Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
Sleeping Dragon of the North
Yan Xun on his usual routine offering incense and burn paper snow to appease the dead he laid it down to the snowy lake where the ice and snow melted, it became a beautiful lake as the grassy land resurfaced. The lake was located at Yanbei winter snow mountains and he has to journey a thousand miles every month and now celebrate the death anniversary of A'Chu and Yuwen Yue. Its almost summer as the spring was over.
Yan Xun looking more handsome, radiant and full of life, rode on his white horse alone to feel the summer breeze, he remembers the times when he was with A'Chu. These times was when he used the day of his wedding to escape Changan, when he has learn to avenge his families death by using the Xuili Army who once betrayed Yanbei and hand them over to Wei that opened the door of slaughter, when he was reunited with his father's very loyal generals such as Cheng Yuan who currently hold the remnant of Yanbei's armies, General's son A'Jing who survived the wars inside Yanbei and became a good chef and Yan Xun was supplied with food that made him stronger after being poisoned from Princess Chuner's food basket he avoided any food coming from Wei. Zhong Yu told A'Chu to bring Chansu (a drug extracted from a hundred skins of frog) another poison who will suppress the poison inside Yan Xun's body and make him better, Zhong Yu gave Yan Xun an acupuncture needle pressure on his wrist pulse to stop the poison spreading towards his heart. A'Chu came back on time but she was severely beaten by the Oriole guards but she did not mind being beaten as long as she can save the Yanbei's almost half dead prince, when he has to survive hundreds of assassination attempts from Zhao and Wei household and other interested parties who would like him dead when he was stationed to an open prison at Royal Oriole Courtyard. The emperor strategically placed him in Changan city and bought all business there and made it look like a normal city but in its truest sense, he sowed lots of thistles and thorns around the courtyard and he hopes that within 3 years facade of prison, Prince Yan Xun would die not in his own hands but by some coincidental mishap.
Zhong Yu and A'chu were the only trusted servants who protected him at that time. Zhong Yu's talents were all around, it can detect food poisons, has a rich knowledge of medicine and healing, knows lots of types of weapons, she has also the gift of attracting animals for her own disposal, she has lots of connections and unknown followers that makes her hard to beat as an enemy. Not to mention she also possesses a powerful sky feather martial arts that can summon weather and can predict the stars. While A'chu, his left hand close to his heart, good at espionage, escape innovation, infiltration and sabotage became his lethal military strategist.
Prince Yan Xun on his way to the Xui Xui mountains and his long ride to Longji mountains to visit Wu Dao Ya for the first time after four years of overwhelming wars, tragedies and death of his entire family, his parents Yan Shicheng and Yan Bai Cheng his mother who committed suicide to save his crown prince Yan Xun. Ever since he arrived at Yanbei, Yan Xun wants to talk with is Wu Dao Ya. He often summons him but then he often gets an empty response. Wu Dao Ya was the soul of Yanbei without his father's first counselor, Prince Yan Xun's power in Yanbei is unlikely to flourish even if all Yanbei's military troops came back in strength, the differences of their interests will be hard to unite without Wu Dao Ya.
Yan Xun stopped by at the old gate, a vacation spot they usually travel with his brothers and father when he was still young. The Yan family used to go camp here whenever the emperor allows the little crown prince to come and stay with his biological royal family and have fun together. It is the place where he learned the survival strategies, riding the prime warhorses, nights of bonfires, several stories from their ancestors and many other things his father Yan Shicheng taught him. Yan Xun remembers those days with comfort in his heart as he touches the old things inside the house as if the voices and sounds were real, a flashback from his happy and good memories of his childhood. He also remembers he and his father used to cross several bodies of water and travel some hills and black forests to reach Liang state where her mother often visits especially when it is a cold season, as Yanbei is covered with frosted during winter seasons.
After a short pitstop at Xui Xui mountain, he rode with his horse towards the Longji Mountains where Wu Dao Ya resides. He traveled one more day to reach his residence and met with the native Yanbei people. Prince Yan Xun was immediately identified by the native people of Yanbei a small village of farmers and local fighters with extreme powers yet humble and always dressed with canvass mixed with sackcloth made materials. They always wear native hats made of dried grass leaves and long beards for their old man. Their young and woman have baskets at their backs where they pick wildflowers and sell it along the silk road.
