Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
To the road less traveled (pass)
An icy river in a barren landscape, semi-wild deer running around its plains, its cityscape is covered with the smoke of its foggy mountains and on a far distance is the Qinghai state. In the middle is Chaka salt lake, a home to wild swans, where Chu Jing Kingdom lies. Snow-capped mountaintops as the first snow poured out in the morning, and the sun hides on the clouds where snow, rain, and ice marks the coming of the winter season, the autumn leaves are falling and saying goodbye, here is a man sitting and meditating. The Yuwen parrot was quiet and the bird's eyes still sleepy but the master is awake even if its eyes are closed.
Dark hawk birds surrounding the middle Chu Jing kingdom, full of thorns and thistles on the outside but after an hour of the journey is a labyrinth of green teas, on the ground are planted traps, mounted killing machines, dungeons and finally the underworld spy headquarters. Inactive and less maintained, the underworld headquarters still shows its former glories despite its destruction by the time of Yuwen Hao's operation "celestial warfare."
On the inner courtyard is the old ruins of the Chu Jing palace and its training grounds, slightly restored by some of its residents. And the lake, at day mirrors the golden sun and at night reciprocates the face of the moon, such a breathtaking view, the wild swans riding its quiet waters where some parts were covered with white snow and some still show the clear blue waters calm and pristine. A spectacular lake was known to be the mirror of sky, an amazing landscape of flowers and birds of paradise, looking from a far distance one would breathtakingly become helpless to measure its boundary of seams between the lake and sky, one cannot identify if the lake was in the sky or the sky was in the lake.
Before these men wake up from their prisoner of war state of mind, Viper had already gathered them in the Chu Jing's prison called the "prison with no walls."
Brother's where are we? Why are we here? Where is Zuo and Master brother? and the men started to talk and question where on earth they are.
Why is this place so beautiful? How did we…
Chu Qiao was walking on the other side, wearing her white casual princess Chinese costume, on her head was a rattan-made hat and on top, it was her indigo veil that covered her face and the men saw her side view.
The men were mesmerized with the view, looking at the woman and the lake somewhat far yet it became her perfect backdrop to a stunning landscape.
After meditating, Yuwen Yue and the rest of his brothers went down to the scenic landscape. An entirely new place they have never been before. It took them seven days to reach the place as they traveled back to the East when they were already at its First Mountain Pass of the Great Wall of China.
"Zuo and everyone, in every battle, different movements to be applied. The women who took our brothers are extremely smart and dangerous. We cannot blow our undercover this time or we will all fall into their hands," Yuwen Yue is giving a final briefing to them.
Their first success looked like a child's play to them surviving a thousand troops but today the boys have to grow up to survive two women.
Waiting for their five spy brothers, they provide an Intel to Zuo. Zuo quickly informed Yuwen Yue and Yuwen Yue's face suddenly raised his brow and his eyes looking angry.
"There is no trace of our rapid blade, flashing spear and swift dagger brothers, however, a dark kingdom lies in the middle and it was undiscovered yet, our spies reported no one dared to step on its perimeters," said Zuo.
Yuwen Yue threw a cold look to him and said: "Very well, it means we may spend more time to scout the place and study the terrains."
Zuo asked: "Can we walk through hell and still come out alive as angels?"
Yuwen Yue replied: "It is not the world that is cruel, it is the people in it."
Zuo said: "Then to the cruel people we go and teach them a lesson."
"They aren't as cruel as it seems, giving a crime scene with no crime is really the smartest hell of a thing." Yuwen Yue threw some joyful muse to Zuo and Zuo got it.
Zuo Zong on his not so happy mood said: "To hell, we descend!"
"We do not want to arrive at darkness and still don't see our brothers, Move!" Yuwen Yue quickly went down together with the cold warriors, spy and staff warriors.
They blended well with the people when they arrived in the city and went to the market. The brothers were very careful not to let them be suspected by anyone at the same time executing surveillance in the place looking for a hint of their brothers.
But a group of bystanders stole from a fruit vendor and suddenly made sure the stick warrior was to be blamed when they stole a fruit from the vendor. The stealer put it in the stick warriors pocket and went unnoticed. When the fruit vendor came, they saw the stick warrior and searched his body and found the persimmon fruits on his pocket. The fruit vendor and the bystander leader immediately pointed at him and blamed him for stealing the persimmon fruit, the stick warrior does not believe it and repeatedly said he did not steal but the vendor told the bystander leader to check his pocket and found it.
One of the other staff warriors was about to strike the bystander leader and the vendor when Zuo caught his staff and stopped it. The incident is creating a scene in the public and there were many people looking at them.
While his eyes are closed Zuo said: "I do not think this is right. Let my friend go" and he gave a hand gesture to let him go.
