Ying-tai and his men were only half a day away from the kingdom of Qi. Riding on Shen’s back, Princess Yanmei’s heart leapt as she began to recognize the landmark around them.

Ying-tai lifted his head as he sniffed the air. He noticed the change of atmosphere. “The sea?” He guessed.

“Yes!” Princess Yanmei beamed down to him, “Have you ever seen the sea?”

Ying-tai shook his head and smiled, “Only in paintings. I have always wanted to see it in person.”

“Ah! I’m excited to see it! I’ve heard it’s a wondrous sight to behold!” Xia grinned widely.

Princess Yanmei chuckled at Xia, “That, sir, is very true!”

Xia rubbed the back of his head and bashfully smiled.

“Princess Yanmei,” Huian chimed in, “your palace is by the sea, isn’t it?”

Princess Yanmei turned her head to Huian. “Of course you would be required to know that, wouldn’t you,” she teased.

Huian chuckled, “Ah, take it as a good guess.”

“So tell me,” Princess Yanmei began after a moment of silence, “what was it you wanted for saving me?”

Xia and Huian looked at each other, then at Ying-tai. “You didn’t tell her yet?” Xia asked Ying-tai discreetly.

Ying-tai ignored Xia and turned toward Princess Yanmei and smiled, “I look forward to meeting your people.”

Princess Yanmei pouted, “Aye, you’re changing the subject on me.”

“The question is: how do you know you could trust me?” Ying-tai questioned. “I could’ve just used you as a way to get into Qi and erase the lives of your empire.”

Princess Yanmei lowered her shoulders. She shifted her gaze from Ying-tai to look at the path ahead of them, “If that was the case, you wouldn’t have cared if Guangli died or not.” Her eyes grew doleful, “Even after he died, you gave him a name and a burial. You saw a Nobody as a human being.” She returned her eyes to Ying-tai who continued to face forward, “If that’s not trustworthy then I am at lost to what is.”

Pleased, Ying-tai smiled, “I’m grateful that at the very least you see me as such.”

Gaw! Gaw! Gaw!

Ying-tai lifted his head to see seagulls flying overhead. “We’re drawing near.”

“Yes,” Princess Yanmei nodded.

“Ying-tai! There! I can see the palace by the sea!”

“The smell of salt is much stronger now,” Huian noticed and lifted his head with his eyes closed.

At the gates of the Qi empire, a man in the tower saw a mass number of men in crimson from afar and his lips went numb with fear.

“The Qin army?” He exhaled. He flipped around and sounded the drums to warn his kingdom.

A Qi general turned around at the alarming sound of the drums and made his way to the edge of the wall to see what was coming forth. “What in god’s name? It cannot be!” He widened his eyes. “MEN! IN YOUR POISITIONS! THE QIN ARMY APPROACHES!”

Xia saw flickering motions of purple and turned to Ying-tai, “Looks like they noticed our arrival!”

“Don’t do or say anything stupid,” Ying-tai looked at Xia.

As they approached the gates, all arrows were drawn and pointed at them.

“Halt!” The general warned. “By what means do you step foot into Qi? We have lived quietly and avoided all conflicts with Qin!”

Ying-tai raised his hand, “Do not fret, for we do not come in intent to clash swords!”

The general raised his brow.

Ying-tai dismounted from his horse in which both Huian and Xia followed.

“Don’t take a step closer!” The general cried out.

“They tremble with fear,” Xia tilted toward Ying-tai, smirking as he shook his head.

“If you would lower your weapons and let us speak as man to man,” Huian stepped in. “You do not want to risk a fight today.”

“And why is that?” The general inquired.

“General Peizhi!” Princess Yanmei called from behind the Qin men.

General Peizhi turned his focus onto her. His heart sank at the sight of her and cried out, “Grand Princess Yanmei!” Infuriated, he roared at Ying-tai, “How dare you hold the Grand Princess prisoner!”

Princess Yanmei raised her arms, “You misunderstand, General Peizhi! I am not being held prisoner by these men! To properly phrase it, they are my saviors!”

General Peizhi was perplexed. “What do you mean? These men of the Qin regime saved you? How do you know whether or not they are deceiving you, Grand Princess Yanmei, just to get inside the walls of Qi?”

“General Peizhi,” Princess Yanmei began, “trust me when I say that if these men came here with the intent to bring Qi to the ground, we would already be dead.”

“Grand Princess! How dare you slander your own country’s name?!” General Peizhi exasperated.

“What I mean to say is,” Princess Yanmei turned to Ying-tai who was unfazed by the tens of thousands of arrows that faced him. “General—”

“General Peizhi, I wish to deal with this in the supplest approach possible,” Ying-tai spoke up. “Here I have with me are ten thousand men. If I must use force against you, I have forty thousand more men who await my call to do so.”

Princess Yanmei turned her head to Ying-tai, astonished.

General Peizhi scoffed, “What can fifty thousand men do?” He shook his head at the man below him believing he was pitifully ignorant. “You should know that to break down the walls of an empire you need to at least double your fleet to the army inside! I am appalled that one of the most feared nations of the world have such uneducated men!”

“Whether it may be fifty thousand, one hundred thousand, or five hundred thousand men,” Xia pitched in and walked forward standing tall, “it doesn’t matter how many men you carry.” Xia stared at General Peizhi, his bearing unyieldingly bold, “With the right leader, we can cleanse a nation ten thousand men at a time!” Xia raised his arm to Ying-tai as he made his point, “With this I say to you, behold what a great man can achieve with fifty thousand men!”

Huian smiled at this and nodded his head in approval.

General Peizhi squinted down at them, anxious, “You can’t be…”

Ying-tai raised and placed his hands together in formality, “Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin, at your presence.”

General Peizhi stepped back in disbelief while his archers turned their heads for further orders. “How do I know if you really are Ying-tai: the Demon of War?”

