Three weeks was not such a long time. When Mei Li thought about her years of abuse and torture, it seemed like just minutes in comparison. The world around her did not slow down. The work did not stop piling up. Several times she found herself scolding her mind for worrying so much. It has been less than a month, she told herself. Relax. They will be home soon.
But the anguish would not go away. Li constantly found herself under the same peach tree, waiting for her companions to return and wondering how they had fared. The flowers had still not bloomed. That had only worsened her frustration. Something was not right. The most painful part was not knowing what and not having the evidence to prove anything.
So she waited. She composed her songs and aided the servants and worked alongside her friends in the stables. She would be strong for them.
A month passed and there was still no word from any of them. Li began having difficulty with concentration. Surely they would have written to someone by now. Even just a quick message about bandit trouble or a similar problem would have been something. She brought her fears to Ma Chao, who tried to placate her with encouragement. He believed that they would return soon with Zhang Yui in tow and would wonder why she had been so worried. Lady Yang made similar comments. Still, Li's heart would not be put at ease.
It was, oddly enough, the one man she barely knew who shared her fears for her protectors. She was alone in her room one evening when a knock came at her door. A man strode in before she could open it. Two guards followed him inside to protest. Li stopped them, however, when she saw who it was. "Lord Yin Shang, what is wrong?"
She motioned for him to sit down but he shook his head. "Forgive my intrusion, Lady Mei. I have reached my breaking point and I fear you are the only person who may understand."
"Of course, my lord."
"Have you heard from either Lord Zhao Yun or Master Jiang Wei since they departed?"
Li knew the color had drained from her face as he spoke, for his frown immediately deepened. "I have not, nor has anyone else in Cheng Du. It is unusual considering how stressed they both were before leaving."
"You share my concern then. You're right; I believe something has gone terribly wrong with this mission. They had only allotted one month for its completion. The distance is not far and it did not require extensive manpower." He balled his hands into fists. Li had never seen such a composed man lose control like this before. "Unfortunately, I cannot leave my post to check on them. I have failed to convince anyone of note to ride after them. For some reason, our lord feels that this matter does not require any more attention."
"I have not fared any better," Li said. "Most of those I have spoken with say I am being silly. The others have simply ignored me."
Shang bowed his head in defeat. "Then there is no one who can ride out to aid them? I would rather feel a fool and see them safe than remain ignorant and mourn their lost lives."
Just as with the council, Li saw a possibility almost instantly. Her blood ran cold at the thought of it. This would be a dangerous undertaking if her and Shang's suspicions were correct. But it was their last option. They had to try. "Lord Yin, there is one person who is able to leave their post."
His eyes met hers for a moment. "My lady, you cannot possibly think-"
"Do you have a better idea? If you leave, Liu Bei might take your actions the wrong way and label you a traitor. If I leave, he will dismiss it as a flighty girl's errand to see her friends again."
"You know as well as I that the likelihood of a peaceful ride is slim," he said.
"I have to attempt this anyway. I know the path and the terrain. If Zhang Yui has gathered as many men as I think, they will still be easy to distinguish by their yellow scarves. Besides, no one will stop me at the gates. You know I have to do this."
He sighed and nodded. "Yes, I do. That doesn't mean I like it. The journey will still take several days, and it will not be easy for you. I don't like the idea of you going alone either."
She offered him a small smile. "I have dealt with worse before."
He closed the distance between them and placed something in her hands. "Then take this with you. The ring is a symbol of my authority in Shu. Use it if you find yourself in trouble. The people may not be familiar with your name yet, but mine should be known enough to help you."
"It sounds like there's a story behind that, my lord."
"If you make it back alive with the others in tow, I'll tell you the entire tale. But we must hurry. There isn't much time left and you should leave straightaway."
She slipped the ring onto her first finger. "Thank you, Lord Yin."
"Be brave, my lady. This is a very noble and dangerous mission you're undertaking. Bring them back safely, but do not endanger yourself in the process."
"I will do my best," she said. "Take care." He bowed to her and swiftly left the room. He was right; there was very little time to prepare. She would not be able to take anything with her besides a horse, and there was the issue of getting out of the capital unseen. Li looked outside at the courtyard. The guards at the main gate were switching shifts.
