared about Bai Yu Yue's feelings.

The entire Yu clan has wronged a person who lived for her people.

They have done an atrocity which cannot be justified.

Is there any chance to correct the mistake they done to her?

Zhang Yi Jun couldn't fall asleep that night, more than the impending war he was troubled by the conversation between Xue Lian and Bai Yu Yue.

Who is he? The person whom Bai Yu Yue likes?

Zhang Yi Jun wanted to ask her about that man, but when he saw her worried face he couldn't do so.

Xue Lian addressed him as senior Jin, does it means that they met in Tu sect? If he is from Tu sect then Wu Ying must have known. Both of them were graduated from Tu sect one year apart.

Zhang Yi Jun stood up and rushed towards the infirmary. To his surprise, Wu Ying was still awake.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked the young man sitting in the bed, "You must rest well,"

"Yue was here, she came to apologize." Wu Ying said with a faint smile, "She is guilty,"

"Hmm, she must have counted herself as culpable for what happened to you in Wei empire,"

"People like Yue, they are really rare," Wu Ying's eyes glittered when he talked about Bai Yu Yue, " Cold on the outside, warm on the inside."

Zhang Yi Jun nodded in agreement.

"While we were travelling to Wei empire do you know what was minister Fu's biggest fear?" Wu Ying suddenly became chatty despite his injury.

"What will happen to this world when two tyrants join their hand in a matrimonial ceremony?" He let out a laugh,

"First brother, do you remember when we used to tease Yue by saying that she won't get any suitors from Yu clan?"

"How can I forget that? She said she will only marry someone who can overpower her in the duel." Zhang Yi Jun faintly smiled,

"And none of us could stand a chance against her,"

"Xiao Ying, does she have a senior named Jin?" Zhang Yi Jun inquired him out of curiosity.

"Jin? Wu Ying contemplated over that name. "Not in my knowledge. Why are you asking, brother?"

Zhang Yi Jun bit his lip and implored for a moment and asked,

"Do you think that Yue would fall for someone from the mainland?"

"I always believed that her suitors will be from the mainland and that too, no one less than emperors," Wu Ying proudly said. He was one of the rebellious souls who wished to break the rules of the Yu clan, especially the one which refrains the Yu clan to have conjugal relationships with outsiders.

When Bai Yu Yue re-wrote the rules of the Yu clan by leaving the Tu mountains for her studies, she became an Idol for Wu Ying,

"To be honest, I was really happy when I got to know that Yue will be betrothed to the Wei emperor,"

"They said "concubine" not a queen," Zhang Yi Jun said in a displeased tone.

"First brother, do you think that someone would keep her as a concubine? One glance and anyone can tell that girl is born to rule." Wu Ying stated in an elated tone, "No wonder uncle Li is being too proud of his daughters. If I had a daughter like Yue I would've done the same,"

"He cherishes his daughters, that's the reason why hesitates with the betrothal,"

"Our kingdom and rules restrain Bai Yu Yue as a general commander within these boundaries of our small kingdom, more than us, the world beyond Tu mountains needs a leader like her." Wu Ying talked with all the fervour of a new world,

"Wei Emperor's methods are questionable but his dream to the unify the mainland is remarkable and just think about it, Bai Yu Yue of Yu clan becoming the Empress of the unified mainland?"

"Do you really think that's what she wants?" Zhang Yi Jin asked coldly,

"If she cared about the titles and powers she would already become our Queen. Ling Yue herself agrees that Bai Yu Yue is the one who worthy of the throne of Yu kingdom." He stopped for a moment,

"But that idiot always refused it by repeating that she only dreamt of becoming a soldier who protects her family and kingdom." Zhang Yi Jun's eyes turned moist,

"Her happiness lies with her family and her home is where her people are," Zhang Yi Jun declared,

"I know, I know brother," Wu Ying replied with a flustered face.

"But after seeing the Wei emperor in person, I couldn't help but wonder how great it would've been if they became a couple. He is like fire and Yue is like ice. They could complement each other,"

"Yaaa, it is called contrast. There is no way they will become one. Even if they accidentally become closer to each other- it will end in destruction," Zhang Yi Jun bellowed, "And why are you trying to pair Yue with him? he was the one who murdered-"

"It wasn't him who murdered them-" Wu Ying interrupted him with a cold murderous glint in his eyes.

"Then who?"