AN: Since this is the story of how our OTP's people band together to save them (and others), there's no XingYue in this chapter whatsoever. In order to offset that, I've posted an intro to what will eventually be my next story, "Awakening." It's rough. It's unplanned. Few things are set in stone. The plot is nonexistent. But the idea for the world is there, and there's XingYue. Feel free to check it out and leave some input about where you'd like to see the story go. (I might even listen to it;).)
He Xiao carried the half-dead soldier in his arms, knowing that the man's odds of survival were slim given the sheer amount of injured they were trying to help versus the lack of medics in their midst. There wasn't even enough room to set aside all the wounded and dying, much less house them in a safe, warm environment that would give them better odds of survival.
Still, he carried his burden towards the infirmary, hoping against hope that there might be a place for this loyal Xiuli soldier who had been with him for so long. He was one of the men who'd lifted his head up to Chu Da Ren as she'd ridden through the light into the gates of Chang'an in what sometimes seemed like another life. Chu Da Ren could do nothing for this soldier or anyone else—and might never be able to do anything again.
The thought of Chu Da Ren surviving the battle only to die of an injury afterward hurt He Xiao in a way that few things ever had. He was a warrior through and through, a man who had faced death countless times and who would likely do so again and again until he died with a sword in his hands.
That would happen later, however; now, he had a dying man in his grasp and an obligation to get him the care he needed.
Just as He Xiao had feared, the infirmary was packed. He turned towards the overflow tent that had been erected a short distance away, knowing that it was likely full as well. They simply didn't have the resources to deal with this level of carnage. He Xiao saw enemy injured being cared for along with his people, and he smiled because he knew that Chu Da Ren would've approved.
His smile turned to a scowl, however, as he realized that the man in his arms would likely die due to their decision to assist the enemy wounded. He felt that helping everyone who was injured was the right thing to do, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be angry at the injustice of the death of a good man due to attempts to save some less-than-good men.
Miraculously, there was a place available in the overflow tent, so he handed his man off to a harried-looking medic and immediately headed back towards the battlefield. As he neared the infirmary, however, his feet slowed automatically and he gave into the temptation to check in on Chu Da Ren before heading off in search of more wounded to save.
He stepped through the door and stopped cold, his eyes widening in shock and anguish at the scene before him. Chu Da Ren was covered in and surrounded by blood, and Young Master Yue was slumped over in a chair beside her, looking even paler than she did. Mister Wu was in the process of removing a strange device from Young Master Yue's arm, his face a mask of worry and...guilt?
The woman—Phoenix, Chu Da Ren had called her—watched the entire process with a faint sneer on her face. She turned to look at He Xiao, having heard his approach. Her eyes widened in recognition as she grabbed a small bowl and a knife and turned towards him. He Xiao was, of course, wary of such a fierce warrior approaching him with a bared blade, but her body language did not seem to indicate aggression towards him.
"You're the one who carried her here," Phoenix stated.
"Yes...um..."
"Phoenix will do," the woman said, a corner of her mouth twitching.
"I had the honor of carrying Chu Da Ren here, yes, Phoenix," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing.
"I don't have time to explain what we're doing, and you probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Cut your hand—or reopen a wound, if you'd like—and drop some blood in this bowl. I'll test the blood. If it matches Chu Qiao's, I'll take some blood from your body and put it into Chu Qiao's. Doing this could save her life; if I don't do this, she'll die. Understand?"
He Xiao blinked at her in astonishment a few times before taking the knife she'd held out to him and using it to reopen a slice on his arm he'd taken at the mouth of the pass. He allowed a few drops to drip in the bowl before looking up at Phoenix in question.
"A few more," she commanded.
He squeezed the wound and caused a bit more blood to fall into the bowl. She took the container away without another word and did...something to it. He Xiao had no idea what was happening, but he could see that whatever she was doing to the blood was causing it to...ripple, he supposed. Her eyebrows raised, and she brought another bowl next to it—Chu Da Ren's blood, perhaps?-and did the same thing to it. The blood in both bowls seemed to move in the same way; Phoenix smiled in response.
"What do I have to do?" He Xiao asked before she had a chance to say anything.
The woman gave him an appraising look for some reason, although He Xiao felt that his question was a perfectly logical one given the circumstances. He knew that time was short, after all, so why waste time on small talk and explanations?
"Sit where that Yuwen was sitting," Phoenix said, inclining her head towards the now-empty chair.
He Xiao did so, noting that Mister Wu was in the process of gently placing Young Master Yue in one of the few beds they had in the infirmary. He looked worse than He Xiao had ever seen him, and the warrior worried that his general's beloved might not survive.
Phoenix's approaching footsteps drew his attention back to the matter at hand, and his eyes widened as he saw the warrior holding a device that looked somewhat similar to the one that Mister Wu had used on Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue. His eyes grew bigger when he noted the dart at the end and remembered that Mister Wu had removed something similar from Young Master Yue's arm. He caught Phoenix looking at him in question and glared at her.
"I'm not afraid," he said fiercely. "Just tell me what to do to save Chu Da Ren, and I'll do it."
"This could kill you, you know," Phoenix said, holding an empty glass jar in one hand and the darted device in the other. "I know you lost blood during the battle, so you probably don't have much to spare."
"My life has belonged to Chu Da Ren since she claimed it at the gates of Chang'an months ago," He Xiao said. "I could never live with myself if she died and I knew I could've saved her."
"I just wanted to make sure you understood the risk," Phoenix said. "This probably won't kill you, though. I took enough blood from that Yuwen to give Chu Qiao several hours before she needs any more, so we have time to take just enough from you. It's a better, safer method of blood transference that we developed not long before Luo He..."
He Xiao nodded into the silence although he didn't understand—especially after Phoenix trailed off. He held out his arm and didn't flinch when Phoenix inserted the dart into it. The dart was attached to some sort of small tube that ended inside the glass jar that Phoenix had put on the ground at his feet. He watched in amazement as some of his blood flowed through the tube—intestine, maybe?-and into the jar.
"Is this all I have to do?" he asked the warrior.
"Yes," she replied. "Once you've filled up the glass jar, I'll empty its contents into a bag and I'll introduce it into Chu Qiao's blood slowly."
"A bag that can hold blood?" He Xiao asked incredulously. "What's the bag made out of?"
"Do you really want to know?" Phoenix asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not really," He Xiao conceded. "I don't need to understand the details about the way you're saving Chu Da Ren; all that matters to me is that she lives—and Young Master Yue, of course."
Phoenix's eyes darkened in displeasure.
"I don't know if that Yuwen will survive or not. He gave his blood and his life willingly for Chu Qiao, so I followed his instructions and took as much blood as was necessary to ensure her survival—for now, at least. Chu Qiao's well-being is my primary concern; I honestly don't care if that Yuwen lives or dies."
