This woman was Jin Mulan the elder daughter of the Jin family. She is the daughter of Lord Jin Quan, ruler of the Prosperous Silk Isle and Lady Jin Su.
Across the region her name was widely known not only for her elegant and breath-taking beauty but also for her formidable martial prowess. She was not a woman easily approached nor easily impressed.
Her hair falls in a sleek river of midnight to her hips and the ends fading into a deep ember-red like dying fire. Her eyes are black and unreadable like polished obsidian without warmth or mercy.
Her face is pale and flawless. Porcelain still yet beautiful in the cold way of winter skies. She wears an expression of quiet authority. The kind born from knowing her strength needs no display.
Her body is built by hardship rather than vanity. Strong legs, powerful arms, and hands marked by the sword, calloused at the grip yet unexpectedly soft at the centre.
Her figure is naturally striking, every curve sharpened by the way her clothing drapes and conforms. Elegant without effort. She carries herself like someone who has never needed to shout because silence alone commands obedience.
As if even her wardrobe answers to her.
She looks like someone who has never once raised her voice, because she has never needed to.
Now, she stood before the five selected candidates. Her gaze was calm yet sharp and unyielding.
Each man was to answer two questions;
1) "What will my family gain from marrying you?"
2) "What are your qualities be as a husband?"
The first man stepped forward confidently. He spoke at length about alliances, influence, and status about how her family would rise through connections if she married him. And how she herself would stand higher among the noble society. Jin Mulan listened expressionless.
The second man smirked as he stepped forward. His answer began decent but quickly turned crude. By making a distasteful joke about his superior manhood and how she would come to love it "belonging " to her.
The moment the words left his mouth Jin Mulan's eyes turned cold. The air itself seemed to freeze. The man faltered immediately. His confidence collapsing as he stumbled back into silence.
He was incredibly lucky she managed to control the urge to strike him in the very parts he was so excited about selling. Had she given in, with her strength he would have lost his greatest advantage over girls.
The third candidate the son of the richest silk merchant named Lin Han stepped forward eagerly. He spoke endlessly about wealth, gold, trade routes, luxury and endless prosperity. His words overflowed with promises but lacked depth. Jin Mulan's gaze drifted slightly but she was clearly uninterested.
The fourth the adopted son of the Prosperous Silk Isle's lord spoke with pride. He talked about power and raising the family to the very peak. About dominance and control. But his words felt hollow it was clear she felt it.
Then came the fifth the general's son.
He stood tall his voice steady. "I can protect you," he said. "With me around, you will never need to be afraid again.
You can lay down your weapons and live like a woman without the burden of constantly pushing your self for nothing." For a brief moment the hall was silent. But Jin Mulan's expression hardened.
She clearly disliked the answer.
To her it was an insult. She trained in martial arts not for protection but for the deep passion she felt when holding a sword at her hand. She really thought if she could have beaten him till bloody to prove him who actually needs protection.
Finally. It was Luo He's turn. He stepped forward calmly. His expression very well composed. Unlike the others, he did not rush to speak. Instead he carefully analysed her questions and more importantly, the intent behind them.
Then, he answered.
"I do not have much to offer," he said honestly. "But I can help manage your family's affairs and maintain what you already have." There was no exaggeration.
No empty promises. Just truth. Then he continued. "As a husband I will not try to change you. You are free to be yourself, and to live as you wish with out too much pressure or restraint."
The moment he finished. Something shifted. For the first time Jin Mulan's expression softened. Freedom, that was what she yarned the most. He had understood it perfectly.
Without hesitation she made her choice. "I choose him." As such Luo He was selected as the husband to be for Jin Mulan. And the new son-in-law of the Jin family.
Later that evening the atmosphere was quieter. A table had been prepared. Jin Mulan walked over to a wine jug resting upon it. With slow and deliberate movements she poured wine into two cups.
One for herself and one for Luo He. She extended the cup toward him. Luo He looked at it. Then he refused. "I am not in the mood." He said firmly. The words were calm yet firm and it made Jin Mulan pause.
For the first time she was genuinely surprised. Her charm, something that had never failed before had been dismissed so easily. No man had ever refused both wine… and her presence.
"How!" she was surprised. Alcohol and women are two things men cannot refuse. She had learned that from her mother when she was very young. Till this day those words held up but now she was no longer sure.
She intended to use the drink to loosen his guard to learn more about him. But he had already seen through it. Silently she set the cup down and took a seat beside the table. Her posture was flawless back straight and movements controlled.
She crossed her legs elegantly one resting over the other, her presence composed yet commanding. Then the interrogation began. "Why did you refuse my drink?" she asked.
Luo He answered without hesitation.
"I do not waste time on distractions when dealing with important matters." His tone was direct. Blunt. Almost rude. But honest.
Jin Mulan's eyes narrowed slightly not in anger but in interest. "Why is this important to you?" she asked. Luo He replied just as plainly. "I am broke. I need a roof to stay sheltered and I don't mind having a wife."
For a moment. Silence. Then a faint smile touched her lips. There was no deception in him. No hidden intentions. Only clarity. Luo He then asked, "How old are you?"
"I turned nineteen a month ago," she replied calmly despite the saying women don't like to tell their age. "I turned eighteen a week ago," Luo He said. She studied him for a moment longer. And in that moment her decision became absolute.
"This is the man," she thought. She stood there, "Have some rest," she said calmly. "We have a wedding to prepare for tomorrow." Her tone left no room for doubt. The matter was decided.