Emilian quickly cleaned up and dressed in a clean uniform before he went to the main hall to report to Yongli Luen. The woman's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she was slumped in the chair that the captain usually occupied. Emilian came and knelt on the floor before her.
"I've sent a messenger to the palace," she said, wiping her eyes, "to tell the captain the good news. Before he arrives, you better tell me everything."
Emilian bowed his head. "I can only tell you as much as I know," he said quietly, and then he began to tell her the story, starting from the point when the soldiers accosted him in the market. He spared her many of the sordid details of the work camp, knowing that she was a delicate lady.
"But Captain Yongli went to the work camp, he was told you were not there!" Luen interrupted.