"'That Yuwen,' as you call him, is the man that Chu Da Ren loves!" He Xiao said. "How do you think she'll feel when she awakens and learns that the man she loves died for her?"
"She'll mourn his loss and then honor his sacrifice by living well—and by taking her rightful place at the head of her people, of course."
He Xiao smiled humorlessly at the woman.
"The last leader who believed that Chu Da Ren would forgive him for killing people she considered hers is currently being prepared for burial. While Chu Da Ren didn't kill him, she did turn on him in an attempt to save her people."
"Who are her people now?" Phoenix asked. "People she cared for when she had no memory of her identity or her destiny? Now that she remembers who she really is, she'll surely take her place at our head and cast off the life she was living in the darkness of memory loss."
"Chu Da Ren didn't seem particularly different to me even after she regained her memories. In fact, she was clearly still in love with Young Master Yue in spite of the return of her knowledge and abilities."
"A minor obstacle—especially when Young Master Yue dies from blood loss and illness."
He Xiao opened his mouth to continue arguing with the woman, but he figured that doing so would be pointless.
Besides, I probably shouldn't anger someone who has a dart sticking in my arm—and who could probably kill me with her bare hands.
"So how many times will I need to do this for Chu Da Ren?" He Xiao asked, acting as awkwardly as possible as if he simply wanted to change the subject.
"A few more times through the evening and night," she said condescendingly, taking his bait.
"Will that kill me?"
"Not if you eat, drink, and rest in between," Phoenix replied.
"Am I the only one who can do this or could someone else do this for me?"
"Anyone can volunteer as long as he—or she—has blood that vibrates similarly to Chu Qiao's as you saw it do during the test."
"So you can do this specific type of transfer multiple times and with multiple volunteers?"
"Yes."
"So if I rounded up some of my men and brought them here, you could test them and use their blood to save Chu Da Ren if their blood matches hers."
"Yes."
"So if several men and I are compatible with Chu Da Ren, will she have enough blood?"
"And a surplus if necessary."
"A surplus?" He Xiao said, injecting hopefulness into his tone. "One of my men that was recently brought in...he was in a bad way. Could you maybe…?"
Phoenix sighed.
"Theoretically, yes, I could use any surplus blood to save your man so long as Chu Qiao's needs were met and the blood was compatible."
He Xiao grinned fiercely, knowing he'd won another battle even if his adversary did not yet know herself to be defeated.
"As soon as I'm done, I'll go tell the men that they're needed to save Chu Da Ren's life—and maybe the lives of their brothers as well. You won't have room for all of them once I tell them."
Phoenix sighed again.
You have no idea, He Xiao thought, smiling to himself. Chu Da Ren, I promise I won't let you die—either of you.
He Xiao made idle chit-chat with Phoenix as she took the device from his arm. He thanked her for working so hard to save Chu Da Ren and gave her firm instructions to find him if his general took a turn for the worse and needed more blood. She humored him and agreed, taking the jar of blood away to do who-knew-what with it.
He walked out of the infirmary without a backward glance. While he was a bit light-headed, that unpleasant sensation could not keep him from his task. He Xiao was sure that once he told the men what was going on with both Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue, they'd be eager to help him to convince Phoenix to save both their general and her beloved.
Nothing will stop me; nothing will slow me down.
Meng Feng had been outraged to discover that Xia Chong had been dumped unceremoniously outside the spillover tent with the rest of the injured who might be able to survive if the heavens were to smile on them by granting them a place inside. The soldier she'd tasked with Xia Chong's safety was nowhere to be found, and Meng Feng had to concede that he likely hadn't had much choice in the matter of where to put his charge. There was simply no room anywhere for anyone except those who happened to arrive at the right time—or who had the right people to vouch for them.
While she and Yuan Song were treated with respect by the Xiulis and soldiers, acceptance into the infirmary or spillover tent was haphazard and inconsistent. She was too injured to pull off her "Deadly Afterlife Camp Assassin" routine, and Yuan Song couldn't carry her Xia Chong with one arm, much less strong-arm his way inside.
As usual, she was making do with what she had, which was an old, ratty blanket that was currently spread out on a relatively flat, dry patch of frozen earth. Meng Feng had done her best to clean out the wound as Yuan Song had propped up Xia Chong with his arm, acknowledging that the two of them might've failed to remove all the slivers of wood that had embedded themselves in the wound.
She looked up at Yuan Song helplessly, seeing hopelessness reflected in his own eyes. They both clearly knew there was nothing more they could do without a trained medic who knew what needed to be done next.
"We can't let her die, Yuan Song," Meng Feng said. "I owe Xiao Ce too much."
"So do I," Yuan Song replied.
"How do you owe Xiao Ce?" Meng Feng asked.
"Were it not for him, Yuwen Yue never would've rescued you—and I never would've met you," he said, looking at her in a way that made her breathing hitch.
"Well, then, we'll just have to find a way to—He Xiao!" Meng Feng shouted at the warrior who was passing by. She knew that if anyone could get Xia Chong into the infirmary, this man could.
He frowned in annoyance as if Meng Feng had interrupted an important mission. Nevertheless, he came over to them and greeted them.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but our ally is seriously hurt and needs to be taken care of. I know there are a lot of people in that same situation, but Xia Chong-"
"-is the one who was fighting the Liang princess so valiantly," He Xiao said, recognition flaring in his eyes.
"Yes," Meng Feng said in relief. "In fact, she's the one who told us about the situation here and who found out about the rebel Yanbei troops from her contacts in the city."
"Contacts?" He Xiao asked sharply.
Meng Feng mentally chided herself for giving away too much.
"Yes, contacts," she said carefully. "I don't want to talk about it here, but I'll just say that she works for someone powerful who has been known to help Chu Qiao and Young Master Yue on occasion and leave it at that."
"Mm," He Xiao grunted.
"She can also do whatever it is that A'Chu and Yuwen Yue can do—or could do—with the ice," Yuan Song said. "I saw her send some ice shards at Xiao Yu myself during the fight."
"I thought I saw her do something like that myself, but I figured that my eyes had deceived me. Whatever her motivations, I can't let such a brave warrior die," He Xiao said, carefully picking the injured warrior up. "She looks a lot like-"
"We noticed," Meng Feng said. "I have a feeling that other people have noticed, too."
He Xiao didn't say anything to that as he quickly walked back to the infirmary. He told them about his mission, and both of them agreed to be tested. Yuan Song scowled at her as she said that, telling her that she'd already lost too much blood and that she needed to receive treatment. She managed to put him off until they reached the infirmary, where he became distracted by the chaos.
"...has some of your people's abilities," Meng Feng heard He Xiao say as she entered the infirmary.