The bystander leader said: He stole some persimmon fruit and has to be reported in the Qinghai ministerial office.
Zuo said: "I saw it one of your bystanders put it in his pocket and then ran. He did not steal, let my friend go, and Zuo gave them a cold look twitching his palms."
"No!" and he struck Zuo, but Zuo has expected his action to come like this, he slides his body and still eyes closed, head down. It seems he copied Yuwen Yue's style the first time they met in the circle of fight. The bystander leader was surprised for Zuo was not hurt, this made the bystander leader angry towards him
"I said to let my friend go." Zuo's eyes still closed, said it for the second time and they did not listen they went to him and strike him again but Zuo was just sidestepping them. The bystander leader got angrier and kicked the stick warrior and was pushed aside and the other bystander members got his back and hold him.
The bystander leader said: "Here is how we will let your friend go." and about to kick him again when Zuo suddenly went to them and got his one foot and threw him to defend the stick warrior.
The bystander leader said: "So you are a Shaolin monk!" and the bystander leader asked all his colleagues to hold the stick warrior and come join him to fight Zuo. And you can imagine what the marketplace looks like after all is said and done.
Yuwen Yue was on the other side gathering some information when some of his spy came and informed him that Zuo was fighting the bystanders and almost immediately Yuwen Yue left and went to see Zuo. By the time Yuwen Yue arrived, the Qinghai palace officers were already on the site and capture Zuo and the stick warrior together with all the brothers under him.
"Wait, what happened, where are you taking them?" Yuwen Yue went in front of the Qinghai palace guards.
"And who the hell are you?" said one of the Qinghai head of the palace guards who raised both of his brows and looked at Yuwen Yue arrogantly. And then suddenly when he went to look down on Yuwen Yue and saw his waist, the head of the palace guard saw the Poe Yue Jian sword and his eyes were locked on his waist as if he saw a ghost unable to move or say anything.
Yuwen Yue suddenly went curious and said: "Are you alright?" and Yuwen Yue bent to look at him, still stuck looking at his waist.
The head of the palace guard is a bit shorter than Yuwen Yue said: "Why are you dressed like this mister? You did not inform us you will be touring around this afternoon."
Yuwen Yue somewhat confused with what the head of the palace guards words but remembered that the leader of the thousand armies the other day looks like him, and so Yuwen Yue switched his aristocratic attitude and played the role he said: "I would be very pleased if you let my friends go first."
"Yes mister, we will let them go but you have to come with us."
"No he cannot come with you!" shouted by Zuo looking so angry at their back, his hands were tied by the Qinghai palace guards as the bystanders told the guards earlier: "We are beaten by these Shaolin monks, we are innocent."
The head of the palace guard smile and said to Yuwen Yue:"In the palace you maybe the Prince but outside you walked as an ordinary person, come back with us, we will escort you back to palace." not sounding so authoritative but more a like a father asking his son to come back with them because it is not safe outside. The head of the palace guards feels so close with him even if he is not.
Before Yuwen Yue reacts, Zuo said: "If he goes, then we will also go."
The Qinghai palace guards took Yuwen Yue even if he did not say any and escorted him back to Qinghai palace and the rest of his brothers followed him behind. Yuwen Yue thought this is a good chance to gather more information and he hopes to be back to his goal before twilight.
The Qinghai head of palace guards was thinking deeply while they were walking towards the palace, he might have seen that sword before and it is his first time seeing it closer and he thinks this person is really like a twin brother of the Qinghai's 2nd Prince Viceroy Ra Zheng but he is having a hard time telling if they were really not or the same person at all. The Qinghai prince has been seen many times in his disguise but this time seems this person is quite unique for he his holding the sword of the Qinghai King.
Upon their arrival at the Qinghai Palace ground, Yuwen Yue looked at its magnificence. He is quite expecting that he would get more information about the middle kingdom that belongs to this empire where he presumed his brothers were detained. Qinghai is very structured, grandiose and full of swords and spears, to every corner there are guards carrying spears. Every guard who looked at him were surprised as they see the sword in his waist, they bowed their heads with reverence. The band of brothers was amazed how these palace guards reacted to their Master brother and they knew it is because of the sword he is carrying in his waist. While Yuwen Yue is not letting his guard down, his raised brows, cold eyes, he senses a stink of an enemy is just around the corner of this palace.
The head of the palace guards eventually placed Yuwen Yue in the waiting area where he can meet the 2nd Prince Viceroy Ra Zheng, and the rest of his band of brothers was untied and waiting for Yuwen Yue in the palace ground. They are alert and ready to defend the Master brother if anything goes wrong.
The secret spy in the Qinghai palace came to the 2nd Prince Ra Zheng and reported to the prince that somebody is waiting for him outside who looks like him and is carrying the Poe Yue Jian sword. The secret spy is unknown to many palace guards and I would say has never been seen by many only the Prince. Its job is to predict and inform any event inside and outside of the Qinghai palace.
