Back at the palace, Jiao Long was to be appointed Emperor of Qin after the funeral ceremony of The late Emperor.

“Should we not wait for Ying-tai’s return before proceeding with the funeral and appointing Jiao Long as Emperor? He is family. He has the right to be part of the service and plea the court’s favor.” Xiu Juan protested.

However, it was all in vain. Xiu Juan was unable to fight and persuade the court otherwise due to Jiao Long and Shirong’s influence. Nobody was willing to listen to her because her own brother denied her right to speak. Unable to control her rage, she stormed to her chamber and knocked everything down. She cried at what Jiao Long did to the court, causing her palace to turn against her. Since then she refused to talk to anyone.

Bo, who entered the palace with the new identity as Xiu Juan’s servant, and Luli, who cleaned up after her fury and later brought Xiu Juan her meal, sighed and looked sadly at her.

“Princess, you must get up,” Luli said softly.

Xiu Juan, who was lying on her bed with a tear streaked face, shook her head.

“It’s been three days since you completely stopped taking care of yourself. No one has seen you and they’re all worried.”

Xiu Juan shed more tears silently. She mourned over her father, and her heart stung when she thought about Ying-tai, whom she didn’t feel comfortable going to for comfort anymore.

“Ying-tai is on his way,” Bo brought up the courage to mention while hoping Xiu Juan will not yell at them for bringing up his name.

Xiu Juan sniffled and wiped her tears. She pulled her hair from her wet face and turned to them.

“He is? Since when?” She asked softly.

“Sir Guozhi said he will be here three days from now,” Luli informed.

“But the funeral is tomorrow night,” Xiu Juan sighed, disappointed the court wouldn’t stall the ceremony till Ying-tai’s arrival. “I won’t be attending the service,” she announced after a little thought to herself. Luli and Bo stared up at her.

“Why?” they asked.

“I don’t want to mourn in front of politicians that don’t even care about him,” she scorned, thinking about her brother and Shirong. She looked at Luli. “Get my bath ready. Fetch me my ceremonial attire for the funeral,” she ordered.

Luli was confused. “You said you weren’t attending the service.”

Xiu Juan smiled kindly, “We are going to attend a ceremony where there are people who I know loved my father, and my father loved them.”

Bo smiled and Luli’s eyes lit up, understanding what Xiu Juan meant, and they quickly got up to prepare the things Xiu Juan ordered. Xiu Juan lifted her head high and her eyes were filled with strength and confidence once more. After Xiu Juan bathed, Luli helped her with her hair and black attire adorned with weeping willows embroidered with golden thread. Her brilliance returned and Luli gaped in awe at the sight. Bo brought them their long black cloaks and covered themselves with it and quietly headed their way to the heart Qin: The people.

When they arrived by the gate, the guards stopped them.

“What is your business here,” one of them glared at Luli and Bo.

Trying to hide Xiu Juan’s identity, Luli stepped up to the guard with her heart beating hard against her chest. “We just want to step out,” she addressed.

A few men giggled and advanced toward her. The taller guard questioning them raised his hand up to Luli. She flinched away. They laughed at her shyness.

“No one is allowed in or out due to the preparations of The late Emperor’s funeral service and the ceremony for the new crowning Emperor.”

“That’s blasphemy! What if the people of Qin wanted part of the service? The Emperor loved his people, not the wretched politics inside!” Bo exclaimed.

“Watch what you’re saying, you servant!” The guard shouted. He placed his hand on the handle of his sword to pull it out. Xiu Juan saw this and whipped her long sleeve against his hand, bruising it. He groaned at the pain and readied himself to strike again but didn’t see that Xiu Juan already wrapped her sleeves around the handle of his sword and unsheathed it. She quickly snatched it when her sleeves pulled it back toward her. She twirled it around to fix the hold firmly into the grip of her hand and swung the blade next to the rude soldier’s throat.

