GOOOOONG!

The bellow of the gong and the harsh commotion that soon followed made Ying-tai and Prince Enlai turn their heads. Whispers arose throughout the palace and Emperor Fengge was seen sitting down on his seat. Ying-tai followed Prince Enlai into the courtroom while Xia and Huian trailed closely behind.

“Father, what’s going on?” Prince Enlai asked Emperor Fengge when he neared him.

“The West Division Carnage Incident,” Emperor Fengge responded to his son.

Prince Enlai’s pupils dilated.

As the man in the guards’ arms approached them, Emperor Fengge lifted his chin, “Behold, the one they claim to be the puppeteer behind everything.” He glared as he pronounced the name, “Song Jianyu.”

Prince Enlai slowly turned his head to this man. His attire displayed that he was a noble scholar. His head was lowered, his grey-streaked hair was disheveled, and his shoulders were slumped. One of his arms seemed to be twisted out of place. Unable to sit up properly by himself, the two guards by him were holding him up.

“The West Division Carnage Incident?” Ying-tai pulled Prince Enlai from his thoughts.

“Two years ago, we had a Unit Commander. Like Delun, he was a sworn brother to my father. An honorable man, worthy of all high praise. He was like you: loyal to his country. But he and his division were all killed when they were sent on a mission to Southern Chu.”

Ying-tai’s eyes widened. “How can a man like that be taken down?”

“Poison. It was laced in all of the food and water they carried with them. After we retrieved his body, my distraught father ordered an autopsy seeing that there was not a single wound on his flesh. To our fear, the poison found in his system was a kind that only our imperial botanist knew how to make. Believing that she was an accomplice, my father had her executed.”

“Was she?” Ying-tai questioned.

“She denied it from the raid of her address right to the point she died.”

“Did you believe her final words?”

Prince Enlai turned to Ying-tai. “That’s the thing. I somehow did. But she wasn’t the only one who was executed. There were many more who followed her death.”

Ying-tai turned to look at the kneeling man. In a short matter of time, behind him and the guards, Lord Han strode toward them with his chin held up high.

“And he was always present,” Prince Enlai glowered at Lord Han who had a smug look on his face. “To think that he is proud of gaining his fame and rank in the court through this case.”

Ying-tai kept a close watch on Lord Han who approached them and Emperor Fengge.

“Your Excellency,” he smiled widely as he bowed lowly.

“Lord Han,” Emperor Fengge acknowledged.

Lord Han noticed Prince Enlai. “I see that the young prince is present,” he grinned. Then he noticed Ying-tai and subtly scoffed to himself. “Oh? And what privilege of ours to have you as a witness in our court!” He greeted Ying-tai.

“Yes, and I’m humbled, Lord Han,” Ying-tai bowed his head to him, “that such a court has given me this splendid opportunity to watch every word and move you stir.”

Lord Han’s eyes were scornful toward Ying-tai, “Very well.” He spun around and proceeded to his act, “Your Excellency, I believe you may rest in peace as I have brought forth the person who was the mastermind of the carnage two years ago. It took a long time, but we’ve found him.”

“Every time this matter surfaces my heart aches beyond measures.” Emperor Fengge sighed. “And every time this matter surfaces, you seem to enjoy it.”

“Ah, I know you were sworn brothers with Unit Commander Zixin. And, well, I only want to ease your pain, your Excellency! To serve you is what I live for,” he lifted his eyes to Emperor Fengge. “The pain and suffering you’ve endured ends today.” He twisted around to the kneeling man, “This atrocious criminal, Song Jianyu, is a man corrupted by lust for power. So much so, he’s gone completely insane!” Lord Han waved his hand for the guards to lift the man’s face up. As they did so, he let out a wretched scream and everybody in the court gasped.

While he continued to scream, Lord Han spoke loudly, “Heartrending! This man was once a noble scholar!”

Ying-tai and Prince Enlai painfully watched.

“Lord Han, enough with the unnecessary display!” Emperor Fengge snapped his gavel and hushed the room. “What I want to know is how you managed to suddenly find this man who was the mastermind of this case and how you discovered that he is the one? Where is your proof?”

A few advisors stepped in from the side, “Your majesty, we’ve found some clues at his address and it led us to his workshop.”

Emperor Fengge raised his brow.

“Why was I not informed of this?! Where did you get the consent to raid his address and arrest him? Do you not have a king? Huh?!” Emperor Fengge slammed his fist at the disrespect.

