"The Letter"

As I strolled into the front yard of the spacious mansion, I saw Dai Fu approaching with a letter in his hands. His brow was furrowed with concern, and his pace quickened as he neared me.

"Your Excellency," he began, bowing respectfully, "your butler is ashamed to disrupt your morning. Lady Zhao has summoned you to her mansion."

"L-L-Lady Zhao? Ah, yes, of course!" I stammered, trying to mask my confusion with a confident nod. I had no idea who this 'Lady Zhao' was, but her name carried a certain mystery that intrigued me.

As I pondered about this intrigue, the garden around the mansion seemed to hold its breath as if it would be anticipating my next move. Despite the confusion swirling in my mind, I decided to go with the flow of events. 

I tucked the letter into the sleeve of my robe and glanced at Dai Fu, who watched me expectantly. "Prepare a carriage," Seeing him expecting my orders, I instructed him, hoping to convey authority despite my uncertainty-z "We shall leave at once."

As Dai Fu hurried off, I gathered my thoughts, contemplating the situation. This Lady Zhao must be someone significant, I speculated. After all, who else could summon a prince with such authority? This very idea both intrigued and unsettled me then.

Soon, I was in a carriage with Dai Fu having his hands on the reins. It was one of his duties as a steward, after all. Here, I should mention that I had never been in a horse-drawn carriage ever, so it was my first time experiencing a ride like this. Because of this, I was nearly toppled over and caught off guard by the sudden jolt of the wheels as Dai fu loosened the reins of the carriage horses. Fortunately, Dai Fu was too focused on steering the horses to notice this embarrassing moment of mine.

The wooden wheels creaked softly as we rolled along the cobblestone path, the rhythmic clatter punctuating the silence between us. The carriage interior was quite comfortable, but it moved faster than I had expected. The gentle rocking of the carriage added with its brisk pace had made me acutely aware of my unfamiliarity with this archaic mode of travel.

Despite the relentless jerks and jolts of the carriage, I managed to press my face close to the window. Through the curtains, I caught a glimpse of the tranquil lake beside the road, its surface shimmering in the soft light of dawn. The lovely, dawn-tinted forest gradually receded from view, its towering trees tinged with hues of pink and gold. Soon, as the landscape slipped away, it seemed to take with it the forest's calmness and redolent scent, leaving behind only the rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the road.

With nothing to occupy me but the screeching of wheels, I decided to break the silence with Dai Fu, who had been remarkably quiet all this while.

"Dai Fu?" I said, gently stroking his back to get his attention.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" he replied, his voice attentive.

"How much longer until we reach Lady Zhao?" I asked.

"About half an hour at this pace. Would you like me to speed up?"

"No, there's no need. I'm not in a hurry," I reassured him, settling back into my seat.

"Are you sure Your Excellency?"

I was taken aback by this sudden inquiry. "Why shouldn't I be sure?", I asked awkwardly, with a hint of unease in my voice.

Dai Fu, seeming slightly annoyed, slowed the carriage a bit. "Well, sir, I think you have again forgotten about what you did yesterday," he replied, his tone such carefully measured.

As he asked me this, Panic again tried to force its way into my chest as I tried to maintain a composed expression. Having found myself in this unfamiliar world suddenly, what happened yesterday here was a complete mystery to me. I had no idea about what he was saying and had no understanding of who Lady Zhao might be.

"What have I done yesterday? Am I in trouble?" I muttered under my breath, my voice barely audible.

"Eh, Remind me," I said, feigning casual curiosity while my mind scoured through every speculation of the situation it could have made in that minute.

"Yesterday, you caused a good amount of ruckus in the Lotus Pavillion," he said, glancing at me with a mix of disbelief and concern. "You picked up a fight with Zhao's soldiers drawing considerable attention. You injured eleven of them and nearly had them on your sword's end. How can you forget this, Your Excellency?"

My mind reeled at the information. 'I fought with that many soldiers?'