Apparently he was arguing with the woman whom Chu Qiao had called Phoenix about treating Xia Chong personally. Meng Feng was content to let He Xiao handle this situation since he was obviously more familiar with the Underworld agent than she was. Her eyes were drawn instantly to Young Master Yue, who looked so pale and weak under the thin blanket that was covering him. She walked over to her master, her eyes misting with tears at how close to death he looked.
Mister Wu had been watching the exchange between He Xiao and Phoenix closely; Meng Feng felt that there was a story there but that Mister Wu was keeping quiet about it for some reason. The man struck her as the type of person who was willing to patiently wait in the shadows until the right time to act arrived.
"There isn't much I can do," Mister Wu said softly beside her. "After letting Phoenix take so much of Yuwen Yue's blood for Chu Qiao, he needs blood and warmth, but the odds of him receiving either, especially from her..."
"I take it she can't just use Ice Martial Arts and..."
"The power of the Ice Martial Arts abilities is amazing, and I've seen people do incredible things with them. One thing they cannot do, however, is to heal a person. True, someone gifted in their use can employ various techniques to stave off death for a time, but eventually, real medical care will be needed."
"Would this medical care require the use of Ice Martial Arts techniques or could someone else skilled in medicine provide them?"
"In all likelihood, Young Master Yue would stand a decent chance of survival if he had some replacement blood and better medicine. If someone could get me those things..." Mister Wu trailed off, looking at her meaningfully.
"Really?" Meng Feng heard Yuan Song exclaim excitedly across the room.
"Yes," Phoenix said. "Your blood matches Chu Qiao's, so you'll be able to give some of your blood to her if necessary."
"You know, Miss Meng, one thing we've discovered about blood is that if two people match, then the blood of anyone else who tests similarly can be used on either person with high success rates."
"Is that so?" Meng Feng said, a calculating look in her eyes.
"Indeed," Mister Wu said, smiling mysteriously. "In fact, were enough people to be found who were compatible, then..."
"Then there would be a surplus of blood to treat multiple matching people—and a lack of excuses for her not to do so—especially in front of said volunteers."
"Why, Miss Meng, I think you may have made a great discovery. In fact, I think that He Xiao over there has also come to the same conclusion—although he didn't say so out loud, of course."
"Of course," Meng Feng said. "Thank you for your diagnosis, Mister Wu. I found it most enlightening."
"My pleasure, Miss Meng. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go and help your friend—who will surely have quite a story to tell when she awakens."
Meng Feng walked back over to Yuan Song, who was sitting in a chair and about to have this odd-looking device inserted into his arm. She wasn't happy about him undergoing a procedure about which she knew nothing, but she knew that Yuan Song would do anything to save a friend. As Phoenix was about to stick what looked like a dart into Yuan Song's arm, a clamor arose at the door as a soldier ran in and looked around wildly. He saw Yuan Song and ran over, clasping his hands and bowing.
"Report!" he gasped, out of breath. "Wei...Wei's come! Wei's here! Outside...up on the ridges...in the passes...everywhere!"
Yuan Song paled and bolted up from the chair, knocking it backwards in his haste before sprinting out of the infirmary. Without hesitation, Meng Feng grabbed her sword and ran after him, unwilling to allow him to face the forces of his homeland without her. She looked around for He Xiao, but he seemed to have disappeared, presumably having gone on his mission to find volunteers for blood-testing.
As Yuan Song mounted the horse that a soldier had prepared for him, she found to her surprise that one had been readied for her as well. Her eyes widened in question as she looked at the soldier who had settled the horse near a boulder she could use for mounting, but he simply gazed at her knowingly. Meng Feng allowed a small smile of acknowledgment to shape her lips as she tucked her sword at the horse's left side and then climbed into the saddle as quickly as her injury would allow.
She urged the horse as swiftly as she could given the circumstances, which was fortunately just fast enough to catch up with Yuan Song as he neared the perimeter of their triage area. The prince frowned at her as he saw her riding up at his right side, but she blanked her face and jutted out her chin in defiance.
"You need to go back, Meng Feng," he pleaded with her. "You're too hurt. You need to get help. Please," he said softly. "I just lost Chun'er. I can't lose y-"
His words were cut off as they cleared the triage area and came back onto the main pathway. Wei troops armed for war ringed the ridges just as the soldier had said. Yuan Song rode harder, and Meng Feng matched him speed for speed. Her side was pulsing flashes of agony through her, and stars flared behind her eyes with every hoofbeat.
When they were close enough to the main pass to identify individual faces of soldiers, Yuan Song pulled up suddenly, his expression shocked. Meng Feng stopped her horse as well, almost passing out from the pain.
"What are you doing here, brother?" Yuan Song asked warily, his back straight and his shoulders squared as he sat competently atop his horse.
Meng Feng was glad she'd come, glad she'd endured the pain to stand—or sit—at the side of the man she loved as he faced down his older brother with the fate of multiple kingdoms hanging in the balance.
Prince Xiang stared in astonishment at the bruised, battered man dressed in Yanbei armor who claimed to be his brother. The man he saw before him looked little like the listless, despondent youth to whom he'd said farewell back in Chang'an and bore no resemblance whatsoever to the feckless boy Yu'er had once been.
I've never seen him look so...manly, Xiang thought, unable to express the change in his brother in any other manner.
His adviser had painted a grim picture of the current status of Yanbei, claiming that Chu Qiao and a group of co-conspirators had staged a coup to install Wu Daoya as the ruler of Yanbei—after removing all obstacles in their way, of course. As he looked around him at the carnage and his brother's current mode of dress, however, he had to acknowledge that things simply weren't adding up.
"Yu'er?" Prince Xiang finally managed to say. "Is that really you?"
"Of course it's me, Brother," Yu'er said, giving him a strained smile. "Who else would I be?"
Now that sounds more like the Yu'er I know.
"I'd been told...never mind. I barely recognized you, Yu'er. You look..."
"Like I took over a rebel splinter of Yanbei troops, fought the other rebel soldiers at the base of Xiuli Mountain, and then fought most of the Black Eagles on the shores of the icy lake?"
"Um..."
"And rescued Yuwen Yue and A'Chu just in time; that happened, too. But then they got shot and fell into the lake, and then they came out of the lake and could do...icy martial arts things...And then the Underworld showed up. That was scary."
"What?!" Prince Xiang finally managed to say. "Yu'er, you're not making any sense."
"You think hearing about today doesn't make any sense? You should've tried living through it. That made even less sense."
Prince Xiang sighed.
Underneath all of that battle grime and world-weariness, he's still my little brother.
"I'm sorry, Brother, but so much has happened in such a short amount of time..."