The advisors kept quiet and trembled.

“Ah, forgive us for that was a fault on our part,” Lord Han tried to calm Emperor Fengge. “But we seized the moment and we couldn’t let this criminal get away! We waited far too long for justice!”

“You seem to be getting too far ahead with the rank you are standing in, Lord Han,” Emperor Fengge sternly stated.

“What father says is right,” Prince Enlai stepped in. “You seem so interested in this case. So much so it seems to thrill you. What do you get out of this? You being exceptionally devoted to my father is quite alarming. Even my father’s two sworn brothers don’t fawn on him this much.”

“What would they know what loyalty is? One was just a soldier whilst one is just a wandering mercenary.”

“Do not speak out of line,” Emperor Fengge scowled.

“My apologies,” Lord Han grinned at him. “I plea for you to not think too much about the mistake I’ve committed. It wasn’t that I had no sense of respect towards you. As you can see, I was only afraid this crucial chance would just slip by,” he pointed toward Song Jianyu. “As for the proof you asked for, I have it here.” He turned his head and nodded at the advisors. They shuffled to Emperor Fengge and handed him sheets of paper.

Emperor Fengge’s eyes widened and his hands began to shake. He flipped through sheet after sheet. “A plan for regicide?” He finally uttered out.

The eunuch by him looked at the papers and then gasped. Trembling, he turned to the kneeling man and pointed at him, “This is treason! Treason!”

The court immediately rustled with panic and whispers.

Emperor Fengge slowly placed the sheets of paper down and silenced the court. Oddly calm, he looked at the kneeling man, “Do you have anything to say, Song Jianyu?”

The man began to cry. He lifted his head up to the Emperor and raised his only mobile arm. His hand began to move as he continued to wail.

“I think he’s trying to tell us something,” Ying-tai mentioned.

Prince Enlai turned to Ying-tai.

“He’s trying to say something,” Ying-tai repeated.

Prince Enlai spun his head to Jianyu. He rushed to him and Ying-tai followed shortly after.

“What are you doing?” Emperor Fengge yelled after them.

When they approached the battered man, Prince Enlai knelt before him. He listened but only mumbles came out from the man’s lips.

“What are you trying to say?” Prince Enlai softly asked him. “Please say it clearer.”

Ying-tai examined him and his shoulders dropped. “I don’t think he can.”

Prince Enlai looked up at Ying-tai.

“You’re right!” Lord Han piped. “He cannot speak now nor will he ever again!”

Prince Enlai turned to the man again and placed his hands on his jaw and opened his mouth. His eyes shot open. “You cut his tongue?!” Prince Enlai growled. He shot up toward Lord Han and snapped at him, “We do not treat people like this! Whether they are criminals or not! This is cruel and inhumane!”

“I never said I did it,” Lord Han riposted. “He did it himself so as to never to utter anything he doesn’t wish to expose. The guards who came with me to arrest him will be my witness.”

“Well he obviously wants to say something now,” Ying-tai retorted. He turned to Emperor Fengge, “In respect to fair trial, it is obligatory that the offender should always have the right to speak up for himself. Seeing that this man cannot talk, I plea for ink and paper on his behalf!”

Lord Han furrowed his brows and turned to Emperor Fengge for his response.

“I’ll allow it,” Emperor Fengge nodded.

“Tch,” Lord Han gripped his sleeve tightly.

As they brought the ink and paper, Ying-tai laid it before Jianyu.

“Keep in mind,” Emperor Fengge began, “that you are still guilty. But if there is anything you can say to us that will lessen the severity of your sentence, please say it.”

Jianyu only shook his head in dismay as he looked at the brush and paper before him.

“Song Jianyu, please—” Ying-tai urged but stopped himself. He noticed that not only one of Jianyu’s arms was dislocated, but the only hand he could move was mangled. “You cannot even hold a brush…” Ying-tai realized.

“What?” Prince Enlai stepped forward.

“He can’t even hold a brush,” Ying-tai said it louder for Prince Enlai to hear.

Jianyu only lowered his head and wept as he could not say what he needed to say.

Prince Enlai knelt down to him, “Song Jianyu…”

He shifted and repositioned himself, startling the guards encircling them. They moved in but Prince Enlai immediately stopped them. Jianyu knelt on his knees, lifted his shoulders as high as they could go, looked at Emperor Fengge and then lowered his head to the floor—giving the upmost gesture of apology.

