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 X

Sakura found herself at the Library. She sighed, exasperated, leaning over the books while resting her head on her hand. She was tired. Bruised, too. It seemed that the more she learned, the harder the General pushed her. She was having some difficulty with the sword-fighting lately. The blade she wielded now was too heavy and hindered her movements, so she was trying - with little success - to come up with specifications for a new, lighter sword, one that suited her better. Dammit! She didn't want to ask the General for help.

She heard some muffled steps closing in and scented a familiar jasmine perfume. The hint of a smile drew itself on her lips, as she looked up, watching Princess Mei Ling approach her table. It took her only one look at the Princess's sad countenance to understand that there was something wrong.

Sakura stood up to greet Mei Ling according to protocol and was caught by surprise when the young Dame, instead of taking a seat on the other side of the table, as per usual - keeping an adequate distance between them - stopped right beside her. Too close for comfort.

Sakura took a step back, stumbling over her chair. She was about to turn around and push the chair aside when the Princess held onto her, hugging her tightly while breaking down in tears.

Sakura felt a lump in her throat when she grabbed the whimpering girl's arms, pulling herself apart. She cast a worried glance around, looking for Mr Wan and could breathe out in relief at not seeing him around.

'Your Highness…' Sakura called her, gently. 'What happened?'

Mei Ling raised her eyes to face her. She had gotten used to doing that, knowing that the young Captain would never chastise her for doing so.

'My father… He's finally decided…' she said, weeping. 'I'll be heading to Mongolia in a few days. I'm a married woman.'

Sakura tightened her lips together, not knowing what to say to her. She already knew of the Emperor's intentions. The young Princess's marriage would seal an alliance with the other kingdom, avoiding a presently unsustainable war. As much as she disliked the fact that Mei Ling had no voice, no say in the matter; as a soldier, Sakura understood the diplomatic necessity of it.

'I'm… I'm sorry, Your Highness, but try and see the bright side. You were so eager for your wedding, weren't you? I just hope the Prince's a good husband.'

'But it's you I love!' Mei Ling cried out, blinking back tears and clutching at the Captain's uniform.

A charged silence fell over them both. Sakura blinked a couple of times, trying to understand what the Princess had said. All the while, Mei Ling was praying that the Captain would just take her by the hand, fleeing The Forbidden City.

Sakura gritted her teeth at the young Dame's sobbing. Looking away, she kept trying to get herself free from the Princess's tight grip. Dammit! She would like to clear things up with her friend - she'd never thought the Princess could develop romantic affections toward her, but then again, she should have seen it coming. Touya was, probably, the first and only "man" to treat her with respect, as an equal.

'Your Highness,' she whispered, tenderly. 'You must be confused.'

'No!' Mei Ling interjected, shaking her head. 'I want to be your wife! I want to marry you.'

Sakura took a deep breath, thinking about how to get out of that situation. She didn't want to sadden her even more, but couldn't tell her the truth. It'd be dangerous, too dangerous. She shook her head, unable to find a solution, till it dawned on her.

'Unfortunately, Your Highness, I'm in love with someone else. And I'm bound by a promise to my beloved.' She prayed that the Gods had mercy on her soul and shielded her from Hell for one more lie.

'I-In… In love?' Mei Ling stammered, wide-eyed and taking a step back as if slapped, but without letting go of the soldier's clothes.

'Forgive me, Your Highness, if I ever made you think that my intentions lied elsewhere,' Sakura apologised, bowing her head. 'Besides, I know my place. I'm a low ranking officer and would never dream of courting a princess. I don't even have the stand to properly court my heart's desire.'

'I don't care about rankings or standings. Let's elope, Sir!' the Princess didn't even hesitate.

Sakura shook her head, suppressing a mirthless smile. That young lady didn't know what she was asking for. She had no idea of how life was outside, having spent her whole life sheltered inside the castle walls. She had never been hungry or cold; had never been pushed beyond her own limits just to survive. The whole notion of eloping with the young man she was in love with was nothing more than a fanciful illusion. Supposing that they did run away, what then?

Though Sakura hated to admit it, the General was, at least, partially right when he said that love stories filled the heads of the women of the court with unpractical ideas. She still believed in love, but knew that it was worthless without a modicum degree of rationality.