How swift he is! The surrounding guards saw. Feeling threatened, they pulled out their weapons and pointed it out to Xiu Juan, Luli, and Bo. Luli grabbed a hold of the poised Bo tightly. He, himself, was ready for a fight.

“Halt! Who are you?” They shouted.

Xiu Juan uncovered herself and pierced her eyes to the soldiers surrounding them.

“How shameful Qin has become! You dare point your blade to me?” She roared at the soldiers. When they saw her, their eyes widened with fear and dropped their weapons. They fell onto their knees and placed their head on the concrete ground.

“Princess Xiu Juan! Please forgive us! We did not know it was you!” They cried.

“Ruthless!” She shook her head. “My father meant to teach his men well. Have you not learned anything? You harass commoners who can’t help themselves and find it entertaining. You all deserve to have your heads cut off for relaxing yourselves from your duty of protecting the people of Qin!”

“Please forgive us, Princess!” They cried once more.

Xiu Juan lowered her sword from the soldier’s throat and he fell onto his knees, shaking uncontrollably. Studying his uniform, she discovered he was a high ranking commanding officer.

She looked down on them and spoke in a cold, chilling voice, “I’ll find that you all get punished for this when I return.”

The commanding officer spoke with a shaking voice, “But Princess, no one is allowed to step in or out of the palace! It is the order of the Crown Prince.”

She turned her gaze to him. “If going out to just see my people of Qin is so wrong, you tell my brother to come find me himself if he so desires to dispute against it,” she commanded. She swung the sword down onto the ground and it pierced right next to the commanding officer. She then flicked her robe to the side and turned away. “I’ll be amused to hear that dense asshole’s reasoning,” she scorned as she walked away through the gates while she raised her hood over her head, the men still kneeling their heads against the ground behind her.

Xiu Juan’s white horse, Shan, was waiting outside for them with two other horses. Bo helped Luli mount hers before he mounted his own.

“Ah, it feels great to be out of there, huh?” Luli smiled.

“I’d say,” Bo agreed.

Xiu Juan took a deep breath and yanked the ropes to signal Shan to leave. It was a rather beautiful day. As a matter of fact, it was the first warm day of the year. Leaves had budded out of their trees and spring birds were singing. She looked out unto the rice fields and saw many farmers tending to the baby plants that were sprouting.

“This color of green makes me happy,” Xiu Juan smiled. “Ah! Luli, don’t your parents live nearby? How about you take me to go visit them?”

Her eyes lit up and she smiled widely, “Oh, it’ll be an honor for my parents to have you visit!”

Luli led them to her house by the pier. It was rather secluded with trees surrounding it, causing the sun to emit a sparkling-like light through the trees down to the earth below. Her parents were fishermen living in a small, humble home. When they saw Luli, she jumped off her horse and ran into their arms.

“Mother! Father! I have a very special guest here with me!” She beamed. She pulled them toward the horses. Her parents were very old. Her small mother had the kindest eyes and her father hand the jolliest laugh.

Xiu Juan climbed off her horse and walked out of the shade into the sun. She undid the scarf covering her face and took her hood off. Her long hair tumbled down and her white skin was revealed. Xiu Juan smiled at them. Her parents froze in their steps and looked at Luli.

“Who exactly is this?” Her mother asked, shaking.

“This, mom and dad, is the Grand Princess Xiu Juan of Qin,” Luli excitedly announced.

They collapsed onto their knees and bowed to Xiu Juan. She quickly walked to them, dragging her long gown with her. She extended her hand out and tried to raise them up.

“Oh, Princess! We are too lowly to gaze upon you! Forgive us,” they said.

“You are not too lowly to gaze upon me. In fact, it is my blessing to have the chance to meet you like this,” Xiu Juan smiled and shook her head.

“Your highness is too kind,” her mother cried, unable to believe she was in the presence of the ever so elegant princess.

Xiu Juan lifted them up from their knees.