“Such a man we accuse him to be will not be able to show such remorse,” Prince Enlai furrowed his brows from commiseration. “Father—”

“Your Excellency,” Lord Han continued on, “what more proof do you need? You have his evil ploys mapped out before you!”

“I suppose that’s it then. You have nothing else worthy enough to express,” Emperor Fengge picked up his gavel. “For conspiring treason, Song Jianyu, you will be sentenced to death along with your family—”

“Ah, that won’t be necessary,” Lord Han interrupted quickly. He looked down at Jianyu coldly and spoke blankly, “For this man has already done that deed for you. Right?”

Jianyu raised his eyes to Lord Han, the rage in him violently burning. His body trembled as tears lined his face. He shook his head profusely and moaned at the mention of his family.

“You’re saying Song Jianyu massacred his entire family?” Emperor Fengge furrowed his brows at the horrid report.

“This insane man cut off his own tongue and killed his own family. No foulness like this deserves to live.”

“Father! Does this look like a man who will commit such act? Look at how he mourns at the sound of his family!” Prince Enlai stood up.

“He has let corruption conquer him and he is in regret! We cannot judge a man solely on his public façade,” Lord Han argued.

“Are you sure it is not you who has been consumed by corruption?” Ying-tai retaliated.

“I brought forth a criminal to court,” Lord Han tilted his head to Ying-tai, “And you brought in an army! Who is the bad guy here, huh?!”

“You seem to speak of corruption fondly so let me unveil it for you. You did not have a warrant from the court and you were unwilling to wait. Why? Isn’t he just a noble scholar gone insane? He wouldn’t have fled from you for he would not have known any better. Yet you raided his home and battered him to the point where he can’t even hold a brush. What need was there to fear him when you clearly overpowered him ten to one?” Ying-tai’s eyes were ablaze with resentment. “You brought in a mangled man who cannot even speak to defend himself. The proof you mapped out before Emperor Fengge could mean anything. Perhaps you yourself are conspiring something as nobody is immune to corruption. But who will ever know. Nobody will speak against you and the only one in this room who is willing to cannot!”

“You!” Lord Han stomped his feet.

“Unit Commander Ying-tai of Qin,” Emperor Fengge was advising him to calm down before the court.

“Unclench your fists, Lord Han,” Ying-tai was unrelenting toward him, “I am of no threat to you here. I am simply a witness in your court. I’ve only been listening. Watching.” Ying-tai relaxed his broadened posture and turned to Emperor Fengge and bowed his head, “With that, I rest my case, your highness.”

Lord Han was now quivering with rage and abhorrence toward Ying-tai. I will show you someday, soldier. You will not be able to speak to me in this way then.

“Wise Father,” Prince Enlai faced Emperor Fengge and bowed lowly, “There is much that’s yet to be investigated. I plea for an appropriate verdict!”

Emperor Fengge furrowed his brows at the contradiction. He looked at his court officials, royal advisors, and Lord Han.

“Your majesty!” The court began. “Your country watches! The spirits still await justice! An example is yet to be made!”

Emperor Fengge looked at Song Jianyu as they repeated their appeal. He looked at his son and Ying-tai who both looked back at him with eyes pleading for this man’s life.

“Your majesty! Your country watches! The spirits still await justice! An example is yet to be made!”

Emperor Fengge placed his eyes on the kneeling man. He gripped his gavel, “Song Jianyu, you are here before us today because you are accused on the accounts of The West Division Carnage Incident, conspiring treason, and murdering your family. As there are proof and witnesses that stand against you, you are found guilty of all charges and will be sentenced to death by beheading.”

Snap! The gavel struck.

Ying-tai’s eyes widened.

“Father!” Prince Enlai gasped a cry.

As the court was being dismissed, Ying-tai and Prince Enlai turned to Jianyu. They watched him lift his head and his eyes met theirs. In this moment, Ying-tai saw boldness. The guards who swept their arms under him to escort him to his death did not even faze him. He held their gaze and then he slowly turned his head and stared directly in one definite direction. Ying-tai and Prince Enlai followed his gaze and it stopped exactly at Lord Han who was caught up in boasting about his victory. Jianyu looked back at them as he was being pulled away, his eyes expressing hope.

“Even if Song Jianyu did have something to do with The West Division Carnage Incident…” Prince Enlai started.

