TGP: The Renowned General

Liam is sixteen here, so she will be named as her name in this lifetime: Liam.

Enjoy reading ^^

*****

The smell of orchids lingered in the air. From afar, a small lake with lily's floating on it could be seen. A courtyard was beside that beautiful lake.

In that lavish room, a girl still blooming wearing a plain cloth was planning to jump through her window.

Suddenly the door opened, and a pretty maid at the age of eighteen came out.

"Young miss Li Amm! Please don't sneak out! Aunt Shao Mei will marry me out!" Xiao Min pleaded at Li Amm. Since child Li Amm told her to call her 'Li.' But when Aunt Shao Mei found out, she warned all the servants, they would sell them out of De's residence if anyone disrespects their young miss. So their secret rendezvous did not exist anymore, but it did not matter, for they were very close and loyal to their young miss.

"Xiao Min, do you want me to hit you again?" Li Amm asked.

Instinctively, Xiao Min protected her neck.

"Y-young m-miss...please don't if you sneak out again Aunt Shao Mei will really marry me to that driver, Gi Long!" Gi Long was their driver carriage, age twenty-two, and targeting their pretty maid Xiao Min. Li Amm did not think badly about Gi Long. It was just Gi Long's big body that really could mislead someone that he was a bad guy. Gi Long's big body was not matched for Xiao Min's pretty face and petite figure.

. But Gi Long was not a bad guy.

"What? You don't like him? I think he's OK. Besides, you cannot marry now that you passed your age. No one will marry you."

"No! I-I mean, I don't intend to marry, I'll be in young miss side."

Li Amm looked at Xiao Min.

"Don't use me as an excuse to not marry that man. Just tell him honestly that you don't like him."

"I-I..." And then Li Amm jumped through her window.

"I'll be back before the sun sets!" Li Amm said while running.

"Miss! Wait for me!" Xiao Min did not have a choice but to accompany their young miss. She ran after Li Amm.

Li Amm was about to reach another wall that separated the De residence and the city.

'The final jump!'

She was just about to climb up when she saw an unfamiliar guard walking towards her father's courtyard.

She immediately changed direction and followed the guard discreetly.

Whenever she was curious about something, she immediately fed up with her curiosity.

Better to not leave anything unanswered in this lifetime, to not be counted as regret.

So with that mindset, she was lead to the pagoda where her father was waiting for that unfamiliar guard. She just peeked from afar. From that distance, she saw the guard bowed to his father, handed a scroll, and leave.

After the guard left, Li Amm was also about to leave when a shadow guard appeared to his father's side. Her father gave some token to the shadow guard, and then the shadow guard was quickly gone as he came.

'Oohhhh..something's fishy is going on....'

Li Amm got her pen in her waist, reached out to her small notebook in her pocket, and wrote something on it.

_break in Father's chambers and read the scroll

Well, everything she wanted to do, she must do it.

With a new mission in hand, she felt excited.

'Later~ later~ I should finish my goal for today.'

Li Amm's goal for today was to see the renowned general who came back from the battlefield after six years.

She got curious days ago when she sneaked out, and she heard that the new general was appointed and that he was very young. News of him coming back to the imperial palace after six years made people excited. This general of them won consecutive battles securing their northern side from invading kingdoms.

It was said that the general would come back this time to gain his title as the new general. So the Imperial palace and the citizens were rejoicing. The Emperor himself made a banquet for this new general.

Li Amm looked at her list again.

_make the general wear a princess gown (need a plan)

Since the general might not stay long in the capital, Li Amm would try to strike him first. How would she do that? She did not know. But first, 'know thy enemy.'

She climbed successfully and jumped.

"Young Miss! I was so worried I did not see you here !" Xiao Min was waiting anxiously in front of their escaping route.

The things for disguising were still tied securely in the tree. Hence, Xiao Min knew that her young miss did not get here first.

Liam ignored her over-worried servant. She got her things from the tree. She wore the straw hat and straw shoes. She now looked like a common lady in the town. With that hat, no one could see her beauty.

"Come on, let's go faster. So we can return home sooner."

Hearing her young miss say that they would return sooner, Xiao Min quickened her steps. But the road was very slippery and muddy. It just rained the whole day yesterday. So her speed was still slow.

While Li Amm was fine. She wanted to return sooner because she had another mission later.

Even the weather was not good because of yesterday's rain, the people still in the mood to feast.

People were busying themselves. Hanging red lanterns through their doors, orchids, and lilies in their pots were all displayed on the road.

Smelling her favorite flowers Li Am asked Xiao Min.

"Xiao Min, why the people are bringing out orchids and lilies?"

"Young miss, this servant heard before that the young general fancy orchids and lilies."

"Oooh? He has a good taste then." Li Am smiled. Maybe she could befriend this general since they like the same flower.

(A/N: what's the connection? XD)

They continued their way and stand at the side of the road, waiting, blending in with the people.

"I heard the Emperor will host a banquet for this new general." -a big fat woman said at Li Amm's side.

"Yeah... And you know what the new general said? " the thin woman asked the fat woman at her side. The fat woman shook her head.

"I'm just going to tell you this, but my niece is a maid in the imperial palace. She visited us yesterday and said to my daughters to prepare themselves for this banquet."

"Waah...your family was invited?! " the fat woman was full of disbelief.

