Chapter 9

In the midst of the battle against the vicious Hans, Jiahao and Xuefeng were wounded severely. Their supplies have diminished as the Hans have purposely blocked the roads. They were trapped inside their own camp and the soldiers were slowly dying from either hunger or from their wounds.

"Your Highness, what should we do? The soldiers are starving," Xuefeng asked as a medic carefully bandaged a sword wound on his back.

Jiahao already knows the situation and has been thinking of a solution.

"Order someone to scout the forest. If there is no enemy found, send more soldiers to hunt for food. That's the only way I could think of... for now," Jiahao said as he clutched his sword.

They took a huge blow from a surprise attack. They miscalculated the Hans and have underestimated the leader.

"Xuefeng, you should go and ask for reinforcements. We cannot send any of our soldiers as they aren't adept with excellent surviving and sword skills. I trust you to do your best," Jiahao said as he saw Xuefeng was already strong enough to travel.

He was worried about his old friend, but he couldn't just stand and let his soldiers die. Xuefeng was the best candidate to go since he could handle a group of Hans single-handedly and has a higher chance of getting the job done.

Xuefeng knelt in front of the prince and bowed to him.

"I will return quickly, Your Highness. I won't fail your trust," Xuefeng said as he left for his tent to prepare for his solo journey back to the Empire.

The war has been tiring for his body and his mind and decided to have a walk in the forest near the camp.

"I'll be fine. I'll return immediately after," he said as he waved off the soldiers who tried to follow him. He knew they were only worried about him as he was the only light that was remaining in their cavalry.

A lot of things has been going on in his mind: the competition for the throne, the war against Hans and his soldier's well-being.

"I only need to get things off my mind, Eunuch. I will be back," he said as he mounted his horse with his sword on his right hand. "Tell the soldiers to take turns in guarding and scouting the camps."

The eunuch quickly nodded.

After setting off towards the quiet forest, his mind and body started to relax. As he went deeper inside the forest, a calming presence surrounded him. It was as if the trees were comforting him and the warmth from the forest itself was familiar.

Deeper into the forest he goes, he arrived in a small paradise-like place where a quiet waterfall was falling carelessly and flowers and grasses grew without a care in the world. It was beautiful and it was the most beautiful place that his eyes have ever set.

He unmounted from his horse and tied it to a tree. He walked towards the small lake that the waterfall had created and drank a scoopful of water. As the cold water ran down his throat, he thought it was the most refreshing drink he had ever drunk.

He laid down on the grass and stared at the blue sky. He thought it was weird how calming that place was as a bloody and deadly war was going on outside the very forest he was in.

After a while, he slowly dozed off into dreamland.

...

While the war against the Hans was being fought, the First Wife of the Wen Family has also been struggling against the second lady Fang.

Fang was frenzied from the news that she was to wed a prince and become the Crown Princess of the Empire. Her dream was finally becoming true. After being abandoned by her very own father after Yue disappeared, she finally gains the attention of not only her father but of the noble families in the entire Empire.

But her very own mother and Lady Ping have been struggling in teaching her the ways of the Imperial Palace. She was stubborn and was full of herself.

"I don't need to learn any of that! I will be the future Mother of this Empire!" she yelled as she was forced to learn the proper way of walking as the Empress.

Her very own mother was running out of patience and regretted every moment of her life that she raised Fang as a spoiled brat.

"You must learn to walk slowly, elegantly and gently. As the future mother of the Empire, you are to show your subjects that you walk with dignity and passion for the people," Lady Ping explained.

"NO! WHY SHOULD I?" Fang yelled again.

This time, her mother ran out of patience and a loud slap was heard from the room.

"You ungrateful daughter. You should be thankful that you're other sisters aren't of age yet. They are even better than you. And as your mother, it is my duty to secure your future. The next time you will complain again, I will slap your other cheek again," Lady Qing said after slapping her own daughter.

Lady Fang was surprised at what her mother did and remained silent. Lady Ping who realized what happened quickly sent Lady Fang to her room to repent from what she did. It was the first time she saw Lady Qing lose her patience on Fang.

"Let us be patient with her. As the saying goes, 'It doesn't matter how slowly we go as long as we don't stop'. Fang only needs a little more time, Lady Qing. Therefore, we shouldn't compare Fang and Yue as they are both different and are on both opposite poles," Lady Ping said before she left.

Lady Ping's words left a lot of realization for the 2nd wife of the Wen Family. She realized that she has been comparing Yue and Fang all this time and that was the reason why she lost her temper on Fang earlier.

She knew Lady Ping was right because it was true that Yueliang and Fang are both the opposite of each other.