12 Trust Earned

Chinua, Khunbish, Khenbish and Zhi were sitting on the low square table in the tent that once belonged to Reza. Chinua was sorting out the documents left by Reza. She was surprised that a captain of such status as Reza would leave so many important documents, even the drawings of the Razaasia military camp that Bijian was currently guarding. As she sorted through the documents, she came to the conclusion that they had been left behind because Reza was caught off guard by the raid, or that Reza had deliberately left them behind to fool whoever found it.

"How likely is it that a respected captain would leave behind such an important document?" Chinua said, looking at Khunbish.

Khunbish placed some burnt bamboo sticks on the table. "The chances are slim," he said.

"Chinua, these were probably left behind on purpose," Khenbish said. "The charred bamboo rolls we picked up from the stove were probably important documents that no one was allowed to see except Reza himself."

Chinua put the Razaasia military camp outline map on the table and looked at Zhi. "Zhi, you have trained with the Razaasia before. Have you ever seen a map like this?" She paused. "If you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to answer the question if you don't want to."

Zhi said, "I have never trained with Bijian's men, and I don't know where their base camp is. The people who train with me are all the lower-level captains. I've trained more with Reza and his guys, so I can't answer your question." He stared at Chinua because he wanted to know what Chinua would say next. Now everyone in the camp knew that he failed to catch Reza. Based on his past relationship with Reza and his men, the rumors circulating in the camp had probably reached Chinua's ears. But what Chinua said next stunned him.

Chinua said, "If their base camp is so secretive, then this map layout is probably fake. Reza may have other plans to leave these documents, and he may have set this trap for the Musian soldiers." She rolled up the map and handed it to Khenbish. "Who are those two hundred and twenty-three souls, and from which unit are they from?"

Khenbish said, "The soul number is being handed over to Captain Haitao."

Chinua handed a written letter to Khenbish and said, "Captain Haitao should send someone to report our situation to the palace. This is my report back to His Majesty."

"I will take this to Captain Haitao," Khenbish took the letter from Chinua's hand and walked out of the tent.

Khunbish stared at Zhi. Judging from his expression, Zhi seemed to want to talk to Chinua alone, so he turned to Chinua and said, "I'll see when dinner is ready." He nodded to Zhi and walked out of the tent.

Chinua turned to look at Zhi and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

Zhi asked, "How do you know?"

Chinua turned and looked at Zhi and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

Zhi asked, "How do you know?"

Chinua sighed and went back to look at the documents still on the table. "Normally Khunbish won't leave my side unless I order him to," when he suddenly excused himself, he must have figured you have something to say." She poured a bowl of warm mare's milk and pushed it to Zhi.

Zhi grabbed the mare's milk and drank it. "Why are you not asking for an explanation of why Reza escaped," he said.

Chinua asked, "Is there anything you need to explain? If there is, you can explain it to me without me asking. But if you have done everything you can without bias, there is no point in protesting your innocence."

Zhi looked at Chinua and said, "I still want Chinua to know that I was surrounded by Razaasia soldiers, which gave Reza a chance to escape. I didn't realize Reza was hiding next to the horse."

"We can only predict the outcome of the battle. We have no way of knowing which enemy soldier we will kill." She smiled at Zhi. "Hey, I heard you hurt Reza. I also heard the rumors, but that's all, rumors. I trust each and every one of you who have fought alongside me and will fight alongside me in the future, just as I trust Khunbish and Khenbish. Gossip doesn't make me trust you any less, so if your heart is heavy because of the gossip circulating around the camp, you can rest assured." Chinua picked up the bowl of mare's milk and drank it, then placed the empty bowl on the table. "Before I went to the Southeast, my father gave me a saying. He said: A wise leader does not heed the opinions of others regarding his soldiers; he forges the path alongside them."

Zhi sighed and said, "King Batukhan is indeed a very wise leader. No wonder Chinua herself has always been a wise leader."

Chinua said, "Chinua is only wise because Chinua learned from those who are wise."

Zhi sighed and chuckled. "I couldn't give Chinua such wise teachings because before I joined the army, I was just a farmer who only knew how to use strength."