I looked down at my arms, seeing the faint bruises and cuts that I hadn't noticed before. They were there, evidence of the deeds done in the past. I nodded slowly, pretending to piece together the puzzle without revealing my lack of knowledge. Whoever these soldiers were, they must have had significant backing. My actions must have created quite a stir.

Seeing me silent, and seeming unmindful of what he was saying, Dai Fu continued, "Lady Zhao's influence runs deep in these parts. She's not someone to cross lightly. People are already talking, wondering what provoked you to such actions."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of anxiety inside me. "And what do they say? About me?" I asked, hoping to gather more context.

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Some say you're an arrogant young man, Young Master...", He took a moment to observe my face, as if he was trying to read my expressions. He continued- "...They say you are trying to sign your death warrant by messing up with the Prime minister's wife. While some say you're trying to get the attention of the Emperor. Only a few know what's true and what's not. It's hard for me to say which side the wind will blow. But I think you know what you're doing, Are'nt you?"

"Ah, yes, of course," I said, trying to project confidence, as I realised my silence was getting denser every next moment. So I tried to speak some words breaking the silence, "Look, I did what I thought was right..."

Dai Fu studied me intently, his eyes searching for any sign of doubt. "Well, Your Excellency, whatever your reasons, you'll need to stand by them. People will judge your actions, and the consequences will follow swiftly." He then gave a slight nod, his expression turning serious- "Those soldiers were working directly under the Prime Minister. Lady Zhao as his wife will likely want to talk about it. She is influential, and your actions might have pissed her off."

A wave of uncertainty washed over me. Lady Zhao's reputation seemed crucial, yet her significance was a mystery. I needed to proceed cautiously, learning as much as possible without betraying my lack of knowledge.

Suddenly, I remembered that I hadn't yet opened the letter Daifu had given me earlier. 'Let's see what's in there...'- Curiosity gnawed at me as I reached into my sleeve and retrieved the carefully folded parchment. My fingers trembled slightly as I broke the wax seal, feeling the weight of anticipation settle over me like a heavy cloak. Slowly, I unfolded the letter, the crisp sound of the paper echoing in the stillness around me. Six elegant lines of Chinese calligraphy danced across the page, each character being beautifully crafted and cared for. It said something something like this:

'Springs and Autumns come and go,

The destiny of people changes with time,

The dynasties fall and rise,

As tides of war rise and fall against it,

Only one thing remains the same in all this change, 

The Dusk and the Dawn bring the day and night together.'

When I read it for the first time, I would be honest that I didn't understand what it meant. The point of sending a poem sealed in a letter was beyond me. But as I kept reading it again and again, I speculated that these lines carried meaning beyond their normally perceived meaning. While the first four lines created a constantly changing buildup in the atmos of the poem, The concluding lines seemed to suggest a constant in all this change. I could tell something was hidden in these lines, But I was not sure I could get it without knowing the context. 

"So, What type of person is this Lady Zhao, Daifu?"- I asked Dai Fu, seeking a clue.

"Not much.", Daifu replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead- "...But, I know this much well that Lady Zhao has good ties with the Crown prince in Caizhou. And Your brother doesn't really like you, that goes without saying."

"My Brother? The Crown Prince hates me... Why?", I muttered to myself, puzzled. My mind began to churn with speculation, but it was quickly interrupted by a sudden realization. Dai Fu had just clarified my whereabouts to me. 'Caizhou'—the name resonated with my memories of history lessons. It was the capital city of the Later Jin Dynasty, strategically positioned near the Song and Jin frontier, south of Kaifeng. This very place was where the Jins would make their valiant last stand against the Mongols.

The gravity of my situation started to sink in. I was reminded at once, that I was not only in a different era but also in the heart of a pivotal moment in history. The thought brought both thrill and daunt to my mind. What was my role here? Would my presence alter the course of history? 

Plus, The connection between Lady Zhao and the Crown Prince particularly made me think, hinting at a web of alliances and enmities that I had yet to navigate. And then there was the matter of my supposed brother—the Crown Prince himself—whose disdain for me was apparently well-known. What had I done to earn his enmity, and how might it impact my presence in this unfamiliar world?