“Are you really willing to risk it just to find out?” Ying-tai challenged.

“General, please allow us to pass. I wish to speak to my father,” Princess Yanmei insisted.

“What monster you brought with you,” General Peizhi tremblingly commented to Princess Yanmei.

“Let us through!” Princess Yanmei demanded. “That’s an order!”

“What should we do?” A foot soldier asked his general.

General Peizhi squeezed the grip of his sword and took in a deep breath. He raised his arms to cease his soldiers’ drawn weapons. “Open the gate,” he intoned.

“What?” The foot soldier was taken aback.

“Per her royal highness’s request,” General Peizhi continued, “open the gate.”

“Thank you, General!” Princess Yanmei bowed her head in deep gratitude.

General Peizhi turned to Princess Yanmei, “But only the Demon of War may enter with you.” She opened her lips to persist but he interrupted, “It’s for safety precautions, Princess.”

Princess Yanmei turned to Ying-tai, “I’m sorry. We can’t even bring Lieutenant Xia or Second Commander Huian with us.”

Huian and Xia turned to Ying-tai who gave them an assuring expression, “Don’t worry. Wait here for me.”

Huian furrowed his brows. “How do we know they won’t plot against you when you are in there alone?”

“That’s why I trust you to have my back,” Ying-tai smirked and proceeded toward the gate with Princess Yanmei. As he stepped through the threshold of the gate, Huian and Xia watched warily till the red silk on his back disappeared behind the gate that slowly closed before them.

All eyes were pasted onto Ying-tai as he walked through the white and turquoise platform toward the palace of Qi. All of the warriors present saluted to Princess Yanmei and had their weapons at rest but were silently on guard. Ying-tai, sensing the unbearable tension from the guards who looked at him as though he were a demon that leapt out from hell, took in a deep breath and exhaled. Before entering the palace, two Qi guards flinched when Ying-tai handed them his sword and they edgily approached him as they patted him down and collected all of the armaments he had strapped onto his body. During the whole process, Ying-tai kept his eyes on the ten soldiers with violet sashes that stood between him and the entrance way.

The elite force, Ying-tai recognized. Stripped from his weapons, the ten elite soldiers encircled Ying-tai to escort him inside.

“What are you doing?” Princess Yanmei furrowed her brows.

“Your father’s orders. Outsiders, especially one so infamously known as such, cannot be trusted.” One of the elite soldiers briefed.

“It’s okay,” Ying-tai spoke to relieve Princess Yanmei of her worry. “It’s protocol.”

“Grand Princess Yanmei,” two more elite soldiers walked toward them to escort her, “this way, please.”

Inside the grand room, leading to the Qi emperor and the prince were gold columns that were engraved with fabled creatures. Shadows ceased to exist in the rather impressive room as the large windows gave way to the bright sunlight to beam its way in. Along with the mass number of guards, there were numerous of lined up maids and servants dressed in light shades of purple silk that delicately brushed against the marble floor with colors that closely imitated the sea. They all kept a warily eye on Ying-tai as he walked by them, whispers arising.

“Father! Older brother!” Princess Yanmei cried as she picked up her yellow skirt and ran to them.

“Yanmei!” Her father shot up from his seat and embraced her tightly.

Princess Yanmei turned to her brother and smiled with tearful eyes.

“Little sister,” her brother caressed her head and pulled her in for a hold. “We searched for you for days! Oh, the gods do have mercy!”

Near the royalties, Ying-tai spotted the mercenaries he met from when he rescued Princess Yanmei. The mercenary he spoke with at that time grinned and subtly nodded his head at him, delighted to see him again. Ying-tai acknowledged him as he continued forth and then was stopped by the guards that escorted him. The Qi emperor waved his hand and dismissed the guards, leaving Ying-tai to stand alone fifty paces from the dais.

“Father,” Princess Yanmei presented Ying-tai to the Qi emperor, “this is Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin. He is the man who saved me from the renegades.”

The Qi prince widened his eyes at his sister, “This man, little sister? THE Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin?” He examined Ying-tai who had dried blood on his armor, dirt on his skin, and hair that had not been properly groomed. The red silk he wore were torn at the seams, but his eyes were striking in respect of his character; brilliant like that of a vigilant tiger. This man that seemed to have walked out of the depths of hell but still seemed so dignified made a profound impression on the prince.

“Daughter, how do you know we could trust this man?” The Qi emperor furrowed his brows after examining Ying-tai.

“If we spent more time on recognizing greatness rather than being blinded by doubt, we would probably gain much more,” Princess Yanmei consoled her father from his suspicion in Ying-tai. She turned to her savior and smiled tenderly, “I trusted in him. That’s why I am here with you today.”

“Father,” the prince stepped toward his father, “he did save Yanmei from her doom. As fearful as he may be to the country, the right thing to do would be to acknowledge the great deed he has done for us and reward him for it.”

The Qi emperor nodded, understanding this fully. He sat Princess Yanmei down and addressed Ying-tai after sitting himself down on his throne, “For returning me my daughter, a Grand Princess of Qi, that is an immeasurable act of honor. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us and our state. But, Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin, surely there is something you wish to gain from this?”

Ying-tai smirked at the Qi emperor’s intuition. Poised, he, too, questioned him, “Your Excellency, have men grown so greedy that it’s become a norm to raise such indecorous questions?”

“So you’re implying that you did this out of nobility?” The Qi emperor specified.

“I’ve never said that,” Ying-tai verified.

The Qi emperor raised his chin, “Riches? Land? Silk? Which may it be?”

“I wish to have Qi’s allegiance,” Ying-tai revealed.

Princess Yanmei’s chest heaved at Ying-tai’s request.

“Mmm,” the Qi emperor stroked his beard. He smirked, “What brave hearted thing to ask.”

