Note: This story isn't historically accurate. The author made great use of historical license in writing it. The inaccuracy is designed to add to the dramatic aspects of the plot. The Huns' invasions and the first Japanese incursion into Chinese territory are at least two centuries apart. The military apparatuses used in the story are out of their respective Eras, as well. That being said, the cultural aspects of Chinese society were extensively studied and are, mostly, accurate, though. Enjoy the reading!

Flower of China

By Kath Klein

Translated by Yoruki Hiiragizawa

Chapter VII

Sakura rambled over the surroundings of The Forbidden City, noticing the awe and keen interest in which people greeted her. Men all around, even civilians, practically saluted her wherever she went; while women doted on the youngster wearing the Imperial uniform and displaying the rank of Captain. With such a huge accomplishment, everybody in the city was aware of who she was and how she helped protect them against the Huns.

She pressed her lips with a slight frown at the thought of what would happen if they ever found out who she was. She'd be mercilessly clubbed, for sure. Had she been walking around unattended as a woman, men would consider it their right to abuse her and women would deride her.

Trudging on, to avoid slumping her shoulders, she heaved a sigh. She had just returned from Ban's father's house. She went there to personally hand over the accolades, as well as his part of the reward bestowed by the Emperor for their actions to save China. More than that, she had given the boy's father part of her own reward, even if she knew that there was no amount enough to make up for his life.

The old man tried to keep his composure and coolness at hearing about his son's death. His voice was choked with emotion as he insisted that Ban had been far too young to join the army. He just knew his boy wouldn't survive, but that stubborn son of his went out and enlisted, anyways.

Sakura argued that while Yu Ban had been one of the youngest soldiers of the troop, he had fought valiantly and had played a crucial role in saving not only the Emperor's life but the lives of everyone in The Forbidden City. His Majesty himself recognised that and chose to honour his bravery and sacrifice.

The grief the old man had been doing his best to suppress finally broke through as his shaking hands accepted the award and pouch of coins from her hands.

When she said that his son's last thought had been directed at him; and that his dying wish was that his father knew he'd died with honour, the man's eyes grew bright with unshed tears and he excused himself out of the room. Men don't cry - especially in front of other men.

She closed her eyes and shook her head with her bottom lip jutting out as she once more controlled the desire to cry. Ban had been more than a fellow soldier, he had become her best friend during those two difficult months and the memory of him dying in her arms still left her feeling choked up. And that feeling would never go away. She'd forever carry the guilt about his death.

Sakura furrowed her brow, slightly tilting her head as she thought about Ban's reaction to finding out she was a woman. She wondered whether or not he would be able to respect her and continue to treat her the same way, had he not died.

Touching her face, she retraced Ban's movements as he had tried to dry her tears at those last moments. There was a sweetness in his eyes… She liked to think that, had he survived, Ban wouldn't have changed how he conducted himself around her after finding out the truth.

At a corner of her mind, Sakura registered the cadence of a horse trotting and straightened up, as if by reflex, while absent-mindedly looking at the approaching horseman. She furrowed her brow when a familiar steed came to a full stop almost on top of her and General Li cleverly dismounted beside her.

'Where have you been the whole day?' he snapped at her.

'Today's my day off,' Sakura dismissed the subject with a shrug, unwilling to let him harass her and turned away to resume her stroll around the city.

He pulled his horse's reins, matching her pace.

'You're wearing a uniform,' he noticed with a frown. 'And it's the ceremonial suit, on top of that.'

Sakura looked at him sideways and sighed. She felt like telling him to mind his own business, reminding him that what she did or didn't do on her day off was her problem, but decided against it. He was still her superior and had a somewhat vindictive streak.

She couldn't deny that she was learning a lot from the man, even if at moments like this she wondered if it was worth the effort of putting up with him. Since becoming his apprentice, she felt like the General kept her within close range at all times. He wasn't like that with the rest of their troop.

Looking around, Sakura thought that she could just disappear whenever she felt like it. "Touya" was a man who knew how to read and write; plus, she had enough resources - both material and intellectual - to start a new life at some faraway corner of China as someone else.

The only problem was her seemingly insatiable desire to learn and, unfortunately, General Li Xiao Lang was not only an outstanding instructor but also seemed equally desirous to teach.

'So?' he insisted. 'What's the reason for wearing the imperial garb around the city?'

She took a deep breath with a forced smile.

'I went to deliver Ban's reward to his family,' she said at last. 'And I thought that wearing the uniform would make it more respectful and solemn.'

'Hmph,' he narrowed his eyes. 'The two of you were very close, huh?'

'Yes. He was like a brother to me.'

'Your attitude was commendable,' he nodded, looking away for a moment, before watching the young Captain again. 'It speaks of your consideration for your colleagues, which is important in the army. It was also wise that you chose to honour one of the soldiers you lost under your command.'