'And what about your fiancé? If the nuptial agreement is broken, it would entail a war that'll endanger thousands of lives. But Your Highness already knows that, right?'

Mei Ling looked down, still crying and refusing to let go of the young Captain's uniform. Sakura felt sorry for her. The laws of men would always treat women as bargaining chips.

Sakura rested her hand over the girl's that held her uniform. 'I know how strong you are. A daughter of the Son of Heaven must be someone very special; someone who would never run away from her responsibilities. Your Highness has a duty to fulfil for the good of your people.'

Mei Ling looked up; her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

'The gods made you a daughter of the Emperor. Your responsibilities go beyond any romantic fantasies.'

The princess frowned. 'What I feel for you isn't just a fantasy.'

'But it should be! I know my place and, honestly, you must know how important Your Highness's position is in all of China. Unfortunately, in a position like yours, there's no room for self-interest. Your Highness needs to think of your people first and foremost.'

Sakura knew she was being harsh on the girl, but Mei Ling had to understand just how frail her position was and how dangerous it could become. She couldn't afford to pretend to be a common girl looking for love. The breach of such a contract would bring serious consequences and endanger the Empire.

Sakura could see the understanding starting to dawn on her through her damp eyes and sighed. She wasn't unsympathetic to the girl's feelings, but the young Dame's fate was out of reach. 'The Heavens chose you, Princess.'

'And why can't I choose who to love?' she asked with a shaky voice.

'Because your duty dictates that you love your people above any man who might be lucky enough to reside in your heart,' Sakura said gently, thinking that her own duty resided in protecting the Empire above the feelings of her friend.

They remained in silence for a few heartbeats, until Mei Ling closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, finally letting go of Sakura's uniform.

The Princess opened her eyes, blinking away their humidity and lifting her chin. 'Know this, Captain Kinomoto: you'll always be in my heart. I just hope my husband might be half the man that you are.'

Sakura cleared her throat and took a step back, placing the chair between them. 'I'm flattered, Your Highness. I hope your husband to be an honoured man, deserving of you; and that he'll respect you as the special and intelligent woman you are.'

Mei Ling opened a saddened smile. 'I also pray that you'll be very happy with your loved one.'

Sakura nodded in acknowledgement. 'Thank you, Your Highness.'

'She's a very lucky woman,' Mei Ling whispered, before turning around and walking away.

Sakura bowed respectfully, watching the retreating back of the Princess and knowing they wouldn't see each other again. She felt somewhat guilty about rejecting Mei Ling's feelings like that instead of telling her the truth, but she knew that it'd be safer - for both of them - that way.

When the Princess left the library, Sakura was finally able to breathe easily again. She pulled the chair back into position near the table and sat down, running her hands through her hair and taking notice of its longer length. Absent-mindedly, she tied it up tightly, in the same simple fashion some of the soldiers did. It had been Tomoyo's idea to adopt a longer hairstyle and, despite being hesitant at first, Sakura had to admit that it was nice to wear it long again. Even if the shorter cut had been a lot more practical to maintain.

'Well done, Kinomoto,' She was startled by Li's voice, feeling her heart in her mouth as she turned to look at him.

Xiao Lang approached her displaying a smug smile and sat on the chair at the other side of the table. 'You conducted yourself properly when dealing with someone like the Princess.'

Sakura seated straight, crossing her arms and looked at him with narrowed eyes. 'Have you acquired the habit of eavesdropping, now, Sir?'

He smirked, leaning back with his hands behind his head. 'If I hadn't, that tattler librarian would've caught you in a rather compromising situation.'

She groaned and looked down with a slight shake of her head. 'I wondered about Mr Wan's whereabouts during all that…'

'I made him a request for a very hard to find book…' he stated, with a self-satisfied look. 'It was an urgent matter!'

She breathed out and faced him, once more. 'Then I should probably thank you, Sir. It wouldn't be wise to have him interrupting us.'

'I noticed that. For what is worth, I believe you acted correctly by reminding the Princess of her duties,' he smugly raised an eyebrow. 'Didn't I tell you that this love thing just messes with women heads?'

