Chapter 13

The next day arrived, Boran was getting ready to head out to Luo City as promised. He was spotted on his horse in the front of his family’s Manor.

“Piao-Ge!” Lushi rushes out through the door, still dressed as a young man.

“W-What?” He gasped upon seeing her, “You’re not thinking about leaving the Manor with me?” He noticed her throwing her bags into the carriage behind him.

“I’ am!” She said and walks back to him as she wipes her hands together. “I’ve decided that I will be leaving with you!” She gave the biggest smile ever.

Boran gave a weak frown and blinks a few times before saying anything “No you’re not.” He pulls the reign on his horse as he shook his head side to side. “You’re staying here.”

“NO!” She pouts and crosses her arms on her chest, “I’ve already made up my mind, I’m leaving with you to Luo City. Besides, Madam Yu already agreed on me leaving with you so I can take care of you.”

“You… How did you even know that I’m heading there?” He looked confused for a moment.

“Duh, I overheard you talking to Madam Yu last night.”

Lushi turns to the side and walks over to a brown horse that was prepared ahead of time already for her travels with him. Boran peeks over to Madam Yu at the front entrance of the manor, who had secretly gotten everything ready for her, and frowns with a sigh.

“I think taking her with you is a good idea.” Madam Yu said and walks over as she lays her hands on her stomach.

She was much older than them both; she is the madam servant who served the Dong family for over 40 years.

“She can look after you, and be of use somehow… Besides, locking her up all the time won’t do her any good. You can both can use this time to bond a little…” She hinted at him to take her along.

First off, Lushi was a trouble maker, leaving her behind will only be a bother to Madam Yu and the Dong Manor. Second, Lushi is the girl Boran is to marry in the future, he must bond with her as their parents wish.

Boran knew what she was hinting and smiles as he looks away, “…Hao,” He only agreed to the trouble maker part as he gallops a few steps forward, “Then I will allow her to join me,” He couldn’t escape the fate that he held with her.

“Let’s go!” Lushi smiles brightly.

“Smile less,” Boran sneered poorly at her.

“What?” She flinched her eyes.

“You’re too ugly when you smile like that.” He and laughs a little. “A young man shouldn’t smile like a girl,”

“You!” She points her small fingers at him with a pout. “Shut up!”

“Hao le, hurry back as soon as possible.” Madam Yu broke their argument up.

“Hao, we’ll be back in a week,” Boran replies back to her and begins galloping off slowly.

“See you in a week Madam Yu!” Lushi waves as she follows behind Boran.

Chan Manor;

Weiting was rushing his way out his resident but was soon stopped by Feiyang at the door steps that same morning.

“Weiting,” She smiled with an alluring sparkle as she walks up the steps to the entrance of the Chan Manor. Her personal Maid stood at her left side, holding onto her left hand for support up the hallow steps.

“Princess Feiyang?” He stopped, looking absent minded as he saw her so suddenly.

Lu Geng stood behind him and looked confused seeing her there as well. It’s been a while since they all have seen one another. Silence and coldness filled the atmosphere like the wind.

“… Where are you going?” Feiyang asked as she approaches him completely. “You look like you were rushing out somewhere?” She noticed his heavy footsteps earlier.

“No,” He lied and tied his hands behind his back. “… What brings you here princess?”

“It’s nothing much,” She blushed with a smile, “It’s been a while since I paid you a visit, I heard that you came back home 6 months ago, but I never had the chance to come visit you. So, I took today off and came here…”

Weiting didn’t say a word.

“And., I wanted to talk to you about the royal decree the Emperor had given to us.” She hinted about their marriage.

“Oh,” Weiting looks away, almost forgetting about that matter.

She noticed it hard for him to stare into her eyes and smiled the best she could in front of him.

“Do you need to go right now? If you’re busy, I can always come find you another day.”

“Yes, I’m kind of busy today.” He cleared his throat quickly, “Me and Lu Geng has to go to the Chan Army Base Camp for training.” He lied.

“I see, hao, I will come find you another day.” She said and moved to the side for Weiting to take his leave.

Weiting didn’t say a word and allows himself to go down the steps a few and stops, “… Return back to the palace, I will try to find time to pay you a visit later.” He told her.

