I'll Make a Man Out Of You || Li Shang x Reader

00 - Pilot

I sat on bench underneath a blossom tree, feeling more disgraced than ever. The grass rustled as it was being stepped on, I avoided eye contact with my big brother as he found a place beside me.

'Why the long face?' he asks in oblivion, making it hard for me to tell whether he actually knows what happened or not.

'Hey,' Yuanhong knocked on my head. 'I'm talking to you.'

I kept my eyes on the ground, ashamed to utter even a single word.

'Y/N...' Yuan puts his hand on mine. 'It's not really a big deal.'

'Yes, it is!' I retorted. 'The only way for me to bring honour to our family is through marriage. If I can't do that, then—'

Yuan sighs. 'Don't be too hard on yourself. It's just a woman. You don't actually believe in what she says, do you?'

I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off.

'Are you really that desperate to get married?'

'I... I don't know, but shouldn't I be?' I said. 'Everyone my age have already been matched, and they're getting married soon. I'm the only one left.'

'Oh.' Yuan nodded. 'So what? If they eat horseshit, then you'll do it too?'

I lightly punched him in the arm. Yuan laughed.

'Seriously Y/N,' he said softly. 'I told you. Don't rush. Just go with the flow.'

Before I got to say anything, someone was beating drums. Yuanhong, who was pretty carefree just seconds ago, suddenly had this serious look on his face.

'Stay here.' he told me before walking out.

I did what he says, unless peering through the gate doesn't count as staying inside. Three men on horses, two Imperial guards on each side holding a flag, one in the middle holding a scroll of parchment.

They were in the centre of attention.

'Citizens!' began one of the men. 'I bring a proclamation from the Imperial City. The huns have invaded China!'

There were several gasps.

'By order of the emperor, one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army.'

The man began calling out names. One man from each family came forward and received a conscription notice from the guards. It was all going okay until—

'The Huang family!'

A jolt of panic rushed all over me. Leaving the gate wide open, I rushed to my brother's side and stood in front of him before he could get his conscription notice.

'Gēgē, you can't go!'

'Y/N—'

'Please, sir.' I pleaded. 'My brother isn't—'

'Silence!' the man who delivered the message spat at me. 'You will do well to teach your sister to hold her tongue in a man's presence.

Returning the same death stare he gave me, I opened my mouth to counter, but Yuanhong clapped his hand over it.

'Not now.' he hissed.

'Report tomorrow at the Wu Zhong Camp.' the man told him.

'Yes, sir.'

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Stepping out of the kitchen after doing the dishes, I saw our aunt, Aunty Yue, silently sitting alone at the table.

'Have you seen Yuanhong?' I asked.

'Oh? Gēgē is probably in the other room. He says he'll go train for a bit.' said Aunty Yue.

I bowed in thanks and went off. Lighting a candle in the dark, I peered through the small gap of the doors and got a view of my brother swinging his sword, doing cries and jumps and flips.

He stops for a moment.

I hit my back against the door as Yuan's head snapped toward my direction.

'Y/N, I know you're there.' he sighed. 'Come out.'

Timidly, I slowly stepped into his light and walked into the room. Yuanhong puts his sword away into the wardrobe where his armour rested.

Yuan waited for me to say something.

'Do you have to go?' I asked weakly.

'It's what I do.'

'You barely made it out last time.' I remarked. 'I can't lose you.'

'Pfft, some sister you are. The least you could do is have some faith in me.' Yuan scoffed.

'I'm not kidding! This isn't a game anymore. This is an actual war. What if you never come back?'

'Then I'll have my ghost haunting you for the rest of your life.' he puts a lit candle in front of his face.

'Gēgē, this isn't funny!' I stamped my feet on the floor.

'I don't it intend it to be. You worry too much, little mèimei.'

Yuanhong gave a soft smile. Wrapping his arms around me, I laid my head on his chest as we shared a warm hug.

Slightly squatting to my level, Yuanhong grasps my shoulders. 'Everything will be fine.' he said reassuringly.

'I'm scared.' I subconsciously spoke in a high-pitched voice. 'You're all I have left, I don't want to lose you too.'

'Meh, doesn't really matter. If you don't wanna be alone, you could always join me. You know?'

Yuan slid his a finger across his throat with his tongue falling out. I scowled at him. Yuan chuckles lightly.

'Come on, it's getting late.' he yawns. 'I have to get up early tomorrow.'

We went to our bedrooms separately. My ears were inescapable from Brother's snores in the other room. I was pretty much the only one in the house who was awake.

It took around two hours of enduring the battle between my heart and brain before I finally lost it and got out of bed.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I put a pair of scissors to my hair. After deciding the length I was going to cut, the blades snipped, and the cut parts of my hair fell on the floor.

I kept it going until each side was evenly trimmed, then tied my hair into a masculine bun.

Quietly, I slipped out of the bedroom and snuck into my brother's training room. Once I managed to fit into the armour, I equipped the sword.

Of course, I went to the temple to pray first. Soon after that, I ran.

Honourable ancestors, I prayed for one last time. Please forgive me if I bring dishonour to the family.

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