For the first time in a month, she felt elated. She knew exactly when the next shift would occur now. If she planned this correctly, she could make it to the stables without being seen. The lone guard at the side gate would switch shortly after those at the main gate. It would be close, but she needed to at least try. Satisfied with her plan, she set to work preparing for the trip.
Darkness had completely enveloped the area two hours later. Li listened at the door for the guards closest to her. As she waited, she took one last look around her room. Nothing was out of place. On her desk was a single note, written on a scrap of bark from her beloved peach tree. I will bring them home.
The guards passed by her room a minute later. She cracked the door open and slipped out into the hallway. As she hugged the walls and tried to stay out of sight, she found herself thinking about all the times she'd tried to run away from her other masters. Fear had always overtaken her in the end. Something else was driving her this time. For one, she knew that she would eventually return to Shu after this mission was over. Liu Bei was a lord she had come to respect and love, and to abandon him would be to abandon the life she had been given. She also knew that if she didn't leave now, the news of Yun and Wei's mission would only break her heart. There were friends in danger, friends she cared about enough to risk sneaking out for.
Li made it to the stables without any problems. All of the horses were asleep except one. Nightwind, Lady Yang's personal steed, was up and staring at the intruder. Li froze, afraid that the horse would begin making noise and ruin her escape plan. Instead, the horse rubbed her head against the stall door and scratched at it with her hooves. She wanted to go. "Are you sure, Nightwind?" Li asked. Yang Xing's horse would get her there faster than any other except Ma Chao's stallion, and Li knew she'd never be able to control him.
She felt her heart beat madly as she opened Nightwind's stall and led the horse out. There were only a few minutes left before a new guard would be stationed and her escape uncovered. Li hurried to saddle up the horse and fasten the reins.
Nightwind seemed to sense her anxiousness. As soon as her rider had finished, she pulled Li towards the stable entrance. Li mounted, and as soon as her foot was off of the ground Nightwind raced towards the side gate. The last thing Li saw was the glint of the guard's helmet in the torchlight as the two girls ran off into the night.
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Thanks to Nightwind, the journey to reach the village had been cut in half. Mei Li felt drained, starved, and bruised as she finally made it to the ruins. Still, she was grateful to have made it in one piece. The difficult part of her mission was close at hand. She would need all her strength to complete it.
It became immediately clear that a hard battle had been fought recently. Bodies littered the ground in various states of decay. Shu soldiers were piled atop corpses marked with yellow scarves. Tears filled her eyes when she recognized some of the faces at her feet. Something had, indeed, gone horribly wrong here. This battle was supposed to be quick. Their plan had been sound.
Li dismounted and tied Nightwind to a tree. She needed a better look at her surroundings before she decided on a plan. Using the trees as cover, she snuck closer to the village. Not a single living soldier appeared while she moved. Whoever had won decided not to send lookouts to keep watch. A lump formed in her throat. Even with a success, neither Zhao Yun nor Jiang Wei would take such a risk.
She noticed the sheer number of Yellow Turban bodies had far exceeded what she expected. An idea began to form in her head about what happened. Even if Shu had overtaken the hill, a force the size of Zhang Yui's could still overpower them. He had likely set up ambush troops as soon as he got wind of Shu's arrival. She had to give the man credit. He had outmatched them this time. But there was no way he had managed to kill everyone. Men like Yun and Wei didn't go down that easily. They had to be somewhere in the camp.
Li stopped a short distance from the village remains. Several tents had been crudely erected around the walls and in the center. Laughter and cheerful shouting could be heard from many of them. She began to shake from fear. There was no other way to get inside the camp without being seen. It could be hours before the soldiers all fell asleep.
Suddenly, the lights in one of the large tents went out. A men stepped into the camp and stretched his arms out. Li could see red marks on his hands and breastplate in the torchlight. Bile rose in her throat. She knew blood when she saw it.
Then the man turned in her direction. She barely managed to duck behind a crumbling wall in time. But she had seen his face. He was the man who had taken her from Zhang Yui's house during the first raid, the one who had helped the enemy escape because of her. Everything made sense now. Of course the Shu defectors would have an idea about what tactics Jiang Wei would use. Even if they were stupid enough to abandon their fellow soldiers, they could still possess enough cunning to ambush two high-ranking officers. Combined with Yui's numbers, the meager Shu army didn't stand a chance.
