Song Mengyao found it difficult to get to sleep. No matter how hard he tried to put his mind to rest, he simply could not quell the thoughts in his head.
Was Jiaying safe? Would she really arrive at dawn?
Mostly, he was just worried about her, but there was the odd straying thought about something else that crossed his mind every now and then. Things he had not expected to be thinking about. Notably, thoughts about how Master Yin so kindly scooped all of those distasteful radishes into his own bowl. He had saved the prince from having to eat something he disliked and even replaced it with some delicious meat instead.
Yin Jianguo wasn't so bad, as the prince had come to realise. In truth, he had never had much thought of the man before. He did not dislike him, but neither was he particularly fond of him. He was his captor and could not be trusted. That was all he needed to know, or so he had initially thought.
It still did not mean he had begun to like him, but he had grown to somewhat respect the man. He was true to his word and despite everything, he seemed good at heart. His personality, however, was difficult to pin down. A part of him seemed suited to a life in power as the head of his sect. Yet it was clear he did not care much for the required formalities that came from such a title. He was a man who clearly wanted to enjoy life as he pleased but the responsibilities that weighed down on him seemed to prevent him from doing so.
As dawn approached, Song Mengyao combed through his soft hair, wishing to look his best so as not to worry his sister. He was being kept in the best conditions and treated with proper respect, as if he truly were a guest in Qingyi. There was no need for her to worry and after their meeting to confirm such, it would be likely that his father would wish for a meeting with both Master Yin and his mother to discuss the terms of his son's release.
Although there was no war between their sects, it seemed it would be imminent without intervention. Song Mengyao only wished he had not been at the centre of such intervention.
It had begun before the late Master Yin passed, leaving his title to his only son. Yin Jianguo was not the official head of his sect, not yet. He and his mother had been running things since the passing of his father, but no official decision of the direction of the sect had been made. He was still young, after all. Still not fully realised in the ways of leadership.
Along the borders between Qingyi and Shiyanyi, smaller villages had been attacking one another. It was baffling, to Master Yin, as to why they were going out of their way to travel so far simply to fight one another. It was also impossible to tell who had started the argument between the two which is why Emperor Song had done nothing to prevent it. He wished to look into it, to investigate before taking action as he believed his people would not act without cause.
The Yin Clan, however, believed the same thing about their own Kingdom, which is where the disagreement between each sect first arose.
Taking the Magnolia Prince of Shiyanyi hostage was simply a way to push the emperor into taking action with his kingdom. It was not his followers that were the problem, it was the villages under his rule. It was not a conflict between their sects but rather the territory that they occupied.
Shiyanyi and Qingyi were on the brink of war with each other. Master Yin wanted to prevent that as much as Emperor Song, yet the emperor had refused every offer for a meeting and had not once sent so much as a reply back to Qingyi. In taking the youngest son of the Song Clan hostage, he ensured that a halt would be put on any advances they were planning and that the emperor would have no choice but to accept a meeting with them. It was his mother's plan, of course, but he was the one tasked in carrying it out.
Song Mengyao finished combing through his hair and pulled half of it up into a topknot, delicately placing his crown over the top before looking at himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes and, although they were slight, his pale skin only made them stand out more than they should have. He sighed and prodded at one of the bags with his finger.
As a knock rumbled against his bedroom door, he turned away from the mirror and called out, "Come in."
As he had expected, Master Yin was at the door. He smiled and came into the room, handing the prince his sword. "You will not need it, I hope. But we cannot have you walking around Huainyi without it."
Song Mengyao nodded and took the sword from his hands.
"Rěn, why give it such a name?"
The prince pulled the blade half out of its sheath, glancing at the shiny metal as he explained, "It means to endure. If you take the characters apart, the top half means blade and the bottom means heart. I named it so because I wish to be able to cut down my enemies with it but also strengthen my heart for any hardships to come."
As the prince pushed his sword back into the sheath Master Yin chuckled, "I did not take you for someone so wise, I suppose I underestimated you. With a name such as the Magnolia Prince, I clearly assumed you were only good for your looks. Yet you continue to prove me wrong."
Song Mengyao stood from where he was sitting, now standing almost face-to-face with Master Yin. Although, he did not once make eye contact with the man before heading for the door.
He stopped, palm resting ready to push his way outside, and glanced back over his shoulder. "We have a meeting to get to."
One corner of Master Yin's mouth raised into a smirk. He had once again managed to amuse himself by teasing the prince. Although, he had never truly underestimated him because of that. Perhaps he had due to his age, although in truth that wasn't much different from his own.
***
"Jiaying!" the prince called out the moment he spotted his sister.
The young girl jumped up from her seat, almost knocking the table over as she ran into her brother's arms.
"Brother," she buried her head into his shoulder for a moment as his fingers pressed gently against her delicate hair, "I missed you."
Master Yin cleared his throat and, with sorrow, the two of them parted. The princess returned to her seat, her composure returning as she allowed them to properly enter the room.
The entire top floor of the tea house had been emptied out for their meeting. The tables had been rearranged so that one remained in the middle with four seats and the rest sat to the side for the Yin guards and Song disciples. At the middle table sat Song Jiaying and someone else Song Mengyao was happy to see.
"Gege."
The prince was relieved to see his elder brother. Not that he didn't trust their disciples to escort his sister back to Shiyanyi safely after their meeting, but he was put at ease somewhat to know that his brother would be with her too.
"Your brother?" Master Yin questioned, noting the glare he was receiving from the young man as he sat down beside Song Mengyao.
