Legacy

Legacy, Part Two

  Ying kept her word. She never revealed her history again, and anyone who wished to know anything about her past had to ask her company, but even they, sensing that Ying didn’t wish to share her story willingly, only made mention of general events. Ying herself avoided any mention to her past if at all possible. She grew in prowess and honour among the army, taking on the very best fighters that the army had to offer, and visiting warriors too. Many offered her a good fight, though she was able to beat all but the very best fighter in the State, Fan Jianli. Ying often ate with King Zheng, as not only had he granted her her freedom and position, but it was a pleasure for her, as she enjoyed talking with His Majesty and the other notables in the State. Her greatest pleasure, however, was visiting Sayo Ke, who lived a few hours steady ride from Qin.

  His house was set in a small town, surrounded by scooping countryside, with hills climbing into the skyline and carved with a scattering of rivers. The inhabitants of the town were mainly farmers, their land squatting within the hills, with the few essential trades flourishing as well. Sayo Ke’s house was by far the most modest of the noble’s houses that Ying knew, but she preferred it that way. The building was situated in the middle of a plot of land, surrounded by a low wooden fence, low enough for someone to see over it. The garden was neatly manicured with a large selection of trees creating a forest effect at the back of the house after the patio and flowering plants had finished. The front of the plot was mainly a path from the mud road that ran from outside the gate up to the house. On one side of the path, as it approached the house, a track ran off through the sparse trees and long grass to a collection of sturdy wooden huts. These were for the household servants and stables for the horses, and were in easy view of the cobbled courtyard just outside the entrance to the house.

  It was into this courtyard that Ying rode every time she visited, giving her horse to one of the servants. She would always stay to talk with the servants, as she still considered them her good friends. Also, she appreciated that they didn’t treat her any differently from when she was a servant amongst them. Afterwards, she would enter Sayo Ke’s two story house up the broad steps, the ground floor pillars made of stone and walls of wood, the top floor constructed entirely of wood. This was one of the few places where Ying would chose to wear traditional feminine attire rather than the trousers and short tunic of the male warriors. Upon entering the house, she would always bathe and change into one of the few long dresses that Ke kept for her in the bedroom reserved exclusively for her use. She never took any of her company with her when she went, which meant that few, if any, had ever seen her wearing anything but a warrior’s clothing.  Inside, she’d spend hours curled up in front of the fire place, whether it was lit or not, her long skirt of her ruqun*covering her bare feet, fiddling with her large, long sleeves, talking with Ke about anything and everything.

  Ying was settled in her life, but when King Zheng of Qin announced that the State of Qin was waging war against the State of Zhao, she was ready for action. The King had been warring with the neighbouring states for many years, but this was the last one to be engaged and would make all the states fatally submissive to King Zheng. And so, all the available warriors were needed. The Kings decision was announced at a meeting of key nobles who provided many troops, and key military leaders, including Ying herself and Wang Jian, one of the greatest military leaders of all time. All the nobles honoured the King for his decision, knowing that they may gain land if the campaign was successful. Yet, Ying felt something like a small pebble plummet inside her. But she forced herself to ignore it; that was the warrior’s way. She summoned herself and joined the planning with enthusiasm and wit. Envoys were sent immediately between the two States, but soon the inevitable stalemate occurred. Zhao grew bold; having built several fortresses that Qin couldn’t penetrate, they felt relatively safe. Qin grew restless and annoyed, unable to launch successful attacks on their enemy. But Ying was satisfied with that. She knew that Qin would win.