Eight years have passed since The Emperor and his palace took Ying-tai in. He trusted Huian to teach Ying-tai the art of war, as that was his initial plan in the start. As for Jiao Long, The Emperor had other plans for him and sent him away to study. Ying-tai was exceptionally gifted in combat and was blessed with intelligence in which was useful in Strategic Art of War. This pleased The Emperor and he grew fond of Ying-tai as though he were his own son as the days passed by. Xiu Juan was very talented. Unlike her brother who was limited in talents, Xiu Juan was able to achieve anything she was able to get her hands on. Though her mother dressed her in embroidered silk robes, she wanted to do the things her brother and Ying-tai were allowed to do. She would combat with them with their wooden swords and beat her brother Jiao Long easily. Ying-tai, however, was a hard foe to defeat. She just couldn’t seem to beat him. If she tried too hard, Ying-tai would flip her over and pin her to the ground till she surrendered. When her father was not around and Ying-tai was done with his studies, she would make Ying-tai teach her how to fight. Sometimes she will read over his shoulder when he was studying the extra things Huian gave him.

Xiu Juan sighed, “Do you think we will ever achieve peace?”

Ying-tai looked at Xiu Juan, “I’d like to believe so.”

“What happens if Qin falls?” Xiu Juan wondered.

“I won’t let that happen,” Ying-tai answered sternly. “I owe Qin my life. I owe your father my life. And you, Xiu Juan, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Xiu Juan smiled faintly then asked, “Ying-tai won’t get taken away from me by war will he?”

Ying-tai paused, “People can only do their best, Xiu Juan. Nothing can be helped when one dies for honor.”

Xiu Juan frowned, “I don’t like war. I don’t see the meaning of it.”

“Without war we wouldn’t be able to achieve some of the most important things. Like your home,” Ying-tai explained.

“But people don’t have to die.”

Ying-tai closed his eyes and shut his book. He sighed then looked at Xiu Juan, “Xiu Juan, I don’t think you will ever understand, but when you find something important enough it will be worthy enough of your life.”

Xiu Juan paused then spoke, “Qin means that much to you? And my father?”

Ying-tai nodded and returned to his studies, “Yes. Qin saved my life. Which is why I owe mine to it.”

Something important. Xiu Juan thought for a moment and then smiled, “Brother Ying-tai, I think I understand what you mean.”

Ying-tai lifted his eyes to meet Xiu Juan’s but it was interrupted as he heard The Empress call Xiu Juan’s name. She got up and brushed herself. Ying-tai watched the blue silk robe shuffle behind Xiu Juan and her long tangled hair trail behind her as she trotted off to her mother with her gold slippers in her hand. She was never able to walk in her dresses. Will she ever grow up? Ying-tai wondered. No, it was best for her to keep any ounce of innocence she had in her. He stared at his flickering candlelight and blew it out.