When she returned home, she was greeted by her husband and her grandson. Surprisingly, it was Ren Fan and Little Wu, who spoke with Elizabeth and her friends before. Little Wu bounced up and down, eager to see if his grandmother had bought home anything good to eat, whereas Ren Fan noticed her odd expression and he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. It's just… that the atmosphere in the market felt odd today."
She could not put her finger on it. Granted, it always felt awkward from the Alzar Kingdom's presence, since history had shown what the kingdom would do to the empire's people. No one dared to act out of line and carried on living like empty husks without a goal. Even the children seemed listless! That atmosphere gradually shifted over the months, and it was no longer as prevalent nowadays. It took on a subtler form, where they would pour out their grievances behind closed doors, and brandish wide smiles in public. That established the current relationship between them and their captors, one of reserved hostility. However, from the strange conversation she had with the stall keeper and the general mood in the markets, she could feel a shift in atmosphere, as though they were emboldened. They stuck their chests out and their heads high, as their eyes glimmered with hope. The more she thought about it, the more offput she was. Something was definitely wrong!
"Is that a note in your hand? Let me see it," Ren said worriedly.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The stall keeper told me to read it at home."
"Let threads of red fend the beast off. Let the beast's belly be full no more… Is this supposed to be a poem? But it doesn't rhyme," Little Wu recited aloud, though his confusion was apparent. He had no idea what it meant.
"It looks like you got one too, Aunty Shen." Their neighbours approached with the same note.
"Did you get it from the market?"
"No, I didn't know they were handing them out over there. I got this one from somewhere else."
"Do you know what this means?" Ren wondered. They seemed more talkative than usual.
"I can understand Little Wu not knowing, but you?" they joked. "It's something that everyone from our generation knows about. It's a traditional folktale."
"Now that you mention It, I sort of understand… but what does the beast mean?"
"Who else could the beast be?"
"You don't mean…" Ren widened his eyes in shock.
"This is our only hope at this point. We need to try."
"Grandpa, what are they talking about?" Little Wu pouted. He hated being left out.
"Are you joining us?" they asked.
"This… We can't."
"Is that so?" They looked reproachful as they left.
"Is this what I think it is?" Shen was terrified and hugged her grandson tightly.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ren muttered under his breath.
***
In one of the higher-class brothels, the women were gathered around, their faces red with rage and absolutely livid. They were cursing left and right and kicking up a storm! Speaking of which, brothels suffered the most from the kingdom's occupation. Soldiers would frequently visit and demand outrageous treatment for free or force themselves onto the women. They believed that the women should be honored to serve them, and that anything less than perfect was an insult! When alcohol was added to the mix, on top of their general disregard for the empire's women, accidents were bound to happen. Being raped was one thing but being mutilated was another. There were many disputes that ended with a sword being drawn! And finding justice was impossible with how they were the empire's citizens. They had to close their eyes and carry on with fake smiles. It was a dark time for those working in this business, and it only recently improved under Elizabeth's policies.
"That damned bitch!" a woman shouted, kicking over a table in the process.
"Now, now… Let's calm down."
"Shut it! I'm marching over there right now! Who's with me?"
"I am!"
"Let's go! I'm sick of that pompous bitch too!"
"If I don't see her cry today, then I'll change my surname!"
"Yeah!" they screamed in unison, their killing intent surging.
"What's all this commotion about?" A 'servant' walked in with a cold gaze. He scanned over every single one of the women and scared them into submission. Although customers believed this meek-looking man to be a busybody of a servant, the truth could not be more different. He was one of the owners of this brothel and a highly influential man! He pointed out someone and ordered them to explain.
"You must avenge us, owner! Madam Yafen has announced that she'll be performing for free for the several days. You should know that this woman has always treated herself higher than us and other courtesans. She has the greatest reputation in the Yunyun Stronghold, such that a mere wave of her feathers is enough to attract an army of pecking hens. Everyone treats us like used trash, and her a pure goddess! We can't stand this any longer!" she said to a chorus of approval.
"Shut up!" the owner barked. "If you have the ability, then beat her fair and square, not with petty tricks. This just shows that none of you can! You're all an embarrassment to this business!"
Everyone felt wronged. One of them cried, "Owner, this isn't fair. She's never done her performances for free before! People used to pay a huge sum of money to see her, only to wait for months to get rejected! How can we compete against her? She's even handing out things to everyone!"
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
"Take a look at this! Doesn't it sound like a love letter in disguise? She claims to be pure but acts like a common whore too!"
"Let threads of red fend the beast off. Let the beast's belly be full no more…" he mumbled.
It was like the note that Little Wu and his family read, but this one was embellished with more feminine charm. It was written in a teasing way with a gentle lip smear. Combined with Madam Yafen's looks, it was easy to imagine the destructive power this note possessed on men. It was no wonder that his employees were furious. That was the strangest part though. From what he remembered about Madam Yafen, she acted as though all men were her playthings, too far beneath her notice. This was part of her devastating charm: the sense of untouchability naturally spurred the desire to dominate her. She held herself to high standards and never entertained anyone without money. A free performance naturally went against that core principle, much less handing out flirtatious notes like this to everyone. It was not her usual way of doing things. He grew suspicious.
He stared at the note again and asked, "Do anyone know what this is supposed to mean?"
"Isn't she just flirting?" one of them scoffed.
"No, I know Madam Yafen and she wouldn't do something like this. There must be a reason."
"You're not defending her, are you?" another went wide-eyed, condemning him for falling for her.
"Say another word, and I'll cut your pay in half."
"I heard people say it's about the Alzar Kingdom," a girl shyly raised her hand.
"The kingdom… Don't tell me this message means that?"
"What's the matter, owner?"
"Nothing. Everyone, go back to work and no more talking about Madam Yafen!"
He rushed out in a hurry to report in. As it turns out, he was one of the primary contacts inside the Yunyun Stronghold for the Alzar Kingdom, and months ago, his information played a pivotal role in the siege. He had a feeling that the kingdom was in trouble this time!
***
Across the Yunyun Stronghold, the same message was passed along, whether it be in the markets, the brothels, the servant quarters, the workshops, or anywhere else! It spread like wildfire and within a few days, everyone came to know what those notes said. Naturally, the same went for the Alzar Kingdom. There was no way it could be passed along without them knowing. A large pile of collected notes sat on top of General Petra's desk, all written in different styles, but all containing the same cryptic rhyme. She had already looked through them personally and read the reports that her subordinates put together. Looking down over the Yunyun Stronghold, General Petra wore a cold expression that made the winter air seem warm. It was not hard to figure out what the notes meant… The people in the Yunyun Stronghold were plotting an insurrection!