“He was not the only one,” Ying-tai furrowed his brow. He kept an eye on Lord Han as he spoke, “At the very least, he was not the mastermind of it all. He had too much of a wavering nature.”

Emperor Fengge stood by Prince Enlai who continued to look toward the direction Song Jianyu was taken to. “You are to go to his home and make sure all of the remains of his family are collected. The court orders his residence to be barricaded and shut off from the public and I want to send you there to make sure it is carried through without a problem.”

Prince Enlai furrowed his brows, “Why did you do it, father?”

“The kingdom watches,” was all Emperor Fengge said before continuing forward somberly while his son turned his eyes to his back that was now facing him.

While the empire roared at Song Jianyu’s execution, Prince Enlai and Ying-tai hurriedly paced toward his residence. As expected, it was a sight of wreckage. Song Jianyu’s family was being hauled out by soldiers while the few members of the court drifted through the Song residence. As Prince Enlai walked through, they bowed their heads at him until he passed.

“Who would have thought that the celebrated scholar Song Jianyu would ever commit such an act?” One of the court members shuddered at the bloodied home. “He even killed the servants!”

“Your highness!” Another man of the court called from the other side of the home.

Prince Enlai lifted his head to the voice and followed the court official. Past the koi pond that was dyed red with blood, inside the garden behind Song Jianyu’s bedchamber was his wife who laid lifeless. In her arms was a still infant no older than four months old. It’s small, curled hand was still gripping onto the collar of her stained gown.

A soldier from behind approached Prince Enlai and Ying-tai and bowed before speaking, “Your highness, we found the rest of his family members. His mother and father were found in the other room and his older son was found by the gate. All seem to have died the exact same way: a slash to the aorta.”

Prince Enlai bent down to the wife whose eyes were still opened wide. He brushed his hand over them and shut them for her. He noticed her mangled hair that showed someone had forcefully dragged her. Then he placed his attention on the blood that was smudged by her forehead. He extended his hand out and followed the motion of the smeared blood.

“Why is there blood on your forehead?” Prince Enlai uttered quietly to the lifeless wife. It was as though someone had caressed her head with stained hands. “Remorse,” he breathed. He turned his head to the garden’s entrance and followed the trail of disturbed earth. Pebbles have been kicked up and misplaced. Some blades of grass have been ripped up from their roots. He lifted his eyes to Ying-tai whose intuition already penetrated through the crime scene. “He was holding her,” Prince Enlai furrowed his brows.

Ying-tai looked at the men and dismissed them from the garden. As Prince Enlai stood back up, the wife’s body shifted and her hand rolled down onto the dirt. It was still tightly clenched. Ying-tai stepped forward and knelt down to her. Between her clenched fingertips were tangled threads. Ying-tai pried her fingers open and a piece of silk cloth lightly fell out. Ying-tai carefully picked it up and recognized the color and pattern of it.

“I believe Lord Han’s robe was of the same silk,” Ying-tai mentioned.

Prince Enlai received the silk from Ying-tai and his eyes widened, “We need to retrace the steps of when Lord Han and the guards entered the Song residence.”

As they traced through the crime scene from where the oldest son lied by the gate to where the wife and infant bled dry in the garden, it was clear Song Jianyu did not slaughter his own family. Retracing the horror pained Prince Enlai and he trembled in anger.

“We have to get him now!” Prince Enlai said with clenched fists and proceeded to turn around.

“Your highness, no!” Ying-tai stopped him.

“But we know he was the cause of this! He has to be punished!”

“Yes. But WE know it. Only we do and we have no proof. If you were to speak out now, Lord Han and his supporters will only drown your allegations with claims that you are only trying to remove him from his title. With his display and victory today, the court will be in his favor.”

“So you’re saying we should just let him go?”

“We’re not letting him go, your highness,” Ying-tai assured him. “His time will come but it is not now.”

Prince Enlai furrowed his brows.

“This case has far deeper trenches than your father thinks. We need to uncover them all before you make your voice heard.”

Prince Enlai lifted his eyes to Ying-tai, “We need to find Song Jianyu’s study.”

“Even if we do find it, Lord Han probably got rid of all evidence.”

“But Lord Han would not have gone as far as this if he just wanted to get rid of evidence. There must have been something more that Song Jianyu had that Lord Han could not get his hands on.”

Ying-tai thought for a moment, “The Song family was uninviting towards Lord Han’s coming. They must’ve been wary of him for a long while already.”