Sakura remained silent for a moment, taking notice of his amusement; then she gave him a quizzical look, which made him frown. 'I don't think you completely understood what had just occurred here, General. It was precisely that "love thing" that gave the Princess the courage to fulfil her duty, in spite of whatever she'd claimed to feel for me.'

'Humph,' he scoffed, bothered by her statement.

'That "love thing" for her people and the Empire will ensure that Her Highness braves a marriage with a man she never saw before, in a foreign court, surrounded by strangers,' she pointed out, steepling her fingers while leaning against her chair. 'My only consolation is knowing that, because you've alerted me to His Majesty's plans for the Princess all those months ago, I had time to make her start studying about the Mongolian language and culture.'

Xiao Lang flashed a big smile in his pupil direction. 'You keep surprising me, boy!' he shook his head and slapped his thighs, before standing up. 'Anyway, I came here to inform you that we'll be departing from The Forbidden City tomorrow at dawn with a new troop.'

She tilted her head, a bit confused for not hearing about that before, but only nodded in acknowledgement. 'Alright.'

'You've been a Captain for a year, already. It's time you got your own unit to train,' he mentioned, making her smile. 'I want you to focus on training these men to deal with mortars and other weapons. We need abler soldiers, with a deeper knowledge of explosives, so it's better if we're away from the city.'

'And where are we going?' she inquired.

Xiao Lang walked around the table and stopped beside her, leaning against the table with crossed arms. 'South.'

'South? Where exactly South?' she asked, noticing that something about that situation was bothering him.

'Near Shanghai,' he sighed, exasperated and shook his head, looking straight at the Captain. 'We'll be escorting Prince Yue to the Imperial residence there so that he can take care of some… Imperial matters.'

'Imperial matters? In Shanghai?' she mocked, finally understanding the unforeseen mission. 'And he's requested your presence by name, has he?'

'At the last minute, yes,' he shook his head with a wry smile. 'As you well know, the Prince is an idiot, but...' he shrugged, rolling his eyes and uncrossed his arms. 'I'll turn his imposition into an opportunity. There's an important firework factory near Shanghai, we'll use their powder to assemble some dummy explosives. Plus, I've got a few ideas I'd like to test.'

That got Sakura's attention. 'Ideas?'

'I've been thinking of ways we can improve our cannons while reducing their size for easier transportation,' the General mentioned, looking directly into Sakura's green eyes. 'But if we're going to test that, it has to be far from The Forbidden City.'

She flashed him a smile, feeling excitement bubble up inside of her. 'Now… you're the one who's surprised me, General.'

'Well… If I'm bound to leave my post with less than a day's notice due to that whimsical idiot, then I should try and make the best of it for the sake of the Empire, don't you agree?'

'Oh, absolutely!'

Captain Kinomoto proudly rode beside General Li.

They'd just left Prince Yue at the Imperial residence that morning along with half the convoy that departed from The Forbidden City the former week. The General made a point of ordering their recruits to set up camp as far away from the Prince as possible without hindering their training.

Sakura couldn't help thinking that, if the General stayed too close, he'd feel tempted to blow the Prince up. Especially after the hellish trip the overbearing man put them through. If she had been on the verge of losing her patience with the childish man, she could only imagine how hard it was for the General to control himself. The Prince just couldn't pass an opportunity to try demeaning Li, as if the General didn't abhor the nobility and everything that had to do with it enough. Xiao Lang hated when people implied that his relationship with Wei was due to him trying to quit the military sphere where he belonged.

Right now, they were going back to camp, along with another ten soldiers, after buying barrels of black powder to work out with the troop. Sakura had taken a look at Li's ideas and was rather excited to begin testing them, but the General was oddly silent.

Suddenly, General Li stopped his horse.

Sakura got in a state of alert, wondering what was the problem as she pulled the reins of her mount so that it would stop beside his.

'You go ahead with the men, Kinomoto. I have some business to attend to,' he said, flatly, making her frown.

She looked away from him and felt as if someone had punched her in the gut at realising where they were. Not far ahead, she saw the outlines of Shanghai, just as she remembered; just as the city used to appear in her nightmares.

She looked at him with irritation. 'What are you planning to do, General?'