"For a kingdom to live in peace, it must have both power and knowledge," Chinua said, and she chuckled. "Father and Hye both taught me this." She looked at Zhi. "The future is unpredictable. Maybe one day, you will teach me something I haven't learned before." She poured herself another bowl of mare's milk. "Khunbish has been gone long enough, I believe dinner is already ready."

"I think I'll just go to sleep," Zhi said. "I'm not used to the smell of cremation."

Chinua stood up and said, "If you decide to be with me, you'd better get used to the smell of cremation." She smiled at Zhi and walked out of the tent.

When Chinua walked out of Reza's tent, she found Hye looking at the half-collapsed city wall and then drawing something in his sketchbook. Chinua put her arm around Hye's shoulders and looked down at the sketchbook in his hands.

"It's a beautiful wall," Chinua said.

Hye looked at the picture and then at the city wall. "Before I come, I want to know why your father would make friends with a small kingdom that no one wants to be friends with," Hye said.

Chinua smiled when she realized that Hye had decided to talk to her. She thought that if he talked to her, it would mean that Hye's anger towards her must have subsided. She removed her arm from Hye's shoulders and asked, "Have you figured out that question lingering in your mind?"

Hye said, "Anyone who understands war can understand this, even the king of Umusa Kingdom." He placed the small piece of fine charcoal next to the drawn city wall. "If this is Hmagol first line of defense, it needs to be better."

"How much better?" Chinua asked.

"Iron strong, better," Hye said. "Not just iron strong, it should also be equipped with hidden traps to defeat intruders using ladders."

Chinua looked at Hye and said, "Like the city wall of Nue-Li City?" She turned and faced Hosha City wall.

Hye closed his sketchbook and said, "Similar stuff, but better." He put the sketchbook back in his cross bag. "But Umusa can't afford such expensive things. Their economy is not good." He looked at Chinua. "But if your father decides not to let other kingdoms knock on his southern east door, I think building this wall here would be a good investment."

Chinua asked, "What materials are needed for this project?"

Hye smiled and said, "Did you not pay attention at all? Of course, iron, if you want an iron strong wall."

Chinua said, "But, Hmagol has no iron."

Hye said, "Upper north of Hmagol has beautiful and strong iron."

"Upper North... Alohul?" Chinua said.

Hye smiled and said, "If I remember correctly, isn't the wife of the fourth prince of Hmagol the most beloved princess of King Sulien."

Chinua said, "Even so, my father cannot ask them for iron for no reason."

Hye said, "Alohul had an abundance that Hmagol lacked, and Hmagol had an abundance that Alohul needed."

Chinua thought for a moment and said, "I understand now, I will send a letter to father." She turned to look at Hye. "You are indeed a very scary person. I would not want to stand opposite you."

Hye took two steps away from Chinua and scoffed. He said, "If you keep the promise you made with me, even if I stand opposite you, I will not oppose you."

Chinua chuckled lightly, raised the corner of her mouth to Hye, turned to look at the half-standing city wall, and said, "You know, I have always questioned the relationship between the royal father and the royal mother. They have been married since they were teenagers, but the royal father would choose the advice of Eunuch Tong instead of the advice of the royal mother or other people in the palace. Therefore, I have always envied the special relationship between the royal father and eunuch Tong."

Hye asked, "Oh, how so?"

Chinua said with a warm smile on her face, "I chose Khunbish and Khenbish as my personal escorts mainly because I wanted to have the same special relationship, but I knew early on that Khunbish and Khenbish would never be someone who would openly question my decision, even if they knew it was the wrong decision. Therefore, for a long time, I envied the royal father and Eunuch Tong, but from today on, I will no longer envy them, because I now understand that a soulmate is not necessarily a lover, but a person who makes you question things. Someone, who changes your perception of reality. Someone, who believes in your abilities when others don't. Someone, who is willing to accompany you through hard and sunny days." She sighed. "Someone, who will openly challenge you to bring out the best in you, and will not give you answers to your questions, but will walk with you to seek your answers. Someone, who grooms you to be a better person not for them but for yourself. Someone, whose soul will groove with yours." 

Hye looked at Chinua and said with a smile, "You have grown, kid."

This was the first time she had shared her deepest feelings with anyone. She knew in her heart that if there was one person who could fully understand her, it would be Hye. She smiled warmly at Hye and said, "Hye, thank you for being that someone." She turned back to face the battlefield and looked at the orange sun setting on the horizon.