She waited until she heard the man stumble into another tent before looking up. No one else was walking around and no one else came out of the dark tent. Li took a deep breath and inched towards the center of camp. She carefully peeked into the tent entrance. It was pitch black inside. If there was anyone around, they were likely dead or unconscious.
The lantern she had seen was hanging from above her. She needed to try and turn it on if she was going to find her friends. Putting her hands in the air, she felt around blindly above her head.
A groan came from the ground near her feet. She tried to take a step backwards and tripped on something solid. And warm. Li froze, fearful that she had just woken up another soldier and was about to lose her head.
"I told you I don't know anything," came a voice just inches in front of her. "Kill me and get it over with."
Tears began to run freely down her face. She knew that voice as well as her own. With trembling hands she reached forward until she could feel the man's face. "Jiang Wei," she whispered. "It's me. It's Mei Li."
She heard him suck in a breath. "Li? Is that really you?"
"Gods, what happened?" She crawled towards him and felt down his arm until she reached his wrists. They were bound tightly with rope. She began the painful job of trying to untie them. "I've been sick with worry about you and the others. Yin Shang came to visit me a week ago with the same concern."
"We were outnumbered and outmatched." His voice cracked as he spoke. "Zhang Yui's numbers were beyond what our scouts had reported. Just as we managed to take the hill, the main body of his troops swarmed us. Most of our men fled or were killed."
"What about Yun?"
"He was taken to a separate location. I haven't heard him or any news about his condition. He wouldn't scream under torture anyway."
Li tried to focus her attention on the ropes. Eventually she managed to loosen the part around his right wrist. He quickly freed his other hand. Before she could say or do anything, she felt his arms go around her shoulders and his face press against hers. Tears were flowing from his eyes as well. "Thank you, Li. I don't know how you managed this, but thank you. I thought this would be my last night among the living."
She struggled to help him to his feet. "We need to get out of here. I'll come back for Yun when I know you're safe."
The two of them slowly made their way out of the camp and into the surrounding woods. Wei eyed Nightwind with curiosity as Li sat him next to the horse. With the dim light of the moon and the glow from the camp, she could see how terrible he really looked. Cuts lined his face and his neck. One eye was nearly swollen shut. Angry welts wrapped around his wrists from the rope and his left shoulder looked dangerously out of place. "Oh Wei…" She trailed off, unable to finish.
Despite his condition, he smiled and wiped a tear away. "Don't worry about me. I'll live thanks to you. By the gods, Li, how did you get out of Cheng Du without being seen? Why didn't you bring anyone with you?" "No one would listen to me or to Shang. He couldn't leave without arousing suspicion, so I left instead. We both knew that something was wrong when we didn't hear from the army." She took the water skin and began washing away the blood on his face. Satisfied that none of his injuries were life-threatening, she tore strips of cloth from the edge of her robe and bandaged his arms. "I'm so sorry you had to endure this. No one should have to suffer because of vengeance."
Wei chuckled, then grunted when she tightened a bandage. "Such is war, Li. It can't be helped."
"I hate to see you suffering like this. You and Yun saved me in more ways than one. Neither of you deserve this as thanks for that."
"The same could be said for you, you know." He reached up and gently ran his thumb down her cheek. "Zhao Yun has been my friend for a long time, Li. He spends his whole life giving to others and taking nothing for himself. He closed himself off from the world years ago. You've given him a second chance to experience the things in life he gave up for Shu. By allowing him happiness, you've given it to us as well. This is a poor way to repay you for that, leaving you behind to worry about us."
Li rubbed her sleeve against her eyes. She had to keep her vision sharp if the rest of her mission was going to succeed. "We can argue that point later. First we have to find Yun."
"Li, don't sneak back into that camp on your own. I can't protect you and they'll soon find out that I'm gone. You'll get yourself killed."
She ignored him, trying to picture the layout of the village in her mind. Most of the hiding places Yui had used were destroyed from the fire. There weren't any other posts nearby for them to take Yun. The hill had probably been destroyed. Even if Yun didn't make a sound during torture, the other men certainly would. She would have heard them if they had him at the moment.
Then she remembered one building that had not been completely destroyed. Part of Zhang Yui's house contained a storage room. Underneath it had been a cellar. Most of the space had been used for storage. Li remembered a couple of times, however, when he would confine prisoners or one of his concubines down there. It was the perfect place to keep Yun.
