There were no cheers as the army rounded the corner of the road and made their way into Cheng Du. Xing felt a lump form in her throat as she saw burnt buildings, littered roads and ruined fields. People began to gather in the streets as the Shu officers made their way through the capital. They were dirty, scared, and clinging to their belongings as if they might disappear. But some of their faces lit up as they realized their beloved leader had returned to them. Man Zhu dismounted and walked his horse up to Xing, who was still surveying the scene. "It's like walking into Jiang Si all over again."

She nodded. "Each of our capitals looked like this. It doesn't make the pain on seeing it easier to bear, though." Liu Bei and his sworn brothers rode ahead to address the growing crowds. The other officers dismounted and began to round up the soldiers to hand out orders. Xing and Zhu followed them to the battered stables and tied their horses into an empty stall. Shouldering their packs, they waited for Lui Bei and the others to instruct them in the courtyard.

As they were waiting, Zhu noticed a young boy sitting under a partially collapsed roof. He clutched a piece of fabric in his hands, staring at the pair. "Hi." Zhu said, moving closer to the child. He didn't move. Xing gave him a smile while Zhu knelt down to his level. "What's your name?"

"Teng," he whispered.

"Nice to meet you, Teng. My name is Zhu. Where is your family?"

Tears welled up in the child's eyes. "The bad men took them. This is all I found." He held up the fabric, a remnant from a woman's dress. Zhu sighed and wiped a tear from his cheek. "Do you know if they are coming back?"

Man Zhu shook his head. "I do not know, Teng. I am not from this area. But I do know that you are safe now." The boy nodded, still crying, and clutched Zhu's chest. He picked him up and turned to Xing. "I guess we should find out what we need to do so we can start."

"Yes." She was still distracted with her surroundings. Reality returned swiftly with the sound of hooves coming towards them. Liu Bei and the others had finished talking with the people and were gathering for assignments. Both leaders bowed to him, but Zhu kept the boy in his arms. They fell in line with the other officers as they headed towards the castle. It, too, was in ruins. Xing noticed that they still had a roof, but most everything else was falling apart. Those who were on horses dismounted, and everyone went up the crumbling stairs and inside. Zhuge Liang was waiting for them on the other side of the doors. He ushered them into the meeting room where everyone sat down. Teng was still latched onto Man Zhu, but no one said anything.

Liu Bei rubbed his temples as he turned to his officers. "I have spoken to those who stayed behind, as well as the families that witnessed most of the attack. The damage is extensive, but not as much as first thought. I have asked Zhuge Liang to draw up a plan of action so we can rebuild as much as possible in a short amount of time." He turned to his trusted strategist, who nodded and stood to address the others.

"I have divided the capital and surrounding areas into sections. Some of you will actually be helping our people rebuild. Others will keep watch over supplies coming into Cheng Du, and a few will keep to business as usual." He turned to Man Zhu and Yang Xing. "I am going to ask if you two can start work on some of the surrounding areas, just outside of the walls. We will also find someplace for you to stay during your visit here." Both nodded and the Prime Minister gave orders to the remaining officers. Within minutes, everyone was off to their prospective locations to help rebuild what Zhang Jiao had destroyed.

Yang Xing and Man Zhu made their way towards the edge of the capital. Teng, who had sat still through the entire meeting, was walking alongside them. He was a little more energetic, although he still clung to the piece of fabric like a lifeline. Outside the walls, it was as if they had returned home to Jiang Si. Homes were little more than mud and straw. Farms had been uprooted and trampled. The people had been reduced to animals, dirty and scrounging anything that they could to start rebuilding. All of them looked frightfully at the trio. "You say something," Zhu hissed in Xing's ear. "You're more of a people person."

She rolled her eyes but took a step forward to address the people. But she didn't have to. Teng looked at one particular woman, who was clutching a dress much like the boy, and cried out to her. Her face lit up as she recognized him and welcomed his running form into her arms, tears streaming down her face. Zhu and Xing watched the happy scene unfold as the two reunited. At length, the woman looked up at the pair. "Thank you," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "We had thought his whole family was dead." She stood with the boy in her arms and bowed to them, which they returned.

"Do you mean to say you found his parents?" Zhu asked. She nodded sadly, and Xing realized that the dress in her hands was the same material Teng clung to. "We are very sorry for your loss, but relieved that young Teng has some place to go."

An older man, who had been watching the young leaders, slowly walked towards them from among the crowd. Like the woman, he bowed to the pair. His dark eyes looked them over carefully. "You two are not of Shu," said the elder. "I do not recognize your dress or mannerisms. What brings you to Cheng Du?"

"We are of the Jiang Provinces," Xing answered. "We aided Shu in destroying the Yellow Turbans and have come to help rebuild the capital. Lord Liu Bei asked if we would start here."

