Six Days Earlier
Jingfei had walked through the perfumed gardens of the Inner Palace, accompanied by whispers of rebellion and betrayal. Clad in flowing crimson silk embroidered with golden dragons, she had moved like a flame amidst a sea of courtiers in muted tones. The Crown Prince, Chen Ming, had summoned her. Known for his recklessness and fiery temperament, he was to be the next emperor of Tianlong—a nation teetering on the brink of civil war.
Chen Ming stood by an ornamental koi pond, his reflection fractured by rippling water. His golden armor gleamed under the lantern light as he turned to face her. The weight of his crown-to-be already seemed to crush his spirit. "The House of Jiaxu is moving against us," he said. "Their spies have infiltrated our borders. If Tianlong falls, it will be because of treachery within our walls."
Jingfei studied the prince. "Do you wish to consolidate power or save the people?"
The prince met her gaze, unflinching. "Both."
Jingfei bowed. "Then release me from your courtly service, my prince. I will prepare the Iron Blossom Army to defend Tianlong."
The Betrayal
The Iron Blossom Army was built from the scraps of shattered families, dishonored knights, and weary farmers, but in Jingfei's hands, they became precise instruments of war. Yet, even as she trained her troops in the shadow of the emerald bamboo forest, darkness loomed. She received news of a betrayal—one of her own officers had been selling information to Jiaxu traitors. By the time she acted, the enemy was marching toward the Tianlong capital.
Jingfei did not falter. She sent a message to the Crown Prince: "Evacuate the city. Leave the rest to me."
The Dance of the Sabers
The battle roared around Jingfei like a living beast. She moved through it as a shadow waltzing through fire, her twin sabers weaving arcs of death and mercy. Her small force held their ground fiercely, using their knowledge of the terrain and her signals from a ram's horn to trap the enemy in defensive bottlenecks.
The Jiaxu soldiers were disoriented, their numbers working against them in the narrow mountain passes. Jingfei's forces struck with relentless precision. Yet, the Iron Blossom Army was not invincible. Jingfei felt every loss keenly—each face etched into her heart for eternity.
Return of the Prince
Just as the Iron Blossom's defenses began to falter, a distant sound rumbled like thunder. The ground trembled beneath thousands of hooves. From the horizon emerged the banners of the Tianlong capital. At their head rode Crown Prince Chen Ming, clad in full battle armor, his halberd slicing through the air like a comet unleashed.
The battlefield shifted as the Jiaxu forces began to fracture and retreat under the unified assault. Jingfei stood atop a rise, her sabers dripping with blood and ash. As the last of the Jiaxu fled, Chen Ming approached her, dismounting his steed to stand before her. The battlefield fell silent but for the whispers of wind through broken bamboo.
"You saved our people today," he said, his voice laden with gratitude and exhaustion.
"No," she replied, wiping blood from her blade. "We saved them together."
The Legacy of the Iron Lotus
Weeks later, amid celebrations, Jingfei faced another kind of battle. Declining the Crown Prince's offer of royal commendation and a prominent position in court, she melted into the edges of the empire, leaving behind myth and memory. The people whispered of the Iron Lotus who, against impossible odds, turned the tide of history. And though her name may fade in the annals of power, it would be etched irreversibly in the hearts of the people she fought for.
Genre
Historical Fiction
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