Yu'er trailed off and suddenly got a look on his face that scared Xiang worse than anything he'd encountered so far. The obvious concern in the expression of the beautiful woman sitting next to Yu'er made the pit of his stomach drop. She reached out a hand and lightly touched Yu'er's shoulder near where Xiang knew his old wound was, and he was shocked when his brother not only allowed the touch but leaned into it slightly.
"What's wrong, Yu'er?" Prince Xiang prompted his brother.
The woman at his side sidled closer to Yu'er, obviously lending him comfort. His brother straightened his shoulders and looked at him with a level of maturity and determination that he'd never seen in him before.
"Before I tell you, Brother, you need to tell me what you're doing here," Yu'er said calmly but firmly.
"I heard you were in trouble, so I came to rescue you," Xiang said, telling the partial truth.
"So these tens of thousands of troops around us are just a big rescue party?" Yu'er asked, a sharp note in his voice.
"They're here to do whatever's necessary to protect you," Prince Xiang said, scowling.
"I see," Yu'er said, his face going hard. "But they won't do anything now that I'm clearly no longer in danger, right?"
"That remains to be seen," Xiang said.
The coldness that took over Yu'er's eyes was so completely alien in that typically easy-going face that Prince Xiang almost physically recoiled from it. While the events of the past year had changed his brother significantly, he'd never seen his brother look at him in that way.
"That's what I thought," Yu'er said. "Well, then, go ahead. Slaughter us."
His brother waved his left arm in the general direction of the pitifully few troops who had mobilized on the path behind him. They were all tired and bloody, but they were clearly willing to follow Yu'er into battle even if the result was certain death. While the woman at Yu'er's side didn't have a weapon in her hands, her sword was within easy reach—and he had no doubt she knew how to use it.
"What are you waiting for, Brother? We're right here waiting for you. We're exhausted. We're hungry. We're wounded. We're easy targets to further the glory of Wei. There hasn't been enough blood shed today. We haven't suffered enough loss. So go ahead and kill us."
"What's gotten into you, Yu'er?" Prince Xiang asked.
"Responsibility, Brother," Yu'er said. "Responsibility's gotten into me. These men are my responsibility because they fought for me. Many of their brothers died so that we could save the lives of those trapped here. They turned on their own countrymen after their leaders—which included Liang's princess and head spy, Xiao Yu, by the way—ordered them to come here and kill Yuwen Yue, A'Chu, the Xiulis, and anyone else who stood with them. They refused, and their reward shouldn't be to become victims of Wei's next great conquest."
"So they refused to take part in the coup to put Wu Daoya on the throne of Yanbei?"
"Wu D—what do you mean, Brother?"
"So you didn't know about Chu Qiao's little plan, then," Xiang said condescendingly.
"Of course I knew about A'Chu's plan; I was in on it almost from its beginning—or at least its middle."
"No, Brother, you only thought you were in on the plan. My adviser told me that the real plan was for Chu Qiao and her followers to kill all of the leaders of Yanbei, to fool Yuwen Yue and you into meeting the conspirators here, and then to attack you—eventually setting Wu Daoya up as the leader of Yanbei."
Yu'er barked a laugh, shaking his head in denial.
"If that was their plan, they did a terrible job of it," Yu'er said. "Maybe you need to hire a new adviser, Brother. I don't think yours has your best interests at heart—or mine, for that matter."
"But he's very experienced-"
"Is that supposed to be a point in his favor?" Yu'er asked him mockingly.
Prince Xiang opened his mouth to retort, but he had to concede his brother's point.
"Well, he seems to have been wrong on several points, but there's no point in arguing about that now since there are more important things to worry about."
"Ah, yes, like our impending deaths," Yu'er said darkly. "Daylight doesn't last too long up here, Brother, so if you are going to conquer Yanbei, you'd better get started soon. Fighting in the dark's not much fun, after all."
Prince Xiang looked around himself uncertainly, feeling as if he were fighting a battle against a foe he couldn't even begin to understand. His adviser had made so much sense when he'd encouraged him to attack Yanbei, but seeing his brother dressed as a battle-weary Yanbei soldier who was clearly a leader of men had unsettled him greatly.
"You were going to tell me something before you asked me again what I was doing here," Xiang said, wanting to change the subject. "You said you'd tell me what happened after I told you why I was here, so tell me now."
"Okay, Brother, I'll tell you," Yu'er said, his face unreadable. "To be fair to your adviser, almost everyone showed up here to fight. Everyone wanted to get to Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue especially; everyone wanted revenge on someone. One of those people was, as I said earlier, Xiao Yu, head spy of Liang. She managed to fool the leaders of Yanbei into thinking she was one of the last female pugilists-"
Xiang laughed incredulously, expecting Yu'er to join in. His brother, however, remained serious and continued.
"She helped lead them here and ended up fighting with another pugilist, a woman who fought on our side named Xia Chong. After the battle was over, we went up to the ridge where we'd last seen them. Xia Chong was near death; she might be dead by now for all I know. Xiao Yu was dead, shot with a crossbow at close range. Her killer was lying on top of her, Xiao Yu's sword through..."
To Xiang's astonishment, his brother's voice broke and his eyes misted over. The woman beside him sidled close again, not touching him this time but lending her support nevertheless.
"It was Chun'er, Brother," he choked out. "Chun'er killed Xiao Yu, presumably in revenge for all the problems the Liang princess has caused. She also killed Yan Xun and probably thought that Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao had been killed by Xiao Yu. She died with a peaceful smile on her face. So go on, Brother. Take your vengeance on us. Uphold our family's legacy and further the honor of Wei. We won't be able to stop you."
Prince Xiang wanted to say something, do something, but he was simply unable to process what he'd just heard. None of it made sense.
"Chun'er's dead?" he asked softly, brokenly. "But that doesn't...She killed Yan Xun? My adviser said-"
"Your adviser's probably only looking out for his own best interests," Yu'er said harshly. "Most of what he's told you about what's been going on in Yanbei has been at best wrong and at worst untrue. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd had a hand in setting up this battle behind the scenes—and that he'd expected me to be unable to refute his version of events at its end."
Dong Fang Ji had filled Xiang's head with visions of conquest and glory, and he was having a hard time of letting them go. Neither his sister's death nor his brother's status as at least an honorary Yanbei soldier changed the fact that he could end the threat of Yanbei once and for all while gaining much territory and resources for Wei.
"That may be, but this is still a perfect opportunity for me—for us, Yu'er," Xiang said.
"And what opportunity are you generously offering me, Brother?" Yu'er asked. "The opportunity to prove myself a liar to my allies? The opportunity to allow the slaughter of even more innocent Yanbei citizens? I guess I would really be upholding the family tradition then. No, thanks, Brother. I'll allow you to keep all the glory of this 'opportunity' for yourself."