'General,' Sakura stopped in her tracks and tilted her head up to meet the General's gaze, her emerald eyes burning intensely. 'I went to fulfil the dying wish of a friend. I didn't go as a military man, as a Captain, but as a man with a promise to keep.'

Xiao Lang regarded his apprentice's face in silence while taking in his words. He slowly nodded, maintaining eye contact to convey that he understood.

'Yu Ban was lucky to have a good friend like you in the short time he was in the army.'

Sakura tilted her head with a furrowed brow. 'Have you never done such a thing for a fellow soldier, General? You've been through so many battles already... Have you never done this for a friend? Or were you fortunate enough to never lose one?'

'You can't lose what you never had, Kinomoto.'

She froze mid-step, her eyes going wide as she realised what he was saying.

The open reaction and scrutinising look from the young Captain caught Xiao Lang off balance. 'I joined the Imperial Army when I was 11. At the time my father was part of the Emperor's Personal Guard; that I could join them so young was an exception and an honour bestowed upon me due to the great regard the Emperor had for my father.' He hadn't intended to start talking but the need to explain himself had been too strong. It was as though the measuring intensity of those eyes drew the words out from deep inside him. 'Obviously, this was met with suspicion by the others. Especially since I had extra instruction, on top of what the others in my troop received. It gave me an advantage, but as you can probably imagine, it didn't give me a chance to make friends.'

Xiao Lang saw Kinomoto's brow furrow thoughtfully and wondered what the kid was thinking about.

Sakura finally looked away, a faint smile spreading across her face. Now she knew why the other officers kept him at arm's length, even as they demonstrated clear respect for his military skills.

'So that's how you became Captain when you were only 16.' She shrugged, tucking her hands into her pockets. 'No matter how many times I calculated it before, it just wasn't adding up.'

Xiao Lang snickered, trying not to outright laugh at his pupil. 'Maybe it wasn't adding up because you didn't know how to count.'

Sakura whipped her head toward him, a spark in her eyes. 'I can count!'

'Now you do! But we had two very arduous weeks until you could grasp the most basic concepts,' the General teased. 'Speaking of which, have you finished the exercises I left for you yesterday?'

'Yes. I solved them last night.'

Xiao Lang gave a satisfied nod. 'Good! Let's go, then.' His stride turned purposeful as he tugged at his horse's reins. The animal snorted but fell in behind him.

'Where are we going?' Sakura followed him, matching her steps with his.

'I want to take a look at those exercises. It may be your day off, but you don't get to slack off with your training, Captain.'

She thought about arguing, but, judging by his tone, anything she said would only serve as an excuse for him to add a couple of laps to her run around the palace the next day.

She only sighed and shook her head, thinking: "It's no wonder that he has no friends."

Sakura still felt in awe every time she entered The Forbidden City's extensive library. The General had taken her there when they started with lessons on military strategy a few months ago. She had gotten much better at reading and writing and, in every spare moment she got, could always be found in there.

She sighed in satisfaction, sauntering in between shelves full of books.

'Why, you're here already, Captain Kinomoto...' the Imperial librarian approached her with a big smile. 'It's an honour to have you so often in my humble abode.'

Sakura returned the smile. It was nice to feel so appreciated, although she suspected that the elderly man would have greeted any visitor with such enthusiasm. She didn't understand why the people of the city paid so little attention to the library.

'I'm looking for a Calculus book,' she said. 'I'm having problems understanding something and want to try and study about it by myself before asking the General.'

'Ah, but of course! A career military man is always interested in such things.' He immediately busied himself with searching for what she requested, leaving her to explore the shelves by herself.

Sakura was skimming a book that caught her attention when he returned, carrying not one, but three books.

'Those three titles are very interesting. They might go a bit beyond what you're studying now, but you're a persistent and smart boy. I'm certain that you'll soon grasp what they're talking about.'

She took the offered tomes and flashed him a smile. 'I appreciate your help, Master Wan.'

She turned away, walking toward a table to start studying when she noticed a little girl nervously entering the library and walking in her general direction. Sakura recognised her as Princess Mei Ling, the young Dame who fell in front of her at the ceremony in which she received her rank of Captain.

At seeing her, the princess faltered, stopping where she stood and looking down with a deep blush on her face.

Sakura took notice of the two books the girl was bringing with her, tensely holding them against her chest. She watched as the younger girl fought an internal battle, probably trying to decide if she should carry on or disappear. After a few seconds, the princess seemed to decide for fleeing and swirled to leave.

'Please, don't go!' Mei Ling stopped where she was, her back still to the soldier. 'Please, come inside,' Sakura continued, pleading with the girl. 'If my being here bothers you, then I'll be on my way.'

Hesitatingly, Mei Ling turned around, glancing sideways at Sakura. 'I… I don't understand,' she said with a quiet voice.

