Love Lost Through Time

THIRTY-SIX

The prank had gone wrong as Baijiu storm out of the place without telling them where he'd gone. The sun was hardly out when there was a knock on the door, waking Xiaoxin up from bed. The first thing she thought of was Baijiu, maybe he had come back. She wanted to apologize to him on behalf of her brothers and herself for acting foolish in a critical time. By the time she was able to wrap her robe around her, the door had already crept open. Unsure if it was Baijiu or a robbery, she took her sword with her. Secretly and quietly, she snuck to the front door but to her surprise it was neither a robbery or Baijiu, it was Zhecheng.

"Zhecheng, what are you doing?" Xiaoxin ask but behind Zhecheng, Zheyuan slowly showed himself. Xiaoxin couldn't believe her eyes. She was sure that they both had fallen asleep before she had but how where they both coming in now.

"What-" and then she remember. They had a bad habit of sneaking out in the middle of the night to fight in the ring. She first hiss at them then hit them in the top of their heads. "You know how much mother hates you two doing this."

"I said i knew where a warrior was, one that worked at the palace." Zhecheng said. "Well, i found out he wasn't just any warrior. He was the general."

Xiaoxins eyes widen as she gasp. Behind Zhecheng and Zheyuan was an older men, maybe 50 year old, long white hair colored his head as he wore a straw hat. To Xiaoxin, he looked like he was someone she knew, someone she almost recognized.

"Elder, please."Zheyuan said as he lead the way. Xiaoxin stood by the door, looking, trying to remember but it wasn't clicking. The elder had already made his way into their house, found a seat to sit then slowly set his bag onto the table top. His pale blue eyes reflected the only light source they had in the house.

"Elder. Can you tell me about the palace life?" Zhecheng said.

"Only if you'd listen."

"Of course." Zhecheng replied.

"I was known for my military strategies and my fighting skills. It wasn't until i was 25 that i was recruited by General Ma Xiao Ying. In no time I became known as the blind solider."

The blind solider? Xiaoxin was almost sure she knew him. The blind general! It click in her head, she finally remember who he was.

"General?" Xiaoxin silently called to him. She took a few light steps towards him and the General slowly got up out of his seat.

"These steps." The general said in a low, husky voice. His head tilt toward the sound of Xiaoxin's light steps. His face showed signs of doubt but at the same time he wanted to believe.

"Princess." He said uncertainly.

"General. You made it out." Xiaoxin said in a happy yet she was shock. "How did you make it out?" Xiaoxin question as she rushed to the blind solider's side. The General fell on his knees as he lower his head.

"Princess. You're alive. I knew you had to be alive. Princess, how did you make it out?" The General ask.

"Get up." Xiaoxin said as she help him up, off his knee and onto the chair.

"Princess." He called to her but he couldn't look at her. "Princess, I failed to protect you."

"General, here, i am not a princess. I am just Xiaoxin, an ordinary girl who grew up on a hill."

"You cannot disown you're own blood princess."

"I'm not but now i have to reclaim my palace. In order to do that,  i need people who will support me. I need an army." Xiaoxin said as she looks over to Zhecheng and Zheyuan.

"I..."The general stop in his saying before changing subject. "Zhecheng and Zheyuan...How do you know these scoundrel?"

"They are my brothers."

"Brothers?" the general said in disbelief. The general turn to the two of them and thanked them for taking such good care of the princess before turning back to the princess.

"Can you ask them to leave, this is information only you can hear." The general did not understand the fact that they were the real brothers.

"General, they are my brothers."

"Yes, i am aware." He still insist they leave.

"General, do you remember Consort Li?" Xiaoxin asked.

"Yes, the consort before your Consort Liyu."

"These are Consort Li's son. Zhecheng and Zheyuan. King Zhelan's eldest sons."

The general looks down to his foot as he thought of it and then turn to Zhecheng and Zheyuan.

"There were rumors going on that you two had died due to the witches invasion, that they had toss your bodies in the abyss. I had sent men to find you two, to bring you two back whether it was just a body." He said in a angry voice. "i was so incompetent, i couldn't even find you two. I deserve to die."

"General." Xiaoxin called out. But he jerk his head towards Xiaoxin.

"Princess...are you holding a sword?"

"I am."

"A princess of this nation, holding a sword...it really shows the incompetent."

"Don't say that. I chose to do this. Now tell me, where can i get these people?"

"When the witches were in a frantic to find you who escaped, they all left their guard down and whoever we could get, we escape. We're not located far from the palace, when the witches realize that we had escape, they sent out...it was something. Anything that is touch by it, dies. Behind the gates of the southern gates, there should be a large blossom tree. From there, you should be able to see a big, big tree in the distance. If you go there, you'll be able to see a small pond. On the other side of the pond is a small cave, but don't let it fool you. You have to wait for a crescent moon, that's the only time the door will open up."

The siblings had left for that designated spot, with a letter from the blind general, their present should be welcome.