Her literary talent was average, barely passing the examination.
During the imperial examination, Su Shang met the rumored Emperor Feng for the first time.
He was, as rumored, an emperor in his fifties who remained sharp.
Su Shang was qualified to serve in the court, but her name, "Shang," caused the Ministry of Rites to strike her name from the list.
An insignificant person with mediocre talent, who bore an inauspicious name, how could such a person be qualified to serve in the court?
Su Shang was very surprised by this outcome, especially when she learned that the reason for rejection was her name.
Her first visit to the capital lasted only two months before she was "driven" out.
Su Shang did not return to her village but instead went to the frontier.
Literature can stabilize a nation, and martial arts can pacify the land.
Since literature was rejected, she would use martial arts to show them that they had misjudged her.
No matter what she did, Su Shang could always get Gong Ningsi's compromise by using her father, whom she had never met, as an excuse.
Thus, when Su Shang explained her failure in the examination by saying her father was a military general and that as his son, she could not be inferior, Gong Ningsi sent her to join the army without a second thought.
She even sent some trusted confidantes to the frontier to accompany her in joining the army and to protect (monitor) her.
Su Shang naturally did not refuse, and it was perfectly normal for these people to sacrifice themselves for her loyalty and righteousness.
Coincidentally, the enemy army provoked them, and she added fuel to the fire, leading to the outbreak of war between the two armies.
She took three years to rise from a common soldier to a general, even nearly displacing the old general.
If the war had not ended so soon, Su Shang would have made herself the sole general of the Feng Kingdom.
Su Shang was accustomed to weighing everything by interest. In her eyes, anyone who could help her was a friend, and anyone who hindered her was an enemy.
She was free from desires and solely focused on climbing higher. With no weaknesses, others could not even deal with her.
On the day of their triumphant return, Su Shang's name resounded throughout the Feng Kingdom.
The inauspicious character "Shang" also became proof of her great victory.
Everyone called her: The General Born from Death.
At the victory banquet, Emperor Feng bestowed rewards for their merits. She truly received the title of General Su, was granted several mansions, thousands of acres of fertile land, and, additionally, a marriage.
At this point, Su Shang vaguely realized that she was different from normal men. What they had, she lacked, and what she had, they did not.
However, with an imperial decree for marriage, she naturally had no right to refuse.
So she accepted the decree with gratitude, but while receiving it, she boldly made a request.
"Your Majesty's bestowal of marriage is a great fortune for this subject. However, my mother is still at home. If Princess Yongle does not mind, I hope the marriage can be postponed until my mother arrives."
Those around her covered their mouths and laughed.
Emperor Feng initially thought Su Shang was being greedy and unsatisfied when she made a request, but now it seemed he had misunderstood. This was clearly just a brute.
Emperor Feng smiled and gestured for the chief eunuch beside him to explain.
The chief eunuch stepped forward, his face full of pride, "General Su, do you think a princess is so easy to marry?"
"Although Your Majesty values you and is willing to marry his most beloved Princess Yongle to you, a princess's marriage is a major state affair. After the Ministry of Rites consults the horoscopes and determines an auspicious date, there are still betrothal gifts and a series of procedures. This will take at least half a year."
"This, so long?" Su Shang's mouth gaped in surprise. She had thought she would be married in a couple of days!
Emperor Feng laughed, "What did you think? Alright, you may withdraw if there's nothing else! Toast to the meritorious official of our Feng Dynasty."
"Yes." Su Shang quietly returned to her seat.
Having made such a joke, she felt a little embarrassed.
The victory banquet continued, and it was late into the night before everyone departed.
Su Shang was escorted by attendants to her new mansion to rest.
The next day, Su Shang, sobered from the wine, began to ponder her life.
She had never paid attention to her gender before. After all, she had been raised as a boy since childhood, and her physical characteristics were not very obvious due to years of binding her chest.
But if she were to marry, she had to think carefully.
She had also studied for a few years, and through her limited knowledge, she reached a conclusion: she seemed to be deceiving her spouse.
Su Shang felt a headache coming on. After a while, she wrote a letter and handed it to the people she had specifically kept from her village to deliver back.
"Deliver it to my mother by hand," Su Shang instructed.
"Yes." The subordinate nodded and quietly walked out.
Princess Yongle's Mansion.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has arranged a marriage for you. I heard it's a rough and burly man," the maidservant said indignantly.
Feng Zeyue was leisurely playing chess. Upon hearing the maidservant's words, she calmly nodded.
"I know," her voice was calm and clear, as pleasant as the chime of jade.
A flicker of thought crossed Feng Zeyue's eyes. The reputation of this General Su was not very good.
But she had met this General Su. She was clearly an extremely upright person, and she had personally chosen her as her husband.
As a member of the royal family, her marriage was not her own choice.
As a princess, she should have been betrothed after reaching adulthood. However, when she came of age three years ago, she saw that young and handsome boy.
Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she chose him.
She had intended to manipulate things behind the scenes to have him chosen as her consort. Who knew that she would be disqualified due to her name? Coincidentally, during that time, her brother was in conflict with the Sixth Prince, and she was too preoccupied to pay attention to that young man, and inadvertently let her slip away.
Whether it was fate or not, a year later, she received news of her again. She had joined the army.
Just as she happened to overhear her father and mother intending to send her for a political marriage, she added fuel to the fire, making the conflict even fiercer.
A political marriage was merely a temporary solution. War was war. Rather than letting her sacrifice herself in vain, it was better to be decisive and make her father and mother abandon the idea.
Everything went as she wished. Once war broke out, even for the sake of royal dignity, her father would no longer consider sending her for a political marriage. She had successfully remained in the capital.
Feng Zeyue had wanted to settle her marriage as soon as possible. Upon hearing news of that young man, she hesitated and ultimately postponed the betrothal for a few years.
Fortunately, her judgment was not bad, and the person she chose did not disappoint her.
As Feng Zeyue was contemplating how to meet her future husband, a maidservant suddenly approached Feng Zeyue and respectfully said, "Your Highness, General Su requests an audience. Do you... wish to see her?"
Feng Zeyue curved her lips, her stunning beauty filled with defiance. It was truly a case of needing a pillow and someone delivering one.
She sat up straight, put on her veil, and said, "Please invite her in quickly."
She was very eager to see if that person who had once made her heart flutter would still give her that feeling.
She was very much looking forward to it!