It felt like a dream, as if I was in a room where there was a struggle. I could hear exchange of swords and screams between two people as they battled each other.
My eyes were still close and when I opened them, there was no one. I was all alone inside that big room but the fighting wasn't a dream but it was happening outside. I quickly got up to watch outside and there were two men fighting on the streets.
One of them was very skilled in martial arts while the other looked like he was still in training, and he was killed when the other man slit his throat with the sword. Then it was silence, three armed soldiers picked up the deceased man and off they rode away.
"It's by his Majesty's rule, no one is to step inside Tang'on without stating who they are first. There are rebels hiding outside the city and they have declared war!" Said the one who just won.
"War?" I gasped and my eyes widened with shock. "General Chun"
I stormed out of the room and raced to Lee's. His room was downstairs and I took the stairs but just when I was about to knock on his room I heard a voice and footsteps entering inside the inn. "Young man" Called out the man and I slowly turned over.
When I looked at him, he was the one who had just killed the man who he was battling outside. I tried not to tremble at his sight or be frightened by it.
"Hello" I said.
"Are you the assistant here?"
"Aah.... No!"
The man came towards me and I stood tall with confidence looking at him. He inspected me as if trying to find something and then he said "Where are you from? I know you are new..."
"Zhoungan"
"Zhoungan? That's South?"
"Yes" I replied but still he wasn't satisfied with my answer.
I could tell a suspicious soldier from a mile away and he wasn't going to let it go. As he circled around I slowly drew my sword which was on my back and just then he drew his and we battled.
I had never fought a real battle with a person before. All my life I trained with my father and the warriors but it was all for games and never a serious tournament with a skilled martial arts soldier and let me tell you it can kick your adrenaline to the roof.
I swung the sword and held it tightly with every clash we had I stood firmly. But he was stronger than me, his clashes were strong and from time to time as we battled I fought to protect myself but not to attack.
He was determined to kill me that he made sure of with his helluva lot of kicks and tricks. As I swung my sword he finally kicked it back and I dropped it.
But I ran from him and he chased me all upstairs to my room, I had to escape his clashes by bending down and pulling chairs and tables to him just to slow his momentum. He didn't stop however, nor slowed down as he went hard on me.
I knew I needed help before he killed me knowing well I had lost my sword and I couldn't find another one. One of the assistant at the inn saw us fighting and he ran away like a coward. Just when I need Lee, he was right upstairs with his own sword challenging the man.
"You are spies sent by the rebels to disgrace his Majesty" shouted the man holding his sword as he faced both of us.
"Guessed right! What are you going to do anyways?" Lee said to him and laughed.
That made him even more angrier and attacked but it was a trick by Lee and the man fell for it. There was a rope Lee had placed it between his legs and he dropped to the ground hard. We didn't kill him but I made sure to hit him on his head and he fainted.
"Princess, what were you doing here alone?" Lee asked me.
"I was in my room but I wanted to come to you"
"To me?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Because I saw him killing a man" I said pointing at the fainted man in front of us.
"He killed a man? Why would he kill him?"
"He and others kill anyone who looks like new. They think they are the rebels"
"Well let's see what he's got" said Lee and grabbed the man by his robe to his room and we locked the door.
We searched him through out and found with him a golden fish, a small golden fish with I didn't know what it meant at that time. So I asked Lee "What is it?" and he didn't reply but he kept looking and then we came through a sigil.
This sigil was different from the one I saw on General Chun or the other soldiers and this was given strictly to the people on the palace. Perhaps those who were very close to Qianlong Emperor and we took it plus the golden fish.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
"I'm going to put this sigil on my robe and take this golden fish. Then I'm getting inside the palace"
"Lee! What about me?"
"You stay Mingzhu it's dangerous"
"I can take care of myself. Haven't I proven that already, I fought him all by myself"
"Mingzhu I know you are good with the sword. But this I must do... I promise I will be back with any news"
He tried to hold me but I jerked back and stormed out. He followed me while calling my name "Mingzhu... Mingzhu...." but I didn't stop and when I reached the door to my room I opened it and closed it behind him. He begged for me to open it but I didn't, I was angry at him for still treating me like a little girl.
I was nothing of a little girl for all I knew I was an heir to a throne. Both thrones of Xinjiang and of Tong'an and if I wasn't going to do anything then I wouldn't have either one. So I opened the window to my room and jumped off the top and somehow I landed with my own two feet. I covered my head with the hat and made my way through the streets unnoticed.
"Mingzhu, okay Mingzhu I'm coming in" said Lee and he barged inside after kicking the door hard but he didn't find me. He panicked after seeing the window opened and that's when he took off outside to look for me.
I saw him coming outside of the inn panicking and looking both ways but it was at night and there wasn't much for him to see. He took a detour and turned left where he ran calling out my name and asking people who he bumped with on the way.
However I had my own free will of where to go, I didn't want to be separated from him but I knew this was the only way he'd learn his lesson and let me enjoy my own freedom without feeling like I'm being chocked by his constant care of me and worry. So I went on the right side and walked slowly, I had nothing to worry or fear since no one knew I was a woman yet alone the rightful heir to the throne.
As I walked memories of that place flooded my head and I started to remember everything that happened. I remembered walking through the same street but with servants behind me guiding my every move, and also the tournament which took place just beside a small field which was a few distance from where I was. Yae Lin participated in it and hence I felt like I also participated.
There were soldiers coming my way and they looked like trouble. So I bounced back and hid at the back of the door but then I walked inside and closed it. I didn't even read the banner on top of the house only to find it was a brothel and there was a whole party inside with women who were naked and dancing. My eyes widened in shock before I felt a smooth hand caressing my back and then a woman appeared in front of me.
She was a whore who was bare with not even a piece of cloth which covered her. She took my hands and placed them on her nipples "You feel it...?" She asked me but I quickly removed my hands and remained quiet with my head down. I was shy and I didn't know what do men do when they visit brothels, if I were to put an act I had to fit it. The whore placed her hands around my shoulders trying to seduce me.
The soldiers barged inside but after seeing the view of naked women with men on the couches and upstairs, they just bowed and left. "Interesting... His majesty approves of this?" I asked the whore with excitement of knowing more about ways of living of Tong'an people.