“Hao,” She nods in agreement and watched as he hops onto his horse with Lu Geng on another horse behind him.

“Chiya~!” Weiting shouts and gallops off on his horse.

Feiyang felt like he was hiding something from her. She removes the smile on her face and places a dark frown in its place. She rolls her hands onto her stomach and grins her teeth tightly.

“Wei-Er,” She calls her maid.

“Yes,”

“Deliver my message to Pang,”

“Yes.” Her maid walks over and Feiyang whispers into her ears, “Yes, I will have Pang do that right away.”

“… Let’s head back to the palace now.” She sighs.

“Y-Yes,” Her maids bow her head and lead the way back to Feiyang’s carriage.

Xi Village;

Weiting and Lu Geng came upon an old and dark colored sign that read upside down, ‘Xi Village’.  They stop their horses and hops off, walking themselves over to the broken wooden gates. Weiting corrected the sign as he rolls it up back in place.

“Are you sure this is it?” Weiting asked Lu Geng as he roams his eyes around the area.

“Yes,” Lu Geng nods as he holds onto his horse’s reign. “I’ve looked into it, this is Xi Village.”

The path way into the village was dark, cold and dirty. Weiting enters through the broken gates first and was then followed by Lu Geng. There was rotten fruits tree on every block, with old houses in every space in between. There was a communal well for washing clothes stationed in the middle of the village that was almost dried out. There were broken items such as wooden buckets and shovels lying all over the place.

As they walked in deeper, they came towards an area for threshing grain that seemed to be empty and destroyed. Weiting noticed a small field of muddy dirt to the left, there was nothing growing out of it. They didn’t see anyone walking outside. It was like a dead village.

“How can anyone live here?” Lu Geng stated as he saw the surroundings. “It’s like a pig sty.”

It was muddy in some spots, and dried in some areas. Broken items were rolled onto the ground while dead animals were seen lying around that died from hunger or illness, perhaps another reason. Weiting stops to look at a dead cat at the side; reaching out his right hand down to it while Lu Geng blocked his nose with his fingers as he walks pass them as well.

“Be careful,” He gasped suddenly and Weiting stops. “These animals might carry viruses. Don’t touch them!”

Weiting pulls his hand back to his side and bit his teeth tightly. He felt bad for the animals, “Why is Xi Village like this? What happened here?” He looks around again with a withering look.

“I’m not sure, but let’s go forward a bit more.”

Weiting nods, “Hao,” They both walks a bit further into the village.

As they were approaching a house in the middle of the village, they stop. They heard a loud crash and a woman crying for help.

“Go!” Weiting said and they both entered the house quickly.

“Let me go!” A woman’s voice cried as she push and shoves.

“Don’t move!” An aggressive male’s voice choked her by the neck as he was seen trying to her.

She bites his left hand and he slaps her, “You stupid !” He cursed at her with dirt on his face.

He hits her a few more times and she faints on and off. He then quickly removes her top cotton robe and reveals her undergarments, rubbing her neck with his chapped dirty lips.

Weiting and Lu Geng both came up the narrow steps of the old home and found a large male on top of the young woman on the ground. Weiting made a disgusted face and hops up a few steps flying over first, knocking the man off the woman.

“Ugh!” The man aggressively gasped as he rubs his jaws. Weiting had kicked him in the jaw. “Who the are you!?” He asked as he laid there in pain. “Mind your own business fool!”

Weiting tighten his fist at his sides and made a sour face to the man on the ground without speaking a word back. He set his eyes on the man to make sure that he didn’t move an inch. Lu Geng had fled over to the young man who was seen going in and out from her faintness.

“Cui Feng!?” He noticed her right away. “Cui Feng.” He rolls her into his arms.

“Help me,” She cried, not being able to recognize who had just saved her. “Please, help me,” Her voice cracked so bad.

Lu Geng looks up to Weiting’s back, “Young Master, it’s Cui Feng.”

Weiting’s fist gotten really red and he was ready to murder the man who had just tried to Cui Feng. The man on the ground had deep fear in his eyes after seeing Weiting’s deathly hallow eyes.

“I… Let me go!” He begged, “I won’t do it again!” he cried.