"Yan Shi Zi" Wu Dao Ya greeted him from the distance and Yan Xun waved his hands, he parked his horse in the nearby paddock. He walked closer to Wu Dao Ya feeling homey, looking tall and handsome. Wu Dao Ya bowed to the prince his arms in front and Yan Xun nodded and mimic the same thing as well. Wu Dao Ya showed a hand gesture to point where the prince would sit. Wu Dao Ya always knows even if Yan Xun ambushed him face to face, Wu Dao Ya is always ready at all times.
"What can I do to our Prince?" a sad smile he gave to Yan Xun.
"Mr. Wu, it has been a year since I ask for you to come and you did not come." Yan Xun on his casual face looking at the table then drank the small wine prepared by Wu Dao Ya.
"It's been a year and you still burn paper snows offering incense to the dead."
"For the peace of my family, the Xuili general and her armies and the latter Yuwen Yue." Yan Xun his sad eyes and slow voice.
If she is alive, what would you do? Wu Dao Ya began to fine tune his flute.
"I have searched for her and still no body found. I still believe she is still alive but might have not come back to me because of my greedy heart, I was too consumed with my anger and gave in to my dark side."
"If she came back to you as a different person would you recognized her?"
"I guess, I will always recognize A'Chu, we have been very close for the past three years until she died at the lake.." Yan Xun staring far and his eyes on the Longji mountains
And Yan Xun continued: "I always have thought we have mutual feelings, I have always thought we have shared a different kind of friendship more than I can ever say I felt her loyalty and dedication to me but I messed it all up."
Yan Xun feeling regretful, that if he can only turn back the time and would know that she will die early he would have done things a little bit different.
Wu DaoYastarted to play his flute, he played a sad song and Yan Xun looked at it and closed his eyes and just listened to the musical harmony of the flute and nature.
After few minutes, Wu Dao Ya gradually finished an unknown piece and opened his eyes and Yan Xun turned to him and opened his eyes. Wu Dao Ya told Yan Xun, if you see her, you may not come near her like the way it used to be.
Yan Xun's eyes became curious as for if Wu Dao Ya knows about A'Chu and he said: "Do you know anything about A'Chu?"
Wu Dao Ya inhaled and slowly exhaled and said to Yan Xun: Before Yan was Chu Jing.
You mean Chu Jing of the Eastern territories? Yan Xun raised his brows.
I was the former General of Chu Jing before I came down to serve Yanbei as your counselor, Wu Dao Ya confessed only the tip of the iceberg.
Yan Xun cannot believe he is talking to a legend of the Eastern empire, the lost Chu Kingdom after its cruel execution from Western Empire, the legend were declared as if they were extinct and lost all its power through the brutal Shen Jin Emperor, the Big Summer dynasty whom his father Yan Shicheng served and been loyal for the last four generations.
Tell me Mr. Wu, is my Yan family and A'Chu has something to do with this lost empires? Yan Xun digging in some more stories and his voice is as deep as the lakes at Longji mountains from its unseen bottom, a hazy, foggy, cold view of his eyes on Wu Dao Ya.
Wu Dao Ya replied: Yan Xun, we can never go back in time, but if A'Chu is alive then you would know.
Yan Xun can never understand what Mr. Wu is confessing him, he then told him.: "If I am not entitled to know what happened in the past and I cannot go back to change it, whatever is it, if I come to see her again, I would not let her go like what happened to the icy lake and would want to change the course of the present time."
"I am sure you did, if only," Wu Dao Ya's short reply.
"Mr. Wu, can you help me then know more about the lost Kingdom of Chu?" Yan Xun drank his wine and looked at him.
Wu Dao Ya replied: "You will soon come to know everything, patience is a virtue."
Yan Xun nodded and just like his father, he listened to Wu Dao Ya's advise to wait for the right time.
"Well, I have to ride back to the plains of Yanbei the day after tomorrow, the world (Yan Shi Zi's military codename) will change the world and I hope when I come back, it will be the right time to tell me more." Yan Xun turning back on his horse bid his goodbye to Wu Dao Ya.
Wu Dap Ya waved his hands and bowed his head to the ever handsome prince of Yanbei.
A little girl about eight years old came out of Wu Dao Ya's little cottage house and asked: "Mr. Wu, who was that handsome man?"
"You will meet him very soon, but for now, lets practice again your wushu."
Yan Xun rode down from the mountains and he is riding alone, he passed by springs of water, black forests and several misty plains. He was like a King without an army traveling with a heart of hope and lots of thoughts about the lost Chu Kingdom. He was right about his hunch when they were captured and detained at the royal garrison in Wei he came to ask how is she related to the exterminated noble families of the east where Chu Qiao finally reveal her name and he gave her a nickname of A'Chu.