It was also directly underneath the largest tent in the camp.
"Li?" Wei said cautiously.
"I think I know where they're keeping him," she said. "But we're going to have trouble getting to him. There's a door beneath the main tent. The space beneath it is just large enough to hide a man Yun's size. We need to get him out before they find out that you've disappeared. Otherwise they'll likely kill him."
Jiang Wei looked towards the camp. "I have an idea that might work. Master Zhuge Liang and I devised it for an emergency. It will be gruesome, and my injuries will slow our progress, but it should drive the soldiers out of camp."
"What do I need to do?"
He looked at her and frowned. His eyes chilled her. "Be strong and beg forgiveness."
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It was the most heart-wrenching task she had ever undertaken before. A part of her wondered what possessed gentle souls like Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei to come up with such an idea. The other part of her knew that something this outrageous was the only way to save Zhao Yun's life
A groan escaped her lips as she flipped one of the bodies onto his stomach. She fastened a sturdy pole to his back, making sure that his head was upright and his limbs were free. Carefully, she hoisted him up into the air and slid the base of the pole into a freshly dug hole in the ground. When the body was properly supported, she moved onto the next one.
Li struggled not to look into the faces of the soldiers. It was hard enough to have known them in life, especially those she recognized from the first raid who had been kind to her. Their wives and children would never see them again. Now she was abusing their bodies for the sake of a single man. It almost reduced her to tears once again. She said a silent prayer as she prepared each corpse, asking for his soul to be at peace and thanking them for allowing the use of their flesh.
Jiang Wei reappeared by the time she had lined the forest edge with bodies. He had been busy himself. Behind him were barrels that had been soaked in flammable materials and lined with more bodies. In his hands was a lit torch. Li could see tear marks on his face. As hard as it was for her to see the dead around her, it had to be more unbearable for him. He had commanded these men, and likely knew their families personally.
He squared his shoulders and looked at Mei Li. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded. Wei lit each of the barrels behind him and waited for the fire to spread. He then used a stick to begin pushing them down the incline towards the village. Mei did the same from the opposite end. As soon as the first barrel hit the wall, they began screaming at the top of their lungs. With the torch they lit the standing corpses, still shouting as inhumanly as possible.
They watched as the soldiers below burst out of their tents. No sooner had they stepped out than the camp burst into flames. The men shouted and darted off in every direction possible. Their confusion seemed to fuel the fires even more. Li could hear them shrieking when they realized what had erupted in their camp, crying that the souls of the dead were vengeful once again. They fled before they, too, could be consumed by hell's fire.
The pair waited until everyone had gone before entering the camp themselves. They were careful to avoid the flames but did not put them out. It didn't take long to reach the main tent, having been the only one to remain upright amidst the fire. Wei pulled the support beam down and cleared the debris. The door was just under the tent cloth.
"You'll have to go down there yourself," Wei said. "If you can lift his arms up out of the pit, I should be able to help you."
Li nodded and forced the door open. The pit smelled of dead animals and rotten flesh, and the walls were damp with water and blood. She heard a couple of things crunch underneath her feet. Li was suddenly thankful that she'd never given Yui a reason to put her down there.
A body was propped up against the wall next to her. The face was pale and covered with blood. Mei Li gasped. Zhao Yun looked worse than most of the men she'd seen outside. Frantic with worry, she put a hand to his chest and waited. She felt a slight motion. He was alive, but barely. She knelt next to him and pulled his arm over her shoulder, forcing him to his feet. Wei stuck his head inside as she dragged him to the entrance. His face gave nothing away. She managed to push Yun's body up with her shoulders while Wei pulled him out with his good arm.
"We need to get him out of here," Mei Li said as she climbed back into the camp. "His injuries are worse than I thought."
"He's lost a lot of blood. He won't last much longer if he's not treated." Jiang Wei looked around the inferno. In their haste, the men had forgotten to take the horses. A few were tethered nearby, trying desperately to get away from the flames. He jumped up and freed the animals, bringing two back with him.
Li and Wei managed to drape Zhao Yun over one of the horses. "You climb up with him," she said. "I'll follow you on the other horse. Once we get into the woods, we'll get Nightwind and head back to Cheng Du."
"Understood." Jiang Wei hauled himself up next to his friend.
