Madame Ling and Mister Yao, two senior immortals, brought Ying to their house in a secluded place in Chu State, far away from her homeland.
Everything was like a dream for Ying. That night, Ying solemnly sat and enjoying the moon and pondering about her life. She still could not believe everything that happened to her in recent days. She was wondering if she was Ying- the wolf girl who was dreaming that she died and resurrected. Or was she the immortal Ying who had dreamed of becoming a wolf-girl, and now she just woke up from her dream?
Far away from her homeland with no relative or friend, Ying was all alone. With her death and resurrection, she started her new life.
One day, Madame Ling asked Ying to collect firewood. For three years, Ying had enjoyed life like a princess. Now she had to return to her lifestyle like a commoner. She had nothing to complain about and did her errand diligently.
"Madame Ling, I'm done with my errand!" Ying happily reported her work to Madame Ling. Madame saw that she collected quite a lot of firewood. She nodded and said, "Good job! Wait here a moment!"
Madame Ling entered her house, and a moment later, she brought a big bucket and gave it to Ying, said, "Now go to the river and fill this bucket with water. Fill the pond until it's full of the water from the river!" She pointed a fish pond not far from the house.
Ying was shocked. The pond Madame Ling just pointed was a big fish pond. "Put the water inside that pond?" Ying asked.
"Yes! And fill the pond until it's full!" Madame Ling smiled.
Ying wanted to protest, but she restrained herself.
Madame Ling saw her face expression and laughed asked, "Hmm, you're supposed to be a king's woman. Right now, you are here and have to work hard carrying water like a farmer. You must have regretted that you met me that day!"
Ying shook her head, "I don't mind hard training as long as I can be a swordsman!"
Madame Ling nodded and laughed said, "Of course we will teach you swordsmanship. Not only swordsmanship but also other things that might be useful in your life!" She said again, "Proof yourself that you can be a great swordsman!"
Ying nodded.
That day Ying only managed to carry two buckets of water. At night she felt sore on her muscles. She was exhausted. One of the Yue beauties who was supposed to be sent to Wu to be a king's consort had to work harder than a farmer's daughter. That day she had to walk four miles to get two buckets of water. Two buckets would not be enough to fill the fish pond. And Madame Ling's instruction was explicit: she had to get water until the fish pond is full of water. Only when the fish pond water was full then she would start to teach her swordsmanship.
"I have to be a great swordsman one day!" Ying said. "I'm an immortal anyway! I have the time I need to be a swordsman, and be a hero!"
That night she slept with a smile on her face - she dreamed of becoming an invincible swordsman.
While the two beauties of Yue enjoyed all the riches and comfort, the other beauty of Yue had to endure all of the hardships a young girl could bear. Her workload was heavy. Not to mention that she's just a young girl, even for a strong young man, her workload was too much.
Yet, not a word of complaint came from her mouth, although she got sunburn and blisters on her hands because of carrying buckets back and forth. Therefore Madame Ling and Mister Yao liked the girl more and more.
It has been a half month, and from two buckets a day, now she could bring twelve buckets a day. Yet the pond was far from full. She's getting desperate and started to think of a way to fill the pond faster.
Ying pondered a lot on how to bring the water from the river to fill the pond. She had to find a way to get the water faster.
After a month, Madame Ling and Master Yao noticed that Ying was unusual. She still brought twelve buckets of water a day. But she always came home late. And at night, she just slept and didn't even want to read books as usual.
One night, after dinner, Ying just went to her room to sleep. No chatting or reading books. She looked exhausted.
"Ling, I see something is not right with Ying!" Mister Yao said.
"I notice that too. Could it be…she has a boyfriend? That's why she's always come back home late?"
Mister Yao and Madame Ling looked at each other, worried about their disciple.
The next day, when Ying went to the river to get some water, Mister Yao and Madame Ling followed her.
They were surprised to see that Ying was busy with bamboo sticks.
Mister Yao shook his head and said, "That girl is really unique!"
"What is she doing?" asked Madame Ling.
"She's making a long piping system made of bamboo to flow the water from the river to the pond."
Madame Ling was a bit surprised and said, "My purpose of letting her carry the water back and forth is to strengthen her physics!"
Madame Ling immediately came out from her hiding place and walked toward Ying, who was busy working with her pipe.
"Ying, what are you doing?" Madame Ling asked.
"Oh, Madame Ling, what are you doing here?" Ying asked. "I'm busy trying to fill the pond with the water from the river!"
"I have told you to use the bucket to fill the water, right?"
"Hmm, you only told me to fill the pond with the water from the river. Of course, using this bucket is one way. But that will take too long. I'm trying another way to make it faster," Ying said.
"Naughty girl! My purpose is to strengthen your body. Who told you to make this piping?"
Ying was surprised, "But…"
"It's not Ying's fault," Mister Yao interrupted. "She's only trying to ease her job. Let her fill the pond using this pipe!"
"Thank you, Mister Yao!" Ying happily said.
"Don't be too happy first!" Mister Yao said. "You still have to carry twelve buckets a day for another three months, even if the pond if full after you use the pipe to fill the pond!"
Ying frowned and wanted to protest, but Madame Ling interrupted and said, "Don't complain! If you want to be a swordsman, then you have to strengthen your body first!"
Ying nodded and said, "Yes, teachers!"
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485 BC, Helu City - Wu State
Both Xi Shi and Zheng Dan became Fuchai's favorite women. Those two Yue beauties, with their charm, managed to make Fuchai neglected his job.