“We’ll be staying here for a night, if you don’t mind,” Xiu Juan said in a soft voice.

“Here? Oh, but our home is nothing but a small shack!” Luli’s father said.

Xiu Juan laughed. She looked at their little cozy farm, “You have such beautiful home. I say, this is the way to live! It’s peaceful.”

“You are too kind,” Luli’s mother said as she led them inside. Once Xiu Juan took her cloak off, Luli’s mother quickly got some tea, snacks, and fruits ready.

“Oh, please don’t bother,” Xiu Juan pleaded.

“Oh, no! I must! It’s not every day someone gets to have a member of the royal family visit!” Luli’s mother insisted.

“I must thank you for taking Luli in. The gifts you have her send us is something we can never repay you back for. Thank you,” Luli’s father bowed his head and thanked.

“You sending Luli to me was a gift itself that those worldly gifts can never measure up to. It is I that must thank you.”

Xiu Juan thanked Luli’s mother for the tea when she set it down in front of them. She took a sip and raised her eyebrows.

“This Jasmine tea is wonderful! It is much better than those in the palace,” Xiu Juan praised.

Luli’s mother blushed, “Thank you! I grow my own herbs!”

“Oh I must see!” Xiu Juan beamed.

“Oh, why of course!” Luli’s mother was surprised.

“Princess Xiu Juan studies botany,” Luli grinned.

“Ah, I see! My, that is impressive!” Lulie’s father praised.

Later on that day, after Xiu Juan, Luli, and Bo changed their clothes into commoner’s attire, they tended Luli’s mother’s humble garden. Then, they later went to fish for their dinner. Xiu Juan gutted the fish and helped Luli prepare the meal. Luli’s mother insisted on making her best dishes and taught Luli and Xiu Juan how to prepare them. Xiu Juan smiled fondly at the mother and daughter bonding.

“Princess, you seem like you’ve been doing this your whole life!” Luli’s mother praised.

Xiu Juan enjoyed the family dinner they had in their little cozy home. While the candle was flickering away, Luli’s father drank wine with Bo for a little celebration.

“Will you guys be attending the funeral ceremony with us?” Luli’s father asked.

“Yes,” Xiu Juan replied.

“You will not be attending the service in the palace?” Luli’s mother wondered.

Xiu Juan paused. Then she said in a soft voice, “I believe my father would have been happier to spend his last moments with his people. That’s what I feel and I want to do it for him.”

They nodded and sat in silence for a long while.

“I remember when I met his and her majesty,” Luli’s mother reminisced, “it was when I dropped Luli off. They were the kindest people. It’s a shame good people perish so soon. I cried for days when I learned that the Empress passed.” Then she turned to look at Xiu Juan. “When I saw you, I thought I was looking at your mother. My heart filled with joy.”

Xiu Juan’s eyes watered up at the mentioning of her mother.

“You look just like her. So heart wrenchingly elegant and graceful. She had something in her that could affect one’s soul for a lifetime that no temporary external beauty can compare.”

Xiu Juan wiped her fallen tears away.

“But you have your father’s piercing eyes. The eyes of a lion,” Luli’s father commented.

“Yes, yes,” Luli’s mother agreed.

“Thank you. I miss them both dearly,” Xiu Juan smiled through her tears.

“Ah, enough sadness! Tomorrow, we will take you to town and meet our friends!” Luli’s father chimed.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Luli’s mother worried.

“Well it’s what Princess wants,” Luli’s father said.

“I can’t wait!” Xiu Juan beamed.

That night Xiu Juan laid next to Luli and commented on how kind her parents were.

“You have a lovely home here. I don’t see how you can bear to leave it.”

Luli smiled, “I try not to think about it. But you do give me fond memories of the palace which comforts me. I thank you for that.”

“No, thank you for being by me all this while. You are a good friend,” Xiu Juan smiled and closed her eyes to sleep, listening to the crickets chirp the night away.