“I consider it a rightful request,” Ying-tai differed, “as I could’ve killed or used the Grand Princess’s life against you. Instead, I returned her safely into your arms and speaking to you as a man to another.” Ying-tai raised his head higher as he spoke, “For one that has been chosen by the heavens to hold such a sovereign standing, I trust you to consider your decision in a reverent manner and in respect to the worth of thy Grand Princess’s life.”

The Qi emperor’s eyes grew bigger at this and he slowly turned to the Princess.

The mercenary grinned at Ying-tai’s wits and stood up to speak. He turned his head to the Qi emperor and bowed to him before speaking, “Emperor Fengge, the world has heard the mountains, plains, and rivers echo the name of the great Ying-tai of Qin.” He looked at Ying-tai whose eyes remained fixed on the Qi emperor. “A man that passes by battlefields like an epidemic, he sweeps through kingdoms like an unyielding storm.”

“You praise this man?” Emperor Fengge raised his brow at the mercenary.

“Father and you may have had a long time close relationship but that doesn’t give you the right to disgrace him in front of others!” The prince warned.

“Not at all,” the mercenary shook his head as he chuckled at the misunderstanding Emperor Fengge and the prince had. “What I am to express is: this man has the ability to bring havoc into your kingdom and extinguish all that you hold dear. Call him what you may. A Beast, a Demon, a god; it is him and his army that the state of Qin sends out to make a final declaration and subjugate an empire.” The mercenary’s eyes met Emperor Fengge, “Dear old friend, I just thought you should understand how fortunate you are that Ying-tai of Qin has his sword sheathed. Considering all that’s been said, I praise you, an emperor of an opposing state, for having such good fortune on your side.”

Ying-tai turned his eyes to the side toward the mercenary while the advisors turned to the Emperor.

“Deny his request,” some of them whispered. “We will not lose our pride to this man!”

“He is Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin! We can’t risk anything with him!” Others exclaimed.

“He is alone. We can take advantage of that! It’s either our empire or him!”

“Can you imagine the damage that will be done if we DO deny his request and kill him whilst his men wait outside?”

Ying-tai stood tall and undaunted while the voices of politicians roared through the hall.

They argued until Emperor Fengge raised his hand, “Silence! Do you not have any sense of embarrassment?”After the room went silent, Emperor Fengge heavily sighed while he thought of his next act.

“Father,” the prince turned to Emperor Fengge, “perhaps let me resolve this.”

“What, son?” Emperor Fengge was startled by his son’s offer. “I will not allow myself to use you like a chess piece!”

“What are we to do? He brought back the Grand Princess and he has his well recognized army waiting outside. Either way we will have to return him a gift that justifies what he has done for us.”

An elderly advisor next to the emperor lowered his head to him, “Your majesty, what the prince says is correct. What you will offer will signify who you are. If you deny him a reward, it will indicate thy unjustness.”

Emperor Fengge spun his head to the elderly advisor at his statement. The elderly advisor lowered his head more, “Bear in mind, your majesty, that eyes are all on you. What you will do will reflect the value you hold for the Grand Princess and your country!”

Emperor Fengge thought of this and nodded. After a moment of quietness, he turned to his daughter and placed his eyes on her dotingly. He sighed, “You are worth far more than silver and gold—even more than the lands I have in the grasp of my hand.”

Princess Yanmei looked at her father tenderly, not muttering a single word.

The prince stood up and immediately caught his father’s attention. He looked down at his father with gentle eyes, “Rest your hands, father. Allow me to carry this trial upon my shoulders.”

“Son!”

The prince ignored his father’s opposition and poised himself before Ying-tai, “It seems you’ve given us an offer far too grand to pass.” He sternly looked at Ying-tai, “I will give you the allegiance of Qi but only if you beat me in combat.”

“Brother!” Princess Yanmei gasped and stepped a foot forward, “Is this necessary?”

“It is the honorable thing to do for the both of us. I get to defend Qi and if he wins he will gain it like a principled warrior.” The prince started down the stairs of the dais and proceeded toward Ying-tai.

Ten paces away from each other, the prince observed Ying-tai and felt his heart race from excitement. “I have not met a man who’s made me tremble with thrill for a long, long time. I have to say, despite of the infamous declarations of your name I feel honored to be able to fight you, Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin.”

Ying-tai smirked, “And I the same, your highness.”

Elite guards marched to the prince and handed him his twin swords. He waited for Ying-tai to reclaim his sword before unsheathing his blades. “The name is Crown Prince Enlai,” he introduced himself appropriately.

As they stood in their stance, people watched anxiously. Then abruptly, their blades flickered against the sun rays that swiveled in the room and the silk on Prince Enlai’s back twirled with his swift movements.

He can keep up with me, Ying-tai was rather impressed.

Prince Enlai smoothly swung and weaved his twin blades through Ying-tai’s sword like a whirling wind mill. Ying-tai deflected each rhythmic strike and spun his blade against Prince Enlai’s twin swords and pushed him back. He studied and tested his skills, trying to discover his art. Ying-tai kept up with Prince Enlai’s tempo and then went at a faster pace to test his speed. Prince Enlai furrowed his brows at Ying-tai whose sword began to become a blur due to its continuous increase of rapidity. Even the strikes began to feel heavier even though they only brushed his blade with each clash. Then, in one set of motion, Ying-tai angled the position of his own body and thrashed Prince Enlai’s left sword down to the ground with the blade of his own sword and then immediately followed up with another hit with the pommel of his sword to Prince Enlai’s left wrist.

Princess Yanmei gasped at this and placed her fingers over her lips.

Prince Enlai stepped back and touched his left wrist. He clenched his teeth together and grinned at Ying-tai as he exhaled sharply. Ying-tai swept up Prince Enlai’s sword and threw it to him.

“You do not fear Death?” Prince Enlai asked the bold Ying-tai.

“We are familiar with each other,” Ying-tai cleverly replied.