Prince Xiang's face darkened and he readied his retort, but Yu'er suddenly slumped his shoulders, looking more tired than Xiang had ever seen him.
"This is getting us nowhere, Brother," Yu'er said. "I don't care what your adviser said. I don't care whose fault any of this is. I don't care about your thirst for conquest or vengeance or whatever's driving you. Chun'er is dead. Yuwen Yue and A'Chu are fighting for their lives in the tiny, poorly-equipped infirmary. Meng Feng's-"
"What?! Yuwen Yue! Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"I did, Brother, but as I said, so many other things have happened that you probably just didn't hear me. Xiao Yu shot both him and A'Chu...I can't even begin to tell you the whole story right now. There's someone there who might be able to save them, but..."
Yu'er sighed. The woman next to him swayed slightly in her saddle, and Xiang noticed for the first time that the blood on her left side was fresh seepage from what was probably a vicious slice wound to her gut. His respect for her rose as he realized how badly she was hurting now—and how badly she apparently wanted to be at his brother's side. As Yu'er once again tried to tend to her in concern, the look on his face made Xiang frown as he realized that his brother had likely fallen for another unsuitable woman.
"What's your name, Miss?" Xiang asked, buying himself some time to think things over.
The woman straightened in the saddle, clasped her hands in front of herself, and bowed slightly.
"Your Highness, your servant's name is Meng Feng. I serve Young Master Yue and have been charged with protecting Prince Yuan Song from harm."
"I thought you seemed familiar," Xiang said. "So you're my brother's personal guard?"
Before Meng Feng could answer, Yu'er's face lit up in that mischievous way that Xiang hadn't seen in ages.
"She's my right hand," he said, grinning impishly.
The woman looked at Yu'er in indulgent exasperation, her expression telling Xiang that she likely returned his brother's affections.
"She's fought at my side all day and is the reason I'm still alive. I don't know what I'd do without her," Yu'er said. "She needs help, Brother. So many others do, too. You can save a lot of lives today; I know you can. Please don't go down the same path that so many others have gone down to their deaths—and the deaths of so many innocents."
When did you grow up, Yu'er?
"How did you get that wound in your side, Miss Meng?" Xiang asked, stalling for time again as his resolve to fight weakened.
"A'Jing, the leader of the Yanbei forces, came for Yuan Song at the base of the mountain," she said calmly. "I stopped him."
Yu'er laughed grimly.
"That's an understatement. She fought and killed one of the best fighters on the field on my behalf. She keeps telling me that her wound isn't that bad, but I can tell from your expression that your experience on the battlefield tells you otherwise. I'm sure that one of those medics you brought along on your grand and glorious conquest can help her, Brother. Please don't make me lose her today, too."
The naked pleading in his brother's eyes was agonizing. Prince Xiang opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, hesitating to let go of such an easy victory that was so clearly within his grasp. Before he could respond, however, Meng Feng slumped in her saddle and appeared to lose consciousness.
"Meng Feng! No!" Yu'er said desperately.
The woman fell out of her saddle and into Yuan Song's right side, and he was unable to catch her with his left hand though he tried desperately to do so. Before she could hit the ground, however, several of the Yanbei soldiers that had been arrayed behind Yu'er rushed over to catch her. They set her down gently, and Yu'er dismounted his horse as swiftly as he could. He gently cradled the woman in his arm, the expression on his face making his feelings clear to all around him.
Yu'er looked up at him pleadingly, and Prince Xiang felt his ambitions melting away.
"Put her on her shield! Hurry!" he barked at a Wei soldier standing nearby.
The man jerked in startlement but instantly obeyed. The Yanbei soldiers helped him, and Yu'er took off his own battered, torn cape and draped it over the woman. He looked up at Xiang in question.
"Tell the men to stand down," he told the officers around them. "Bring half of our medics here immediately. Set up camp at the base of the mountain where it's warmer and tell the rest of the medics to prepare to receive wounded. We only have a little daylight left, and we're going to need every bit of it."
Xiang took a deep breath, committing himself to his chosen path.
"Nobody else is dying today except those we cannot save."
The Wei officers clasped their hands and bowed, quickly going about the tasks he'd given them. Yu'er was still kneeling beside the woman he obviously cared for deeply, unable to take his eyes from her.
The sound of numerous men going to their knees drew his brother's attention, however. As one, the Yanbei soldiers clasped their hands around their weapons, bowed their heads, and pledged their service to his brother. Xiang knew that he would've found the bewildered expression on his brother's face to be amusing under other circumstances, but he couldn't help but be moved at the evidence of how much his brother had matured in the past several months.
Yu'er accepted their service, thanking them for the loyal service they'd rendered so far, and promised to continue to uphold his agreement with them to seek peace for Yanbei on their behalf. A raucous chorus of cheers rang out, and Yu'er gave them one of his boyish grins. Yu'er looked at the woman on the shield as she was raised up by multiple Yanbei soldiers who insisted on carrying their burden for their leader. Her eyes had opened back up and were full of love and pride; his grin stretched even further across his face. She lost consciousness again, however, and his brother's smile disappeared.
"Let's go to the infirmary," Xiang commanded, taking charge for the moment.
Yu'er led the way, his men parting before him so that he and the men carrying Meng Feng behind him could move as quickly as possible. As the shadows lengthened even more, Prince Xiang marveled at the unexpected turn the day had taken.
While Phoenix wasn't thrilled about those idiots from Wei showing up, she didn't fear them. True, she had to acknowledge that Chu Qiao could die if she had to be moved right now, but Phoenix was confident that she'd be able to keep the Underworld's leader alive long enough to retreat somewhere safer. She wasn't worried about the rest of the Underworld pugilists that had come with her; hiding was something at which they were quite proficient, after all, so why should they be afraid of a bunch of common soldiers?
Phoenix put the soldiers out of her mind and focused on her young charge. Chu Qiao still looked pale and drawn, but she'd lost the deathly pallor she'd had an incense stick or so ago. This method of blood transfer was much easier to do than the direct emergency method they'd developed first; all she had to do was to use the Ice Martial Arts every once in awhile to make sure the blood was flowing smoothly. She had to grudgingly admit that the Yuwen had come through in the beginning of the treatment, though, living up to his promise to do whatever was necessary to save the woman he'd claimed to love.
Not that she felt remotely compelled to save him; on the contrary, she hoped that the Yuwen would die and save them all a great deal of heartbreak. What would he do, after all, when Chu Qiao left him to take her place at the head of the Underworld? Would he let her go easily or would there be a fiercer, harsher war between the Underworld and the Eyes of God than ever before? Yuwens weren't known for letting go of what they believed to belong to them, after all—or for letting go of grudges.