Sakura offered her an encouraging smile, making the princess relax just slightly. 'You don't need to go just because I'm here,' she gestured to the books in her arms. 'Your Highness came to return those, right?'

Mei Ling's face took a crimson hue and she held the tomes even tighter. 'Yes. I'll give them back and try to convince Master Wan to let me borrow some more.'

Sakura flashed her a disarming smile. 'If he refuses, let me know and I'll intercede for Your Highness. One should not deny books to those who wish to read them.'

Mei Ling tilted her head, watching Sakura. 'You're not like the other officers, Captain Kinomoto.'

She smiled sheepishly, scratching her cheek. 'Everyone should have equal rights, don't you agree?'

The princess widened her eyes at hearing the soldier's words and a smile came to her lips. 'I… I think so, Captain.' She bowed her head with rosy cheeks. 'Thank you for offering to help me. I'll try to talk to Master Wan. I hope I don't get on your way, Sir.'

'Not at all,' Sakura paid reverence to the princess, proceeding to sit at a table to study.

She was solving exercises when she heard muffled footsteps and looked up, finding the young Dame near the table, looking at her while holding a book.

'Can I… Can I sit here, Sir?' Mei Ling requested, keeping her eyes to the floor.

Sakura gestured toward the chair. 'Please, be my guest…'

Mei Ling sat in front of the young Captain, opening the book she had caught.

Sakura hid a smile, thinking that the girl reminded her of Cixi, in a way, and wondered how her friend was faring. Then she shook her head and went back to her exercises, not noticing that the Princess watched her with a hint of adoration in her eyes.

In almost no time, Sakura became quite proficient at the Shūfǎ – the Chinese art of calligraphy - as well as at reading, at arithmetics and at military strategy. She had even started to venture into foreign literature, though that was still a new enterprise, intending to learn other languages.

She could usually forget herself inside the Imperial Library, devouring book after book. And the more she read, the more she wanted to know. It was her greatest source of pleasure to learn about her land, the world and the universe.

Now and then, she'd meet Princess Mei Ling at the Library and they would spend some time talking about anything and nothing at all, even though the young Dame still held herself with some reservation at the idea of talking so openly to a man. Sakura could tell that the girl was clever and ingenious and kind-hearted, especially when she'd forget herself and talked enthusiastically about her dreams and aspirations. Mei Ling had so much more to offer than becoming someone's wife. It wasn't fair.

The practical part of her education was a somewhat different story, even if Sakura bore the physical training well and with great zeal.

The General was every bit as good a teacher as he claimed to be and, truth be told, he couldn't really complain about her dedication and improvement, once she was living up to her word of being the best damn student he could've asked for.

Li wasn't kidding about being even more severe than before, either; but Sakura couldn't help thinking that he tended to tyranny sometimes. The worst of it was that he was rubbing off on her, especially when the rest of their platoon resisted to comply with her command.

'You're holding your sword below the waistline of the enemy, Kinomoto! Hold it straight!' the General snapped at her for the third time that day.

Sakura only clenched her teeth and, in spite of feeling like her arms were about to fall off, she just tightened her grip on the handle of the sword, lifting it up to continue with the exhausting drill.

Yancha and the others who survived the battle a few months ago, along with a few new additions, were also practising, but it seemed like the General's eyes could see only his pròtegè. Sometimes, Sakura needed to count to a hundred and back to avoid letting out some choice words and ruin everything she had earned so far.

'Alright, I want you to pair up!' The General instructed, moving to the middle of the group that immediately formed a circle around him.

Pu hastily appointed "Touya" as his partner – or should it be opponent? – and was the first one to step into the centre of the circumference, throwing down the gauntlet at the young Captain.

Sakura heaved a sigh, certain that Pu would try to humiliate her again. And that, once again, the General would only watch from the sidelines. Pu had never liked Kinomoto, to begin with, and after the promotion to Captain, the taunting just became worse.

'Let's see if you deserve the rank of Captain, Kinomoto,' Pu sneered in contempt, as his adversary stepped forward.

Sakura didn't answer; she'd been used to derision all her life and Pu's scorn was immaterial. His disregard for the chain-of-command, on the other hand, was getting on her nerves.

She got into position, anticipating that the man would charge first and wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Their weapons collided in a violent impact, the force of it almost making her lose her balance. Sakura widened her eyes, dismayed at the fact that the man didn't seem to be holding back.

'Are you scared, Kinomoto?' Pu scoffed with a crooked smile. 'The Imperial Army doesn't deserve such a puss of a Captain!'

Holding tightly to her sword, Sakura narrowed her eyes, looking over her adversary.

He was stronger than her. She knew that in a direct confrontation she'd have no chance. Her arms were already tired and her blade was starting to shake with the strength needed to hold against the pressure put on it. She was in a pinch, and couldn't meet the man head-on. Luckily, for her, she didn't need to.