Prince Enlai chuckled and soared forward in a spinning motion. Ying-tai flicked away each spinning whip of Prince Enlai’s blades. Ying-tai picked up his rearward strides and then twisted himself around completely before gliding upward a gold column and soaring backwards and landing behind Prince Enlai. Prince Enlai instantaneously flipped around and faced Ying-tai and clashed swords with him. Their swords whizzed in the air from the rapid swinging and, to withdraw from such simultaneous attacks, Prince Enlai cradled Ying-tai’s blade with one sword and trapped it with the sword in his other hand. They came to a halt for just an instant before Prince Enlai kicked his left foot upward only to have Ying-tai stop it shortly with his right foot.

Ying-tai shifted his right foot instantly and hooked his leg around Prince Enlai’s raised leg and twisted his body around to plant kick onto Prince Enlai’s head with his left foot. Faltered, Prince Enlai’s eyes were squinting but he remained standing. He went ahead and thrusted his sword blindly in Ying-tai’s direction. Ying-tai moved aside and dodged the hit along with the second one that surprisingly flew after. After falling back a few paces, Ying-tai stopped the flow of Prince Enlai’s right sword with the his hand on the grip and slid his fingers downward till he grasped a hold of the sword himself right under Prince Enlai’s hand. He twisted the sword out of Prince Enlai’s hold and rotated the position of it so the point of the blade faced Prince Enlai. Ying-tai pushed forward fiercely as he brought the blade closer to the nape of Prince Enlai’s neck but stopped for the sharp edge just to be close enough to the surface of his skin.

Wide eyed, Prince Enlai gasped at his life that almost slipped away. Emperor Fengge, himself, shot up from his seat.

I’m going to lose everything to this man if I don’t act quickly! Prince Enlai panicked. He tilted his head, “You could’ve killed me. Why didn’t you?”

Ying-tai grinned, “The fight would’ve ended too soon.”

Ying-tai rotated the sword once more and handed it to Prince Enlai, the grip now facing him. As Ying-tai stood in his stance again, Prince Enlai stared at him tensely and gripped his swords tightly. This time, Ying-tai made the first act and charged forward. Prince Enlai furrowed his brows and intensely focused on his next moves.

Clang ! Clang ! Clang !

Ting ! Swish…Clang ! Swish…Ting!

They briefly twisted, turned, and whipped their blades against one another until Prince Enlai darted forward and made his first successful hit on Ying-tai—a deep cut to the left hand. While the right hand was fending off Prince Enlai’s left sword from falling forward and pummeling him in the head, Prince Enlai made another quick move and thrust a strike with his right sword that tore open Ying-tai’s garment.

As the white rice paper wavered in the air and Prince Enlai attempted another blow that would’ve cut through the plum blossoms, Ying-tai’s pupils dilated and in one breath he lifted himself from the ground into a whirling leap and struck two hard kicks to Prince Enlai before he got to complete his move on Ying-tai. While Prince Enlai was still airborne from the blow to the head and chest, Ying-tai reached out for his dear possession and waved his sleeve for the wind to cradle it. He gently swept it into the palm of his hand before landing back upright on his feet and gently secured it back inside the pocket of his layered garments before dashing toward Prince Enlai who had not yet recovered from the strike he just received.

As soon as Prince Enlai flipped his eyelids open, Ying-tai was soaring before him with his sword pulled back and his eyes no longer humanly but beast-like. Prince Enlai raised his left sword and stopped the heavy hit, leaving his arm trembling profusely. With his sword holding down one of Prince Enlai’s blade, Ying-tai used his other hand to hammer Prince Enlai’s shoulder and arm causing it to become limp and numb. As Prince Enlai painfully grunted, Ying-tai twisted his blade against his left sword and swiped it away onto the floor. After the sword pierced into the marble underneath them, Ying-tai swept his leg under Prince Enlai’s feet and sent him plunging to the ground with his one hand on his neck. Soon after Prince Enlai’s back met with the cold marble floor, Ying-tai whirled his sword in position and placed the cold steel in between his eyes.

Moving swifter than the eye can catch, the silk on the combating men’s back had not yet touched the floor when Ying-tai’s sword pressed against Prince Enlai’s skin. As their layers of fabric folded onto the floor, Qi soldiers from all sides leapt forward with their weapons unsheathed and the Qi emperor shot up from his seat.

“Brother!” Princess Yanmei jumped from alarming freight for her brother’s life.

“Halt thy weapon, dissident!” They roared.

Today, I die, Prince Enlai exhaled heavily and shuddered as he stared into the eyes that lowered at him. Hearing Princess Yanmei’s cry, Ying-tai turned his eyes to her and the Qi emperor who dreadfully watched. The royal family reminded him of the one he once had and with that he yielded his blade.

Prince Enlai was taken aback by his act. “You’re not going to kill me?”

“That was not part of the plan,” Ying-tai reminded. “The deal was to beat you in combat which, by the rules of spar, was what I did.”

Prince Enlai raised his brows, still in disbelief, “Rules of spar?”

“I succeeded to three points first.”

Prince Enlai gave out a smirk and nodded his head, “So you expect me to surrender now, don’t you?”

“Surrendering doesn’t necessarily mean losing, Prince Enlai of Qi,” Ying-tai commented.

Prince Enlai turned his eyes back at Ying-tai and lightly furrowed his brows at him in puzzlement, “How can that be?”

Ying-tai’s eyes that were once filled with sourness toward Prince Enlai turned to their kind selves again, “When the time calls for it, a King must cast his crown for the greater good.”

“A king must cast his crown, you say. What daring thing to propose,” he believed.

“It’s only a daring thought for one to behold if there is a lost comprehension of courtesy.” Ying-tai turned his eyes to where Emperor Fengge stood. “Seven kings in the nation and neither are familiar with mercy!” His tone of voice was clear and confident. “To bring an end to constructing children of this country to die for something that is simply just a repetition of the previous tormenting centuries, all of the divided kings must surrender their worn crowns for a far greater kingdom that’s yet to come.”