Li grabbed the saddle of the second horse and started to climb. Before she could make it, she felt a hand grab her hair and pull her to the ground. Above her stood the man she had hoped to avoid. "You conniving little whore," Zhang Yui spat. "I'll make you pay for this!"
He raised his fist to strike her. Jiang Wei's stallion reared up in protest, startling Yui enough for him to stagger backwards. Li screamed, "Get him out of here!" to her friend. Wei faltered a moment, then kicked the horse's side and rode off. Yui swore and reached for the second horse to give chase. Li kicked its back legs, sending it galloping off after Wei.
Zhang Yui swung his leg around and caught Li full in the face. She could taste blood. "I always thought you were a handful," he said, slowly walking towards her. She tried to crawl away. Instead she felt his foot strike her in the ribs. Then he bent down and grabbed her hair again, pulling her to her feet. "But I never expected something like this."
"You never expected to some day pay for your crimes?"
He brought his hand across her face. Her teeth rattled. "You never understood, did you? A girl like you is worth nothing. You come from a poor family, have no skills beyond entertainment, and are destined to be forgotten. You lash out against things you have no control over."
She couldn't help but smile at him. Men like Yui would never change. "I helped Shu defeat you twice, and I had complete control over that."
Zhang Yui snarled and grabbed her neck with his free hand. "And now I'll get my revenge. I hope your Shu lovers took a crack at you before, because they'll never get another chance." He began to squeeze her neck, choking the life from her.
For a brief second, Mei Li felt ready to die. She had redeemed herself over the past year. Her music had brought joy to an entire kingdom. Now her two best friends were safe. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she prepared to give in and walk towards Death's open arms.
Something flashed by Yui's waist. His sword was hanging at his belt, untouched and unnoticed. Her arms were just close enough to reach it. His eyes were still locked on hers. There was a chance. She had to take it.
Everything around her was a blur. In one swift motion, she reached down, yanked his sword free and swung it at his arm. Her feet hit the ground. Cool air rushed into her lungs at the same moment blood splattered across her face. Zhang Yui blanched, stumbled backwards, and stared at his arm. There was nothing but a stump left. He looked back up at her. For a moment, she saw fear in his eyes. This was the same man who had abused her and soiled her and, if she had not stopped him, would have killed her in cold blood. Yet she felt pity as he stood there, completely defeated and defenseless.
Li heard the whinny of a horse behind her. Jiang Wei had stopped a few feet away, his jaw hanging open in shock. He dismounted and moved next to her. Yui didn't flinch at all.
"You aren't going to kill him?" Wei asked Li. She still had the sword pointed at him. The thought had crossed her mind.
But she had seen enough bloodshed for one lifetime. "No. The point of this campaign was to capture the remaining Yellow Turban supporters and bring them to justice." She lowered the sword but kept her eyes on Yui. "We will take him to Lord Liu Bei, where he will be judged fairly for his crimes."
"Very well." She thought she saw Wei smirking as he pulled the sash from around his waist and tied it around Yui's stump. He then took some rope and tied the rebel's arms around his torso to prevent him from moving. Yui mounted the horse without a word while Li and Wei walked him back to their own camp.
Li thought of something while they prepared to depart for home. "Jiang Wei, did you find the men who defected from Shu? I wasn't paying attention to the soldiers when they were running."
Wei nodded towards the remains of a fire a short distance from them. "Fate plays a complex game with mankind. As soon as I had secured Zhao Yun, the whole group of them came running in my direction. They were confused and unarmed. I granted them a quick death and a proper burial."
"It seems more than they deserve."
"I agree. We are honorable people though, and we will do the right thing."
Mei Li nodded and walked over to Nightwind. Yun was already situated on her back. The horse was anxious to go, pawing at the ground and making a fuss. Wei pulled himself onto the third horse and tied the reins of Yui's horse to his saddle. Li mounted Nightwind behind Yun. She pressed his body against her own in an attempt to warm him. "Wei, do you think he'll recover?"
"What does your heart tell you?"
She put a hand over his chest and waited until she felt a beat. Already it was stronger than before. Li smiled and gently kissed his temple. "It tells me that such recoveries will take time. But he will make it."
Jiang Wei smiled. "We have you to thank for that time. Let's go. I'm sure our lord is sick with worry about us. We should relieve him of that burden."