Prince Ra Zheng on his pure white silk Hanfu attire, eyes looking cold, gentle brows and jade-like skin, he looked at outside the palace, inhaled deeply and said: "Is he the crown prince? My little brother? If so, I must see him and introduce myself."
Prince Ra Zheng straightens his back and pinched his cheeks. He is somewhat excited, has overwhelming feelings at the moment and finally, he told his servants to let Yuwen Yue come into his palace. The servants immediately went out and fetch Yuwen Yue waiting outside and they did not dare to take his sword but lets him meet and greet the prince as he is.
The King of Qinghai gave a different press release about his missing sword and son to his ministers and to the people of Qinghai. He covered up the story after his son went missing for many years that he hid the crown prince in a secret palace and no one knows the crown prince location. The King ordered his scribes to write down about the crown prince was attended by royal attendants that would soon someday come back to Qinghai with the Poe Yue Jian sword. The King's told his kingdom the crown prince needs to train and focus on how to use the sword to defend its empire in the future.
Yuwen Yue went inside the palace and saw Prince Zheng. The Prince was on his back he immediately turned his back and saw Yuwen Yue's face and the sword in his waist.
"Crown prince Ra Yue, welcome back." Ra Zheng on his gentle brows but cold eyes said it a warm tone and suddenly walked towards him and hugged him slightly.
Yuwen Yue's eyes looked surprised with how the Prince is treating him and he just have to accept that hug from his brother? He has already seen the prince passing at the First Mountain pass and even joked before, "maybe he is his brother." Yuwen Yue went speechless but he feels he was sincerely welcomed by the prince.
Prince Ra Zheng looked at him with two of its arms still hanging on Yuwen Yue's shoulders and said: "What took you so long to go back to our kingdom? You look handsome like your brother, come let's eat together." and the Prince called his servants and whispered to one of the Head Eunuch: "Prepare all delicious dishes and invite his private armies as well who is waiting outside, do not upset them."
After the warm welcome, Yuwen Yue is about to introduce himself but thought about it a second, how would he address himself in front of the prince when he looks like a peasant, no Jinhua costume or his own Yuwen Household buckle to indicate his position and descent. He is basically no one inside and outside his clothes. Yuwen Yue decided to introduce himself as the Master brother and maybe he would be the best person to ask help to find the missing half band of brothers. Also, the prince called him "Ra Yue, welcome back". Yuwen Yue is thinking, did the prince lost his mind and the prince really thinks they were twin brothers?
The prince told Yuwen Yue as if he knows what he is thinking: "I know you were somewhat new to this things, but you will soon get used to it."
Yuwen Yue about to speak when the prince asked him to walk with him towards the banquet hall. Yuwen Yue left quiet but was really thinking how to escape this Prince and go back to his goal for today when suddenly he saw Zuo and his band of brothers in the banquet hall waiting for them. Zuo stood up and the rest of the band of brothers and bowed at them.
Prince Ra Zheng and Yuwen Yue slightly nodded at them then suddenly Prince Zheng said: Your Highness, is this the private armies that Father gave you?
Zuo and the rest of the band of brothers heard what the Prince said and they were a bit surprised but Yuwen Yue look at Zuo sharply and coldly as if telling: "Keep still"
Yuwen Yue said: "Prince Ra Zheng, I call them the band of brothers, I consider them all my brothers."
Prince Zheng replied: "Oh you must have been through thick and thin, just like us, we are brothers not only by name but by blood."
Yuwen Yue so as not to upset the Prince just simply nodded, but really he does not have the time to ponder on his thoughts about what the Prince Zheng's statements and Yuwen Yue gave back those words of reverence to what the Prince is giving him in front of his brothers said: "Your Highness, it is with great honor and pleasure to join in your banquet hall today."
Prince Zheng smiled and said: "It is also a blessed day to finally meet my handsome brother who looks like me, near and far, I can tell we are like twin brothers."
The band of brothers looked at each other and confirmed they look like twin brothers.
The Prince asked the men to sit down as Yuwen Yue and the prince sat down as well. Suddenly at the beat of Prince Zheng's hand, its eunuchs and servants started to serve the dishes as if it were a food fest. Zuo, the stick and cold warriors have never been into the Royal table before and their eyes full of delight.
Prince Zheng raised his hand on the air with the jade goblet of wine and Yuwen Yue did the same thing and Prince Zheng said: "To my brother, our Qinghai crown prince Ra Yue" and they toast their jade goblets in the air.
What a wonderful afternoon, full of stories, stories of the brotherhood chivalry, history of the past came to life, where the real brothers finally looking each other's eyes and felt the comfort in it.