The clang of gongs echoed through the bamboo forest, merging with a blare of trumpets. Standing atop a towering bamboo stalk, Liu Ping peered through the slits of her mask, her gaze locked on the marriage procession below.
Men, their attire a sea of red, commanded the gongs and trumpets, the rhythm guiding a rattling carriage along the winding path. Behind it, boxes wrapped in red silk swayed from wooden poles, borne by more red-clad men. Guards flanked the vibrant procession, their armor gleaming in the dappled morning light.
They reached where the bamboo grew taller and thicker, pressing in from all sides, and as they squeezed through, Liu Ping voice, laced with annoyance, echoed. "What is all this racket at this ungodly hour?" The gongs fell silent, the trumpets too, and all eyes darted upward.
Detaching from the bamboo stalk, Liu Ping glided through the air with the effortless grace of a falling leaf and landed gently upon the carriage roof. Murmurs swept through the marriage procession, and from within the carriage, a surprised voice rang out, "What is that?"
The guards rushed to surround the carriage, one of them booming, "Who are you?"
Seating down on the carriage roof, Liu Ping sighed, "A very annoyed person."
The carriage curtain parted and Princess Yi Lin emerged. A red gown cascaded her form, and a silk veil concealed her face. With the guard's assistance, she stepped down from the carriage and joined the procession in gazing at Liu Ping.Â
"Must you announce yourself with such fanfare?" Liu Ping asked. "I was a sleep up there, lost in a most delightful dream—a banquet overflowing with delicacies, and just as I was sinking my teeth into a succulent drumstick, you awoke me with all this ruckus."
They exchanged glances. One of the guards asked, "Young lad, do you know who you are addressing with such audacity?"
With a jade coronet holding her topknot and a red robe concealing her form, Liu Ping give more the air of a young master rather than a maiden. "Of course, I do," she replied. "You are a heartless band who enjoy making a lot of noise with gongs and trumpets to startle people like me from their sweet dreams."
The guard scoffed. "You—!"
"Who are you?" the Princess asked.
"I am Your Highness future husband." Liu Ping replied.
The Princess's jaw dropped. "Huh?"
"Insolence," barked the guard."How dare you impersonate Prefecture Prince Huang."
Liu Ping's brow furrowed. "Prefecture Prince… who?"
"Prefecture Prince Huang!" the guard repeated.Â
"Wh-when did I impersonate him?" Liu Ping asked.
The guard's face contorted further. "Do not play the fool!" he barked. "Jut now, you declared yourself the Princess's future husband. Everyone knows that Her Highness betrothal is to Prefecture Prince Huang, and you are clearly not him."
"Indeed, I am not," Liu Ping replied. "It is you sir, who is trying to twist my words. I have merely introduced myself as Her Highness's future husband. How, in the name of all that is righteous, does that translate to impersonation?"
The guard glowered. "I have no time for childish prattle." He lunged towards Liu Peng, his blade flashing. She swayed aside and In a blur descended upon the Princess who gasped as she was scooped from the ground. Liu Ping soared with her to the rustling bamboo canopy. Below, the guards erupted in a cacophony of shouts and scrambling pursuit.Â