Yuehwa was sitting in a pavilion in the royal gardens, enjoying a leisurely cup of tea with the queen. Ever since her brother's passing, the queen had taken ill and it wasn't until a couple of days ago that the imperial physicians declared her fit to leave her quarters once more. As they sat there watching the young crown prince frolic on the grass patch with some of his attendants, they smiled.
"He is too playful," Queen Yi'en said, watching her son jump around trying to catch some butterflies. "His teachers say that he has an intelligent mind, except he doesn't choose to use it very often. You should take him in hand, Yuehwa. Be the strict mentor that he needs in order for him to become a great king in the future."
The coronation ceremony for the young prince was to be held in a month's time, after the end of the kingdom's period of mourning. However, it would still be years before Yang-yang was old enough to lead on his own. Until then, he would have his mother and his aunt to steer this ship for him.
"He's a child," Yuehwa replied. "Let him enjoy his childhood years. Before we know it, time would have flown by and he will no longer be able to laugh as freely as he is now." She adored her young nephew, and if she had a choice she would rather not have to pass on this heavy burden to him when he grew up, but this was the fate of being born into a royal family. All she could do was to hope that she would hand over to him a kingdom in a time of peace, so that he would be able to live a long and healthy life, unlike his father.
"He looks so much like Sang, don't you think?" she added.
The secret investigation into her brother's murder was still taking place, but there were few leads to go on. As the days went by, Yuehwa was beginning to despair of ever finding out the mastermind behind the entire matter. Every day, when the sun had set, she would descend into the underground chamber where her brother's body lay in slumber, and she would tell him about everything that she had learnt in the course of that day. She would tell him about the petitions filed by the ministers, about how Yang-yang was performing in his classes, about how Yi'en still cried herself to sleep each night. And he would listen, silently, but he could no longer give her any answers.
Yi'en nodded her head, saying, "Every time I look at him I think of his father... But I'm glad that at least Sang left a part of him behind." Watching the little boy run to the edge of the pond as he chased after a white butterfly, she called out, "Yang-yang, don't go too near the water. Be careful!"
Immediately, the servants rushed forwards to hold the young prince back, just in time to stop him from slipping and falling.
Yuehwa laughed. "He'll be fine. A little fall won't hurt him. When I was younger I reckon I fell into that very same pond at least three times. Mother was so worried that I would end up killing myself one day, but here I am now, still fit as a fiddle."
"Not everyone is like you," her sister-in-law chided, though there was a tiny smile spreading across her face. "I remember when I first married your brother, I was appalled that a princess could behave as you did. You are fortunate, Yue-er. The king and queen gave you the freedom to do anything that you wanted. There are few other women who have such a luxury."
"I guess that's why I used up all my good fortune so quickly," Yuehwa joked, although they both knew that she meant part of what she was saying.
Just then, the young prince tripped over himself and went tumbling down onto the grass. His attendants immediately ran over to check on him to make sure that he wasn't hurt. After checking the boy's arms and legs, one of the senior palace maids ran over to the pavilion, hastily bowing to the queen and the princess.
"Is the prince hurt?" Yi'en asked, a worried frown appearing on her forehead.
"No, Your Majesty," the palace maid said to the queen, "but a rash has appeared on the prince's right arm. Should we summon the imperial physician?"
The queen nodded her head. "Yes, summon the physician so that he can prescribe Yang-yang's medication. It's normal for this time of year. Whenever spring arrives his skin will begin to have a mild reaction. Perhaps I should limit the time he spends outdoors during this season."
"Sang used to have the same reaction. He would always be frantically scratching his itchy skin to no end every time spring came around," Yuehwa recalled, "and I would just laugh."
Yi'en waved her hand to dismiss the palace maid, a slight cough emerging when she did so.
"You should return to your chambers to rest," Yuehwa said. "You've only just recovered and the wind can be a little chilly in the early spring." Helping the queen to her feet, they waited until the attendants had led the prince away and back to his quarters before they followed suit.
"Have you heard from Prince Minjun yet?" the queen asked as they walked.
Yuehwa shook her head. "The king of Feng has openly acknowledged him as his long-lost son, but other than that, the king hasn't yet given him any duties in the royal court. It will be difficult for him to gain a footing in the court if the king does not wish it so. He must be busy."
"I don't know the history behind what happened with the Feng royal family, but I'm glad we have none of that here. Perhaps it is a good thing that our family is small, so there is never a need for brothers, fathers and sons to fight over the crown. If the prince was willing, he could live in Hwa as your consort and after Yang-yang comes of age, the both of you could leave the palace and continue living the life that you want to lead. I expect it would be better here than over in Feng."
"I'm not sure it's his decision to make," Yuehwa replied quietly. She recalled what Sheng Yun had said back in the astrologer's vault, about Shoya's identity and who he used to be. If all of it was true then it would mean that Shoya was destined to have an extraordinary life and he couldn't leave everything behind even if he wanted to. Perhaps that was why he found his way back to the palace of Feng after all these years. Perhaps that was why the both of them had even met in the first place.
She didn't like to believe in destiny, but destiny caught up with her anyway.
