Cai Ju

Cai Ju in her early adult years.

Cai Ju (蔡菊) is the secondborn daughter of Ji Xing and Cai Xinyue, making her the younger sister of Cai Jingyi and elder sister of Cai Daiyu. She is also the younger half-sister of Cai Yue.

Cai Ju was considered to be the middle ground of her sisters, being studious and attentive like her older sister but with a glaring impulsive and rebellious streak like her younger. She was said to be a very talkative person, being able to get along with most people she met. Ju is considered to be very beautiful by many since blossoming from youth.

## Relationships

Cai Ju is the middle child of the three daughters born to Cai Xinyue and Ji Xing. She was born on Winter, 17th Year of the Dragon, 4E.

Her relationship with her sisters has so far been close, having stuck by her older sister's side through some of the darkest times of their childhood. However she has grown slightly distant of Daiyu due to her inclosed nature.
She has found her mother to be difficult. On the onehand she loves and respects her but fundamentally disagrees with some of the decisions and practices she enforces.

Her closest mentors have been to her have been General Wu Ruogang and Lady Shan.

## Early Life

### **Childhood**

From a young age, Cai Ju loved to read fables and ancient stories of daring hero's, fair maidens and powerful monsters.

    She could be mainly found in the Cai library with her elder half-sister Cai Yue. Reading together, Ju snuggled in her lap.

Cai Ju also held the responsibility of being a handmaiden to the later Empress Xu Yai. Her job was to pour and prepare the tea, a way for her mother to impose some manners onto the impulsive and imaginative girl.

She was soon betrothed to Magistrate Chen by her mother when her older sister was coming of age. She visibly broke down at the prospect of having to marry such an older man than herself. Her first meeting with the Magistrate was awkward however she was glad that she would be able to visit the great library in the palace with him whenever she wanted. Always in search of new fables and books to read.

After her sister was betrothed to Prince Xu Shai, Ju struck up a friendship with General Wu after helping him recover an important item from the library for him and him saving her life during one of the prince's outbursts. Ju would later take much of his worldview in to her own and saw him as a mentor figure from her lack of visits from her father at times.

Cai Ju was present at the slaughter of Price Xu Shai at the wedding between Xu Yai and Khaan Bukh. A traumatic experience to say the least...but not the last.

### **Teenage Years**

#### Young Love

As Ju's puberty kicked in, she blossomed into a beautiful young lady. Often grabbing the attention of men and women alike for different reasons. It was during this time she went on her first date with Chen to the Shadow Theatre. It was there after a quick gussy up, she got some of the most attention not only by the audience there but by her betrothed himself. After that date, she too started to have feelings for him due to his kindness and care towards her, unlike so many she had seen betrothed before.

#### Manipulation, Tasks and Trickery

Cai Ju during her teenage life was mixed in intrigue and plots, not always by choice. She and Wu attempted to stop a war between the nations of Xuyan and Basho that would see Xuyan lose. Her efforts were unsuccessful after trying to persuade the Empress and Chen to do something failed.

On Ruan Hong's request, she found the poison in her mother's room and gave it to him. Unknown to her was that she had been tricked. After Ruan Hong gave his speech which mocked Chen's competence and had her mother executed for the death of the Honest Empress by Empress Xu Yai. Ju grew an extreme hatred for what she had done, forgiving her mother for everything she had done in her final moments before she was executed in front of her. This was also when she started to resent the Empress for her actions that affected her personally.

After her mother's death, her aunt, Cai Yan broke her betrothal with Chen.

Although resentful of the actions taken, she accepted a request from her brother in-law to stop a play that would depict her sister in a bad light. Accepting the request, not for him but for her sister, she made her way to the Shadow Theater.

#### The Oath

After going into the Shadow Theater on Ruan Hong's request to change the mockery of her older sister, she quickly found herself in the presence of the Snake herself. Choosing to swear loyalty to the Shadow Snake, the Shaizi and the cause through a ceremony. Taking the blood right on her left wrist, where the mark of the blade remains as a reminder to the family she is loyal to. It was there that she learnt of the Shadow Snake's identity, the reason she was chosen to join the organization and the role she could fill. This would be where she would meet Lady Shan, an actress Ju greatly admired and was soon taken under her wing through the Shaizi.

After failing to prevent any action from the war from continuing, Cai Ju attended the leaving party as the soldiers left for war, later to be known as the [insert war here].

#### The Cai Actress

Cai Ju, after being accepted under the wing by the talented Lady Shan, began to pursue a career in acting. Spending the rest of her early life being trained in singing, dancing and performing. Although she rarely got any major roles at the start of her acting career, she was said to be beautiful to be on stage. Her relationship with Lady Shan strengthened and adopted many of her techniques into her own acting and social interactions.

## Adulthood

### **The Secret Wedding**

After being falsely accused of treason when she was at the scene of a riot against Magistrate Chen, Cai Ju was brought to the dungeons of the palace. Crying out her innocence and name only to be ignored. It was there she was able to get the attention of her former lover Magistrate Chen. Being taken in for questioning by Chen himself, Cai Ju found herself to a chair as Chen asked her questions. The two caught up from their time apart and eventually their feelings for one another resurfaced. The couple soon chose to be wed right there and then after things got romantic between them. Using Chen's authority as a Magistrate to have them officially wed in secret to not tarnish either of their reputations during the political climate at that time. They also later decided on moving away from the capital to be free from the political turmoil that was going on.

It would be when the soldiers returned from the [insert war here], having lost, that she would tell her father and her older sister of her marriage privately. Making her decision to go and live with her husband but still return when she could.

It is said she had a peaceful life there after. Assisting the Shaizi where she could and settled down with Chen. Continuing her acting career and bearing children.

## Death

Ju died a peaceful death from natural causes.