Falling Snow

Chapter 7

Only a day had passed since the death of Hua until they had their first mission. The first mission as spies.

The only comfort for the pass day for Xue had been Lian. She knew what really happened, and if it weren't for her, Xue would have gone crazy now because of the guilt that was inside of her. Only they knew the hairpin that indirectly caused the death of Hua was Xue's. That she was the one who borrowed it to her. Even though Lian kept telling her that it wasn't her fault, that it was Hua who asked for it herself. As much as Xue appreciated her effort, it didn't make her felt any better about the death of one of her follow dancers.

But like always, time was a thing they didn't have the luxury to spend. That morning, they were being called by Madam yet again. But this time, only five of them gathered around.

"You have all seen the death of your follow dancers, that is what happened if you don't be careful, or stupid enough to bring your self to be served on a platter to be butchered." Madam said without mercy. Some dancers were hiding their sobs, but others like Mei, just stood there with empty expressions.

"Now let's get to business. Master has assigned missions for you. Mei, Yu, Qin, the three of you will need to figure out how to get the the information on the builders of the new palace that the Emperor decided to build. They are kept by the New grand adviser Wong. I don't care how you do it, just get it done. Now go." Madam said to the three of them, and they immediately went off.

"You two, come with me." Madam signaled Xue and Lian to come with her, which they followed silently. Until they are outside in the court yard with a big willow tree shadowing them all.

"I know you give her the hairpin, Xue, do you really think that I wouldn't recognize it?" Madam yelled at her angrily, the voice shook Xue up like a earthquake, and she immediately fell on her knees. But before she can speak up, it was Lian who made the first sound.

"Madam, it wasn't Xue's fault. Hua asked for it, she begged Xue to give her a hairpin. " Lian stepped in front of her, and shielded her from Madam's fury.

"Quiet, Lian, I am not talking to you." Madam spatted at Lian, but Lian did not flinched. After a few second, Madam's expression seemed to be calm again, and asked Lian to stand down.

"I am not blaming you for her death Xue, I know that it is she that asked for it. But I think it is a stupid action to help other dancers. I thought you knew better, everything here is dangerous. Deal with your own business Xue, or the next time, it will be your corpses that were wrapped in linens." Madam said in a serious tone, for once, she sounded genuinely concerned. But only for a minute, then she was back to the strict and ruthless Madam from Fei Xian Ge.

"Back to what I was talking about. Xue and Lian, you two will need to get a map from the Emperor, the map of the new Palace that he plan to build. If Hua was still here, she would have the same assignment. But she is dead, so it is just you two. " Xue and Lian nodded, she felt like her stomach had been kicked at the mentioning of Hua's death.

"I don't care how you did it, but if you have some brains, you wouldn't do it like what Hua is trying to do. You have seen how it worked out."Madam drop the words and let them sank into Xue's heart. Then she walked away, leaving Xue and Lian standing by the willow tree, thinking about their actions and consequences.

[time passed a bit]

"How are we suppose to get that map, it is in the Emperor's palace, we can't exactly walk in and take it." Lian said nervously, she was trying so hard to not to raise her voice and freaked out. Xue was silently sitting with Lian and thinking hard. She needed the quietness to come up with a solution. A solution that wouldn't got them killed, there had to be a way that didn't involve one or both of them ending in the grave.