After getting the news that Qianlong had made an alliance with the Bear Dynasty, general Chun didn't waste no time and he launched an attack. And to make things worse, I was still inside the palace when I awoke from that distant dream. The only memory I had was feeling dizziness and blacked out.
Yush Xi was still inside the house, she was scared looking outside as the soldiers matched to war. I was naked - didn't know what happened and clearly I wasn't in the position to ask so I took the man clothes which were on top of the bed and put them on in a hurry.
Yush Xi was alarmed and she turned her back to me. "You've awaken?" she asked.
"What do you mean awaken, did you put me to sleep?"
"I had to let her out, Yae Lin. I'm sure by now you are aware that she's exciting inside your body"
I tried to act normal although every nerve inside my body and brain was on rampage. After I finished putting on my shoes and a scarf which covered my face. I took out the sword and placed it inside my sword pocket which was on my waist. I stormed out of the house but Yush Xi stopped me.
"Mingzhu" she said.
I grabbed my attention to her "You know my name?" I asked, confused and a bit amazed by that woman's curiosity as I didn't know who she was at that time.
"The daughter of King Qiao and her majesty Queen Yanlin of the cold lands, from Xinjiang Empire. I know you very well Mingzhu"
"H... How?"
"After you come back from the war, if and only if you still draw breath. I shall be here to tell you everything"
"Tell me right now!" I demanded pointing my sword at her but the noise and screams outside, of both soldiers and citizens distracted us.
I was torn between knowing the truth of my own body and whoever was living in it too, I was angry but also I felt pity for Yush Xi. I felt something, like a connection to her. The same connection she had with Yae Lin.
"You won't hurt me, she has taken a great part of you right now. Don't fight her Mingzhu, let her come out" she said and went back to making her medicines.
I barged outside and the first person I saw was the crown prince, prince Dao. He came racing to me "Where were you Jang Li?"
"I...I" I tried to find words but still remained speechless.
"The rebels have finally declared a war on the royal court. We are going to fight them, come on..." he said, excited and laughing as if war was just a picnic to him.
"We shouldn't be late then, Your Highness"
"Wait, wait Jang Li" he said blocking my way. Then he drew his sword "Remember you swore to be my savior and bodyguard.?"
"Yes I did Your Highness"
"Do you know what that means?" he asked. I was already pissed off by his annoying questions and I just sighed and asked "What does it mean?"
"It means you protect me, at all costs. I shan't die on your protection or else... My father will kill you"
I stood thinking how coward was he to even involve his father into our business which practically I didn't even sign up for it. I may have, but I was under the influence and I acted impulsively commiting myself to a stupid boyish prince. "I will protect you, Your Highness" I said and he was so excited and pulled me to where his army was waiting for him.
"Qianlong Emperor men!" He called out and the men responded and remained quiet. Ready to listen to their prince. He continued "This man right here is my bodyguard and savior, his name is Jang Li. He will ride close by me as we take out the enemy"
The men gave him a round of applause, they shouted "Long live Crown Prince. Long live Crown Prince" while raising their swords to him and I could feel how happy he was by the attention that he was getting.
As we stepped out of the castle on horsebacks I realized they were just few men only compared to what Qianlong had. Later Dao told me we would meet others at the battle field as another army was already present and led by generals. It was night and dark, close to midnight and none of the people of Tong'an were sleeping and even the curfew was lifted.
The war took place just outside Tong'an gates, Qianlong didn't even allow the rebels to step inside the city and I saluted his plans because also if I were a ruler then that's what exactly I would do. My father always told me that never let an enemy inside your city gates, that's where you'll fail. If you want to fight your enemy you fight him far away from home because if you decide to retreat you can always go back and collect more men.
That's what exactly Qianlong did when the rebels came, first of all he wasn't nowhere near the battlefield. Secondly he had his whole army safe and secured at his unknown location, the army he sent to war was his son's army and his trusted general's which in total surpassed over fifty thousands men loyal to him. While on the other side, the rebel side which were fighting for Yae Lin's throne had no more than ten thousands.
When we reached the battlefield which was dry, cold and in the middle of a deserted land, we waited for the rebel to show up as we carried out lanterns, Dao and I didn't but most of the soldiers carried lanterns as it was too dark to rely only on the light from the stars. There was no way for General Chun and his men to pass through to the city because Prince Dao had blocked every entrance to Tong'an. I started to remember the words of the seer who predicted that this war the rebels would lose.
I wished I had time to warm them, to warn my friends Lee and Shu Yu who knew very well the consequences of the war and I hoped they didn't come along for it was going to be a massacre. But th rebels still showed up, in numbers screaming and hovering their horses to run faster towards us. I tried to hide my face so I wouldn't be noticed because sure I would have been announced as a traitor to my own people although I had no choice but to join the prince in the front row.
We waited until they arrived and made a halt at almost five hundred metres away from us, then general Chun came forward while being assisted by his other two generals. He was on a horseback and full armed as was every soldier in his army.
"Young prince!" He said loudly. "Are you ready to die?"
Dao looked at me - and then he looked at his generals and they all laughed. It was a joke to them and I could tell that angered General Chun even more because he instantly drew his sword. "You this this is a joke?" he said.
Then he continued "I fight for my King, I fight for his late majesty who was slaughtered by your coward father who couldn't even fight him when he was awake. He had to kill him when he was sleeping. Qianlong is no different from a woman"
That angered Dao, I could see his jaws pinching "What did you call my father?" he asked drawing his sword. That's when I knew it was going to happen, what I was scared of was really just seconds away.
I wished for general Chun to say another word or simply apologize so we could all go back to our warm beds but he added fuel to the kerosene when he replied "You are also a woman, come fight me if you are man enough" and that's all it took for Dao to hush his horse towards the general like a mad man.
I called out for him to turn back but he didn't. He shouted "Attack!" and the whole army behind us somehow found their morale to fight and started throwing arrows towards the rebels. I knew I had to move or else I was going to get knocked out by men in horses racing like crazy. General Chun had already returned back to the army and the soldiers shielded him from the angry Prince who wanted to kill him.
That was the first time I saw the horrors of war, it was a first-hand experience for me. I was once told tales of war by my grandfather and how he fought the enemies but he never told me about men dying in agony and in lots. I had to kill that night - even though I didn't want to. Those were my men, or Yae Lin's men but Yae Lin was me so they were basically my army and only if General Chun had listened then they would've been alive.