2 Books Found

Based on your description:

"I'm trying to identify a fantasy novel I read sometime between 2021 and 2024. It was an English paperback and fairly long (probably 400+ pages). The story is set in a historical East Asian-inspired world with no modern technology, and I remember the characters having Chinese names. The protagonist is a young woman with a rare magical ability that lets her permanently disguise her face as the same male identity. The magic only changes her face, not her body, so she still has to bind her chest, hide her period, deepen her voice, and otherwise pretend to be a man while serving in the military or an army. The magical disguise has its own in-world name (I can't remember it) and can be dismissed with a peeling-like motion, even though there isn't a real mask. Early in the story there is a flashback to the protagonist's family being attacked or massacred during her childhood. While travelling to or serving in the military, she becomes close to another soldier whom everyone, including the protagonist, believes is a man. I think that soldier suspects the protagonist is actually female. At one point the love interest helps the protagonist out of a pit, hole, or similar trap. Later, when soldiers have to undress together, both characters avoid doing so by claiming they have severe scars. The love interest is believed to have died in battle, but later returns and saves the protagonist. It is then revealed that the love interest is also a woman and possesses the same rare face-changing ability. The romance becomes sapphic after this reveal. Later in the story, the protagonist becomes involved with protecting or serving the monarchy or imperial court before the final reveal about the love interest. Some details may be inaccurate, but the key elements are: historical Chinese-inspired fantasy, female protagonist disguised as a man using rare face-changing magic, military setting, imperial court, and a late reveal that the love interest is another woman with the same magical ability. "