บท 18: DISPOSITION (3)

The Night before…

Queen fell ill because of present cold behavior of King and she was missing her son and Henan, she wrote a letter for her son to visit her or send Henan back to Palace so that she could feel better.

She handed this letter to the fastest horseman who was used to deliver news in the time of war. He reached at the mid of night at the north construction site.

Wan Hu was informed about the arrival of this horse man and he little anxious to see this fastest horseman.

He bowed and handed the letter of Queen, she did not mention that she was suffering fever; she only expressed her wish to see her son and Henan.

He asked the horse man the circumstances, he himself was not sure only that Queen was little unwell.

Wan Hu was also missing his mother but here construction was at its crucial period so he decided to send Henan back to Palace. He headed toward the village early dawn; Henan was surprised to see him after many days.

He told about the letter of Queen.

"I am also missing my beautiful Queen," she said with anticipation, she was bored here to spend monotonous days but before this, 'help me to rescue a person' she said and voiced her caretaker to pack up things that they were heading back to Palace.

Her actions were always unpredictable for him; he nodded and followed her…

In early morning Ying Jun woke up and saw her in the camp alone, she was feeling feeble and was out of strength to walk out of the camp.

Incharge Chen noticed that she was conscious now; he came in the camp and saw her, she looked at him, she could remember this face because when she lost consciousness she was looking at him. "I don't know where you live so I was waiting for you to come awake.

"Let me help you to send you, your house," he politely asked her, she was struggling to stay sit and said uncomfortably and feebly, "I am hungry and have no strength to walk."

He reacted with an, "Oh" and then prepared some soup for her and some bread and took to her, she was looking head down.

He place the food and came out so that she could freely eat food.

She gulped down food hastily, she ate so greedily that she started hiccup.

He rushed in and helped her drink water and patted her back to thaw her hiccup.

She removed tears from her cheeks that were showering down due to her hiccup and her painful suffering.

She composed her tattered cloths and came out with him from camp and walked toward her house, he walked behind her.

She was scrunching her clothes with her hands with agitation, she don't know how the people of her Sensitive house would react after her desertion for whole night…

Henan approached the house of Ying Jun and asked them that she wanted to meet her. They were already worried for her overnight disappearance yet this noble girl came to meet her, they were anxious and gritting.

They thought for something and were about to produce an excuse that Ying Jun entered in the house with a stranger.

Her appearance was tattered and they flew into rage to see her with stranger.

They bellowed her harshly and she started weeping.

Wan Hu saw the stranger; he was the most trusted soldier of small wing he sent to guard two villages.

He looked at him with questioning eyes.

He stepped forward and explained the situation; she run to tell the soldiers that this village was being raided by Fang men but somehow she fell unconscious.

He was not aware of her abode so he waited for her to come conscious. They saw her with disgusting eyes.

Soldier was helpless for her but Wan Hu understood.

Henan came toward her and consoled her.

"You are worse than a slave now in my eyes, you dishonored us, it was better for you to die there than to come here," he bellowed her despite the fact that she saved the lives of villagers.

"We don't want to keep you here anymore; it will dot our reputation," the other man of the house shouted her. "If she is worse than slave, I wanted to buy this slave and you all would no more related to her in future," Henan yelled in anger.

Her father in law came into realization, how could he let her go, his son was no more and she worked for them in his stead, if he let her go, would not he lose his free earn, but after this incidence got known to the villagers that she lived whole night out of the house with some soldiers, it would ruin their reputation.

Henan saw the hesitation on his face and throw a pouch of gold coins toward him. He saw the gold coins inside pouch and waved his hands, "You can take her if she lived here we would not be able to keep our heads up with honor."

Henan brought her out of the house and wiped her tears. Incharge Chen wanted to say something but Wan Hu stopped him saying, "I trust you," Soldier heaved sigh of relief after hearing this but he was sorry for the circumstances of this young girl.

Henan brought her in her residence and instructed her to wash up and gave her nice attire of her own clothing.

She hurriedly packed up her things and informed Wan Hu that she was ready to go, Wan Hu send her with his trusted people in the lead of Incharge Chen.

The journey was little peaceful.

They traveled whole day and rested for the night.

At the end of second day they reached Palace.

Wan Hu had instructed Incharge Chen to stay in Palace and keep check the security of Palace. Henan was tired after this long journey yet before she goes to her bed she went to meet the Queen. Queen was laid on her bed, her face was little pale due to fever.

She slightly rubbed her forehead and she woke up, she looked at Henan and smiled, and it looked that she was smiling after a long time.

Henan kissed her forehead and said, "Queen should take rest we will talk many things in the morning and you will be fine to hear them," Queen nodded in approval.

She came back and went to her caretaker abode; she settled Ying Jun there and went to her room. She was tired after long journey, as soon as her body touched the bed she fell asleep. Warm and soft bedding was after all comfortable.