Valiant Princess

Three: The arrival of the phoenix

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Empress Huihuang

(Fan Bingbing)

Empress Huihuang keeps staring at the main door wondering when will her daughter come to the celebration banquet meant for her. Head Eunuch Qizhongji1 told her that he had already let the Crown Princess knew about it and she only replied, "En" and nodded her head before she instructed him to leave Xuehua Palace. She keeps looking at her beloved husband as well while he keeps on patting her hand to assure her that everything will be alright.

Suddenly, only the sound of the music performance can be heard. There she was, standing with her head held up high together with 2 of her personal maids, Congming and Huli. She is wearing a pristine white dress with a white veil on her head. Each of her hands is holding each one of her maids' hand while she elegantly walks to her intended seat which is next to the Crown Prince.

Princess Long Hua keeps glancing at her nervously while her consort mother pats on her hand. She also noticed that her consort mother's hand is icy cold, both of them are equally nervous as well.

The Emperor and Empress seem to be quite shocked as well. Their daughter, whenever there is a banquet in the past, always worn bright coloured dresses with expensive accessories to compliment her appearance. Now, she is wearing a simple white dress with a veil covering her head. The only accessory that she wears is a simple red coloured waist pendant.

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Example of a red coloured waist pendant.

As simple as how she is dressing herself up, there is nothing simple in how she acts. The way she walks reminded everyone how her mother, Empress Huihuang, walks. But there is a slight of a difference, every single step that is taken by the Crown Princess seems to be emitting a slight of cold qi which strangely possesses calming yet cooling effect on them. Suddenly, without any warning, everyone in the banquet hall can feel there is a sudden burst of cold qi which emits from the Crown Princess only for a few seconds before it is gone. She has changed they thought. She seems untouchable and unaffected with anything else as she steadily walks passing each table in the banquet hall.

General Bing Xiaji noticed her ever since she first arrived at the banquet hall. Not because of her sudden calm attitude nor was it caused by her sudden change in appearance, when she first stepped into the banquet hall, he suddenly feels a chill down to his bones. He looks around the hall to see if anyone else feels it too, but it seems that he is the only one to be affected by the bone-chilling qi of hers. Did she purposely do that? He just smiles and continues to sip on his wine while assessing the Crown Princess.

Before she proceeds to her intended seat, she gives a curtsy to her family, "Fenghuang greets imperial father, imperial mother, consort mother, older imperial brother and imperial sister" then she suddenly kneels, "Fenghuang seeks forgiveness from younger imperial sister for causing her grievance for all these years. Do forgive this older imperial sister’s shortcoming."

The banquet hall is suddenly silent again and even the sound of music performance comes to a sudden end.

Princess Long Hua is staring at her older imperial sister with her mouth wide open. She does not know what to say except to suddenly stand up from her seat and run towards Crown Princess Long Fenghuang, "Older imperial sister, please stand up. We are in the wrong. It is our fault!"

She too kneels in front of her older imperial sister. Both are holding onto each other hands while kneeling on the floor.

Crown Princess Long Fenghuang calmly stands up, she then takes her younger imperial sister's hands to urge her to stand up as well, "Nonsense. All these years, we have caused nothing but trouble for everyone. Naturally, we are in the wrong and we ought to seek forgiveness for what we have done."

She even patted her younger imperial sister hand before calmly letting it go. She then continues to walk towards her seat after she said, "Younger imperial sister, please take your seat as well. Huli, do accompany my younger imperial sister to her seat."

Huli bows down and said, "Your Highness, this way please."

The imperial couple is both shocked with what they have just seen. Every single soul in that banquet hall is shocked as well except for her 2 maids of course. Congming and Huli are already used to this new version of Crown Princess Long Fenghuang.

General Bing Xiaji, on other hands, just smile as he watches this new but interesting development from the Crown Princess. General Bing Jiaxi is smiling but his hand is gripping onto his table as, at the same time, he is somewhat annoyed with this new version of Crown Princess Long Fenghuang. She seems to be out of his reach suddenly. This is not good. He has a plan, and the plan needs Crown Princess Long Fenghuang in it. He has a premonition that to get this princess to be used as his pawn will be an arduous journey now. He still smiles but his eyes showed his unwillingness to admit that very fact.

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Example of the outfit worn by Crown Princess Long Fenghuang.

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Example of the veil worn by her.

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Example of the outfit worn by both Congming and Huli.

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1. *** Crane