As the night rolled in, Ying Yue found herself unable to sleep as she thought more and more about Bai Chun. Unable to sleep, Ying Yue forces herself out of bed and pours herself of hot tea as she stared out the window. Looking at the moon, Ying Yue knew a fight was possible and even death was inevitable. Taking a deep breath, Ying Yue decides to take a night stroll in her courtyard.
"Sigh.....what am I going to do?"
Remembering her promise to Jianyu's mother, Ying Yue decided she was going to at least let Bai Chun decide what he wanted to do with the little amount of time he had left. Meanwhile, Jianyu could sense that Ying Yue was in a dilemma. Unable to sleep himself, Jianyu quickly chants a spell and creates a portal connected to Ying Yue's residence. Jianyu glances around the room and could only see his sleeping son.
"Ying Yue?"
With no answer, Jianyu decides to open the bedroom door and there he see's Ying Yue sitting on the table in the courtyard, under the moonlight.
"Ying Yue."
Ying Yue could hear a familiar voice call to her. Quickly standing up she turns around and finds out it was really Jianyu calling for her.
"Jianyu? Why are you here?"
"I figured I'd keep you company until you fall asleep."
"Sigh, so you knew I was awake."
"More or less."
Jianyu sits on the stone stairs and motions for Ying Yue to also come sit next to him. Rather than sitting next to Jianyu, Ying Yue decided to sit a stair down from Jianyu and in between his legs, with her back against his chest.
"Well, aren't you daring."
"I'm your wife. I'm just sitting. So, don't think anything of it."
"Pfft....if you say so. So, my empress, what's on your mind?"
"Jianyu...I dreamt of your mother again."
"What? again? You never told me you've had dreams of her. What did she look like?"
"She was beautiful to the point I can't even describe. Jianyu, were you aware that Bai Chun and your mother were playmates as kids?"
"Of course, mother used to tell me stories all the time as a kid about how she used to play in certain areas in the palace with Bai Chun."
"I think.... a reason your mother can't rest yet is because Bai Chun is still alive. She's told me of her fears, her regrets and I think that's why she's still here."
"How many times have you seen her already?"
"I don't know.... I've lost track. But I think the first time was when I was stuck in my world."
"What did she tell you this time?"
Ying Yue pauses for a moment and finally turns around to face Jianyu.
"She asked me to save Bai Chun."
"Are you going to though?"
"I made a promise to your mother and I want to keep it. Besides, my original goal was to kill Bai Chun anyways."
Jianyu pulls Ying Yue into an embrace as he could feel her feel her stressing out and having other things going on in her head.
"You're not alone, I will be with you."
"I know...."
Without realizing it, Ying Yue was slowly falling asleep inside Jianyu's warm embrace. Jianyu catches sight of Ying Yue drifting off and breaks into a smile seeing her finally relaxed. He quickly lifts her up and carries her off in a princess carry. Making sure not to wake her, he lays her down softly on her bed and places a goodnight kiss onto her forehead before returning back to his sleeping quarters.
As the sun rolled in, Ying Yue groaned as she stretched her arms and legs. Junjei was already awake and moving around beside her; searching for his breakfast.
"Ah, are you hungry Junjei?"
Ying Yue quickly feeds Junjei and burps him as the twin sisters come knocking at her bedroom door.
"Knock Knock."
"Your highness, it's time to get up."
"I'm up, come in."
Shen An comes in with a pair of new clothing and Li An walks in with snacks and tea.
"My lady, his majesty ordered me to bring you this. Please wear this on your trip today."
Ying Yue places Junjei on the bed as he rolled around. Quickly stretching her arm out she asks for Shen An to hand her the clothing.
"This looks familiar."
"It was made by the same person who did your white outfit last time. His majesty figured you would need pants for this trip."
"He knows me so well."
Ying Yue quickly undresses and snacks as she orders Shen An and Li An to take Junjei to her mother.
"I'm heading out to find his majesty. Take Junjei and stay with my mother."
"Yes, your highness."
The twins quickly bid Ying Yue farewell and leaves her bedroom. Ying Yue had just finished dressing up. Moving to her makeup desk, she quickly tied her hair up into a ponytail. Feeling satisfied, Ying Yue walks back to her bed and lifts up her pillow and grabs her sword. Without a moment to lose, Ying Yue quickly dashes out of her room and heads towards Jianyu's sleeping quarters. After ten minutes of running she was now standing outside his residence.
"Jianyu! Are you ready to leave?!"
With no answer, Ying Yue slowly props a side of the door open. Slowly poking her head in she could see him still rolling around in bed.
"Jianyu! Wake up!"
Ying Yue walks over to Jianyu and lands a punch on his chest.
"Cough Cough!"
"Are trying to kill me?!"
"Why are you still sleeping? Get up and get ready!"
"You do know if anyone else did that, they'd be kill for it."
"Well I'm your wife, if I can't even do this much then I don't deserve to be your wife. Now get up."
"Fine…fine…. I'm up."
Jianyu rubs his chest as he walks over to his water bin to wash his face. Meanwhile Ying Yue walks over to Jianyu's study table and looks over his work contents.
"Just what were you doing last night?"
"I was working and reading that scroll from the black chest."
"The one we got from the temple?"
"Yeah, the one you found."
"Well, what is it about? It's not in the dragon language so I can't read it."
