1.30 AuYueng LaiSan - The Plan

The carriage ride through the city was fairly quiet.

When we were close to home, grandma pulled out a jade medallion encircled with a thin gold layer.

"This is the family medallion," she said as she handed it to me.

I took it from her, with my finger, I traced the lines of the character that was carved into the jade, noticing how cool and smooth the carving was.

"Grandma, this really is exquisite. How old is this jade?" I asked as I handed it back to her.

She took it and very gently placed it back into the lined box. When it was secure and locked, she said with a loving tone, "It has been a very long time, the ancestral book has mentioned this even from the first ancestor. I remember the day when your grandfather presented it to me. I was so young then." She looked down at her hands and rubbed the back of her right hand.

I reached out and patted her hand, "Grandma, you are still very young. Just look how energetic you were back at Goldsmith Cheng's place. I almost mistaken you for my aunt."

With a huff and a big smile my grandma retorted, "Oh, you and your honey words." Then the smile faded, "I am okay. I was just missing your grandfather. Even though he has left for almost five years, it still feels like he is with me." She placed her hands on her chest as she reminisced.

I patted her shoulder and said, "I am sure grandfather does watch over all of us."

We sat in silence the rest of the way home.

At the front gate, the carriage came to a halt, as the horses heeded the General's commands. He quickly appeared at the door of the carriage holding out his hand, "Madam please."

"Madam again?" grandma admonished.

"Grandma, please," the General corrected himself.

Grandma smiled, and said, "Better."

I couldn't help but smile as I watched their interactions. I was amazed at how authoritative and yet a bit childish grandma was acting and at the same time, I also thought it was sweet of the General to play along.

I also got up and left the carriage. The General had just turned back as I jumped off the carriage and I almost bumped into him. There was this awkward moment when we were very close to each other, and each trying to side step to avoid each other, except we both kept stepping out on the same side and blocked each other even more. So I stopped moving after three attempts and just waited. But I guess he had the same thought, he stopped too and we were face to face again. I couldn't help but smile and I said, "I am going to the right."

He stepped to the left and gave me room to move. I walked away smiling and shaking my head.

I walked past grandma as she was instructing the servants to move the boxes from the carriage into her courtyard. There were a lot of people just walking in and out, so I told grandma that I was going back to my room first.

I glanced back just for a moment before I walked into the front door. I saw that the General was looking my way as he was talking to Grandma. I smiled, nodded and walked inside.

Inside my room.

I plopped down at the table and poured myself a cup of tea. My body was aching from the fight. I stretched my arm across the table so that I could give my shoulders a good stretch. Then I smelled it, the mixture of sulfur and sweat. "Disgusting!"

I walked back outside to ask the kitchen staff to please prepare some hot water so that I could take a bath. On my way to the kitchen, I saw a male servant that I did not recognize. I called him, hoping he could help me relay the message to the kitchen staff. He kept on walking, I called again thinking he did not hear me. I was even louder this time but he still did not stop.

He started walking even faster, as my pace quickened to catch up with him. I found that very strange, so I kept calling him and soon he was running and I was giving chase.

"What the hell? Who are you? Stop right there." I yelled out those words as I chased him down. I was getting close to grandma's courtyard and I screamed for others to help me catch the robber. I wasn't sure he was one, but I thought that would be the best way to attract others to come help me.

I was getting tired and he was getting further away, until he tripped and stumbled a bit. He dropped a couple of pieces of paper as he fell, and was fumbling to pick it all up as the wind had caught it. I thought it was my chance to get him so I picked up my pace.

I yelled as I ran, "Catch the thief. Catch the thief."

I was closing in on him, he left the papers he dropped and kept on running. He had crossed the little bridge that connected my yard to my grandma's. It was about twenty yards until he would reach grandma's room. Not knowing if grandma had already returned to her room, I yelled, " Grandma, there is a thief, lock your doors and windows. Lock your doors and windows. Grandma!"

But instead the doors opened wide. "No! Grandma, go back inside. Lock your doors." I screamed as I waved my arms frantically hoping she would understand.

A figure like a gust of wind rushed past me and before I knew it the thief was on the ground. The General had him at sword point as the thief laid flat on his stomach.