Luli looked over to Xiu Juan and then up at the ceiling and whispered to herself, “It is a blessing of mine to be your friend in this lifetime.”

The next morning, they all dressed to go to the farmers’ market. Xiu Juan wore one of Luli’s clothes. Luli helped wrap the layers of the white attire around her and tied it with the same colored sash. Xiu Juan pinned her hair up with her golden pin and headed out to mount onto her horse.

At the farmers’ market a lot of people stared at her, not seeing her before. Soldiers walked by and recognized her and bowed their head to her. She would return the gesture. People were noticing and shied away. A little girl ran up to her and tugged on her long sleeve.

“Excuse me, miss,” she said in a tiny voice, “are you a princess?”

Xiu Juan smiled brightly and knelt down to her level, “Why do you say that?”

The little girl blushed, “You look like a princess,” she admitted.

Xiu Juan giggled and nodded, “Yes, I am Princess Xiu Juan. But my close friends can call me Xiu Juan. What’s yours?”

As soon as Xiu Juan mentioned she was a princess her face lit up and she smiled widely, “I’m Mei Hui.”

The people around them also heard Xiu Juan announce that she was the Princess of Qin and they gasped and quickly bowed to her. As she walked up to them, they presented their early harvest to her. She went from farmer to farmer looking at their herbs, flowers, fish, livestock, and other harvest they had. She would try the berries they offered and samples of sweets and tea.

“What do you think of the berries, Princess?” A lady asked with bright eyes while carrying her infant child in one of her hand and the other hand carried the large basket of berries.

Xiu Juan smiled while tasting the berries. She nodded in approval and the lady smiled widely.

“They are a little sour, though. To get them very sweet, I would suggest planting them in moist grounds where they can get a lot of water. Also, not enough sunlight can make them sour. I would find a place where it’s more sunny than it is shaded during the day,” Xiu Juan suggested.

“Oh, thank you, Princess!” The lady bowed, grateful for her feedback.

Xiu Juan looked at the baby who began to cry. She extended her hand out to it.

“May I?” She asked the lady. She nodded and handed the child over.

“Boy or girl?” Xiu Juan asked.

“A boy,” the lady proudly stated.

“How wonderful!” Xiu Juan smiled. She rocked him and started humming. Then she sang a tune in which the child hushed and closed his eyes. He slept peacefully in her arms. Everyone stood silent while staring at the Princess, gaping at her.

“You sing beautifully, Princess,” an old lady beside her commented.

Xiu Juan blushed, “You’re too kind.”

“I’ve lived this long and traveled through many vast mountains and I’ve never heard such a voice as enchanting as yours!” She smiled widely. Most of her teeth were gone as she was a tobacco chewer and seller.

Xiu Juan turned back to the young mother, “You’re husband is at war?” She asked, handing the sleeping infant back to her.

“Yes. He serves in Lord Ying-tai’s division,” she replied.

Xiu Juan’s heart pumped a little faster, “Ying-tai you said?” She repeated.

“Yes. Lord Ying-tai recruited my husband, promising me his safety,” she smiled and looked at her child fondly.

This warmed Xiu Juan’s heart. “He is in safe hands. I guarantee it. I have my full trust in Ying-tai so you should too.”

The young mother’s heart grew confident and bowed to Xiu Juan, thanking her. Luli’s parents soon called after her to meet their friends so she bid farewell to the young mother and blessed her child.

“May your child only know a world of peace; and if the day comes that he will ever have to fight, may he have the strength of a thousand men.” She caressed the infant boy’s head and made her way to Luli and the elders.

“Xiu Juan, meet the Wong family and the Liang family,” Luli’s father introduced. “They are rice farmers.”

Their eyes sparkled as they set their eyes on Xiu Juan.

“It is such a blessing to have the luck to meet you, Princess,” they bowed to her. She raised her hand to lift them up. Mrs. Wong looked at Xiu Juan and placed her hand on her chest.