She placed her hand at Chu Qiao's neck, relieved to feel a regular—albeit still somewhat weak—pulse. While so much could go wrong with blood transfers, Phoenix knew Chu Qiao to be a fighter—and a tough kill. Were Phoenix forced to make a prognosis for her patient, she'd give her a reasonable chance of survival and a decent—albeit lesser—likelihood of full recovery. Without the benefit of advanced medicine and more hospitable surroundings, Phoenix was limited in what she could do for the leader of her order.
Mister Wu was currently helping one of the medics treat a serious leg wound on one of the men who had ridden with the young prince and his motley band of misfits. Yuan Song's basic decency and character had shocked her given his heritage; his blood had surprised her in multiple ways. While she hadn't spent much time around him, her overall view of him was positive—except for his naivete, which could be fatal.
Of course, she mused, if he can manage to convince that moronic family of his to allow him to marry that Afterlife Camp assassin, she could probably help temper that naivete with some good sense.
Phoenix watched the chaos of the infirmary impassively, feeling no compulsion to help anyone but Chu Qiao. After all, Phoenix had been particularly close to Luo He, so she was the nearest thing that Chu Qiao had to a mother. As such, she was obligated to do her best to care for and protect Chu Qiao—from both physical and emotional harm.
Don't worry, Luo He, she thought to her old friend and comrade-in-arms. I won't let your daughter throw away her destiny and your life's work on that Yuwen. I'll see him dead first.
Several Xiuli soldiers entered the infirmary, their eyes scanning the inside as their eyes adjusted to the gloom. Phoenix could see the moment they recognized her, feeling a stab of amusement as these grown men who'd just survived a fearsome battle hesitated to approach her. She stood there darkly, her face a mask as she figured that she should make these men find their courage to approach her on their own.
Finally, one did, coming forward and telling her that he'd been sent here by He Xiao. Phoenix got a bit more petty enjoyment by brandishing her knife at him, figuring that she wasn't likely going to get much more satisfaction out of anything that was going to happen today. She tested them in short order, finding one who matched Chu Qiao, one who matched Xia Chong, and one who matched nobody.
While Phoenix didn't feel obligated to help the rank and file, she did feel compelled to help Xia Chong since she clearly possessed some measure of Ice Martial Arts abilities. Since Phoenix only knew of one way to get those, she wanted to help the young woman-if only to get the rest of the story from her.
Besides, if nothing else, she could be an asset to us—especially with a bit of training and care.
She watched Wu Daoya check on that Yuwen again and sneered at the waste of valuable time. Phoenix herself went back to setting up the next blood extraction, the soldier looking nervous but determined. Deciding to be nice, Phoenix gave him a small smile. After all, he was helping Chu Qiao, and she could afford to be generous. The man smiled tentatively back at her, and Phoenix figured that her bit of gratuitous socializing was done for the day.
"So this will help Chu Da Ren?" the soldier asked eagerly.
Phoenix sighed, her dreams of solitude dashed.
"Yes," she said curtly, hoping the soldier would take the hint.
"How?" he asked, staring wide-eyed at Chu Qiao.
You wouldn't understand if I told you, she almost said.
"I can take your blood, put it in a bag, hang the bag up, and run a piece of intestinal tubing down from the bag to a needle in Chu Qiao's arm."
The soldier goggled at her, clearly unable to comprehend what she'd just said. She sighed again.
"Chu Qiao's mother developed this technique, you know," she said. "She, Mister Wu, and I."
"So that's where she gets it—her smarts, I mean," the soldier said, grinning. "Chu Da Ren's a great fighter, but she's always thinking of ways to make things work—or to get out of bad situations."
"Her mother was like that as well," Phoenix admitted. "Chu Qiao was always more interested in combat than medicine, but that ability to improvise, to somehow pull off a victory when defeat seems certain..."
"What about her father?" the soldier asked eagerly.
Phoenix felt her face harden, and she could tell from the soldier's fearful expression that he'd noticed the change.
"Forget I asked," he said, eyes wide. "I'm sorry. My father and I don't get along, either."
She checked the glass jar, hoping to see it full of blood. No such luck.
"Luo He...had her own issues with men," Phoenix said evasively.
"Say no more," the soldier said, looking like he meant every word. "I understand that, too. At least Chu Da Ren won't have that problem with Young Master Yue."
Phoenix frowned at the soldier.
"You are going to save him, aren't you? Chu Da Ren would be devastated if she lives and Young Master Yue dies."
"You don't understand, boy," Phoenix said gruffly. "There's bad blood between us. He is my enemy—and Chu Qiao's enemy, too, although her memory loss seems to have not been lifted in that area."
"He's not Chu Da Ren's enemy," the soldier said in puzzlement. "She loves him. Everyone knows it. Everyone's seen it. I wish a woman would look at me the way Chu Da Ren looks..."
The soldier blushed, obviously realizing what he'd just said. Phoenix prayed to whatever ancestors were listening that they'd speed up the blood extraction process somehow.
"I know she loves him," Phoenix explained with what she believed to be remarkable patience. "The problem is she can't be allowed to continue to love him. Her destiny is to come back with me and rule the Underworld, not to marry a Yuwen and help him lead our sworn enemies. Luo He—Chu Qiao's mother—would never forgive me if I let that happen."
The soldier sat in silence for long enough that Phoenix hoped she'd shut him up with her logic.
"Listen, um..."
"Phoenix will do," she said, oddly curious at to what the soldier was going to say.
"Okay, Phoenix," he said, looking down then looking up. "Look. I don't know anything about your politics or Chu Da Ren's destiny or anything like that. I do, however, know Chu Da Ren."
"I've known Chu Qiao all her life," Phoenix said. "I think I know her better than you do."
"With all due respect, Phoenix, you know Chu Qiao, the leader of your Underworld. You don't know Chu Da Ren, the General of the Xiuli Legion—what's left of it, anyway. I was there when Chu Da Ren came riding through the gates of Chang'an surrounded by the light of heaven. She came back not for political gain or power or even because it was her destiny; she came back for us simply because she thought it was the right thing to do. She sees us as her responsibility, you see, so she's willing to do anything to keep us safe—even if that means dying beside us."
"Her loyalty to you is commendable—especially since leading you gave her a sense of purpose while her memories were gone. That's in the past now, however; I'm sure she'll come to agree with me eventually."
"No, she won't, Phoenix," the soldier said softly. "She won't. You see, she also sees Young Master Yue as her responsibility, too. Actually, she sees him as hers, period. You weren't close enough to see the look in her eyes when she was wielding Young Master Yue's sword, but I was. Everyone has something they're willing to risk everything for, something they might even be willing to sacrifice their ideals for."
"The Underworld is that for me—and Chu Qiao, too," Phoenix said.
The soldier shook his head.