“Young Master,” Lu Geng said in haste, “We need to get her out of here! We need to see if she’s hurt anywhere else.”

After a few moments, the man who tried to Cui Feng was seen hanging upside down by the feet, on a wooden and tall pole just outside the old house. He was screaming for help as Weiting and Lu Geng rode off on their horses with Cui Feng in Lu Geng’s arms.

Chan Manor;

Cui Feng was lying on a warm nice bed, changed into a white cotton sleep gown in one of the guest’s room. A young maid was standing behind royal physician, Ke Chi, who was seen trying to heal her inside the room. Meanwhile, Lu Geng stood near the doors, waiting for Ke Chi to finish up the examination.

Weiting was seen walking over at the same moment, after changing his clothes. “… How is she?” He asked Lu Geng and stops in front of the opened doors.

“I don’t know, Ke Chi hasn’t come out yet.” Lu Geng replied as he made a soft and worried expression.

A few more moments and Ke Chi walks out the room carefully.

“How is she?” Lu Geng stops him and Weiting stares.

Ke Chi shakes his head side to side and whispers to him quietly for a few minutes.

“What!?” Lu Geng gasped and turns to Weiting.

“What’s the matter?” Weiting looked confused from his sudden surprise.

“If this was to go on any longer, she could have died. It’s a good thing you two saved her in time… Hao le, I’ll head out to make the medicine, in the meantime, please let her rest.” Ke Chi explained and walks away.

“… How dare they!?” Lu Geng slammed his right hand onto his left hand with a little bit of anger built in. “We should have killed that bastard!”

“… What happened?” Weiting asked again.

Weiting enters the guest room after being told what happened to her. He approaches her bed and the maid bows in greetings to him. He excused her out the room and stood over Cui Feng’s body, frowning with anger as well.

‘Ke Chi said…’ Lu Geng’s voice echoed into his head. ‘She was most likely numerous times when she was staying in Xi Village… Her body is weak, torn and ripped to pieces. It’s going to be hard healing the internal wounds…’

Weiting felt a gush of guilt and insulting remarks overcoming his mind. Anger and a tense to kill shook his body up. He stayed as calm as he could for a few more seconds and turns to walk out the doors; only finding himself stopped by her voice.

“W-Who… Are you?” She was half awake.

Weiting peeks over his right shoulders and she got a glimpse of him.

“General Chan?” She was stunned to see him. “Is it you?” She cried tears.

“It’s me,” He his voice confirmed it for her as he walks back to her bed. “… Don’t talk, rest.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes, never did she thought she’d get to see him again, “It’s you… It’s really you!” Her voice cracked.

“Hao le, get some more rest first. We’ll save the greetings when you feel better.” He said and turns to leave the room.

She watched as he disappeared from her sight and cried herself to sleep. For the next few days he had a maid serve Cui Feng until she was able to get on her own two feet again.

“General Chan,” She greeted him as soon as she enters in the main living halls of the Chan Manor. She bows completely onto the ground.

“At ease,” He excused her and leans frontwards a little.

Cui Feng raises herself from the ground with a sorrow look.

“How is your body? Are you still in any pain?” He asked her first thing.

“No, I’m feeling much better now. Thank you so much for saving!” She showed her gratitude, still not believing that he was the one who saved her.

“That’s good,” He nods, “Sit,” He said pointing to the chair to his left.

“S-Sit?” She gasped and looks at the chair. She wasn’t used to the sudden change of events yet.

“Yes, sit,” Lu Geng walks into the room with a bright smile. “I even brought some tea and snacks for you to try.” He added in and places the tray on the small table to the side of the chair.

Cui Feng stared at them both back and forth without saying a word.

“What? Are you really going to stand there all day?” Lu Geng softly.

Weiting smirked to the side, “Yes, you’re my guest, take a seat please.” He gave her permission to take a seat.

Cui Feng nods slowly and allows her body to move towards the chair and sit down. “… Can I ask you a question?” She asked, shyly.

“Ask ahead,” Weiting leaned over towards his right on his arm rest.

“… How did you know where to find me?” Her eyes looked weak and doleful.

Lu Geng was standing at Weiting’s right side, “Ke Chi told us.”

“Ke Chi? Royal physician Ke Chi?”