“Oh, look at our Princess of Qin,” she exhaled.

“Yes! It’s no wonder Lord Ying-tai wants to protect Qin so much,” giggled Mrs. Liang.

“Oh stop, you’re making her blush!” Luli’s mother laughed and nudged her friends.

Xiu Juan smiled at the tease. “You know Ying-tai?” She asked.

“Yes! Since he was a child, he came out here often, especially out at the Pier. Such a handsome boy, but always busy. Every time he returns home, our young daughters swoon over him and many young noble women flirt with him. However, he never pays them any mind and now we know why!”

Xiu Juan blushed, “No, it’s not that…”

No woman has ever swooned him. We theorized that it must be the Princess of Qin that holds his heart. Now that I’ve seen her, I believe it.”

Xiu Juan shook her head, “He’s just a man of duty and he puts that before anything and anybody. I wouldn’t know what he really holds dear to his heart,” she sighed.

“If it had to be anything, it would be you,” Mrs. Liang stated.

“Why do you say that?” Xiu Juan asked, curious.

“Ever since he was a small boy, every time your name was mentioned he would behave differently right away, whether it was angry, happy, or sad. He is a person who could hold his poise very well…until your name is spoken.” Mrs. Liang explained.

Xiu Juan was touched by their words but then immediately remembered Ying-tai’s last words to her. She just shrugged and shook her head.

“This is Ying-tai we are all talking about. No one will ever know,” she commented.

For a while, they talked and laughed, drinking tea while eating sweets and fruits. Xiu Juan played with the children and taught them how to make paper flowers. Later, some old ladies were making paper lanterns.

“It’s for the ceremony,” Mrs. Wong said, noticing Xiu Juan was observing. “Tonight we are all going to light one and send it off into night sky in honor of The late Emperor.”

Xiu Juan remembered seeing thousands of lighted lanterns set off into the sky when her mother passed. She got up and walked over to the older ladies and Luli.

“May I?” She asked. She wanted to help make the lanterns too. They smiled and scooted over and patted on the open area by them. Xiu Juan sat by the ladies and made paper lanterns with them. After a while, the ladies started singing folk songs. Xiu Juan listened joyfully and hummed along.

“Princess, why don’t you sing us a song?” Luli’s mother asked.

“Yes! I heard your voice was like no other!” A younger woman chimed in.

“Sing to us, Princess. We might not get another chance to listen to you sing to us,” Mrs. Liang pleaded.

Xiu Juan, unable to say no, shyly obliged, “Sure. But I have to let you know that I am not as great as they say.”

“Princess, stop being so modest!” Luli remarked as she handed her the guzheng.

Xiu Juan laid out the layers of her dress before her and rolled up her long sleeves. She plucked a few strings for a note. She thought for a moment of a song she would share with them. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and allowed herself to get lost in the art. She plucked the strings slowly at first, and then progressed with the music. Because music was so dear to her, with every note she plucked she was able to tug at the heartstrings of all those listening to her. She rocked back and forth as she played, swaying with the song. She smiled and began singing.

“The last smile I saw of yours is still burnt onto my mind

I was so lost in it I did not even notice your sighs

To save me from heartache, you allowed me to fall for your lies

To gift me laughter, you kept all of your worries well confined

Oh, if only god would hand me the thread of time to unwind!

I would keep the pieces to myself so I could intertwine

together a robe so under my arms forever you’ll bind…”

Xiu Juan’s smile lessened as her eyes grew more sorrowful.

“Instead, life keeps true to itself and keeps sorrow well defined

Now where in this world will I search to find a love so divine?