"Where did he come from?" I muttered as I huffed and puffed from the chase. I just stood where I was for a minute, leaning on the edge bridge to catch my breath. After many deep breaths later, I walked slowly over to the General, still slightly out of breath but was able to sputter out, "Thank you for catching him."

The General had already searched him by this time. He found more pieces of paper and a dagger. The guards at the manor were also arriving, the General ordered one of them to go get some rope and tie him up and gag him.

Father and my brothers had also arrived by the time soldiers had the thief restrained. After a few words of greeting, the General then had time to examine the papers and the dagger that he had taken from the thief.

"This dagger has the same symbol as the ones that attacked the Palace a few days ago," he stated as he handed over the dagger for my father to examine.

"What is this symbol though? We still have no idea what group this is," father stated.

"Correct, our investigations and interrogations these past few days have not given us any more information, " the General said.

"At least now we have one more clue," my father stated as he raised the piece of paper that the thief was trying to steal. "The Crown Prince is really intelligent, his plan had worked perfectly.

The General then chimed in, "The Prince had asked Imperial Scholar AuYeung and his family to take this risk. The plan was to lure the thief to this location. So your family pretended to heighten your security right after the attack on the Palace to pretend that what they were after, might actually be in your manor. You closed your doors and made it known to everyone in town that you were preventing outsiders from coming and going from the manor."

Father then said, "I had asked you all to limit the servants, but in actuality it was a way for me to replace those servants with armed soldiers to be placed around the family members to ensure your safety. Everyone was very co-operative and kept indoors. So I had to plan with mom for her and LaiSan to go out, so there was a chance for the enemy to try to sneak in. The General was part of the plan as well. He was invited to Goldsmith Cheng's place to meet you guys there and escort you back to the manor because we were sure that they would use the confusion of the servants coming in and out, to sneak in."

The General then continued, "Your father and I had noticed the thief had entered the manor not long after we arrived, we had him monitored the whole time as he entered the Imperial Scholar's study and then headed towards the back of the manor. We just did not expect that Miss AuYeung would bump into him and start chasing him. The guard that had followed him came to report to me right away. Thank goodness I got here in time before he hurt anyone.

I then realized I had spoiled their plan to follow the thief to their lair or their leader. I held my father's arm, and with my head down in remorse I said, "I am sorry I spoiled your plans."

He patted my head, "It is alright, at least we now confirm what they were after. We had placed fake documents for them to steal."

I looked at the paper and I did not understand it, so I asked, "So what were they after?"

"LaiSan...." my father said as he patted my hand that was still hooked around his arm.

"I understand." as I let go of his arm.

"General if you please," he showed the General the way to his study, "we have much to discuss."

The soldiers took the thief away after the General whispered some instructions. Then my father, brothers and the General disappeared behind closed doors.

Grandma and I were left alone in the garden, so I helped her back into her room. I helped her take a seat at the table and poured her a cup of tea. She seemed a little shocked so after the cup of tea, I helped her lie down for a nap and I left to return to my room.

Jo-yi was in my room and had already prepared a bath for me.

"Jo-yi, you don't have to serve me, go to your room and take a bath as well. Once you are done, then come back. You also have had a long day."

"Okay, Miss." She then left and closed the doors behind her. Again I find comfort in the warm water. My tired muscles from fighting and running relaxed from the warmth of the water.

Jo-yi came back in as I was just drying off. She entered with a medicine bottle. "What is that in your hand?" I asked.

"Old Madam, asked that I help you apply this to your face. It is pearl dust, it will help with the bruise on your face," she replied.

I got dressed in my undergarments and sat at the table with Jo-yi. She mixed a little bit with some scented oils, then plastered it on my face. It did feel cooling. So I took it from her and attempted to put some on her face as well. She pulled away, I held her arm tight and she gave in, I generally plastered some on her face as well.

After that I pulled her to the mirror, we looked and both laughed out loud, We looked like we had very poorly put on white make-up like those used by the Opera singers.

"Miss, we can only leave it on for a little while, we must take it off before dinner. I hear the General is staying for dinner tonight. I must dress you pretty." Jo-yi stated.

I sighed. I felt guilty about messing up their plan. What should I do?