The mercenary raised his eyebrow, his interest in Ying-tai reaching at another peak.

Emperor Fengge took a long look at Ying-tai and grinned at amusement. “And if I do not cast my crown you will strip it from me as it is infamously known?”

“I wish to not come to that point with you, Emperor Fengge,” Ying-tai made it clear to him, “for you seem to be a reasonable man.”

Emperor Fengge chuckled, “What makes you think that?”

“Your Excellency, your number of casualties is the all time low and that is due to your aspiration to avoid any conflict with others.”

“Oh?” Emperor Fengge tilted his head in interest.

“Your people live in comfort but that does not mean they are sheltered,” Ying-tai studied them and looked down at Prince Enlai, “for the prince is practiced in swordplay so much so he could keep up with my strides and that itself demonstrates to me the possible aptitude of your army.” Ying-tai held is posture well as he continued, “You do not fight unless needed to. You are the necessary force I require.”

Princess Yanmei looked at her father, her chest heaving as she awaited his answer to Ying-tai. Then she returned her eyes to her brother who was still lying on the floor looking up at Ying-tai. Ying-tai then extended his arm out to him and benevolently smiled. Surprised at the amicable behavior of this man that opposing regimes so feared, Prince Enlai hesitated from taking his hand.

“A world where only camaraderie is animate,” Ying-tai began. When their hands finally clasped, he pulled Prince Enlai up onto his feet and said, “See the world I am to bring.” His eyes had such fire in them it was hard to deny them from what they so yearned for.

Prince Enlai poised himself before Ying-tai, rubbed his neck and cleared his throat. He looked at the guards that encircled them and raised his hands. “At ease,” he ordered.

At first they were doubtful and looked at each other until Prince Enlai nodded his head to confirm his order.

“Crown Prince Enlai,” Emperor Fengge stepped forward.

“Father,” Prince Enlai started, “if you would give me the honor to have Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin under my watch during his stay,” he grinned.

Princess Yanmei sighed in relief and smiled brightly.

“You’ve given quite an impression, Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin,” Prince Enlai praised. “But this does not mean I have accepted your request yet as I still feel I need to test your worth. When I feel I could trust my people under your lead, I will lend you my country as promised. But if you break my trust in having an allegiance with you, I will have your head.”

Ying-tai curved his lips into a grin, “Sounds fair. And if I may add in one more thing,” he lifted his eyes to Emperor Fengge, “my men who await me outside will follow me wherever I go. I wish for them to be welcomed as well.”

“And how many are we talking about here?” Emperor Fengge inquired.

“Fifty thousand,” Ying-tai replied.

“Fifty thousand?!” The advisors panicked. “They will run our resources dry!”

Ying-tai turned to the politicians that were skeptic of him. “My men are resourceful and have traveled throughout most of the country,” Ying-tai announced, “if you give them a place to settle we will share with you part of the lands we conquered and help you gather more resources from soils you have never stepped foot on. Also, I have with me Second in Command Huian of Qin who is familiar with economic stratagems and can aid you.” He placed his focus on Emperor Fengge and bowed his head to him with his hands raised and clasped together for a reverent gesture, “This proves the worth I give to you. If you accept us, we will give you protection. Whatever you give to us, we will return that by ten folds.”

Emperor Fengge softened his expression, unable to oppose such offer.

“Your Excellency,” the mercenary spoke with his overconfident grin, “this Ying-tai of Qin returned you your prized daughter and also offered you a safeguard to your country and all the worth he has left of him. To deny him would be humiliating, wouldn’t it?”

“You always have to have an annoying but valid rebuttal against me, don’t you?” Emperor Fengge turned to the mercenary who began to chuckle.

Prince Enlai smiled at Ying-tai’s zealousness and then bowed to his father for permission, “Your highness, if you may grant our pleas!”

Princess Yanmei swept her light, extensive yellow skirt to the side, bent down on her knees and raised her hands in a reverent gesture as well, “Father! Consider our pleas!”

“Daughter!” Seeing his daughter on her knees, Emperor Fengge immediately rushed to Princess Yanmei and picked her up from the floor.

Soon after, the court slowly bowed down to Emperor Fengge on behalf of the offer that was too grand for Qi to pass. Moved by this, he took another good look at his rescued daughter that still had her head bowed to him and sighed at this.

“Alright,” he softly spoke to Princess Yanmei. “Perhaps this was fated to be.”

Princess Yanmei looked up at her father, her eyes glimmering.

“Crown Prince Enlai of Qi,” he announced, “I place Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin under your surveillance.” He placed his eyes on Ying-tai, “And Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin,” he began with a smile growing on his face, “I look forward to having an allegiance with you. Please, don’t disappoint the hopes I have for us.”

Ying-tai raised his head at this and his eyes lit up. “You have my word!” Ying-tai bowed lowly as he vowed.

Before the guards led him back outside, Princess Yanmei ran down the dais while clutching onto her long skirt and called out, “Ying-tai of Qin!”

He turned around and placed his kind eyes unto her which made her unable to say anything. “Thank you,” he softly thanked.

She looked at him with bright eyes, her lips quivering. She lowered her gaze to his injured hand and pulled out the thinner sash from her waist and wrapped it tightly around and around his wound. As soon as she tied the knot, she lifted her eyes up to Ying-tai again, “Sorry about the injury. You have already endured so much.”

Ying-tai lifted his hand from her hold. “It’s just a scratch,” he smirked to comfort her and turned toward the doorway.

Huian and Xia jumped at the sound of the gates opening up and anxiously waited for Ying-tai to walk through. As soon as they saw him, they ran forward.