'That's a private business, Captain,' he said, narrowing his eyes and pointing his horse toward the city. 'I won't be long. I'll meet you at camp before nightfall.'

Sakura saw him set off at a fast lope, before turning to face the soldiers with a nagging feeling at a corner of her head.

Ever since the start of the war against the Huns, Shanghai had become known as a grey area, unruly, overflowing with conspirators, thugs, panders and opium dealers. It was too damn risky for the General to go to that place by himself. Especially when the city guards had orders to make the rounds in teams. It had even been Li's recommendation in one of those meetings he loved to complain about.

Dammit! Xiao Lang was an intelligent man, so why the hell was he going against his own orders and entering the crime hub of the Empire? It was even worse that he was wearing his full garb. Was that man so arrogant as to consider himself invulnerable?

Sakura heaved a sigh and shook her head, thinking that she would likely regret that later. She called forth the most experienced soldier around and ordered him to take the load to camp.

Then she spurred her horse to follow the General.

Xiao Lang approached the City Gate and pulled the reins, slowing his steed's pace to a trot. He looked around, furrowing his eyebrows while trying to remember where exactly that damn brothel was located.

He sighed, heavily. He was sick and tired of having that unfinished business hanging over his head. It was even giving him nightmares. He, not for the first time, thanked the gods that the girl, whoever she was, had been stubborn and headstrong enough to resist his advances. As well as the fact that he'd been sufficiently drunk not to pose a bigger menace for her.

What he hated the most about China's invaders was the fact that they often raped the women of every village they occupied. He didn't want to be that rude with Kinomoto, either, but didn't want him along for what he needed to do. Especially when he actually believed that the boy's mother had been abused by a Japanese soldier. He understood that the boy wanted to validate his origin, but that love thing didn't exist.

The General was startled at the sight of the boy, as he seemed to materialise out of thin air beside him, pulling taut at his horse's reins. For a couple of seconds, he just stared at the Captain in consternation.

'What are you doing here?' Xiao Lang demanded, annoyed. 'Didn't I order you to get the cargo back to camp?'

'I left Chiang in charge. I trust him to get to camp without incidents.'

'That's not what I asked,' he hissed.

'I came to back you up,' she stated, as if it was obvious, which, all things considered, actually was. 'You're a high-ranking officer of the Empire wandering around Shanghai. This is a lawless city. It was reckless of you to have come alone.'

'I don't need a bodyguard, Kinomoto! Turn around and follow your orders,' he growled at his second in command.

Sakura was about to protest, but the General, suddenly, dismounted, pulling his steed by its reins and walked to a back alley. She widened her eyes, watching as he walked away from her and looked from over his head to where he was going. She frowned at seeing him approach a group of vagrant beggars and got down from her horse, following him.

Xiao Lang knelt in front of a woman with long tawny hair, trying to see her face. He heaved a sigh and shook his head, getting on his feet again. The indigents got close to him, asking for money and he took a few coins from his pouch, giving them alms before turning away, still pulling his horse.

He scowled at Kinomoto when they crossed paths. 'It sucks to screw up when you're drunk.'

'What are you talking about, General?' she asked, taking a second look at the woman, before turning around to keep up with him.

'I thought she was someone else, but she didn't have smaragdine eyes,' he mentioned, gazing at his pupil's wide eyes and open mouth. He, then, shook his head as to dissipate his thoughts and kept moving. That issue was really consuming him and he needed to put an end to it.

Sakura watched his back as he left, suddenly remembering Tomoyo's words that first night. 'Mark my words, Sakura, he'll look for her – for you. Avoid Shanghai at any cost, because if he goes there, he'll try to find the girl to make up for what he's done.'

She shook her head, clutching the leather straps in her hand and forcing her legs to pursue him. Reason told her that Li would never look for her, especially not after all that time, even if Tomoyo had a point in saying that she knew how men thought. So how was that possible? And, most importantly, why?

'Because he's big-headed, like you said, and would never admit to making a mistake unless he was serious about it,' the concubine's voice echoed in her head.