“Yes,” Lu Geng nods.

“How did he find out where I was?” She looked confused.

Lu Geng stood in silence, “I didn’t ask him that… So, I’m not too sure how he found out.”

Just then Ke Chi walks into the room as well, “I have my ways,” He said with smiles.

“Ke Chi,” Cui Feng stands to greet him.

“Eh, at ease. I’m not someone important, you don’t have to bow to me,” He said and Cui Feng takes her seat again.

“You look confused?” Weiting saw it on her face. “Why?”

Cui Feng frowns softly, “I’m confused… Because… I was secretly taken to Xi Village a few years ago.”

“Do you know Why?” Weiting glared. “Do you know who did it?” His eye brows brooded a bit.

“No,” She gently shakes her head and looks to the ground with embarrassment.

“And that brings the conversation back to your question on how I figured where you were!” Ke Chi interrupts them.

They all looks at him with blank expressions.

“Aiya,” Ke Chi took a seat on the right and sighs, “It was easy…” He pokes his finger up, “I noticed a slightly changed in the royal maids list.”

“Royal maids list?” Lu Geng repeated with a thought. “You mean the Emperor’s royal maid list?”

It was a list of female maid’s name who is to serve the Emperor.

“Yes… Cui Feng’s name was previously written on there after princess Taiyang’s death, but Cui Feng disappeared like air and the Emperor never really gave it a thought because someone tampered his mind.”

“What do you mean?” Weiting asked.

“Whoever kidnapped Cui Feng told the Emperor that Cui Feng committed Suicide. So, the Emperor never looked into it…”

“Okay, and how did you figure out where she was?” Lu Geng crossed his arms on his chest.

“One word: Xi…”

“Xi?” Cui Feng tilts her head to the side. “I don’t understand.”

“After realizing that your name was written down on the royal maid list, and hearing that your committed suicide, I didn’t believe it. Especially after promising Taiyang that you will live on even after her death… So, I asked around… I had a cousin who worked in Xi Village before the sudden flood that happened a year ago,”

“A flood? How come I didn’t hear about it?” Weiting got emotional for a second.

"No wonder the village looked so destoryed..." Lu Geng whispered.

“You were stationed in the south, of course you didn’t hear about it.” Ke Chi replied back to him and turns back to Cui Feng, “But… If I guessed right, Cui Feng was kidnapped 4 years ago and brought to Xi Village.”

“Yes, I’ve stayed there for about 4 years.”

“My cousin was working there at the time before the flood, she told me that you were there. When she was transferred back home here, she begged me to go and bring you back as well… She told me that you have helped her a lot!”

“Your cousin told you?”

“Yes.”

“… What was her name?”

“Liu Tong.”

“Liu Tong Jie?” She knew the name, “Where is she now? Did she get better?”

“Don’t worry. She received help for her illness and is doing good now. She even gotten married last year.” He gave her the good news.

“That’s good.” Cui Feng smiles a little.

“Eh, but if you knew where Cui Feng was, why didn’t you go and save her?” Lu Geng frowned, “You knew where she was but didn’t save her! Did you know how much hardship she went through?!?” He got mad.

Ke Chi chuckles, “Of course I did… I went there but I was denied bringing her back without the higher up’s order. She is a maid, I’m only a physician, I don’t have the authority to do a lot…” He explained himself. “… In fact, I wanted to write Weiting a letter to have him help me on this matter, but…”

“But what?” Weiting glared at him.

“But you were in war… Are you really going to leave your post to save a maid?”

An icy cold sensation filled the room for a moment. Weiting felt embarrass, not being able to answer Ke Chi’s question. He knew he wasn’t in position to leave his battle post for a maid.

Cui Feng stared at them back and forth and then smiles a little, “Hao le, I’m still alive aren’t I?” She broke the silence. “It’s okay. I took care of myself until now.”

“Yes,” Lu Geng whispered. “That’s all that matters.”

Weiting cleared his throat and pinched his fingers together, “Hao le,”

Cui Feng stares at him.

“Do you have any ideas on who kidnapped you?” He asked again.

“No,”

“… I do,” Ke Chi interrupted them again.

Weiting and Cui Feng looks over with similar etched expressions.

“You?” They both gasped softly.