“Ying-tai! Are you okay? Did they try anything on you? What happened? Tell us!” Xia spoke in one breath.

“You’re injured,” Huian noticed. He gave Ying-tai a worried look, “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Ying-tai only gave them a warm smile, “The mission is half way to completion.”

Xia raised his eyebrow but Huian grinned widely, “You got Qi’s allegiance?”

“Well, not exactly,” Ying-tai shook his head. “I still have to gain their trust. But the good news is we have a place to rest. For everyone.”

“Well, it’s better than nothing,” Huian patted Ying-tai’s shoulder.

Xia nodded, “Let’s get to rest.”

Ying-tai waited for all of his men to be settled before he let himself take a break. But before he could sit down with Huian and Xia, two guards walked up to him and interrupted his quiet moment.

“Unit Commander Ying-tai,” they greeted, “Crown Prince Enlai sent us to retrieve you. He said you are to meet him at the palace with Second in Command Huian and Lieutenant Xia.”

They looked at each other, nodded and then proceeded with the two guards.

In the turquoise palace bedecked with gold, they were led to a room where Prince Enlai awaited.

“Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin and his fellowship arrives!” The guard by the silver door announced.

Prince Enlai immediately turned around and greeted the men who were already bowing to him. He looked at Huian and smiled, “So this is Second in Command Huian of Qin!” Then he turned to Xia, “And you are none other than Lieutenant Xia whose arrows never miss its target! You are a lot younger than I imagined!”

Xia looked at Huian and nodded as he was impressed with Prince Enlai’s intuitiveness and proud that his name was, too, famous.

“During your stay here, you will be under my watch,” Prince Enlai politely smiled. “But don’t take it in a bad way. It’s only until we get familiar with one another.”

Huian smiled politely in return and lowered his head, “Ah, no. This is understandable. As a matter of fact, you are far too generous to allow us to stay in a place that is far above our grade.”

Xia immediately stopped eyeing the decorative room and shot a look at Huian and pouted at him, Don’t ruin this for us! I am actually enjoying myself so far!”

“Crown Prince Enlai, you are far too charitable for our kind. We were fine outside with our men and the helpful citizens of Qi,” Ying-tai bowed too and nudged Xia who quickly went along and bowed with them.

Prince Enlai only chuckled then guided them to their designated chambers. Xia smiled like a child when he saw his. “I haven’t been in an actual room for so long!” He squealed under his breath.

Before Huian walked into his chamber, he turned to Ying-tai, “Rest well.”

Ying-tai’s chamber was located in the White Corridors facing the sea. The breeze immediately swept through the white drapes that hung throughout his room. He took a step closer to the sliding windows and gaped at the rumbling waves that collapsed onto the beach. Having never seen shades of blue stretch so far, standing there staring at such vast emptiness suddenly awoke the intense yearning he had in his heart.

“So, this is the sea,” he said in almost a sigh.

“Yes. A beauty, isn’t it?” Prince Enlai proudly replied.

Ying-tai nodded, “A beauty indeed.”

Prince Enlai studied Ying-tai, “Something the matter?”

“I have mixed feelings about this wondrous sight,” Ying-tai’s eyes were doleful.

Prince Enlai turned from Ying-tai to look at the sea, and then back to Ying-tai again. “Well, one thing’s for certain: you look frightful! So let’s get you cleaned up first, hmm? Then you will join me for a meal.”

Ying-tai turned to Prince Enlai and bowed to him once again, “Thank you for your kind hospitality!”

After Ying-tai bathed in an herbal bath the imperial maids have prepared for him, he stepped out with steam laced onto his bare skin to find a variety of garments freshly pressed and ready for him. He slipped a plain one on and used a sheer sash to seal his wound. As he bound the wrap around his hand, he paused.

Let the wound breathe, Xiu Juan’s voice echoed in his mind. It’ll heal faster that way.

Ying-tai wistfully smiled at the memory and cut the remaining cloth off. Making haste, he headed out to find Xia and Huian. When the imperial maids laid eyes on him, they fluttered to the side and lowered their heads, intimidated. Ying-tai greeted them with a warm smile, making them blush and giggle behind their long silk sleeves.

“He doesn’t look too much like a beast to me!” One of them whispered as he continued on away.

“No. Not with those eyes!”

Ying-tai ran into Huian and Xia who both just stepped out from their chamber and into their hall.

“I have not had a bath like that in the longest time!” Xia stretched then turned his head to sniff himself. “I smell good now,” he grinned proudly.

“Well I won’t complain about this comfort,” Huian nodded his head in agreement.

While they chuckled together, a royal servant of Prince Enlai scurried through his long robe and bowed lowly to them, “The crown prince requests your attendance. You are to follow me to the Blooming Lotus Pavilion where you will company him at his service.”

“Blooming Lotus Pavilion?” Xia tilted his head. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“We passed a building with that name inside the city on our way to the palace,” Huian remembered. “It was the large, decorative one with golden pillars.”

“Isn’t that a…” Xia began but Ying-tai gave him a stern stare before he could say ‘brothel’.

Ying-tai then turned to the servant and nodded his head to comply, “We shall do as he wishes.”

Climbing up the stairs of the Blooming Lotus Pavilion, they were immediately greeted by ebullient young women in layers of silk that seemed to float weightlessly on the ground by their feet. All of them had porcelain-like, painted faces and heavy perfume on with jingling jewels in their hair that was tightly secured in with wax. They lifted the maroon drapes and smiled gaily as Ying-tai, Huian, and Xia walked through the door with the royal servant that escorted them.

Inside, countless variety of flowers canopied the hall and sweet scented incense filled the air. Every wall was either painted or was carved with detailed illustrations and each arched entranceway had a shimmering curtain of beads dangling down that brushed the white marble floor. Even the ceiling was painted with vibrant colors.