She strained her arms, disengaging his weapon enough to get an opening, then kicked him in the leg and backed out of his range. In her new position, she had a clear view of the General, who was just watching the training with his arms crossed and a knowing look on his face.

She grinned. Pu was strong, but he was nowhere near as strong or skilled as the General. His technique was lacking, he concentrated too much effort on brute force and made very basic mistakes when angered. Plus, it was so easy to get under his skin…

'You know, Pu…' she smirked with a devious smile. 'You're a very privileged man.'

'What are you talking about?' he frowned, none the wiser.

'It's not always that a big man like you get to be ordered around by a child, is it?' she mocked him.

The man glared at her, with a flushed face and bared teeth. 'Shut up!'

She took a fighting stance once more, marking his every move. 'After this fight... After I take you down, you'll do 50 laps around the palace to learn how to show respect for YOUR Captain.'

'You'll never defeat me!' he thundered, charging forward in a frenzy.

Sakura couldn't help thinking about how fragile male egos were, that one just needed to mishandle their pride to make them lose their heads.

The jarring impact of their swords sent sparks flying, while their feet danced around each other, almost too fast for those watching to follow. The more Sakura deflected the erratic blows thrown her way, the more uncoordinated Pu's attacks became.

'Is that all you can do?' she taunted, forcing his blade aside, thrusting her weapon towards his midriff in a crushing riposte.

The impact creased Pu's armour, the vein in his neck starting to throb with his anger. 'You bastard!'

'Tsk, tsk, tsk…' she blocked another of his blows, feeling a bit winded. The fight had to come to an end soon. 'It'll be 60 laps around the palace, now.'

He jabbed the sword at her, his movement uncoordinated and flailing. She ducked to avoid being hit and kicked his legs out from under him with a smooth sweep. She took pleasure in seeing the confused and angry expression on his face when she stepped on the hand holding his sword. He grunted in pain, releasing it, and she kicked it out of his reach.

'Why, Pu! You're already eating dirt...' she remarked, stepping away and eliciting laughter from the troop.

That was it. The match was over.

'I'll kill you, Kinomoto!' He sprang at her, trying to punch her at any cost.

He had almost caught her off guard and Sakura instinctively shielded herself with her sword. Pu hit right on the edge of her sword and it sliced his skin open. He had clearly been pushed far past the point of rational behaviour, so she dropped her blade, dodging his desperate attacks and preparing herself to finish the fight. By the way he was breathing, his stamina could run out at any moment, and her small frame would allow her to dodge away from his frantic attempts to grab her.

'Seventy laps. And it's Captain Kinomoto for you…' She let a grin slide onto her face as she easily evaded his assaults. 'Are you trying to get to the hundredth?'

Without warning, Pu landed a kick to her solar plexus, making her double over, falling to her knees with her hands on her stomach, unable to breathe. It seemed the fight had made her feel too smug and she ended up relapsing with her form.

The small victory seemed to cool some of Pu's blinding rage. He took a step back, almost calmly, and gave her a huge self-satisfied grin. 'It'll never get to a hundred, KID!'

Sakura lifted her face and clenched her fists, glaring at Pu. That was it! She was drawing the line. She was their Captain and he was going to learn Respect, one way or another. She stood up, her eyes ablaze, and motioned the soldier back to the fight.

Pu's smile vanished and he charged his opponent once more, unwilling to give the Captain time to fully recover.

She read his movements and countered his attacks, blow for blow. She blocked a punch, took a step back and grabbed his outstretched arm to get Pu out of balance. With a sweeping kick, she got him on one knee and spun to his back, immobilising him before knocking him out with a kick.

Sakura straightened herself up, looking down on the troop who watched her in incredulous silence.

'Yancha,' she called out to the burly man, seeing him step forward. 'Take this fool to the medical ward.'

'Yes, Kid... Er… Captain,' Yancha immediately carried out his orders, picking the passed out soldier up from the ground.

'And stay with him to make sure that he'll take a hundred laps around the palace before sunrise tomorrow,' she instructed, watching as he walked away.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura turned to the rest of the troop and strutted to where the General stood, her movements firm and precise.

She took notice of Li's seemingly unflappable stance and was surprised to spot a gleam of satisfaction in the General's amber eyes. For a split second, she wondered if anyone else could see the "crack" in his usually malcontented façade.

She shook her head, aware that it was probably something only noticeable by those who knew him. And it seemed that Sakura was starting to know him well enough. So much so that, when she stopped beside him, she had no reservations about taking over the rest of the training.

'Mui, Chén; step forward. You're next!'

She understood now why the General never stood up to punish the soldiers who disregarded Touya's authority, despite the break in protocol. He was expecting that the Captain thrived without support.

And it seemed that, because of that, she had finally found her voice as Captain

To be continued.

Edited on: November 28th, 2019.