#
Later that afternoon, Yuehwa sat in the king's study, her eyes staring unflinchingly at the large map of the five kingdoms that lay on the table. She was flanked by four of Hwa's highest-ranking generals, including General Han, her former teacher.
"If it is as our scouts have reported, then Gi should be attempting to invade Feng within a matter of weeks. They must be trying to expedite their campaign before we have time to react and send troops to support Feng," infantry commander Huai, a surly man with streaks of grey in his hair said.
"Are we sure that the information is accurate though? That would mean that Gi is moving its army towards the northern border of Feng, across the Jilin mountain range. They'll lose at least a third of their men to the frost before they even reach the border city of Muya," contributed Du Pingli, commander of the cavalry.
Yuehwa re-read the missive from their scouting party that had arrived earlier, and then the request for support from the king of Feng, beseeching Hwa to send men to help defend the Feng border. She looked back towards the map, at the peaks of the treacherous Jilin mountain range, once believed to be an impenetrable barrier between Feng and Gi.
Any military commander with good sense would not have chosen the northern border city of Muya as its point of entry into Feng, for the reason that Commander Du had pointed out. Yincheng, Feng's main trade stop along its eastern border, or Nanfu that bordered the kingdom of Jin further down south, would have made far easier targets.
But she knew that Baixun was no ordinary commander.
"There's no mistake. They're coming through the mountains," she declared, tapping the circular wooden piece that sat at the eastern edge of the mountain range, where scouts had reported seeing signs of Gi military.
"If that's true, then we won't be able to send any battalions to support Feng in time," General Han said with a frown, folding his arms solemnly across his chest. "It takes at least five weeks for our cavalry to reach Muya, and seven weeks for infantry. Judging from the estimated position of the Gi army, they should arrive at the border in less than a month."
Yet another reason why Baixun would have chosen Muya to make his entry. Hwa bordered Feng on the opposite side of the kingdom from the Jilin mountains, so they would need to traverse the entire width of Feng before they could reach the northern border. He was betting on Hwa not being able to send help on time—at least not before he had already conquered at least two to three of Feng's border cities.
Yuehwa turned towards the fourth person in the room, a stony-faced young man whose head was clean shaven, a reminder of who he used to be. Ru Fei had once been a monk at the ill-fated Horanjit Temple, the secluded monastery nestled among the wintry peaks of the very same mountain range that they were now discussing. Twelve years ago, the entire temple had been massacred and razed to the ground in a cruel attack, supposedly by a group of bandits who were attempting to steal relics. At the time of the tragedy, Ru Fei had been away to purchase supplies from the nearest town of Muya, and by the time he returned it was already too late. With nothing left for him back there, the fifteen-year-old left the mountains to lead a wandering life, begging for alms as he travelled aimlessly from town to town, until he met General Han and the latter took him under his wing. After that, the talented Ru Fei quickly rose through the ranks of the Hwa military, until he reached his current position as commander of Hwa's most elite and secretive unit—the Firebrands.
"Can the Firebrands reach Muya under four weeks?" Yuehwa asked, directing her question to the sullen commander.
He nodded stiffly.
Yuehwa pursed her lips together, observing how Ru Fei was intentionally avoiding her gaze. The veins lining his battle-worn hands were tense beneath his skin as his palms pressed down hard against the table top.
"I know it will be difficult for you, asking you to return to the Jilin mountains, but there is no other way. If Baixun gets past Muya then we will have a much tougher fight cut out for us. We need to bury his ambitions at Jilin." She paused. "I will come with you and personally lead the unit."
"Your Highness!" the other generals burst out in disapproval.
"You cannot do that. It is far too risky," General Han said. "Although we have agreed to an alliance with Feng, it is not necessary for us to go to such lengths for them. We can send a few battalions of cavalry and infantry to support their defence. They cannot blame us for arriving late, given the distance between our shared border and the Jilin mountains."
"General Han is right," Du Pingli concurred. "Besides, no matter how capable the Firebrands are, the entire unit only amounts to five hundred men. Gi has at least five thousand crossing the border, and that's not counting the support that will no doubt be sent from Dahai and Jin."
Yuehwa ignored their protests. Instead, she kept her attention locked upon Ru Fei, who still had yet to add a word to the discussion.
"Commander Ru," she said, her tone measured and calm, "do you agree with the other generals? Do you think that my decision is wrong, and that I should not send the Firebrands to Jilin?"
A tense moment of silence passed, and then Ru Fei looked up, finally meeting her gaze.
"No, Your Highness. The Firebrands can do it. We will go and we will keep the Gi army at bay, no matter how many men we lose. However, you should not place yourself in danger by coming with us, as the other generals have advised," Ru Fei said quietly.
Yuehwa returned his response with a smile. She shook her head. "If it were any other enemy then I would gladly leave the task upon your shoulders, but this is Baixun, and Baixun is not easily deterred. That he has chosen to cross the Jilin range should already tell you something about his resolve—and what he is willing to sacrifice in order to achieve his goals. There is no need to discourage me from this. My mind is made up. I will lead the Firebrands on this mission, and I will not lose anyone."