“Ying-tai of Qin!” Prince Enlai called from behind a line of guards. As soon as Ying-tai passed through the wall of guards, he bowed lowly to Prince Enlai to greet him. Prince Enlai chuckled at the sight of him, “Well, well, well! After a clean up, you do not look so much like a beast now! As a matter of fact, that face looks too good-natured to be a warrior!”

Ying-tai chuckled lightly, “Ah, well I’ll take that as a compliment.” He bowed once more, “I thank you again for your kind hospitality.”

Huian and Xia followed his gesture.

Prince Enlai nodded his head, still smiling. He then motioned them to their seat, “Please! Have a seat. Our meal should be here shortly!” He then raised his cup, “I do hope men of Qin can hold their wine!”

“Ah, well that depends on what you define ‘good tolerance’ to be,” Ying-tai flustered while trying to remain poised.

Prince Enlai laughed and poured all of them a cup and made a toast, “For saving my sister and for the hope of having a brighter future together!”

Ying-tai bowed his head and drank this cup, honoring the toast. Another serving of wine was passed around but this time Ying-tai covertly poured his serving into the small flower pot by him and continued to do so each time Prince Enlai raised his cup and tilted his head back to gulp his wine.

“I see that you take in favor of jovial places,” Ying-tai commented.

“Ah, yes,” Prince Enlai nodded. “I felt that if I invited you to this kind of place it would make you think I’m some kind of lowly man, but know I don’t come here for the women.” He lifted his eyes to Ying-tai. “As absurd as it may sound, I come to admire the art displayed in this pavilion.”

Ying-tai smiled and lowered his head to Prince Enlai, “Forgive me if I gave you such an impression. It was not my intent to question you being in this kind of place.”

“Oh, please. No need to be so apologetic right now! Let’s enjoy our meal and the ambience!” He joyfully laughed.

When the meal was served, Xia’s face glowed at the glossy duck before him. When he pinched a piece of the duck off, his eyes widened and became watery at the taste.

“This is so good,” he turned to Ying-tai. “The duck skin is crispy but the meat just melts in your mouth!”

Ying-tai smelled his bowl of rice and his shoulders dropped at the beautiful fragrance. Prince Enlai handed him a piece of fish that was well crisped on the outside and grinned, “Try it!”

Ying-tai bowed his head to thank him before placing the flesh of fish onto his tongue. He froze at the bursting flavors. “Oh good lord,” he uttered. “I have not had fish like this.”

Prince Enlai sighed after he sipped his wine, “It’s the aroma of the sea. Nothing beats saltwater fish. When you cook it fresh off the waters, it’s already so flavorful the way it is! Here! There are also clams and shellfish!”

“Ying-tai! You have to try this!” Xia beamed and placed a filleted piece of puffer fish into Ying-tai’s bowl.

Huian held his cup of wine to his lips and grinned at Ying-tai and Xia. I keep forgetting you two are still just kids, he thought to himself.

After their lavish meal, women fluttered by to clear their stained china plates and placed down a tea set. After having his own cup filled with tea, Ying-tai lifted it up and closed his eyes as he sniffed the fragrance. He opened his eyes and sighed down at his cup.

“You seem discontent,” Prince Enlai noticed.

“Oh, no! Everything was sublime. It’s just,” Ying-tai paused, “I miss the tea back at home. Nothing seems to measure up to the ones that were brewed for me.”

“Mmm,” Prince Enlai grinned, “Things do always taste better when it’s a loved one who makes it.”

Ying-tai raised his eyes to him.

“Or when you share a cup of tea together,” Prince Enlai continued with closed eyes as he moved his tea cup in circles beneath his chin so he could take in the fragrance.

“Hear, hear!” Xia nodded in agreement.

Ying-tai poised himself with his head still lowered and cleared his throat. “Perhaps so, Crown Prince Enlai,” he smiled.

“You must miss your home,” Prince Enlai mentioned to them. “I can only imagine the worry you have for your empire especially when your great Emperor has recently passed.”

Ying-tai raised his head, “We still have a king and he can sustain Qin.”

“If he’s anything like his father,” Prince Enlai looked at Ying-tai. “I hear The late Emperor’s daughter is something else though.”

Ying-tai kept quiet about the comment.

“I’m sure your mind is at ease knowing Zhao will not attack Qin while you are away.”

“What makes you say that?” Xia questioned as he laid his cup down.

“A lion-hearted woman, she would be a challenge for Jinhai,” Prince Enlai chuckled.

“Jinhai?” Ying-tai repeated.

“The emperor of Zhao,” Prince Enlai clarified.

Ying-tai furrowed his brows at the revolting name and took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“You speak of his name in such a casual manner,” Huian noticed.

“Our states have a relationship but it’s kept quiet,” Prince Enlai replied.

Ying-tai raised his brow, alert.

Prince Enlai noticed this and straightened his posture to explain himself, “But it’s nothing big at all. It’s just something the late Zhao emperor and my father had.”

“So, what is it really?” Ying-tai interrogated.

“Trade,” Prince Enlai revealed. “We trade salt for some of their goods and service.”

“Salt: today’s gold,” Xia muttered as he rubbed his chin.

“My sister and I go there from time to time in place of my father for business or formal events,” Prince Enlai explained. “So in case you’re wondering, yes, I do know Emperor Jinhai quite well. He fought in battles with his men like you until he was crowned emperor when his father died. The army he led was greatly feared in battlefields. Frighteningly intelligent and talented, at such a young age he was able to build Zhao up from the devastation his father and grandfather tried to repair: the aftermath of The Battle of Changping.”

Xia’s mouth was hanging open at the report of Jinhai.

Prince Enlai observed Ying-tai, “Oddly enough, you remind me of him especially when we sparred. So swift with your swordplay and light on your feet it’s like you both breathe to fight.”

“Tell me of Zhao,” Ying-tai wanted to know.

