The Vigilante

04 | Reunion

XINGLING & LI-NA. CAPITAL OF JHINREA.

It was while buying some vegetables that Li-na caught a glimpsed of her. She was dressed as a man and had shortened her hair, but Li-na was certain. The person staring at her was Xingling, her sister.

10 YEARS AGO.

"BOO!"

"Ah! Ling-er you scared me! Why are you dressed like that? Where did you get that mask?"

A seven-year old Xingling took off her mask and look inquiringly at the nine-year old Li-na who had just came into the house.

"What? Something on my face?" Li-na asked as she reached for her face.

"You knew it was me." Xingling stated.

Li-na smiled and bent down to Xingling's level. "Of course I knew it was you. You're my sister, if I didn't recognize you, who would?"

"I've been doing this all afternoon and no one has recognized me yet, not even dad or nanny."

Li-na began stroking Xingling's head, "Father and nanny were probably just surprised. Now where did you get that mask?"

PRESENT.

Seeing her sister for the first time in over a year, a wave of happiness took over Li-na. She dropped her basket and ran towards Xingling.

"LING-ER!" She embraced her only sister tightly. "Oh how I've missed you! Are you alright? Ryuu said you were dead, what happened?"

"I'm fine sis, but this is not the place to talk." Xingling voiced out.

Noticing the curious looks from the crowd, Li-na understood at once. "Come, we'll go to my house. Ryuu is visiting at the palace so we'll have the place to ourselves." With that, the Peng sisters headed for the Jin mansion.

* * * * *

GUO JIAN. THE IMPERIALPALACE.

Guo Jian was sitting in a lavishly decorated room, one of the many in the palace. He flipped impatiently through a book entitled 'The Art of War' until finally he closed the book with a sigh. His companion, Shen Hao, was away for at least a week on an errand, and the other boys his age were all either too afraid to approach him or were constantly flattering him. Shen Hao was not like them at all. Though at first, Shen Hao seemed to hold a grudge against him, they had become good friends. Maybe it was because they had saved each other's lives. Maybe it was because they knew what loneliness was. Whatever the reason, they'd become almost inseparable.

Wishing Shen Hao was back, Guo Jian got up and took a walk. As people passed him by, they bowed and greeted the Crown Prince. Though it had been a year ago since his coronation, it still felt strange to be called the Crown Prince of Jhinrea. The trials he had to go through and his encounter with the emperor remained fresh in his mind.

A YEAR AGO.

Guo Jian sat in front of his father, the emperor Guo Ziyi. Though aged, the first emperor of Jhinrea was still an intimidating man.

"So you've managed to be a candidate Guo Jian."

"Yes father."

"You must've felt frustrated, having to go through that whole process instead of just inheriting the title as was in the past."

"No father, I understand the need for it. The empire must be ruled by the best, anyone less or inferior will only cause the kingdom to fall apart as in previous dynasties."

"Hmm," the emperor paused to sip his tea all the while examining the determination in Guo Jian's eyes.

"Do you remember why I named you Guo Jian?"

"Yes. It meant to build a country."

"Are you willing to do that?" He suddenly gave Guo Jian a piercing stare.

Startled, Guo Jian couldn't help but stutter, "Y-yes."

"Is that so? Why?"

Guo Jian grew silent, then he gazed into Guo Ziyi's eyes. Speaking solemnly he said, "Although Jhinrea seems prosperous, there is still poverty. Though it seems a just nation, it is still corrupt. Though we have grown in borders, we lack in unity. Yes, Jhinrea has great military power, but we are never at peace. You have conquered and built this empire, now I want to build it into country of peace. It may sound naïve but it is not unachievable."

Guo Ziyi smiled softly, "That is naive indeed, Crown Prince Guo Jian."

"Huh?" said a confused Guo Jian.

"I said Crown Prince Guo Jian."

"You mean–"

"Yes."

One word was all it took. One word made him the heir to the most powerful country in the world.

* * * * *

SUN-HI. CITY OF LUOYANG.

"NO!"

A young girl stormed into a room followed by the petite body of an older woman.

"Sun-hi ah, you have to."

"NO! I don't have to! I don't want to!"

"ENOUGH!" Thundered a voice from outside. It came from a tall and serious man who strode into the room. "Yuhboh, stop begging her! You will marry him! For your family! For your country!"

With that said, both man and woman exited the room which slowly began to fill with sounds of sobbing.

Omma, abeoji, why do you have to do this to me? Why do I have to marry someone I don't even love?

Sun-hi lay trembling with frustration on her bed. After a few moments in silence, she sprung up and thought out loud.

"No! I cannot let them marry me off! I must run away! Yes, that's it! But, where do I go? Chung-ho oppa! I've been wanting to look for him, I can do so now. I'll find him and explain to him. Yes, I'll do that, I'll go tonight!"

* * * * *

CHUNG-HO. CAPITAL OF JHINREA.

Chung-ho sat alone in his room enjoying the silence and sipping his tea occasionally. Their meeting had just ended and the others had gone out to ensure that their equipment was in good order.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

The doors opened and the innkeeper came in.

"Sir, a man asked me to deliver this to you." He handed Chung-ho a letter.

"Thank you. You may leave now." He tossed the innkeeper a couple of bronze coins.

Left alone, Chung-ho opened the letter and read it.

Change of plans. Stay where you are.

Grinning as he burned the letter over a candle, he said to himself, "Looks like Xingling will be getting her wish."

* * * * *

Endnotes:

Luoyang: A city east of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Today, Luoyang makes up Western Henan.

Yuhboh: husband/wife (Korean)

Omma: Mom (Korean)

Abeoji: Dad (Korean)

Oppa: Older Brother (Korean)