Chapter 2: Xing Qian Escapes

"Where are the others?" Donghai asked Tao.

"They are outside, general".

"Good, bring them in".

"Yes, general. Bring them in" Tao instructed the soldiers who brought in the rest of the royal family members.

"Your majesty!!!" Empress Xing Hua exclaimed loudly, thoroughly frightened by the sudden bloody events in the palace.

"Your majesty! Father, I don't want to die!!! Your majesty! " Emperor Zu Xing's eldest son, prince Yi crawls on his knees towards general Donghai.

"Please spare our lives, you can banish us from the kingdom just don't kill us all. Please!!!" Prince Yi pleaded with him still on his knees, crying profusely like a baby which only made Donghai and his supporters laugh out scornfully at him.

"You don't deserve to be alive" Donghai said before he struck Yi with his sword and the latter fell down immediately.

"Yi..! Yi....!!!" Empress Xing Hua shouted loudly on seeing her son being killed before her very eyes. She hurried towards Donghai in fury.

"You bloodthirsty monster!!!" Suddenly she stopped in her tracks as her eyes opened wider while a sword struck out from her chest behind her.

"Your highness!!!" The Xing family screamed out in horror on seeing the sword dripping blood from empress Xing Hua's wounded chest.

The owner of the sword drew it out from her chest and empress Xing Hua fell slowly to the ground with more screams of fright from the surviving family while Zu Xing watched helplessly at the death of his beloved wife.

"Please.... please.... general Donghai... spare.... spare... us all...!!!" Noble consort Zheliu stuttered as she tried to plead with him too but one strike of Donghai sword silenced her immediately.

"Sorry my emperor, it is time to meet your ancestors" Donghai said before striking Zu and the others with his sword swiftly.

"I wouldn't have killed anyone if only Zu Xing gave me the royal seal. Besides, where is the little princess? Tao, where is the little princess?" Donghai asked Tao.

"My Lord, I didn't see the little princess in her quarters," Tao replied.

"What!!! Well enough of the talks already, clean them up and look for the missing princess. Remember, no one must survives from the royal family, make no mistake about that" Donghai instructed Tao.

"Yes sir. The four of you should follow me while the rest of you should go round the palace and look for the little princess" Tao instructed the rest of the soldiers while Donghai walked away from the place looking excited.

Meanwhile, princess Xing Qian and her mother's personal maid Zoher were running away from her quarter's through the secret passage connecting every quarters in the palace. They abandoned their royal attires and put on plain walnut colored dresses conducive for them to run with.

The female folks of Gu kingdom are known for their two different unique clothing styles of cross-collared and wide-sleeved garments with large cuffs. The complete attire consisted of shirts, jackets, and skirts. Notably, the skirts were elegantly long, gracefully trailing along the ground.

The upper portion of the attire is simple while the lower portion is much more elaborate. Another female style is where the upper garment which is the shirt portion is very short and the skirt portion begins very high, the skirt is usually just below the collarbone.

The men are known for their cross-collar top, wrap-around skirt and open-fronted robe.

The moment Donghai men left the quarter, the assigned soldiers rushed into the place, turning things upside down in search of the little princess.

"My princess, please run faster. We have to leave this palace before the soldiers find us. I am sure they know about our escape plan already and must be looking for us!" Zoher said while holding onto the hands of the little princess as they ran through the dark passway, holding a burning stick as a means of light.

Suddenly the little princess fell down on the ground out of exhaustion, breathing hard.

"I can't keep up anymore, I am tired, Zoher!!!'' Xing Qian managed to speak up.

Running back towards princess Xing Qian, Zoher quickly raised her up gently with tears in her eyes before speaking up

"My princess! My princess, you can't give up now. Your life is precious to the entire kingdom, your existence is crucial for the Zu Xing lineage. You need to be alive for the people of the kingdom".

"But I am tired!!! I am really tired and thirsty!. I can't run any longer than this!" Xing Qian cried bitterly which only increased Zoher's silent sobs.

"My princess, please we need to leave now, it's too risky to be here. Please let us go, please!!!" Zoher urged her when she heard faint voices from afar.

"Let's go, Zoher!!!" Xing Qian said as they started running through the passway again.

Soon they came out of the passway leading to the horse pen.

Moving slowly they found only one horse, and luckily for the both of them, no one was around that area.

Quickly Zoher helped Xing Qian on the horse and she immediately sat down at her back.

"Yaeee!!!" Zoher screamed frantically for the horse to move when the owner of the voices seemed very close to them, then the horse galloped out the shed towards the forest.

The first soldier to come out of the passway saw them and screamed in order to alert the others.

Quickly, two others ran out of the passway and saw the fugitives from a distance. Without wasting time, one of the soldiers called Li who is an expert on shooting arrows, took out his arrows and flew to a tall tree aiming at his enemies.

Zoher, who didn't see the arrow coming from the soldiers, grunted out in pain when the arrow hit her from behind. Soon she fell from the horse to the ground, clutching her chest in pain while pouring out blood from her mouth.

"Zoher! No!!! Zoher, please don't leave me. You can't die now, Zoher!!!" Xing Qian came down from the horse and rushed towards the injured maid, crying bitterly.

Looking at the poisonous arrow, Zoher knew immediately that she would not survive it. Coughing out more blood from her mouth, she held Xing Qian's hands, weakly.

"My princess, it seems you have to go on the journey alone from now henceforth…..".

"No!!! Zoher, no!!! We have to go together, you are not going to die, I will save you Zoher '' Xing Qian cried more while shaking her head in disagreement to Zoher's words.

Smiling faintly, Zoher touches Xing Qian's face with her trembling hands before coughing out more blood again.

"Zoher! Zoher!!!" Xing Qian calls out her name when Zoher coughs out thick lumps of blood.

"You need to stay alive and avenge your family. It's only then will they all be happy in heaven. Stay alive and eat well, remember to … . remember…" Zoher suddenly breathes her last as her hands fall down besides her body.

"No...No…Nooo..! Zoher…! Zoher!!!" Xing Qian cries out bitterly, then she stands up to run away without the horse only to be shot by an arrow from the same soldier who seems to have been waiting for her to stand up from the position....