She had to keep calm and consider all the facts. Narrowing her eyes on the General's retreating back, she wondered if he was actually trying to find her. Dammit! She couldn't leave him alone in that city; if something happened to him, she'd never forgive herself. Besides, it would be better if she knew what he ended up finding out; if anything at all. If he, somehow, tracked her back to Yuhan and the Yangs, the discovery of her father's name would put her in great danger.

Sakura hurried up, stopping at Li's elbow and silently watched him for several minutes as he looked high and low for something or… someone.

'Sir, it's not wise to roam over the city like this, especially in uniform…' she forewarned him, once again, as they entered increasingly bleak, filthier and more marginalised alleyways.

'Then you shouldn't have come after me, but, now that you're here, I can't leave you alone, can I?' he looked at her askance. 'Stay close to me and…' he shook his head, heaving a sigh. 'And keep quiet. I have a headache.'

She straightened her back, treading decisively alongside with him. That was the first time the General openly admitted to being in any kind of pain and that made her anxious. She knew it was better to do as he said, but she couldn't help herself for long.

'I can see that you're looking for something, Sir. If you tell me what, I could help you look for it, instead of just following around.'

The General stopped in his tracks, glaring at his pupil. 'It's the second direct order you disobey, Kinomoto. One more and I'll demote you back to a simple soldier, do you hear me?'

She nodded, closing her mouth shut and he turned on his heels, proceeding with his search. Usually, she could get away with talking back to him when they were alone, but his bad mood meant today was not one of those days.

After a few more minutes of silence, she heard the General exhale, audibly.

'You're observant, so you might be able to help me,' he conceded, massaging his temples. 'Look for a young woman with long tawny brown hair and green eyes or the establishment of a "Quang something". I want to get the hell out of this place as soon as possible.'

Sakura widened her eyes, unable to believe her own ears. It was one thing to conjecture about his reasons to be there, but hearing him admit to such a preposterous idea was unsettling. What was he thinking?

Resisting the urge to run her clammy hands through her hair, she held tightly to the reins, pulling her horse forth. She was torn between the fear of being discovered and concern about her General's sanity. That was the least intelligent thing she had ever seen him do - and that was saying a lot! She had to say something to bring him back to reason and give up the search for… Well, for her!

'Sir,' she called him after a while, having controlled herself enough to avoid stuttering.

'You can search in silence, Kinomoto. This place is already too damn noisy…' he replied, scowling at her.

She gave up, trying to say something lest she risked being punished. Sakura nervously wrung her hands, walking through the intricate maze created by Shanghai's narrow streets after Li, when he suddenly stopped, almost making her bump against his back.

Sakura looked up, making out what had caught the General's attention and recognised the place where her virtue had been sold to the same man standing by her side now.

She clenched her hands, her nails biting into her palms as she overcame the shudder that threatened to break her and evened her shallow breathing. She had to keep her cool. She needed to be able to think with clarity. If she started to act strangely, the General would take notice. She was already inviting unwanted attention.

Taking a deep breath, she kept her chin up. She was a man now, a soldier - a Captain. There was no rhyme nor reason for her to look down. Squaring her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes on the structure in front of them and, unbidden, her attention was drawn to the alleyway on the other side and up. She easily located the window she had used to flee. It was high - it was really high! She was, indeed, desperate to get out of that room to risk climbing down using tied-up sheets.

'It's closed,' the General grumbled, attracting her attention.

'It's still early,' she gave him a dismissive shrug.

'Though most of their activities happen at night, brothels in Shanghai remain open all the time,' he explained, approaching the establishment's door to read an official-looking notification attached to it.

Sakura followed him to read the note and had to control herself to avoid grinning at its content. The place had been quarantined.

'Dammit!' he said through gritted teeth, walking around the building and looking through the windows for any sign of movement inside. He kept pacing around the alleyway, like a caged wolf, not knowing what to do.

'Hum…' Sakura hesitatingly drew his attention. 'If you're looking for a girl you met in there, Sir, she's most certainly dead…'

The General spun around, facing Kinomoto with a terrifying scowl. 'How can you be so sure?'

She gave him a one-sided shrug. 'The place is quarantined, so the girl is dead. You must remember the pestilence that affected many of the men who had been in brothels in Shanghai. They died within the month.'

