Princess YuanMing

Safety

YanPing stood there, watching the fire that was burning down the building once again. He was there on that day. He had so many things to tell her. He remembered the night before that he sent the pigeon to her room.

"Did it not reach her?" thought the young man. He waited for so long, but she never appeared. The alcohol he had warmed for her grew cold. He took a sip before an armed guard came to meet him. He kneeled and reported to him, "General we are all ready."

"It's not time yet. Wait for one more hour."

"The sun is-"

"Do you want to disobey my command?" asked YanPing at the armed guard.

"No sir. We will continue to wait," replied the man as he left him alone.

YanPing remembered the day they met. They came on the same day to become Master Li's disciples. Since she was the one who stepped into the courtyard first, the master made her the elder disciple and him, the young one since he was just one step late.

They argued everyday, learned martial arts together and fought each other. Covered in bruises, they would be scolded by the master. They were punished together, carrying buckets of water from the river back to the well, chop firewood or cleaning the house together. They cried, laughed, and shared everything together.

The days continued, spring to winter, year to year until she told him one day, "I am going back home," said the girl when the moon was hanging in the sky above their heads.

"Did the master already given you the permission?"

"He did. He had too. My father is sick. I need to go to him."

"Will you be coming back?"

"No," she told him resolutely. He was confused by the determination in her voice.

She continued, "I will be helping my father."

"You are such a filial daughter," stated YanPing. He never knew that the girl she was always together was the princess and assumed that she was just going back to manage her family business.

"What are you going to do?" asked YuanMing.

"You are the one who is stupid. With all the skills you learned, you should put it into good use. Do something useful for once."

"I never like to do anything. Lazing here and drinking is the best," said the man as he took a sip of wine from the bottle that he had stolen from the master's room. "Isn't it better? To be away from problems."

"You are just running away," said YuanMing while YanPing remained quiet.

They both stared at the moon above.

"Stay safe," said YanPing as he handed her a wooden comb with a single pearl.

She took it in her hands and replied, "Of course."

Next day, YuanMing left with a smile on her face and YanPing too left soon after. He bade farewell to Master Li and headed in the opposite direction from YuanMing. He went to Xia Kingdom to greet his father, the emperor of Xia Kingdom. He was the second prince of the kingdom. The empress hated him and had tried to kill him several times which was the reason that his mother sent him away to the enemy country to avoid any further danger that was threatening his life. She used all the money and power that she had from her marital family to keep him safe until she exhausted herself.

Wearing white, he went back home to see his mother one last time.

The palace was full of schemes and plotting.