I am a Second Female Lead
Chapter 68: 13. Shi Jing (Nuan)

The whole military troop march towards the capital. Sheri's father has been by her side in silence He didn't talk but just gently squeezes her shoulder every time she starts directing her gaze far away.

At times, she walks by, some soldiers can't help but have cold sweats on their back and tremble. She never noticed at all thinking of Ru Shan who has sacrificed his life protecting her. He is a man of few words but was genuinely sincere in everything he did for her.

Lou Xi on the other side has not conveyed any emotion. Sheri knows Lou Xi is terribly hurt by losing his brother. He was his constant help. Ru Shan was the reason he was able to unveil the mask of Li Na and the betrayal of the Prime Minister.

The march took a while, but they arrived in the capital after ten days. All the citizens - children, women and men, the nobles and peasant welcome them with shouts and applauds. The whole nation celebrates their victory. Their country won the war not only that, but they have shown to the rest of the world how powerful they are.

As they set foot on the Capital, they directly march in direction of the palace where the Emperor, Empress, Consorts, and Officials are expectantly waiting. Upon arrival, Sheri saw the Emperor elegantly seated on his throne together with the Empress and the rest of the consorts on his side.

The Generals, Crown Prince, and Sheri kneel down on one knee.

"Long live the Emperor!" They simultaneously shout in greetings and respect.

"Rise up." The acclaimed emperor pleasantly responds.

A certain woman stands up and with the support of her maids. She carefully Strode toward the Crown Prince. In silence, Lou Xi handed her a beautiful jar where the ashes of his brother Ru Shan was placed. "Thank you, Your Highness." She bravely said as a drop of tears starts to fall from her eyes. She delicately holds the jar and dearly embraces it tight. Looking at the solemn sight, Sheri wasn't able to hold back her tears. Guilt is consuming her.

The Consort mother of Ru Shan goes forward to where Sheri is. She was made aware of what happened on the battlefield. Since young, Ru Shan has kept on mentioning Sheri during their talks. She thought that at first perhaps his son was cut sleeve but when her gender was revealed, she immediately understood.

His beloved son fiercely protected the person he dearly loved. As a mother, it broke her heart, but she knew that during a war, anything can happen. You may lose your life. She already accepted the outcome. She came to an understanding that there will be a chance where she will never see her son due to the simultaneous attack of the neighboring country.

She looked gently at Sheri and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"My son would have done it over and over again just to protect you. Don't cry. You are a special person to him. He always mentioned you and has always been keeping eye on you." She gently said while patting Sheri's shoulder.

The Empress comes forward to the Consort mother of Ru Shan and slowly supports and guides her back to their seats. Both the Empress and the Consort have become allies when their sons became sworn brothers. Their son's closeness and brotherhood made them become closer too.

The Emperor looks at Lou Xi and comes down from his throne. Passing by the two women, he gently grasps the hand of the Consort and gently squeezes it.

As a father, he was devastated when one of his sons died. As an Emperor of the country, he has to show he is strong. The Consort smiles and together with the Empress they went back to their respective seats.

The Emperor then continues walking towards Lou Xi. "Well done my son!" He proudly said. He was so proud of his son that he will have no more worries about passing him the throne. He has proven himself to be worthy of the position.

He then turns to look at Sheri.

"You are a brave girl. I've heard of what you did." He speaks and looks at her father.

"General I think you've got a lot of explaining to do." the Emperor sternly said.

General nods. He and the Emperor have been friends since they were young teens. He knows what he did was wrong and is ready to face the consequence of his actions. Nevertheless, he didn't regret and if he has to do it again, he will. He looked at his daughter and smile. Reassuring her everything will be alright.

Lying to the monarchy is a grave offense and could lead to the whole family being annihilated or be cast out. The Emperor and the General went into a private room and talk.

Sheri was agitated and keeps on tapping her finger on the table while waiting. Lou Xi clasps her hand and gently squeezes. Sheri looked at him. She knows he has feelings for her, but she doesn't know just how to respond. She lets him hold her hand and together they continue to wait in silence.

After a while, the Emperor and the General came out from the room with her father is holding a scroll. She furrowed her brows and wanted to know what happened with their discussion, but she has to be patient and wait.

"This is the moment we celebrate the victory of our country. Let the celebration begins!" The emperor announced as the celebratory banquet begins.

All the officials and their families came in. Among the group belongs to the family of Sheri her mom and brothers entering in anticipation. When they arrived, the General moves and embraces his wife kissing her. The exhaustion and tiredness from the war were gone seeing his dear family.

Everyone was led to their designated seat after the reunion with their families. Sheri seats together with her brothers situated behind their parent's station. Her brothers were eager to know what happened and how she slew 50 people in one go. She was dumbfounded since she doesn't recall killing that much. She just smiles at how her brothers show their excitement.

All the young ladies were murmuring at the sides. They were shocked when the news came that the young man they idolized is a woman. Many of them were heartbroken.☐☐☐