"Young Master Yue is Chu Da Ren's something—or someone," he said. "She won't turn her back on him. She won't leave him. She won't stop loving him. She won't ever get over his death—or forgive the one who allowed him to die."
"How will she know if nobody tells her?"
"We'll tell her," the soldier vowed. "We won't have a choice. How could we keep something like that from her? How could we lie to her? She's Chu Da Ren."
"None of that will matter in the end. The bad blood between us and the Yuwens-"
"Won't matter in the end," the soldier finished for her. "As I said before, I don't understand or care about your politics. I don't even know what you're going to do with my blood in a few moments. But what I do know is that, if Chu Da Ren were awake, if she were able, she'd be sitting right here where I'm sitting, willing to bleed for me or any of us—or maybe any person who needed her to, period. And for Young Master Yue, she'd pour out all of the blood in her body so he could live."
Phoenix was silent, not seeing the point of arguing any further with the soldier. She hated to admit that his words—especially when coupled with those of his commander's-had taken root in her mind, but she hadn't lived as long as she'd lived—or attained the nominal leadership of the Underworld, for that matter—by being too proud to accept information gathered from unexpected sources.
"I don't understand all of this," the soldier said, gesturing at the needle and tubing in his arm, "but I do understand that my blood and Chu Da Ren's are the same somehow. And since I know that Young Master Yue got like he is now because he gave his blood to Chu Da Ren, that must mean that his blood is the same as mine, too—and the same as hers. How can there be bad blood between Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue when their blood is obviously the same—and it's his blood that's given her life so far?"
A commotion sounded outside, and Phoenix had rarely been so glad of a distraction—even if it was likely to lead to further unpleasantness. She noted with relief that the soldier's jar was full, so she unhooked him, curtly told him he was free to go, and sent him on his way. As he exited the door, a group of men walked in, followed by a cluster of Yanbei soldiers carrying a woman on a shield. Phoenix realized the likely identity of the man who had followed Yuan Song inside and mentally groaned.
Just what I needed today…
The ride back to the infirmary had been a blur for Yuan Song as he'd ridden as fast as he could, clearing the way for the men carrying the woman he loved. He now understood Yuwen Yue's anguish and his willingness to do anything, give up everything in order to save his beloved. While he comprehended the importance of keeping the peace between the Wei soldiers and his Yanbei troops, his mind and heart were focused on the contents of the shield his men were carrying into the infirmary behind him.
His eyes instinctively tracked to where he assumed Phoenix would be, and he was right: the woman was currently doing...something...with a...bag of blood? Yuan Song shook his head, concentrating on more important issues than the details. He smiled a little, however, as he noted the improved color in A'Chu's cheeks. The smile turned to a frown, however, when he noticed that there had been no positive changes to Yuwen Yue's condition.
Before he could address that situation, however, Mister Wu came up to Meng Feng, comprehended the situation immediately, and matter-of-factly got down to business. He erected a folding screen around a bed in one of the corners; Yuan Song figured that maybe he'd used that when he'd worked on Xia Chong. A'Chu had not been given that extra bit of dignity, but he figured that perhaps the situation had been too dire and chaotic for such considerations.
As his woman disappeared from view, he forced himself to take charge of the situation and do his duty. His brother was currently standing next to Yuwen Yue's bed, a frown of displeasure on his face as he argued with Phoenix. Yuan Song's face hardened as he figured out what was likely happening. He looked up to see He Xiao at his side, a look of calculating determination on his face. Their eyes met, and Yuan Song knew that he'd guessed right. He nodded almost imperceptibly at the warrior.
"Just as I promised, Phoenix, I've brought you many more volunteers," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing to the woman.
Yuan Song felt a pulse of satisfaction as he noted the swiftly-hidden astonishment in the woman's eyes as Xiulis, Yue guards, and even an assortment of his own men poured in through the infirmary, overcrowding it to an almost painful degree.
"So you have," Phoenix said. "I'm sure that we'll be able to find enough volunteers to provide Chu Qiao with the necessary blood to survive."
"Don't forget that my blood's compatible," Yuan Song said enthusiastically.
The look on his brother's face was priceless.
"Compatible?" his brother asked in confusion. "Compatible for what?"
"For A'Chu," Yuan Song said. "Apparently, A'Chu's mother came up with a way to take blood from one person and give it to another who needs it desperately—so long as the blood matches, of course."
His brother's eyes widened.
"That's what I was about to do when you showed up, Brother. I was going to let Phoenix take some of my blood so she could put it in A'Chu."
"I'm glad I got here in time, then. That sounds dangerous."
"Not at all, Your Highness," He Xiao interrupted. "I've had it done to me and I'm alright, as you can see."
"Obviously," his brother said.
"In fact, I told Phoenix I'd even be willing to volunteer again if necessary," He Xiao said. "Especially since Phoenix told me that she'd be willing to save one of my men if I found enough compatible volunteers."
Yuan Song looked over at Phoenix, who was surrounded by a large group of men, fanatical looks on all of their faces. He couldn't help but grin at the sight. The grin slid off his face, however, when Mister Wu emerged from behind the screen and walked up to Yuan Song.
"She should be alright with enough rest and care," the man said without preamble.
Yuan Song slumped in relief.
"Her prognosis would improve if better medicine were available," Mister Wu said.
Yuan Song once again turned his pleading gaze to his brother. Prince Xiang harrumphed softly and spoke to one of his men who'd been standing discreetly in a corner.
"She'll have it," Xiang said.
"Thank you, Brother," Yuan Song said, choking up for a moment. "Now..."
"Now we're going to save Yuwen Yue, right?"
"How did you-?"
"How long have I been a general?"
"Long enough to recognize a setup when you see one?"
"Exactly. So let's spring this trap so we can leave. It stinks in here."
"Right. Now, Brother...You're going to have to let He Xiao and I handle this."
"What do you mean?"
"Phoenix is a stubborn woman with a bad history with Yuwen Yue since she's Underworld and he's the leader of the Eyes of God. If you attack her directly, she'll dig in all the harder. If you come at her more subtly..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Brother. Why not just tell her I'll raze this place to the ground and kill everyone she cares about if she doesn't cooperate?"
"Because then she won't do what you want just out of spite—and she doesn't care about anyone but Chu Qiao. Let He Xiao and I handle this, Brother. Please."
Xiang growled in response, but Yuan Song recognized that particular noise of concession from when they were boys. He turned his attention to the other side of the room where Phoenix had clearly made headway in the testing process. A handful of excited-looking men stood off to the side, obviously the compatible volunteers. He Xiao beamed in contentment.
"I see you've found plenty of matches, Phoenix," Yuan Song said, grinning.
"So I have," the woman said in a harried tone.
"Will that be enough to save A'Chu?" he asked.
