When the Alzar Kingdom was declared the traitor, things took a turn for the worse. Everyone picked up arms again and screamed for justice! Emperor Lianghu committed to the Ambush of the Sanguis Coast and started the Second Great Kingdom War; the world gone mad! The kingdom was taken by surprise and lost the initiative. This would culminate into the long Teria Sea Campaign, which left hundred of thousands homeless and countless dead. Initially, Xiuying did not know what to think and her grief consumed her. She thought, how could they do something so cruel? Like everyone else, she wished for justice and vengeance. She wanted the Alzar Kingdom to pay for destroying her family!
For six years after that, she and her sister devoted themselves to helping their father in the war. Ming sat on the Imperial Council and advised in the War Council's plans. Xiuying trained in the blade, pushing to Half-Perception Realm, and helped her father wherever possible. This continued until King Harth was captured in the Battle of the Millennium. The man was tortured using every method possible. He was flayed, beaten, bled, mutilated, waterboarded, burnt, eaten alive, and even drugged. No food, no water, no sleep, and no rest, King Harth was pushed to the absolute physical and mental breaking point! Even the Imperial Princesses were terrified at their father's cruelty. Anyone else would have succumbed to the inhumane punishment and begged for death! However, King Harth remained strong and laughed. He laughed in the face of death! Never once admitting to killing Empress Mei Li and mocking Emperor Lianghu, he passed away. That was when Xiuying and Ming first noticed something was wrong.
In hindsight though, Xiuying admonished herself. They failed to notice something was wrong for six years? They were not idiots. Ming served on the Imperial Council, helping their father govern as one of the highest-ranking advisors! And Xiuying was far more intuitive and keener than her personality would reveal. She had a surprisingly sharp grasp on people and noticed social cues that Ming would not. They failed to notice, not because they were inept, but because it was a convenient little lie. By painting a target on the Alzar Kingdom's back, they had somewhere to vent their frustrations. They had an idea of revenge, revenge for the kingdom taking their beloved mother! It was an immature way of dealing with grief, but so easy to fall for. After all, how young were they? Despite their exceptional talents and knowledge, their mental maturity was still limited by their age! It took King Harth's death to finally open their eyes to the truth.
So, how did their mother die then? To answer that, they travelled through the empire. They sought the advice of world-renown physicians, reclusive sages, expert assassins, and even spiritual monks to figure out the truth. And at the same time, they saw the obscenities of war, of what they had done. The hollow families, the decrepit ruins, the begging orphans, the maimed veterans, and the unending miasma of hatred. Everything was laid bare for everyone to see, and it suffocated them! The Imperial Princesses finally realized how twisted they had become! These were the direct consequences of their actions. When they read the war reports, it was just numbers and figures on a piece of paper. There were no emotions, no feelings, no history behind it. For them, it was an equation to be balanced, a formula to be solved. When they gave the orders, it was success or fail. There was no discussion about the true repercussions. If they never saw it firsthand, then they never could have imagined… that their reality was this twisted! This was war!
When they finally discovered the truth, that Minister Linshi and the Imperial Council had been manipulating their father, they were furious! They were furious beyond belief! But when the rage simmered down, guilt and regret was all that remained. How many of their citizens were sacrificed, dying in vain? And how many of them lived on in pain, afraid and alone? They gave the orders and they let it happen! The mere thought was enough to make them sick. She and Ming were not cruel or sadistic people since they inherited their mother's kindness. Hence, their desire for peace and reconciliation were genuine and heartfelt. They wanted to make amends, restore their mother's legacy, and stop the war! The rest was history.
Xiuying clenched her fists and said firmly, "We can't sit here and do nothing. We need to do something. If you won't do anything, then I will!"
Ming became downcast and silent, showing how indecisive she was. Although she understood the dangers in contacting the kingdom, she also felt it was the right thing to do. To a calm and logical person such as herself, it plagued her mind. She glanced at Chang and Tai and asked for their opinions, which surprised them. To be asked that question meant she was at her wit's end!
"If you want my honest opinion," Tai said. "I don't trust the kingdom."
"How come?" Ming asked calmly.
He sneered. "Remember our treatment when we were captured by General Illion? He wanted our heads! Don't you think that the rest of them would want the same? We can't trust those rats."
"To be fair, we did attack them first with the Ambush of the Sanguis Coast," Chang argued back. "They have the right to be angry with us."
"That's my point. After everything we did to them, do you think they'll forgive us because of our misunderstanding? Absolutely impossible. There's no way that will ever happen! You have to be delusional to think otherwise," he said, earning a fierce gaze from Xiuying. He shrugged. "That's what I think. You're free to disagree."
Chang nodded. "Hate begets hate. It's not like I don't understand your point, but somewhere the cycle has to end."
"You might think that way, but will anyone else?" Tai said.
"The heir apparent."
Tai was speechless before firing back, "You think that girl can change anything? She's barely the heir apparent! You want to bet everything on her?"
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Chang faced Ming. "I do believe it is worth a try. What is the harm in sending a letter or two? There's no reason that we shouldn't try to establish friendly relations with the kingdom. We have nothing to lose."
"Do as you please," Tai snorted. "But I don't think it's worth our time or effort."
Ming contemplated for a long time before finally sighing. "I understand and respect both of your opinions, but I believe Sentinel Chang is right. A letter seems like our best bet. Do you want to write it, sister?"
"Me?" Xiuying was taken aback. "Shouldn't you write it? You're more used to these sorts of things. I can't handle something as important as this."
"I don't have the greatest of relationships with Princess Elizabeth. Although you cannot be considered friends, it's better than hearing something from me. You wanted to do something, right?" the girl gave her sister a sidelong glance.
Xiuying coughed awkwardly. "I guess… I guess I did say that, but you'll need to help me with it."
"That won't be a problem," Ming smiled. Having made her decision, it felt like a massive weight was lifted from her shoulders. Turning to face the two Protectors, she grew serious. "The Li Family cannot know about this which means we'll need your help sneaking this letter outside. Do you think it's possible to sneak past the Loon Family, Sentinel Chang, Sentinel Tai?"
"Your Highness, these many guards…" Chang was unsure. They were facing the Loon Family, one of the strongest martial families in the Xingyuu Empire. With over thirty Perception Realms surveying the area, it would be hard for a mouse to sneak by, much less themselves. Regardless of the 'true world', Perception Realms remained the core fighting strength of the human world! They could not be handled so trivially.
"…shouldn't be a problem," Tai interrupted with a childish grin. "Leave it to us, Your Highness." Although he disagreed with their optimism, he never backed down from a challenge. That was his hotblooded nature! The more impossible the odds seemed, the more excited he would become.
"Tai, this is serious. The chance of us evading detection is almost zero," Chang frowned, instantly seeing through the thoughts of his friend. "Getting caught red-handed could lead to serious trouble. We can't afford to be careless!"
"Relax. Should that happen, we can always destroy the letter. What are they going to charge us with if there's no evidence?" he scoffed. "Besides, we're the Imperial Princesses' Protectors. Have a little backbone." Chang was speechless. How did the conversation lead to him being insulted?