"It's the same language I had to learn to open up the portal to your world. I spent all night deciphering it. I wanted to know why Bai Chun was after it."
"Well, what did it say?"
"It's a dark spell…. that is usually used to grant a wish in return for the life of the one that casts it."
"What? Such a thing exists?"
"I mean, it is written in heavens language. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the real deal."
"Jianyu, we have to burn that."
"I already tried that. I tried cutting it, and burning it already. There's something on it that's protecting it. I believe that's why it was sealed away instead because no one could get rid of it. It's like your sword. It's an artifact from the heavens."
"Why would Bai Chun want that? What could he really wish for?"
"I don't know either. But I'll keep it on me."
Jianyu quickly changes his hair color and ties it up before moving onto dresses himself in a black outfit with beautiful gold linings on his collar. He would soon move onto grab his sword that was next to his pillow and quickly chants away. In a matter of seconds, Jianyu had created a portal to Shanliang.
"Are you ready?"
Jianyu stretches out his hand to Ying Yue.
"Yes, I am."
Without any hesitation, Ying Yue grabs hold of Jianyu's hand as he pulls her through the portal. Within minutes, Ying Yue could feel the breeze of warm air in her face. Feeling like she was stepping on something soft, she turns to look at her feet and realizes she was stepping on someone.
"Oh goodness! Are you alright?!"
Ying Yue kneels down and flips the thin man over with Jianyu's help. The man was barely alive seeing as he was dehydrated and fading in and out of consciousness. Unsure what to do, Ying Yue reaches inside her shirt and pulls out her small water jug and hands it to the man who happily chugs it down.
"Ah! Thank you. That really saved me. I will repay you some day. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my wife and daughter."
The man quickly walks away and soon disappears. Ying Yue decided not to think much of it asks for Jianyu to cast another portal closer to Shanliang. Jianyu chants again and this time brings him and Ying Yue to the correct location.
Slowly opening her eyes; the scene before her brought Ying Yue to her knees.
"What is the meaning of this?"
In front of Ying Yue wasn't even close to being called a kingdom. There was nothing but barren land and the ruins of what seemed to be houses decades ago. Ying Yue walks away from Jianyu and into the small town.
"Wait! Ying Yue!"
Jianyu runs after Ying Yue and stays a few feet away from her to give her some space. Glancing around her, Ying Yue could see there was still people that remained in whatever was left of Shanliang. A very thin woman looking to be in her early thirties walks up to Ying Yue and asks her for help.
"Please, can you spare anything for me? I haven't been able to produce milk for a few days now. My child is hungry."
Ying Yue glances at the small bundle in the woman's hand. Barely still breathing, the child was slowly dying. Ying Yue looks at the mother's desperate pleas and offers to feed her child.
"Will it be alright if I feed you child for you? I have a child at home that I still breastfeed. So, I should have more than enough to help your child."
"Will you? Please."
Ying Yue turns to look at Jianyu who gives her to okay. Ying Yue offers her hands out for the woman to give her the child. Ying Yue slowly unbundles the baby; that was wrapped up in a dirty cloth. After confirming the child was alive, Ying Yue breathes a sigh of relief.
"Let's move over here. I have a few questions to ask you as well."
Ying Yue motioned for the woman to follow her and Jianyu into what used to be a house. After quickly feeding the hungry child, Ying Yue handed her back to her mother. The woman breaks into tears and thanks Ying Yue.
"Thank you…. oh, thank you. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my child too."
"It's alright. I'm happy to help. Now, will you tell me what happened here? There's no way this is all that's left of Shanliang."
"You're right. At first Shanliang wasn't like this, even after we were conquered by Xinjing. Although we lost our king, Xinjing promised to keep us protected because we harvested jade here. But five years ago, our production in jade died down and we no longer had any value to Xinjing anymore. They abandoned us and left us in the middle of no-where. Shanliang relies heavily on travelling merchants but Xinjing cut those all off too once they left. Years went by and people left, one by one. Those who couldn't were the old and ill."
"Why didn't you leave then?"
"What queen abandons her own home?"
"You…you're the queen of Shanliang?"
Ying Yue was shocked. She had thought Xinjing slaughtered all the royal members.
"I was engaged to the youngest prince. We were only five when the war broke out. The Xinjing army took pity on us and allowed us both to live."
"Where's your husband then? That makes him the rightful owner to the throne."
"He left to find water and food three days ago and hasn't' returned. There's a possibility he's dead. I mean…. there's nothing but desert out there. Even if the desert isn't large in comparison to the other deserts, it's still a long and tiring trip."
"Wait what does your husband look like?"
"Huh? He's really thin, short hair, a small mole near his right eye and he should be wearing a gray outfit."
Ying Yue pauses as she thinks of the man they encountered earlier. There was too much similarity for it to be a coincidence.
"Hey, Jianyu. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah, I know. I'll go back and look for him."
Jianyu chants another spell and quickly disappeared. Meanwhile the woman looked shocked at what she just witnessed.
"What…what happened to your husband?! He just disappeared!"
"I know…he's fine. Don't worry."
"After ten minutes, Ying Yue watched as Jianyu returned with the strange man they had met earlier. The man finally let's go of Jianyu and pats himself down to make sure he was still alive. The man quickly spots his wife and runs to her.