Because Lei Nanfeng's strategic planning had led the army to victory against their enemies, and even procured two border cities from the other side, he showed utmost bravery in not only defending, but also attacking their cunning foe.
The borderlands had been plagued by war and strife for many years. Vicious raids that ended in murder and arson were the normal routine of suffering for the people who lived there.
DaJin citizens living in war torn villages and towns would constantly be taken as hostages, their homes looted and their families torn apart. Those who didn't die would be taken as slaves, either sold or kept by those who robbed them.
Normally, such vicious behaviour would only be attributed to primitive barbarians or the like, but the ones inflicting all of that terror were the soldiers of their neighbouring country, NanSheng.
NanSheng had been at odds with DaJin for many years. There were five countries vying for supremacy in the continent, and NanSheng and DaJin were the most notoriously hostile of them all.
DaJin had had great momentum in the early founding h years, expanding quickly and stabilising itself with a good military foundation. Between each country, there were large stretches of wild, unclaimed land, and all countries were eager to reclaim them as their own.
Unexpectedly, not only did NanSheng want to claim wild territory, they also wanted to invade DaJin and occupy the land. Of course, the people of DaJin weren't soft, so they resisted. Disrespectful ambition became the basis for so much enmity.
It didn't help that NanSheng was a country rich in spirit stone mines, and their cultivation was consistently rising. Because they had so many resources to nurture talents, they dared to be impudent.
Well, Lei Nanfeng knew this, and he not only rescued the border citizens who had been taken as hostages, he led an elite troop he had personally trained to sneak into the other side and capture three of their most famous generals.
He even went so far as to stretch his hands into the opposite side's capital city, killing off two more generals with the most outstanding reputation. Without those generals to defend, troops were led into NanSheng and snatched over a city with a spirit stone mine vein in its vicinity.
His daunting deeds had directly crippled their terrorists enough to give DaJin a resounding victory.
Upon his glorious return to the capital, escorting envoys from the other side who had been forced to pledge surrender, the late Emperor decreed him first rank General Zhengwei and third rank Marquis Guozhu, bestowing land, residences, and gold. His wife was given the title of third rank court lady. Lei Junnan was seven years old at that time.
The Emperor's blatant show of favour to the young and strapping Lei Nanfeng caused an uproar in the capital. The title of Marquis Guozhu was like the beat of a drum in the ears of those civil ministers and nobles who had become complacent in their longstanding power.
What did it mean when the Emperor called someone a pillar of the nation? Was this something a ruler was willing to do so generously?
No matter what, Emperors had their pride. As the ruler of a country, how could he bear to designate someone else as pillar of the nation? Wasn't that the equivalent of opening a door of troubles for himself?
From the son of a mere sixth rank official, Lei Nanfeng had carved out a path of true nobility for himself with his fearlessness.
The noble houses in the capital who had stood for generations finally turned their wary eyes on the Lei family.
Shortly after her father was conferred his rewards, rumours started to fly again that Marquis Guozhu's third daughter was a cultivation genius who had reached the fourth level of the Spiritual Disciple realm in just four years.
Lei Junnan shot to fame overnight once more, and she was forced to stay away from the public eye for her own safety.
Outside, the noble houses had already regarded the Lei family as a thorn in their side, capable of creating a festering wound in their interests. They had already started to try and rope Lei Nanfeng into their many plots and schemes, and Lei Junnan absolutely could not be their next target!
Even within her own home, she rarely left her courtyard, and she had to wear a suppression jade at all times when she wasn't cultivating to hide her true power.
However, even though no one could confirm if the rumour about her was true, the Marquis' manor had become everyone's focus of attention once again.
Following that, rumours of Lei Junnan's beauty began to hit the streets, until the story of a beautiful fairy child from the immortal realm sent down to bless the country started to spread and become a far-reaching folk tale.
When an inconspicuous family of humble origins suddenly became the subjects of a folk tale, even if it wasn't true, nobody would believe that they weren't fishing for fame.
A proud hero, and his rose of a daughter, softer than dew, like a spring breeze through the blooming peach blossoms, one glance for ten thousand years…
Lei Junnan's reputation as a beauty directly clashed with the famed ladies of more prestigious families, and the Lei family gained even more enmity from many noble houses for it. People were comparing her to the top beauty of the capital without ever having seen her before, solely due to the rumours.
For this reason, she had been sent to a solitary mountain retreat for two years, to practice cultivation in seclusion.
Fate was truly unpredictable. Originally, Lei Nanfeng was from humble origins and remained low-key, not posing much of a threat to the interests of the old money officials in the imperial court. Suddenly, he became a national hero and the Emperor valued him.
This spoke volumes as to his ability. Not only was he skilled in military matters, but he was also a schemer with a decent brain and a talented cultivator.
Lei Nanfeng had managed to become a level six Spiritual Sage by the age of thirty. He still had a long life ahead of him, further skies to reach with his cultivation, and now he had a daughter who had become the subject of legend.
Once people took notice, they discovered that the younger generation of the Lei family were something to be weary of. Not just Lei Junnan, the other youngsters were also talented. Although their cultivation wasn't as exaggerated as Marquis's Guozhu's third daughter, it was still much better than others.
Still, other than being observed more closely, everything was still more or less fine, until Lei Junnan returned to the capital.
The year Lei Junnan turned thirteen, on the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday, all court officials above third rank were invited to attend her birthday celebration along with their families. It was the first time Lei Junnan had been seen by anyone outside of her family members in six years.
She was twelve years old, going through the first changes of puberty. Her temperament was reserved and quiet, but she was not timid. Every move carried a confidence unique to assertive people, like a blooming peony tucked away in a quiet corner.
The Grand Empress Dowager took one look at her and said, "Aijia has long heard of Young Miss Lei's name. It seems the rumours are true."
Lei Junnan became the focus of envy at once. Not even the girl from the noble Yue clan had received such high praise during the night, yet Marquess Guozhu's daughter had such fortune. How amazing.
Then, that same night, there was a rumour that the Crown Prince declared to his Imperial Father that he had fallen in love with Lei Junnan at first sight, and asked for a betrothal.
Apparently, because the Crown Prince was supposed to be engaged to a young lady from the Yue family, according to tentative discussions and tacit agreement, the Empress at the time was so angry that she made her son kneel outside for three whole days once she learned of the matter. It was the Grand Empress Dowager who took pity on him and intervened.
The Lei family was obviously very alarmed to hear such news. Their daughter had never been seen in public since she was a child, and she had other sisters.
Daughters of the Lei family were typically reserved and spent most of their time cultivating, so people who hadn't seen them before should never have been able to know who was who.
Secondly, although there were rumours outside, Lei Junnan herself was very low-key. She had done nothing to draw attention to herself compared to the other young girls, so how had she caught the Crown Prince's eye?
The Empress Dowager had pointed her out so precisely that night, it was impossible not to understand that they were being watched closely by the palace.
The Lei family instantly panicked.