"More than enough," she replied. "Don't worry; Chu Qiao will be well soon enough."
"So that means you'll be able to save my man after all," He Xiao said, stepping forward and smiling.
Phoenix sighed.
"I'm busy now, but I suppose I have enough volunteers lined up that I can spare a few minutes to save your man," she said, pulling what looked like a fresh device from inside her robes. "Which one is he?"
He Xiao gave that fierce, triumphant grin of his and strode confidently over to Yuwen Yue's bedside. Phoenix was not amused.
"You told me that one of your men needed saving," Phoenix said in exasperation. "Yuwen Yue's not your man."
"Actually, Phoenix, Yuwen Yue's more my man than most of the men here. I've pledged my life and loyalty to Chu Da Ren's service, and that extends to taking care of the people she loves. She's publicly claimed him in such a way, which makes him my responsibility."
"That's just a matter of semantics," Phoenix said in irritation. "I don't have time for this foolishness."
"You did say that you could give surplus blood to anyone compatible, didn't you?" He Xiao pressed.
"That's what I've heard, too," a faint feminine voice said from a nearby bed.
"Meng Feng!" Yuan Song gasped, whirling around and making his way to his beloved.
She was in one of the few beds near Xia Chong, but not too far from Yuwen Yue. While she was pale and drawn, Yuan Song trusted Wu Daoya's diagnosis. He smiled encouragingly at the woman he loved.
"As I said earlier, she'll be fine with a bit of rest and good medicine. She insisted on being in a place where she could watch things unfold, however, and I didn't see a point to deny her that," Mister Wu said, smiling.
"Thank you," Yuan Song said softly.
"This is all very moving," Phoenix said, "but we all have work to do."
"Yes, we do have work to do," Yuan Song said. "You have your extra volunteers, so now it's time to fulfill your end of the bargain you made with He Xiao."
"I made no bargain," Phoenix scoffed. "All I told him was something I theoretically could do—but he deceived me using linguistic tricks, so now I'm not honor-bound to fulfill anything."
"But-"
Yuan Song felt a hand press on his shoulder before his brother brushed past him and stopped in front of Phoenix.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to talk to some more," Phoenix said snidely.
"You should want to talk to me some more since I can give you something you want," Xiang said.
"What could you possibly have that I could want?"
"Medicine," Xiang said. "The best medicine. You save Yuwen Yue with...whatever it is you're doing here, and I'll make sure that both he and Chu Qiao have the best medicine, the best treatment, the best recovery supplies, everything."
Phoenix frowned, obviously deep in thought. Yuan Song held his breath, and he could tell he wasn't the only one. He felt a soft squeeze on his hand and almost jumped until he realized that Meng Feng had grabbed it. Yuan Song grasped his beloved's hand tighter and squeezed back.
"There's one other I'll need help treating," Phoenix said. "A woman named Xia Chong, who somehow possesses a portion of the Ice Martial Arts abilities passed down through Luo He. Naturally, I want to know how she came by those abilities, but she's hurt severely."
"Done," Xiang said without hesitation. "Start treating Yuwen Yue, and I'll send some of my men down the mountain to get the medicine."
Phoenix scowled as she walked over to Yuwen Yue, but she began the procedure of hooking him up to the device nevertheless.
"You, go down to the camp and bring up my chest of medicine. You know the one," Xiang ordered one soldier. "You, stay here and get this woman anything she asks for. If she tells you to make a dragon statue out of snow, you ask her how big she wants it, understand?"
Yuan Song watched in fascination as his brother took command, seeing a side of him he'd never truly gotten to observe before. His respect for his brother grew. Xiang caught his eye and smiled.
"I'm sorry I doubted you, Brother," Yuan Song said.
"Well, I have been doing this a little longer than you have," he replied. "Your and He Xiao's subtle attack worked well for a while and got us into position, but sometimes..."
"Sometimes directness is best," Yuan Song said.
"I'll have to remember you said that later," Meng Feng said from behind him.
Yuan Song turned around and beamed down at the woman he loved.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were in on this plan, too," he whispered.
Meng Feng widened her eyes innocently, blinking up at him.
"How could I have done such a thing in my current condition?"
"By using your current condition to your advantage," Xiang said dryly.
"What do you mean, Brother?"
"Don't you find it slightly coincidental that she just happened to fall out of her saddle when I was trying to objectively make a decision about what I should do?"
"Surely not, Brother. Meng Feng's not...that..."
Yuan Song looked down at his woman, who was smiling impishly up at him.
"Meng Feng!" Yuan Song whispered loudly. "Were you…? No, you couldn't have been faking...unless Mister Wu..."
"She most definitely wasn't faking her injury, Prince," Mister Wu said, appearing beside him. "Had she waited much longer...well...the prognosis wouldn't have been nearly as good as it is. In fact, she should've received treatment earlier."
"She told me she was fine," Yuan Song said dejectedly.
"And you actually believed her?" Xiang asked, laughing.
"Of course I did! Why wouldn't I? Why would I expect...I always get tricked," Yuan Song said, hanging his head.
"I'm sorry," Meng Feng said softly. "But I couldn't leave you alone to face everything on your own. I didn't want to risk losing you."
"But I almost lost you, Meng Feng. Then where would I be?"
Yuan Song felt as if they were suddenly the only two people in the room. He cupped her cheek in his hand, looking down at his woman with his heart in his eyes. Her own eyes were sparkling with myriad emotions, many of which made his heart pound. Carefully, she lifted one of her hands and placed it over his, looking deeply into his eyes. He lost himself in hers, unaware of anything else going on.
Xiang cleared his throat uneasily, and the moment was cut abruptly short. Yuan Song straightened back up, and Meng Feng let go of his hand, blushing.
"At least we can tell that her color is good, Prince," He Xiao boomed from behind him, laughing.
The rest of the Xiulis in the room joined in the laughter, and the atmosphere lightened considerably. Yuan Song knew that there was much work left to be done, but he knew that if they worked hard enough, they'd be able to save their friends.
"Since you were so enthusiastic to save this Yuwen, you can be the first one to give some of your blood for him," Phoenix said from behind him.
Yuan Song beamed at her, holding out his arm enthusiastically as his woman looked on, pride in her eyes. Phoenix's sigh was music to his ears.
AN: Now everyone's on the road to recovery, so we can get moving towards a satisfactory resolution. Next week: Awakening. Two weeks out: Nighttime recovery. Three weeks out: Daytime recovery. Four weeks out: More daytime recovery; life starts to move on for the others.
Musical selection: "Stand By You" by Rachel Platten. Irum Jaan's cover is respectable, too.
Translation updates: Angel Chua has translated another section of the novel into English and has updated her fanfiction, "Secret Princess," at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.