“Song Jianyu was an intelligent man who kept to himself and was very cautious. Something must have gone off course and Lord Han saw him as a threat.” Prince Enlai looked at Ying-tai, “You did say Song Jianyu had too much of a wavering nature to conjure up such wiles.”

“His debut to your father showed he was truly in regret. If our presumption of Lord Han is correct then Song Jianyu was probably only his collaborator.”

“Or one of his many,” Prince Enlai added. His eyes grew big, “Did we just discover the puppeteer of The West Division Carnage Incident? But how? Lord Han was just an insignificant noble man who owned some farm land at the time! Someone like that wouldn’t have the power to invoke such ploy!”

“Nobody would have known. Everyone was so busy looking for a tiger they failed to notice the venomous spider weaving its web,” Ying-tai explained.

“Whatever it was that Song Jianyu had, we have to find it,” Prince Enlai gripped the torn silk cloth in his hand. He looked up at the rooftop of the Song residence, “and there’s no other place he would have kept it than here.” He turned to Ying-tai, “But how will we know where to look? Also, the security here is tighter more than ever so we can’t just come in and go as we please.”

Ying-tai studied the massive structure of the residence, “There is a way.”

Prince Enlai raised his brow.

“We need to find the person who designed Song Jianyu’s manor. Finding him means finding just what we need.”

“The map of Song Jianyu’s manor,” Prince Enlai’s eyes lightened up.

Ying-tai nodded at him and they both smirked with a confident spirit. When they stepped out of the residence, the guards immediately boarded up the gate to the manor. At the exact moment, a gong sounded and Prince Enlai turned his head to the clouds of rumbling thunder. His eyes fell into dismal.

“Captain,” Prince Enlai started and turned to face the man by him.

“Yes, your highness,” he saluted Prince Enlai.

“After you have cremated their bodies, please return their ashes to me.”

Surprised by the order, the captain’s eyes widened.

Prince Enlai continued, “You will do the same to Song Jianyu’s body when you retrieve it from the execution square.”

“As you command,” the captain bowed and left.

Ying-tai only looked at Prince Enlai and kept silent despite of his wonder.

It started to rain when they returned to the palace. The execution service had just been dismissed and the court officials were dispersing from the square. Lord Han was amongst the crowd accepting the congratulations from his left and right.

“We shall all rest in peace now. The living and the dead,” the praises whirled.

In the interim, Prince Enlai and Ying-tai paced through the crowd and toward the square with a few guards following.

“Ah, young highness,” Lord Han greeted festively, “You’ve decided to come! Though, I’m afraid you missed the party.”

Prince Enlai smiled sourly, “I’ve only come to confirm Song Jianyu’s death. All bodies of those executed must be accounted for and put in report.”

“Look at him,” Lord Han grinned to his chuckling supporters by him, “such a big boy now doing a grown man’s work. I would’ve never imagined this day.”

Prince Enlai furrowed his fists, “Your praise is too kind. There is much to learn and far many years to catch up to just to be as insightful as you, Lord Han.”

“Oh,” Lord Han chuckled, pleased. “Allow me to accompany you men to the square, young Prince!”

Prince Enlai and Ying-tai nodded and extended their hand out as a welcoming gesture for Lord Han to lead them, “Of course.”

By the entranceway, Ying-tai could already smell the scent of blood. When the doors opened for them to proceed through, Song Jianyu’s body was seen lying still on the ground with his head by him. The pool of blood rippled as the raindrops bounced against it before slowly trailing away into lighter shades of red.

“Marvelous sight, isn’t it?” Lord Han suggested, smiling. “Behold, the color of justice!” Lord Han turned to Ying-tai, “I can understand why the Qin chose the color of crimson as their hallmark. The power! The dominance! The sign of triumph!”

Ying-tai turned to Lord Han, his heart filled with distressing revulsion, “A man must not let himself become acquired to the taste blood. It’s what differentiates us from animals.”

“Says the Beast of Battlefields,” Lord Han laughed. “You expect us to believe the smell of blood doesn’t delight you?”

“I would not come across it if I didn’t have to,” Ying-tai simply answered as he turned his eyes back to Song Jianyu, “Blood is hard to wash off. Especially with silk like that of yours.”

Prince Enlai turned his eyes to Lord Han.

“Blood? What are you saying?” Lord Han scoffed and ran his hands down his layer of garments for stains.