One day during a court meeting, Fuchai insisted on building a palace for Xi Shi and Zheng Dan. Some ministers, led by Wu Zixu against this plan.
"My king, you should not squander money for those Yue women!" Wu Zixu retorted.
"Minister Wu, can I at least enjoy my life as a king by building a new palace? It has nothing to do with the Yue women. It is my own will to build a new palace for my retreat," Fuchai said.
"My king, some of our people are having a lack of food, but because of the failed harvest. And how could you have the heart to build a new palace?"
"You are talking as if I'm the one who should responsible for the failed harvest."
"I have to say that you are indeed the one who should be responsible for it. It is because Goujian sent a bad seed that could not grow. That's why we have this partial famine in our country!" Wu Zixu said in a loud voice.
"You!" Fuchai face changed as he's furious. "There's no proof that's because of Goujian!"
"My king," Yan Xuanye interrupted. "Please cease to be angry. Last year when we received grain equal to ten thousand dan*, my king had given instructions for the seeds to be planted. Our farmers sowed the Yue seed, but apparently, the seed had sterilized. That's why they produced no crop. "
* dan : measurement for grain.
"General Yan, you also there when the Yue envoys sent those grains. They were fine grains. How could you now say that the seed was sterilized? If you knew it before, then why didn't you tell us earlier?" Bo Pi said.
Yan Xuanye answered, "Bo Pi, the seed that Goujian sent to us were indeed fine grains. Only after a few months and the seed produced no crops that we started to investigate and found out what happened."
"But then how can you be so sure that the seeds that produced no crops are the seeds from Yue? Or, what if someone deliberately changed the seeds to sabotage our diplomatic relationship with Yue?" Bo Pi asked.
"May I ask, what kind of diplomatic relationship we have with Yue?" Wu Zixu angrily said. "We have subdued Yue. If only we killed Goujian at that time, there's nothing that can be called as Yue State right now!"
"Alright, alright! I don't want to hear any quarrel!" Fuchai growled. "There's no proof that Goujian sterilized the seed. We should not prolong this issue anymore!"
"I won't bring up this issue anymore. I just want to ask: when and how are you going to revenge on your father's death?" Wu Zixu asked Fuchai.
Fuchai didn't know how to answer. It was clear that the one who killed his father in the battle was Goujian.
"I remember that, Minister Wu! And I will deliver my vow one day!" Fuchai shouted and left the court audience angrily.
Fuchai insisted on building a palace for Xi Shi despite all the opposition from Wu Zixu and the other military officials. At Xi Shi's request, the palace was constructed on Mount Lingyan, which just happens to be the location of the base camp where Wu Zixu trained the Wu army.
When Wu Zixu and Yan Xuanye heard the news, they rushed to the palace to have an audience with Fuchai.
Who would have thought that Fuchai didn't even want to see them? The camp had to be moved elsewhere. This intensified Wu Zixu's ill feelings toward Fuchai and started resentment among the soldiers toward Fuchai.
The palace's location also made it more difficult for the top ministers of Wu to meet with their king.
The palace Fuchai built for Xi Shi and Zheng Dan was called Guanwa Palace - Palace For Beautiful Woman.
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484 BC - Guanwa Palace, Wu State
Xi Shi was Fuchai's beloved woman. Therefore for her birthday, Fuchai told her to host a big banquet to celebrate it. She invited all of the women in the palace, and the whole high-rank officials together with their wives. The celebration was held in the new Guanwa Palace that was made for her.
It was a big celebration. Her new silk dress was made of embroidered silk that was created by the famous artisans. The birthday celebration was a display of Fuchai's love for her.
Not all of those who were invited came to the banquet, as it's pretty far from the capital city to Guanwa Palace. Xi Shi also didn't bother with some of the palace women or high-rank officials who could not attend her birthday celebration. She only cared for one person's attendance: Wu Zixu.
Wu Zixu was a loyal minister of Wu. Not only trustworthy, but he's also competent. Among all of the high officials of Wu, he's the only one who dared to challenge Fuchai regarding Yue.
Wu Zixu didn't come to the birthday celebration. Only his adjutant, General Yan went to the birthday celebration and brought a gift for Xi Shi.
Xi Shi realized that Wu Zixu was a man of remarkable perceptiveness and that he saw through the beauty trap Goujian had set for Fuchai. She also had heard from Fan Li that Wu Zixu was a wise old man. Therefore, she could not let Wu Zixu worked for Fuchai. He's a significant threat to Yue and King Goujian.
The next day when she was in Fuchai's presence, Xi Shi played the spoiled child and ingratiated herself with him to drive a wedge between Fuchai and Wu Zixu.
"My king, Wu Zixu, really look down on me. He didn't even want to show up for my birthday," Xi Shi sulked. "Is it because I am from Yue that he looks down on me? I know…I know…my country is weak, and we're backward!" She started to cry.
"It has nothing to do with you are from Yue!" Fuchai said, and he hugged her tried to comfort her.
Xi Shi pushed him away and said, "It must be because I'm from Yue. We are all barbarian. My king, surely you also consider me as a barbarian!"
"Don't say that!" Fuchai said. "You are not a barbarian. And I don't regard Yue people as a barbarian!"
"But Wu Zixu think we are! And although he dislikes me, at least he should come yesterday and give you some face. At least you are his king!" Xi Shi said in a low voice.
Fuchai just realized that Xi Shi's word was right. Wu Zixu didn't give him a face. Not only Wu Zixu often reprimanded him, but he also despised his beloved consort.