2 2 YEARS AGO

In the past year with the constant wars going on, General Cao Cao was only able to visit his home in short amount of times. Once he visited after 6 months from the time he left, then a week after Lady Ding gave birth to a girl, and another 3 months after their daughter was 3 months old. After all those visits, it's been another long year without General Cao Cao.

Although, it doesn't bother Bian because she had already promised herself to prepare for any case scenario from General Cao Cao, that she will take a good care for Lady Ding and her children. Unlike Bian, it bother to Lady Ding because her husband was long gone and never knowing if he is alive or not. Lady Ding's distress causing Bian to worry about the future. After the birth of Lady Ding's first child-daughter Guo, Lady Ding has been trying to find every solution to help herself to give birth to a son next.

"General Meng De only said we will try again," Lady Ding sounded bitter. She didn't want to look incapable as the wife of General Cao Cao, not being able to bore an heir. Bian understand the pressure Lady Ding is going through, tries every way to help her Lady give birth to a son next. Whatever the situation or request Lady Ding asked Bian to do, Bian would do it to help Lady Ding bare an heir, either through finding medicine, prayers, or eating rare things. Yet, who knew Lady Ding was so healthy and became pregnant again for the past 2 and half months, since General Cao Cao's last visit to home. Lady Ding was a tough lady. She barely had any symptoms just like the first child she was pregnant with. Her only symptoms were always being tired and wanting to sleep all the time for the first couple of months. After that, she would become stronger and fine. Everyone celebrated and this time with more efforts, everyone prayed for an heir.

After the letter to General Cao Cao of Lady Ding's great news, he responded with a genuine letter of wanting to home to support this pregnancy because he missed the first one. "I will come home soon," Bian read the last sentence of the letter to Lady Ding. Bian was one of the lucky consorts who knew how to read and write in the Cao household. This is because Bian had learned even before she trained to become an actual consort. Lady Ding's was feeling more energized after hearing the news and Bian was happy that her Lady had felt better.

After many weeks passed, there was no news about General Cao Cao returned. It was late at night and Bian was finally able to put Lady Guo to sleep in the deep night. Ever since General Cao Cao has been gone for months, Bian asked permission from Mother Yan to grab his books to read. Limited people were only able to gain access to his room while he was gone but Mother Yan had come to favor Bian and trusting her in his room in case Lady Ding needed something, or if she ever needed books to read.

Bian decided to return the book she finished reading the night before into General Cao Cao's study room and tried picking out another one in the dark night with a weak candle. She laid the candle onto ground and pulled out one book at a time to bring it to the candle light to see if she has already read the book. Suddenly someone opened the doors hard and loud as the wind blew in to blow the fire on the candle away. Bian jumped at the unexpected situation. "Who are you?" Meng De took out his sword and set out to attack the intruder in his room. "Consort Bian," Bian yelled out in fear as Meng De raised the sword to her neck. "Consort Bian?" Mengde calmed down trying to make out the figure in front of him in the dark. "General Cao Cao," soldiers came running in. Candle lights light up and sounds of everyone waking up and coming out of their room to see what was going on.

Meng De took one of the lanterns from the soldiers and held it up to Consort Bian's face to check if it was her. Her face still looked pure and beautiful even if it looked as her soul have left her body. He laughed inside and cleared his throat, "what are you doing in my room?" He looked around to see anything misplaced. Bian was too scared to answer since she was already shaking in fear. Her life almost ended young. "Answer me," Meng De raised his voice as he assumed Bian's bad intentions.

"What happened?" Lady Ding entered to see her husband in front of her. "You have returned?" Lady Ding was surprised but also worried of the situation. "Your consort had entered my room without my permission," Meng De said, "late at night too, what are her intentions?" Lady Ding was confused herself of why Bian would entered General Meng De's room late at night too. "What are you doing here?" Lady Ding asked Bian. Bian mumbled and tears came out. "I am asking you," Lady Ding raised her voice. She was afraid Bian's actions would cause something. "Sorry General Cao Cao," Lady Ding called her husband in the right name due to his soldiers being around, "she is my consort, I will investigate this for you." Lady Ding quickly told Bian to follow her.

"Why did you return in such a ruckus so late last night?" Mother Yan asked her son in the morning. "Consort Bian was in my room late last night suspiciously," Meng De said. "Consort Bian?" Mother Yan clarified. "Yes," Meng De responded. "She must have been reading in your room again," Mother Yan said. "Reading?" Meng De surprised, "a consort that knows how to read?" Mother Yan nodded, "yes she learned when she was younger." Meng De was even more suspicious now because who would teach a young consort how to read unless they had motive. Also, he never had meet any lowly consorts who knew how to read. If she knew how to read, she would've read his secret pile of strategies. She would've had sold it off to anyone. He must get rid of her before she opens her mouth.

"I am so sorry for my consort," Lady Ding apologized to Meng De as she brings in snacks for him in the afternoon. "It will not happen again," Lady Ding said as meaning she had punished Bian. "Where is she?" Meng De asked. "Why?" Lady Ding wondered. "I want to know what she knows," Meng De said, "mother says she knows how to read." Lady Ding smiles, "yes, Consort Bian learned how to read ever since she was young." "Your family teaches consorts how to read?" Meng De wondered. Lady Ding covered her laugh, "no, but Consort Bian is a special one, she was not originally a consort and had only become a consort until just recently." Lady Ding poured the tea into Meng De's cup to fill it up, "before becoming my consort, she was bookworm." "I just want to know what she have read so far in my study room," Meng De said as he sipped the tea, "bring her here later."

Lady Ding was tired from her pregnancy wanted to rest. "It will be fine," Lady Ding comforted Bian telling her that Meng De wanted her present to see what she has read so far. Bian dragged herself towards his room. She had promised herself to never enter the room again ever since her almost death situation. "You are here," Meng Fe said as he looked at Consort Bian. Over the year he's been away, she has slowly changed. She was taller and looked more feminine. She had more accessories in her hair and on her body, showing how much her Lady had treasured her. "Come here and show me what books you have read so far," Meng De commanded. Bian pointed at the whole stack in the back of the stacks in front. "Anything else?" Meng De asked. Bian shook her head. "If you lie to me, I will cut your tongue," Meng De said. Bian shook in fear, she was honest, had always been honest. "Nothing else," Bian said. "You can go now," Meng De said. Bian slowly walked backwards to excuse out. "If I find out that you are not who you are, I'll be the first one to kill you," Meng De warned her as she walked out.

Bian hid behind the consort halls and cried her heart out. She was homesick. Her sister promised to come to take back her role with Lady Ding, but one whole year had passed, and she heard nothing from them. Couple of months has passed, Bian avoided interaction or anything dealing with General Cao Cao as much as she can. She was afraid of him and of losing her own life. She would catch him staring at her with those bullets eyes as if she was his enemy. Lady Ding knew what was going with Bian but knew Bian was only temporary staying so Bian will soon outgrow her own fears.