After two days of travel, Yan Xun arrived at the city of Yanbei at nightfall, his servants greeted him and he acknowledges then he went straight to his royal tent quarters. A'Jing although one of the Yanbei's general now, he still cooks special dishes for the prince and brought him food and drink to eat, but the Prince was just too tired to do anything, so he rested.
The next day, after a year of restrained grief, Yan Xun woke up with a sunny face for the first time in four years. Back to his casual princely duties, he went straight to his repository tent, a library like structure inside, where most of the salvaged documents and records left from the ashes of Yanbei were kept. A'Jing arrived at the tent and greeted his master.
A'Jing was a little bit surprised when he saw the scrolls were rolled down and scattered on the carpet. "The world, let me help you. Are you looking for something in particular?" A'Jing dressed in his casual Yanbei uniform looking mature in years and in his low voice.
I am looking for the secret accounts we retrieved years back from Xian Yang business group that Mr. Wu formed after my father was executed. I need the summary of the events and its details so I can review and streamline a strong financial capacity of Yanbei.
A'Jing recited the summary to Yan Xun as he knows this well as his life was also put into danger just to save these accounts but was later accomplished by Chu Qiao. While Yan Xun is busy picking up his messy table and on the carpet. A'Jing was the only sole survivor who could tell him accurate information from start to its sad ending of Bei Shou citizens. The most northern part of Yanbei was put to an open attack by the Shen Jin Emperor of Wei with no mercy and its citizens mostly when the world came back to Yanbei he had not seen them anymore. Some of the citizens left died in famine and plague where Lui Xi happened to pass by their humble village and learned his parents already died. Lui Xi also learned about the cruelty of the emperor to the city and saw the famine in the land and he predicts the everyone will die if no one will aid this city given the absence of Yanbei's leaders and its government official like him set themselves to become a refugee and migrated to Liang state. Some fled even to their enemies land close to the border of Changan. A'Jing feelings taking him back to the dark times of Yanbei he stopped somewhere in the middle where Yan Xun picked it up also to continue the story.
Lui Xi went back to Liang state and he sold some of its fine properties and send provision to Bei Shuo city to supply its food and medicine, enough to support every one of the dying citizens in Yanbei, it was distributed to the poor? And some of the provisions even reached the world (Yan Shi Zi) at the time the world was in Oriole Courtyard surviving hundred attempts?
Mr. Wu was informed of his voluntary good heart gaining nothing in return, while you were held by the Emperor in the Oriole courtyard, Mr. Wu took care of Yanbei in order to save what was left, he met with him in secret and then organized the Xian Yang business group and then established Lui Xi as the leader. He carefully planned and ordered them to go back and prosper in Liang state using Mr. Wu's strategies and the group flourished in the land. It became number one in terms of its business trades and commerce. Xian Yang is a city sitting at the trade and commerce between Western Wei and Southern Liang it is an excellent strategic location for buying stocks and reselling goods and services to both states eliminating any suspicion that its owners came from Yanbei, A'Jing finished the story by adding more about Feng Mian. Yan Xun sunny face earlier turned gloomy he just kept quiet while listening to A'Jing.
Feng Mian was Yan Xun most trusted loyal servant, where Yan Xun and he grew up together. Feng Mian was younger than Yan Xun and he considers him more of his small brother rather than his servant. Feng Mian secretly collaborated with Lui Xi to support Yan Xun while the prince was detained in Oriole courtyard.
It was later discovered by Wei Shu Ye however it was not exposed due to his participation in the businesses of Xian Yang City where the Wei family fortune is at stake, their businesses and its chamber of commerce is involved. Being the number one in the trade industry and the wealthiest man in the city, even the Wei Guang family cannot win given his intelligent strategies arranged by Mr. Wu. Lord Feng can come and go out of the city without fear for his life but what Lord Feng fears the most is who is inside Yanbei, the Yan Prince who bought his freedom by spilling blood in Changan city. Back to Feng Mian, he died at the fortified walls of Hongchuan saving Chu Qiao together with Xuili army when she was about to enter the gate but Cheng Yuan, one of Yanbei's generals intended for an ambush.
