Awaken

"You brats, put your chopsticks down and wait for your sister!"

"But dad, Ling'er is taking so long!" said Jing Cheng

"Yes, and we're starving after your torturous training Father," said Jing Zheng.

"Hmph, I'm the one who should be starving. I had to yell at you two the whole time and make sure you two didn't run away!"

"We wouldn't run away if you would occasionally give us a break. All we ever do is train or study."

"Now, now. Your Father wants the best for you two. So you shouldn't say that Cheng'er, and I'm sure Ling'er will be here any moment... Look she's here."

Lady Jing Ying smiled at Jing Ling who was entering the dining room.

"Ling'er what took you so long! Zheng and I are about to starve to death!"

"Sorry Elder Brothers. Yun woke me up later than usual. You should've eaten without me."

"Cheng and I tried to but Father scolded us."

"Hehe, well I'm here now. Let's eat."

Jing Ling sits next to her mother and the servants bring out their breakfast. However, as they were happily eating and talking to each other, darkness swallows everything around Jing Ling and becomes pitch black.

"Father? Mother? Elder Brothers? Yun?"

Jing Ling runs around and searching for them but there was only darkness.

"Where are you guys? Please come back!"

Jing Ling bolts up in her bed.

"Hsssss. Why is my body in so much pain?"

She realizes she has faint cuts all over her body that has only begun to form scabs. While other places like her arm are wrapped in bandages.

Bits and pieces of memories flashes in Jing Ling's mind.

"That's right, I was fighting those assassins and I was saved by that mysterious man... I wonder who he is? Wait, more importantly, where am I?"

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"It's time," thought Doctor Su as he grabs his basket of freshly picked herbs and heads back to check on Jing Ling. For the last two months, he has formed the habit of picking herbs to treat Jing Ling from the garden before heading back to check on her. However, when Doctor Su enters the room today, she isn't there!

"Oh... OH... OH NO! WHERE IS SHE?"

"What is it, Doctor Su? Why are you shouting?" a servant asked.

"She's not here... have you seen Miss Jing?"

"Miss. Jing? Who is that?"

"The girl who's supposed to be recovering in this room."

"Oh. I haven't seen anyone enter or leave this room for a few hours now."

Doctor Su quickly searched the entire medical ward but Jing Ling was nowhere to be seen. Without any other option, Doctor Su prepared himself for punishment as he ran to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty! General! Miss.... Miss. Jing! She's missing!"

"Clang"

The porcelain teacup in General Jing's hands falls to the floor and breaks.

"What? How can Miss Jing suddenly disappear?"

"I don't know. I went to check on her a few minutes ago but she wasn't in her room. I tried to search for her but she wasn't anywhere in the medical wards."

"Don't tell me someone has kidnapped her?"

"Wait, General! Where are you going? Don't be rash."

"I am going to look for her."

"I will have everyone in the palace look for her. You should stay here and wait. All guards and servants are to stop whatever they are doing and search for Miss. Jing this instant! "

However, General Jing didn't listen and was rushing out of the study when he heard a soft voice in front of him.

"Oh, there you are your Majesty."

"MISS. JING! YOU'RE SAFE" cried Doctor Su. "Oh, thank the heavens. If anything happened to you my head would have gone flying."

Emperor also gave a sigh of relief but glared at Doctor Su for his remark against him.

"Hmph, if you really see Zhen as someone like that then I shall grant you your wish."

"No, No, No. I didn't mean what I just said, please forgive me, your Majesty. It just slipped out of my mouth."

As the two men were having fun on their own on the side, General Jing never moved his eyes from the girl he saw before him. Ever since he came back from to Zhu City, he has never stepped out of the palace and spent every waking moment watching over his family. Day after day he has prayed to the heavens to no avail but today his cries have been heard!

"Ling'er..."

General Jing couldn't help his voice and body from quivering. He has become a bundle of emotions threatening to spill out at any second. A last, he couldn't hold it in anymore and smothered Jing Ling in a bear hug.

"I... I am so grateful that you are awake now."

"Who are you old man? Do I know you?"

Though the way Jing Ling addressed him, made him down, General Jing understood where she was coming from. She has never met him before and he has never been present in her life for the last 12 years of her life.

"I am... I am your Grandfather."

"Grandfather? But... I thought you're supposed to be defending our border."

"That's ..."

The sight of his family lying in the medical ward flashed in General Jing's mind and her squeezed Jing Ling even tighter.

"Hssss. Wait. Old man, let go of me! My wounds hurt and I can't breathe."

"Where have you been Miss. Jing? You shouldn't be moving around so much. Look at how pale you are."

"I'm fine. Why are you here old man?"

"Please call me Grandfather."

Jing Ling hesitated but nodded.

General Jing released his granddaughter and she turned to the Emperor.

"I came to ask you, your majesty, why am I here? What happened after I fainted?"

Everyone in the room had a solemn expression on their face.

~Silence~

"Everyone is dismissed."

Doctor Su and all the servants left the room.

"What is going on?! For this old... my Grandfather to be here instead of the defending the border, something big must have happened. He never came back even once no matter how many times father asked him to."

"Miss. Jing, do you remember what happened the night you were attacked?"

"Yes, I remember everything that happened up until I fainted."

"I see. After you fainted, Chun Rong and his men saved you and brought you here after you fainted so you could be treated."

"Chun Rong? Why does that name sound so familiar?" thought Jing Ling, but before she could remember, the Emperor interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss. Jing... Did you notice anything strange in particular that night?"

"No, not really. I... I just thought it was weird that father hadn't woken up or noticed the assassins."

"Mhm, well, I don't know how I should say this but ever since that night, everyone who was in the Jing Estate has been poisoned and hasn't woken up since."

"You mean my family, Yun, everyone?! EVERYONE HASN'T WOKEN UP?!" Jing Ling's voice increased with every word until she was shouting.

"Miss. Jing, I understand you're angry but please calm down."

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BE CALM? EVERYONE! ALL OF MY LOVED ONES, THEY"RE... They're all dying! Why... why did this happen?" sobbed Jing Ling.

"Ling'er... I... I'm sorry Grandfather wasn't there to protect you, your brothers, and your parents."

General Jing's words didn't even register in Jing Ling's mind as she remembered what the assassin told her.

"...You know who the assassins are don't you, your Majesty."

"I'm not sure what you mean by that Miss. Jing."

"Stop pretending. The men who attacked told me these exact words: Poor girl. That useless Emperor of yours hasn't told you anything about us? If you don't know who the assassins are, who will?!"

"You're not ready."

"Heh, not ready? I guess they were right. You really are a useless Emperor."

"Ling'er! How can you be so rude? The Zuzhou aren't simple, they are..."

"This discussion is finished. You are to never speak about this again.

"Never speak about this again? I want to know why was I attacked. Why my family is now in such a state, and why are you taking his side Grandfather? Is this how little the Jing family means to you? You would rather side with this...this liar than me?"

"Miss. Jing, even if I had told you about them, what could you have done? You were only 10 years old."

"Over the last two years, I have visited you numerous times. During any one of those visits, you had to chance to let me know but yet you haven't. If I had known, I wouldn't have revealed myself... I should've listened to Father and should have never entered that competition."

"Enough! Miss. Jing, I will make sure your family will all recover back into perfect health but you are not allowed ever ask or even speak about the Zuzhou again."

Emperor Huan left the room, leaving the two alone.

"Ling'er I was not taking his side, but the Zuzhou are not easy to deal with. They can easily wipe out the Song Empire, let alone a little girl like you. So please, forget about them for now."

"...I'm going to see my family. You don't need to come with me."