On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Some of LI Jun's colleague and friends he know come visiting the mansion. There are fire crackers release to enhance the joy of the Lunar New Year. Children of all ages are all scream in joy and laughter. Even the adults are having a good time drinking and talking. Consort Wu is busy being a good host as well as making sure that there is enough food and drinks for everyone. Banou help out in the kitchen as she is not good with conversations in mandarin. However, in the late afternoon, a group of foreign guest have arrived at the mansion.
The foreign guest are from Persians. They are the family that Li Jun wanted Banou to get to know. Consort Wu hurry to find Banou and ask her to come out and help welcome the foreign guest. Banou upon seeing them, she smile as they are Persians like her. However they did not treat her warmly as the other non Persians. Banou decided to do as much as she can. Li Ning who see them treating Banou like an invisible person, she decided to tell consort Wu.
Consort Wu comes up to the head of the household and talk to him.
"I am invited by Prince Jun for the celebration. I bring my daughter here as she never join to see a chinese celebration. Despite born and living here for years. " He laugh. Consort Wu too laugh and ensure him that they will look after her.
"Ban Nu has just arrived..."
"She is a branded person! We don't associate with those kind of traitors!"
He put up an angry and disguised look. Consort Wu who did not know is puzzle"What do you mean? Ban Nu is ..."
"She have a branded on her arm! See for yourself!"
At that time, in the courtyard, everyone stop talking but looking at the foreign guest who is yelling. Banou feels embarrassed at it. She bow and about to leave. Li Jun come walking up with his fan. The men greet each other so did the Persian's daughter and servants.
"Ma Men, I hear your voice from far. What is the trouble? Did my consort make you uncomfortable?"
"No No Prince Ju. She is good. A good wife you have but why my voice is loud because i need someone to know her place. She is branded person. Even outside of Persian, she is not welcome to any party or society meeting. She is only fitted to be cleaning the stables!"
The daughter of Mehmet stare down at Banou with her nose in the air. Banou only can look down the ground. Aylin come running she bow to everyone and hold Banou's hand.
"Those are not welcome. They will spoilt your party!"
Li Jun laugh and open his fan to fan himself. He is getting angry at this man.
"Ah Ma Men, you must realise, you are now in great Tang and i am a prince living in this mansion. Are you telling me what to do in my household?" He smile. Mehmet realise what is on going when everyone have stop and stare at them. He realise that it won't be good for his business. He smile
"Of course not Prince Ju. I can never tell your highness what to do. Please let's go on this celebration. "
"Come here my friend. " The two men walk on and talk.
Banou and Aylin walk away towards to back yard where they live but the daughter of Mehmet follow them. She run ahead and stop them.
"You shouldn't be here. You are a branded person. Don't think you are a princess! Just because you have a beautiful face doesn't mean you can be queen here! Prince Ju is deceive by your face but not us! We all know what your husband did!" She spat at Banou's face and the consort Wu see that in a distance. Aylin started to get angry the girl quarrel in Arabic while Banou is tearing. Consort Wu come marching and stare at the foreign guest. She hug Banou and ask one of the maid to show her to the courtyard. Meanwhile Ah Mu have convert the message from consort Wu what had happen to Li Jun. He suddenly got up and fan himself.
"Ma Men, i think today you might need to see yourself and your daughter to the door. We don't have the honour to have you as a guest."
Mehmet realised that something had happen, now they are not welcome. He look outside the courtyard, his daughter stands there with her arms cross her chest and she looks upset.
"What had happen?"
"Ask your daughter. I as a Chinese, we don't raise our daughters to go against our law nor actions to shame our family. I do not know how your daughter is raised but i hope you help her in the correction of her behaviour. This is not an action of a lady."
Mehmet rush outside to ask her what she had done. They talk in Arabic and Mehmet apologise to Li Jun.
"You shouldn't apologise to me but to my Ban Nu. She did nothing to you nor your daughter. However your daughter spat at her. Truly uncouth. We are civilised people yet, she acted like she belong to some barbarian. Is your daughter throughly born in Great Tang? Did she get get education here?"
Mehmet is totally embarrassed by so many guest. In the end, he still refused to apologised to Banou and he drag his daughter home with her screaming all the way.
The evening the party is still ongoing but Banou stay in her room. She clean off all her makeup and remove her hairpins. She sit at her vanity table for awhile staring at the mirror. She remember that day she got branded, Inside the dark cell, the women and children are all crying. There is porridge on the floor but no one is eating except for a few children. She lean on the wall and look up the window. It's a small window with two bars. Outside she can see the night sky that she loved to see but that night, she is behind bars.
In the morning, the soldiers came in a yell at them to line up in two rows. Banou line up last and she hear screaming from the women in front. Her feet can't move, the solider behind poke her back to move. In dark cell, there is not much lights. She can't tell what is ahead but she smell something familiar. It's Ahmet's smell.
"Ahmet, it's me Banou!" She desperately try to catch his attention. Finally he appear in front of her. He ask his soldiers to back off for awhile.
"Please please tell father, i am here. Ask him t..."
"Banou! It was his orders to take the bride along. He said he won't spare anyone."
She stare at him, the man who promise to protect her. She cry and squard down at his feet. "Why is he so cruel to his children?!" She bawl loudly at the unfair situation that is happening.
"Take her for the branding now."
She scream as they drag her to the room where they brand traitors. Her arm is cuff down on a table. there is no where to escape.
"Lady, the more you move, the more pain you are going to suffer!"
She watch the iron rod with a stamp at the end removed from the hot charcoal pot. "Don't move Banou, it will be quick."
At that moment, the hot poker iron stamp down her arm. She scream like she never scream all her life. She immediately smell the burnt of her flesh and she fainted.
Today Banou witness the cruelty of her people. She touch the branding and cry. She did not ask for this but this is given to her. Why is the punishment given to her?