Feng Mian shouted at the top of its wall to warn Chu Qiao and then fell. Chu Qiao cried but cannot come near Feng Mian because the archers are ready to aim at her. The teenager was killed by a spear by one of Cheng Yuan's lieutenant. At that time, Yan Xun cannot reinforce Chu Qiao because they were tricked by Wei Shu Ye leaving Yanbei for an open attack and Hong Chuan at the same time. Zhong Yu advised Yan Xun to come back at Yanbei but Yan Xun refused and willing to sacrifice Hong Chuan City as Wei's distraction in exchange of conquering Changan. Whatever side Yan Xun decides to follow, he will lose either one of his precious comrades and loyal servants, another price he has to pay in advancing his troops and expanding the borders of Yanbei in establishing his power as a ruler. Feng Mian his guard left his side and was an important player when Yan Xun held in three years captivity because they secretly worked in progress to supply whatever material things the prince needed when his family was annihilated, Feng Mian's revenge was he expanded their wealth. Until Yan Xun came back to Yanbei, Feng Mian did not respond to their invitation to come over and show his face to Yan Xun to protect the prince and their businesses at that time. Yan Xun had to come over and see him and so Feng Mian bowed to him and reported him the chronology of events. Feng Mian even said to A'Jing who called him Mr. Feng Si and commented about his fashion: "I fear that you will accuse me of being extravagant but I put on such thing with a purpose, if I have known that the Prince would be coming along, I would have borrowed the garments of a servant."
A throwback from the past, after few surprise visits to some of Yanbei notable families, Yan Xun woke up his father's sleeping allies, anyone who joined him he gives them position but anyone who does not, meets their end through the hands of his General Cheng Yuan.
Upon unveiling of its new signage The Palace of Master Yan, Yan Xun gave him a gift a cold dagger called the Dragon Bird once owned by Bai Qi, a cruel general from the warring period of Yanbei. Cheng Yuan fed it with blood as advised by Yan Xun whoever owns it and uses it will release the hidden demon on it.
The battle at Hong Chuan City where the deputy general He Xiao fought for his own city where his family resides and suffered loses, the rest of his cavalry died, some were injured and retired, others went on furlough and Chu Qiao their general was badly injured was one of the major loses Yanbei has to suffer next to Bei Shou City. The aftermath of the battle, took many lives of the poor, trusted servants and the Western royals and nobles. Stealing the seal from the Wei emperor to use its armies was a capital punishment in Wei, where Princess Yuan Chun was sentenced to death by drinking the poisoned wine and the Wei Shu Ye who conspired with her was also discharged from his position as Wei Valve master. It also cost the death of Wei's emperor's beloved imperial concubine Ninger who inflicted her death in front of the emperor, the mother of Yuan Song and Chuner to stop the princess death and execution. After its death, it also forced the Wei Emperor to send an imperial decree declaring his beloved crown prince son Yuan Song to take over the Duke title of Yanbei and station himself to fight Yan Xun while Yuan Chuner to be locked up in the secluded West temple. The battle also made a startling gap between Chu Qiao and Yan Xun where Chu Qiao started to become a little bit independent from Yan Xun's commands and began to protect the Xuili army from becoming the collateral damage of Yan Xun to pay for their betrayal in opening the slaughter of Yanbei people. But the battle evened the score and paid it with their blood, hence, Xuili army no longer owes Yan Xun and is free to choose who will be the general they would follow and they chose Chu Qiao.
The Xuili Army sworn an oath to follow, obey and protect General Chu Qiao before and after the battle in Hong Chuan city. But for now, seems after the icy lake tragedy where they fought with other Yanbei soldiers, they lost their general again. On her last battle, she was rescued and saved by both Yuwen Yue and Yan Xun. Yuwen Yue on his black mask used the crossbow to counter Chuner's sword about to chop Chu Qiao's head and pushed her. After it Yuwen Yue's tearless eyes but you can feel as if his heart was stabbed by a hundred knives looking at his Xinger he embraced her and carried her out from the middle of the battlefield and put her outside where Yan Xun came in almost late to reinforce Hong Chuan, he saw his General and cried at the middle, she carried her back to Yanbei's headquarters and took care of her. Yuwen Yue saw how Yan Xun carried her in his arms and he was just there unable to say or do a thing or else he would blow up his undercover as he came in on his double interests, his personal and his military interest. Yan Xun at that time came from seven days travel and siege in Changan and was just on time to scare Wei Shu Ye and Princess Chun'er and they retreated.
Everyone was downcast as if the last hope of getting things right was again taken away from Xuili. It is much painful this time than the first time they allowed the Wei soldiers to open the gates of Hong Chuan because from the ice lake they fought with their own uniform of Yanbei soldiers than those of Wei soldiers who tricked Xuili army. Ever since then, the renowned firefox watchdog of Yanbei became a disgrace and betrayer of Yanbei people and still carries its history of reputation until now even if they have already paid it all in full measure. Since there is no body found, He Xiao continuously searches for their lost general Chu and have never replaced her since then.