"Yes. Gege, this is Master Yin. Master Yin, this is my elder brother, Chonglin," the younger prince introduced, hoping to lighten the air somewhat.
He really didn't want to worry them. The meeting was as much for him to assure them that he was alright as it was for him to see his beloved sister again.
"A pleasure to meet you. Although, I cannot say I've heard much about you. As for you, my Lady, I have heard plenty about you," Master Yin flattered, to which the princess smiled.
She was not happy to meet the man who had kept her brother from her for so long, but she had to keep up appearances. If Master Yin was going to be polite, then she would indeed recuperate. She did not know his true nature yet so despite everything it would have been improper of her to judge a book by its cover.
"Thank you for taking care of our brother. He looks well. May I ask, when will he be able to return home?"
Song Chonglin glanced over to his younger sister with softened eyes. He knew that she would be disappointed with the answer that was to come, even if she too was expecting it. That softness in his eyes didn't last for long, as he was soon back to glaring at Master Yin again.
"I want to come home too," Song Mengyao unexpectedly spoke before Master Yin was allowed a chance to and reached across the table to take his sister's hands in his own, "But you know I cannot return. Not yet, not until father agrees to a meeting with Master Yin."
He smiled, although it was far from a happy one. He had never intended to seem as though he was on Yin Jianguo's side, but he knew all too well that he would be prevented from going home until there was a meeting between the head of the Yin Clan and the head of his own.
"Father will not agree to it. He will not come to Qingyi," Song Chonglin commented, piercing eyes only leaving Master Yin for a moment to address his brother.
"No, he will not come to Qingyi. My mother and I will travel to Shiyanyi, provided he allows it. Your beloved brother will accompany us and, once we have discussed things, he will remain with you."
Yin Jianguo had a plan. He knew that Emperor Song would not decline him if they were to come to his home. They would be in his kingdom; the terms would be entirely up to him. It was also a risky move but one which showed they were willing to put their trust in the hospitality of the Song Clan.
Song Chonglin released a deep chuckle, "What's to say we will not kill you and your mother the moment you set foot in Shiyanyi?"
It was a valid point and certainly a possibility. They had kept Song Mengyao captive for quite some time and, as far as Emperor Song knew, it was the Yin Clan to blame for the attacks against the smaller villages of Shiyanyi. However, Master Yin had faith that the wise Emperor would at least hear what they had to say before murdering them where they stood.
Yin Jianguo glanced over at the young prince, who was still holding his sister's hands reassuringly. He also believed that Song Mengyao would not allow his father to kill them, as he had spent some time with them and surely must have known by now that they had no ill intentions towards Shiyanyi.
"I would rather take that chance than risk a meaningless and preventable war between our sects."
The second prince of Shiyanyi hummed in agreement, seemingly holding some respect for the words Master Yin spoke. Although he was young and arrogant, he was a leader. After the death of his father, he had been pushed into responsibility for all of Qingyi. It was a lot to have been put onto a young man's shoulders.
Perhaps, Song Chonglin thought, maybe Master Yin was truly trying to do the best for his people. To prevent a war with a sect they did not wish to fight.
***
Song Mengyao had wished to see his siblings for a while longer, but he knew as well as they did that their meeting would be short. They had all travelled so far to spend but a day in Huainyi before beginning their journey home.
"We should hear word from your father only days after we return. I am certain he won't refuse my offer."
The prince hummed and placed his stone onto the board, glancing out of the window to watch the trees pass by as the carriage rolled along. Another game of Go in the back of a carriage, although this time it was not the game that had dampened his mood.
It was getting dark, and they were a few men down as some of the horses required more rest before travelling again. Master Yin told them to bring the best horses in the stable, perhaps he should have looked into that himself rather than sending his servants to pick them out for him.
"I would also quite like to see Shiyanyi. I hear it is beautiful there this time of year. Lots of blooming magnolias and blossom trees. They say it is as beautiful as the youngest prince himself."
The two men met eyes for a brief moment as Song Mengyao turned his head back to Master Yin, who was unaware if the prince had been listening to him or not. Before either could speak, however, the carriage shook and came to a startling halt. Song Mengyao flung forwards into Yin Jianguo, who caught him in his arms before the carriage stilled.
Master Yin cleared his throat and allowed the prince a moment to get up before calling out to his guards, "What happened?"
The only reply he received was a hollow silence.
Master Yin placed a finger to his lips, signalling for the prince to be quiet as he reached for his sword and made his way to the back of the carriage. Everything was a blur after he pushed the door open. A strong force pulled him from the prince's side, throwing him to the ground. His sword landed out of reach, just barely an arm's length away.
Song Mengyao too drew his sword but, before he had time to properly react, he too was yanked forward and out of the carriage, leaving his sword behind.
He landed on the ground with a huff, opening his eyes to feel the cold steel of a blade against his neck.
Reaching for his sword, Master Yin stretched his arm as far as it would go until he finally reunited the hilt with his hand. Before he could lift it, however, a crushing weight came crashing down onto his wrist before that heavy boot kicked the sword away.
The Yin guards were dead, the horses too. The road was dark, foliage blocking their vision. It was not a surprise that they had been ambushed by bandits. Bandits who were already ransacking the carriage for any valuables.
The young prince struggled against the hands holding him down, determined to get back to his feet so that he could fight back against their attackers. His efforts were in vain and, unfortunately, only earnt him a kick to the head. The last thing he heard was Master Yin calling out his name accompanied by the feeling of a slight trickle of blood running from his forehead.
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