It has been almost four years since the return of Jiao Long. During those months, Ying-tai had gone off with Huian and Xia to fight. Ying-tai’s fame rose as Jiao Long grew infamous from his behavior in the palace. He disrespected servants and looked down on those less fortunate than him. He thought highly of himself and Xiu Juan despised this and often challenged him to correct his act.

“To be Emperor of Qin, you must be willing to put yourself down to your people’s level. You must know how to empathize. Qin deserves a great leader. Not someone who will step down on them. And you, brother, are far from great,” she lectured.

“Silence, sister. A woman has no place to speak to a man like that. Know your place,” Jiao Long snapped back.

Xiu Juan looked into his eyes, glared and replied, “Oh, but I do know my place, brother. I am the Grand Princess of Qin. I am not just a woman. I am a woman with potential. And, may god forbid, if I must step in your way for the sake of righteousness, I will not waver.”

One snowy day, Xiu Juan and the Emperor played a game of chess in the tea room. With the iron stove crackling beside them, the Emperor broke the silence.

“Ying-tai will be returning home in seven days,” he informed while moving his piece across the table. He looked up at his daughter. He could see Xiu Juan trying to hold in her excitement.

“Every time he left, you would stand by the gateway and watched till he was out of our sight. I watched you go to the temple everyday and pray,” he sighed, “Xiu Juan, Ying-tai is a strong man. I believe in him. You must too.”

Her shoulders dropped and she sighed, “I know, father. But one can never be so sure. My heart’s just not at peace until he is safely home.” She moved a piece across the table and checked one of her father’s pieces.

The Emperor smiled and continued, “Zhao and Wei are closing in on us. War is very tense now. You know that. And also, I’m only getting older. I don’t even know if I will outlive this war. I just want you to be in good hands before I’m gone.”

Xiu Juan looked up from their game of chess. “What do you mean, father?”

“You have come of age, daughter. You will have to step into the next stage of your life and I want to be sure I can trust that man.”

“You want to send me off?” Xiu Juan furrowed her brows at her father.

“No,” replied The Emperor.

“I can stay here forever with you, brother Jiao Long, and Ying-tai,” she insisted. She moved another piece after her father then looked at him and smiled, “I’ll be in good hands and be forever happy.”

“As I was saying, Xiu Juan, I trust in Ying-tai. I know he will treat you well. What do you say?”

Xiu Juan blushed and didn’t know how to respond.

“That’s not up to me to decide,” she managed to mumble out.

“Hmmm,” The Emperor pondered, “when the time comes I will talk to Ying-tai.”

“Checkmate!” Xiu Juan piped. “You left yourself open, father. You shouldn’t let yourself get distracted no matter what!”

The Emperor laughed and praised his daughter, “Good job, daughter. You learned how to defeat me.”

“Ying-tai taught me,” Xiu Juan admitted as she smiled shyly.

“Ah, just as I would expect. He is the only one who could beat me. And then there’s Huian, but he and I always come to a draw.”

While Xiu Juan collected her pieces, The Emperor commented, “Xiu Juan. I’ve watched you since you were a little girl. Losing your mother and everything, you managed to become so strong in the outcome. You are talented. Gifted. In the world we live in, others may look down on you and underestimate you because you are a woman, but those are the voices you must shut out. You have potential and I’m proud of you. Ah, what it would’ve been like if you were a son!”

Xiu Juan looked at her father and smiled, “I wouldn’t be playing chess indoors with a furnace next to me. I will be in the battlefield fighting by you instead.”

The Emperor, pleased, laughed and stroked his beard and began another game of chess with his daughter.

Meannwhile, Ying-tai, Huian, and their men traveled back from a battle front near Zhao. They went through the mountains trying to hurry home before the storm. The snowfall accelerated rather quickly, making them unable to see what was beyond twenty feet. They stopped mid track for one of their carriages got stuck. Ying-tai was up on his black horse and soon sensed something was off about the track they were on. Something about the surrounding was different from when they walked on it a few days before the snowfall. The forest surrounding them seemed to have more fallen branches and broken bushes. Then, at the corner of his eye, he saw a small movement. Human? He thought.

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“Huian!” He called.

Huian, on top of his horse, neared Ying-tai, “What is it?”

“Something is off about this place. I don’t remember some of these trees being chopped down. The smaller dead trees and overcrowded brushes at the side of the road have been cleared.”

“What do you think it is, Ying-tai?”

“These ‘fallen’ branches were cut by a blade and were placed here on purpose by man. Draw back,” Ying-tai informed.

Huian nodded and motioned for everyone to draw back but before they could get far away enough, eager Wei soldiers jumped from all sides and cut the chords that were holding the long braches down. They whipped at the Qin soldiers and knocked a handful of them down. The remaining Qin soldiers formed their positions and readied themselves to a fight.

Ambush? Ying-tai thought. He spotted several of Wei soldiers approach him and with his spear, he cleared away five men. Two more advanced toward him and attacked his horse. He jumped off and slaughtered the two. The snow was falling heavier and the wind picked up. He could hear Huian and the men fighting off the rest of the Wei. Snow was getting in his eyes and impaired his vision. In a flash, he saw two shadows jump in front of him but he managed to dodge and roundhouse kick them to the ground. They got up again and charged at Ying-tai. He felt something long and round by his feet and kicked it upward. He caught it with his hand and flung it toward one of the enemies charging at him. The other charged onward and Ying-tai swung out his sword and slashed him to the ground. He began his way back to his men but stopped in his tracks when he felt a presence of someone in front of him. Behind him. On his right. On his left. He was surrounded by several Wei men. By this time the snow was blinding him.

