Invitations were sent to neighbor kingdoms too.
Shang was prosperous Kingdom and many wanted to build good relations with the King of Shang Kingdom.
Preparations for the grand ceremony had been started.
Henan wanted to share her concern about the previous incidents in the royal state.
She was not sure what would Wan Hu say after she told that her relatives were slaughtered by the King order.
Queen personally gave attention for new decorations of every part of Palace and every room, she stood in the big room of King and ordered senior maids to dust and clean every corner of this big room, maids emptied the drawers to rearrange everything in them, some maids were changing the curtains, some were working on the bed sheets.
When maids cleaned drawers and were putting back its contents, Queen saw a pendant, it was holding red exquisite Jade stone hooked with a chain to wear across the neck.
Queen remembered that it was given to General Zhong by former King on the day he was appointed Army General of the Shang Kingdom, it was also the symbol of his authority over his army.
She picked it up, General always wear this pendant when he was out of his mansion.
He was invited many times in the Palace and he was wearing this all time and she remembered back then.
She was a little surprised why this pendant of General Zhong was in the room of King. After careful thinking, she was still unable to grasp the reason.
She thought to return back it to Henan as a memory of her father but she would ask lots of Questions regarding this pendant that she herself was not sure.
Wan Hu did not change his routine.
He spent most of his time in sword art practice.
...…..
Nine Years Ago
General Zhong prepared three hundred soldiers to evacuate temporary attacks of Huns.
It was the least amount the King approved, there was temporary bivouac of Huns which they occupied from the resident population and it was so sudden that it seemed planned because before just the attack day, all soldiers were assigned different and unnecessary holidays and remaining were shifted to other places.
All these pre-partition and orders were kept in dark.
He headed toward upper east state and it barren faction, it was a relatively twisting and long journey.
After General Zhong reached the occupied area, he could see that many houses were burned and many people were homeless now, he fought and slowly started to evacuate the occupied areas.
Huns were in large number and he was approved only three hundred soldiers by the King, it was possible that King was not sure about the number of Huns Population in the faction thinking so General Zhong fought bravely though he sent War Messenger to request to send more infantry War Messenger never came back.
One night General Zhong was thinking gravely about the recent events though he was not sure that it was clear that Huns were delaying something and waiting, other than this there was no way to back down at many crucial moments when they were about to win.
He heard a scream outside of his camp and ran outside, a woman was wailing something.
He asked her what had happened to her, between her wailing she told that few barbarians broke into her house and misbehave her daughter and her daughter thrust dagger to the barbarian and he died on the spot but others dragged her away to punish her.
"General Zhong please save my daughter," she knelt on the floor.
General Zhong was unable to bear this anymore; he ordered his remaining men and dashed toward the Huns bivouac.
One must remember that only the three hundred soldiers who were approved by King were those who were loyal to General Zhong.
...….
Few men were sitting around the well-lit fire, their appearance was sharp and digging into one's mind if one happened to see them straight, "Boss, how many days we are going to stay here?" a man asked the one who was sitting away from their circle and was looking lit fire straight.
"King wishes us to drag this matter little longer and he had paid us the money we asked in return of this favor, I don't know why he wanted to drag this matter?" Few men came on horses like wind, and throw a girl on the ground who was fastened with ropes on her ankle and hands and because of her struggle, blood was seeping from the roped skin.
A man stood up and shouted to the horsemen and asked, "Tell me what new ruckus you created this time and who is this girl, don't tell me you wanted to spend a night with her?" he looked at the men with angry looks.
They were not here for merry-making.
They were here to trade and exchange matter with the King.
"This bitch stabbed my brother and now I wanted to tell her what pain looks like."