“Mmmm,” Prince Enlai tilted his head upward as he recollected his memory, “They reside among the mountains. Beautiful mountains. Their palace is above the clouds but the villagers live on the grasslands below them.”

“How elegant,” Huian politely smiled.

“When your state wedded your Grand Princess to Emperor Jinhai of Zhao, it raised heads across the country. I thought, how is this sheltered girl going to persevere within Zhao?”

Ying-tai kept his eyes lowered as he listened

Prince Enlai noticed the look on the Qin men’s faces. “But,” he continued. “According to what I hear from my sources, the people of Zhao are beginning to love her.”

Ying-tai raised his eyes from the line of steam from his teacup. “The people of Zhao?”

Prince Enlai smiled as he nodded, “It all started with one old lady who couldn’t carry her lumber.” He sipped his tea, “She dressed like a peasant so nobody knew she was their queen. It wasn’t till her identity was revealed by Zhao’s Unit Commander: Hui Zhong. When she was figured out, some began to hate her for being a Qin descent while others began to fear her as Empress of Zhao.”

“Some hate her just because of her descent? They twisted their views of her that quickly?” Xia tightened his fists. “But…she didn’t do anything wrong to them!”

“Apparently she stole something from the palace,” Prince Enlai shared.

“She stole something from the Zhao palace?” Ying-tai furrowed his brows at the news, unable to believe this was really Xiu Juan.

“For the people,” Prince Enlai clarified.

“Ah,” Ying-tai softened his expression, understanding it was something Xiu Juan would do. “Perhaps the Empress of Zhao was only being giving towards those less fortunate than her. Was she punished for that?” He worried.

“No,” Prince Enlai shook his head. “The Zhao court concluded that she made her case.”

Ying-tai smirked at this and brought the tea cup to his lips to cover it. Huian and Xia did the same.

“Her kindness and charitable spirit towards lowly peasants make people view her as a goddess. Empress of the Clouds is what the world is beginning to call her,” Prince Enlai looked out the window to the sky.

Ying-tai smiled a longing smile as he placed his cup down and quietly watched his teacup being refilled by the maid by him. “Seems as though the sun is shining more brilliantly over Zhao now,” he said in almost a sigh.

Prince Enlai turned to Ying-tai who picked up his tea cup once more and gulped it. Observing him, Prince Enlai lowered his shoulders whilst keeping his lips sealed from the many questions he had about the look on Ying-tai’s face.

As the women danced before them and plucked their strings, Prince Enlai swayed his head to the sound of their music and smiled from pleasure. When the women sang he listened quietly and tapped his fingers to the rhythm against his lap. “Why do such songs tug my heart strings so,” he then opened his eyes, “but it’s never enough to draw tears from these eyes?”

“Welcome back! I trust your meal went well?” A warm female voice greeted them when they entered through the door of the palace. Her white powdered face was round and her lips were red and small. Her bangs hung over her almond shaped eyes that had long and full lashes that fluttered as she blinked. She had a very innocent look to her, almost like that of a child.

Prince Enlai seemed to recognize her and smiled brightly as he responded, “Of course! Ah, don’t you look pretty today?”

Xia’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the lady. He looked at Prince Enlai and smirked. He whispered, “Who is this? Someone you are smitten with?”

Prince Enlai raised his brow at Xia and laughed. “Of course not! Do you not recognize her? This is Princess Yanmei!”

Xia’s eyes widened as he placed his hands over his lips. He turned his reddened face to Ying-tai and Huian who shook their heads and mockingly grinned at him. “I did not mean to offend, Prince Enlai. I deeply apologize.”

Prince Enlai and Princess Yanmei only laughed at his foolishness.

Princess Yanmei turned to Ying-tai and shyly spoke, “I hope your stay here is to your satisfactory, Ying-tai of Qin.”

“All is more than wonderful. Your hospitality makes me miss home,” Ying-tai smiled at her. “And please, call me Ying-tai.”

Princess Yanmei widened her eyes from the amicableness of Ying-tai and blushed. She bowed her head, “Of course! If it is your wish, Ying-tai.”

“Ah, if you will excuse us, sister. We were just on our way to see father,” Prince Enlai excused himself and the men from Princess Yanmei.

She bowed her head to the men as they passed then raised her head up to watch Ying-tai walk alongside her brother. She smiled warmly at him, “May everything be in your favor, Ying-tai.”

Emperor Fengge was in his study with his royal advisors when Ying-tai walked in with Prince Enlai.

“Good evening, father,” Prince Enlai greeted. “You sent for us?”

“Enlai, ah. Until when will you stop going to that place of debauchery?” Emperor Fengge sighed.

Prince Enlai only rubbed his neck and grinned, “It’s an act of debaucher if you go there to seek immoral pleasures. I seek only for something to please the soul.”

Emperor Fengge frowned at the smirking Prince Enlai and then greeted Ying-tai, Huian, and Xia. “I have set a date for the celebration of Princess’s return. It will be fourteen days from now. That should give you enough time to get everything settled down within the kingdom, Prince Enlai.”

“Fourteen days, you say?” Prince Enlai furrowed his brows as he did some calculations in his head. He sighed, “Well if you think it could be done then what could I say.”

Emperor Fengge grinned, “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. Besides, I thought it would be best if we didn’t put off the ceremony. We do need to show our guests our gratitude.”

“Of course,” Prince Enlai bowed his head in agreement.

Standing outside the Jade Corridor after Emperor Fengge dismissed them, Prince Enlai turned to Ying-tai. “Well, seeing that my father only gave me fourteen days to finish the tasks I was given quite a while ago, you are going to help me! You did say you would assist us in anyway needed, right?”

Ying-tai widened his eyes form the sudden surprise, “Ah—”

“Not a word!” Prince Enlai smiled brightly as he waved his hand to leave. “We will meet at the pier tomorrow before the sun rises! Don’t be late!”