It is said that love could be nurtured, and it comes from habit. Perhaps that's true. As time goes by, Ying started to fall in love with Fan Li. She loved his wisdom and maturity. She adored him. The girl had a crush on her dashing tutor.
Fan Li only saw Ying as his student, a young girl who was hungry for knowledge. Besides, he knew that Ying would be sent as a tribute to Fuchai. But at the same time, Fan Li fell in love with Shi Yiguang. And Shi Yiguang also fell in love with Fan Li.
In the beginning, Fan Li tried to restrain himself, as he thought it was improper for him to marry Shi Yiguang, who was much younger than him, and also because he knew that Shi Yiguang would be sent to King Fuchai.
But love is not something that people could avoid.
Ying was a naive girl. She didn't know what it means to fall in love. She just knew that she's happy when she was with Fan Li. She didn't know what jealousy was. She only knew she felt something odd in her heart when he saw Fan Li was chatting alone with Shi Yiguang.
Almost a year had passed since those girls were sent to Fan Li's house. From thirty people, only ten girls could pass the second year training. Those ten girls were the extra-ordinary girls that were hard to find. But their qualification was still not enough to conquer a nation. They had to undergo another year of training. Only two girls would be chosen.
That day, in the classroom, there was Fan Li as the teacher, with Shi Yiguang, Ying and Zheng Dan, and another seven other girls.
Fan Li asked a question to the girls, and they have to answer him one by one.
"Girls, you all have received grace from Queen Yue and King Goujian. Now, if you have a chance, would you be willing to help them?"
Shi Yiguang was the first one who answered. She smiled and replied, "Shi Yiguang is only a peasant girl. Of course, if there's anything I could do to help our king and queen, I would be willing to do it!"
Zheng Dan answered, "When the queen took me to the palace, she had already told me that she's taking me to the palace so that someday I could help her to take revenge on Wu!"
Ying answered, "Of course! The queen always told me that one day I have to help them to conquer Wu and take revenge for all of the humility they had done to our country. But I just don't understand. In these past two years, all of you only teach me how to read and write, music and dancing. I don't understand! Aren't you supposed to teach me horse riding, archery, and sword skills to kill those Wu people?"
Fan Li couldn't help but laugh to hear her answer. He said, "Have you ever heard of the beauty trap?"
Ying didn't answer. She read that before.
Fan Li continued, "Send to your enemy beautiful women to cause discord within his camp. This strategy can work on three levels. First, the ruler becomes so enamoured with the beauty that he neglects his duties and allows his vigilance to wane. Second, the group of men will begin to have issues if the desired women courts another man, thus creating conflict and aggressive behaviour. Third, other females at court, motivated by jealousy and envy, begin to plot intrigues, further exacerbating the situation. I guess your task is just to perform the first strategy! Fuchai loves beautiful women. And you're all are perfect women for him!"
Hearing that statement, Shi Yiguang shed her tears. She loved Fan Li. But she knew that no matter what, she had to be sent to Fuchai. Zheng Dan sighed, and said, "And later in history, people will say that it's evil women who destroyed Fuchai and Wu!"
Ying was shocked and shook her head, "Is that the reason why you teach us how to sing, dance and music? To seduce King Fuchai and make him neglects his duties?"
Fan Li said, "Yes!"
Ying shook her head and said, "I can't do it! I am not a shameless person who would do such kind of thing!"
"Neither are your sisters here!" said Fan Li and pointed at the other girls. "Ying, I know that you've always been interested in the art of war. But you're a woman, nothing you could do on the battlefield. The battlefield is only for men, while the women should work from the inside to weaken the enemy!"
Ying said, "But I don't want to go to Wu and become Fuchai's concubine! Become a concubine means that I have to dance for him; help him and attend him, like the way my mother attended my late father! I don't want to do that! I …I…want to be a real hero! I want to be a hero! Teach me archery, swordsmanship, horse riding, and I will go with you for a military campaign and go for a real war!"
Fan Li shook his head and laughed, "Girl, don't be silly!"
"Every day, I read books about heroes and virtuous people. But why do you want me to do this dirty job? If we have to have a war with Fuchai, why don't we do it righteously?"
"Ying, this is a war! We're not going to be able to win the war without this strategy! It's for the sake of your country!"
Ying started to cry, "Why it has to be me? Why it has to be us?" Ying cried and left the room. That night Shi Yiguang and Zheng Dan tried to comfort her to no avail.
The next day when Fan Li was chatting with Xi Shi in his study room, Ying knocked on his door. Fan Li knew that it was improper if other people knew Xi Shi was in his study room alone. Therefore he asked Xi Shi to hide behind the shelves on his small library.
"Ying, what book are you reading now? Do you want to discuss the content with me?"
Ying didn't answer him and straight to point asked, "How long do you want us to be Fuchai's women?"
"I can't tell you! For sure, until our country is ready! Ready in the economy, human resources, and other things! It could be …two years or ten years!"
Ying shook her head, "And by that time…what if we…have his children? Confucius said that a woman should obey her father when she's under their care, and obey her husband after she got married. Then how can we betray someone who is our husband?"
Fan Li didn't know how to answer her.
"I hope Minister Fan could enlighten me with my struggle before we're sent to Wu!" Ying said and left the study room.
In her hiding place, Xi Shi, who heard the conversation, started to cry. She just realized that what Ying said was a reality that she had to face also.