Xiao Lang shook his head and walked away from the building. 'She had escaped from there, so she might not have come back. She was too headstrong…'

Sakura turned her eyes. He couldn't even begin to imagine just how headstrong she was… Better yet, how headstrong she actually is. 'Sir, if she became an indigent, doesn't that just adds to the chances of her dying?'

'As I said, she was too headstrong. She wouldn't die that easily,' he replied, seeing Kinomoto look at him with an arched eyebrow and those damn green eyes. 'She hit me on the head and knocked me out. Me!'

Sakura looked away, scratching her neck. 'Weren't you, as you said before, drunk, Sir? It'd make it… huh, considerably easier for her to knock you unconscious, right?'

Xiao Lang took a couple of large steps toward her, making Sakura held out her arms in a defensive position.

'You really have problems in keeping quiet, haven't you? Just as it seems to be difficult for you to obey orders from your superior officer. You're just as stubborn as…' he pursed his lips and shook his head. 'You either help me look - in silence - or go back to camp, Kinomoto.'

After saying that, Li turned around and went on in his search, the only thing said among them were Li's frequent swearing, muttered under his breath. Sakura followed him around, watching from a distance every time he stopped thinking to have found the green-eyed girl.

As time went by and the sun began to set, she felt more and more like knocking him out again and dragging him back to camp.

Sakura heard him sigh heavily, and it bothered her more than she'd like to admit that he sounded so… defeated. The sound was almost sad. She bit her lower lip, resisting the urge to talk while watching his large shoulders as he strode ahead of her.

She really had difficulty in remaining quiet around him, especially after all the time they spent together; after all the time he'd actually listened to what she had to say, to what she thought. It was hard for her now to heed his order to shut up. 'What exactly are you hoping to do, Sir? What could you do?'

'What could I do about what?' he faced her, almost growling.

Sakura clenched her hands, not believing she was saying those things. 'About that whore, Sir.'

'She wasn't a whore,' he replied, heaving another tired sigh. 'Why are you asking me that?'

'Because, honestly, Sir, I believe you're trying to fix something that can't be fixed,' she put it quite bluntly.

'You can't know that,' he said, looking down and away. 'I have some money with me. A good amount that I've been saving to give to her. Or…' he shook his head, looking at her pleadingly. 'What else could I do?'

Sakura held his gaze in silence for a few moments. 'It's been too long, Sir,' she said, gently and looked down at her feet. 'She's probably dead and there's nothing you can do.'

'Maybe you're right,' he acknowledged. 'But if that's the case, I'll try to find her family to compensate them.'

Sakura creased her brow and tilted her head. He couldn't be serious! What was he thinking? Was he even thinking at all? But dammit if that hadn't touched her on a sore spot.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura detached herself as best she could from the subject. 'Sir, if she had a family, wouldn't that make them the first ones to have sold her?' looking back at him, she moved her hands restlessly. 'Do you even know her name?'

'That's what I was trying to find out at the brothel,' he clarified. 'I'm certain that she wouldn't be back there, but they might've known her name…' he suddenly stopped, as if hit by something. 'The brothel owner could've made a complaint about her disappearance. I might be able to find her name at the City Guard Office.'

'And what will you ask? If they have any information about a girl you almost violated in a brothel over a year ago? See reason, Sir!' she clenched her hands, taking a deep breath and trying to keep a calm façade at what she was about to say. 'You'll become a laughing stock, all because of a bitch...'

'I already told you… she was not a bitch! And you stay out of my business, Kinomoto!' he protested, storming off Shanghai streets.

Sakura marched around, beside him, all over the place that was not only noisy but reeked of moral decay, manure, urine and fumes. She vaguely remembered the awe she felt at entering that city the first time, on her way to the Matchmaker, and couldn't help thinking that she was sadly right. That naïve girl had, in fact, died.

'I will find her, Kinomoto, even if it takes me to hell,' he declared, abruptly.

Sakura looked askance at the General and nodded, slowly. 'I'm sure of that, Sir,' she said with a deep sigh.

She was pretty sure that, with all the lies she'd been telling, her bad karma was piling up enough that they'd end up meeting at a common hell at some point.

To be continued.

Edited on November 29th, 2019.