The guards who walked alongside Prince Enlai and Ying-tai raised their umbrellas while the rain continued to pour down harder.

“We’re just saying,” Prince Enlai continued as he reached down for Lord Han’s sleeve and raised it up. Ying-tai watched closely as Prince Enlai ran his fingers through the seam without taking his eyes off of Lord Han’s stare. Suddenly, Prince Enlai’s hands came to a stop. He had found the frayed gap on Lord Han’s sleeve. Looking down at the familiar color and patterns was like finding a missing puzzle piece. He plainly smiled, “Your silk here is beautiful beyond measure but easy to stain. I would not go near blood with such material draped over my shoulders.”

Lord Han’s eyes widened and he slowly pulled away from Prince Enlai’s fingertips. Ying-tai was now staring at him boldly too and Lord Han almost let himself tremble from such unwavering spirits of the two men before him.

Prince Enlai. You alone I can dare myself to challenge, Lord Han thought and then turned to Ying-tai. But with that beast of Qin by him, I won’t even be able to do something as simple as bending the young Prince’s spirit.

“Now, if you will kindly excuse us,” Prince Enlai said as he and Ying-tai stepped into the square where the rain rinsed away the blood spill.

“Ying-tai of Qin,” Lord Han said to himself as he watched the two men under their umbrellas depart from him, “What a nuisance you’ve become to me.”

Standing before Song Jianyu, Prince Enlai and Ying-tai watched the guards collect his body in silence.

“That was clever what you did back there,” Prince Enlai broke the quietness. “Bringing the chance to inspect his robe, that is.”

“It was smart of you to catch on,” Ying-tai smirked. “Now we have one question answered.”

Prince Enlai let out a light smile. “How does a beast not get used to the scent of blood?” He asked after a short pause.

“I never said I wasn’t used to it,” Ying-tai replied. “I’d be telling a horrible lie if I said I wasn’t used to the presence of blood.” He grinned but his eyes showed discontentment, “I did get my many names for a reason.”

Prince Enlai lowered his eyes, “I suppose.”

“But,” Ying-tai continued, “It’s the beginning of the battle: looking into the eyes of hundreds and thousands of marching men that must die so the millions could live. So many beating hearts stopped in such a short instant.” Ying-tai paused, “Killing a man is my duty. It will never be my pleasure.”

Prince Enlai turned his eyes to Ying-tai. When the last trace of blood washed away, he raised his head to the grey clouds. “A beast? A demon? A god? Hah! You are none of the sort,” he began. He faced Ying-tai and smiled benevolently, “I pronounce you as the long needed rain. The rain in which cleanses the earth.”

Ying-tai looked at Prince Enlai and smiled at his proclamation while the raindrops thudded against their umbrellas and tumbled down to join the rolling stream of rainwater beneath them.

The sky was a bright red after the rain that evening when Ying-tai accompanied Prince Enlai to a covert boat ride into the sea. Sitting on Prince Enlai’s side were six small urns containing the ashes of Song Jianyu and his family. When they rowed far enough, Prince Enlai picked up the urn with Song Jianyu’s ashes and held it up.

“Even if he did do wrong, he still repented for his sins in the end,” Prince Enlai said. He gripped the urn and continued, “A great man is not one who has never made a mistake in his life but a man who recognizes when he has done wrong.” He then opened the urn, scooped out the ashes, and spread them out into the calm sea that mirrored the red sky above them. Ying-tai, too, stood up and joined Prince Enlai while the soft rise and fall of the waves beneath them rocked the boat.

When the glow of the stars started to seep through the dusking sky, Prince Enlai poured Ying-tai a drink he brought with him and asked, “After the war, what do you plan to do?”

Ying-tai turned to Prince Enlai, baffled. Never having someone ask him such question before, he stumbled for a response. “Ah, well I too have a journey of atonement I must attend to myself,” he finally answered.

“Oh? For the lives that have been slain?” Prince Enlai guessed and lifted his cup to his lips.

“No,” Ying-tai shook his head and then casted his eyes downward. He spoke through a smile with contrite eyes, “I need to make amends to someone and I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing so. I owe them that at the least.”

At his response, Prince Enlai turned to Ying-tai who quietly drank his wine. Instead of opening his lips to pry on, Prince Enlai poured them both another drink and brought his cup to his lips to swallow the bittersweet taste of fermented wine as he smirked at the brief glimpse of Ying-tai’s never-before-seen character. Perhaps it was better this way.