The Wu Family
The Wu family has been a scholar family since their great-great grandfather's generation, thus most of the members of the Wu family are scholars.
The Wu family has three children, the oldest son; Wu Ning, the twin sisters Bai Ling and Bai Qing. Unlike her older brother and older sister, Bai Qing wanted to be more than just a scholar, she wanted to be a warrior to go to war and fight for their country since she was young like her uncle from her mother's side of the family.
Their parents were glad that she wanted to be like her uncle but since education at the time was only for the privileged, their grandmother was the nanny of the king and was also the wife of the king's distant uncle and their father was the best friend of the king, her family wanted her to also be on top of her literature as well.
Bai Qing was outgoing as a child and even more so as a woman, unlike her brother who studied hard she trained harder, and even more unlike her sister who studied to become the perfect wife, Bai Qing would roam around the city dressed as a man without any attendants.
When Bai Ling and Bai Qing turned 15 and their brother 19, their parents passed away while on a trip. Even they were distant relatives to the king, their father was his best friend. So when they king heard about what had happened to their parents, her took the three of them in.
The three of them grew up with the crown prince and the princess inside of the palace since they were young since their family were close to each other and her father also served as a minister of the court.
Wu Ning came to serve the court as well but the king made him a prince considering that he had royal blood in him as he was a distant relative, the twins became princesses and each of them was given their palace but the three didn't move into the palace right away.
The three of them waited for the funeral procedures to be attended to before they moved into the palace. Wu Ning became the second prince of the country and remained as a minister of the court while the two princesses were left to be with the inner harem and the first princess.
Just like that 3 years went by and the twin became 18 as their brother at the age of 22. The king was throwing a feast to also celebrate the princes and the princesses becoming of age,he palace was bustling.
Bai Ling was running around helping the princess get ready but Bai Qing was nowhere to be found.
"Where did she go." Bai Ling complained as she helped the princess with her hair
"A'Ling, the pin is slanted." the princess said to her and she quickly apologized and fixed the hairpin
"Still trying to find Qing Qing?" the princess asked her and Bai Ling nodded
"I don't know where A'Qing went, she knew that we have to head to the banquet soon but she is still nowhere to be found." Bai Ling said and the princess chuckled
"She is probably out there sneaking around in the kitchen, don't worry about her. You will have to stay with me at the banquet since Father and Brother will probably be talking about politics." the princess said to her and Bai Ling nodded.
Bai Qing was walking around the palace as she had just come out from the kitchen with some snacks and was going to lurk around the palace hall or outside of the banquet but as she was running about she bumped into a young man.
"I'm so sorry!" Bai Qing knew that most of the people that were coming in today were ministers or royalty from other kingdoms, she didn't dare to look up into the face of the person she bumped into scared of getting recognized and risk the chance of getting a scolding from the king or her two sisters.
"Please be at ease, it was nothing to worry about." the low voice said to her as he handed her back the wrapped up snack that she had dropped on the floor
"Thank you." Bai Qing said as she tried to quickly leave but the man stood in her way and said
"You know it's rude to not look at the person you're showing your gratitude to." he said to her and she sighed quietly as she looked up with a rigid smile
"T-Thank you." Bai Qing said to him and rushed away from there without looking back, not knowing where to go back to she ran to the princess's quarter but her sister and the princess has already left so she walk back to their place and to her room. As she took a seat in her room a knock came at her door
"Who is it?" Bai Qing asked
"It's me, miss." the servant's voice answered her
"Come in." Bai Qing said and the door opened as the maid walked into the room with food on a tray, Bai Qing got up excitedly towards the table in her room
"How did you know I would come back here, A'su?" Bai Qing asked the maid who chuckled
"The second princess told me to make sure that you got to have dinner because you weren't at the banquet and the second prince also gave me a heads up that if you didn't show up with the two princess, you would probably come back to hide out in your room." A'Su said to her and she chuckled as she picked up her chopstick
"Ling-ling and A'Ning know me best." Bai Qing said as she dismissed the maid and ate her dinner before she stole a jug of wine from her brother's cellar and went to enjoy it on the rooftop.
As she proped her self up on that roof with the music and the lights from the banquet hall, with the wine in her hands she smiled as she took a sip and said
"Moonlight reflects off the front of my bed.
Could it actually be the frost on the ground?
I look up to view the bright moon,
And look down to reminisce about my hometown."
It was a simple poem but it suited the night and the full moon as she finished the poem a voice chuckled from below the roof. Startled, Bai Qing got up and saw a man standing not too far from her room but she didn't know this man.
"Who are you?" Bai Qing asked as she reached to her side but she had left her sword in her room while she had dinner and did not bring it up with her as she was viewing the moon
"May I view the moon with you?" he asked her and she recognized the voice, it was the man from earlier; the one that she had bumped into.
"Who are you? Why did you follow me?!" Bai Qing asked him but as she raised her voice, she heard the maid
"Princess?!" A'Su was making her way toward her room, Bai Qing doesn't yell at people normally so the maid came running when she heard her mistress yell. Bai Qing looked toward the maid and when she looked back the man was already gone.