For a moment, the man continued to stare at them. It was the same kind of look that Xing used to receive from her father while he was debating something in his mind. His dark eyes revealed nothing, but she could see the wheels turning as he sorted through the information they had given him and assessed what sort of help they could give the people. Then he smiled and nodded to them. "If our Lord sent you, then I accept any aid you can render. You both look capable of doing hard labor. And if you are truly from the Jiang Provinces, we will be able to see if the rumors are true." Xing noticed a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. Zhu chuckled. He turned and motioned for the two of them to follow.

Liu Bei had been right; the damage was extensive. As they passed through the fields and into the housing areas, Yang Xing and Man Zhu began to see how much work this was going to be. Almost everything had been trampled by the Turbans, and anything that remained had been torched. The people continued to stare at the leaders as the elder led them around the area. When they finally stopped in the center of the clearing, Zhu plopped onto the ground. "Man, this is worse than I thought. Everything will have to be built from scratch."

"Yes, and we must finish in time to replant the fields before our chance is gone."

Yang Xing put a comforting hand on the old man's shoulder. "We will finish in time. With this many hands working, I believe we can accomplish everything we need." He nodded but said nothing. Zhu hopped back up and looked to his friend, who was busy calculating in her head. "What kind of supplies to we have to work with?"

"Not much," the elder said. "Our Lord should provide us with some, but I do not know what or how much."

"I'll head back inside the walls and see what we're supposed to get," Man Zhu said. "Until I get back, what are you going to do?"

Xing pointed to another part of the clearing where the ground was burnt. "We need to clear out everything that cannot be saved and put it there. Wood can be used for fire or support beams. Mud and straw can go back into the fields or turned into brick. Nothing will go to waste unless there is no need for it." Zhu nodded and headed towards the castle walls. As soon as he left, the elder called the people together and relayed Xing's ideas to them. The crowd immediately dispersed and began crawling through the wreckage. Yang Xing found Teng and the woman dragging large pieces of wood from a house and ran over to help them. "Is this yours?" she asked as she reached them.

The woman looked at her sadly. "My husband and I built it ourselves, shortly after we were married. Neither of us had much money. But we wanted to be close to the capital and other members of our family." She dropped the piece she had been working on and wiped her brow. "Teng's mother helped us establish ourselves here. His father and my husband were members of Lord Liu Bei's army and helped to tend the fields with us women. They became family to us."

"I am deeply sorry for your losses." Xing picked up the wood that the woman had been struggling with, resting it on her shoulders with little effort. "I, too, have lost much of my family. And I know what it is like to start over again."

"What is your story, my Lady?"

"Please, call me Xing. I have difficulty letting my own people call me 'Lady'."

The woman stared at her, eyes wide. "Lady Yang Xing?" she asked, more to herself than Xing. "The female leader of the Jiang Provinces? I heard you say it to the elder, but I did not recognize you." She immediately looked to the ground. "Forgive me. It is rude to stare." By this time, others around them had stopped working to look as well. Curiosity overcame fear, and Xing could sense it.

"No need for forgiveness," the young leader said. "Yes, I am Yang Xing, and yes, I know what the rumors about me say. What is true and what is false depends on who you ask." She sat down on a particularly large stone to better focus her thoughts. "I lost my father and brothers to Zhang Jiao when I was very young. My mother and sisters managed to escape, although I doubt very much I will ever know what happened to them. The other rebel leaders became my family, and my people grew to accept me in much the same way they accepted my father. It no longer matters that I am a woman. I am a leader who cares about her people and would do anything for them. As for the rumors, yes, I know magic and have used it in battle. Yes, I am battle hardened and ruthless. And yes, I am cursed. I also know what it is like to fear and what it is like to hurt. I know how lonely the world can be. That is why I spend as much time and energy as possible working with my people. I find that leaders who can relate to their problems are better able to help them overcome such obstacles. This is why I agreed with Man Zhu, the other leader here, to come and help you rebuild Cheng Du. Liu Bei shares much in common with the rebel leaders, and your suffering mirrors what we felt and continue to experience."

There was silence, and Xing knew that she had won the people over. She noticed the elder standing nearby, looking at her with a sense of respect she had not seen before. Smiling, she stood and picked up another piece of wood. The others followed suit and went about their own work again. A short while later, Man Zhu returned with a handful of green Shu soldiers. Xing dropped the mud she was holding and headed over towards them. "I like the mud look on you," her friend said, grinning. "It's quickly becoming a part of your wardrobe."

"Did you have fun dancing around the castle? I was busy winning over the people and tearing down remains."

He pretended to punch her, but backed down when she held up her grimy hands. "Zhuge Liang asked if we would give him an estimate of how much wood we would need. Then he'll start sending over supplies. Any ideas?"

"Enough for ten shacks, I think. We've managed to gather enough good wood and mud that we can rebuild half of the houses already. It's good mud, too. We can show them how to strengthen their foundations with it."

Zhu clapped his hands together. "Then I guess we should get moving."