"But Your Highness—" Commander Du began to protest, but he was quickly silenced with a raised hand from the elderly General Han.
"We understand, Your Highness. We will prepare the necessary," the general said. He stood up and bowed, making his way to the exit. Before he stepped across the threshold, he turned his head and took one final look at Yuehwa, letting out a soft sigh of resignation.
Yuehwa knew that General Han also disagreed with her decision to go to the frontline of a battle that did not seem like Hwa's to fight, and she was grateful that he had respected her choice nonetheless.
The other generals gave their salutations and quickly moved to follow after their chief commander, but Yuehwa called out to hold Ru Fei back.
"Are there any further instructions, Your Highness?" the commander asked.
"Ru Fei, you are most familiar with the terrain of the Jilin mountains. Where do you think the Gi army is most likely to cross from?" Yuehwa asked, drawing the tip of her bamboo pointer across the entire length of the curved mountain range on the map.
The man hesitated for a moment, then he pointed at a mountain pass that was nearer the eastern edge of the range.
"Tangshan Pass?"
Ru Fei nodded. "There are easier points of crossing, but Tangshan Pass is the best bet for someone who wants to conceal an entire army. The pass is shrouded in mist almost all year round, and the dense vegetation and uneven terrain makes it difficult for open warfare. Bandits used to hide out in that area often," he explained. At the mention of the bandits, Yuehwa noticed the man's thick brows furrowing slightly.
"Thank you," she said, dismissing the young general.
After his departure, she leaned her elbows on the table top, resting her chin upon her open palms as she studied the map a little more. There were four other passes through the Jilin mountains that could be used by an invading army and two of them were easier routes to take, but Yuehwa trusted Ru Fei's judgement on this. If Baixun wanted an easy route, he would not have picked the mountains at all—but he had.
She reached out and moved a wooden piece to the Tangshan Pass.
It would be a challenging fight, but she did not intend to lose.
#
In the royal court of Feng, anxiety ran high as the officials contemplated the latest missive from the border, updating them about the impending attack from the Gi army. Sweat drenched the backs of the blue silk robes of these men, and genuine fear was written all over their faces. None of them dared lift their eyes to look at their king.
"So? Which of you will lead the army to defend the northern border?" the king of Feng demanded, his loud voice booming angrily across the hall, ricocheting off the ornate white stone pillars.
When he received no reply, the king threw the scroll bearing the bad news down his marble dais, striking the nearest official on the shoulder.
"That brazen child thinks he can just march his soldiers across my border and take my land the way he did with Jin?" he snorted, nostrils flaring in disgust. His stormy gaze swept across the hall, finally settling upon the quiet, subdued figure of Shoya standing at the left side of the dais. The king's scowl deepened.
"Minjun," he boomed, "you will lead the border defence and set off for Muya immediately. This is your chance to prove your abilities."
Shoya's eyes flicked upwards, and he nodded in acknowledgement.
He had seen this coming the moment the scout delivered the call for help from the governor of Muya and he was under no illusion about the true reason why the king was sending him there. While it was true that the king wanted to fend off the attack from Gi, he was almost certain that his father also hoped for him to be killed by Baixun in the process. Killing two birds with one stone. Hwang Qun had always been a greedy man.
"Your Majesty," the only female voice in the room rang out, and the entire hall fell respectfully silent. Sheng Yun stepped forward, looking regal and otherworldly in her white robes. "If I may—I would also like to accompany the soldiers to Muya."
Shoya frowned.
The chief astrologer had positioned herself firmly as his ally, yet there was still something about her that made him uncomfortable. Perhaps it was her frequent reminders about his supposed destiny, or the knowing look in her dark eyes that made him feel that she knew a lot more than she let on.
"That is out of the question," the king replied. "Why would you need to go to the border? You are needed here in the capital."
"I have observed a shifting in the constellation of the wolf, Your Majesty, and that does not bode well for the outcome of this battle against Gi. If we are to have any hope of victory, then I will need to conduct some rites at the border to seek the blessings from the heavens."
Shoya noticed the visible change in the king's expression when he heard what Sheng Yun had to say. She was once again invoking the mandate from the heavens, and Hwang Qun had always been superstitious to a fault. Still, he pretended to contemplate the chief astrologer's words for a while before he finally relented.
"If that is the case, then you should accompany the contingent to Muya, for the sake of our kingdom. Conduct the necessary rites and return to the capital immediately."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. May the gods shine upon Feng always," Sheng Yun said, giving a deep bow.
When she straightened her back, her gaze caught Shoya's, and there was a mysterious twinkle in her eyes.
He looked away.
Whatever the chief astrologer had up her sleeve, he wanted no part in it.
For the past few days, he had spent a lot of time thinking about what path he would take from here onwards, and about where he wanted to go. Revenge, power, destiny—he concluded that he no longer cared for any for any of that. He was not going into battle for the sake of the crown, and certainly not for the man who had failed him as a father. He wasn't even doing it for the sake of the people. After all, these people had never done anything for him.
He was doing it for Yuehwa.
"This is my home, and I will protect it my own way," she had said.
And she was his home—so he would do likewise.