If only tears could build stairwells to you, I’d gladly cry blind

But instead, I’ll burn you one thousand lanterns into the sky

And, far away from me and to heaven, you’ll draw your way nigh

Beloved, I’ll burn you one thousand lanterns into the sky

Relieve you to the kingdom of heaven with this heart of mine

Beloved, I’ll burn you one thousand lanterns into the sky

Relieve you to the kingdom of heaven with this heart of mine…”

Xiu Juan’s eyes were welled up with tears. In the low lit candlelights in the room, her eyes appeared like sparkles from a flame. A single tear fell from her eye, down her cheek, and onto the wooden board of the guzheng. She slowly lifted her fingers from the strings and wiped away her tears. Nobody said a word as she sat there in silence.

“Princess,” an old lady wept, “Princess Xiu Juan, that was beautiful. How could someone so young like you sing such sorrowful songs?”

“I didn’t know what else to sing. I could only sing what my heart holds dear at the moment,” Xiu Juan shook her head as tears silently fell down her cheeks. Luli put her hands gently on her shoulder, not saying anything as she did not know what to say.

When night grew and the stars started to leak through the sky, Luli helped Xiu Juan dress in her formal attire for the ceremony. In her long black dress and her black robe adorned with golden threads of weeping willows, everyone looked at her in awe. There were many people gathered at the beach by the pier, all holding lighted lanterns. She walked onto the pier and walked through her people who bowed to her and gazed at her as she passed by. When Xiu Juan reached the edge of the pier, she noticed many more lights from lanterns emitting from all over Qin. She looked up to the dimming sky and waited for complete darkness. The Empire of Qin stood silent while they waited for the strike of midnight. As soon as the gong sounded from the palace, Xiu Juan knew the cremation of her father had begun and her heart tore apart at the thought. She lit her match and lit the small candle in her lantern and watched it glow in front of her. Standing at the edge of the pier and before the dark waters, she looked up into the sky and bid her father a final farewell and gently let go of the lantern. The people of Qin followed her gesture and let go of theirs. Hundreds of thousands of paper lanterns drifted off into the sky while the people of Qin mourned for the great Emperor. Xiu Juan looked on and kept her composure, keeping her jaws and fists clenched.

When the lights dimmed away and the last one blew out, the sky wept over Qin heavily. Though the rain made the air grow cold, Xiu Juan refused to move. After everyone left, she fell onto her knees and broke down. She buried her face into her hands and sobbed heavily. The rain soaked her robe that stretched long behind her across the pier, dimming the golden threads. The weeping willows began to appear like true weeping willows. Luli and Bo, who no longer could bear watching from the side, ran to her and shielded her from the rain with an umbrella not caring that they might be pushed away by Xiu Juan. While Bo held the umbrella, Luli lifted her hand up in attempt to console Xiu Juan but saw that she was far lost in her grief. Luli couldn’t help but let her grieve while soaking in the rain.

Just a moment before that, on top of a mountain, Ying-tai and his men were still riding into the night. Huian noticed a vast glow coming from the direction of Qin.

“My lord! Lights coming from Qin! Is our empire under attack?” Xia also noticed and alerted him.

Ying-tai, alarmed, observed the lights. When he realized what they were, he pulled the reins of his horse and came to a stop. Everyone else, startled, also came to an abrupt stop.

“No, Qin is not under attack nor is it on fire,” he said, breathing heavily. He got down from his horse and watched the lights that began to ascend into the sky. “They’re lanterns for The Emperor. The ceremony has begun,” he informed them and bowed lowly.

Everyone else got down from their horses and watched the lights rise from Qin. They all bowed to them in act of paying their respects from afar.

“They did not wait for us,” Xia sighed and bit his lips while his eyes leaked with tears.

“May you rest in peace, dear Emperor,” Huian wept.

Ying-tai, not yet shedding a tear, clenched his fists and straightened himself back up from his deep bow.

“Goodbye, father. May we share another cup of tea as father and son when I see you again. And when that day comes, I will no longer make you wait for another day to pour me a cup from your kettle,” he gazed onto the soft lights and bid his beloved Emperor a goodbye he was not prepared for.