"What are you saying?! We are only humble servants! What my niece said, the new general asked the emperor to have a banquet opened for everyone. Even for us! We can enter the imperial palace for one day!"The fat woman got excited. She shrieked.

"Kyaaaaa! I could finally enter the imperial palace after forty years!"

"Ay! I forgot to mention, only unmarried ladies could enter at the age of 15-17. We're off-limits."

"You...." The fat woman was dejected. She was overjoyed earlier, now her dreams were crushed down. She should not have given her hope earlier! Her dreams since young were awakened to just kill it again!

The people gasped at the gossip they heard from the thin woman. Obviously, their whisper-yell was overheard by the people around them.

That was big news! They must prepare for their daughter and bought new clothes for them. Maybe they could get a general as their son-in-law.

Even the young general lived at the northern border. His cold, indifference, braveness, and handsomeness were heard by all maiden in the capital. There was a rumor about him that the young general was ruthless and merciless. But how could they believe that? They only knew that their young general protected them from northern invaders, and with this open banquet that did not care about status and background told them that the new general was really fair, just, and really cared for the citizens.

Li Amm, who heard the exchange was also excited. A chance to get near to the general. Maybe she would knock him down and dressed him up. If he was healthy, then just drugged him to sleep and changed him. Or betting with him through a game. All kinds of plans were surfacing in her mind.

Dugudugdugdug...

Sounds of horse footsteps could be heard. The people gave way.

Three beautiful stallion horses at the front were followed by a group of horses and soldiers.

The three stallions in front were really remarkable. The two stallions at the side were white and brown, while the middle horse was a stunning black.

What caught Li Amm's attention was the cloth mask in their faces revealing only their foreheads and eyes. How could she identify the general among them if they have the same cloth covering their faces?!

'Ugghh! This is sooo frustrating!'

Never mind, she would only guess.

She observed the three. It seemed like their status was higher than the people behind them. So the strong possibility was the general was among the three. She stared at the black stallion. She guessed that this man riding the black horse was the general. Why? Because the black stallion was the most handsome among the horses. She then observed the rider. The rider was wearing black robes like the others without any armor on like the two men at his side. His long black hair was tied up, letting the black tail whipped freely against the wind. His slender neck was a bit exposed, allowing his jade-like skin to tease the observers. Liam was a bit confused. They were in the army for six years. How come these three guys' skin was so beautiful like a maiden's?

She then observed more. The frontman was really eye-catching despite the cloth on his face. He was tall, well-built, not so many muscles but lean enough for her taste.

'Ehh...not for my taste...I'm just saying he has a good figure.'

Li Amm wanted to stare more. However, they passed them already. Having her curiosity kicked in, she ran after them. She really needs to know who among them was the general! So she could plan her next move! Her effort today for sneaking out should not be in vain!

However, the road was muddy and slippery. Li Amm's feet slipped. To not let herself kiss the mud, she grabbed anything that she could hold. Bad luck, she grabbed the table stall that was full of porcelains, steel plates, and teacups. The table fell because of her sudden grab, and those things atop of the table fell loudly on the ground and to her.

Clang! Crash! Clash!

Li Amm fell on the mud, with teaspoons and teacups at her side.

These loud sounds attracted quite a lot of attention. Even the three men at the front stopped their horses and turned back at the source of the sounds.

In broken cups and steel plates, a girl covered with mud emerged from the disaster.

"Shiutttt, fuuuuxxcccckkkk!" ( in English)

She mumbled incoherent words. The two men at the sides turned back and ignored the commotion when a huge shadow suddenly passed them. The man in the black stallion ran his horse towards the girl. When he was in front of the girl. He jumped down, picked up the girl, and carried her in his shoulder like a sack.

"...." All people.

Li Amm was shocked.

'What the !! Am I being kidnapped here?! In the middle of the crowd in broad daylight?! I haven't even paid for the broken cups yet !'

"Hey! Who are you?!!! Bring me down! I haven't paid the old man!" Li Amm shouted while slamming her fist on his back.

The man reached out to his pocket and toss a gold coin towards the old man who was staring dumbly at his broken stall. The old man was quick and caught the gold coin. He bowed deeply as thanks and put away the gold coin hurriedly.

Li Am stared dumbfounded while the man put her on his horse. They quickly left in a different direction without letting the others followed them.

After a minute or two, the man stopped his horse and put the still shocked Li Amm down. She could still not believe that in this lifetime, she would be kidnapped!

In the place where trees grew with orchids in their branches and a lake with growing lilies not far away, the man faced Li Am. His black starry eyes bore into every part of her, seemingly memorizing her figure.

Then he raised his hands and removed the black cloth on his face. It revealed a beautiful look that a man should not even possess. Li Amm was once again dumbfounded at the deity-like in front of her.

His jaw that curved perfectly by the gods of arts, framing his thick eyebrows that were aligned in a dignified manner, his deep black eyes like a black hole pulling her in, covered by thick long dark lashes, his nose so tall looking down at people and demanding praise, and his lips...could she not describe it and taste it instead?

'Get together yourself, Liam! That's a living aphrodisiac!'

She scolded herself and continued.

His lips....the kinds of lips you want to taste more and more. His lips were exquisite, plump, and red... sexy lips.

Liam drooled at that lips. You could not blame her! The man was really the male version of the goddess of beauty!

The young man stepped forward to Li Amm. He bent himself a little and spoke in her ear. A calm, deep and enchanting voice said,

"I finally found you, my dearest concubine."