I can’t see a thing through this snow, he thought to himself. He could sense the shadows approach him from every side. He stood his ground and prepared himself. He looked down and ripped a piece of black cloth off from one of the dead Wei’s cloak. He quickly tied it around his eyes and readied himself for a standoff. Ying-tai tilted his head to the left when he heard the man from his left charge toward him. He swung to his left to interrupt the blow. While his hand held the man’s arm that held the sword, he blew a kick to his chin and sent him flying backward. He then pinned him down on his belly, tucked his sword under his chin and slid his sword across his neck. Then the person who was on his right came onward. Ying-tai jumped onward too and slid onto the snow and immobilized the man’s steps and knocked him out. Two more jumped into the middle of the circle and Ying-tai jumped up high and kicked the first one then the second one and knocked them both to the ground at the same time. With a swift move of the sword, he ended their lives while they were out cold on the snow. One charged quickly behind him not seeing that Ying-tai picked up a fallen sword with his foot and quickly kicked it toward him ending his life as the blade went through his abdomen. This time, the remaining four charged at the same time. The blindfolded Ying-tai listened for the closest enemy. When near enough, he took hold of his arm and dislocated it, knocking him out with a blow to the face. The second and third man remaining swung their swords at Ying-tai and they clanged their blades against one another for a good while. Ying-tai, when he felt the chance to, lunged his sword at the man on his left, throwing him off guard. Quickly, he kicked him to the ground and knocked the other man out on his right with his fist, catching the man’s sword before it fell to the ground. Ying-tai spun the sword around till he found a good grip and then threw it right into the man’s chest on the ground. The other man got up from the kick and before he could see Ying-tai coming, Ying-tai flashed before him and slaughtered him. Before recovering from his striking position, the last man plunged in and tore open Ying-tai’s coat. The rice paper with Xiu Juan’s pressed flowers fell out onto the snow. Ying-tai, distracted, was unable to dodge the next move made by the enemy and felt the blade glide into his side. He kicked him away, forcing the blade to glide back out and then dropped on one knee. He quickly picked the paper of pressed flowers up and placed it inside his garment. When the enemy approached again, he swung his sword and slashed the enemy’s head off his shoulders. The body thumped in front of Ying-tai while he gasped for air.

Ying-tai felt the snowfall die down and took off the cloth around his eyes. He glared at the fallen body before him. Soon, he heard Huian and Xia call for him from behind.

“Huian, over here!” Xia shouted when he spotted Ying-tai.

“Lord Ying-tai!” Huian noticed the wound on Ying-tai’s side and his eyes widened, “My lord, you’re wounded!” He yelled out to the men, “I need medic attention over here!”

“Huian, don’t make a big commotion in front of the men. It’s a small wound.”

Huian removed Ying-tai’s hand and saw he was losing a lot of blood. Ying-tai tried to get on his feet but stumbled and fell to the ground.

“Lord Ying-tai, don’t move. You’ll only open the wound bigger.” Huian instructed.

Ying-tai chuckled and furrowed his brows at the sting of pain, “Ah, damn. This bitter cold. These unknown enemy lands. I want to go back home.”

“Shh. Don’t speak, my lord.” Huian comforted.

The army physician ordered the men to carry Ying-tai into the carriage where he would be tended. Not long into the ride, Ying-tai blacked out.

Ying-tai woke up inside his tent and tried to get up. His commotion alerted Huian and Xia.

“Lord Ying-tai! How are you feeling?” Xia asked.

“Dizzy,” Ying-tai mumbled.

“It’s expected. You lost a lot of blood. You were out for two days.” Huian informed.

“Two days?” Ying-tai sputtered. “How are the men? Who did we lose?”

“Only a few. Thanks to you, we caught on early and managed little casualty,” Huian replied.

“That’s our Lord Ying-tai,” praised Xia.

“Something seems to bother you, Huian,” Ying-tai noticed.

“I just blame myself for leaving you stranded like that. It was dishonorable of me,” Huian lowered his head.

“No, you did the right thing by staying with our men. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Well now that you’re up, I wanted to ask if we could return home for a bit until you’ve recovered. We can’t face Zhao and Wei with you in this condition. Also, our men are tired.” Huian proposed.

Ying-tai thought for a moment and nodded his head. “We leave tomorrow morning,” he answered.

“I’ll let the men know,” Huian bowed and walked out.

Ying-tai recalled his paper of pressed flowers and fumbled around for it. Xia realized what it was he was searching for and pulled out the small rice paper containing plum blossoms out of his coat and handed it to Ying-tai.

“This was inside your garments when the doctor was tending you. I figured I should keep it until you regained consciousness,” Xia said. “I knew it was important to you.”

“Thank you, Xia,” Ying-tai said weakly, taking the flower paper from Xia’s hands. When Xia left him, he gave out a long exhale and closed his eyes and thought of Xiu Juan.

“Xiu Juan, I’m coming back home,” he mumbled.